The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

Wang Liangliang was so anxious that he hurried to the opera house with several government servants to seek Xi Yu's opinion.

"Is the Prime Minister here?" Wang Liang asked eagerly.

The servant at the door replied respectfully: "Your Excellency, the County Magistrate, the Prime Minister is not at home."

"When will you come back? Is there any news?" Wang Liang asked.

The servant shook his head and said helplessly: "I can't tell when the master will come back."

Wang Liang frowned tightly, and the anxiety in his heart became more intense.

"What can we do?" he murmured to himself.

Wang Liang felt anxious, but he decided not to let it go.

They headed non-stop to Jia Xu's mansion, hoping to find some clues there.

However, the servants in the mansion told them that Jia Xu had been out for a day and had not returned yet, and no one knew where he had gone.

Wang Liang frowned, and the worry in his heart became heavier.

He was secretly thinking about his next move, and at the same time he was curious about the secret hidden behind it.

Wang Liang thought about it and decided to ask the government officials to wait near Jia Xu's house.

"You guys stay here and wait here. As soon as there is any news about Jia Xu, come and report it immediately." Wang Liang ordered seriously.

The government officials responded in unison: "Yes!"

After arranging everything, Wang Liangliang thought: "I also need to take a short rest and recharge my batteries." So he went back first.

It was late at night, and Jia Xu's house was still silent. The government officials stared wide-eyed, not daring to relax at all.

At Wang Liang's home, he was lying on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Jia Xu's disappearance made him uneasy, and various speculations emerged in his mind.

"Where did Jia Xu go?" Wang Liang sighed softly.

I don't know how long it took, but Wang Liang finally fell asleep. At this moment, Jia Xu's fate is still unknown.

In the morning, Jia Xu stepped into the gate of a temple in a panic, with a trace of uneasiness and fear in his eyes.

After the murder, he was at a loss, as if lost in a moral fog.

He told the old monk lies about something happening at home, trying to gain sympathy and get a chance to stay in the temple temporarily.

"Old monk, I want to hide and be quiet here. Is it okay?"

"Amitabha, please stay."

The old monk's eyes were profound and he seemed to be able to see into Jia Xu's inner secrets.

After listening to Jia Xu's narration quietly, he frowned slightly.

Despite his doubts, the old monk decided to take him in.

Jia Xu found temporary refuge in the temple, but his heart could not be calm.

At night, he prayed silently in front of the Buddha statue, trying to find some inner comfort.

But the guilt followed him, torturing his soul.

The old monk was secretly observing Jia Xu's every move. With years of practice and wisdom, he gradually noticed something strange about Jia Xu.

He began to wonder if this stranger was really as innocent as he said.

At night, the old monk found Jia Xu.

The old monk asked softly: "Donor, you seem to be hiding deep pain in your heart. Although I don't know the specific things you have experienced, I can feel that you are being tortured in your heart. Maybe talking about it will help you Feeling a little relieved.”

Jia Xu's lips trembled, tears welling up in her eyes. He finally confessed his crime to the old monk and poured out his inner regret and fear.

The old monk listened silently, with no trace of surprise or anger on his face, only pity and tolerance.

He said slowly: "The sin has been committed, but the road to repentance and redemption is always open. You need to go to the government to admit your crime."

But Jia Xu didn't have the courage.

He was perfunctory with the old monk.

"Tomorrow, I will surrender."

"In that case, donor, please have a good rest."

The next day, the sun shone on the road, and Zhao Qiang continued on his journey to see Liu Bei.

Exhausted, he stopped in an inn and decided to take a rest.

After entering the inn, he noticed an unusual atmosphere.

Looking around, he found that a few people were a little different.

It turned out that Wu Guotai, Zhuge Jin and others were also in the inn.

Zhao Qiang thought to himself that these people had extraordinary temperament and were definitely not ordinary people.

Wu Guotai asked Zhuge Jin in a low voice.

"When will we arrive in Youzhou?"

Zhuge Jin replied softly.

"We can arrive in three days."

Wu Guotai had a happy smile on her face. She was looking forward to the reunion with her daughter Sun Shangxiang.

"It's great, I can meet my daughter Sun Shangxiang."

Although their voices were low, Zhao Qiang's ears keenly captured these words.

Something moved in his heart.

Sun Shangxiang, isn’t that Xi Yu’s wife?
He realized this was an important message.

Perhaps, he could use this opportunity to obtain more information about Wu Guotai and his party.

Zhao Qiang sat in the corner, silently observing their every move.

He noticed the longing for his daughter revealed in Wu Guotai's eyes, as well as Zhuge Jin's calm and wise expression.

He began to think about how to approach them.

After a while, Zhao Qiang got up and left the inn.

His pace seemed a little hasty.

What happened last night made Zhao Qiang secretly happy.

He happened to meet a group of bandits on the road, and after some negotiation, he learned of a secret cave where they seemed to conduct transactions.

Zhao Qiang walked into the cave. There was a damp atmosphere inside, and a faint light shone on the stone walls.

The bandits sat together and looked at him warily.

"I'm here to trade with you." Zhao Qiang smiled.

"What are you going to do?" the bandit leader asked, his voice a little hoarse.

"I want you to help me kidnap an old woman in the inn." Zhao Qiang said.

"Why did you kidnap her? Who is she?" the bandit leader asked.

Zhao Qiang hesitated for a moment, and then said: "This is my business and has nothing to do with you. As long as you do what I say, I will pay you enough."

The bandit leader was silent for a moment, and finally nodded. "Okay, we'll help you."

Zhao Qiang paid the bandits and then quietly left the cave.

Back at the inn, Zhao Qiang secretly observed Wu Guotai's whereabouts. She was still talking to Zhuge Jin and others, unaware of the coming danger.

As night fell, the inn fell into silence. Zhao Qiang signaled the bandits to take action, and they quietly sneaked into Wu Guotai's room.

Prepare to kidnap her out quickly.

"Who is he?" Wu Guotai shouted in surprise.

Someone was originally protecting him outside, but they were knocked down by bandits.

"Old man, come with us quickly."

Wu Guotai struggled, but the bandits tightly covered her mouth to prevent her from making any sound.

They took Wu Guotai out of the inn and disappeared into the dark night.

Zhuge Jin lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

His breathing was steady, as if he had entered a sweet dream.

In the dream, Zhuge Jin came to an elegant courtyard. He saw Zhuge Liang, his younger brother, walking towards him with a smile.

"Brother!" Zhuge Liang shouted excitedly.

Zhuge Jin held his hand, his smile as warm as the spring breeze. "Brother, long time no see."

The two sat down on the stone bench in the courtyard and began to talk about old times. They talked about the past and recalled the time they spent together.

"Brother, how are you doing over there?" Zhuge Jin asked with concern.

Zhuge Liang nodded and said: "Everything is fine."

They chatted enthusiastically, and the topic kept changing, from the world situation to personal ambitions, from military strategies to life insights.

The breeze in the courtyard blew gently, bringing a fresh fragrance of flowers.

Wu Guotai was secretly kidnapped by Zhao Qiang and the bandits and left the inn, but Zhuge Jin knew nothing about it.

That night, Xi Yu was lying on the bed. Although her eyes were too sleepy to open, there were so many thoughts in her mind that she couldn't fall asleep.

He tossed and turned and tried various methods to relax, but to no avail.

Xi Yu's eyelids suddenly jumped, and there was a strange feeling in his heart, as if something was about to happen.

He tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, so he decided to get up and walk around the yard, hoping to calm down.

The yard was particularly quiet at night, with moonlight shining like water on the ground, illuminating Xi Yu's figure.

He walked along the bluestone path, but his thoughts were tangled up like a mess.

At this time, a patrolling soldier came forward.

When the soldiers saw Xi Yu, they immediately stopped and saluted him respectfully.

"Prime Minister, it's so late, why haven't you rested yet?" the soldier asked with concern. Xiyu frowned.

"I can't sleep, I always feel like something is going to happen."

The soldier smiled and tried to comfort him.

"Prime Minister, you may be thinking too much. It's safe here and nothing will happen. You'd better go back and rest early. There are many things waiting for you tomorrow."

Xi Yu shook his head slightly.

"No, my feeling is not wrong. This uneasy feeling has been lingering in my heart and makes me unable to rest."

The soldier was silent for a moment, and then said: "Sir, if you are really worried, I can strengthen patrols to ensure the safety of the surrounding area."

"I'm not worried about my own safety. I always feel that something big will happen."

Xi Yu waved his hand gently and said to the soldier: "Go and do your business. I can just walk by myself. No need to follow me."

The soldier hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something more, but finally nodded.

"Yes, Prime Minister. Then I will patrol elsewhere first. If you need anything, please call me at any time."

The soldier turned and left, disappearing into the darkness with light steps.

Xi Yu stayed alone in the yard, his figure looking a little lonely in the moonlight.

Under the moonlight, the flowers, plants and trees were dyed with a silvery glow, like a dreamlike scene.

"Maybe I'm really too sensitive." Xi Yu said to himself.

However, that uneasy feeling still lingered in his mind, preventing him from completely relaxing.

After a while, he decided to go back to his room and try to fall asleep again.

Wu Guotai was roughly thrown into the cave, her body was put in a sack, and a piece of cloth was stuffed in her mouth to prevent her from making a sound.

After a while, the bandits poured her out of the sack and removed the cloth from her mouth.

Wu Guotai looked around in horror, his eyes full of fear and doubt.

Her voice trembled as she asked: "Who are you? Why are you arresting me? I don't have much money on me. Please let me go."

The bandits looked at Wu Guotai coldly.

Wu Guotai prayed secretly in his heart, hoping that Buddha could bless her and be safe.

She said with a trembling voice: "I will definitely ask my family to send the ransom. Please don't hurt me."

"Use people's money to eliminate disasters. We use money to do things. Old lady, don't blame us."

"Who are you working for?"

But no one answered her.

Wu Guotai continued to pray to God in her heart.

At this time, a figure walked in hurriedly.

Zhao Qiang looked at the bandits with a hint of gratitude in his eyes.

Zhao Qiang said: "Thank you all heroes!"

The bandit leader waved his hand, signaling him to take Wu Guotai away quickly.

Wu Guotai looked at Zhao Qiang and felt that he looked familiar.

She suddenly remembered that she had met this person in the inn.

Wu Guotai: "Why do you want to arrest me? Who are you?"

Zhao Qiang said: "Don't ask anything, otherwise don't blame me for being rude!"

As he spoke, he picked up a piece of cloth, stuffed it into Wu Guotai's mouth, and then quickly put her into a sack.

Zhao Qiang picked up the sack and left the place in a hurry, his figure gradually disappearing into the darkness.

Early the next morning, Zhuge Jin stretched, stood up, and prepared to finish breakfast and continue on his way.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see many soldiers lying scattered in the corridor.

He was startled and rushed to Wu Guotai's room, only to find that there was no one in the room.

Zhuge Jin's face turned pale, and he immediately realized that something had happened. He came to the counter anxiously and asked the waiter: "Did any gangsters come in last night?"

The waiter shook his head and looked confused.

"I have no idea. No one has arrived."

Zhuge Jin stamped his feet, anxious.

"What can we do! Where is Wu Guotai?" he wondered.

The waiter suddenly remembered what happened last night, when several bandits entered the inn.

A bandit put a knife on his neck and threatened him not to speak out and to close his eyes.

The waiter had no choice but to agree.

Zhuge Jin stared at the waiter with burning eyes.

"Is there something you're hiding from me?"

The waiter panicked and confessed everything hesitantly.

After hearing what the waiter said, Zhuge Jin was so angry that she raised her hand and slapped him.

Zhuge Jin shouted angrily: "How can you be so greedy for life and afraid of death!"

The waiter covered his face and apologized repeatedly: "I was really afraid of death, so I didn't dare to disobey at that time."

Zhuge Jin tried to calm down, and it suddenly occurred to him that those soldiers might still be saved.

He hurried back to the corridor and leaned down to check their breathing. As he expected, the soldiers were just unconscious.

Zhuge Jin breathed a sigh of relief and shouted to the waiter: "Go and invite the doctor!"

Then, he turned around and hurried toward the county government office, preparing to report the crime.

On the way to the county government office, Zhuge Jin's heart was filled with pain and anxiety.

As he walked quickly, he secretly blamed himself in his heart.

"Sun Ce trusted me so much and entrusted his mother to me, but I lost her. How should I explain to him?" Zhuge Jin frowned, as if his heart was pressed by a heavy stone, and he was extremely anxious.

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became, and his steps speeded up unconsciously. Suddenly, he tripped over a stone on the road and fell forward, falling heavily to the ground.

"Ah!" Zhuge Jin couldn't help but exclaimed, and there was severe pain in his palms and knees.

He struggled to get up, not caring to check his injuries, and had only one thought in his mind.

Wu Guotai must be found as soon as possible without putting her in any danger.

Zhuge Jin endured the pain and continued to walk quickly towards the county government office.

On the other side, the early morning sunlight shines into the room through the window, and Xi Yu is still sleeping soundly.

Xiaocui and several maids had already prepared meals and were waiting quietly.

A maid whispered to Xiaocui: "You can eat first. It's not certain when the prime minister will wake up."

Xiao Cui decided to wait a while, but Xi Yu never came, so she had to eat first.

An hour passed, and Xi Yu finally woke up. He rubbed his eyes, walked out of the room, and saw Xiao Cui waiting for him in the hall.

"Prime Minister, I was waiting for you to eat together, but I couldn't wait any longer, so I ate first."

Xi Yu said with some guilt: "I couldn't sleep last night, so I got up late and made you wait for so long."

Xiaocui smiled and replied: "It's okay, Prime Minister, please eat quickly."

Xi Yu sat down and looked at the food on the table. He suddenly remembered his uneasiness last night and laughed at himself: "I always thought that something was going to happen. It seems that I am just thinking wildly."

He then told Xiaocui about his psychological situation last night.

Xiao Cui felt very happy. Xi Yu could tell her this, which proved that she was favored by Xi Yu.

"Master Prime Minister, you must be thinking too much."

Xi Yu nodded and went to eat.

He also recalled a case from his previous life.

Some people often have random thoughts because they care so much about their loved ones.

I always think that something might happen to my loved ones.

But in fact they are all unfounded worries.

Xi Yu finished eating quickly, and several maids came over to clear away the dishes.

Xiaocui asked: "Prime Minister, are we going to Youzhou now?"

Xi Yu nodded and looked at Xiao Cui.

"I'm going back to Youzhou, but are you sure you want to go back with me? If you regret it now, it's still too late!"

Xiaocui was stunned for a moment, and tears suddenly flowed down her face.

"Prime Minister, what do you mean? Do you hate Xiao Cui and don't want Xiao Cui to follow you?"
Xiyu knew that Xiaocui had misunderstood him.

"That's not what I meant. Don't overthink it. I'm afraid that after a long time, you will feel restricted."

Xiaocui shook her head suddenly.

"No, I will never feel restricted. As long as I can be with the Prime Minister, I will only feel very happy."

Xi Yu could tell that the other party would be particularly loyal to him.

"Okay, in that case, we'll set off soon."

Next, Xi Yu asked several maids to go find Sun Ce and ask Sun Ce to come over. He wanted to say goodbye to Sun Ce.

After Sun Ce heard the news, he came over immediately.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister, won't you stay here a little longer?"

"No need. I have to rush back as soon as possible."

Xi Yu didn't hesitate, took Xiao Cui and rode away again. (End of chapter)