Two Chapters Combined into One
As soon as Ren Yaoqi saw their condition, she knew something must have happened earlier. She spoke up, “Uncle, where are you staying? Is it close to here?”
Li Tianyou looked around. “Shouldn’t be far? I can see this hilltop from where I’m resting.” He pointed at the distant mountain shrouded in misty rain.
Ren Yaoqi followed his gesture and could only sigh, wondering whether to remind him that this didn’t prove the two places were close.
Fortunately, Xia Sheng spoke up, “It’s about two quarters of an hour’s walk from here.”
Ren Yaoqi looked at herself and then at the disheveled Ren Yaohua. She turned to Xiangqin and Sangshen behind her and said, “Go back and fetch clean clothes and shoes for me and Third Sister.”
The two maidservants acknowledged and left. Ren Yaohua then said to Xia Sheng, “I remember seeing a donkey cart for rent not far ahead earlier. Go hire one. The road is muddy and difficult to walk on.”
Xia Sheng looked at Li Tianyou.
Li Tianyou waved his hand, signaling Xia Sheng to go.
With only herself, Li Tianyou, Ren Yaohua, and Dongsheng left on the spot, Ren Yaoqi carefully observed Ren Yaohua and Li Tianyou.
Ren Yaohua’s pink dress was soaked from head to toe, turning into a deep crimson. Especially her lotus-green embroidered shoes, covered in mud and dried grass, were no longer recognizable in their original color. Her entire appearance could be described as utterly disheveled.
A few strands of her hair hung down, clinging to her forehead. Her face was pale, but her lips were a dark, purplish red. It was unclear whether she was cold or furious.
This was the first time Ren Yaoqi had seen Ren Yaohua in such a state in front of others.
However, it made her appear more fragile and approachable—if one ignored the icy, deadly expression on her face.
Dongsheng’s condition was not much better than Ren Yaohua’s. His clothes were dark in color, making it hard to tell whether they were wet or originally dark brown. His worn-out coarse cloth shoes, like Ren Yaohua’s, were covered in mud and dried grass. His expression, however, was not one of anger like Ren Yaohua’s but rather of fear and unease.
Ren Yaoqi felt somewhat worried.
Ren Yaohua had brought several matrons and maidservants when she went out, but now, including Wujing, all the servants were gone. Only the two of them had returned in such a sorry state, and it was unclear what had happened.
But given their current condition, this was clearly not the place to talk.
Ren Yaoqi could only give the raincoat and bamboo hat she had taken off earlier to Ren Yaohua to cover up her disheveled appearance.
Not long after, Xia Sheng returned with the rented donkey cart. Li Tianyou stroked his chin and circled the donkey cart, examining it for a long time. With a curious expression, he asked Ren Yaoqi, “Have you ever ridden in this thing? Can it pull such a big cart? It doesn’t look very strong.” As he spoke, he reached out and patted the donkey’s head, drawing a displeased look from the cart driver.
Although Yanbei had more horses than the south due to its horse farms, commoners still preferred donkey carts because feeding a donkey required far less fodder than feeding a horse.
Moreover, donkeys had excellent endurance, were less prone to illness than horses, and could be eaten when they grew old or died. Thus, in Great Zhou, most commoners with enough food to spare would raise donkeys.
This was especially true in Jiangnan, where horses were scarce, and donkeys were even more common.
However, noble families never used donkey carts for travel because they lacked grandeur.
Li Tianyou asked this because he had never ridden in a donkey cart before. Even in his childhood in the horse-scarce capital, he had only eaten donkey meat.
Still, overall, the fact that Li Tianyou could distinguish between a horse and a donkey without mistaking it for an ox, dragon, or something else was already praiseworthy.
Ren Yaoqi instructed Xia Sheng to wait here for Xiangqin and Sangshen and then hire a cart to take them back.
She and Ren Yaohua boarded the donkey cart, followed by Li Tianyou. Dongsheng sat outside on the cart shaft with the driver.
Soon, the donkey cart stopped in front of a small one-courtyard house.
The courtyards rented out by the temple looked quite simple from the outside, and some smaller courtyards were even made of yellow clay bricks.
The courtyard where Li Tianyou was staying, however, had blue bricks and black tiles. Upon entering, it was clear that the courtyard was kept very clean, with someone regularly responsible for maintenance and cleaning.
Like renting out farmland and hiring tenant farmers, renting out houses was an important source of income for the temple.
“Uncle, how long have you been at White Dragon Temple?” Ren Yaoqi asked as she followed him into the courtyard.
“I arrived yesterday. Someone invited me here for a cockfight. Unexpectedly, the rooster was stolen last night. Fortunately, I was just here casually this time and brought an ordinary one, so it’s no big loss. I planned to leave today but ended up running into… ahem, an acquaintance.” Li Tianyou rubbed his nose and looked around evasively.
Ren Yaoqi didn’t press further.
Once inside and seated, Ren Yaoqi turned to Dongsheng, whose expression had remained troubled, and asked directly, “What happened to the people who were with my Third Sister?”
Ren Yaohua’s eyes pierced Dongsheng’s face like sharp blades, but she pressed her lips tightly together without saying a word, clearly overwhelmed with anger.
Dongsheng glanced at Ren Yaoqi and whispered with his head lowered, “I knocked them all out.”
“…”
“Why didn’t you just knock me out too and throw me into a cave?” Ren Yaohua sneered, shooting a fierce glare at Li Tianyou, who was sitting nearby watching the commotion.
Li Tianyou immediately put on a pained, wronged expression and said, “It wasn’t me who told him to do that. Besides, Dongsheng has always been obedient and well-behaved. Maybe your people did something excessive that provoked him! Right, Dongsheng?” Li Tianyou subtly winked at Dongsheng.
Dongsheng, however, shook his head honestly and said, “It was my recklessness.”
Ren Yaohua snorted coldly, “Just an actor, and you call yourself a subordinate? When the master has no sense of propriety, those below him lose theirs one by one!”
Li Tianyou didn’t like hearing this. He placed his hand on Dongsheng’s shoulder and glanced sideways at Ren Yaohua. “He’s my man. If I say he’s a subordinate, he’s a subordinate. If I say he’s my elder brother, he’s my elder brother! You’re not surnamed Li, so what’s it to you?”
Dongsheng was startled and hurriedly said, “Master, I dare not…”
Li Tianyou pushed his head heavily with his palm. “Right, I should say you’re my younger brother. If I made you my elder brother, you wouldn’t have the guts anyway.”
Ren Yaohua watched the master and servant bickering and couldn’t hold back any longer. “Are you going to bring my maidservants back or not? If anything happens to them, don’t think you can escape responsibility!”
Only then did Li Tianyou remember. He cleared his throat softly and asked Dongsheng, “Where did you hide them? Shouldn’t we return them? A real man doesn’t fight with women.”
Dongsheng lowered his head. “In a cave. I was careful with the force when I knocked them out, so they should be waking up soon.”
Ren Yaoqi frowned. “We should send someone to check on them quickly. Otherwise, if they wake up and don’t see Third Sister, they might report it to First Madam, and that would be troublesome.”
Dongsheng nodded. “I was careless. I’ll go bring them over now.”
Just then, someone else entered from outside. Hearing Xiangqin’s voice, Ren Yaoqi said to Dongsheng, “Does Xia Sheng know where the cave is? If he does, let him take my two maidservants there. That way, they won’t start another argument if they see you.”
She actually had many more questions for Dongsheng.
At that moment, Xia Sheng entered with the two maidservants carrying bundles.
Ren Yaoqi asked Dongsheng to explain things to them while she took Ren Yaohua to change out of their wet clothes and shoes.
When traveling, they always prepared several sets of clothes for emergencies.
Generally, for convenience, these clothes were similar in pattern and style. This way, if their clothes got dirty, changing into similar ones would avoid unnecessary embarrassment.
For example, if a girl of eleven or twelve suddenly had her first menstruation, this would make handling the awkward situation easier and prevent any jokes.
The emerald-green skirt Ren Yaoqi changed into was very similar to the one she had been wearing earlier. Although the embroidery on her shoes was slightly different, the style and color were the same, making it hard to notice unless one looked closely.
Ren Yaohua also changed into a pink dress.
By the time the two came out, Xia Sheng had already gone to help Ren Yaohua find her people.
Only then did Ren Yaoqi ask Dongsheng what had happened after he left White Cloud Nunnery.
Dongsheng shook his head and muttered, “I was just chased for a while, and then I noticed Third Miss’s people following me. I thought they were the ones who had caught up, so I decided to strike first and knock them out.”
Ren Yaohua sneered from the side, “Others might be excused, but don’t tell me you don’t recognize Wujing, who’s been by my side for years. Spouting nonsense in front of your master—who taught you such manners? Or perhaps no one taught you any manners at all!”
Wujing had been by Ren Yaohua’s side for many years and had accompanied her to her maternal family’s home in Yunyang City several times. Dongsheng should have recognized her.
Even Li Tianyou glanced at Dongsheng skeptically, but he wisely kept quiet and instead stared intently at an ordinary white porcelain teacup in his hand as if it were an antique, clearly wanting no part in the matter.
Hearing Ren Yaohua’s rebuttal, Dongsheng lowered his head, looking as if he admitted his mistake, but refused to explain further.
Ren Yaohua became even more convinced that Li Tianyou was deliberately retaliating against her, especially since she had repeatedly suggested expelling the actors from her maternal family’s troupe.
Ren Yaoqi, however, had a different thought. She knew Dongsheng hadn’t finished speaking. But with only the four of them present and no outsiders, why was Dongsheng still unwilling to speak?
Did he only plan to tell Li Tianyou later, or did he not plan to tell anyone at all? If it was the latter, then this matter must be significant.
Recalling that in her previous life, Dongsheng had likely disappeared because of this incident, Ren Yaoqi felt somewhat worried.
She carefully recalled the events of the day, trying to piece things together. But no matter how much she thought about it, something seemed missing.
Finally, she could only look at Dongsheng seriously and say, “I have something to discuss with you. Come with me.” With that, Ren Yaoqi stood up and pointed to the adjacent room.
Li Tianyou thought Ren Yaoqi intended to scold Dongsheng. After hesitating for a moment, he patted Dongsheng’s shoulder and whispered comfortingly, “It’s alright, this one isn’t too fierce. Just endure it, and it’ll pass.”
Although he spoke in a whisper, it was clear that in Li Tianyou’s world, there was no such thing as a whisper, so Ren Yaoqi still heard him. She could only pretend she hadn’t.
Meanwhile, Ren Yaohua glared fiercely in their direction.
Dongsheng still didn’t dare disobey his master’s orders and followed Ren Yaoqi to the adjacent room.
Ren Yaoqi walked slowly into the room without sitting down. She went to the window and pushed one open. A scent of damp earth mixed with fresh grass wafted into the room, instantly freshening the stagnant air and easing the tension.
After a moment’s thought, Ren Yaoqi got straight to the point. “I know you must have encountered something significant this time, and it’s likely not a good thing. I think you’re unwilling to tell us because you don’t want to involve us. Am I right?”
Dongsheng looked at Ren Yaoqi in surprise. “Cousin Miss, you…”
Ren Yaoqi turned around and gently interrupted him, “I understand your loyalty to my uncle, and how it extends to us as well. But have you considered that if something truly bad happens, you’ve already been in contact with my Third Sister, my uncle, and me? Do you really think you won’t involve us? If you had left immediately, perhaps you could have avoided bringing trouble back. But you brought my sister back and encountered us. Your good intentions might lead to unfortunate consequences…”
Hearing this, Dongsheng’s face grew even paler, and his bloodless lips trembled slightly.
Seeing that he was beginning to waver, Ren Yaoqi continued softly, “Since things have come to this, even if you tell others we’re not involved, they won’t believe you. Instead of that, why not tell me the truth? We can find a way to resolve this.”
Unexpectedly, Dongsheng shook his head with a bitter smile, his expression filled with deep helplessness. “It’s no use. I’ve gotten into serious trouble. You’re right, Cousin Miss. I should have left quietly without a word.”
Ren Yaoqi listened quietly and shook her head. “You knocked out those servants because they saw something? And you brought my Third Sister back because you were afraid she’d be in danger without anyone around?”
Dongsheng smiled awkwardly. “They probably didn’t see anything. I was just being cautious.”
Ren Yaoqi looked at him without speaking.
Meeting Ren Yaoqi’s calm gaze and recalling her logical reasoning earlier, Dongsheng inexplicably found himself taking a letter from his sleeve. “Earlier, to divert those chasing the master, I took a mountain path. Unexpectedly, I saw a person lying on the path. When I went closer, I realized the person was dead. I noticed a letter like this on the ground beside him, so I picked it up and looked at it. Seeing no signature, I knew something was off.”
He paused before continuing, “I was about to put the letter back when I heard someone approaching. After hesitating for a moment, I kept the letter and went to investigate. I saw Third Miss with several people searching in this direction. Afraid they would come across the body, I quietly led them elsewhere. When we were finally far enough away, I was about to reveal myself, but Third Miss suddenly realized I had been leading them in circles to cover someone else’s escape. So she ordered the matrons and maidservants to go back the way we came. Seeing this, I seized the opportunity to lead Third Miss away and knocked out the matrons and maidservants, hiding them.”
“Then I wanted to bring Third Miss back. Unexpectedly, Third Miss was hostile toward me, thinking I had ulterior motives. She… accidentally pulled the letter from my lapel, and it fell to the ground. I was startled and tried to retrieve it, but Third Miss tore open the seal first.”
At this point, Dongsheng swallowed and pursed his lips. “I could only say the letter was something I wrote to a girl I liked. Third Miss then returned the letter to me. Since the seal was already broken, I opened it and read it. What I saw shocked me. The envelope had no markings, but the letter inside… was something that couldn’t see the light of day…”
When Ren Yaohua snatched the letter, he finally understood why Xia Sheng and the others always said his martial arts were weak.
Unlike Xia Sheng and the others, he wasn’t a trained guard or bodyguard. He had originally been an ordinary servant boy. Learning martial arts was a necessity, a precaution to avoid holding back his masters in critical moments.
Because of this, although his martial arts were mediocre, his running and jumping skills were top-notch—even Xia Sheng couldn’t outrun him.
“Oh?” Ren Yaoqi frowned thoughtfully.
If possible, she felt she shouldn’t ask further. But now, this matter was likely not so simple. Ignoring the problem wasn’t a good solution. No matter what, Ren Yaohua was already involved.
Dongsheng remained silent for a long time before suddenly whispering, “It was a secret report from the imperial court to Military Supervisor Zhao Ming.”
Dongsheng had finally spoken.
He had no other choice. If he hadn’t run into Li Tianyou earlier, he wouldn’t have said anything.
But now he had dragged his master into this and couldn’t think of a way to resolve it. He also didn’t know if someone was secretly following him.
He didn’t know who to confide in about this matter. Of the three masters present, the other two weren’t suitable.
After all, he was just a servant boy and couldn’t do much.
Ren Yaoqi, however, didn’t rush to ask what the imperial court’s letter to Military Supervisor Zhao said. She thought for a moment, remained silent briefly, and then suddenly looked at Dongsheng. “Is there something else you haven’t told me? If only these things happened, it wouldn’t have taken so long.”
Hearing this, Dongsheng lowered his head, looking embarrassed.
Ren Yaoqi smiled faintly, but her gaze was somewhat detached. “If I’m not mistaken, the reason you took so long to bring my sister back is because you were considering whether to kill her to silence her? To avoid her dragging down my mother and our maternal family.”
This thought occurred to her when Dongsheng mentioned the letter was a secret imperial report.
She didn’t doubt this group’s loyalty to Prince Xian’s residence.
Dongsheng’s face turned as pale as paper. Suddenly, his legs gave way, and he knelt before Ren Yaoqi. He didn’t argue, nor could he.
Earlier, he had indeed struggled internally. If he killed Ren Yaohua and then left, he wouldn’t implicate Prince Xian’s lineage.
So he led Ren Yaohua in circles for a long time, hesitating about where to carry out the deed. But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to do it because Ren Yaohua was Prince Xian’s granddaughter—his half-master.
Since he could remember, he had been taught to be loyal to Prince Xian’s residence, willing to die for his master without hesitation. He couldn’t bring himself to commit such a betrayal.
In the end, somehow, he found himself near the entrance of White Dragon Temple, where he encountered Li Tianyou and Ren Yaoqi, who were searching for Ren Yaohua.
At that moment, the only thought in his mind was that his soft-heartedness would harm his master, and for that, he would be guilty beyond redemption.
Even now, if given another chance, he would kill Ren Yaohua without hesitation.
Seeing his expression, Ren Yaoqi sighed softly. “Get up. You’re not wrong. You’re a servant of the Li Family, not the Ren Family. Naturally, you must prioritize the Li Family’s interests. No one can fault you for that.”
Dongsheng stood up, his face ashen, but he still didn’t dare raise his head. Even though he knew he hadn’t done anything wrong, he couldn’t face Ren Yaoqi’s clear, understanding gaze.
“Did you go back to where you found the letter afterward?” Ren Yaoqi asked.
Dongsheng nodded.
“And the person was gone?”
Dongsheng looked up in shock, stammering, “Cousin Miss, how did you know?”
Ren Yaoqi sighed. “If he were still there, you wouldn’t be so worried and afraid.”
The person’s absence meant someone had appeared after Dongsheng left—perhaps someone had been watching from the shadows all along. This also meant Dongsheng was at risk of exposure. Otherwise, he could have buried the body and destroyed the evidence, minimizing the trouble.
“Earlier, I noticed no signs of struggle around where he fell. He was likely injured elsewhere and chased to that spot. After I took the letter and left, someone found him and took him away. So my earlier actions might have been observed. I’ve heard Qi Sheng and the others mention that when the imperial court handles matters, they don’t ask for reasons—they only care about results. That letter is extremely confidential, and anyone who came into contact with it would likely…”
Ren Yaoqi also felt heavy-hearted. She couldn’t help but wonder: in her previous life, did Dongsheng disappear because he left secretly to avoid implicating her uncle and the others, or was he killed to silence him?
The updates owed for the 30th and 1st have been completed. Starting tomorrow, I’ll begin updating the chapters owed from last month’s pink ticket bonuses.
Finally, thank you to Leaves Dancing in the Wind, Understanding Speech and Recognition, Secluded Grass Hermit, Ding Ding, Hi, Ice Blue Butterfly, Leisurely Descending South Mountain, Fox Baby 77, Dragon Son Su, ng, aquazg, Zhang Wei Qing, Second Lieutenant Angel, Who is My Empress Dowager.
Thank you all for your pink tickets~ It’s because of your unwavering support that Mei Nan could endure the painful writer’s block.
*******(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian () to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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