“Master, this is the last household.”
At that moment, the guard in tight-fitting attire, Zhan Yi, flew back to the carriage and reported with utmost reverence.
As his words fell, a faint, inexplicable chill seeped out from within the carriage.
Feeling the icy pressure bearing down on him, Zhan Yi’s heart trembled involuntarily. He cautiously attempted to speak again.
“Master, finding that plump village girl who left the prescription isn’t urgent at the moment. We can leave it to the Nether Pavilion’s scouts.”
“Lin Yang County is only about a hundred li from the capital. Once she’s found, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Perhaps we should return to the capital first. The Imperial Concubine Selection Banquet is approaching, and the Noble Consort has already sent several letters urging your return…”
As he spoke, Zhan Yi’s voice gradually faded to a whisper, and he dared not continue further.
The chilling aura inside the carriage pressed down like a towering mountain, overwhelming and suffocating. Zhan Yi felt as if a thousand pounds weighed upon him, his legs barely able to hold him upright, struggling to keep from buckling.
“Gulp…”
Zhan Yi stealthily swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his heart quivering with fear.
He couldn’t help but wonder: ever since they found the master in the mountain forest last night and he regained his strength, his first priority had been to find someone.
The master claimed he wanted to thank this plump village girl in person for leaving the prescription.
But why did Zhan Yi sense a murderous intent emanating from him?
Inside the carriage, Pei Wuheng remained cold and silent, his slender fingers—bitten and injured the night before—slowly clenching into a fist, the knuckles turning pale.
In his deep, phoenix-like eyes, light and shadow flickered intermittently, his expression obscure and unreadable.
Only his tightly pressed thin lips faintly betrayed a shift in his inner turmoil.
“Master, the Ghost Physician Lu Shixiu has already examined the prescription. He also believes it might cure your illness.”
“But the ingredients listed are extremely rare. Lu Shixiu said the top priority is to gather them and prepare the medicine for you.”
“As for thanking that plump village girl, it really isn’t something that needs to be rushed.”
“You can express your gratitude after you’ve taken the medicine for a while and seen initial results.”
Seeing that his master remained silent, Zhan Yi mustered his courage and spoke softly.
After he finished, Pei Wuheng’s cold, expressionless face revealed a faint, mocking smile at the corners of his lips.
Thank her?
This prince will only skin her alive, crush her bones, and scatter her ashes!
A sharp glint flashed in Pei Wuheng’s eyes as he parted his thin lips and spoke unhurriedly.
“Pass down the order: search every inch of land and find that person for me.”
Hearing this, the corners of Zhan Yi’s stoic, expressionless mouth twitched slightly.
The master was always one to conceal his emotions, so why did he sound as if he were grinding his teeth, ready to devour someone today?
A thought crossed his mind, and Zhan Yi’s impassive face broke into a fawning expression as he responded:
“Master, rest assured. The Nether Pavilion specializes in tracking people and gathering intelligence across nations.”
“Whether it’s a plump village girl or royalty from another country, once the Nether Pavilion’s scouts are on the case, even if they flee to the ends of the earth, they won’t escape!”
“Given a little time, we will undoubtedly locate that plump village girl!”
After his flattering remarks, Zhan Yi swiftly steered the conversation back to the original topic.
He said, “Master, since we have a plan for finding her, shouldn’t we return to the capital now…”
“My honored mother wishes to play matchmaker again. I shall not return.” Pei Wuheng’s phoenix eyes flickered slightly as he coldly interrupted.
Zhan Yi scratched his head. The Noble Consort had repeatedly urged in her letters, insisting that His Highness must return to the capital. Otherwise, those serving him would have to answer with their heads.
Torn between his master and his master’s mother, he found himself in a difficult position.
“Your Highness, the Noble Consort’s birthday is approaching. Will you not return for that?”
Zhan Yi’s eyes darted around as he couldn’t help muttering these words.
Upon hearing this, the chilling pressure continuously emanating from the carriage gradually eased.
Zhan Yi watched the carriage intently, his gaze burning with anticipation.
Just then, a calm command came from within the carriage: “Return to the capital.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Overjoyed, Zhan Yi clasped his fists in acknowledgment. He swiftly mounted the carriage, cracked the whip with a sharp “snap” against the horse’s back, and drove the carriage away in a cloud of dust.
Meanwhile, on the official road from Lin Yang County to the capital.
The carriage carrying Liu Rumei and her two children was being driven rapidly by the coachman, jolting violently along the way.
Liu Rumei’s constitution had always been frail, and the exhaustion of travel left her dizzy and nauseous.
Though deeply uncomfortable, she endured silently to avoid worrying her children.
“Mother, are you alright?”
Ji Yunsu noticed that her mother, who would occasionally check if she and her younger brother were feeling unwell, had fallen silent for a long time. Concerned that her mother might be ill, she asked with worry.
Liu Rumei felt that if she opened her mouth, she might not be able to hold back from vomiting.
So, suppressing her discomfort, she gently shook her head at her daughter, silently indicating that she was fine.
“Mother, I’ll tell them to stop the carriage.”
Ji Yunsu noticed the faint traces of pain on her mother’s already weary, gentle face.
Although her mother concealed it well, Ji Yunsu clearly detected her suffering.
Immediately, she spoke sternly to the coachman outside, “Stop the carriage!”
“Second Young Miss, we are on a tight schedule to reach the capital. If we stop now, we won’t make it to the estate within three days.”
Though the coachman addressed Ji Yunsu as “Second Young Miss,” his tone lacked respect. He responded dismissively and continued driving at the same speed.
Hearing this, a flash of anger crossed Ji Wenbo’s clear, bright eyes.
The young boy sprang up from his seat, lifted the carriage curtain, and shouted at the coachman, “My mother is unwell! Stop the carriage at once!”
As he spoke, Ji Wenbo reached out to snatch the whip from the coachman’s hand to prevent him from driving.
This move startled the coachman.
However, the coachman was burly and strong, while Ji Wenbo, though fifteen, appeared thin and small for his age due to harsh living conditions, looking more like an eleven or twelve-year-old.
With a casual flick of his wrist, the coachman easily shoved Ji Wenbo, sending him tumbling inside the carriage.
“Wen… Ugh!”
Liu Rumei cried out in alarm upon seeing her son thrown aside.
But the moment she opened her mouth, the churning in her stomach surged uncontrollably up her throat!
“Mother!”
Ji Wenbo half-fell into the carriage compartment. Seeing Mother vomiting severely, he couldn’t help but cry out anxiously.
At the same time, ignoring the pain from his fall, he quickly scrambled up and tried to snatch the horsewhip from the coachman’s hand again.
“Stop the carriage! My mother is vomiting—stop this carriage at once!”
The coachman only followed Zhao Momo’s orders. Since she had commanded them to travel day and night without stopping, he certainly wouldn’t halt.
Impatiently, the coachman swung his horsewhip directly at Ji Wenbo.
A mere bastard son born to some village woman—powerless and insignificant, not even firmly established—daring to order them around? What nonsense!