Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Ji Yan’an would be busy for some time, which meant Jiang Yunsui would have plenty of leisure time.

Only at night, when it was time to sleep, would she be summoned over to serve as his human sleeping medicine.

With the silver melon seed Ji Yan’an had given her in hand, Jiang Yunsui had no intention of slacking off. She carried out her task with great seriousness.

Once Ji Yan’an fell asleep, she would run out into the courtyard for some moonbathing.

Every now and then, she would feed a few moonlight spore to Heiwa, Zuozuo, and Youyou. She felt they were all getting smarter and smarter.

Sometimes, when she got sleepy, she would simply fall asleep sprawled beside Ji Yan’an’s bed.

Her sleeping positions were all sorts of strange. Sometimes she did not even lie on the bed; she could squat by the bedside with her head tilted slightly up and still sleep soundly.

While Ji Yan’an was busy over the next few days, the matter of Wang Hu had already spread throughout Mobei.

That day, Jiang Yunsui had a little basket hooked over her small arm as she bounced along with Aunt Chen to the market.

After walking for a while, she grew tired and a little thirsty, so Aunt Chen took her to the only teahouse in Beizhen City.

At the moment, the teahouse was bustling with noise and excitement.

A storyteller was speaking with dazzling eloquence.

As soon as Jiang Yunsui sat down, she began listening with great interest. She had not expected there to be such a wonderful place.

So nice to listen to. Loved listening. Tell more.

Before long, that storyteller stepped down and another one took his place.

The old gentleman with a goatee had only just come onto the stage when he slapped the table with his startling block.

“Today, we shall continue speaking of Wang Hu, the former commander of our Beizhen City. Last time, we spoke of how this Wang Hu, in order to scheme against Young Master Ji, held a banquet at his residence and intended to use a concubine from his own inner courtyard to ruin the Young Master’s reputation. Yet he never expected Young Master Ji to be so wise. After seeing through his plot, Young Master Ji countered every move…”

Hearing this, Jiang Yunsui straightened her little body and sat properly, her eyes shining bright.

When this had happened to Ji Yan’an, she had gone into the secret passage and had no idea what had taken place.

Of course, not everything the storyteller said was true. After all, this story had been polished by Nanshu.

The main character was naturally still Wang Hu, but a little private praise had been slipped in to highlight their Young Master’s intelligence and talent.

In truth, this was not the first time the story had been told. It had already been recounted twice before.

Many people knew it, but even more were still willing to come back to the teahouse and listen again.

There was no other reason. Many of the ordinary citizens in Beizhen City had been victims of Wang Hu.

Wang Hu and that band of subordinates under him had committed no small number of vile deeds. Because of that, when Wang Hu and his men were arrested, the common people of Beizhen City, as well as all those victims, were the happiest of all.

They could listen to this story dozens of times without ever getting tired of it.

As the crowd in the teahouse cheered and applauded, no one noticed that on the third floor, behind a window opened only a crack, a Barbarian disguised as a traveling merchant was staring gloomily at the storyteller and the group below listening to the tale.

Soon, he shut the window.

“That useless Wang Hu!”

A teacup was hurled out and smashed against the door, but the sound did not attract the attention of anyone downstairs.

“Damn Ji Yan’an. If he keeps investigating like this, sooner or later we will be caught.”

“The inspections at every city gate are extremely strict. It won’t be easy for us to leave Beizhen City now.”

They were all speaking the language of the Barbarians.

What they did not know was that Ji Yan’an had already traced them here.

Knock, knock, knock…

A knock came from outside. “Guests, your tea.”

“Come in.”

Among the group, a young man who looked like a fair-faced scholar answered in the language of the Central Plains.

The “waiter” pushed the door open and walked in, placing the tea and pastries in front of them. Very quickly, he lowered his head and left again.

The people inside the room continued discussing how they should get out of here.

…

Jiang Yunsui ate the tea snacks bought with money and listened to the story, feeling that this little life of hers was simply wonderful.

She tugged on Cook Chen’s sleeve and spoke to her in a soft, childish voice.
“Auntie, the mushrooms in the Young Master’s courtyard have sprouted! There are two kinds. When we get back, I’ll dig them up for you to eat.”

Her eyes curved with her smile, her beautiful pupils like little crescent moons.

Cook Chen’s voice was gentle. “All right. Let’s buy a chicken on the way back and stew it for you. How does that sound?”

“Yes, yes!”

Suddenly, a violent crash came from upstairs.

Jiang Yunsui, Little Mushroom that she was, reacted on pure instinct and immediately pulled Cook Chen aside.

Above their heads, on the third floor, a window was smashed open with brute force, sending splinters of wood flying.

A man fell straight out of the third-floor window, crashed into a table below, and spat out a huge mouthful of blood.

Right after that, more people leaped out of the window one after another.

Jiang Yunsui also saw many people in matching black outfits with close-fitting sleeves, weapons in hand, surrounding the tall, burly men dressed like merchants from every direction.

“Auntie, hurry! We have to go!”

At the sight of such danger, Jiang Yunsui was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her first thought was to drag Cook Chen and run.

But she couldn’t move her.

Bewildered, Jiang Yunsui looked up at Cook Chen.

Cook Chen’s face had gone deathly pale, her eyes fixed on one person in the chaotic fight.

Jiang Yunsui was terrified. She put all her strength into tugging Cook Chen several times.

“Auntie, Auntie, let’s go, please, let’s go.”

Her voice was already trembling, edged with tears.

Cook Chen came back to herself. With shaking hands, she picked Jiang Yunsui up.

“Suisui, be good. Hide. Don’t make a sound. Don’t come out.”

She stuffed her under a table, then, with trembling fingers, picked up a dagger that had fallen to the floor and hid it on herself.

Jiang Yunsui could only watch as she stumbled against the fleeing crowd, heading toward the fight.

“Auntie…”

Eyes red and little face pale, Jiang Yunsui scrambled on all fours, trying to chase after her.

Heiwa caught the back of her clothes in his teeth.

Don’t go over there. It’s dangerous.

Cook Chen pretended to be terrified and hid among the people who hadn’t managed to escape in time. The Barbarians took her as one of the hostages.

“Ji Yan’an, let us leave, or they die.”

The lead Barbarian scooped up a child and pressed his blade to her neck.

Ji Yan’an appeared inside the teahouse. Beside him stood the people in black, their sleeves made for both civil and martial use.

The moment his gaze fell on Cook Chen in the crowd, his pupils shrank.

The hand at his side clenched tight, but he didn’t dare let it show on his face.

“Aluye.”

Ji Yan’an forced himself to calm down. The young man’s cool, clear eyes met Aluye’s vicious stare head-on.

“I can agree to let you leave. But first, where did you hide the goods you traded with Wang Hu?”

Aluye spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. “Hahaha… You want to know? You’re still too young, little Ji. If you want these people alive, then you have to let us go. I’m not here to negotiate with you.”

Ji Yan’an’s expression was indifferent. “Then tell me, compared with the people of the whole city, even all the people of Great Liang, how do you think I would choose?”

“If sacrificing a few commoners means capturing the Third Prince of the Barbarians, would you say that is a worthwhile trade?”

Aluye’s expression darkened. Then, abruptly, he laughed.

“Ji Yan’an, you’re even more ruthless than your grandfather and the rest of them.”

Not only was he colder, he had drugged their tea and food ahead of time.

Otherwise, they never would have ended up in such a miserable state.

At that, the corner of Ji Yan’an’s mouth lifted slightly. “Thank you for the compliment.”

It was at that very moment that Cook Chen suddenly rushed out and drove the dagger in her hand into Aluye’s back, straight for the heart.

Her wide eyes were filled with hatred.

“Die, you beast!”