Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Chapter 1312: Chapter 973: Waiting and Knowing Both Sides

Looking over the entirety of Liaodong, as long as they are direct confidants, there are indeed very few who dare to block this woman’s path!

Thus, how could the gatekeeper atop the city gate not be trembling with fear?

The soldiers standing ready with spears under the gate were also stunned when they heard this!

The people at the city gate, upon hearing this, were even more incredulous!

Has she just passed through?

The strict defenses of Licheng, under the iron policies of Dowager Empress Xiao, are renowned throughout the land. To their surprise, this woman who rashly charged the gate merely said a few words with apparent ease and passed through effortlessly?

They couldn’t believe it!

They were originally waiting to watch a good show!

However, whether they believed it or not wasn’t up to them. The soldiers under the gate, upon hearing the words from their superiors, although momentarily dazed, quickly came back to their senses and wanted to move the barricade blocking the road...

But, they were ultimately a step too slow!

”Hyah!”

A sharp voice, carrying the authority of a superior, came from Shuang Jiang, who was crouched on horseback, pulling the reins with both hands and leaping over the barricade lying across the city gate...

The strong horse leaped into the air, raising its front legs and letting out a neigh...

In the next instant, on the other side of the barricade, dust flew as a single rider sped away, leaving nothing but smoke and dust in its wake...

”Leader? Why has Helmsman Jin... left the city?”

Above the city tower, the confidant of the gatekeeper looked at the retreating figure outside the city with a face full of suspicion and asked hesitantly in a low voice.

”Helmsman Jin came to Licheng upon Wang Buer’s invitation to assist with the once-every-five-years Border Pass Auction, yet now she leaves the city alone...” The gatekeeper, an elderly general over fifty, upon hearing this, showed a trace of heaviness on his old face and slowly said with a frown, ”Helmsman Jin’s identity is extraordinary. Unless something significant has happened, she would never be disturbed, let alone leave Liaodong’s territory alone! This city gate of Licheng may seem just like any other gate, but once through this gate, you are no longer under the jurisdiction of Liaodong...”

Saying this, a contemplative expression flickered across the gatekeeper’s old face.

”But leader, outside Licheng is Lin Yuan, and crossing Lin Yuan leads to the North of the desert. This is not child’s play. Helmsman Jin is Old Ninth Wang’s only granddaughter. If something goes wrong with her leaving the city under our watch, we won’t be able to explain ourselves to Old Ninth Wang and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager!” The confidant naturally knew their superior’s worries and quickly spoke out in a low voice.

”We are the defensive generals of Licheng, guarding its safety. Without orders from the Three Armies, we mustn’t act rashly!” The gatekeeper mulled over the words, lowered his head to think, and then spoke solemnly.

”But leader...” The confidant, upon hearing this, showed a trace of anxiety on his face.

The gatekeeper, seeing that his confidant still had more to say, waved his hand solemnly, ”I understand your concerns, but this matter is of great importance, especially now with Northern Mongolian chaos. Without orders from the Three Armies, we cannot act without caution!”

Pausing, the gatekeeper turned to his confidants behind him and spoke in a low tone, ”Someone, pass my orders: tighten defenses at the north and south gates of Licheng, ensure no mistakes occur! Detain those who saw Helmsman Jin leave the city gate, and only release them once she safely returns. Do not, under any circumstances, leak information about her leaving Licheng! I will go find City Lord Yan to uncover the truth. Be diligent and do not slack off!”

”By orders!”

”By orders!”

”...”

Upon hearing this, the confidants around him immediately responded in agreement.

Seeing this, the gatekeeper swung his iron-clad arm and turned to descend towards the city gate, leaving behind the merchants and travelers who were being detained, their lamentations endless...

As the defensive general of Licheng, responsible for the city’s safety and the stability of the north border of Liaodong, he exercised caution and precision, traits of an exemplary general. His insight and foresight ensured stability and security...

”Why are you detaining us? What did we do wrong? We are merely merchants traveling across the Four Kingdoms!”

”Let us go! Let us go! Why are you detaining us?”

”Let go...”

”...”

Before the city gate, soldiers filed out in rows, arresting the travelers nearby, their cries accumulating into a continuous lamentation, echoing through the North Gate of Licheng!

This chaos at the city gate even alarmed the local citizens of Licheng, who all looked over in confusion.

”What happened? Have those people committed crimes?”

”Who knows? With Northern Mongolia in chaos, these merchants would risk everything for money. Leaving the city towards the north now, aren’t they just asking for trouble?”

”...”

For a while, discussions arose all around.

”Silence! We’ve received secret reports indicating that among these people are spies from Northern Mongolian. We have orders to take them back for investigation. If proven to be law-abiding citizens, they will be released...” A soldier who appeared to be the leader shouted loudly to the crowd around.

Upon hearing this, the restless hearts of Licheng’s citizens finally settled.

This is Licheng, after all, the northern border post of Liaodong. It’s common for spies to infiltrate here, and strict inspections and arrests at the city gate are not unusual. They had long grown accustomed to it!

They are used to it, but those who are caught are about to curse their mothers!

They don’t know when they became spies for the Northern Mongolian, or if any of them really are spies...

In short, the officials’ words are law; it’s up to them to say what it is, and even if they are innocent, there’s nowhere for them to plead their case!

This is the difference between the authorities and the common people. When officials want to arrest people, they have various grand and legitimate reasons to make sure the public cannot say no!

In short, they can only accept their fate!

From initially being amused spectators, to becoming prisoners, there is some indignation in their hearts. But it’s said that the Dowager Empress Xiao once set a strict rule that Liaodong soldiers never slaughter innocents. Thinking this, they aren’t that panicked; at most, they are detained for a few days and released after their innocence is confirmed. Their lives are not in danger!

That’s already a major stroke of luck!

What they don’t know is that the reason they suffer such imprisonment is merely because they saw something they shouldn’t have seen!

They saw someone who shouldn’t have left the city, leaving the city!

Of course, no one will ever explain this to them!

Since ancient times, it is true that water can carry a boat, but this boat is always on the water!

This is also a universally recognized fact, unchangeable!

Outside Licheng City, one layer of heaven away, once outside the city, the vegetation seems to have been ripped away, quickly dwindling until the desert spreads, and the wilderness is boundless...

Under the sun, a single rider gallops at high speed, carrying a slender figure, kicking up countless sands, flying and scattering...

The absence of vegetation makes the surrounding temperature rise more and more, the black gauze clothes flutter around, Shuang Jiang’s exposed forehead is now covered with fine beads of sweat, yet the hand wielding the whip does not pause, and in those charming and moving eyes, there is a look of solemnity...

Shuang Jiang knows that to her master, The Lord and the Young Prince are more important than life. Now, heading to Linyuan City to arrange the Dark Night Army’s welcome, Shuang Jiang knows this matter is of great importance and allows no margin for error!

”Hyah!”

”Hyah!”

”...”

The sound of delicate commands is carried far in the vast desert, where distant sand rats scurry and quickly dive into their holes, afraid to emerge...

And this seemingly infinite desert may not be without dangers...

”Hyah!”

”Whoa!”

”Bang!”

A row of spikes hidden under the sand springs up, startling Shuang Jiang, causing the steed to leap with its front hooves in the air. Without Shuang Jiang’s excellent riding skills, she would surely be thrown off the horse’s back...

”Sand pirates?” Shuang Jiang looks at the few ruffians flashing out from the dried bushes around, her face slightly dark under the black gauze. In her hand, appearing at some unknown time, is a nine-section whip, the whip made of nine sections linked by fine iron, giving off a series of jingling sounds...

...

In the secluded courtyard of the inn in Licheng City.

Gu Changsheng stands before a flower bush, stroking the budding blooms, somewhat lost in thought...

”What’s wrong? Are you worrying about Shuang Jiang?” Zhou Mu walks up from not far away, looking at the little woman who is lost in thought and asks in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Gu Changsheng snaps back to reality, gently shakes her head, and softly speaks, ”No! I’m not worried about her! Even I can’t tell her depth, so she’s certainly no incompetent fool. Leaving Licheng City, it’s a neighborless land outside Linyuan City, filled with danger, yet even so, nothing can stop Shuang Jiang...”

”Then what are you worried about?” Zhou Mu asks gently, reaching out to tidy her scattered hair strands around her temples.

”I’m worried about Fufeng Tianlan!” Gu Changsheng turns around, slightly raising her neck to look at the tall man beside her, who is like a divine residence, and slowly speaks, ”Evildoer, I hate this feeling of constantly being watched! So, even if it might destroy the current balance, I must probe into Fufeng Tianlan’s reality!”

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat!

Gu Changsheng knows that truly understanding someone requires long-term interaction!

But Gu Changsheng firmly believes, given her ability to understand people, just meeting Fufeng Tianlan once and observing her, she may not be able to truly understand her, but Gu Changsheng can always judge two or three points about that person’s nature!

Sometimes, knowing two or three points about an enemy is enough for her to make seven or eight parts of responses!

What she wants is merely to meet that woman with whom she has an irreconcilable enmity, to see what kind of person she is! Who knows, she might really uncover some clues about this game?

Exactly!

Gu Changsheng is convinced the person secretly manipulating the deepest parts will never be Fufeng Tianlan!

A woman already presented before her, known by her, is just on the surface!