At dinner time, Yan Hong returned from the government office and joined Madam Lin, Yan Xianzhi, and Daiyu for their meal.
As soon as he had entered the house, Madam Lin had taken the opportunity to help him change his clothes and inform him about the servants from the Jia family whom she had driven away.
Yan Hong did not think much of it.
“They were only a few servants. If you sent them away, then so be it. What is there to make such a fuss about?”
Madam Lin deliberately sighed.
“How would you know what happened today? Those servants kept implying that our Yan family was beneath them.”
“From what their leading matron said, no matter what I prepare for our Daiyu’er, the Old Madam of the Rong household will look down on it once she arrives in the capital.”
Yan Hong smiled.
“Trying to discuss ice with summer insects is pointless. Why waste your breath arguing with them?”
After changing his clothes with the servants’ assistance, he patted Madam Lin’s hand.
“When Grandfather retired from office, the Retired Emperor bestowed an imperial estate upon him. When you and our daughter go to the capital this time, staying there will be convenient. Ordinary people would not dare cause trouble there.”
“I have already mentioned in my memorial of gratitude that my wife and daughter will be going to the capital. The Retired Emperor and His Majesty will soon learn that you and A Zhi are returning.”
“If anyone wishes to bully you, they will have to consider whether they can afford to offend these two powerful figures.”
“If you are still worried, I can write a letter to Wang Ziteng as well.”
“My father was his examination mentor, so we share a teacher and student relationship. Asking him to look after you a little would not be unreasonable.”
Madam Lin’s lips curved into a smile.
“My husband has certainly thought everything through.”
After all, the Lin and Jia families were related by marriage, and Madam Lin had heard plenty about the Jia family from Lin Ruhai.
Although the four great families of Jinling stood together in solidarity, even the fingers of one hand were not all the same length. From the founding of the current dynasty until now, the four families had experienced their own rises and falls.
At present, Wang Ziteng was the most powerful figure among them. He was a rare military talent among the nobility, and the Retired Emperor thought highly of him.
As a result, Wang Ziteng was the undisputed leader of the four great families.
By asking Wang Ziteng for help, Yan Hong had essentially struck at the Jia family’s most vulnerable point.
If Wang Ziteng dared to stand by and watch the Jia family retaliate against Madam Lin, he would be handing His Majesty a ready made excuse to deal with him.
Having received her husband’s assurance, Madam Lin no longer dwelled on the matter. She helped Yan Hong change his clothes, and the two of them sat down to eat together.
At the inn, Wu You’s wife was in a thoroughly foul mood. If Madam Lin had been standing before her, she would have wanted to scratch her face.
A mere prefect’s wife. What was there to be so proud of?
Even the mighty Commissioner of Salt Administration showed the Old Madam respect, yet Madam Lin had dared to behave so outrageously!
If the Rong household simply let this matter go, where would its dignity be?
Without further ado, Wu You’s wife summoned someone to find a professional letter writer. She had the events of the day exaggerated and embellished before arranging for the letter to be sent back to the Rong household.
Once everything was done, she looked at the elderly matron standing before her, who was cautiously asking what they should do next.
Wu You’s wife replied irritably, “What else can we do? Are we really going to abandon Miss Lin and leave her there?”
“That Madam Lin will be returning to the capital soon anyway. When they set off, we can simply follow behind them at a leisurely pace. The river has not been sealed off. Is she really going to stop our boat from sailing?”
Wu You’s wife had made up her mind to shamelessly follow them like a shadow.
As long as they arrived in the capital at the same time as Miss Lin, that would be enough.
Once they returned to the capital, surely the mighty Rong household would have no trouble taking a child away from a mere prefect’s wife?
That evening, after seeing that her parents had gone to bed, Yan Xianzhi told Daiyu that she felt a little too full and wanted to take a walk. She then left Yuchi Tower alone.
She made her way to the hanging flower gate and beckoned Liu Matron, who was stationed there.
“Here are fifty tales in silver notes. Have your husband take some men to Yingtian Prefecture and help me find someone.”
After learning that she was in the world of Dream of the Red Chamber, Yan Xianzhi had endured her initial shock. Soon afterward, she had thought of Xiangling.
She still could not be certain whether she could change Xiangling’s fate, but she could at least find a way to help her in secret.
There was no way she could tell her parents about this. If she asked Yan Hong and Madam Lin for help, one question would inevitably arise.
How did she know about it?
Yan Xianzhi had never left Songjiang Prefecture since childhood. What connection could she possibly have with a girl who had been kidnapped and sold in Yingtian Prefecture?
She certainly could not claim that she had dreamed about it!
Fortunately, Liu Matron was reliable. Yan Xianzhi had entrusted her with several tasks in the past, and both she and her husband had always handled them properly.
There was no harm in trying, even if the chances were slim. What if she actually managed to find Xiangling? Even if fate truly did not allow them to meet, at least she would have tried her best and could answer to her own conscience.
After explaining everything clearly, Yan Xianzhi gave Liu Matron another five hundred taels in silver notes, instructing her to have her husband use the money to redeem the girl.
Thinking that they might encounter Xue Pan, Yan Xianzhi frowned slightly and added, “No matter what happens, human life comes first. Whether the task succeeds or not is secondary.”
“If you encounter dangerous people, do not take unnecessary risks. Know your limits.”
She wanted to save someone, not accidentally cause another death through her own good intentions.
Liu Matron did not understand the reason for such instructions. She assumed that Yan Xianzhi was worried her husband, who worked as an escort, might use excessive force and injure someone badly enough to cause a death, leading to a legal dispute.
She nodded firmly.
“Rest assured, Miss. I will speak to him properly when I return and tell him not to act recklessly.”
Yan Xianzhi nodded with satisfaction and returned to her room.
Seven days later, everything was ready, and the Yan family’s fleet set sail.
Early that morning, Wu You’s wife had secretly boarded a boat and waited in a stretch of the waterway. She intended to follow the Yan family’s vessels as soon as they passed.
Before long, an elderly matron hurried inside and whispered, “The Yan family’s boats are coming.”
Wu You’s wife replied impatiently, “Then let them come. We will follow once they pass. What is there to chatter about?”
Before she could finish scolding the woman, however, sounds of astonishment came from outside.
Wu You’s wife could no longer contain herself. Did these foolish old women not know which side they were on? Why were they making such a fuss over the Yan family’s boats?
She stormed out of the covered boat, only to freeze in the next instant, her eyes widening as she stared in disbelief.
A magnificent pavilion boat was sailing past her. Its enormous hull cast a vast shadow over the water, filling Wu You’s wife with an inexplicable sense of fear.
It was only a prefect’s wife traveling to the capital. How could she afford such a magnificent vessel?
Only when she heard the elderly matron speaking beside her did Wu You’s wife finally recover. Seeing the Yan family’s boat sailing farther and farther away, she hurriedly ordered, “Quickly, get the boat moving! We must keep up with that pavilion boat!”
The boatmen exchanged helpless looks.
Chase that enormous vessel? With just a few of them?
Wu You’s wife paid no attention to their doubts. Her earlier contempt for Madam Lin had gradually transformed into something else, eventually settling into jealousy.
When the Old Madam sent people to fetch Miss Lin, they had traveled in nothing more than a covered boat.
Judging from the travel expenses they had been given, they would only have enough money to take Miss Lin back in a covered boat as well.
Who could have imagined that Madam Lin would actually be so willing to spend money on such an extravagant vessel for the journey to the capital?
Wu You’s wife felt bitterly envious.
Inside the cabin, Yan Xianzhi stared at the letter Liu Escort had sent her, momentarily speechless as she wondered what on earth had happened.
She had never expected things to turn out this way.
Now, there was another unfortunate soul in this world who had been ruined by kidnappers.
Liu Escort had been remarkably lucky. On the very first day he arrived in Yingtian Prefecture, he found the girl Yan Xianzhi had described.
He had paid the money readily, believing that this assignment would be an easy and pleasant one.
What he had not expected was that the despicable kidnapper, who had apparently brought shame upon eighteen generations of his ancestors, had sold the same girl to three different families.
Liu Escort naturally refused to accept this. He tracked down the kidnapper’s home, intending to teach him a lesson.
However, when he arrived at the entrance, he found two groups of people arguing endlessly. Both claimed to have paid for the girl and insisted that they would take her home that very day.
While Liu Escort was trying to figure out how to identify himself and join the dispute, the better dressed young man suddenly shouted, “What sort of person are you? How dare you compete with your master for something he wants?”
“Men, beat him to death!”
In the next instant, the servants of the richly dressed young man grabbed whatever objects they could find nearby and attacked the other young man without hesitation, knocking him to the ground and beating him with their fists and feet.
Liu Escort was horrified.
Was there no law left in broad daylight?
He no longer had time to sort out the situation. With a sudden leap, he rushed forward and engaged the richly dressed young man’s servants in combat.
Although the young man’s side had the advantage in numbers, Liu Escort’s martial arts were formidable. Even against ten opponents, he held his own without falling behind.
At last, he seized an opportunity, grabbed Feng Yuan, and led him away from this dangerous place.
In other words, although Liu Escort had failed to rescue Xiangling, he had at least prevented a tragedy.
At the end of the letter, Liu Escort asked Yan Xianzhi how he should arrange matters for Feng Yuan.
Under normal circumstances, Feng Yuan’s family possessed a fair amount of property, so he should not have been reduced to wandering the streets.
Unfortunately, he had offended the eldest young master of the Xue family.
Xue Pan even dared to commit murder. There was little else he would hesitate to do.
Feng Yuan had already noticed that ever since that day, suspicious street vendors had frequently appeared outside his home. Rather than selling their goods, they seemed to be keeping an eye on him.
Three days earlier, he had gone out alone. As he was walking along the street, someone suddenly shoved him, causing him to fall heavily onto the steps of a nearby house. His forehead had landed less than three inches from the sharp edge of a step.
If that person had pushed him a little harder, Feng Yuan might have died on the spot.
He was already a sensitive and thoughtful person, and losing the woman he loved had left him depressed every day. Now that this new trouble had arisen, he was even more frightened and unsettled, living in constant fear.
Just then, Liu Escort had felt that he had imposed on the Feng family for long enough and went to bid Feng Yuan farewell.
Upon seeing him, Feng Yuan felt as though he had encountered a lifeline.
He immediately begged Liu Escort to help him think of a solution.
Liu Escort was equally helpless. He had originally come here on the young lady’s instructions to find a girl. Now, he had failed to find her and had instead become entangled in a troublesome situation himself.
Liu Escort could not make a decision on his own. However, seeing Feng Yuan’s miserable and fearful state, he decided to remain by his side temporarily to protect him.
At the same time, he immediately wrote a letter informing Yan Xianzhi of everything that had happened in Yingtian Prefecture.
After reading Liu Escort’s letter from beginning to end in a single glance, Yan Xianzhi fell into deep thought.
It seemed she had oversimplified things earlier.
Changing someone else’s fate was not an easy task.
Even when one knew what was going to happen in advance, one still needed to make thorough preparations.
But how should she proceed from here?