Chapter 507: 514: Profound Meaning

“Uncle, the person has arrived and is asking if we are ready?” A servant reported after a short while. Assessing the time, it seemed about right, and Su Hengyi nodded.

“Eldest uncle, the person coordinating our departure from the city has arrived. Let’s go now,” Su Hengyi said to Marquis Beian and his son.

“Hengyi, you’re not leaving with us?” Knowing that Su Hengyi was not going to depart with them, Marquis Beian and his son were somewhat worried.

“No, if we all go together, the large number of people will make us a more conspicuous target and could give us away. Uncle, rest assured, I have everything arranged. You just need to follow that person and we will meet outside the city,” Su Hengyi intended to personally escort Marquis Beian and his son out of the city, and this was the original plan. However, there was a high likelihood of danger that could compromise the mission. Now that Sikong Ling was helping, the plan was naturally more secure.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Alright, you and your wife must be careful. If Wang Mang’s rogues do discover and pursue you, you must prioritize your own safety. Do not take any undue risks for our sake. With Marquis Beian Mansion’s downfall, our family’s future depends on you. You must take care. For the sake of our family as well, you should protect yourself,” Marquis Beian earnestly instructed, having had no means of communicating with Su Hengyi from prison. Even though he was worried, he could only wait. Now seeing Su Hengyi, he naturally didn’t forget to remind him.

“Eldest uncle, don’t worry, I know my limits. You also take care. With that person there, you should be relatively safe. However, he made it clear that his duty is solely to escort you out of the city and no more, so everything afterwards will be up to you. Luckily, once you are out of the city, the danger will be greatly reduced. Here are some money and dry food. Let’s meet at the designated place,” Su Hengyi said as he handed over a package to Marquis Beian and his son, which contained clothes, money, dry food, and some medicine, mostly for external injuries.

Marquis Beian’s son took the package, but was still curious about “that person” Su Hengyi had mentioned several times. Who could possibly help them leave the city under such strict surveillance by Wang Mang’s forces? This person must be extraordinary, and he was indeed very curious.

“Hengyi, who is this person you’ve mentioned, willing to take such risks to help us? Does he have a close relationship with you?”

“Nephew is ashamed to say that the help does not come because of a relationship with myself, but rather it’s Lady Yue’s husband, my brother-in-law Han Yu, who has arranged this. As for the specifics, I’m not entirely clear. As to who it is, Uncle, you’ll find out when you meet him,” Su Hengyi was about to say more, but there was no time, and the affairs between Sikong Ling and Han Yu were not something he fully understood nor felt at liberty to discuss.

“It’s the husband Grandfather found for Yueyue? Seeing you like this, Hengyi, it seems you are quite pleased with this brother-in-law. Grandfather’s judgment wouldn’t be off,” mentioned Marquis Beian, speaking of his only niece. His usually stern face softened with a rare expression of affection and delight.

“Indeed, he’s not bad at all, and is quite a match for my younger sister,” Su Hengyi’s impression of Han Yu had increasingly improved, and he spoke of him with a sense of pride.

At this moment, Su Hengyi was unaware of the hardships Su Wenyue had faced recently. Although Master Su and Han Yu were deeply saddened and struck by the events concerning Su Wenyue, they still took Su Hengyi’s safety into account. Rescuing someone from under the nose of Wang Mang in Chang’an was incredibly dangerous, and they could not afford to be distracted by other matters.

“Uncle, it’s getting late. Let’s go now, I will see you out,” Su Hengyi said, and then escorted Marquis Beian and his son to another back gate.

On this short journey, Marquis Beian pondered a lot, mostly guessing the identity of their escort, but he had no clue. Upon arriving and seeing Sikong Ling, Marquis Beian and his son were genuinely surprised.

Being officials in the same city, Chang’an, they naturally recognized Sikong Ling, though they had little interaction due to differing stances. Especially after Wang Mang’s rise to power and the notion that Sikong Mansion might lean towards his side, it made interactions even less likely. At times, they were even on opposing sides since Marquis Mansion had always been against the treacherous minister Wang Mang. They could never have imagined that the one secretly helping them leave the city would be Young Master Sikong Ling from Sikong Mansion.

Marquis Beian had been puzzled before, but now it wasn’t strange at all. Anyone else would not have been able to carry out their rescue, but Sikong Mansion indeed had the capability to save them and even escort them out of the city. Even at the peak of Marquis Beian Mansion’s prosperity, they still fell short of the established and venerable Sikong Family. Even now, with Wang Mang dominating the court, he remained wary of the Sikong Family.

“So it’s Young Master Sikong, I appreciate your efforts!” Even though Marquis Beian knew Sikong Ling was the person tasked with their escape, he maintained his dignity and didn’t pander to Sikong Ling. If he had been willing to do so, Marquis Beian Mansion wouldn’t have fallen to its current state. However, his tone still carried a hint of gratitude.

“There’s no need for formality, Marquis Bei’an. I’m only upholding a pledge I’ve made on behalf of another. I have an agreement with Han Yu, and I also respect Marquis Bei’an’s principles. We need to leave the city on time, so let’s not delay any further and depart now,” Sikong Ling managed to escort them out of the city partially as a favor for Su Wenyue, but that was about the extent of it. Sikong Ling was a man of substantial pride and could discern Marquis Beian’s thoughts.

“All the arrangements made by Young Master Sikong are in your hands, and though there may be transactions between you and my brother-in-law, my family is still deeply grateful. Should you ever require our assistance in the future, as long as it is within our power, we will not hesitate,” Su Hengyi saluted and addressed Sikong Ling.

Sikong Ling treated Su Hengyi with more courtesy than Marquis Beian and his son, since, after all, Su Hengyi was Su Wenyue’s elder brother. “You’re being too serious, big brother. When the time comes for the Su family’s help, I won’t be shy,” he said, his words laced with deeper implications but were not appropriate to discuss at that moment.

Su Hengyi, puzzled by Sikong Ling’s respectful manner and reference to him, didn’t understand what Sikong was hinting at but assured him that his word, once given, would be honored. Little did Su Hengyi know that Sikong Ling actually harbored intentions for his sister.

Seeing Su Hengyi unwittingly agree to his terms, Sikong Ling felt a sense of triumph. If that “little girl” ended up with him, Su Hengyi would become his brother-in-law, making the term “big brother” well used. However, Sikong Ling knew that Su Hengyi had yet to learn of his sister’s ordeal; otherwise, given his devotion to his sister, he surely wouldn’t be talking about Su Wenyue with such ease.