The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir

Chapter 185: In a dilemma

It was obvious that the flying dragon in the sky was only a kite, but surprisingly no one else in the crowd dared to raise his or her head up to see. The crowd was trembling with fear as they continued to kneel below. Some people were so scared they ended up peeing in their pants, and there was the stench of urine.

Ji Man disdainfully moved a few steps away. When she raised her head again, it seemed that the string on the dragon-shaped kite had broken off. The kite was starting to fall down and drifting towards the back road because of the wind direction. If the kite fell to the ground and was seen by the commonfolk, everyone would definitely spit and curse on the people that had played this hoax.

On the other side, Marquis Moyu had already stood up and was frantically chasing after it. Within the crowd, a few people abruptly jumped up and went after the drifting kite too.

The person in charge of the ceremonial music hastily ordered the musicians to perform, and oppressive, clamoring sounds from a gigantic bugle and ancient bells and cymbals began. The commonfolk, who had looked as if they wanted to get up, immediately and obediently stilled.

While keeping her body lowered, Ji Man quickly followed after those people that had left the crowd.

Ning Yuxuan had availed himself to a horse to chase after the kite. The people that had jumped out from the crowd had also prepared horses on the side. Naturally, Ji Man wouldn't be able to catch up to them with just her two legs. She looked around and saw that someone had tied a mule to a tree stump. She untied the mule, left some money on that spot, and covered the money with leaves. After that, she rode the mule as fast as possible to chase after them.

Because there was an important ceremony going on, the rest of the capital was especially quiet. Ning Yuxuan didn't dare to urge the horse to go faster by using a whip or spurs. He didn't even dare to yell and could only press against the horse's belly to chase after the drifting kite. He could hear the sound of three to four horses gaining on him. The people riding on those horses weren't his subordinates.

He didn't have time to care about anything else except the kite. He finally had a good outcome from today's ancestor veneration ceremony. He couldn't let a mere kite ruin his success.

The kite drifted from the Temple of Heaven to the northern part of the capital. Although there weren't too many people on the streets, there were still peddlers and peasant women coming and going. Ning Yuxuan saw that the kite was about to fall on top of a roof. He immediately reined in the horse to a stop and entered a teahouse by himself.

Those people who had been in hot pursuit followed him into the teahouse and quickly surrounded Ning Yuxuan and blocked him off.

There hadn't been anyone else in the teahouse, and the teahouse's shopkeeper had just been about to close up so he could attend the grand ancestor veneration ceremony too. He was quite terrified to see several people suddenly rushing into his store. The trembling and cowering shopkeeper bundled up the fragile items and went to hide in the back room.

The four pursuers didn't bother with opening remarks before launching into battle. Ning Yuxuan had pretty good martial art skills, but it was difficult for two hands to win over eight hands. He could only make use of his surrounding as he headed upstairs. There were balconies on the second floor, and it was possible to jump onto the roof if enough effort was put into it.

Ji Man was riding a mule, so by the time she had slowly made her way here, she saw Ning Yuxaun very elegantly jumping onto the roof. He was about to get a hold of the kite.

This person was really putting up quite the fight for the new emperor. Hmm, would the emperor pay him overtime wages?

Just as Ji Man was musing over these thoughts, someone pulled her off the mule. This black-robed man, who had his lower face covered, dashed into the teahouse and jumped onto the roof too while bringing her along.