Young master’s wife
A soft body leaned over, even through two layers of clothing, the smoothness could be felt. The small hand in the palm was carefully held back, sensing the slender bones through the skin.
Ye Youqing did not let go, holding her hand all the way back to the room. Considering that she was afraid of the dark, she only released her hand after opening the door for her.
Her fingers left the door frame, shining white under the bright moonlight. Ye Youqing stared for a long while before looking away, wanting to say something but unable to.
“Sweet dreams,” she whispered.
Ci Ke entered the room and lit a candle. Only then did Ye Youqing close the door.
Originally feeling drowsy, after sleeping for a few hours and the excitement of the chase, Ye Youqing was wide awake. She sat on the bed, playing with the Fenghua Pendant under the light.
It was an ordinary glass pendant, clear like a droplet of water. Ye Youqing had examined it before and found some small bubble-like marks inside.
But considering the ancient times, the transparency of this glass was already quite high.
Ye Youqing felt a bit dizzy from staring at it, so she brought the candle closer. As her eyes unintentionally lifted, her body suddenly stiffened.
She hurriedly took her feet off the bed and held the Fenghua Pendant higher, leaning closer to observe.
The shadow cast on the wall by the candlelight was a bit mottled. Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be a deeper shadow in the translucent glow, forming a pattern.
The pattern was faint. After trying a few angles, it became slightly clearer, seemingly a cross.
Her heart pounded wildly at the sudden discovery. She pondered for a long time until wax dripped onto her hand, waking her with a start. She put the candlestick back on the table.
The journey had been rugged, and many areas were uninhabited. If the iron cavalry still existed, where would they be hiding?
The candlelight cast a soft glow on her, falling among her hair, creating shadows that obscured her features.
She tapped the bed unconsciously with one hand, a sound that always calmed her.
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Actually, she had no desire to fight others for the things left by King Si Rong. If possible, she might never approach the so-called iron cavalry in her lifetime.
In her previous life, she was a workaholic, making money made her feel secure. Now, in this different world, she still had no great ambition. Becoming a wealthy merchant, earning some money, changing the original fate, and living a peaceful and prosperous life would be enough.
But when making the decision, she did not choose other states far from the capital but chose Weizhou, King Si Rong’s fief.
Ye Youqing sighed deeply, hung the Fenghua Pendant back around her neck, blew out the candle, and lay down without undressing.
The night passed restlessly, not just for the few in this small courtyard, but for the entire city of Weizhou as well.
Early in the morning, Ye Youqing was awakened by the wailing outside. She blinked her phoenix eyes, shook off the sleepiness, and slowly got out of bed.
The door was knocked. Ye Youqing called out, and Shi Li, fully dressed, pushed open the door and nodded towards her. “It seems something has happened outside.”
Ye Youqing washed up as quickly as possible, let Shi Li help with her disguise, and then put on a light blue cotton robe to go out.
“Why do you have dark circles? Didn’t you sleep well last night?” Shi Li asked curiously while gripping her sword and crossing the courtyard.
“Naturally, only you slept soundly last night,” Ye Youqing shook her head and briefly recounted what happened.
“That woman is indeed suspicious,” Shi Li said, standing behind the door and listening, “Make sure Ma Xiao is watching her.”
“Don’t worry, she’s tied up,” Ye Youqing replied calmly.
Only after confirming no danger did Shi Li open the door latch and pull the door open. She was startled by the crowd of people outside, seeing the narrow alley filled with people peeking from the entrance to the end.
The few standing at the door were also shocked, stepping back a few paces to reveal a woman kneeling and crying in front of the opposite door. A teenage boy and a six or seven-year-old girl stood beside her, looking tearfully helpless.
Someone couldn’t bear it and went to help the woman, but she was too weak from crying to stand.
“Ah Xian, calm down, don’t scare the children,” finally, an elderly woman came forward to comfort her, and the woman gradually calmed down.
“Mother…” the little girl, trembling with fear, knelt beside the woman, who took her into her arms, stroking her head.
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After exchanging glances, Shi Li approached an old man and asked softly, “Sir, what happened here?”
The old man raised his cloudy eyes, stared at Shi Li for a while, then looked at Ye Youqing behind her, and sighed, “You’re from out of town, aren’t you?”
“Yes, we just arrived in Weizhou and are unfamiliar with the place, so please tell us,” Shi Li replied gently.
Seeing their well-dressed appearance, the old man nodded and pointed at Ye Youqing. “You should hide this man quickly, lest he gets taken by bandits.”
Ye Youqing blinked, confused by the sudden pointing.
“You don’t know, Weizhou has always been peaceful, not cared for by the authorities, but also free from bullying by local gentry. Only some mountain bandits would occasionally rob passing merchants but never harass local people,” the old man coughed before continuing, “But starting a month ago, men began disappearing. At first, we didn’t pay much attention, but it became more serious over time.”
“From one missing every few days to one every day, now several go missing daily. None of the young men sent out to search returned. Last night, even a man who stayed indoors was taken from his home,” the old man said, looking at the crying woman, shaking his head in sorrow.
“Ah Xian’s family helped with loading goods. Without the man, how will they survive?” the old man sighed.
Kidnapping men? Ye Youqing was puzzled, asking, “All the missing are young men?”
“Yes,” the old man replied, “Take my advice, though you’re thin, it’s best to stay indoors.”
Ye Youqing frowned.
The crowd around the box gradually dispersed, unable to help and only able to go home and shut their doors. The woman was helped back into her yard by several women, with the little girl following pitifully.
Ye Youqing also closed the door.
“Who would specifically kidnap men?” Shi Li frowned, finding the matter bewildering.
Ye Youqing shook her head, only having guesses.
“Anyway, you and Ma Da be careful,” Shi Li said, shaking her head under the willow tree, “Though I trust Ma Da’s skills, you…”
She glanced at Ye Youqing and shook her head.
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Ye Youqing watched her back helplessly.
After a while, the sun rose above the courtyard wall, and the others woke up and came out. Hearing what happened, they were all very shocked.
Ci Ke still wore a veil and a lotus-colored gauze dress, her hair tied loosely in a bun behind her. She tugged at Ye Youqing’s clothes under the stone table, eyes full of worry.
Ye Youqing gently patted the back of her hand and shook her head, saying, “With Shi Li here, there’s no problem.”
“This time I’ll switch rooms with Ci Ke, so you don’t wake up to find yourself taken by a female ghost as her husband,” Shi Li said, finishing the porridge in her bowl with a laugh.
But when she met Ci Ke’s gaze, she didn’t dare say more and lowered her head to clean up the dishes.
Everyone was a bit uneasy that day. Ma Da and Ma Xiao stayed in the house watching over Lian’er, while Ye Youqing, Ci Ke, and Shi Li sat in the courtyard, silently watching the sun rise and set.
As evening approached, there was a knock on the door. Shi Li swiftly got up, her body turning into a shadow, pressing against the door frame.
“Who is it?” she whispered.
“It’s me, please, kind people, help us…” came the pleading voice of the woman from outside. Only then did Shi Li open the door.
Ye Youqing also pulled Ci Ke to her feet and looked outside.
The woman from the morning, now holding the boy with one hand and the well-behaved girl with the other, was about to kneel as soon as the door opened. Fortunately, Shi Li was quick enough to stop her.
“What are you doing?” Shi Li easily helped her up, puzzled.
“Please, let this child stay for a night,” the woman pushed the tearful girl in front of Shi Li.
“Why?” Shi Li asked, holding the little girl who barely reached her legs.
“Last night, I heard a noise, rushed over, and saw a man in black carrying my husband, dragging Xuan’er with him. He originally wanted to take my son and husband together, but seeing me coming and Xuan’er struggling awake, he only took one.”
“I’m afraid they’ll come back tonight. We’re just ordinary people and can’t resist, so I beg you to take care of my daughter. She’s too young and might get scared,” the woman cried, her face full of despair. The boy beside her was pale with fear.
“Why not send her somewhere else, instead of waiting for bandits to come?” Ye Youqing approached them, asking in confusion.
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The woman shook her head, her weary face filled with hopelessness. “You don’t know, young master, similar things have happened before. Those people are truly powerful. Once they target someone, even hiding in someone else’s house or escaping the city won’t help.”
“We have no one to rely on. Besides waiting for death, there’s nothing else we can do,” the woman lowered her head and wept.
“Mother…” the little girl sobbed, trying to reach for her mother’s hand, but the woman pushed her towards Shi Li again.
“Please, kind people, just give her a place to stay. If I die, someone from the village will come to take the child in a few days, it won’t trouble you much,” the woman was already in tears.
The girl cried, the woman cried, even the boy was sobbing, making the courtyard noisy.
Ye Youqing couldn’t bear it any longer and nodded at Shi Li, who understood and pulled the girl into the courtyard.
“Alright,” Shi Li said softly.
Hearing this, the woman finally felt relieved, bowing deeply. “Thank you, thank you, kind people!”
Shi Li steadied her, took out a handkerchief, and handed it to her, sighing, “Don’t worry, with us, she won’t be harmed.”
“Her name is Mian’er,” the woman said, thanked them a few more times, and then left.
The door closed, the girl continued wiping her tears, sniffling as she sat next to Ye Youqing on the stone stool, her short legs not touching the ground.
“What kind of bandits can be so powerful?” Ye Youqing asked, looking at the door.
“I thought we found a quiet place to lie low, but it turns out we’ve entered a den of tigers and wolves,” Shi Li said, wiping her sword helplessly.
The girl was still quietly sobbing but seemed afraid to make too much noise, her round eyes glancing at the snacks on the stone table.
Ci Ke, who had been silent, suddenly tugged at Ye Youqing’s arm and glanced at the girl with her fox-like eyes. Ye Youqing smiled and nodded.
Ci Ke then pushed the plate towards the girl, her voice as gentle as water.
“Eat,” she said, lifting the girl’s small hand.
The girl, watching their actions, hesitantly picked up a sweet, looked at Ye Youqing, and timidly said, “Thank you, young master.”
Then she turned to Ci Ke, “Thank you, young master’s wife.”