Secretly
The guard suspiciously looked at Ye Youqing a few times, then glanced at the portrait in his hand, clicking his tongue a few times, “It’s only been a few days, and your little sister is already married. Go on.”
After saying this, he patted Ye Youqing on the shoulder, the force almost making her bend over.
“This little husband is too weak, Ma Da, you must take good care of your brother-in-law,” the guard said, pushing Ye Youqing’s shoulder, making her take several quick steps forward.
“Of course, of course!” Ma Da said with a broad smile, leading the ox to follow.
Only when they were truly standing in the bustling official road did Ye Youqing let out a breath, looking at the flowers, birds, and grass leaves covered in morning dew, the murky air in her lungs slowly being replaced with fresh, clean air.
Behind them were towering city walls, and in front of them, the road stretched far into the distance. Horse hooves clattered, and with a gust of wind, yellow sand mixed with grass leaves danced in the air.
“There’s a rest stop ahead; we’ll wait for the young escort head there,” Ma Xiao said in her ear. Then she helped Ye Youqing onto the ox cart, watching as Ma Da slapped the ox’s rump, and the cart jolted forward, following the ruts in the ground.
The rest stop Ma Xiao mentioned was a makeshift shelter by the roadside, providing food and rest for travelers. A few attendants bustled about, pouring tea and loudly hawking their services.
While the three waited, soldiers on horseback occasionally passed by, holding up portraits and questioning the people in the shelter, but none recognized Ye Youqing. After a glance, they would down a few bowls of tea and leave.
After roughly the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Ye Youqing finally saw Shi Li’s figure. She approached with wide strides, her bamboo hat casting a shadow over her eyes, and the corners of her robe fluttering in the wind.
There was no one behind her.
Ye Youqing lowered her eyes, hiding the gloom in them.
“Let’s go.” Shi Li, with her long legs and quick strides, quickly walked to her side and handed the bundle on her back to Ma Da to carry.
“Oh, okay.” Ye Youqing, her thoughts interrupted, stood up awkwardly and sat on one side of the ox cart. She watched the rows of lush green trees pass by, and soon, after a bend in the road, the city gates of Bianjing were obscured by layers of tree shadows.
Not knowing when she would return, or if she ever could return, Ye Youqing sighed softly.
After traveling for a while, the official road split into two paths. Ma Da drove the cart into a muddy area, causing it to jolt even more. The wheels frequently sank into the mud, only to be pulled out by the old ox, making a squelching sound.
“Xiaoqing, you still need to decide on this matter. Are we really not heading south to find Pei Ning, but going to Weizhou instead?” Shi Li asked, sitting cross-legged on the cart’s floor and handing Ye Youqing a water bottle.
Ye Youqing nodded and pushed the water bottle away, her gaze fixed on the void.
The south is a prosperous region, with thriving trade in Jiangnan, making it more suitable for survival. However, it is also under the administration of the court, and currently, the search efforts are intense. If she heads south, she will inevitably encounter soldiers conducting searches.
“Yesterday, I went to Jinlingzhai, and Ah Gou brought a letter. It was sent by Pei Ning, asking about your next steps,” Shi Li remembered something and handed a letter with just a few words to Ye Youqing.
Unfolding the letter, it contained only a few brief descriptions of the restaurant, with the beginning and end missing, understandable only to Ye Youqing.
Pei Ning, who later became a wealthy merchant, indeed had a very sharp mind. Ye Youqing had shared some modern marketing techniques with her, and she was able to infer and adapt from them effectively.
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
Ah Gou’s Jiangnan cuisine was popular in Bianjing, but it wouldn’t be as novel in Jiangnan itself. Therefore, Ye Youqing advised Pei Ning to start with hospitality, greeting guests as soon as they entered, attending to them constantly. She also spent money to invite famous local poets and scholars to the restaurant to recite and compose poems, inscribing their verses on the walls, which attracted admirers who flocked to the establishment.
With these strategies, her restaurant gradually established itself as a reputable “old brand of Jiangnan” within a month of operation.
Ye Youqing and Shi Li wanted to use Luozidai for their eyebrows. Amidst the swaying ox cart, Ye Youqing wrote a few words on the letter and sealed it.
(LP: Luozidai (螺子黛) is a type of traditional Chinese cosmetic product used for enhancing the eyebrows. It is a form of dark-colored eyebrow powder or paste made from finely ground natural materials, such as blackened minerals or plant-based pigments. This cosmetic was commonly used in ancient China to darken and define the eyebrows, giving them a more prominent and attractive appearance.)
The other direction was Weizhou, vastly different from Jiangnan. Unlike the bustling Jiangnan, Weizhou was not as prosperous. It originally belonged to King Si Rong, but since his death, the place had been left vacant.
However, according to reports from dispatched people, because King Si Rong had once governed there during his campaigns, the people lived simple and peaceful lives, working from sunrise to sunset. The area was remote and mountainous, not a strategic military location, so aside from the annual tax collection, it was rarely remembered by the court.
Ye Youqing touched the Fenghua Pendant around her neck and indeed felt curious if the cavalry unit might be hiding near Weizhou.
“Let’s continue,” Ye Youqing said, “It’s also a good way to temporarily avoid the pursuing soldiers.”
“Wherever you say to go, we’ll go,” Shi Li replied, holding a wooden stick and idly rubbing it on the cart floor, “After all, we’re alone, and if there’s danger on the road, it might bring back some of the excitement from my younger days as an escort.”
“The young escort head is indeed very young now,” Ma Xiao clapped her hands and laughed, “The young escort head is right. Escorting goods in the past was truly dangerous, not just in the plague-infested lands and wicked territories, but even through steep mountains and lofty ridges.”
Ye Youqing couldn’t help but laugh along with her. As they chatted and laughed, the ox cart stopped in front of a farmhouse. Ma Da leaped down and handed the reins to Ma Er, who was approaching them.
“Miss Ye,” Ma Er looked up, recognized Ye Youqing’s face, and greeted her with a smile.
Ye Youqing nodded at him and got down from the ox cart. She saw Ma San leading two horses and a carriage, jumping over the muddy ground. “We have been waiting here since this morning on your instructions, worried that those damn officials might have detained you!”
“But we have the young escort head!” Ma Xiao smacked Ma San’s bald head playfully.
The siblings exchanged a few jokes, and Ye Youqing handed the letter she had just written to Ma Er, whispering, “You and Ma San take this letter south to Jiangning to find someone named Pei Ning. After you give her this letter, stay there and help her.”
“If there’s anything urgent, come to Weizhou to find me. I’ll also send messages. Once the commotion from the posted portraits dies down, I’ll come to Jiangning to find you.” As she spoke, Ye Youqing patted Ma Er on the shoulder.
Ma Er carefully tucked the letter into his chest, clasped his hands, and said, “I will follow your instructions, Miss Ye.”
“Don’t worry, Second Brother. With Big Brother and me here, we’ll handle this task well.” Ma Xiao patted her chest confidently.
Ye Youqing smiled warmly at these words and said gently, “Don’t delay any longer, set off now.”
As she spoke, she did not look back at the road they had come from but instead stepped onto the carriage. Ma Xiao took the reins at the front of the carriage, while Shi Li and Ma Da leaped onto their horses, letting out a whistle towards the sky.
“In our World’s Number One Escort Agency, the rule is three whistles for a safe journey,” Shi Li laughed loudly, squeezing her legs together and riding ahead.
Watching the fiery red sun rising over the mountains, Ye Youqing smiled and sat firmly in her seat, watching through the gauze curtain as Ma Er and Ma San walked shoulder to shoulder in the opposite direction.
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
The carriage, not as fast as a swift horse, would take three to four days to reach Weizhou without rest stops. Moreover, the route was still under government jurisdiction, less strict than the south but still requiring vigilance.
The sunlight poured down, quickly dispersing the morning mist, and the air became increasingly dry. In the distance, the tops of the rising mountains shimmered with the summer heat.
Ye Youqing was already sweating profusely inside the carriage from the heat. She peered outside and saw Shi Li engaged in animated conversation with Ma Da, occasionally responding with a few words. Both of them seemed unaffected by the heat, especially Shi Li, who looked fresh and comfortable.
She muttered to herself, lowered the gauze curtain, and thought that once her wounds healed, she would need to practice martial arts more diligently.
However, an unrelated figure came to mind, causing Ye Youqing’s smile to fade and her thoughts to become chaotic. She then took out a military strategy book from one of the packages nearby to pass the time.
As she flipped through the book, she gradually leaned against the carriage wall and fell asleep.
When she woke up again, the noise outside the carriage had become lively.
She hurriedly lifted the gauze curtain and saw that the quiet mountain road, devoid of any signs of life before she fell asleep, had now transformed into a bustling market. Many people and horses were coming and going, with some merchant caravans forming long queues, making the already narrow and dilapidated streets even more crowded.
“Is the lady awake?” Ma Xiao, who was driving the carriage ahead, heard the movement and turned around to shout.
“Where are we?” Ye Youqing quickly withdrew her head, dodging a basket of fluttering hens.
“We’re in Danzhou. It’s been well past noon now. Shall we stop by the roadside for a while and have lunch?” Ma Xiao called out loudly.
Feeling her stomach tighten, Ye Youqing readily nodded. After the carriage came to a stop, she grasped the carriage wall and jumped down.
Since she was injured, her body had not fully recovered, and she found herself even sleepier than usual. Before she knew it, she would drift off to another realm with each blink of her eyes.
Or perhaps it was because of that obscure military strategy book, Ye Youqing pondered.
“Owner, five bowls of noodles!” Ma Xiao shouted into the hall, then gestured for the five of them to sit on the roadside benches. The bowls from the previous customers hadn’t been cleared yet, and the table was still full of leftover soup.
“Five bowls?” Ye Youqing raised her eyes.
“My brother needs to eat two portions to feel full,” Ma Xiao explained, reaching for a cloth and taking charge as if she were the host, wiping the table clean in front of them.
Ye Youqing shook her head with a gentle smile, taking advantage of the fact that the noodles had not yet arrived, she turned her head to observe the surrounding scenery.
This city was not large, mostly frequented by merchants and travelers, engaging mainly in transactions with passersby. Therefore, the scene appeared bustling and diverse, with beggars occasionally squatting by the roadside, only to be driven away by the passing hoofbeats of horses.
There were also some individuals carrying heavy swords and axes on their backs, their faces obscured, causing everyone to keep their distance.
Observing the myriad of human conditions, as the noodles arrived, Ye Youqing picked up her chopsticks. Just as she was about to lower her head to eat, she caught a glimpse of something white out of the corner of her eye. Her hand trembled, causing the chopsticks to fall to the ground, splattering soup from the noodles.
“What’s wrong?” Shi Li lifted her eyes and asked.
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
“I think I saw someone,” Ye Youqing said, rising from her seat and maneuvering through the crowded diners in front of her, standing in the middle of the street. But when she looked around, the figure was nowhere to be seen.
At the same time, at a street corner obstructed by numerous signs and crowds, a white-clothed woman wearing a bamboo hat that obscured her face was cornered. Two ragged beggars stood before her, one kneeling and tugging at her skirt, while the other stood with outstretched hand, trying to block her path.
“When have I ever collided with you? Don’t you dare accuse me!” The woman retorted in a low voice, her covered eyebrows tightly furrowed.
“A seemingly innocent girl like you, why are you so heartless? You bump into someone and want to walk away just like that? My brother just recently lost a leg, and now, after your bump, he might not recover for months!” The standing beggar, towering over the woman, enveloped her in shadows with his bent figure.
She had never dealt with such ruffians before, her lips pressed tightly in anger as she glanced back at the eatery, which moments ago was bustling with people but now stood empty, her heart racing even more urgently.
“Get lost!” Ci Ke snapped, reaching behind her back.
“Oh, little miss still has some temper. If you don’t pay up, crying won’t do you any good!” The beggar standing there reached for her bundle behind her, only to find that his outstretched hand had acquired a bloody streak at some point, causing him to recoil in shock.
“Not only did you bump into someone, but you dare to hurt others! Today, I’m going to make sure you hand over the silver obediently!” The beggar’s expression changed, forcefully tugging at Ci Ke.
LP: Beggars in my country are so fierce too! Some will literally beat you up if you don’t give them money (⊙ _ ⊙ )
