Chapter 28

The Blind Concubine looked down, said in a soft voice: "I understand."

Qi Sheng stretched out his hand and grasped his shoulder, "I don't want you to put yourself in great inconvenience, if you have something to say, don't be hesitant to speak and let me know."

The Blind Concubine said: "Xiao Bao, can he leave together with me?"

Qi Sheng shook his head: "He may not."

The Blind Concubine was worried, "He has been with only me, if I am no longer there, what about him?"

Qi Sheng was hesitating for quite some time, "I will think of a way, to arrange a nice place for him. You should just be at ease."

The Blind Concubine's eyes were brimming with tears, his lips were trembling greatly, "You don't understand. He didn't have any better place to go, if I go, it would only distress him to death."

Qi Sheng fell silent and didn't say anything.

The Blind Concubine asked him again: "When does The Empress Dowager want you to make your move?"

Qi Sheng let him know: "Tonight."

The Blind Concubine lifted his hung down head, firmly said: "Do not inform His Majesty about this matter. If the mother and son misunderstand each other for this reason, it will be my sin. Also, do not tell Xiao Bao. Just tell him that I only want to leave for a period of time. Let him stay peacefully at the serving quarter."

Qi Sheng assured him: "Will do."

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The sky's color gradually turned to a darker color. The Blind Concubine sent Xiao Bao away to fetch some cakes or pastries from the Imperial Kitchen. He himself changed his clothing to plain and neat clothes, groping wildly to find Yu Li, taking her in a tight embrace on his bosom.

He walked out the yard's gate, tracing the path from his memory, he walked to the direction of the appointed place and met up with Qi Sheng.

Qi Sheng helped him to enter the horse carriage that had been waiting by the side. The carriage quietly went out the Palace in secret. To the northern direction.

The horse's hoofing sound that stomped on the ground produced a rhythm. Ran in both a light and fast tempo. The wheels were raising a burst of dust.

Qi Sheng gave the carriage driver some instructions before he opened the curtain and joined in the carriage.

The Blind Concubine was leaning by the window. The Yu Li on his bosom was silently lying on its stomach, not moving nor meowing, totally quiet.

Qi Sheng spoke to him: "You are not blaming me?"

The Blind Concubine turned his head, "The Empress Dowager is merciful. She pardons my life and left me alive, I am extremely grateful for this. Even the Empress Dowager I can't resent, how could I blame you?"

Qi Sheng told him: "Even if the Empress Dowager ordered me to take you far away, she didn't appoint a designated place. I have been pondering for a while, finally I have decided to bring you to the place of my old friend. The distance from the Capital is not so far, it will take us only a few days. If you stay there, there will be someone to take care of you. I also can be at ease."

The Blind Concubine asked: "I wonder, what kind of old friend is this person?"

Qi Sheng answered: "When we were young, he and I were learning martial arts together under the same master. And then, I chose to enter the government as an Official, while he was only looking forward to a free and unrestrained life. Thereupon, he moved to the depths of a mountain, teaching martial arts to several small apprentices. Passing every day with a carefree and comfortable life."

The Blind Concubine nodding his head in agreement: "It is certainly the privilege of the people who live in the secluded area."

Qi Sheng laughed: "Very true. That residence was built on a perilous peak of a mountain. There is only a precipitous narrow path to reach there. By the yard side, there is a stream from a waterfall passing through, creating a crooked water path which flows to the pool in the middle of the yard. In the pool, there are fishes and lotus. Surrounded by pear trees, from spring to summer, the pear's flower petals will flutter and fly in the air, filling the entire garden with its sweet fragrance. Crowds of birds gather, truly like a wonderland."

The face of the Blind Concubine was letting out a happy smiling face, "You described it in such a way, I really want to go and have a look."

The carriage was moving for several days, on the foot of a mountain, it stopped.

Qi Sheng open the carriage's curtain: "We have arrived. Sorry to have you bumped about these past several days."

The Blind Concubine shook his head, "General, you said it like that, do you intend to make me restless? It was me who involved the General in such trouble and made you suffer this misfortune. I am sorry for the trouble."

Qi Sheng informed him: "The pathway to the mountain is uneven, it will be difficult and dangerous. Let me carry you on my back on the way up."

The Blind Concubine shyly answered: "How can I let you do something like that. If I have a walking stick, it will be enough."

Qi Sheng did not listen to his protest, he took the Blind Concubine down from the carriage, carried him on his back and strode to climb the mountain.

His ears could hear the loud sound of the wind. The Blind Concubine closed his eyes and tightly clutched on Qi Sheng's clothes. Roughly after about two hours walk, the tip of his nose faintly smelled the fragrance of the pear's flowers. The faint sound of the bird's song was looming in the distance.

"General, could we have arrived?"

His speech had yet to sink in when suddenly a cold and discouraging voice was coming their way: "What kind of wind could blow the Great General Qi to come here?"