OBS Chapter 350 The Tragic Massacre of the Little Cannon Fodder (Pursuing His Wife - Side Story 1)
Chapter 350 The Tragic Massacre of the Little Cannon Fodder (Pursuing His Wife - Side Story 1)
Three years later.
Quanzhou.
Qi Ning, dressed as a man and carrying a folding fan, walked into a teahouse.
"Oh, Young Master Qi, you've arrived!"
As soon as she entered, the waiter at the teahouse came up to greet her warmly.
"Mm," Qi Ning replied.
She walked straight to the stairwell, saying to the waiter as she went up the stairs, "The usual."
"Okay, coming right away!"
Qi Ning has been in Quanzhou for over a month. During this time, she frequently visits this teahouse and is very generous with her money. The waiter remembers her and naturally knows what her "old rules" refer to.
She went up to the second floor and entered her usual private room.
A short while later, the waiter brought over the tea and two plates of snacks that Qi Ning often ordered.
"Young Master Qi, your things are all here."
Qi Ning tossed a piece of silver to the waiter: "Here's some extra for you."
The waiter quickly took it.
"Thank you for the generous gift, Young Master Qi!"
The waiter thanked him with a smile, then closed the door and left.
Qi Ning picked up the teapot and poured herself a cup of tea. She held the teacup, opened the window, and looked at the scenery outside, feeling exceptionally content.
In fact, Qi Ning hadn't completely disappeared over the past three years; it was just that every time Gao Yan found a clue, before he could even confirm it, Qi Ning would have already moved to another place.
After all, if the emperor wanted to find someone, he would naturally have all sorts of methods. Although Gao Yan did not publicly post notices to find Qi Ning because of her identity, his methods of finding people in private were even more sophisticated than those used to capture wanted criminals.
Gao Yan spent considerable manpower and resources searching house to house across the country, focusing on investigating migrant workers, checking household registrations, and verifying travel permits.
Moreover, he knew that Qi Ning would most likely disguise herself as a man for convenience, so he investigated everyone regardless of gender or age.
If Qi Ning hadn't had the system that allowed him to receive advance notice and escape beforehand, he might have been found long ago.
After all this trouble, Qi Ning was not found, but the public security situation across the country unexpectedly improved considerably.
Gao Yan couldn't find Qi Ning and even suspected that she had hidden in some remote, impoverished place or deep in the mountains.
In reality, Qi Ning did not hide in remote and impoverished areas or deep mountains and forests, but lived openly and traveled to various prefectures and cities.
With the system around, she wasn't worried about being found at all.
Furthermore, Qi Ning could go to remote and impoverished areas or deep mountains and forests to hide for ten days or half a month if she had no other choice, but she couldn't stay in such places for the rest of her life.
She wanted to live in the bustling city, to be able to eat out and go out to watch plays anytime, and to have everything convenient in terms of food, clothing, housing, and transportation. She wanted to enjoy life; otherwise, all the money she brought with her would be wasted if she had nowhere to spend it.
If she wanted, she could even find another man.
However, Gao Yan searched for her like a wanted criminal, and Qi Ning couldn't stay in any one place for long.
In each place she visited, Qi Ning could only stay for a few days at most, and no longer than two or three months. She was forced to travel all over the country and had little time to find a man, nor did she meet anyone she liked.
Fortunately, after three years, Gao Yan was no longer as eager to find her as before, and it seemed that he had given up.
Now that Qi Ning no longer needs to be on guard like before, she can sit comfortably and leisurely in the teahouse and drink tea.
She had just taken two sips of tea when she heard several footsteps coming from the corridor outside the private room.
"Gentlemen, this is the only private room available right now. Is that alright?" It was the waiter's voice.
“This private room is also nice. Let’s stay here, Brother Wu, what do you think?” a strange male voice said.
“Brother Chen, it’s good that you’ve made your decision,” the other person replied.
As they were talking, the footsteps entered the private room next to Qi Ning's, and the sound of their conversation could be heard again.
Judging from their conversation, these two were probably idle young masters or scholars who came to the teahouse to drink tea and chat.
The walls, doors, and windows of this private room were all made of wood, so the soundproofing was terrible. The two people next door didn't hold back their voices at all; it was as if they were talking right next to Qi Ning's ear. Even though Qi Ning didn't want to eavesdrop, she was forced to hear everything clearly.
"Brother Wu, have you heard? His Majesty's southern tour has already reached Fuzhou."
"Really? Brother Chen is really well-informed!" another person exclaimed.
"Haha, not at all, I heard it from an acquaintance in the government office."
Upon hearing this, Qi Ning slightly curled her lips.
The system had already informed Qi Ning that Gao Yan was currently in Fuzhou.
He would never have imagined that Qi Ning was in Quanzhou, not far from Fuzhou.
However, Gao Yan will be coming to Quanzhou in a few days, and Qi Ning will leave before he arrives.
Even though Gao Yan seems to have given up looking for her, and should have let go, there's a saying that goes, hate lasts longer than love.
Gao Yan no longer loves her, but that doesn't mean he doesn't hate her.
It's impossible that Gao Yan felt no resentment at all when she left without saying goodbye.
If they were to run into each other by chance, it would be bad if Gao Yan sought revenge. To be on the safe side, Qi Ning naturally had to avoid him. She couldn't possibly know that he was coming to Quanzhou and still linger under his nose.
The two people next door were still talking.
"Speaking of which, His Majesty is truly diligent in governing and loves his people. He has even made another southern tour. This is his third southern tour since he ascended the throne more than three years ago."
"Indeed, His Majesty is a wise ruler, one in a hundred years."
The system, like a narrator, whispered in Qi Ning's ear: "Host, Gao Yan made three southern tours in three years, clearly to find you. In the eyes of the people, he has actually become a wise and diligent ruler who loves his people."
Qi Ning picked up a pastry and took a bite.
"Why not?"
Although Gao Yan had his own selfish motives, he did not neglect his official duties while handling his personal affairs. He did many practical things for the people during his tours, which won them their hearts. It is normal for the people to think of him as a wise ruler.
Qi Ning never expected that she would run into Gao Yan's "fans" just because she came out for a cup of tea.
The two people next door were still praising Gao Yan.
"Your Majesty is not only diligent in governing and loves the people, but also sets an example in filial piety. When the late Emperor passed away, Your Majesty proposed to observe three years of mourning for the late Emperor, and you actually did not select any concubines or take any concubines for three years."
“Brother Chen is absolutely right. This is indeed something that not just anyone can do.”
The system complained again: "Gao Yan did not hold a selection of concubines for three years, all for your sake. He is good at making excuses, saying that he is observing mourning for the old emperor. If the old emperor knew, he would be so filial to him that he would die in the afterlife."
Qi Ning found it amusing: "Why don't you just say the old emperor is going to live on to pay respects?"
After a pause, she added, "Gao Yan's actions can be considered as judging by deeds rather than intentions."
Not long after Qi Ning left and Gao Yan ascended the throne, some ministers submitted memorials urging him to select candidates for the imperial concubine selection.
At that time, Gao Yan was focused on finding Qi Ning and rejected all those memorials.
Later, when he was urged to participate in the imperial concubine selection more often, and since he could not reveal the real reason why he did not want to participate in the selection, he made up an excuse, saying that he had to observe three years of mourning for the late emperor.
According to custom, when an emperor dies, the new emperor observes mourning for him in days instead of years. It is already very rare for someone to observe mourning for three months or a year.
Gao Yan initially proposed to observe three years of mourning, which met with considerable opposition. However, he not only persisted but also actually did it, which is why everyone praised his filial piety.
Qi Ning ate her snacks while continuing to eavesdrop.
"Now that the three-year mourning period has ended, His Majesty finally held a selection of consorts some time ago. However, he did not choose any noble ladies from aristocratic families to enter the palace as concubines. Instead, he chose some girls from ordinary families to enter the harem. Brother Chen, do you know why?"
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