Ye Xiren looked up.
Uncle Jiang hurried over with several guards, his expression grave, even somewhat grim. After bowing, he extended a hand. "Eldest Young Master, Second Young Lady, please come with me at once."
His tone was resolute, brooking no argument.
"Uncle Jiang, what's wrong?" Sensing something unusual, Ye Changming stood up in confusion, knocking over the small table and scattering melon seeds across the floor with a faint rustle.
But no one paid it any mind.
Ye Xiren's heart skipped a beat. Jiang Sui had once been Ye Pei's study companion; the two had grown up together like brothers. To the siblings, Jiang Sui was not a servant but an uncle who had watched them grow up and whom they could trust unconditionally.
Jiang Sui shook his head but offered no explanation, saying only, "It's the master's arrangement. Eldest Young Master, Second Young Lady, please come quickly. You'll understand when you see the Old Madam and Madam."
The siblings exchanged a glance, bewildered, and followed him in confusion.
They made their way along the rear courtyard toward a small gate. Upon reaching it, they saw a very ordinary carriage waiting outside, with Pang Jin, Shou Yin, and a team of attendants standing nearby. The horses had been fed, and the carriage was ready to depart.
Their confusion deepened.
"What on earth is going on?" Ye Changming murmured.
Jiang Sui still did not answer, turning instead to ask urgently, "Why haven't the Old Madam and Madam arrived yet? Go and hurry them along!"
He seemed extremely anxious, frequently glancing at the sky, his forehead already beaded with fine sweat. Yet his eyes were filled with despair, as if all hope was lost.
A servant acknowledged the order and ran back inside.
Soon, Madam Liao emerged, supported by others. Her eyes were red and swollen, clearly from recent weeping. Her steps were unsteady, as if she had suffered a heavy blow, barely able to stand.
"Mother!" Ye Xiren stepped forward.
Madam Liao wiped her eyes, mustering her strength, and pointed to the carriage. "Both of you, get in the carriage immediately."
Ye Xiren and Ye Changming exchanged another glance, their brows furrowing tightly. However, seeing Madam Liao's stern and unyielding expression, they feared upsetting her and dared not say more, obediently climbing into the carriage.
As soon as she entered, Ye Xiren realized that this seemingly ordinary carriage held secrets within. It was stocked with ample dry rations, and several large bundles were piled together. She casually opened one to find gold, silver, and several changes of clothing—everything neatly packed for their journey.
…Running away?
Ye Xiren turned sharply, her eyes filled with shock and anger, though no one noticed. "Mother, what does this mean?"
"Ask no questions, concern yourself with nothing," Madam Liao said sharply, her gaze stern as she fixed it on the siblings. "Once your grandmother arrives, you will depart immediately."
Just then, Zhao Shi approached the small gate, leaning on her cane. She was dressed in her court attire, her graying hair neatly combed, exuding dignity and solemnity.
Liao Changying and Jiang Sui both paled at the sight of her in such attire. Fleeing required as much discretion as possible; dressed like this, it was clear Zhao Shi had no intention of leaving.
"Changying, get in the carriage. I will remain at the Ye Residence," Zhao Shi said calmly.
"Mother!" Liao Changying's eyes reddened once more.
Madam Liao's tears streamed down as she shook her head vehemently. "I won't go. As husband and wife, we are one. If he is guilty, then I am guilty of harboring him. If he dies, I will not live alone. I must stay to do what I can…"
Hearing this, Zhao Shi's eyes also reddened. She grabbed Madam Liao's wrist, her fingers trembling, "Have you truly made up your mind?"
Madam Liao smiled through her tears, her gaze resolute, "I haven't packed any belongings. I never intended to leave."
Moreover…
Only by staying behind would the Ye Residence not appear completely "empty" during the confiscation, preventing those carrying out the raid from relentlessly pursuing Changming and Xixi. This way, they could carve out a path to survival for the siblings!
Ye Changming was utterly bewildered. Sitting inside the carriage, he leaned out and asked, "Grandmother, Mother, what are you talking about? What are we doing? Why is everyone crying?"
Instinctively, he tried to step down from the carriage.
Madam Liao turned and scolded, "Sit still! If you are still my children, both of you must obey!"
After speaking, she gazed at the two with deep affection, unable to resist adding, "From now on, it will be just the two of you relying on each other. The travel permits and letters your father prepared are hidden in the secret layer of the bundle. When you leave the city later, someone will let you through.
"Changming, you are the older brother. Xixi is still young. From now on, you must take good care of her. In this world, girls often face more hardships. Remember, you are her brother.
"Xixi, Mother knows you are clever. Although your brother is older, he is not as thoughtful as you. If there are things he overlooks, you must help him fill in the gaps… Take care of each other. The world is vast. Never return to Nandu again."
Madam Liao wiped away the tears that fell once more. Her vision blurred by moisture, she hastily wiped her eyes and fixed her gaze intently on her children, not daring to miss a single moment, as if trying to etch them into her heart.
"Mother…" Ye Changming opened his mouth, a sense of foreboding spreading within him.
Ye Xiren, however, grabbed the carriage door tightly, her knuckles turning white, preventing the coachman from closing it. Her eyes bore into Madam Liao and the others, filled with rising anger. She spoke word by word:
"So, my father has been falsely accused again of embezzling military funds, and our Ye family is about to face… execution of the entire family?"
The last four words were almost ground out between her teeth.
This situation, these arrangements—weren't they exactly the preparations for escape before an impending execution of the entire family?!
Madam Liao was stunned. She never expected Ye Xiren to understand. She opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
Seeing her reaction, Ye Xiren understood everything. This was clearly a repeat of events. What was happening today was no different from the previous March 3rd. Her warnings had been useless!
Oh, they were useful.
Useful for their current "escape"!
Ye Xiren felt as if a fire were burning inside her, flushing her face and widening her eyes. She wished she could seize Ye Pei right then and demand answers.
"Madam, the time Master instructed is almost up!" Jiang Sui glanced at the sky, growing anxious. Time was running out, and danger could arrive at any moment.
Zhao Shi calmed down and ordered, "Close the door."
Guards blocked the entrance, preventing them from stepping down.
Madam Liao took a deep breath, suppressing all other emotions. She leaned against the carriage, gently touching each of their faces in turn. Then, she pried Ye Xiren's fingers away one by one, slammed the carriage door shut, and locked it securely.
She closed her eyes, two streams of tears falling. "Go."
The coachman was already prepared. He immediately drove along the predetermined route. The sound of hoofbeats echoed, quickly carrying them away from the Ye Residence.
Ye Changming pressed against the window, looking back and shouting, "Grandmother! Mother!"
At the small gate of the Ye Residence, Zhao Shi and Madam Liao stood motionless, gazing in the direction the two had departed. Sorrow and reluctance hung heavy in the air.
The carriage grew farther away, their shadows smaller and smaller. On the horizon, the setting sun gradually turned fiery red like blood, staining half the sky, as if even the bloody glow had settled upon the distant high eaves.
Ye Changming was utterly panicked. How could things have suddenly turned out like this?
Thinking back to what he had just heard, he wanted to immediately get off the carriage and turn back to demand a clear explanation. But the carriage door had already been locked from the outside by the coachman. He pounded the door with his uninjured hand, striking it with loud "thumps," yet it remained unmoved.
"What on earth is going on?!" Ye Changming's eyes welled up with tears as he turned helplessly to look at Ye Xiren.
Ever since the carriage had departed, Ye Xiren had been unusually quiet.
She searched the carriage for the so-called "letters" and, upon finding them, skimmed through the contents. The message was clear and concise—it was Ye Pei's instructions to the two siblings, especially regarding the escape route and whom to seek after fleeing…
【Xixi, do not blame your father.】
Ye Xiren clenched her hand, crumpling the paper until it was wrinkled. Almost gritting her teeth, she spoke with difficulty, "What a fine father we have!"
What else was there to misunderstand?
Ye Pei must have been taken back to Dali Temple and imprisoned. He had undoubtedly brought up the Military Provisions Case again in court. Despite her efforts to warn him this morning, she had failed to alter his plans in the slightest.
He had learned from her what the consequences would be, which was why he had made these arrangements in advance. He waited only for Uncle Jiang to calculate the timing or receive some news… then immediately produced the prepared items to send them away, leaving himself alone to "face death."
Preparations?
The preparations he had intended to make this morning were not about how to guard against schemes but about securing travel permits and letters, arranging their escape from an "Execution of the entire family."
He knew full well, yet he still made the same choice.
"Excellent, truly excellent," Ye Xiren trembled with rage.
Ye Changming finally finished reading the letter and grabbed Ye Xiren's wrist. "Xixi, we can't just leave like this. Father, Grandmother, and Mother are still at the Ye residence. I must go back!"
With that, he gritted his teeth again and slammed fiercely against the closed carriage door.
"Thump!"
Ye Changming threw himself against it as if his life depended on it. The carriage shook, the horse startled and reared, but he did not relent.
"Young Master!" Outside, Pang Jin's voice was urgent.
Ye Xiren caught Ye Changming, who was on the verge of knocking himself unconscious, and whispered, "Leave it to me."
Then, she raised her voice and shouted:
"Stop the carriage at once! My brother was already injured, and now he's covered in blood, his head split open, and he's unconscious. Open the carriage door—are you just going to ignore him?"
The carriage halted. Pang Jin and Shou Yin exchanged a glance.
The Second Young Lady sounded so distressed and distraught that it seemed genuine. The two hurriedly removed the lock from the carriage door and opened it a crack.
Seizing the opportunity, Ye Xiren, whose acting skills were steadily improving, and Ye Changming, who remained silent, simultaneously lifted their legs and kicked the carriage door with all their might.
The carriage was simple, and its wooden door was an ordinary one. Their combined forceful kicks caused the wooden plank to break loose and crash outward.
As soon as Ye Changming stepped out of the carriage, he tried to run, but with one foot injured, he could not manage it.
Pang Jin was shocked.
Shou Yin urgently called out, "Young Master, Second Young Lady, this is the arrangement made by the Master and Madam. The Ye family has encountered disaster, and they sent you away to avoid it. Once the matter is resolved, you can return."
"You're lying to me. The Ye family must have encountered another unsolvable trouble, a great calamity that threatens all our lives." He tried to turn back on his lame leg. "I'm going back."
Today, Grandmother and Mother's reactions were exactly like… entrusting orphans to others.
If it truly is a great calamity, can they wait until we return?
Ye Xiren grabbed his hand, her eyes fixed ahead. From initial anger to calmness, and now to fearless determination—after repeating this so many times, she had become bolder and more resolute than before.
"Alright, we'll go back." Her eyes shone brightly as she spoke each word clearly. "Next time, I will definitely save you." Save us.
This round is ruined. Let's restart once more!
Next time, she would definitely prevent all this from happening. If Ye Pei couldn't be relied upon, then she would do it herself.
"Turn back," Ye Xiren ordered the coachman.
So what if it's the execution of the entire family?
She's all too familiar with it.
Author's note: