Chapter 261

Everyone except Ye Chutang stared at Aman in shock.

Qi He'an even suspected that she was pretending to retreat in order to advance—trying to make Ye Chutang lower her guard before delivering a fatal blow.

He moved closer to Ye Chutang and quietly told her his suspicions.

“Second Sister-in-law, you mustn’t let your guard down.”

Ye Chutang tapped him on the head. “Your martial arts have improved, but how is it that your brain hasn’t improved at all?”

Sun Chu burst out laughing and gave Ye Chutang a thumbs-up.

“When it comes to insulting people, Madam Qi is the best!”

Old Madam Qi quickly shifted a step to block Sun Chu’s view of Ye Chutang.

She had always felt that the young man harbored ulterior motives toward her daughter-in-law.

Sun Chu didn’t take offense. He looked toward the third floor again and asked what everyone else was thinking.

“Miss Aman, were you being sincere just now, or were you joking?”

No one believed that Aman would give up on Qi Yanzhou.

Even less did they believe that she would bless Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang’s relationship.

After all, over the past three days, she had clung to Qi Yanzhou every moment, as if she couldn’t wait to claim him as her own.

Aman didn’t answer Sun Chu.

She walked down the stairs and stopped in front of Ye Chutang.

“Do you believe what I just said?”

Ye Chutang nodded firmly. “I do. But I’m curious—how did Qi Yanzhou convince you?”

Aman smiled mysteriously. “If you want to know, accompany me for a stroll around the streets after dinner.”

“Sure. Whatever you want to eat or buy, it’s on me.”

“It’s a deal. I’m going back to my room to rest for a while. Call me when it’s time to eat.”

With that, Aman went upstairs to her room.

Old Madam Qi didn’t want to think the worst of Aman, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

She turned to Ye Chutang in confusion. “Tang’er, why do you believe Miss Aman?”

Ye Chutang smiled. “It’s not her I believe. It’s Azhou.”

She had stopped calling him by his full name, which meant she had let go of the fact that Qi Yanzhou had deceived her.

Of course, she would forgive him this once and this once only!

If Qi Yanzhou made the same mistake again, she would slap a divorce letter in his face, take the children, and leave.

Old Madam Qi knew her son well and nodded in agreement.

“Exactly. Since Miss Aman was able to say those things, it means Zhou’er managed to make her give up her unrealistic expectations.”

After saying this, she beamed with delight.

“Tang’er, give Concubine Xu some more silver. Let’s add several more dishes to dinner tonight.”

Ye Chutang was in a good mood as well, so she took out another ten taels of silver and handed them to Concubine Xu.

“Auntie, once you’ve ordered the dishes, have the tavern’s waiter deliver them. Don’t carry them yourself—they’re quite heavy.”

Concubine Xu looked at Ye Chutang’s considerate expression and smiled as she nodded.

“All right. Madam, you’re kindhearted. You’ll surely be blessed with good fortune and a peaceful, smooth life.”

With that, she called her son and left for the tavern.

There was too much silver in her hands, making her nervous. She was afraid she might drop it—or that someone might rob her.

At that moment, she had no idea that her worries would soon come true!

After Concubine Xu left, Old Madam Qi gently nudged Ye Chutang.

“Tang’er, you and Zhou’er haven’t seen each other in several days. Go and see him.”

The moment she finished speaking, Qi Yanzhou emerged from his room and came downstairs.

After spending three days recuperating in bed, his condition had improved considerably with the combined effects of medicinal meals and medicinal baths.

However, his body had been depleted far too severely. He would need to recuperate for quite some time before his strength returned.

Most people needed only a few breaths to walk downstairs, but Qi Yanzhou took half an incense stick’s time.

Not only was he panting like an ox, but his face was flushed as well.

Old Master Qi hurried over to support him.

“Zhou’er, your body is still very weak. Why did you come downstairs?”

From the moment Qi Yanzhou left his room, his gaze never left Ye Chutang.

“I missed Atang. I came down to talk with her for a while.”

As soon as he said this, everyone tactfully left the main hall to give the couple some time alone.

Qi Yanzhou sat down beside Ye Chutang and stared at her without blinking, as if he could never get enough of looking at her.

“Atang, I’ve made the best possible arrangements for Aman. I’ve completed my assignment perfectly.”

Hearing the slight hoarseness in his voice, Ye Chutang poured him a glass of chilled fruit tea.

“Three days, and you kept your word. Not bad.”

“What about deceiving you?”

“Consider it settled, but there won’t be a next time. You know my temper. When I say something, I mean it.”

Hearing that he had passed, Qi Yanzhou’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense for three days, finally relaxed.

He grinned and teased her, “My wife is mighty. I won’t dare do it again.”

Then he took Ye Chutang’s hand and pressed it against his chest.

“Atang, I missed you so much.”

His sentimental words made Ye Chutang feel a little awkward.

She tried to pull her hand back, but he held it even more firmly.

Beneath her palm, the man’s steady heartbeat thudded rhythmically, each beat landing against her heart.

She shot Qi Yanzhou a reproachful glance. “Do you know what you did wrong?”

Qi Yanzhou leaned closer and kissed her forehead.

“I know. I shouldn’t have deceived you, and I shouldn’t have gambled with my life.”

If he lost his life, he would lose everything.

Seeing that Qi Yanzhou had realized what his true mistake was, Ye Chutang nodded in satisfaction.

“You won’t get a second chance to make that mistake. Do you understand?”

“I understand. Only when husband and wife stand united can we overcome anything.”

After saying this, Qi Yanzhou moved Ye Chutang’s hand to his gaunt cheek. His deep eyes brimmed with affection.

He turned his neck and greedily rubbed his face against her palm, like a cat begging for affection.

“Atang, how about coming back to our room tonight?”

Looking at Qi Yanzhou’s sickly and pitiful appearance, Ye Chutang’s heart softened.

“Tomorrow. Tonight I’m going out with Aman. We’ll probably be back very late.”

“All right. Tomorrow, then.”

After they settled that matter, Ye Chutang remembered something.

She shifted her stool closer to Qi Yanzhou and whispered into his ear, “Xi Ze and Aman aren’t on the exile list. It wouldn’t be appropriate for them to travel with us. How about having them leave for Tianshan Commandery ahead of us?”

As she spoke, she took Qi Yanzhou’s hand and quietly placed it on her slightly rounded belly.

Qi Yanzhou immediately understood Ye Chutang’s concern.

“All right. Once we publicly acknowledge Aman as my sworn younger sister, I’ll have Xi Ze take her to Tianshan Commandery. They can arrive before winter, so they won’t have to suffer through the snow and freezing temperatures.”

That was exactly what Ye Chutang had been thinking.

“Then it’s settled.”

She had just begun to pull away when Qi Yanzhou wrapped an arm around her slender waist. His warm breath brushed against her ear.

“Atang, although I don’t want to be separated from you, I don’t want you to suffer or exhaust yourself either. Now that the emperor is no longer hounding the Qi family, how about taking a carriage to Tianshan Commandery ahead of us?”

The farther north they went, the more barren the land became, and the greater the distances between prefectures, commanderies, counties, and towns.

They often had to spend several consecutive nights in the wilderness.

When the weather was warm, sleeping outdoors was not a serious problem. As long as they brought enough food, they wouldn’t go hungry.

But once winter arrived and the weather turned bitterly cold, spending the night outside without finding a suitable place sheltered from the wind would be nothing short of torture.

He didn’t want Ye Chutang to endure such hardship.

Ye Chutang thought for a moment before rejecting Qi Yanzhou’s suggestion.

“Although the emperor won’t make a move against the Qi family for the time being, he certainly won’t pass up an opportunity to strike back.

“If I take a carriage to Tianshan Commandery ahead of you, you’ll definitely send people to escort me. The more people we have, the easier it will be for us to attract attention and invite danger.

“The farther north we go, the worse the roads will be. Even if we take the official roads, the journey will be extremely bumpy. It will exhaust us, and we won’t be able to travel quickly.”

Qi Yanzhou had already considered these problems.

He was absolutely certain that he could keep Ye Chutang safe. Even if their cover was blown, he could still protect her from harm.

But when it came to the jolting and the speed, he truly had no way to solve both problems at once.

Ye Chutang was pregnant, so she naturally could not endure a bumpy ride. They could only place thick cushions inside the carriage and slow its pace.

But if they did that, there would be no need for them to travel separately.

Thinking of this, Qi Yanzhou affectionately flicked Ye Chutang on the nose.

“Then we won’t separate. We’ll go to Tianshan Commandery together.”

Ye Chutang nodded. “We’ll take things one step at a time. If I need to ride in a carriage, I’ll tell you in advance.”

Just as she finished speaking and was about to move the stool back into place, Concubine Xu rushed into the inn.

She was panting heavily, drenched in sweat, and her hair was in disarray.

The moment she saw Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang, tears began streaming down her face.

“Second Young Master, Madam, the money to buy the food was stolen. He’er went after them, and I’m worried something might happen to him. Could you send someone to look for him?”

She spoke quickly and anxiously, accidentally choking on a breath of air before breaking into a fit of coughing.

Ye Chutang immediately called out loudly, “Lord Han!”

Han Chong, who had been in the rear courtyard, appeared at once.

“Madam Qi, what happened?”

Qi Yanzhou poured Concubine Xu a cup of tea, then gently patted her back to help her catch her breath.

“Concubine, explain what happened clearly so Lord Han will know how to find Third Younger Brother.”

Concubine Xu knew that panicking would not help. She forced herself to calm down.

After drinking the water Ye Chutang handed her, she briefly recounted what had happened.

On the way to Baiwei Restaurant, Concubine Xu and Qi He’an had discussed what dishes to order.

The sky was growing dark, and there were still plenty of pedestrians on the road.

Suddenly, a heavily intoxicated man staggered into them.

Qi He’an quickly shielded Concubine Xu and scolded the drunkard.

The man immediately picked a fight with Qi He’an.

Concubine Xu saw that the drunkard had not actually touched her and did not want to waste time. After all, there was no reasoning with a drunk.

She urged him, “He’er, I’m fine. Everyone is waiting for dinner. Let’s go.”

But although she had been willing to let the drunkard go, he continued making trouble.

“You stole my money and still want to leave? Not a chance!”

As soon as he said this, the mother and son realized that the drunkard had been after the more than twenty taels of silver all along.

Qi He’an was so furious that he laughed.

Someone was actually trying to rob them in broad daylight. What kind of world was this?

He shouted angrily, “Do you know who I am? You dare rob me in broad daylight? You’re courting death!”

As he spoke, he reached for the drunkard, intending to hand him over to the authorities.

The drunkard knew martial arts, and the two were evenly matched.

The bystanders had no idea what was going on. Seeing a commotion, they gathered around to watch, and the crowd grew larger and larger.

Worried that her son might be injured, Concubine Xu hurriedly asked the bystanders for help, hoping they would go to the provincial governor’s office to report the matter.

But before she could finish speaking, a sharp blade sliced through her sleeve.

The purse tucked inside the sleeve had not even fallen to the ground before someone snatched it away.

When the drunkard saw that his accomplice had succeeded, he stopped entangling himself with Qi He’an and quickly fled.

Qi He’an was consumed by rage and gave chase.

After Concubine Xu finished speaking, she anxiously grabbed Han Chong by the arm.

“Lord Han, He’er chased the drunkard toward the north of the city. Please hurry and take people to find him!”

The northern district was a mixed and disorderly place, filled with all kinds of people. She was worried that something might happen to her son.

Han Chong immediately gathered his men and left the inn to search for Qi He’an.

Ye Chutang said, “We don’t have enough people. Searching on our own will be too slow. We should report this to the authorities and have them help look for him.”

Hearing this, Concubine Xu hurriedly said, “I’ll go report it right away.”

“Concubine, you’re too slow on foot. I’ll have Sun Chu make the trip.”

Sun Chu was standing near the passage connecting the main hall and the rear courtyard.

The moment he heard this, he immediately set off.

Concubine Xu’s heart remained in turmoil. In addition to worrying about her son, she was also concerned that everyone might have to go without dinner.

“Madam, we don’t know whether the money can be recovered. What will we do about dinner?”

Ye Chutang patted Concubine Xu on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Concubine. As long as we have money, we can get dinner. Let’s wait for Third Younger Brother to return first.”

After saying this, she looked at Qi Yanzhou, her brows slightly furrowed.

“Wasn’t Jizhou City being governed so well by the three officials? How could someone rob money in broad daylight?”

Even if someone intended to rob them, they should have chosen a dark and deserted place.

Concubine Xu thought of a possibility, and her face instantly went pale.

“Could those two men have been after He’er?”

Old Master Qi walked over to Concubine Xu and drew her trembling form into his arms.

“Don’t frighten yourself. It was probably just a coincidence.”

Qi Yanzhou thought the same.

“If they had been after Third Younger Brother, they wouldn’t have tried to rob him in a crowded marketplace.”

His words eased Concubine Xu’s worries somewhat.

“Second Young Master is right. Those two men were after the money, not He’er.”

“Just wait. We should have an answer soon.”

Jizhou City was not large. Of its four districts—east, west, south, and north—the northern district was the smallest.

Though it was also the most densely populated.

Still, with the provincial governor’s office involved, it would be easy to search the area.

Half an hour later, Qi He’an was brought back by Han Chong, his face bruised and swollen.

When Concubine Xu saw him, she rushed over and slapped him.

“Don’t you know your own limits? How could you chase after them without knowing who they were? What if you had died? What if it had been a trap, and they wanted to use you to hold the Qi family hostage?”

After questioning him, she gave Qi He’an another slap, furious that he had acted so recklessly.

The marks of her fingers were clearly visible on Qi He’an’s face, stinging hotly.

He neither dodged nor argued, simply accepting the blows obediently.

“Mother, I was wrong. You can hit me or scold me—I have no complaints. Just don’t let yourself get angry and harm your health.”

After encountering danger, he had realized that he had acted rashly.

Fortunately, he had not tried to play the hero, and Han Chong had arrived in time. That was how he had managed to escape unharmed.

Seeing that Concubine Xu still intended to hit him, Old Master Qi immediately stopped her.

“He’er already knows he was wrong. He won’t be so reckless again. Don’t hit him anymore. If you injure him, you’ll be the one to suffer in the end.”

After saying this, he released Concubine Xu’s hand and turned to Han Chong.

“Lord Han, did you catch the people who stole the money?”

“I’m not sure. I thought everyone would be worried about Third Young Master Qi’s safety, so I brought him back first.”

Everyone’s eyes fell on Qi He’an, eager to hear what had happened.

In truth, Qi He’an did not know much either.

He had chased the drunkard to the northern district.

The area was densely populated, with houses packed closely together and a maze of crisscrossing alleys.

He had nearly lost sight of the man several times.

Later, when the drunkard realized he could not shake Qi He’an off, he joined forces with his accomplice and attacked him.

Sensing that something was wrong, Qi He’an immediately fled.

After several close calls, Han Chong found him and brought him back.

Qi Yanzhou had not heard anything useful and said, “Now that the provincial governor’s office has been mobilized, they’ll certainly find them. Let’s wait for news.”

Then he turned to Ye Chutang.

“Atang, give Lord Han two hundred taels in banknotes. Have him order several tables of food. Everyone has worked hard helping us find Third Younger Brother.”

All of Qi Yanzhou’s money had been given to Ye Chutang, leaving him penniless.

Ye Chutang took a stack of banknotes from her sleeve and handed two hundred taels to Han Chong.

“Lord Han, after ordering the food, use whatever remains to buy some good wine.”

Han Chong accepted the banknotes. “Yes, Madam Qi.”

After he left, Ye Chutang looked at the battered Qi He’an.

“Third Younger Brother, come here. Let me take your pulse.”

“Second Sister-in-law, you don’t have to be so polite. They’re only superficial injuries. I’ll be fine after a couple of days’ rest.”

Qi He’an’s face was badly swollen, and every word made him wince in pain.

Concubine Xu gave him a shove. “Madam Qi’s medical skills are excellent. It’s your good fortune that she’s willing to take your pulse, so stop being so bashful.”

She was worried that her son might have suffered internal injuries, so it was better to have him examined.

Ye Chutang took Qi He’an’s pulse and confirmed that he had only suffered superficial injuries. She then gave him some medicine for external wounds.

“This is for external application. Rub it on the injured areas in the morning and evening. The bruising should be gone within three days at most.”

“Thank you, Second Sister-in-law. I’ll go wash up first, then apply the medicine.”

Not long after he left, the Protecting-Nation Army that Han Chong had taken out returned.

When they saw that Han Chong was not there, they reported to Qi Yanzhou instead.

“Young Master Qi, the ones who robbed the silver were hunters who had only recently turned to banditry. There were more than ten of them. They’ve been roaming the streets and committing robberies since yesterday, but the prefect has them under control now.”

Qi Yanzhou’s brows drew together, forming a deep crease between them.

“Do you know why those hunters turned to banditry?”

“We don’t know yet, but the prefect should be able to find out during the interrogation.”

“You’ve worked hard. Go downstairs and rest for now. We’ll eat later.”

The soldiers saluted and withdrew.

Ye Chutang raised a hand and smoothed away the furrow between Qi Yanzhou’s brows.

“If the prefect finds out anything, he’ll certainly send someone to the inn to let us know. We’ll just wait.”

Qi Yanzhou took her hand and nodded.

“Jizhou City is unsettled at the moment. Are you still planning to go out with Aman later?”

“The prefect’s office has just taken away a group of people. Even if there are still accomplices, none of them will dare show themselves. Tonight should be the safest time.”

There was some truth to that, but Qi Yanzhou still cautioned her, “Be careful in everything you do. Don’t let your guard down.”

“Don’t worry. Aman’s gu worms aren’t to be underestimated.”

No sooner had Ye Chutang finished speaking than Aman’s voice drifted down from the second floor.

She teased with a laugh, “What have my gu worms done to offend Madam Qi that you keep thinking about them?”

“If I remember correctly, when we first met, Miss Aman, you wanted to use a gu worm to control me.”

Aman choked and coughed at those words.

As she descended the stairs, she said, “That’s what we call not knowing each other until we’ve had a fight!”

Then she walked up to Ye Chutang and gave her a playful, coquettish blink.

“Sister-in-law, I’ll be counting on you to look after me from now on.”

Seeing how readily Aman took to her, Ye Chutang grew even more curious about how Qi Yanzhou had managed to change her mind and have her acknowledged as the Qi family’s adopted daughter.

“If you’re family now, of course I’ll look after you.”

At those words, Aman turned to Old Madam Qi.

“Mother, acknowledge me as your daughter right now.”

Old Madam Qi had intended to do so from the beginning. She smiled and said, “All right. I’ll make the arrangements at once.”

Ordinarily, acknowledging an adopted daughter was a major occasion, involving numerous rites and formalities.

But they were currently on the road to exile, so everything had to be kept simple.

There would be no comparing of their birth dates or selecting an auspicious hour.

Old Madam Qi quickly prepared everything needed for the ceremony.

She and Old Master Qi sat in the seats of honor.

Aman handed the two elders a document bearing her birth date and time.

“If we’re to become family, then a father and mother should know their daughter’s birth date.”

To the witch doctors of the southern border, one’s birth date and time were extremely important and were rarely revealed to outsiders.

By disclosing hers, Aman was showing them her sincerity.

Old Madam Qi accepted the document and smiled. “Good daughter, Mother accepts it.”

Aman knelt and kowtowed three times to the two elders. She then served them tea.

Each of the elders gave Aman a red envelope.

Old Madam Qi also took a gold hairpin from her sleeve and handed it to Aman.

“Aman, this gold hairpin isn’t anything particularly valuable. It’s just a token of your mother’s affection. Once we reach Tianshan Commandery, I’ll make up the proper gifts for you.”

“Thank you, Mother. I love it. This gift is more than enough. There’s no need for anything else.”

With that, she summoned four gu worms from the longevity lock hanging around her neck. Their entire bodies were milky white—two large and two small.

“Father, Mother, these are the parent-and-child gu worms I raised. After taking the child gu, one can not only draw vital energy from the mother gu, but also consume illness within the body. They have the power to prolong life and are beneficial rather than harmful. This is my gift to you as your daughter.”

These gu worms were extremely difficult to raise. After all these years, Aman had managed to cultivate fewer than ten pairs.

The two elders of the Qi family were somewhat afraid of gu worms and reluctantly tried to refuse them.

“This gift is far too precious. We…”

Before Old Madam Qi could finish, Aman placed the two smaller gu worms on the backs of their hands.

A faint sting passed through their skin, and the gu worms vanished.

Aman rose to her feet and smiled. “There. My adoptive parents are sure to live to a hundred.”

The two elders of the Qi family found it difficult to smile. The corners of their mouths twitched.

“Aman, you’re very thoughtful.”

Qi Yanzhou, Ye Chutang, and Qi Qingyu all presented Aman with gifts as well.

From that day onward, the Qi family had gained a daughter who shared none of their blood.

The threat Aman posed to Qi Yanzhou had been completely resolved.

No sooner had the ceremony ended than Baiwei Restaurant delivered the food and wine.

That evening’s dinner was especially lively.

Not a single man who raised his wine cup escaped without getting drunk.

Even the usually steady and vigilant Nan Xiao had hazy, drunken eyes.

Because of his condition, Qi Yanzhou not only refrained from drinking but also returned to his room early to rest.

Aman’s capacity for alcohol exceeded everyone’s expectations.

After downing two or three jin of wine, her eyes remained as clear as if she were drinking water.

Once Ye Chutang noticed what was going on, she lowered her voice and laughed. “That’s a little unfair, isn’t it?”

Aman blinked playfully. “It’s all thanks to my life-bound gu.”

Forget wine—even if she drank poison, nothing would happen to her.

Ye Chutang pulled Aman to her feet.

“Come on. Let’s go out for a walk.”

The two left the inn and headed for the liveliest main street in Jizhou City.

There weren’t many people on the street; only a sparse trickle of pedestrians passed by.

The prefect’s office had probably mobilized soldiers to conduct a thorough search of the northern part of the city, causing quite a commotion.

After hearing about it, the citizens had worried that trouble might find them and retreated into their homes.

The deserted streets did nothing to dampen Aman’s spirits.

Just as before, she walked and shopped at the same time, never once losing the smile on her face.

Ye Chutang followed behind her, paying the bills.

Aman bought nothing but little trinkets and snacks, none of which cost much.

Only when she could no longer carry anything did she reluctantly stop.

“If only I had three heads and six arms.”

Ye Chutang teased her, “With three mouths eating three different things, would you even be able to taste anything?”

Aman seriously imagined the scene, then burst out laughing.

She felt that not having met Ye Chutang sooner was one of the great regrets of her life.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too late now.