Chapter 406: You Yelled at Me! Whose Child Is It?

Ji Qingwu said, "I believe you. It’s just... Xijin is at war with us right now, and Longzhou is only a few hundred miles from the Northern Border. I’m afraid the State Official won’t have time to deal with us."

If Ji Qingwu remembered correctly, Ji Changlin’s map showed Longzhou as a reserve depot for the army’s grain supply.

But after several consecutive years of locust plagues, crop yields had fallen, and the Northern Border Camp’s provisions were now supplied from Youzhou to the southwest.

It had already been cut off from the Northern Border.

Longzhou was now a hornet’s nest. Many of Su Fengyue’s remaining supporters were still there, which was why Li Chengxun was heading to Longzhou to take up an official post.

He was going on the Emperor’s orders, specifically to purge the dissenters.

Su Fengyue had colluded with Xijin, so it was hard to say whether Longzhou’s officials were truly loyal to Beili.

Therefore, it remained to be seen whether these local soldiers would obey an order from Princess Qingyun.

’Rather than pin my hopes on a rescue, I’d better figure something out myself.’

But before that, Ji Qingwu had a suspicion she needed to confirm as soon as possible. However, that would have to wait until after her meeting with Si Hai later tonight.

Chunhua said in disappointment, "You’re right. We’re lucky just to be alive. We’ll have to take it one day at a time."

Just as Ji Qingwu was about to tell her not to be so pessimistic, the door was kicked open.

The little bandit was back, a tobacco leaf dangling from his lips. "Our Boss and the Madam are on their way," he said. "You two, get ready and wait by the door."

Having no choice but to yield to circumstances, Ji Qingwu helped Chunhua up, and the two of them stood by the door.

Before long, a large, imposing procession of people arrived.

At the head of the group, surrounded by an entourage, was a beautiful woman in magnificent attire.

The woman’s clothes were made of the finest silk, and her belly was swollen high; she must be close to giving birth.

All of her exposed skin was adorned with gold and jade ornaments. Yet, she didn’t look tacky; instead, the jewelry only served to enhance her opulent and magnificent air.

Ji Qingwu’s gaze settled on her face. Between her slender, arched brows, she wore a decorative floral mark.

She retracted her gaze, lowering her head to look at the ground.

Ji Qingwu only recognized the floral mark because, a few days prior, she had been idle at the clinic and saw Ji Qingrong wearing the same style. That was how she knew it was the latest fashion in Lin’an.

’How strange,’ she thought. ’For this "Madam" to be aware of the trends in Lin’an, all the way out here in a mountain valley a world away... She’s truly not someone to be underestimated.’

Hu Lie had come with her as well.

"Bring the wet nurse out for the Madam to see."

Qi Peiyao didn’t enter the room. Instead, a chaise longue had been placed at the doorway, and she was leaning lazily against it.

A large group of men from Black Wind Village stood behind her, with Hu Lie at her side, cutting a very imposing figure.

Qi Peiyao stroked a strand of her hair, her red lips parting. "Step forward and let me have a look."

Chunhua took two steps forward, her legs still trembling.

The little bandit bowed and scraped, his attitude even more deferential than it was toward Hu Lie. "Madam, please take a look," he said. "She’s clean and well-built. She’s just given birth and hasn’t nursed yet, so she’s perfect for your needs."

Qi Peiyao shot him a glance that made him lower his head, his confidence faltering.

She gazed at the vibrant red of her painted nails. "So timid. If my child drinks her milk, will he become as timid as a mouse, too?"

The little bandit stammered, "Th-that can’t be, right? The woman just gave birth. Perhaps her legs are trembling from weakness."

Qi Peiyao raised a hand. "She is not to my liking. Find another one."

Hu Lie said anxiously, "Oh, for heaven’s sake, my lady! You weren’t satisfied with the three we caught last month, either. You complained they were too fat or too thin, or you found fault with their milk. We ended up abandoning them all on the back mountain."

Qi Peiyao pointed a finger at his face, her brow furrowed in a pained expression. "You’re yelling at me."

Those four words held immense power. Hu Lie immediately snapped his mouth shut, because he knew what kind of epic tantrum would follow.

"Fine, fine, fine. I’ll do whatever the Madam says."

Seeing Hu Lie back down, the little bandit ordered his men to drag away the wet nurse who had failed to please the Madam.

"Take her away. Leave her on the back mountain to fend for herself."

Chunhua’s legs gave out, and she fell to her knees, crying and begging them for mercy.

"It won’t," Ji Qingwu said.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was just enough for Qi Peiyao, lounging on the chaise longue, to hear.

She rested her cheek on her hand. "What did you say?"

Ji Qingwu said, "I said it won’t. A wet nurse’s milk won’t affect a child’s personality."

Qi Peiyao’s arched brows rose. "Who is this?"

The little bandit replied, "Madam, this is the midwife we brought back for you."

"So young?"

Qi Peiyao’s gaze swept over her from head to toe. Ji Qingwu stood perfectly still, letting her look, her breathing even and steady.

Qi Peiyao nodded in satisfaction. "This one’s good. A midwife should be composed. I don’t want some flustered, graceless thing."

Chunhua was trembling like a leaf. Ji Qingwu spoke again. "Madam, children are raised on goat’s milk and cow’s milk, but they don’t grow up bleating or mooing like animals. They still speak like people. Clearly, it doesn’t affect the child."

This time, Qi Peiyao studied Ji Qingwu carefully.

"You’re rather interesting."

Still, she chose to trust her intuition. "This wet nurse won’t do. Get rid of her and find another. I don’t want her staying here as an eyesore!"

"Absolutely not! Stop letting Yao’er cause trouble!"

Two more people approached from a short distance away. The one in the lead was a middle-aged man wearing a felt hat and a silver-gray cloak. His voice was rough and powerful.

The crowd chorused, "Chieftain."

Ji Qingwu quickly lowered her head, trying to make herself less conspicuous.

Hu Feng walked toward Qi Peiyao. "Your time is almost here. We need to have a wet nurse ready, otherwise is our child going to have nothing to eat?"

Ji Qingwu blinked. ’Their child...’

’Is the woman not pregnant with Hu Lie’s child? Is it the Chieftain’s?’

Hu Feng walked to the chaise longue, unfastened his cloak, and wrapped it around Qi Peiyao.

He chided, "What’s so good about clothes from the Imperial City? They’re so thin and drafty. You’d be much better off wearing something warmer."

Qi Peiyao seemed a bit afraid of Hu Feng. She only glared at him in displeasure but didn’t refuse the cloak.

Following Hu Feng was a fair-skinned young man dressed more elegantly than the others, holding a white feathered fan.

"Big Brother, you just don’t get it. This is a Snow Cyan Shirt, the favorite of the young ladies from the Lin’an Families. A single inch of this fabric is worth a gold ingot."

Hu Lie, thinking how a gold ingot could buy five jars of fine wine, said, "Big Brother, it’s all Third Brother’s fault for bringing this stuff back for the Madam. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so obsessed with it."

The third brother, Hu Chen, walked to the side of the chaise longue and handed the feathered fan to Qi Peiyao.

He said with a grin, "I bring Yao Yao things because she likes them. I’m not like you, Second Brother, always doing things based on your own tastes."

"If Yao Yao isn’t happy with this wet nurse, then let’s get rid of her. The baby isn’t as important as Yao Yao’s happiness."

Qi Peiyao nodded. "Exactly. I find her displeasing to the eye."

"Don’t you encourage Yao’er’s foolishness!"

Hu Feng’s brows furrowed. "This is our first child. We must be thoroughly prepared. We can’t afford to take risks."

Ji Qingwu took a sharp breath.

’This child... it’s really hard to say whose it is.’