"Hurry up." Song Duanping threw a crimson robe to Chen Ke, who quickly changed into it. The three of them swiftly walked out.

  Along the original road, return to the bottom of the inner wall. Due to anti-thief considerations, there was nothing near the foot of the wall that could be climbed, Chen Xiao shook his head and became a ladder like Wu Lang.

  Xuan Yu and Song Duanping, two of them, easily climbed up the familiar road. The latter grasped the wall with both legs and one hand, and after securing himself, he handed his other hand to the former. Song Duanping then stretched out his hand like a monkey plucking the moon, reaching Chen Ke's head. Chen Ke's "tiger back, wasp waist, mantis leg" wasn't given in vain. Taking two steps back for momentum, his mantis leg sprang up high, and with his left hand grasping Song Duanping's neck. Song Duanping's eyes welled up with tears; if he hadn't practiced before, he would have fainted: "Ahh, my neck..."

  Chen Ke's body suddenly sprang upwards, his right hand grasping a wall over 4.5 meters high, and with one arm he supported his entire body on the wall.

  Three entered and jumped down from the wall head, met with Wu Lang, and left the courtyard leisurely. After passing through the second gate, they saw the main gate being slowly closed.

  Four people quickly hid under the corridor, only to see the gate brightly lit with torches, a forbidden army shouting: "There may be spies sneaking in, light up the torches, close all doors and gates, don't move recklessly!"

  "What should we do?" Chen Ke was there, and all eyes were on him for a decision.

  Chen Ke watched as one by one the torches were lit, illuminating the courtyard like daylight, and knew he couldn't get out anymore. Turning back to look at the second gate, the guards had already started closing it, and if he hesitated for a moment, he would be caught like a turtle in a jar.

  "Go back!" Chen Ke bellowed, and then led the three of them to turn around and head back to the second gate.

  "Halt!" The young officer, who was a head shorter than the Imperial Guards, saw that they were four men in red robes and, with a lack of confidence, blocked their way: "Didn't you hear the order?"

  "Damn it!" Chen Ke burst out in a loud curse: "That's Grandfather's order!" Facing the Imperial Guards day and night, he learned to mimic them vividly: "Get out of my way, I have to go back and report!"

  The soldiers had no choice but to let the four of them pass before closing the gate.

  Just after Si Yu had left, a breathless imperial guard rushed over: "Open the door, I have an urgent message to deliver!"

  "Four grandpas have passed away."

  "What?" The imperial guard slapped his palm and angrily said: "Those four are thieves!"

  Chen Ke and his men had originally planned to slip out through the back door, but who would have thought that all three gates were already closed, with guards deploying their defenses. It was impossible to get out through the front gate now.

  This government office, with official residences in the north and south, and a flower garden on either side. Now it's impossible to go north or south, and the east garden can't be returned to, so I can only head west.

  In the moon gate of Xihua Garden, it was already bright as white, and the strong warriors were waiting in a strict array. Chen Ke and others had to avoid the entrance, walked along the wall root to the west, turned around a corner, and entered, the sound suddenly became smaller, looking at the courtyard wall here, which was generally high with that of Dongyuan Garden... Wu Lang went to be the meat ladder very consciously, but was pulled by Chen Ke: "I'll do it..."

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  In the northeast corner of Xihua Garden, there is a quiet little garden. Normally, hardly anyone comes here, but now a small table has been set up, with an incense burner, two red candles and four kinds of fresh fruit on it.

  A grass mat in front of the desk, a goose-yellow soft cushion on the grass mat, and a girl kneeling on the soft cushion, wearing a light-colored dress with a white gauze scarf over her shoulders, and three thousand black hairs tied up with a single jade hairpin.

  That charming maid was also there, wearing a half-sleeved skirt, using a silk fan to drive away mosquitoes while softly muttering: "Master, entering the house is for Mid-Autumn Festival moon worship, you're still two months early."

  "In the Mid-Autumn Festival, all the offerings are for the moon god, but what about the other months? They have to endure hunger. It's probably not happy about it." The girl lit three incense sticks on the candle holder and shook her head: "It's also full moon, I'll offer two months in advance, the moon god can accept it too."

  "Perhaps, in gratitude for my sincerity," the girl inserted the incense stick into the censer and smiled shyly: "While it's still quiet, let my wish come true..." She then clasped her hands together and began to pray devoutly.

  When the young lady opened her eyes, the maid smiled and asked: "What wish did Master grant you?"

  "I won't tell you..." The girl said with a slight tilt of her head.

  "It's not necessary to say it out loud." The maid giggled and said: "It must be that we're praying to the moon god, asking for a good husband for our young mistress."

  The young girl blushed, but didn't want to lie in front of the moon god, so she lifted her head and gazed at the golden moon wheel, saying steadily: "What's wrong with that? The women of our clan are said to be made of gold and jade, but when it comes to marriage, we're like slaves. Ordinary girls who get married can still 'meet under the yellow dusk and on the willow branch tips'; if all else fails, even the husband chosen by their parents has to be looked at and nodded in agreement before being considered valid. But we are blind marriages, whatever happens is what happens, and can only pray for the moon god's blessing..."

  Before she had finished speaking, four dull thuds were heard, and four men suddenly appeared before her, each with a different posture.

  This scene was really too unexpected, and the girl was so shocked that her mouth couldn't be closed.

  "Wow, it's really true...". The maid seemed to be out of her mind, muttering: "Tall and short, black and white, with choices and challenges, even monks are included..."

  "Ah..." In the next instant, she finally remembered to scream. Before she could make a sound, Chen Ke covered her mouth and the little maid struggled wildly. Chen Ke had no choice but to threaten viciously: "Keep struggling and I'll strangle you to death!" Seeing that the girl was about to speak again, he threatened once more: "Make a sound and I'll strangle you to death!"

  "You've also covered her nose." The girl said calmly, although her face had lost its usual radiance.

  "Hmm..." Chen Ke looked down and saw that it was indeed true, quickly lifting his index finger.

  As soon as he loosened his grip, the little maid began to breathe heavily like a small cow.

  "Don't get me wrong, little girl." The young woman's demeanor was calm and collected, but there was still a hint of fear in her eyes, which made Chen Ke and the others feel apologetic. Song Duanping bowed slightly and said: "We are not thieves..."

  Before he had finished speaking, a loud clanging sound was heard from outside, followed by the shouting of soldiers: "Don't let the thief get away..."

  "Huh……" Song Duanping was suddenly choked. Chen Ke sneered and said: "We are not thieves, but we can also kill those who enter. That little girl quickly cover for us, otherwise on the road to the Yellow Spring, there will be two lovely girls accompanying us!"

  "I know, don't hurt us." The girl looked at him indifferently and said, "I'll cooperate with you guys."

  "Hmm...this is about right." Chen Ke's stomach was full of the profanity he had just learned, but before he could even show it off, it was all swallowed back down.

  "Let her go, she won't cry out." The young lady looked at her maid and said, "She knows the score."

  Chen Ke let go of her hand, and the maid scurried to the girl's side like a little rabbit, staring at Chen Ke with both anger and fear.

  "Come with me," the girl turned around and was about to leave when suddenly there were faint footsteps coming from afar, Chen Ke quickly wrapped her in his arms.

  Soon, several maids in light pink dresses were seen rushing over, turning around the flower shadow, holding up their hems, carrying lanterns, and hastily coming. Seeing the young girl, they called out: "Master, hurry back, assassins have entered the mansion..." As they spoke, they saw Chen Ke and the others, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "Who are you people?"

  "Don't shout," the girl's voice was soft, yet carried an unmistakable power: "This is the good fellow they're looking for..." As expected, those few maids were frightened to death, but not one of them dared to shout.

  "It's getting dark and we can't go on like this." Song Duanping sighed.

  "That's all that can be done!" Chen Ke glared and looked around, seeing a two-story small building not far away, saying: "Let's go there!"

  "Isn't that jumping into the net?"

  "What's there to be afraid of?" Chen Ke said coldly, his heart filled with hatred for Yu Jing, and even he had a fugitive air about him.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  A moment later, a group of guards rushed in and surrounded the small building layer by layer.

  Dozens of torches illuminated the small building, making every detail visible. On the white background with black characters of the signboard, three words "Tsang Shu Kan" were written in bold font. It stood out here, far from residential areas, for no other reason than to prevent water and fire damage.

  This also makes forced rescue impossible.

  Downstairs, there were more than a dozen attendants, surrounding a dignified-looking middle-aged man in Chinese tunic suit, who walked quickly and the guards made way for him.

  As he approached, a young man who looked very much like him hastily made his way over and said, "Father."

  "How's your sister?" The middle-aged man asked anxiously: "What's going on upstairs?"

  "My sister and her maid were taken hostage by those four bandits in the building." The young man also said anxiously, "We just arrived and were about to ask for Father's instructions."

  "Send someone in, what are their requirements." The middle-aged man said in a low voice: "As long as they don't harm your sister, everything can be discussed."

  "I'll go take a look." The young man said with a smile.

  "No need." The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "Let's get a clear understanding of the situation first."

  "Yes." The young man had no choice but to let a guard in, and he anxiously rubbed his hands together, pacing back and forth.

  "Do you know what's going on outside?" The middle-aged man asked with a calm face.

  "No," the young man said in a low voice: "They wanted to come in and help with the search, but I declined..."

  "Hmm, this kind of thing can't be spread outside." The middle-aged man sighed and said: "Otherwise your sister's reputation..."

  "The child understands." The young man looked at those guards, and they all lowered their heads, meaning that they guaranteed not to speak out of turn.

  After finishing this speech, the father and son both silently looked at the small building in front of them, anxiously waiting for news.

  Division —— In the imperial family of the Song Dynasty, they indeed called each other like ordinary people. This is verified.