bookbashuk Chapter 1208 Beidou and Yelan's Prison Break Plan
Chapter 1208 Beidou and Yelan's Prison Break Plan
Two days later, at dawn, outside the North Gate of Liyue Harbor.
On the high slope where Ying first met Mona, a travel-worn blue figure appeared.
Of course, this isn't Mona.
Ye Lan leaned against a stone lion on either side of the road, her chest heaving violently.
For the past two days and two nights, I've run all the way from Mondstadt back to Liyue on foot, without even a moment to rest.
"Finally... I'm back..." Ye Lan muttered breathlessly.
"Damn it, why doesn't Mondstadt have a single horse! The Knights of Favonius, knights without horses, it's as ridiculous as saying Morax doesn't have Mora!"
As she complained, she rubbed her aching calf muscles. When her fingertips touched the taut muscles, she couldn't help but gasp.
She had been traveling day and night, and her legs were almost worn out. If it weren't for the Eye of God, she probably wouldn't have been able to complete even half the journey in two days.
In a daze, Ye Lan's thoughts drifted back to the days when she had hired Shao Yun to accompany her to the Layered Rock Abyss.
Although Shao Yun treated him badly at the time and even said that he had a big butt, riding a horse was really much easier than being a "motorized infantryman" all the way.
"To be honest, I miss Mr. Shao Yun a little now."
"When will his ranch in Nata finally start selling horses? No matter the cost, I want one! This trip has really exhausted me. If I have to walk again, I'd rather die!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she subconsciously touched the note in her bosom that read, "Keqing coup, Ningguang detained, urgent."
(Hint: The note was already soaked with sweat.)
Thinking of Ningguang's still uncertain fate and the chaotic situation in Liyue Harbor, Yelan withdrew her complaints.
"Forget it, complaining won't help." She straightened up and patted her cheeks.
"Let's go back to Liyue Harbor first. I don't know how chaotic Liyue Harbor will become in the next couple of days."
……
Yelan's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the north gate of Liyue Harbor, not far away.
The number of Qianyan soldiers coming and going through the gate was more than double that of before. Everyone was seriously checking the people coming in and out. Even in corners where there was occasional laxity in the past, there were two guards patrolling back and forth, which was obviously a heightened security measure.
"It seems the situation in Liyue Harbor is indeed unstable," Yelan muttered to herself.
Nobody knows who's in charge of Liyue Harbor right now. What if Keqing has already issued a warrant for his arrest? If he just walks in through the main gate, wouldn't he be walking right into a trap?
Others may not know her relationship with Ningguang, but Keqing certainly knows that she is Ningguang's right-hand woman.
If she is recognized and captured, even if she manages to escape using her skills, it will alert the enemy, making it difficult to rescue Ningguang later.
With that in mind, Ye Lan decisively abandoned the idea of entering the city through the main gate.
She glanced around and her gaze fell on the mountains in the direction of Bubulu.
That area is rarely patrolled, and although crossing mountains and valleys is arduous, it allows one to sneak into Liyue Harbor unnoticed.
Having made up her mind, Ye Lan avoided the sight of the patrolling Thousand Rock Army and walked quickly towards the mountains.
She spends most of her time on missions in the Liyue wilderness, so traversing mountains and valleys is not a difficult task for her. However, the previous trek had already exhausted most of her strength, and now every step she takes feels as heavy as if her legs are filled with lead.
Fortunately, she was determined and spent nearly an hour before finally making her way around to Liyue Harbor from the other side of the mountains.
"Let's go check out the situation at the Yanshang Tea House first." Ye Lan took a breath, pondering in her mind.
The Rock Tea House is her base of operations. As long as the tea house is safe, she can use the informants there to stay informed about the latest situation in Liyue Harbor.
She straightened her clothes and, while avoiding the surrounding Thousand Rock Army, walked towards Scarlet Cloud Slope.
Just as I stepped out of the Bubulu area, I heard hurried footsteps and angry curses coming from ahead.
"I only took my fleet to Inazuma to deliver some goods, and it was only half a month ago. Keqing, you bastard, you dare to rebel against the Heavenly Gang! You locked Ningguang up? Today I'll skin you alive and throw you to feed the sea monsters!"
Ye Lan felt a chill run down her spine. She looked up and saw Bei Dou striding furiously toward Bu Bu Lu, his face contorted with rage, even the stray hairs on his forehead trembling slightly with anger.
She was followed by several crew members from the Southern Cross fleet, each carrying a weapon, clearly ready to "seek justice".
"Oh no, acting impulsively at this moment will only make things worse!" Ye Lan thought to herself.
She knew that Beidou was straightforward and close to Ningguang, so she knew that Beidou would definitely come looking for Ningguang after learning that she was being held captive.
But now that Keqing has just staged a coup, her men must be on high alert. If Beidou rushes in recklessly, she will not only fail to rescue Ningguang, but will also get herself killed.
In a moment of urgency, Ye Lan rushed forward and, just as Bei Dou was about to turn into the main gate of Bu Bu Lu, grabbed her arm and whispered:
"Captain Beidou, wait! Don't be impulsive!"
Beidou was suddenly grabbed by the arm and instinctively wanted to hit someone, but when he heard Yelan's voice, he paused.
Her face, which had been filled with anger, instantly lit up with joy. She flung Ye Lan's hand away and instead grabbed her arm, excitedly saying:
"Yelan! You're finally back! That ungrateful little girl Keqing actually dared to rebel! She locked Ningguang in the General Affairs Department's cell."
"Today I must grab her by the collar and make her give me and the people of Liyue Harbor an explanation! Why should she be so ruthless towards Ningguang just because she wants to seize power?"
Ye Lan advised, "Captain Beidou, don't act so impulsively!"
"Look at you now, with crew members following you and a knife in your hand. You've been making a ruckus the whole way, and almost everyone in Liyue Harbor knows you're going to settle scores with Keqing."
"What if Keqing is now determined to control the situation, even you..."
"So what if it's me?" Beidou interrupted Yelan before she could finish speaking, raising his chin arrogantly as he said:
"Could it be that little girl Keqing would dare to lock me up? My Southern Cross fleet has been sailing on the waters of Liyue Harbor for so many years, what storms haven't we seen? What could she possibly do to me?"
As she spoke, she pulled Yelan toward Bubulu.
"Let's go! Stop dawdling, who knows what kind of grievance Ningguang will suffer if we're even a step later! I want to see just how capable Keqing really is!"
Seeing Beidou's "concerned and confused" appearance, Yelan forcefully pulled her hand away from Beidou's, glared at her, and sharply retorted:
"Keqing dares to rebel against Ningguang now, what is Beidou? Ningguang has been operating in Liyue for so many years, how could her power be weaker than yours? But what was the result? She still locked her up."
She paused, looking at Beidou's frozen expression, and softened her tone.
"This matter needs careful consideration! If you rush over now, what's the difference between that and walking right to your doorstep and getting arrested?"
"If we both get held captive by Keqing, who will find out about Ningguang's situation? Who will try to rescue her?"
Beidou was speechless after Yelan's question. He opened his mouth, wanting to refute something, but when he thought of Ningguang still in the prison cell, her life hanging in the balance, he realized that if he were really arrested, there would be no one to help Ningguang.
The boiling anger was extinguished in an instant, leaving only anxiety and resentment.
"But... but we can't just watch like this, can we?" Beidou's voice lowered, losing its previous arrogance and instead carrying a muffled sound of grievance.
“I just got back from Inazuma. As soon as I arrived at the port, I heard that Ningguang was being held captive. I rushed over to find her without even having a sip of water. I just can’t stand this. How could Keqing treat Ningguang like this…”
Ye Lan knew about the friendship between Bei Dou and Ning Guang, and her impulsive actions at this moment were all due to her concern for Ning Guang's safety.
Ye Lan patted Bei Dou on the shoulder and comforted him, "I understand you're worried about Ning Guang, and I'm anxious too."
"But the more urgent the situation, the less we can afford to panic. Let's go to the teahouse on the rock first. I have an informant there who can find out about Keqing's current plans and Ningguang's situation in the prison."
"Once we've figured out the details, we'll find an opportunity to save Ningguang, and then settle accounts with Keqing. That's the safest approach."
Beidou remained silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and nodded.
"Okay... I'll do as you say. But if I find out that Keqing has mistreated Ningguang in the slightest, I'll throw her into the river to feed the fish!"
……
Finally, after much persuasion from Ye Lan, before attracting the Thousand Rock Army, she took Bei Dou to check out the Rock Tea House.
Fortunately, Yelan's stronghold, the Rock Tea House, was not sealed off and remains open for business.
However, due to the coup, the Iwakami Tea House, which is half tea drinking and half intelligence exchange, has been closed for the past two days.
However, this no longer matters to Ye Lan, as long as the place hasn't been shut down.
Ye Lan stepped forward and gently knocked on the door knocker of the back door, knocking three times, pausing, and then knocking twice more, following the agreed rhythm.
A moment later, a slight noise came from inside the door, and a head peeked out from the crack in the door. It was Chu Yi, the receptionist of the tea room.
When she saw Ye Lan, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she quickly opened the door: "Lady Ye Lan, you're finally back! The situation has been so chaotic these past two days, we were all so worried."
Ye Lan stepped into the room, gesturing for Bei Dou to come in quickly as well. Then, she closed the back door behind her and asked in a low voice, "Is nothing wrong with the tea room? Has anyone come to check?"
Chu Yi shook her head and led the two into the tea room.
"Don't worry, no one has come to raid it. It's just that after the news of the coup a few days ago, the number of customers coming for tea has decreased by more than half."
Afterwards, Yelan and Beidou entered the inner room of the Rock Tea House.
"Please have a seat. I'll go pour you both some tea." Chu Yi said, turning to leave. She quickly returned with a pot of steaming tea and two teacups, gently placing the tea on the table.
"This is this year's pre-rain tea. Please enjoy it."
Beidou was already parched. Before Chuyi could finish speaking, he picked up a teacup, poured himself a full cup, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. He then slammed the teacup down and couldn't help but complain bitterly.
"I really don't understand what the hell is going on! I just went to Inazuma to deliver some goods, and when I came back, Liyue was turned upside down."
"That girl Keqing actually dared to rebel against Ningguang, I heard it was a method she used to poison people! If this had happened before, who would have believed it!"
She got angrier and angrier as she talked, and poured herself another cup of tea down her throat.
"Ningguang treated her very well, risking her life to protect her during the chaos of the battle, and what did she do? She turned around and stabbed Ningguang in the back! Has she lost all her conscience?"
(Goro: Ah sneeze, ah sneeze!)
Hearing Beidou's complaint, Yelan didn't even look up, and replied helplessly, "At this point, there's no use dwelling on the causes of the matter."
"Why Keqing turned against us, and whether she was instigated by someone, can be investigated after Ningguang is rescued."
"What we should be focusing on right now is how to get Ningguang out of the General Affairs Department's cell."