novelraw Chapter 195
Chapter 195
"Brother, I am also very happy to be your sister."
After Ye Chutang finished speaking, she let go of Song Jingning and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
She asked curiously, "Brother, when did you start getting suspicious?"
Song Jingning's tears couldn't be stopped. He wiped them again and again, his voice hoarse.
"Back at the Huating Academy, when my father asked openly and secretly about your twin brother, I became suspicious."
After saying that, he patted Ye Chutang's head, his vision blurring with tears once more.
"I'm sorry I didn't recognize you earlier and couldn't take care of you."
What hurt him the most was that while he was doted on in the Song family, his sister was suffering in the countryside.
It was as if his happiness was built upon his sister's pain.
Seeing Song Jingning crying in distress, Ye Chutang also felt awful in her heart.
"Brother, you did nothing wrong. The ones at fault are the ungrateful Ye family."
She then grabbed Song Jingning's arm, looked up at him, and forced a bright smile.
"The past isn't important. Now we have both grown up well. If Mother knew, she would definitely be very happy."
These words made Song Jingning feel even worse.
"Sister, you have suffered."
"Then you must treat me better from now on, so I can experience double the sweetness in return."
"Alright, I will work hard to become your strong backing, so that no one will ever dare to bully you!"
Ye Chutang linked her arm through Song Jingning's and blinked playfully.
"I am so fierce, no one can bully me."
Song Jingning wiped his tears and looked at Ye Chutang dotingly.
"My sister is skilled in both pen and sword. As your brother, I feel inferior."
After saying this, his heart ached again.
"Sister, you were bullied in the countryside yet still managed to master both literary and martial arts. It must have been very hard, right?"
Ye Chutang shook her head.
"Whenever I thought about how working a little harder would allow me to live the way I wanted, I didn't feel it was hard. Instead, I felt full of motivation.
Brother, stop thinking about the past. We both need to look forward and be happy."
Looking at the open-minded and optimistic Ye Chutang, a smile finally appeared on Song Jingning's face.
"Alright, happy and joyful!"
Seeing that his mood had improved, Ye Chutang brought up Ye Jingchuan.
"Brother, what are your thoughts regarding the Ye family?"
Song Jingning knew that Ye Chutang bitterly hated the Ye family.
He did too.
"Sister, not being able to avenge Mother alongside you is the greatest regret of my life."
The only family he wanted to acknowledge was his sister, no one else.
The Ye family had "killed" him. Even if he didn't stay with the Song family, he would never have any ties with the Ye family.
"We are brother and sister, it doesn't matter who takes revenge."
Ye Chutang then asked, "Brother, you went to Liangzhou City to investigate your background, right?"
Song Jingning nodded, his reddened eyes taking on a hint of a smile.
"That was the original plan, but after meeting you and using the medicine you gave me, I wanted to test you."
"And the test was spot on. It succeeded."
"This is the first time, and also the last time."
Hearing Song Jingning's promise, Ye Chutang joked with a smile.
"A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. Even if it wasn't the last time, you wouldn't be able to trick me again."
Thinking they had chatted long enough, she moved on to serious matters.
"Brother, are you heading directly to Tianshan Prefecture next?"
"I will still take a trip to Liangzhou City. It's been a long time since I visited my maternal grandparents. The Song family raised me, so they are my family for life."
"That is natural. The grace of giving birth is not as great as the grace of raising someone."
Ye Chutang let go of Song Jingning's arm and looked at him seriously.
"Brother, the journey to Tianshan Prefecture is long, and unpredictable accidents might happen on the way. I want to send someone to protect you."
She didn't want a repeat of what happened today.
Song Jingning quickly refused.
"Sister, there's no need. I will travel and study all the way to Tianshan Prefecture. There won't be any danger, and you need more people to protect you."
During his study tour, every time he went to an academy, he would be escorted by people from the previous academy.
Furthermore, he would leak his route in advance, so no one would dare commit a crime against the wind.
He was attacked by bandits this time because he was rushing on his journey and only presented his travel pass without revealing his identity.
Otherwise, no matter how bold Magistrate Zhang was, he would never dare to rob and kill the world-renowned Young Master Haoyue.
Ye Chutang said in a tone that brooked no argument, "Brother, ten hidden guards are a greeting gift from your sister. You are not allowed to decline."
Hearing this, Song Jingning immediately agreed.
"Alright, I'll listen to you, sister."
He took an amulet from his chest pocket and handed it to Ye Chutang.
"This is an amulet I personally went to Pudu Temple to pray for. It can keep you safe. You must carry it with you."
Gold and silver were too superficial. An amulet prayed for after kneeling up ninety-nine steps held far more sincerity.
Of course, this was not a greeting gift.
When they reached Tianshan Prefecture, he would hold a family recognition banquet and give everything he had to his sister.
Ye Chutang took the amulet and placed it in her robes.
"Thank you, Brother. I will carry it with me at all times. We've been talking for a long time, we should head back."
Song Jingning was a little reluctant to part and gently hugged Ye Chutang.
"We will meet again in Tianshan Prefecture."
Ye Chutang hugged him back, "Alright, see you in Tianshan Prefecture!"
The two siblings let go of each other and exchanged a smile.
Then they reigned in their emotions and returned to the dining hall in the backyard of the government office.
Song Jingning bid farewell to everyone.
"I promised the students I would go to the teahouse to teach, so I will take my leave first."
"Take care, Young Master Song."
After Song Jingning left, Wu Chenggang said, "Find a place to rest on your own. We will depart punctually at half past the Shen hour."
Although a lot of time was delayed today, because they took a section of the official road, it saved some distance and wouldn't delay their overall progress.
The county office was large, so finding a place to rest was easy.
The Qi family rested right in the main hall.
Ye Chutang had just lain down when she got back up.
Qi Yanzhou immediately asked with concern, "A'Tang, is the floor too hard to sleep comfortably? I'll go get you a mattress."
"No need, my stomach just feels a bit uncomfortable and I want to go to the latrine. You rest first, I'll be back soon."
After saying that, she asked a runner for the location of the latrine and went there alone.
Thinking there were many men in the county office, Qi Yanzhou followed her.
Ye Chutang noticed but didn't say anything.
Because she knew Qi Yanzhou followed her out of worry, but he would tactfully keep his distance.
The county office had many people, and there were three latrines, all with Unoccupied signs hanging on the doors.
Ye Chutang chose the innermost one.
After entering, she went into her spatial dimension, changed into men's clothing, masked her face, and teleported to the bandits' lair.
There were still quite a few people in the mountain stronghold, but most of them were women.
They looked numb, likely having been kidnapped to the stronghold to be used for the bandits' amusement and servitude.
Thinking that the government officials would soon come to wipe out the bandits, Ye Chutang decided not to meddle.
She used her earth-element ability to sense the layout of the stronghold and quickly found the stronghold leader's room.
As soon as she popped her head out of the ground, she heard a man panting like a bull.
"Lian'er, I am already making arrangements. Endure it for a little while longer."
Following that was a woman's broken, delicate panting.
"Second Boss, you have to hurry. If the stronghold leader finds out that the child in my belly is yours, both of us will lose our lives."
"At most one month, and I will replace him as the stronghold leader!"
"Also, stay away from those sluts. Having to find excuses to beat them to death every few days is quite tiring."
Ye Chutang's eyes turned slightly cold as she approached the bed.
A person suddenly appeared beside the bed covered in animal skins, scaring the two people engaged in their intimate activities out of their wits.
The second-in-command wanted to call for help, but he was afraid their scandalous affair with the bandit leader's wife would be discovered.
"You... you... who are you?"
Without a word, Ye Chutang killed the second-in-command on the spot.
Blood sprayed all over the bandit leader's wife's face, making her scream in terror.
Before the sound could escape her throat, a bloodstained dagger was pressed against her slender neck.
She shut her mouth instantly, tears and snot streaming down her face.
"Spare my life, hero!"
Ye Chutang struck the woman's mute acupoint and dislocated her limbs.
She then swept the bandit leader's room clean of anything valuable.
Seeing objects vanish into thin air wherever Ye Chutang passed, the woman fainted from the sheer shock.
Soon, she was jolted awake by scalding hot tea poured over her.
Unable to make a sound, her eyes were dull, agonizing, and contorted in pain.
Ye Chutang pressed an index finger to her own lips. "Shh, don't scream, or my dagger will pierce your belly, taking both your life and your child's!"
After saying that, she released the woman's mute acupoint.
The bandit leader's wife bit down hard on her lower lip to keep herself from groaning in pain.
"The loot the bandit leader stole is definitely more than just what's in this room. Where is the rest? Tell me, and I'll spare your life."
"It's in a cave on the back mountain. It's heavily guarded, and the key to the stone door is with the leader."
"Where is the second-in-command's room?"
"Diagonally across."
As soon as the woman finished speaking, Ye Chutang slit her throat.
Looking at the woman whose eyes were wide as saucers, she felt her merit points increase and smiled radiantly.
"I never keep my word to trash."
With that, to avoid any further complications, she buried the second-in-command and the woman deep underground.
By the time Ye Chutang had taken all the treasures from the second-in-command's room and the cave and returned to the outhouse at the county magistrate's office, only the time it takes to burn a stick of incense had passed.
She changed into the smelly clothes she had deliberately left in the outhouse, opened the door, and walked out.
Qi Yanzhou hurried up to her. "Is your stomach feeling any better?"
Ye Chutang was about to answer when she dry-heaved.
"It stinks too much."
In ancient times, outhouses were generally dry latrines. Only the homes of high officials and nobles had dedicated servants to clean them. Without anyone to clean it, coupled with the high summer temperatures, the smell was imaginable.
Qi Yanzhou took Ye Chutang's hand. "Let me take you somewhere."
In the backyard of the county office was a small, elegantly built garden where Magistrate Zhang's concubine usually passed the time.
The garden had a small pond filled with lotus leaves, dotted with white lotus buds.
The scorching summer wind blew across the lotus pond, bringing with it the refreshing scent of the leaves.
Ye Chutang came to the pavilion by the pond and immediately spotted the lotus pods, making her mouth water.
Just as she was about to pick one, Qi Yanzhou moved ahead of her.
Tapping his toes on the ground, he flew over the lotus pond, plucked two pods with one hand, and landed on the opposite side.
By the time he returned to Ye Chutang's side, he was holding eight lotus pods.
"Ah Tang, eat these first. I'll go pick more for you."
Ye Chutang quickly pulled Qi Yanzhou back. "Lotus pods are best eaten fresh. It won't be too late to pick more just before we set off."
With that, she shared four of the pods with Qi Yanzhou.
Qi Yanzhou had no interest in lotus pods but took them anyway and began peeling the seeds.
Ye Chutang looked at the plump, white seeds offered to her and declined, "Lotus seeds are cooling in nature. I shouldn't eat too many. You have them."
Qi Yanzhou gave the peeled seeds to Ye Chutang and took away her unpeeled pods.
"I won't eat them. I'll give them to Mother later."
After finishing the seeds, Ye Chutang shuffled over to Qi Yanzhou and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"You saw it earlier, didn't you?"
She asked out of the blue, but Qi Yanzhou knew exactly what she meant.
"I saw. So Song Jingning is your twin brother?"
Earlier, seeing that Ye Chutang and Song Jingning had been gone for too long, he went looking for them and happened to see them embracing.
Knowing that Ye Chutang was not a fickle woman, he immediately figured out the reason behind it.
Thus, he quietly retreated and kept watch for them.
Ye Chutang hugged Qi Yanzhou's arm, her chin sliding against his shoulder, creating a ticklish sensation.
"Yes, so I want to arrange for the ten best martial artists from the Night Fiends to secretly protect my brother until he reaches Tianshan Prefecture."
The Night Fiends were currently managed by Qi Yanzhou's people, so she had to go through him to deploy them.
"Alright, I will tell Nan Xiao later. You send ten Night Fiends, and I will provide ten of my own men to ensure your brother's safety."
Ye Chutang felt this was a much safer approach, preventing the Night Fiends from potentially taking Song Jingning hostage to threaten her in return.
"We'll do as you say."
The exile procession set off right on time at mid-Shen hour.
Before leaving, Qi Yanzhou picked all the remaining lotus pods from the pond.
Following Ye Chutang's instructions, he also gathered some lotus leaves to make beggar's chicken for dinner.
He then filled a bucket with water and placed the pods and leaves inside to keep them fresh.
Ye Chutang visited the outhouse one more time, teleported to Magistrate Zhang's house, and swept away all his valuables.
Then, she continued on the exile journey.
Upon their departure, many commoners brought gifts for the Qi family.
Unable to refuse their profound hospitality, Qi Yanzhou, just like before, selected a few useful items to take along.
As they exited the city, Song Jingning, who was waiting at the gates, stepped out of his carriage and handed Ye Chutang a bundle.
"Thank you for the medicine, Madam Qi. This is a return gift, please accept it."
Knowing that the bundle contained Song Jingning's heartfelt sentiments, Ye Chutang accepted it.
"Young Master Song, until fate brings us together again."
Suppressing his reluctance to part, Song Jingning offered a bright smile.
"Until fate brings us together again."
With that, he boarded his carriage and took the official road towards Liangzhou City.
Meanwhile, the exile procession looped back onto the smaller trails.
Three days later, they arrived at Liangzhou City.
Whenever the guards escorting exiled prisoners reached a new prefecture, they had to report to the local government and usually took a day to rest at the relay station.
Liangzhou was adjacent to the capital, making it large and prosperous.
Qi Yanzhou had expected his legitimate older sister, Qi Qingyu, to meet them at the city gates, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Wu Chenggang handed the exile documents to the general guarding the city.
After reviewing them, the general returned the papers to Wu Chenggang and ordered his subordinates to escort the exile procession to the state magistrate's manor.
After walking a few steps, Ye Chutang glanced back.
The Ye family and the Protectorate Army blocked her line of sight, so she saw nothing.
However, her intuition told her that Liangzhou City was not safe!
Noticing Ye Chutang's movements, Qi Yanzhou grasped her hand.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine."
He wasn't worried about the safety of his immediate family, but he was concerned about his sister, who had married the legitimate second son of the Chen family, the local prefectural judge of Liangzhou.
Feeling the sweat on Qi Yanzhou's palms, Ye Chutang knew he was worrying about Qi Qingyu.
"Sister will be fine, too."
Qi Yanzhou nodded slightly. "My sister is intelligent and kind; she will surely be rewarded with good fortune."
The group walked for about half an hour before finally arriving at the state magistrate's manor.
It was the largest government office in Liangzhou, its grandeur comparable to the capital's mayoral office.
The city guards explained the situation to the local yamen runners and left.
A runner then went inside the manor to announce their arrival.
After nearly an hour, the runner finally returned.
Accompanying him was the prefectural judge administrator.
The administrator bowed to Wu Chenggang.
"I am Yuan Ting, the prefectural judge administrator. Please forgive us, my lord. The state magistrate was interrogating a prisoner just now, making you all wait. Please, come in."
Wu Chenggang couldn't tell if this was the truth or if Magistrate Cao was deliberately giving them the cold shoulder to show his authority.
With a stern expression, he nodded and stepped into the state magistrate's manor.
The Zhao family, however, was stopped by Yuan Ting.
"Prisoners are not allowed to enter through the main gate."
He called over the yamen runners and led the three families to enter through the side door.
Zhao Mingxu had never suffered such humiliation. With a cold face, he said, "I am not a prisoner!"
"Commoners are not allowed to use the main gate either."
These words left Zhao Mingxu speechless. He glared at Yuan Ting and reluctantly entered through the side door.
Ye Chutang did not care about these rules, but she noticed something from Yuan Ting's attitude.
The gate of this prefectural office was easy to enter but hard to leave!
After entering the government office, Yuan Ting said to Wu Chenggang, "Lord Wu, the posthouse caught fire this morning and is currently under repair. Everyone will be resting at the prefectural office."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone sensed something unusual.
Wu Chenggang frowned. "Such a coincidence?"
Yuan Ting looked apologetic. "Accidents are unpredictable. Please rest assured, Lord Wu, Prefect Cao has stated that he will certainly not neglect anyone."
"May I meet with Lord Cao?"
"Once I have settled everyone in, I will take you to see Prefect Cao."
Wu Chenggang nodded. "Alright, make the arrangements."
The Qi, Zhao, and Ye families were then divided into three different locations.
The Ye family, being formal exiled prisoners, were arranged to stay in the prison.
The Zhao family, after all, were relatives of the emperor, so they were given a side courtyard.
The Qi family, who had volunteered for exile, were sent to a dilapidated small courtyard.
The courtyard had been simply swept but remained dirty and messy.
Under the pretext of preventing the prisoners from escaping, Han Chong dispatched thirty Imperial Guards to guard the perimeter of the small courtyard.
Every four hours, a new batch of guards would take over the watch to ensure everyone maintained their combat readiness.
Although the Ye family was in prison and would find it hard to escape, he still sent ten men over.
Ten men were also placed on rotation to guard the Zhao family, just in case.
Those who were off duty were arranged by Yuan Ting to stay in the guest courtyard.
After everyone was settled, he led Wu Chenggang and Han Chong to see Prefect Cao.
Prefect Cao was about fifty years old, very thin, with sharp eyes.
Wu Chenggang had dealt with him before, but this was the first time he felt a sense of oppression.
"Lord Cao, we meet again."
Prefect Cao did not exchange pleasantries with Wu Chenggang as he usually did.
"Lord Wu, let us attend to official business first."
Wu Chenggang immediately took out the documents and worked with Prefect Cao to verify and register the list of exiled prisoners and escorting officials.
After confirming everything was correct, Prefect Cao stamped his seal on the documents.
"Lord Wu, please go and rest first. Someone will notify you when it is time to dine later."
Having said that, he looked at Han Chong.
"Lord Han, I have some matters to discuss with you."
Hearing this, Wu Chenggang immediately stood up.
"You two lords take your time chatting; I will go rest first."
His official rank was not as high as the prefect's. It was only because he was a capital official that Cao Liang spoke to him politely.
When Yuan Ting led Wu Chenggang away, he thoughtfully closed the door.
The look in Prefect Cao's eyes as he looked at Han Chong suddenly turned sharp.
"Lord Han, since the Qi family's exile began, why have they remained completely unharmed?"
As the vice commander of the Dragon Guards, Han Chong had endured the pressure of the Son of Heaven far too many times; his heart was already as still as water.
The oppressive aura Prefect Cao deliberately released was like a joke to him.
He met his gaze coldly. "Lord Cao, are you interrogating me?"
"I am asking on behalf of His Majesty!"
The emperor had already awakened, but his health was far worse than before. He had not attended court, temporarily leaving the Crown Prince to supervise the state.
But the reality was that Eunuch De had full control over the court.
In other words, even if Prefect Cao received orders from the capital, it was Eunuch De's intention.
Han Chong looked at Prefect Cao, who was holding a chicken feather as a token of authority, and reached out his hand.
"Please show me an object that represents His Majesty, Lord Cao."
Prefect Cao snorted coldly and took out a gold medallion bestowed by the emperor, which read, "As if the Emperor were present."
"Lord Han, does this object carry enough weight?"
Han Chong immediately knelt on one knee.
"Long live the Emperor, long live, long, long live!"
Prefect Cao withdrew the gold medallion in satisfaction, his expression arrogant.
"Speak. Why did the Qi family make it all the way to Liangzhou City completely intact?"
Han Chong stood up and took a seat below Prefect Cao.
"Because the plan where His Majesty colluded with the Northern Barbarians to assassinate the Qi family not only failed but also became known to everyone.
Later, the ambush in the canyon under the guise of bandits was also seen through by the Qi family, who resolved the crisis.
Right after that, they encountered real bandits robbing Young Master Haoyue, took a trip to Xun County, and helped His Majesty replenish the state treasury.
From Xun County to Liangzhou, it only took three days of travel. I do not have the ability to set up a death trap for the Qi family in such a short time."
His words were well-founded and logical. Even if Prefect Cao had his suspicions, he could not find fault with them.
Therefore, he deliberately asked, "Lord Cao, if you were in my place, could you have done better than me?"
Without waiting for Prefect Cao to answer, he added another sentence.
"If you can, please do not hesitate to enlighten me and help me complete the task of eradicating the Qi family. I promise to have you promoted and granted a noble title, Lord Cao!"
Han Chong used retreat as a way to advance, leaving Cao Liang speechless.
"His Majesty sent Lord Han to deal with the Qi family naturally because of your outstanding abilities, which I cannot hope to match."
Han Chong picked up the tea that had long gone cold and drank it in one gulp.
"You are too modest, Lord Cao. I am just more cautious in my actions. The Qi family is very vigilant now. If I cannot kill them in one strike, I will not make a move.
Nowadays, the common people feel that His Majesty did not hesitate to collude with the enemy in order to scheme against loyal officials and good generals, causing the Qi family's prestige to rise. We must act cautiously."
Cao Liang nodded in agreement.
However, he still did not trust Han Chong.
He narrowed his eyes, stared intently at Han Chong's face, and asked again.
"Lord Han, what do you think about Ye Chutang helping the Qi family both openly and secretly?"
Actually, his deeper meaning was this.
The Dragon Guards were saved by Ye Chutang. If she defied the imperial decree and protected the Qi family, whose side would the Dragon Guards take?
Han Chong understood Cao Liang's underlying implication.
He said seriously, "I asked Miss Ye. She said that to successfully backstab the Qi family, she must first gain their trust."
"What if she never intended to deal with the Qi family, and saying so was just a delaying tactic?"
"Then she will die from her meridians snapping inch by inch because she does not have the antidote to the Meridian-Severing Powder!"
Prefect Cao withdrew his gaze, picked up his purple clay cup, and took a sip of tea.
He asked seemingly casually, "Lord Han owes Ye Chutang his life. Will you just watch her die?"
Murderous intent surfaced in Han Chong's eyes. "If she betrays His Majesty, she deserves to die!"
Knowing Han Chong's identity as a Dragon Guard, Cao Liang nodded in satisfaction.
"Lord Han, next let us discuss the plan to leave the lives of the Qi family members here in Liangzhou City."