Chapter Twelve: Escape

  Liu Ziguang was escorted back to his dormitory by two guards, a male and a female. His opponent had actually used such a despicable trick to frame him. He searched his mind for enemies, as he had been too prominent lately and many people were jealous of him. It seemed like everyone had a reason to strike at him - the Imperial Guards, the accountants, and those whose interests were threatened by him.

  His reputation is ruined, having been seen by so many people. Now he can only rely on the wisdom of his elder sister and his own character. Liu Ziguang was very annoyed, being manipulated by a hidden enemy was a very depressing thing. Just as he was pacing back and forth, he suddenly heard someone knocking at the window. He opened the door to see Yang Meng, a guard, who said expressionlessly: "The eldest miss has retired early and is questioning in the Winter Fragrance Room. She's called you over for an interrogation, come with me."

  Still the clever and resourceful young lady, so anxious to clear herself of blame, Liu Ziguang followed Yang Meng without hesitation.

  Inside the alley, it was empty and desolate, with only the gas lamp flickering a lonely flame. The servants had all run to the front courtyard to watch the opera performance. The shadows of the two people were stretched long by the lamplight, their footsteps echoing in the alley, making it seem eerie.

  Liu Ziguang's dormitory and the maids' quarters were very close, just across a narrow alley. The maid's room was also quiet, with only a faint candlelight flickering. Yang Meng pushed open the courtyard door and made a polite gesture with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

  Liu Ziguang felt that the atmosphere was not good, but he didn't know why. Without hesitation, he walked into the yard. Dongxiang's door was ajar, and Liu Ziguang suspected a trap, so he stood outside and pushed the door open.

  Deep red, piercingly red, pale and bare corpse lying in a pool of blood, it's Dong Xiang! Dong Xiang's lifeless eyes were still wide open, as if questioning the heavens, why they had treated her so ruthlessly.

  Ambush! Another ambush! We've fallen into their trap! Liu Ziguang turned around to capture Yang Meng.

  Yang Meng had already locked the door from the outside and shouted in a loud, cracked voice: "Come quickly, Liu Ziguang has killed someone!" Immediately, chaotic footsteps could be heard not far away, it seemed that people were ambushing nearby.

  It's a conspiracy, an absolute conspiracy. It seems that the other party not only wants to ruin my reputation but also take my life! Liu Ziguang looked around and saw a blood-stained steel knife in Dongxiang's room, which was definitely prepared to frame him as the murderer. The situation is now hopeless, and it's crucial to grab a weapon to save his own life! He jumped over, picked up the knife, and inserted it into his waistband. Spotting a section of the wall, he sprinted a few steps, stretched out his hands, and with all his might, leaped up, grabbing the top of the wall. With one flip of his body, he landed outside the wall.

  Yang Meng saw Liu Ziguang fall to the ground with a steel knife still stuck in his back, and didn't dare come over. He ran towards the crowd that was rushing over, still shouting "Liu Ziguang has killed someone!"

  Among the crowd that came running, the leader was surprisingly Song Qingfeng. A white fox-fur trimmed cape stood out in the night, and it was him! This trap must have been his design. Can't beat them, falling into their hands would probably mean being killed immediately, better to retreat for now.

  The inner courtyard's side gate had not yet been locked, and Liu Ziguang ran up to it. The guard at the gate was startled and said, "Mr. Liu, so late you...?" Before he could finish speaking, Liu Ziguang struck him on the neck with the hilt of his knife, knocking him unconscious. Liu Ziguang rushed out the door, and outside was the dark night sky. He turned back to look at the pursuing soldiers getting closer and closer, then went back inside to grab the guard's waist knife. He closed the side gate and from the outside used the waist knife to tie the two door rings together, then turned and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

  The guards cursed and kicked the gate with their feet, several kicks in a row. The waist knife on the door ring couldn't withstand the force and broke off. The guards pushed open the gate and Liu Ziguang's shadow was gone. Song Qingfeng ordered: Immediately report to the captain of the guard Hu Xianjue, and at the same time send someone to the kennel to lead the hunting dog, go to the stable to lead the war horse, prepare torches and bows and arrows.

  Hu Xianjue was drinking in the main hall when he was called out by the deputy captain on duty, who told him that Liu Ziguang had killed Dongxiang and escaped with a weapon. Hu Xianjue's body shook with anger - one was the eldest sister's most trusted confidant, and the other was her loyal personal maid; this murder case could not be taken lightly.

  She entered the main hall, reported to the elder sister, and saw that the elder sister's expression was as usual. She stood up to apologize to the guests, saying she couldn't hold her liquor, and first retreated to rest. After finishing, she hinted for Hu Xianzhi and Ding Pengyuan to follow over.

  Inside the side house, the eldest sister listened to Hu Ding's detailed report. After listening, she calmly ordered: Capture Liu Ziguang, he must be taken alive. Search Liu Ziguang's dormitory. Clean up Dongxiang's body and room, do not make a sound, so as not to ruin everyone's New Year's mood.

  Before long, the personnel sent out returned to report that a hidden cave was found on the wall of Liu Ziguang's dormitory, where a mud mold of the treasury key and a map of the iron factory's city defense were hidden. There was also a silk certificate of the six-product military machine of the Qing Dynasty Military Machine Bureau. In addition, when the guards were preparing to chase in the horse shed, they also found a good horse with ready-made saddles, and the stolen silver tickets were hidden in the interlayer of the horse's equipment. Song Qingfeng has taken people to ride horses to pursue them.

  "It turned out to be a spy from Qingguo!" Ding Pengyuan was greatly shocked and proposed to the eldest sister: "It seems that this thief had planned ahead of time, stole our factory's intelligence, and stole the silver from the warehouse. He must have escaped back to Qingguo by now. I beg the eldest sister to send Captain Hu to chase after him for a thousand miles, kill the thief, and resolve the crisis for our factory, avenging Dong Xiang's hatred!"

  Qing State is located in the north, occupying the land of Yan and Yun, always eyeing the southern Great Ming State with envy, especially towards the iron factory of Li State, which produces a large amount of iron weapons. Every year, there are spies sneaking over to gather information. Despite being extremely cautious, they still couldn't guard against the cunning Liu Ziguang.

  Hu Xianzhu said: "Based on the information we have, I deduce the following judgment: Liu Ziguo discovered the secret of the iron factory, stole silver from the treasury, prepared horses, and planned to escape back to Qingguo on New Year's Eve. However, just before leaving, he suddenly had the idea to rape Dongxiang, was discovered, and killed her in a fit of rage. Fortunately, he was caught by patrolling guards on the spot, so he hastily fled without taking the city defense map and prepared silver notes. Now we must dispatch cavalry to search for him in all directions, while also issuing a fire signal order to immediately seal off the surrounding checkpoints and strictly prohibit entry and exit. I am willing to personally lead a team of light cavalry to search for him throughout the night and capture the thief alive."

  The older sister let out a soft sigh, and in front of her appeared the face of that young man who didn't quite understand etiquette.

  "Belongs below recognizes words." The young man was respectful and shy.

  "I will definitely work hard to repay Big Sister's kindness" The young man's tone was filled with sincerity and gratitude, and even... a hint of other emotions...

  The big sister waved her hand and drove away Liu Ziguang's shadow in front of her, and said tiredly to Ding Hu and others: "Just do it as you mean."

  Miss Second burst in, followed by Autumn Fragrance, who was crying. Autumn Fragrance and Winter Fragrance were as close as sisters, and they had already learned what had happened. Miss Second exclaimed, "There must be some ulterior motive! With so many maids in the inner courtyard, all of whom have been secretly flirting with Liu Zi Guang, why would he specifically target Winter Fragrance, who he dislikes? And how could he commit murder just as things were about to succeed? Is this something a well-trained Qing dynasty military officer would do? The city defense map, the certificate, and the silver from the treasury - all of these were discovered after the fact. Who can guarantee that they weren't planted or framed?"

  Facing the second lady's fierce questioning, Hu Xian did not take the bait and cupped his hands: "The culprit has been caught, everything will be clear, I'll take my leave first."

  Only Ding Pengyuan was left, the old fox narrowed his eyes and said: "Second Miss, listen to me slowly." He began to wield his three-inch poisonous tongue, recounting Liu Ziguang's various suspicious points one by one.

  Director Ding also found it strange that there was another group of people who were simultaneously plotting against Liu Ziguang, and even fabricated a murder case. However, this indeed provided his own plan with double insurance. At present, this kid is jumping into the Yellow River and cannot be washed clean. The security team belonging to the accounting house has also been dispatched, and they will kill Liu Ziguang without mercy. Hu Xianzhi's village was massacred by the Qing army when he was a child, killing his whole family. He hated the Qing spies the most and probably wouldn't show any mercy either. Liu Ziguang is definitely going to die tonight, and now everything I say makes sense.

  Liu Ziguang was chased by hounds and cavalry for the second time, last time with a desperate heart, now with a strong desire to survive. Long-term long-distance running training allowed him to run desperately without his heart being unable to withstand it, but he still felt severe chest pain, and his wildly beating heart almost jumped out of his throat.

  After escaping from the inner mansion, Liu Ziguang took advantage of the temporary absence of pursuers and used his iron token to leave the city gate. Outside the city was a mine pit, and he didn't know where to escape, so he randomly chose a direction and started running. The farther he ran, the better, Liu Ziguang thought.

  In the distance, the sound of barking dogs and horseshoes echoed, along with the faint glow of torches. Can't escape now, hunting dogs can track scents, and there's no chili powder or anything on me to throw them off. The cavalry is even faster than the best long-distance runners. The pursuers are led by Song Qingfeng... damn it, didn't I kill his whole family? Why won't he let up on me? Can't fight back, can't escape either... what to do?

  Liu Ziguang's mind was racing like lightning, his feet not daring to slow down even a little, the surroundings pitch black. He was still somewhat familiar with the terrain in this area from when he used to dig for minerals. A movie he had seen before flashed before his eyes - Schwarzenegger as the Iron Blooded Warrior, the Governor of California, smeared himself all over with mud and deceived the Iron Blooded Warriors. He didn't know if smearing himself with mud could cover up the smell on his body, deceiving the hunting dogs' noses.

  Anyway, can't run away from it, might as well give it a try!

  The mining area where the ore was selected had a lot of mud, although it was winter, but the temperature was not very low, and the water surface did not freeze, only small puddles were frozen. Liu Ziguang deliberately treaded through the pond, hoping to temporarily create a small vacuum zone for the hunting dog's sense of smell.

  A muddy pit appeared before him, its surface already somewhat hardened. Liu Ziguang inserted a knife and flipped it over, revealing unfrozen mud inside. He frantically scooped out a pile of thin mud and hastily smeared it on his face, body, and knife. Feeling this was too slow, he lay down in the mud and rolled around several times. As the sound of barking dogs grew closer, he spotted a withered clump of wild grass nearby and quickly crawled over to hide in its densest part.

  The barking of dogs and the rapid approach of horse hooves, torches shining brightly, were Song Qingfeng and Yang Meng and a group of guards. Chasing to the edge of the muddy pond, the pack of hunting dogs seemed to have lost their target, barking incessantly.

  "What to do? Song Shaoxia, that Liu Zei seems to be hiding, and the hunting dogs can't find him either." The voice was Yang Meng's. Liu Ziguang didn't dare to lift his head, shrinking his body and remaining still, trying to calm down his intense need for oxygen and the trembling of his chilled body from being soaked in water.

  "The thief must have waded across and gone that way. Brothers, follow me." It was Song Qingfeng's voice.

  The barking of dogs and the sound of horseshoes gradually faded away, Liu Ziguang slowly let out a breath he had been holding back, and his violently beating heart also calmed down slightly.

  Liu Ziguang quietly crawled out of the thick grass, preparing to flee in the opposite direction of the pursuing soldiers, when he suddenly heard someone speaking behind him.

  "Manager Liu, long time no see."

  Only saw Song Qingfeng wearing white clothes under the moonlight smiling at him