Chapter 67: Chaos in Kyoto, Difficulty of Separation

The donkey kept running all the way, and although this stubborn donkey was a little small, a little stubborn, and a little greedy, its ability really amazed Li Yaoguang. He was secretly glad that he had bought a treasure all the way.

I ran and walked for most of the night. When it was dawn, the stubborn donkey under me refused to move. Even if I gave it apples, it remained unmoved. I guess it was tired.

Li Yaoguang looked at the area where she was, and saw that it was deserted and not easy to settle down. But there was nothing she could do, after all, she could not be more stubborn than her full-moon donkey.

He simply led the stubborn donkey into the woods by the roadside, chose a sturdy tree that was easy to climb and had dense branches, tied the stubborn donkey under the tree, took out the bit and cushion, hung half a bag of black beans under its mouth, and climbed up the tree himself, found a place with strong and staggered branches and a relatively spacious position, spread the cushion he had just taken off, wrapped himself in a cloak, filled a pot of unboiled hot water from the Taiping jar with the hot water bottle collected in the palace, and wrapped it in his arms. He then carefully found a rope to tie himself to the tree trunk, set the alarm on the mobile phone on his chest for two hours, and fell asleep decisively.

Not to mention that the donkey is tired, she has been exhausted recently too. They have been operating at night, and collecting so many things has been stressful and exciting. Not to mention traveling overnight, which one wouldn't be exhausting?

In order to avoid repeating the same mistake and dying suddenly, she must take good care of herself.

What Li Yaoguang, who was sleeping on the tree, didn't know was that Kyoto was in an uproar at that moment.

There was a huge commotion in the palace last night, and upon investigation, it was found that not only the Imperial Kitchen had been robbed, but also a lot of things were lost in the Six Shang Bureaus. The stolen items were specifically valuable and practical. It was really a mess, and the entire palace was in turmoil, and everyone was checked from top to bottom. After finally getting through the investigation and interrogation, the palace maids and eunuchs who were confirmed to have no suspicion had to go back to their duties, because the palace still had to function!

Early in the morning, the two eunuchs who were on duty at the Tianqing Palace, who had not slept all night, began to sweep the floor as usual. As a result, when they pushed open the heavy door of the Tianqing Palace, the two eunuchs could not help rubbing their eyes again and again. After they were sure that what they saw was not an illusion, they knelt down in fear.

"Oh my god, the Dragon Throne!" The Dragon Throne, no, how come the entire Nine Dragon Platform is gone?

Such a big and heavy dragon throne...

"Oh my god, this could cost you your life. Hurry up and notify the Chief Seal Master and the Imperial Guards..."

A trembling howl alerted their companions. Without delay, the two of them got up and ran out to report the news.

As the horrific news of the loss of the Jiulong Terrace of the Imperial Throne spread, emergency drums and martial law gongs sounded in the palace. The Jingzhao prefect and General Shen who stayed behind rushed into the palace, and a thorough investigation was launched throughout the palace.

Then everyone discovered that not only the Nine Dragon Terrace, the Imperial Throne, and the Six Shang Bureaus of the Imperial Kitchen were stolen, but also the Chenji Hall where the emperor sat, the Funing Hall where he lived, the Kunning Palace, and many other palaces were stolen, but no trace was found, as if the things had disappeared out of thin air. The palace maids and eunuchs were all in danger, and they inexplicably thought of the ghost rumor. For a time, the whole palace was in a panic.

Obviously, it should have been kept secret, but because it caused such a big fuss and reached too many people, the news spread out of the huge palace at an extremely fast speed, and spread wildly among the people of Kyoto who already loved to watch gossip. It can be said that it is no exaggeration to say that the news was known by noon.

When the news spread, Gao Dayao and his younger brother Gao Xiaoyao were at home discussing a way out with their family.

"As soon as night falls tonight, Xiaoyao, you bring your parents, sister-in-law, and nephew to the city to look for me. Then, along with the families of the other brothers, we will escort you out of the city tonight."

Faced with a room full of anxious family members, Gao Dayao made arrangements in an orderly manner.

"I've asked Yue Niang to divide the money in the house. The banknotes have been wrapped in oil paper. Including Bao'er, each person has 20 taels. I've also asked Yue Niang to sew the loose silver coins into the corners of each person's clothes. If there is an emergency or we get separated, these can be used for emergency and life-saving. In addition, everyone should take a portion of dry food. Bao'er should also take it with him. Don't think it's a burden. As for other things, everyone should take the most important ones. Remember not to take too much. We are running for our lives!"

The old father, mother, wife, children, younger brother and young son in the family all nodded.

"Don't worry, we all know."

"Okay, that's good." Gao Dayao suppressed his reluctance, then looked at his younger brother and continued to instruct, "Xiaoyao, use the extra fifty taels of silver notes you have on you to buy a carriage after you leave the city, and buy half a carriage of food just in case. If you really can't buy any, don't delay, and think of ways to buy more after you leave Kyoto. Remember, everything starts with leaving Kyoto first."

After all, no one knew when that damned Hu Di would call. It could be tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or even today, so there was no time to waste.

Everyone knew that escape was imminent, so they kept silent and just listened to the arrangements made by the head of the family. But the more Xiao Yao listened, the more he felt something was wrong.

"Brother, why are you only giving me orders? What about you?" At this point, the youngest suddenly realized something, his expression suddenly changed, and he grabbed his eldest brother's arm, "Brother, what do you mean? You don't want to leave?"

After being pointed out by his younger brother, Gao Dayao saw his parents, wife and children all looking at him with fear and anxiety in their eyes, and he had to comfort them.

"Dad, Mom, Yue Niang, and Xiaoyao, I'm sorry. It's not that I don't want to leave, but I can't leave! As a soldier, I'm here to defend my country. You can abandon me, but I can't abandon my city, my country, or my brothers. I'm ashamed to send you away selfishly. If I abandon the people of the city behind me, disregard my own responsibilities, and leave behind the lives of my brothers, Xiaoyao, I'm afraid I won't be at peace for the rest of my life. I'd rather die than live..."

The whole family fell silent upon hearing this, and a sense of inexplicable sadness surged in their hearts. Baoer, who was a few years old, ran over anxiously and hugged his father's legs, looking up at him ignorantly.

Gao Dayao couldn't bear it any longer, so he wiped his face and said hard, "If I can send you out and see that you are safe, I can guard the city with peace of mind and buy time for you to guard the rear."

If Hu Di really dared to come, he would give it his all and kill him without leaving a single piece of armor.

"Little one, you have grown up and become a man. From now on, I will entrust your parents, your sister-in-law and nephew to you. You must be good and take good care of them for your brother. I trust you and only you. You all must be good! Don't worry about me. If we are destined, I will come to my hometown to find you."

Xiaoyao's eyes were red after hearing this. He couldn't bear it any longer, so he pulled his brother's arm and tried to persuade him, "Brother, let's go together. Isn't it good to have a complete family? The emperor is gone, so why are you guarding the city for him, brother? Let's go! Let's go together..."

"Little one, listen and stop making trouble! A real man has his ways and his ways. I'm a soldier, and it's my duty to fight, protect, and defend. Soldiers only die on the battlefield, and never abandon the city and surrender."

"Okay, I'll go with you if you want me to die on the battlefield."

"Nonsense! If you don't leave, what will happen to your elderly parents? What about your sister-in-law and your young nephew? Who do you want me to entrust them to?"

"I……"

"Okay, it's settled. I'll send you out of the city tonight. Don't delay and leave tonight to settle down in your hometown. If the capital can't stop the Hu Di and Dajing starts a riot, you, Xiaoyao, will lead everyone into the mountains. Remember the secret cave that your elder brother found when he took you hunting? You should bring enough food and clothing and hide there. As long as I am still alive, I will crawl back to find you."

Xiaoyao knew that his elder brother was a man who could not change his decision. He wiped away his tears and repeatedly urged him, "Brother, you must come."

The family members also looked at him together, their reluctance and longing evident in their words.

Gao Dayao closed his eyes, nodded, and forced a smile: "Okay, I will definitely come." Then he patted his brother's thin shoulder, and finally advised him despite the pain of separation, "My dear brother, you have a heavy burden on your shoulders. Please protect your family. I will entrust the lives of our family to you."

At this time, the family members were already crying. Xiaoyao looked at his parents and sister-in-law who were concerned about him and his nephew who was crying loudly and realized something was wrong. He sniffed his nose and shed tears, but still patted his chest solemnly.

"Don't worry, brother. As long as I'm here, I'm here! I swear on my life that I will protect my parents, sister-in-law, and nephew. We're waiting for you to come home, no matter what!"

"Yes, Big One, we are all waiting for you, waiting for you until death..."

Amid the concern of his family, Gao Dayao nodded slowly as he looked at his family. Seeing his brother grow up overnight, he had a look of relief in his eyes. "Okay, my brother has grown up. I believe you." I must find a way to go home alive...

(End of this chapter)