Destined

Liu Yu Ru took a long time to digest this news, then she quickly asked, "My father-in-law is currently at the Ye residence—is he seriously injured?"

"He suffered a leg injury," Ye Shi'an said calmly. "So he'll need to be carried out. The Ye residence is currently under surveillance from all sides, and I'm surrounded by people as well. I'll take action first to clear the area, then we'll quickly leave the city. You arrange for support outside—everything must be done swiftly."

Liu Yu Ru acknowledged, then asked, "Are you leaving too?"

"Yes."

"What about your family?"

"The Ye Family now only consists of me and Yun'er. Yun'er is currently at the Wang residence. I'll notify her in advance, and we'll meet at the city gate."

Liu Yu Ru was stunned. She couldn't help but ask, "Your... your other family members?"

"When the incident occurred, my uncle took the other family members and fled. My immediate family stayed behind. To make an example of us, Wang Shanquan executed my father, and my mother hanged herself that same night. To maintain future leverage over my uncle, Wang Shanquan spared Yun'er and me."

Liu Yu Ru listened as he relayed this series of events with remarkable calmness. She picked up her tea, her hand trembling slightly. Ye Shi'an gazed at the lake outside the window, his expression serene and unruffled. "Yun'er is beautiful, and Wang Shanquan had long coveted her. After our parents died, he came to demand Yun'er as his concubine. He sent someone to tell her privately that if she refused, he would kill me. To protect me, Yun'er agreed. At the time, I was preoccupied with our parents' funeral arrangements and didn't pay enough attention to her, so she was taken into his residence in a small sedan chair."

Hearing this, Liu Yu Ru felt as if her breath had been stolen.

She had grown up with Ye Yun. Though her initial contact with Ye Yun had been motivated by a desire to get closer to the Ye Family, human hearts are made of flesh. After years of friendship in the women's quarters, Ye Yun had become her closest confidante. That girl had always been proud—the esteemed daughter of a noble family, with exceedingly high standards. She often told Liu Yu Ru that none of Yangzhou's talented young men were worthy of her; she intended to go to the Eastern Capital to choose a husband.

How could such a person end up as that old man Wang Shanquan's concubine?!

Rage boiled in her heart, yet she found herself speechless. Ye Shi'an looked up at her and said quietly, "I know you two were close. Don't grieve too much now—stay calm. Today we'll take her away. After we've dealt with those involved, I'll find her a good family."

"You're right."

Liu Yu Ru exhaled deeply, struggling to compose herself. "Return to the residence and prepare. At dusk tonight, you and Yun'er will leave the city. I'll be waiting outside to receive you."

"Alright."

Ye Shi'an responded, "Thank you."

His words of thanks were calm yet weary. Liu Yu Ru could hear the hardship in his voice, and recalling how Ye Shi'an had once been the proud and brilliant top scholar of Yangzhou, she felt a pang of sorrow.

"Brother Shi'an..."

Her voice was hoarse as she spoke, wanting to offer comfort but unsure what to say. Too much consolation would be presumptuous, yet saying nothing while watching him bear everything alone felt unbearably cruel.

Ye Shi'an stood quietly, waiting for her next words. Liu Yu Ru closed her eyes, finally picking up her veiled hat and saying to Ye Shi'an, "I'll go prepare now. See you at dusk."

After speaking, Liu Yu Ru put on her veiled hat and hurried downstairs.

Shen Ming stood below and, seeing Liu Yu Ru descend, quickly approached and whispered, "How did it go?"Liu Yu Ru walked ahead, her pace swift and her expression stern. She lowered her voice and said, "Proceed with the original plan. We must take Ye Shi'an and his sister away tonight. They may face danger when leaving the city. I will wait for you at the city gate—act according to the situation."

Having spent considerable time in Yangzhou, Shen Ming was well aware of Ye Shi'an's identity. He acknowledged the order and parted ways with Liu Yu Ru to carry out his task.

As Liu Yu Ru headed out of the city, numerous questions swirled in her mind—how had Gu Lang Hua escaped? Who exactly was Luo Zishang? But there was no time to dwell on them now. The immediate priority was rescuing the Ye siblings and Gu Lang Hua; she could always question Ye Shi'an later.

Once outside the city, Liu Yu Ru hurried to the docks and located Yin Hong and Yun Yun.

All the grain had already been loaded onto the ship. They had previously dispatched five shiploads of grain, renting vessels to transport the supplies in batches from Yangzhou to the nearest port in Qingzhou, where merchant fleets would then carry them onward to Youzhou.

This final shipment contained the remaining grain, silver, and personnel. Such a large sum of silver couldn’t be entrusted to others’ ships and had to be transported personally. But most crucially, it was about the people.

Her traveling party, including those who had joined later, numbered nearly seven hundred people, all aboard this single vessel. She had to ensure their safety. Once Ye Shi'an made his move, it would likely alert Luo Zishang. If Luo Zishang gave chase and these people were caught in the crossfire, the blame would fall squarely on her.

Approaching the ship, Liu Yu Ru found Yun Yun and instructed her, "Set sail immediately—no delays. Grain prices are fluctuating today. Once the market news spreads, Luo Zishang will likely deduce my plans to leave. You must depart now without hesitation. Additionally, send someone to contact our acquaintances immediately to prepare official travel documents for Shen Ming and the others who haven’t returned. Don’t arrange passage to Youzhou—any other destination will do. Purchase ship tickets for them on other merchant vessels. Also, prepare documents for four people: one elderly man, two women, and one man."

Seeing the urgency in Liu Yu Ru’s expression, Yun Yun asked no further questions. After nodding in understanding, she went to gather the necessary resources.

Having operated at the Yangzhou docks for a month, Yun Yun had already built strong connections with various merchant fleets. She made a quick round and returned with a group of people who handed over their official travel documents to her. In exchange, Liu Yu Ru provided them with documents for her own group.

Each of them received a substantial payment. Liu Yu Ru addressed them, "Everyone, once you reach Youzhou, we will cover your food and lodging. Within a month, we will arrange your return journey. Rest assured."

The elderly man at the front repeatedly expressed his gratitude, though the payment Yun Yun had given them that day was already generous. Whether additional support materialized later was secondary.

Liu Yu Ru nodded, completed the document exchange, and instructed Yun Yun to board the ship. Yin Hong followed closely behind, but Liu Yu Ru turned to her and said, "You should leave too."

"Madam..." Yin Hong protested anxiously, "If you insist we go ahead, at least let me stay with you."

"What could you possibly do if you stayed?" Liu Yu Ru chuckled faintly. "Are you a peerless martial artist or something? Leave quickly and don’t hold me back. Keep a close watch on the ship and ensure the silver reaches Wangdu safely."Liu Yu Ru spoke up, lifting her gaze toward Youzhou's direction: "At a time like this, why worry about money?"

Yin Hong felt exasperated at her lack of concern. "I told you not to come to Yangzhou, not to come to Yangzhou. Now we've obtained so much silver here—if something happens... if something happens..." Yin Hong's eyes reddened.

Liu Yu Ru smiled faintly. "If I leave with you now, nothing will happen. Yin Hong, I'm not acting recklessly," she said, gripping Yin Hong's hand earnestly. "Trust me. It's just that there are people I must bring back now, so I'll be delayed for a while. You go back first. I'll be fine."

"Last time it was like this, and now it's the same again," Yin Hong gritted her teeth. "When will you ever ease our worries?"

"Perhaps only if I never step outside the house would you feel at ease."

"Madam, the ship is setting sail."

Yun Yun's voice came from behind. Liu Yu Ru patted Yin Hong's hand, then gently pushed her toward the ship before turning to issue orders.

Yin Hong clenched her teeth but finally boarded the ship. Liu Yu Ru glanced back as the ship raised its sails and set off. She checked the sky, calculated the time, and turned to the subordinate she had kept behind. "You take the land route. Take the fastest path back to Wangdu and have Lord Gu meet me in Guangyang."

The subordinate acknowledged with a "Yes."

By traveling day and night on horseback via the land route, the message could reach Wangdu in as little as two days, or at most three. Guangyang was roughly midway between Yangzhou and Wangdu. If Gu Jiusi hurried with reinforcements, he could arrive within five days at the latest.

Standing at the dock, Liu Yu Ru recalculated the timing. She then led the remaining guards, carrying their official travel documents, and hurried back to Yangzhou's city gate.

The city gate bustled with merchants coming and going. Many simple tea stalls with makeshift shelters were set up to welcome travelers for a rest.

Liu Yu Ru, wearing a veiled hat, sat in one of the tea stalls. She handed the travel passes and official documents to her subordinates, instructing them to enter the city, locate the others, distribute all the passes, and relay her orders: Those who could escape under the cover of chaos tonight should leave immediately, follow the routes specified in the passes, find a safe place to rest, and send word back to Wangdu. She would arrange for someone to retrieve the passes and provide assistance.

Those unable to escape should remain in Yangzhou. They had previously purchased residences in the city; everyone should stay inside and wait. The city gates would need at least three days to reopen. If all was calm after three days, they could then leave the city, head south to a safe location, and similarly send messages back. She would also send people to retrieve them.

After giving these instructions, Liu Yu Ru kept one guard by her side and waited in the tea stall, drinking tea while anticipating Ye Shi'an's arrival.

Meanwhile, Ye Shi'an had finished packing and helped Gu Lang Hua into the carriage. He glanced at the sky—the message had already been delivered to Ye Yun through his contacts. He had long since bribed someone inside the prince's residence. After dusk, Ye Yun could sneak out hidden among the buckets of slop being transported out of the residence. The method was distasteful, but as long as it worked.

Estimating that the time was about right, Ye Shi'an took a sip of tea and said to the guards, "Proceed."

They had long since identified the spies' locations but had feigned ignorance. Upon his command, the Ye Family's covert guards emerged from the shadows, silently approaching the spies from behind and slitting their throats on the spot.

Ye Shi'an changed his attire, donning coarse outer garments and a bamboo hat, with a fake black mole pasted on his face. At a casual glance, no one would recognize him as the young master of the Ye Family, Ye Shi'an.He drove the carriage out, while hidden guards blended into the crowd and followed behind. The clip-clop of the carriage mixed with the bustling noises, making it seem like just another ordinary afternoon in Yangzhou.

At this moment, Luo Zishang had just finished interrogating the group of merchants brought in that morning.

Taking a cloth from an attendant, he wiped the blood from his hands and said calmly, "None of these are the ones. Take them to the outskirts and dispose of them. Send word to their families that they were killed by bandits."

"And the bodies…" the page hesitated.

Luo Zishang glanced at him indifferently. "Do I need to teach you this?"

The page quickly responded, "This servant will handle it properly."

Standing in the courtyard, Luo Zishang pondered, "With such drastic fluctuations in grain prices, the opposing party must have substantial capital, likely backed by official support. What are today's grain prices?"

As he inquired, someone promptly handed him the day's grain price reports. Luo Zishang reviewed the figures—from morning to afternoon, the price had risen by three wen, the first increase since prices had begun falling. Frowning, he asked, "Were transactions frequent today?"

"Young Master," reported the guard specializing in grain price intelligence, "by this afternoon, many people had sold all their grain reserves."

"Sold out?!" Luo Zishang whirled around.

"Yes," the guard confirmed. "I asked many people—they all plan to purchase more grain tomorrow to sell, as their own stocks are completely depleted. Not just one or two, but many are in the same situation."

Luo Zishang fell silent for a moment before suddenly realizing: "This is bad—they're about to flee! Send men to the docks immediately and seal all vessels. No one is permitted to leave!"

With that, he rushed out the door, exclaiming urgently, "I'm going to seek Lord Wang for the city lockdown order."

Luo Zishang galloped away on horseback, while Ye Shi'an, head lowered, drove his carriage past him in the opposite direction.

Luo Zishang raced to the Wang residence, dismounted, and entered to obtain the lockdown order from Wang Shanquan before hurriedly departing.

The moment he entered the residence, a servant bribed by Ye Shi'an relayed the news to Ye Yun: "Miss, Young Master Luo just arrived—he seemed in a great hurry."

Ye Yun, who had been packing in the inner room, paused at this news and asked in a hushed tone, "What was his purpose?"

"I heard he came for the city lockdown order."

At these words, Ye Yun looked up sharply.

Her heart raced as she frantically considered: Why would Luo Zishang need the lockdown order now? Had he discovered Ye Shi'an's planned escape? If Ye Shi'an was leaving, he must have killed Luo Zishang's men. If they couldn't depart today, both siblings would be in grave danger!

Clenching her teeth, she heard urgent calls from outside: "Miss, we must hurry! The Young Master is waiting for us!"

"I'm not going."

Ye Yun straightened up abruptly, knelt to retrieve a dagger from beneath the floorboards, and told the person outside: "Inform the Young Master not to wait for me—he should leave alone. I'll follow later. If I cannot come... tell him to avenge me."

"Miss..."

"Go now! If you delay this message," Ye Yun hid the dagger under her pillow and hissed, "I'll have your life!"

Hearing this, the maid dared not hesitate and scurried away.

Ye Yun took a deep breath, her eyes falling upon the gold and silver jewelry on the dressing table.Less than three months after Wang Shanquan took her as his concubine, she stood apart from his other consorts. Hailing from a noble family and possessing youthful beauty, even when she treated Wang Shanquan with indifference, the old man interpreted it as pride and showed her particular favor. Ye Yun didn’t know how long this favor would last, but whenever it ended, she found it utterly repulsive.

Ye Yun walked to the dressing table, selected the sharpest golden hairpin, and tucked it into her hair. Then she slipped into the sheer gauze gown Wang Shanquan loved most, nestled under the covers, and instructed her maid, "Go inform His Lordship that I am ill and insist he must come at once."

The maid standing in the outer room hesitated briefly but dared not question further, promptly setting off to find Wang Shanquan.

Upon hearing that Ye Yun was unwell, Wang Shanquan was taken aback and couldn’t help but ask, "What is the nature of her illness?"

The maid kept her head bowed and replied softly, "This servant does not know. I only saw the lady dressed in the gauze gown, lying in bed, and she instructed me to summon you, my lord."

Hearing this, Wang Shanquan immediately understood. This wasn’t an illness—it was seduction, a playful ploy.

His heart stirred with restless excitement. It was the first time Ye Yun had ever lowered her pride before him, and he couldn’t help but feel overjoyed. Without further thought, he hurried to her chambers.

Entering the room, Wang Shanquan saw the beauty lying on the bed through the sheer fabric. Propped on one elbow, she gazed at him sideways, her eyes filled with an innocent allure. Her fair thigh peeked from beneath the red gauze, a vision so captivating it stole his breath.

Suppressing his racing heart, Wang Shanquan feigned ignorance and asked, "What is the meaning of this, Yun’er?"

Ye Yun smiled, her eyes seemingly luring him in, and crooked a finger. "My lord, come closer. I have something wonderful to share with you."

Wang Shanquan’s mind barely had time to process her words before he eagerly threw himself toward her. Ye Yun giggled, rolling over to pin him beneath her on the bed, her voice soft and coaxing. "My lord, close your eyes. Let me take the lead."

"Come, quickly now," Wang Shanquan urged breathlessly, shutting his eyes.

"Very well," Ye Yun replied gently.

At the same moment, she reached for a soft pillow with one hand while the other slipped beneath it. Without hesitation, she drew a dagger and plunged it swiftly and fiercely into Wang Shanquan’s heart. Simultaneously, she pressed the pillow hard over his face, muffling his cries into the fabric.

Wang Shanquan’s eyes flew open, and he struggled violently. Summoning an unexpected burst of strength, Ye Yun threw her full weight onto the pillow while her other hand, still gripping the dagger, stabbed him again and again in a frenzy.

Strike after strike, the bed was soon drenched in blood. Only when Wang Shanquan lay motionless did Ye Yun finally relent, collapsing and rolling off the bed onto the floor.

Covered in blood, she sat on the ground, momentarily stunned.

Wang Shanquan lay on the bed, eyes wide open, fixed unseeingly on the canopy above. Perhaps, even in death, he could not comprehend how a seemingly delicate woman could possess such ferocious courage.

Trembling uncontrollably, Ye Yun knew she had to force herself to move.

Staggering to her feet, she rummaged through a cabinet for the servant’s clothing Ye Shi’an had arranged for her. Changing quickly, she climbed out through the window and then shouted, "Help! Lord Wang has been assassinated!"

After her cry, Ye Yun immediately fled, rushing toward the rear courtyard.

She had to move quickly.

Faster still.

Inside the Wang residence, chaos erupted as people shouted, "Quick, find Young Master Luo! Fetch Luo Zishang at once!"

The household swiftly dispatched messengers to locate Luo Zishang without delay.

Meanwhile, Luo Zishang, leading his troops, galloped at full speed toward the city gates.Ye Shi'an spotted Luo Zishang from afar. Gritting his teeth, he immediately instructed those beside him, "Drive the carriage out at once and escort Master Gu beyond the city gates. I'll wait for the young lady!"

The guards wasted no time, swiftly steering the carriage to the city gate. Ye Shi'an hid in the shadows and watched as Luo Zishang galloped toward them on horseback. With a flick of his wrist, a stone flew out, startling Luo Zishang's horse into rearing up. Seizing the moment, Ye Shi'an quickly slipped away.

In that brief delay, Gu Langhua's carriage had already reached the front of the queue at the city gate.

By the time Luo Zishang charged forward, Gu Langhua's carriage had just exited the city.

"By the order of the city lockdown," Luo Zishang, unable to stop those who had already left, could only station his troops to block the city gate, shouting, "Everyone halt! No one is to advance! Soldiers, close the gates immediately! Those who disobey will be executed!"

Ye Shi'an clenched his fists tightly. Outside the city, Liu Yuru sat in a tea shop. Hearing the loud command, she set down her teacup and dabbed her lips with a handkerchief.