Ning Ran is too despicable. He clearly knew that Mother was already married and couldn't enter the palace, yet he still tried to trick her into going to the palace to please the king. He even wanted to kill Ye Bao!" Ye Bao added fuel to the fire with a face full of resentment.
Bai Wushang silently stroked his smooth chin, still lost in thought… The carriage sped along, he remained silent, and all three were silent.
The next day, the carriage slowly arrived at the city gate. The commotion grew closer, and one could even hear many young girls screaming that name… “Lord Wushang!”
This gold-trimmed carriage, the precious horse with a gold saddle, and a group of guards wearing gold earrings—such high-profile luxury, how could anyone not know who sat in this magnificent carriage?
Murong Wei wanted to peek out and see the spectacle outside, but fearing that showing herself would cause misunderstandings and make her the target of everyone's anger, she had to endure it. Legend has it that wherever Lord Wushang goes, thousands upon thousands of women will go crazy for him, faint from attraction, and guards will clear the way on both sides of the road, a spectacle no less grand than that of a king's procession.
The journey from the northern city was difficult, and after changing carriages, Bai Wushang had kept a low profile. However, upon arriving at the capital, he suddenly and ostentatiously replaced all his men and even changed into a golden robe.
Murong Wei felt that this guy was a bit fake, but she couldn't quite put her finger on whether he was feigning seriousness or just pretending to be frivolous.
"The capital is indeed the capital. We haven't even passed the city gates yet, and it's already so lively..." Ye Bao remarked, about to lift the curtain, but Murong Wei stopped him.
"Children shouldn't join in the fun, or you'll become part of the fun yourself." She warned him in a low voice, but Bai Wushang just smiled without saying a word, sitting calmly.
However, at this moment, the carriage slowed down, slower and slower, until it came to a complete stop, and all the noise outside abruptly ceased.
What was going on?
Bai Wushang frowned slightly, while Murong Wei felt uneasy. How could this guy's carriage stop at the city gate? His carriage could drive into the palace and go straight to the Chaotian Hall!
"Mommy, is something wrong?" Xiao Ye sat down and whispered, his eyes darting anxiously with Murong Wei about Ning Ran's matter.
Murong Wei hugged him, gently wiping his little nose, smiled, and said nothing.
"Master, it's Consort De's carriage. That old nanny accompanying her was so arrogant, insisting we give way. The guards at the city gate didn't dare to utter a sound. Not far away, the King, Prime Minister Ning, General Murong, and all the other ministers are waiting." Bao'er whispered through the carriage curtain.
Hearing the name Consort De, Murong Wei and her son Ye Bao immediately breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that Murong Lan had also arrived.
"Mother, who is Consort De? Is she more powerful than Lord Wu Shang?" Ye Bao suddenly became incredibly innocent, blinking his clear, bright eyes as he asked.
"The fourth young lady of General Murong's mansion was sent to Xuanyuan as a concubine of the Prince of Qi. Even the current king has to give her some respect. I heard she was gone for five years, and only returned to visit her family in her first year," Murong Wei explained patiently.
"That's impressive. Is she more powerful than Prime Minister Ning?" Ye Bao asked again.
"Of course, but I heard that General Murong's mansion and the Prime Minister's mansion are old friends. The ten feng shui plots of the Duke of Ning's grave belonged to the Murong family, and General Murong gave them to Prime Minister Ning without hesitation back then," Murong Wei added.
"Oh... there's something fishy going on!" Ye Bao looked at Bai Wushang thoughtfully and said, "Lord Wushang, should we get out of the carriage and pay our respects?"
Bai Wushang, however, seemed indifferent and smiled, "My lord, I have been granted a pardon, so I won't get out. You two are commoners after all, so go down and kneel down to pay your respects. After all, she is now considered a member of the Xuanyuan royal family." Hearing this
, Ye Bao and Murong Wei were both stunned and remained silent for a long time.
Bai Wushang didn't seem to intend to make things difficult for them. He smiled and leaned against the window, saying, "Abao, how long is the procession?"
"Reporting to you, sir, there are probably several thousand people in total. We'll probably have to wait for half an hour, and with the time spent exchanging pleasantries with the King, it'll probably take an hour," Abao replied.
"Even the King himself came to greet us! Mother, I also want to see what that Consort De looks like!" Ye Bao said excitedly.
Bai Wushang glanced at him and said calmly, "Then we can't wait." He propped his head up with one hand, seemingly somewhat disappointed and tired.
Hearing this, Murong Wei and Ye Bao's eyes lit up simultaneously, unable to hide their excitement.
However, they then heard Bai Wushang say, "Abao, let's turn around, find a place to rest, and enter the city tonight."
"Yes." Abao accepted the order and left. Soon, the carriage slowly started moving again. Ye Bao glanced at his mother, then got up helplessly and returned to his seat, lying lazily.
"Lord Wushang, how long will Consort De stay this time? I heard that the Xuanhuang royal family has many rules. Whether it's the palace or the princess, concubines are not allowed to go out at will." Murong Wei asked.
"The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is over,
isn't it?" Bai Wushang replied. "My lord, I heard that Consort De brought the young prince with her this time. Will she stay at the Murong residence? Or at the palace?" Murong Wei asked tentatively.
"Of course, she'll stay at the palace. Madam Murong will come to the palace to accompany her." Bai Wushang replied absentmindedly, slowly lifting the carriage curtain. By this time, the carriage had already left the city gate.
"My lord, you don't seem very happy." Murong Wei probed again.
"Alas... With the arrival of Consort De, all the girls who lined the streets to welcome her have quietly departed. It's been quite a while since I've shown myself!" Bai Wushang sighed deeply.
Murong Wei's hand, which had been supporting her on the couch, suddenly fell heavily to her sides... He was actually feeling down because of this!
Even though it was the outskirts of the capital, it was still bustling with activity. Merchants and travelers came and went daily, and those who arrived before the city gates closed had to spend the night outside. Therefore, there were many inns and restaurants lining the main road, and occasionally, small vendors could be seen.
That night, it was dark and windy, with dark clouds obscuring the moon.
Not far from the capital, an inn called the City Gate Inn had been booked. In the top-tier room on the second floor, a mother and son were secretly plotting their escape.
"Mommy, it's already dark. Sister Abao said Lord Wushang just woke up and is waiting for the kitchen to serve the food. If we don't escape now, when will we?" Ye Bao whispered, leaning heavily on the table.
Murong Wei leaned over and unfolded a map of the royal city on the table. She whispered, "The city gates are open now, and there's still half an hour before closing time. Let's spend five minutes figuring out an escape route. This is the inn, and this is the city gate. There are two routes: the main road and a side road. The main road is a straight line, faster but easier to spot. The side road is more concealed but takes longer, and the risk is the same."
"Mommy, how long is five minutes?" Ye Bao blinked his bright, clear eyes and asked earnestly.
"Didn't I already tell you? Fifteen minutes equals a quarter of an hour, and one hundred and twenty minutes equals an hour. Calculate it yourself. Use these times in future operations, and others won't understand. Remember that." Murong Wei said seriously, determined to fully utilize the advantages of being a transmigrated woman.
Ye Bao sighed and asked again, "Then which route should we take?"
"You decide. You're in charge of this operation." Murong Wei added, having explained everything and given him the map; the rest was up to her son.
Ye Bao perked up, looked up and smiled, saying, "Mommy, it's simple. You haven't sent your medicine over yet. I'll add some sleeping potion to it later. I'll add some of my secret recipe to the water in the inn's kitchen. Ten minutes later, we'll go out the main gate, take those gold-plated carriages, hire someone to escape north, and then we'll take the main road into the royal city! We'll wait by that small courtyard behind the Murong residence; I guarantee no one will find us!"
After Ye Bao finished speaking, seeing Murong Wei looking at him suspiciously, he added, "Mommy, you're focusing on the escape process, while I'm focusing on the conditions for escape. If we join forces in the future, we'll definitely be invincible!"
"Drugging is too easy to be discovered. Do you really think Bai Wushang is an idiot?" Murong Wei finally spoke up.
“He’s cunning, but he trusts you completely. We’re complete strangers, yet he dares to take the medicine you prescribed every day…” Xiao Ye said, climbing onto the table and whispering in Murong Wei’s ear, “Mother, killing him would be easy for you.”
“A child is a child. If I put poison in his medicine, he’d definitely catch me. Do you really think he trusts me? Didn’t you notice the tiny silver needle hidden in his hairpin? It’s for testing poison. Let me tell you, in all this time I’ve served him, I’ve never seen him drink medicine in front of me!” Murong Wei said seriously.
Ye Bao looked suspicious. Murong Wei continued, "Poisoning or using medicine won't work. These people are not to be trifled with. I still can't figure out the poison Bai Wushang was given. My initial guess is that it's based on the principle of food incompatibility, rather than direct poisoning. The sophistication of their poisoning methods shows that this guy is not to be trifled with."
Ye Bao's innocent little face gradually became serious. He then carefully studied the map. After a long while, he slowly uttered four words: "Feint to the east while attacking in the west!
" "Tsk tsk, my son is becoming more and more like me!" Murong Wei smiled.
"Smart." Little Ye also smiled. The mother and son were perfectly in sync. Without much explanation, they immediately split up and took action...
Meanwhile, downstairs, the shop owner was personally leading a group of people carrying delicacies and wine through the courtyard, quickly heading towards the hall. The entire inn hall was cleared out, leaving only a table in the center. Bai Wushang had changed into a white brocade robe and was still sitting alone, quietly. Yin Ling and A Bao waited behind him.
Each dish was personally served by the owner, who bowed and scraped, serving him with utmost care. To be able to see Lord Wushang so closely was already an immense honor, and now he was even dining in his humble shop! He vowed to preserve a table there as a prized possession after he left!
Bai Wushang glanced at each dish without speaking. Yinling and Abao then stepped forward to try them out. After some fuss, Bai Wushang still hadn't touched his chopsticks, and asked indifferently, "Where are Yebao and Weiwei?"
"Reporting to Master, Madam Murong is in the kitchen preparing medicine, and Yebao has been by her side," Yinling replied.
"What Madam Murong? From now on, call her Miss Murong," Bai Wushang said displeased.
"Yes… then… where is Yebao?" Yinling asked timidly, puzzled. Her master seemed somewhat unusual this time, which reminded her and Abao of the mother and child they had rescued five years ago at the Ningguo Duke's tomb. Could it be them?
However, the child had grown up, and his appearance increasingly resembled his mother.
“Young Master Bao,” Bai Wushang said without hesitation.
Yinling was about to speak when she saw Bao wink at her, so she replied, “Yes.
” “Eating without anyone to keep you company is rather tasteless. Go and call them over,” Bai Wushang added.
“Master, Murong Fu…Miss Murong is very cautious. She personally supervises the preparation of the medicine, never leaving her side,” Bao answered.
“Wait,” Bai Wushang shrugged, picking up his tea and taking a sip.
“Bao, he actually waits for people?” Yinling whispered.
“He actually waits for women,” Bao’s voice was even lower.
“He used to prefer eating alone,” Yinling added.
"Could he have taken a liking to her?"
"How could that be? A pregnant, abandoned woman. His taste is always discerning."
"How do you know she's an abandoned woman?"
"Before he called her Weiwei, he called her an abandoned woman."
"He hasn't eaten anything all day. He seems very hungry."
"Try to persuade him."
"You know how stubborn he is. It's pointless to try to persuade him."
“Then go to the kitchen and urge the mother and child.”
“Don’t you think the child still looks somewhat like her?”
“You can’t say things carelessly, especially about this matter, but we don’t know anything, understand?”
“We don’t know anything anyway.”
“Does it take this long to brew medicine?” Suddenly, Bai Wushang spoke up, got up and headed towards the door.
“Master, why don’t I go check on you? You haven’t eaten anything all day, have some soup.” Yinling quickly advised, while Abao neatly ladled out the soup. The two maids felt sorry for their master from the bottom of their hearts, how could they not advise her?
Bai Wushang waved his hand, didn’t say anything, and continued to stride forward. Just as he reached the door, several servants rushed over.
“Fire! The kitchen is on fire!”
“Quickly put out the fire! The kitchen is on fire!”
“What a big fire! Put it out quickly!”
Shouts came immediately… Instantly, everyone in the room panicked, and in the blink of an eye, Bai Wushang had already disappeared through the door.
Everyone rushed to the kitchen with water, but within moments, thick black smoke billowed upwards, and the fire spread to the neighboring house. How could such a large fire suddenly appear?
Amidst the panicked crowd, Abao and Yinling were almost in tears, unable to find their Lord Wushang anywhere…
After all, Bai Wushang's entire force was there, and even a large fire would be quickly extinguished. Yin Niang and Ding Bao's first reaction was to rush into the fire, searching almost every inch of the ruins before finally finding no bodies, and then they breathed a sigh of relief.
The two sisters stood in the ruins, stunned and laughing foolishly. Years later, when they became enemies, every time they recalled this moment, they were filled with heartache.
"A Bao, how could you be so foolish? Who is our Lord Wushang? Would he brave a sea of fire for a mother and child he doesn't even know?" Yin Ling said with a smile, her watery eyes still brimming with tears.
"You're foolish too. If I hadn't held you back, you would have perished in this fire long ago." A Bao also laughed, his face covered in soot.
"Concern makes you foolish. You like your master very much, don't you? Haha." Yin Ling laughed loudly.
"Concern makes you confused. You like your master even more than I do, don't you? Hehe." A Bao also laughed loudly.
The two sisters were so tired that they sat down on the spot, no longer caring about looking for their master.
Meanwhile, their master was on the path leading to the capital, silently following a mother and child fleeing in panic, amusement on his face. He couldn't understand it at all; Murong Wei wasn't stupid, so why would she come up with such a clichéd method? The
two figures, one large and one small, moved swiftly through the bushes. The child occasionally used his light-footed skills, while the mother ran steadily, never looking back.
Bai Wushang silently pursued them until they reached the city gate. The guards were preparing to close the gate, no longer allowing anyone to pass.
He stopped, still watching the mother and child who had also stopped, but now that the bushes were gone and they were standing still, he finally noticed something was amiss. Although they were about the same height and build, their posture was different!
He was startled and turned to leave when the mother and child finally turned around, both panting heavily, their faces completely unfamiliar to him!
"Where are they?" he finally spoke, his voice chillingly cold.
The child immediately retreated behind his mother, his tender little face flushed, but filled with panic. This person was so fierce.
The woman, protecting her child, retreated to the side of the soldiers guarding the city, and timidly asked, "What do you want to do?"
"Where is the mother and child who told you to run?" Bai Wushang asked patiently.
"I don't know. The child gave me a silver ingot and told me to take the child and run to the city gate within half an hour," the woman said hurriedly, and to make sure Bai Wushang believed her, she actually took out a silver ingot.
"Which direction did they go from?" Bai Wushang asked again.
"I don't know, they didn't say," the woman replied, moving closer to the soldiers, attracting all of them to gather around.
"What are you doing?" the leader shouted, not recognizing Bai Wushang.
Bai Wushang ignored him, glanced toward the city, hesitated for a moment, and then turned to leave...
Meanwhile, Murong Wei and Yebao were already galloping on horseback in the exact opposite direction of the city gate. There was another path leading into the royal city, one that Murong Wei knew all too well. Over the past five years, she had come to scout the area many times. Years ago, this was the very same path she had used to escape the royal city.
This path was none other than the mountain trail behind the Murong Estate! It was located in the northwest direction of the royal city.
Before long, they had made their way onto the mountain trail.
Little Ye suddenly perked up. He turned around, stretched out his small hand, and said gleefully, "Mommy, Yebao's first self-directed mission is a complete success!"
Murong Wei smiled and high-fived him, laughing. "And here I thought you wouldn't be able to part with that Big Gold Vault!"
"Hehehe, Yebao abides by the principle that Mommy is top priority, and gold is second priority! I strictly follow Mommy's words as my guideline and gold as my orientation. I will absolutely never lose my way on the journey of life!" Yebao shouted out his slogan with a completely serious face.
Murong Wei was at a total loss for words. She dotingly pinched his little face, loving him so much she wished she could just bite him.
"Mommy, do you think that Big Gold Vault will stamp his feet in anger when he realizes he's been tricked?" Yebao asked with a chuckle after calming down.
"Probably, haha. I just hope we don't cross paths with him again in the future," Murong Wei replied.
"Mommy, actually, now is a great opportunity. Consort De must be staying in the palace, and General Murong's entire family is bound to be inside attending to her," Yebao said earnestly.
Murong Wei sighed and said, "We came in such a rush, and I don't have any 'Black Beans' on me. We'll have to let this perfect opportunity slip right by!"
"Black Beans" was the nickname they had given to their bombs.
"Mom, didn't you bring saltpeter and sulfur with you? Tell me what the other ingredients are, and I guarantee I can find them in a single night!" Yebao's eyes gleamed with sharpness. He had been coveting this Black Bean recipe for a long time, but Mommy had been holding out on telling him.
"Look at you, so full of confidence. The stuff isn't actually that hard to find... it's just..." Murong Wei trailed off, intentionally leaving him in suspense.
"Money can solve anything, it's not a problem!" Ye Bao said decisively, straightening his back and no longer snuggling into Murong Wei's arms.
"Oh, quite the boast!" Murong Wei said with a smile. The horse had already entered the mountains, the mountain path was difficult, and it was dark and windy, so she slowed down. She didn't plan to enter the city tonight. Bai Wushang had been watching her closely all the way, and she hadn't had much time to talk to her son privately. Now was a good opportunity.
"Hehe." Ye Bao chuckled, remaining silent.
"Hehe." Murong Wei also chuckled twice, remaining silent as well.
Finally, Ye Bao couldn't help but speak up, saying, "Mother, name your price. How much are you willing to sell this formula for?"
"Thirty thousand ingots of gold." Murong Wei quoted directly.
"You might as well rob me! Plus that toolbox, I'll give you three thousand ingots of gold." Ye Bao blurted out, clearly a master bargainer.
"You think I really robbed you? If it were that easy to make money!" Murong Wei immediately retorted.
“Just name your lowest price. I don’t like haggling, so let’s be straightforward,” Ye Bao said seriously.
“Thirty thousand ingots of gold, excluding the toolbox. Take it or leave it,” Murong Wei said, a doting smile playing on her lips as she patted her son’s head.
“I’ll add another thousand, including the toolbox!” Ye Bao offered again.
“No negotiation,” Murong Wei stood firm.
“One price, ten thousand ingots of gold, guaranteed to be the full amount. Sell it or leave it!” Ye Bao seemed engrossed in bargaining, and instinctively slapped Murong Wei’s leg hard, as if he had spent a fortune.
“Ouch…” Murong Wei cried out in pain. “Kid, one ingot of gold for medical expenses, put it on the tab!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Bao slapped her again and shouted, “Mommy! Oh no! There’s someone in front…”
Murong Wei immediately fell silent, protecting Ye Bao with one hand and tightening the reins with the other.
There was only one mountain path; either turn around or run into someone head-on. Perhaps the mother and son had been playing so happily that they'd forgotten to be cautious, because the person in front of them had appeared out of nowhere and was already very close, clearly having seen them.
"Ye'er, go to sleep," Murong Wei whispered, continuing to slowly move forward.
Ye Bao immediately understood, obediently curling up in her arms, his little face turned outwards.
After a while, they could clearly see the person in front of them: a man in his early twenties, dressed in simple gray clothes, riding a small donkey carrying two large bamboo baskets covered with leaves—the contents were unclear.
"Mommy, what a strange peddler," Ye Bao whispered.
Murong Wei didn't answer, continuing forward without any intention of yielding. The mountain path was narrow; someone had to stop and step aside to let the other pass first.
Ye Bao remained silent, his mind filled with suspicion. Although this mountain was a small path into the royal city, it wasn't a route for everyone. One side of the mountain led to the Ningguo Palace's tomb, while the other side was the Murong family's villa, meaning the entrance was heavily guarded by the Murong family.
This simply dressed person, neither rich nor noble, was clearly a small merchant. How could he possibly cross this mountain?
...
On the dark mountain path, all was quiet, save for the occasional chirping of autumn insects. A tall, magnificent horse and a small donkey faced each other almost face to face.
Their respective masters, too, stood in confrontation, neither willing to yield.
The night was cool and still. The woman carefully took out her robe and draped it over the baby in her arms, gently patting it with her fair hands and humming a lullaby, without even glancing at the gray-clad man.
The gray-clad man, on the other hand, scrutinized her intently, having already looked her over from head to toe. His gaze seemed to possess a professional scrutiny, as if he were treating the mother and child as commodities to be bought and sold.
The two remained in this standoff for a long, long time, neither speaking first, both waiting for the other to give way.
The woman's half-gold mask, illuminated by the lamplight, gave her an eerie and mysterious air, while the gray-clad man, with his thick eyebrows, large eyes, and high nose, was handsome and refined, though his attire seemed out of place with his bearing, instead giving him a simple and unassuming appearance.
Time flowed slowly by.
"Mmm... Ahhh..." the baby murmured, lazily stretching out its chubby, lotus-root-like arms, so plump and white that one wanted to pinch them.
"Baby, be good, don't look down on me just because I'm a sheep. The green grass smells sweeter because of me, and the sky is bluer because of me..." the woman hummed softly, her gentle face barely concealed by a half-gold mask.
Finally, the gray-robed man took a step back, pulling the little donkey, and whispered, "Madam, are you asleep?"
Murong Wei asked suspiciously, unsure of his meaning, and replied softly, "Yes, I'm asleep."
"I've been afraid of disturbing the child, so I haven't dared to speak to you," the gray-robed man explained weakly, yet his expression was undeniably sincere.
Looking at his earnestness, Murong Wei suddenly felt a little embarrassed, as if she and the child had been the ones taking up his time.
"I'm truly sorry, what do you want to say to me?" Murong Wei asked apologetically, looking down at him with an even lower voice.
"Madam, do you want to enter the royal city?" the gray-robed man asked earnestly.
"I urgently needed to get into the city, but the city gates were closed. A kind person pointed out this road, so I came to try," Murong Wei said.
"Oh dear, I was also in a hurry to get into the city. I came here because someone told me about this road, but who knew there was a high wall built at the foot of the mountain on the other side, making it impossible to get in. That's why I turned back," the gray-clad man said helplessly.
"Oh! What should we do then!" Murong Wei looked anxious, her brows furrowed tightly. She was genuinely shocked. She knew the Murong family would build a high wall, but she didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
"Madam, is it something urgent? Why are you taking such a young child in the middle of the night? Where is your husband?" the gray-clad man asked with concern.
"My husband is missing, and this child has caught a cold. I'm in a hurry to get into the city to find a doctor. What should I do?" Murong Wei said anxiously, holding Ye Bao even tighter.
"Oh dear, you've caught a cold, you definitely can't go into the mountains. Let's go down the mountain. I know a doctor outside the city, his medical skills are quite good, I'll take you there!" the man in gray said hurriedly.
"Really!" Murong Wei was overjoyed, "Thank you so much, brother! If it weren't for you, I don't know how long I would have been stuck on this mountain. Thank you so much!" "
Don't mention it. It's not easy for anyone traveling. Let's turn around and go down the mountain!" the man in gray said.
Murong Wei actually turned around and walked ahead, while the man in gray had the little donkey follow behind. He quickly stepped forward, carrying a lantern to light the way, taking good care of Murong Wei.
"Brother, you should watch your goods. It wouldn't be good if the donkey got lost. I have a lantern here," Murong Wei said, unable to guess what this guy was up to. If he really didn't have any ulterior motives, he was truly a kind person!
“It’s alright. I often go to the city to buy fruits and vegetables. Sometimes it’s too late, sometimes it’s too early, so I take this route. This little donkey has been with me for years; it wouldn’t get lost even with its eyes closed,” the gray-clad man said with a smile, his thick eyebrows and large eyes beaming.
“So, brother, you’re from the royal city?” Murong Wei asked tentatively, perhaps she could use this to find a place to stay in the royal city.
Ren Fan turned back, his smile a little awkward, and said, “Yes, madam, please don’t call me ‘brother.’ I’m not married yet, I’m exactly twenty this year, a little younger than you. My surname is Ren Fan, you can call me A-Fan.”
Murong Wei was stunned, truly stunned this time. It was the first time someone had reminded her of her age, and a man at that.
In her modern world, she was in her early twenties. Five years after transmigrating, Murong Zi was also in her early twenties, but once she had a child, she was considered a married woman. Was it because she hadn’t experienced marriage that she hadn’t realized her true age?
In that instant, Bai Wushang's cry of "abandoned wife" suddenly came to mind. She shook her head, wondering what that shameless fellow was doing.
Ren Fan walked on, glancing back at her. Seeing she didn't speak, he hurriedly said, "Madam, have I offended you? I'm a straightforward person, please forgive me for any offense. It's truly remarkable that you have a child at such a young age."
"I'm just a commoner, don't call me 'Madam,' just call me Big Sister," Murong Wei said helplessly.
"Oh, okay, Big Sister!" Ren Fan smiled, finally relieved.
"By the way, what did you say your name was just now?" Murong Wei asked again, having not heard clearly.
"Ren Fan, just call me A-Fan," Ren Fan said with a smile.
"Human trafficker!?"
The voice was surprised, curious, and most importantly, childish!
Ren Fan suddenly stopped, turning around, and asked curiously, "Who just spoke?"
"Did someone?" Murong Wei blurted out.
"I think I heard someone calling me," Ren Fan said, puzzled.
"Ah Fan, we're all out in the middle of nowhere, just us. Don't scare me, I really didn't hear anyone calling you," Murong Wei said timidly, hugging the baby in her arms very tightly—really, very tightly!
"I misheard, I misheard. It's alright, we're almost down the mountain, I'll go to the back." Ren Fan smiled, stepped back, and picked up his little donkey.
"Ren Fan, why does this name sound like..." Murong Wei turned around, hesitating to speak.
"Hehe, it sounds like a human trafficker, doesn't it? My father's surname is Ren, and my mother's surname is Fan. They went looking for me, and the person who raised me was illiterate, so they took my parents' surnames as my name. Hehe, although it doesn't sound very good, people remember it as soon as they hear it!" Ren Fan seemed to be a natural optimist, still smiling brightly.
"A name just needs to be easy to remember and pronounce." Murong Wei smiled and turned back.
"Mommy, I feel like I've heard this name somewhere before, but I can't remember it right now." Ye Bao's voice was very low.
"Could he also be from Beicheng?" Murong Wei asked. Ren Fan shouldn't be any important person; she had no recollection of such a unique name.
"I don't know, I can't remember. Mommy, can you let go of my hand for a moment?" Ye Bao's voice was even lower.
Murong Wei was startled and released her grip. Ye Bao tore off his robe, panting heavily, and looked up at Murong Wei with his clear black and white eyes filled with sorrow. He said, "Mommy, I promise you, no matter who I meet in the future, I will behave and not say a word. Please don't make me pretend to be asleep anymore..."
As they descended the mountain, dawn was breaking. Murong Wei abandoned her horse, carrying the baby, and followed Ren Fan on foot. She kept her head down, only answering Ren Fan's questions, looking utterly exhausted.
The city gate inn was still ahead. She thought Bai Wushang must have gone to the palace last night, and the king had sent someone to urge him halfway there. He probably wouldn't have the leisure to investigate them now.
"Ah Fan, how much further?" Murong Wei asked softly. Ye Bao was truly asleep in her arms; children can't stay up all night.
"It's in the thatched hut around the corner. The house is a bit dilapidated, but you can rest assured about the doctor's skills. Many people from the city come here specifically for treatment. However, the doctor has a rather bad temper, so be careful what you say and don't offend him," Ren Fan reminded her.
"Yes, if he can cure this child, I'll keep quiet," Murong Wei said.
"Big sister, let me carry him. You've been carrying him all night," Ren Fan stopped and said earnestly.
When Murong Wei first met his thick eyebrows and large eyes, she felt that the sincerity in his eyes was genuine and simple, not at all like a slippery small merchant, but rather like a simple young man from the countryside who had just come to the city.
She didn't know why, but she chose to trust him and entrusted Xiao Ye to him.
After a few casual words along the way, they soon arrived at a dilapidated courtyard. The courtyard was quite large, the gate was ajar, and chickens and ducks were kept there, but there was only one thatched hut.
Murong Wei followed Ren Fan to the door, then picked up Ye Bao. Ye Bao opened his eyes slightly, glanced at her, and then fell asleep again on her shoulder.
"Doctor Li, are you there?" Ren Fan knocked on the door.
"So early, who did you bring this time?" an old man's voice came from behind.
Murong Wei quickly turned around and saw an old man in tattered blue clothes standing at the door, with a full head of white hair and a full white beard, but his complexion was quite good.
“This lady’s son caught a cold and couldn’t enter the city, so I brought her here,” Ren Fan said with a smile.
“Mommy, be careful, something’s wrong.” Suddenly, Ye Bao, who was perched on Murong Wei’s shoulder, spoke softly, his eyes still closed, it was hard to tell if he was awake or just talking in his sleep.
Murong Wei gently patted his back without saying anything.
“A cold? Such a small child, come in quickly!” the old man said, quickly opening the door.
Immediately, a strong medicinal smell rushed out, and Murong Wei quickly covered Ye Bao’s nose and held her breath. This wasn’t ordinary medicine, it was a sleeping potion!
“Oh dear, I was only out for a short while, how did it get burnt!” the old man said anxiously, fetching a basin of water and hurriedly pouring it onto the stove. As soon as the water hit the stove, white smoke rose, and it was pungent again!
Murong Wei, who was familiar with medicine, knew the difference. This medicine was probably Seven Star Grass. If it was burnt, it wouldn’t have a smell, only thick smoke, a low-grade sleeping potion, while the white smoke from cold water was a high-grade sleeping potion!
She turned and walked out of the house, coughing lightly several times. Xiao Ye took the opportunity to breathe heavily, and soon began to cry loudly, "Mother...waaaah...waaaah...Mother...hungry...waaaah, Mother..."
"Good boy, Ye'er, don't cry, Mother is here," Murong Wei soothed, gesturing to Ren Fan and the old man who had also come out, signaling them to be quiet.
The two exchanged a glance but didn't speak.
After a while, the white smoke dissipated, and Ye Bao finally calmed down.
"Doctor, this child is difficult to soothe; he'll cry for several hours after waking up," Murong Wei said apologetically.
"It's alright, come in quickly," the old man said, turning and entering the house.
"Hmm." Murong Wei nodded and stood up, but before she could even steady herself, she slumped back down, swaying dizzily. One hand still tightly held Ye Bao, while the other pressed against her head. Her brows furrowed as she looked at Ren Fan, about to say something, but before she could, she fell backward, Ye Bao lying on top of her, still unconscious.
"Boss, why did you bring someone here personally? Even if she's a stunning beauty, she still brought a baby!" the old man asked, puzzled.
Ren Fan remained silent, his face calm and expressionless. He slowly squatted down, carefully examining Murong Wei's half-gold mask.
"It's just gilded, worthless," the old man said again.
Ren Fan remained unresponsive, slowly removing Murong Wei's mask. The old man gasped, exclaiming, "This is terrible, Master! How could you find a disfigured woman! She'll never sell!"
"Someone in the palace wants a doll, about the right age. I met her on the road last night," Ren Fan said, examining the golden mask without glancing at Murong Wei.
The old man immediately picked up Ye Bao, overjoyed. "No wonder! Hehe, Master's involvement is truly remarkable! This is a good deal!"
"Silkworm Treasure Golden Silk, have you ever seen it?" Ren Fan asked earnestly, weighing the golden mask in his hand.
"Silkworm Treasure Golden Silk?" the old man asked, puzzled.
"Golden silk spun by a young golden silkworm. It's as fine as pure gold, yet extremely light. Feel it!" Ren Fan said, handing the golden, openwork mask to the old man.
The old man was astonished upon holding it; it was so light it felt like nothing at all—unbelievable!
"This thing is extremely valuable. Aside from a few items belonging to the Xuanyuan royal family, I've never heard of it being found in the common people! I only saw it once in the Xuanyuan royal palace," Ren Fan said.
"So this mother and child are from the Xuanyuan royal palace, and of considerable status?" the old man exclaimed in surprise.
"Not necessarily. There are many hidden talents among the common people; it's not like there aren't people who can afford this," Ren Fan said with a smile.
"Boss, don't joke around. If you don't have it, how could anyone in the common people have it? Even Bai Wushang, who's so high-profile and hailed as being richer than a country, couldn't possibly have it!" The old man's words elevated Ren Fan to a supreme position. Just who was he?
"Take them all up in the car." Ren Fan didn't say anything, and carefully put the mask back on Murong Wei.
"Boss, should we give this back to her?" the old man asked, puzzled.
"Didn't you see she used this to cover her shame? Silkworm silk has a price, but a woman's beauty is priceless!" Ren Fan sighed. He didn't know that years later, he would give up everything for this priceless beauty, going from a truly wealthy slave owner to a penniless slave.
"Boss, since she's from the Xuanhuang royal family, selling her to the Han royal family, wouldn't that be..." the old man hesitated again.
"The price is clearly marked, the origin is clear, whether they dare to buy it is their business." Ren Fan smiled, picked up Murong Wei, and carried her out of the courtyard.
The old man hurriedly chased after Ye Bao, filled with admiration. This master had been an orphan since childhood, suffering endless bullying and almost becoming a slave. He was only twenty years old this year, yet he had become the biggest slave owner in the world. The famous Lord Wu Shang had only those lifeless treasures, while he had a vast army of slaves with flesh and blood, whose business spanned the entire Divine Continent.
Daylight had broken, and the city gates were bustling with activity. Those who had missed their turn the previous night were already gathered there.
Normally, they would have already entered the city by this time, but today the checks were extremely strict, and it seemed many more soldiers had been brought in.
The people waited in small groups, chatting amongst themselves.
"What happened?"
"I heard that Consort De has arrived, and the entire capital has been placed under martial law."
"Is it really necessary? She's just a young lady from the Murong family. The King is slapping himself in the face!"
"Shh... keep your voice down. I heard that Consort De suddenly requested this. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been this commotion yesterday! She brought nearly a thousand attendants, and I didn't see the entire Han Kingdom under martial law along the way."
"Heh, she's just a concubine of Prince Xuanyuan Qi, not Emperor Xuanyuan's concubine. Besides, she's just a concubine. Is it really necessary to pamper her like this?"
"Oh dear, just keep your voice down. As long as there's no war, even if the King were to pamper a courtesan, we'd be grateful!" "
I heard that Lord Wushang entered the city overnight last night, and many people missed him!"
"Alas, no matter how favored Bai Wushang is, he still has to give way to Consort De. Times have changed!"
...
"What are they checking?" A man in gray asked with a smile. He had thick eyebrows, big eyes, a high nose, and was a handsome man. His smile was particularly friendly. It was Ren Fan.
"Household registration, and personal belongings," the old man replied.
"Oh, I thought we were checking for a fugitive!" Ren Fan said with a smile, leading his little donkey forward. The donkey wasn't big, but the two large baskets on either side were heavy, almost touching the ground, yet it walked with remarkable ease, just like its master's steps.
Several soldiers stepped forward and carefully searched him, but only glanced at the two large baskets.
"The person Consort Yu wants," Ren Fan said softly, slightly unfolding a token in his palm.
The soldier immediately took a step back, glanced at his companions, and waved for him to pass.
The little donkey trotted along with its master, the two large bamboo baskets swaying back and forth, making one worry that they might suddenly fall.
Soon, the man and the donkey entered a secluded alley in the bustling city, where the white-haired, bearded old man appeared in front of an open side door, having been waiting for a long time.
"Boss, why are you so late?" the old man asked.
"The queue at the city gate is long and has been packed for ages," Ren Fan said, stopping the donkey in the courtyard. He quickly lifted the bamboo cover, picked up Ye Bao from under the branches, and the old man pulled out Murong Wei.
The mother and child were still unconscious, their clothes disheveled, and their hair covered in leaves.
"Boss, with the city gate in this state, it might be difficult to send them to the palace. Perhaps we could have Consort Yu come out of the palace?" the old man asked in a low voice, carrying Murong Wei into the house.
Ren Fan didn't speak, holding Ye Bao and carefully tidying his clothes and removing the leaves from his hair before saying calmly, "Go prepare some food first. They should wake up in another hour. This child is small and can't stand being hungry."
"Yes," the old man put Murong Wei down and quickly withdrew.
Ren Fan sat down on the warm couch, holding Ye Bao in his arms. Looking at Ye Bao, his eyes held a complex mix of emotions. He thought of his own past, when he was only five or six years old and had almost been sold into slavery.
He had been in this line of work for over ten years, doing many dishonest things. He knew he wasn't a good person, but he couldn't stop himself. He simply couldn't, just as he couldn't shake his frugal habits even now that he was wealthy.
Soon, the old man brought four breakfasts and placed them on the table. Seeing that his eldest son didn't understand, he didn't dare touch them and had to attend to other matters. His eldest son had come to the capital, so naturally, he needed to personally oversee many business deals.
When the old man returned, Ren Fan was still lost in thought. Ye Bao was perched on his shoulder, facing the table, drooling in his sleep.
"Elder son, eat first. We have many things to do later," the old man urged.
Ren Fan finally snapped out of his reverie and smiled. The old man quickly brought him some congee, but he himself was starving and downed another bowl in one gulp.
"Bang..."
"Bang..."
Suddenly, a series of shattering sounds rang out. First, it was the old man's bowl, then Ren Fan's. Murong Wei, who was lying nearby, saw Ren Fan faint and was momentarily surprised.
Ye Bao immediately opened his eyes, clinging to Ren Fan without getting off, holding his head, excitedly looking at his handsome face, then exaggeratedly laughing, "Hahahaha!"
Murong Wei lazily got up, looking at him suspiciously, and timidly asked, "Son, are you alright?"
Ye Bao then looked over, his little face full of joy. He quickly slid off Ren Fan, deftly shaking off the powder from his sleeve, and grinned mischievously at him, saying, "Mommy, hehe, I remember who he is!"
"Bang..." Another sound.
It was Ye Bao's highly venomous yet incredibly kind little green snake, who had fainted, slipping from his sleeve and falling heavily to the ground. Heaven knows how much sleeping potion he had just used!
"What a loser!" Ye Bao scoffed, hastily picking up the little green snake and haphazardly stuffing it back into his sleeve. He climbed onto a nearby seat, squatted down in front of the unconscious Ren Fan, and excitedly examined him as if Ren Fan were some rare treasure.
"What's wrong with you? Did you find a mountain of gold?" Murong Wei didn't recall Ye Bao ever being so quick and agile.
"Idol!" Ye Bao exclaimed with admiration, his little hands clenched under his chin. He turned his head and excitedly said, "Mommy, I've been his fan since I was little! I idolize him!"
"From childhood?" Murong Wei rolled her eyes at him, then said, "Who exactly are they? Judging from their conversation, they must be someone important."
"Everyone in the industry knows, the boss of the industry, the monopolist of human trafficking in the Xuanyuan Imperial Palace!" Ye Bao jumped off the high chair, one hand on his hip, the other stroking his chin with an air of importance, and said seriously.
Murong Wei was taken aback, then smiled with narrowed eyes, "Very professional."
"Of course, in our line of work..." Ye Bao stopped abruptly, excited to see the person he had always admired, and let slip the secret.
"You've been involved in the slave trade since you were a child!" Murong Wei calmly straightened her clothes, lazily stretched, and casually adjusted the golden mask on her face. This human trafficker still had some conscience; at least he hadn't taken her mask. Based on her understanding of Ye Bao, this kid wouldn't dare to be so audacious as to secretly traffic people behind her back; at most, he would just resell slaves and make a huge profit.
"Hehe..." Ye Bao laughed.
"Hehe." Murong Wei laughed as well.
"Hehe." Ye Bao laughed again.
"Hehe." Murong Wei laughed even more happily.
Ye Bao suddenly became serious: "Mommy, from what I understand, this kid is worth a lot. We shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's find a buyer and sell him!"
"You're selling your idol too?" Murong Wei exclaimed in exaggerated surprise.
"Idols are the ones who are valuable!" Ye Bao reminded her.
"Tell me first, what about the four slaves I stayed behind to watch over Aunt Li?" Murong Wei asked with a smile.
"Hehe, Mommy... I don't quite understand what you mean." Little Ye smiled apologetically.
"You were counting on your fingers the whole time you were on the run, calculating this, weren't you?" Murong Wei suddenly said in a deep voice.
"Fifty ingots of gold each, sold to Master Chen in the north of the city. As for the four slaves, judging from their figures and the time you bought them, they're worth at most thirty ingots of gold. I'm willing to give all twenty ingots of gold to you, Mommy!" Ye Bao spoke without stopping, his voice full of passion.
"Find a buyer quickly, this guy needs to be sold discreetly! Forget about that old man, give me thirty times the price of the four slaves." Murong Wei said seriously, word by word.
"Mom, selling this guy is risky, he's still a free man, we need to find someone who can afford him. We need to spend money to find informants, spend money to build connections, and spend money to smooth things over with the authorities. Can you give me a discount?" Ye Bao said timidly.
"Fifty times." Murong Wei held out her hand to Ye Bao.
"There's a place in the royal city that's guaranteed to take him, Mommy, tie him up quickly!" Ye Bao was very decisive, without any hesitation, and pulled out a thick rope and kicked it to Murong Wei.
"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a wolf, the green grass smells sweeter because of me, the sky is bluer because of me, the white clouds are softer because of me..."
"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a wolf, the cleverness of a wolf cub is unimaginable, no matter how high the sky, my heart is still free, chasing the sun every day, chasing the sun every day! The sun!"
A cheerful, childlike voice, full of youthful energy, drifted from the alley, followed by the sound of a carriage wheel. The little boy driving the carriage, his delicate face full of joy, was singing loudly. Who else but Ye Bao could know how to change the sheep in the lyrics to a wolf?
He had forgotten when he learned this children's song, but he would sing it endlessly when he was happy.
Inside the carriage, Ren Fan was tightly bound, his head covered with a yellowish-brown burlap sack, and he remained unconscious.
"Ye'er, where is that place? Is it believable?" Murong Wei lifted the carriage curtain and asked in a low voice.
Ye Bao's singing stopped abruptly. He said, "Don't worry, the people here would definitely take in even the concubines and princes from the palace!"
"What kind of place is it? Stop being so mysterious. We have important business to attend to, and we can't let this waste our time!" Murong Wei said seriously.
"Oh, Mommy, don't worry. It's a pawnshop. Everyone in the know has heard of it. It only has shops in the capital of Xuanyuan and the royal cities of the various vassal states. They sell slaves by pawning them, which is the same as selling them. As long as they are slaves, they never ask about their origins." As Ye Bao spoke, he took out a large earring and handed it to Murong Wei.
Murong Wei was stunned, then burst into a tirade, "You brat, you even do human trafficking! What have I taught you? Don't you have any sense of decency?"
"Don't insult my integrity! I just took this from him, I'm just returning it. Mommy, what's the point of talking about integrity when we, with our integrity, encounter someone without it? They wouldn't understand!" Ye Bao said seriously, suddenly tightening the reins and slamming on the brakes, then turning into a narrow alley just wide enough for a small carriage.
It didn't go far before slowly coming to a stop.
Inside the carriage, Murong Wei held the earring, at a loss. She had never done anything like this before… getting her ears pierced!
Ye Bao peered in, magically producing a silver needle from his pocket. He took down an oil lamp hanging nearby and heated the tip of the needle over the fire. His movements were incredibly swift and precise. Murong Wei watched him strangely, her face growing increasingly grim.
"Mommy, hurry up, poke her left ear until it's red." Ye Bao said earnestly, his clear black and white eyes focused on the silver needle burning in the flame.
"Ye'er, tell me the truth, have you ever done anything related to human trafficking?" Murong Wei became serious, asking calmly. She was very lenient with her son, but there were some principles she absolutely wouldn't allow him to break.
Ye Bao looked up at Murong Wei earnestly and said, "First time, really."
"Who taught you these things?" Murong Wei asked again.
"I saw them do it, and I didn't dare to interfere, but after they sold the person, I secretly went to redeem him." Ye Bao said seriously, then added, "But, Mommy, I'm definitely going to sell this guy!"
"Nonsense, of course you're going to sell him!" Murong Wei rolled her eyes at him, finally dropping her serious expression.
Ye Bao was overjoyed, heated the silver needle until it was red-hot, had Murong Wei pull Ren Fan's earlobe closed, and then, with a bright red needle, he stabbed it in without hesitation. His technique wasn't bad; the needle went through in one go.
Ren Fan's handsome face was pale, and he remained quiet without making a sound.
"Not bad, kid!" Murong Wei laughed, fastening the large earring. From that moment on, the world's largest slave trader was reduced to a slave.
Just then, an old man's voice came from outside the carriage, "Guests in the carriage, do you need any help?"
"No, no, just one item." Ye Bao quickly replied, deftly putting a burlap sack over Ren Fan's head.
When the mother and son carried Ren Fan out of the carriage, they saw an old man in a blue robe standing in front of the pawnshop, smiling at them.
Murong Wei glanced at the pawnshop, a sense of suspicion creeping into her heart. The pawnshop wasn't large, and like most pawnshops, it had a large "Pawn" character hanging above the door, but no other signboard. Inside, a young appraiser (a person who appraises items in a pawnshop is called an "appraiser") sat in a high, latticed window.
The old man glanced at the bound Ren Fan, smiled, and said nothing more before leading Murong Wei and the others inside.
As soon as they entered, the door closed. Murong Wei immediately became alert, but Xiao Ye tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to relax.
Two servants emerged from the side door, carrying a large bamboo basket, which they placed in front of the window. A young appraiser opened a small door and came out. Murong Wei was about to put the person down when Ye Bao stopped her, grinning at the old man, "Manager, this person is no ordinary person. Shall we take him to the inner hall for appraisal?"
"Hehe, just a slave. What extraordinary person could he be?" the old man chuckled, affectionately ruffling Ye Bao's hair. "You little rascal, how old are you? So clever, you even know about the inner hall?"
"I'm ten years old! Manager, even slaves can be extraordinary. Didn't Xuanyuan recently recruit a minister from the Flowing Sand Kingdom?" Ye Bao whispered, his smile sly.
Murong Wei frowned again, feeling utterly defeated. Her son had kept so many things from her. She would definitely interrogate him properly another day.
Upon hearing Ye Bao's words, the old shopkeeper understood the situation and smiled, saying, "What a coincidence! Our Grand Master is in the inner hall. Let him see if it's anything good."
With that, he personally led Murong Wei and the others into the inner hall. Murong Wei, carrying Ren Fan, felt that the man was too light; despite his immense wealth, he was so thin, almost malnourished. She wondered if this would affect the price.
Entering through a side gate, there were no more buildings, but a large backyard. In the backyard was only a lotus pond with a pavilion almost level with the water's surface, very spacious and bright.
Ye Bao and the old shopkeeper walked in front, with Murong Wei following behind carrying Ren Fan.
They stood by the pond, waiting for the boatman to bring the bamboo raft. There were only two people in the pavilion: one, presumably the "Grand Master" the old innkeeper had mentioned, was pacing around something in the center; the other was a tall, slender man in white, sitting by the railing, a celadon teacup in his hand. His deep black eyes held an air of composure, and even just that profile of his lowered head was enough to make any woman in the world fall for him.
Murong Wei noticed him immediately.
Although she was still young and inexperienced, she had already given birth to a son and possessed countless charms; she was long past the age of first love and infatuation. Yet, just that distant glimpse of white was enough to captivate her. She hadn't even fully gotten a good look at him yet.
Perhaps some people are just born with such magic; she didn't know what was wrong with her.
Who exactly was he?
The boatman had arrived and said with a smile, "Shopkeeper, the Grand Master is entertaining guests. Please come aboard the raft and wait a moment."
The old shopkeeper smiled and said to Ye Bao and Murong Wei, "Please."
"Shopkeeper, who is that man in white?" Ye Bao asked in a low voice, equally curious. Although he was inexperienced, he could tell at a glance that the man was someone of exceptional talent.
"I don't know either. It's my first time here. Hehe, even if I knew, I couldn't tell you, just like telling others who you are," the old shopkeeper said with a laugh.
Ye Bao's interest in the man was clearly not as great as his interest in the gold, so he didn't ask any more questions and quietly discussed the price with the old shopkeeper. The raft was narrow, so Murong Wei had no choice but to sit with Ren Fan in her arms, her arms propped on his chest, her chin resting on her hand, carefully watching the activity in the pavilion. Only then did she see clearly that there was a tea set in the pavilion. Wasn't this pawnshop supposed to specialize in taking in slaves? Why was it taking in a tea set?
Before long, the black-clad grand master waved to the boatman, and the white-clad man slowly stepped out.
The bamboo raft slowly approached, and Murong Wei gradually saw the man's face clearly. She had never known that she would see this man today, under these circumstances, but from that first glance, she would never forget him.
It was so close, only about twenty steps away.
Yet, to Murong Wei, the journey felt incredibly long. She felt as if the courtyard and pavilion before her had vanished, and the entire world was a sea of flowers, the wind like waves. He stood far away amidst this floral tapestry, his serene gaze flowing into her heart like water. She felt a chill, a coldness that made her hesitant to approach.
But the bamboo raft drew near, and she finally saw him clearly. His moon-white robe was spotless, devoid of any patterns, as clean and pure as water and moonlight. His ink-black hair was casually tied back with a matching ink-black jade hairpin. His entire being consisted of only black and white, nothing else. So simple and understated, his beauty was like a celestial being stepping out of a landscape painting. The two colors alone made all the other colors of the world pale in comparison.
Murong Wei couldn't find any words to describe him. Perhaps, if she could, he wouldn't be him.
Suddenly, the bamboo raft bumped against the only stone step in front of the pavilion, making a thud. Murong Wei jolted awake and instinctively stood up, immediately meeting his indifferent and aloof gaze. At the same time, the burlap sack on Ren Fan's head, which she was holding horizontally, slipped off, finally revealing his face.
"Oh, this is the first time I've seen a woman carrying a man to sell herself. Hehe, this guy looks familiar!" the black-clad squire teased with a laugh, shattering the peaceful tranquility.
The white-clad man merely glanced at him unintentionally, taking a step back to the right to let Murong Wei go first. Murong Wei, at the front of the raft, was immediately embarrassed and didn't know what to do.
"Mommy! Get on!" Ye Bao urged anxiously, giving her a push.
Murong Wei stumbled, Ren Fan fell from her arms, and she herself kissed the ground.
Just then, he stepped forward, his warm, slender hand embracing her slender waist, stopping her. She turned her head hastily, meeting his icy, autumn-water-like eyes once more, and her world went blank.
He smiled, a faint smile, and said, "No rush, be careful."
In that instant, everything, even time itself, seemed to stand still. At that moment, Murong Wei knew she would never forget him.
"Mommy, are you alright!" Ye Bao rushed forward, and the shopkeeper also came to help Murong Wei walk towards the shore. The man released her hand without lingering, then stepped onto the bamboo raft.
Murong Wei steadied herself and turned around quickly, instinctively wanting to see him one more time, but it was too late. What she saw was a figure standing with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering in the wind—tall, slender, elegant, and with a subtle, aloofness emanating from his bones, as if no one could ever approach him. He drifted away slowly on the bamboo raft.
Much later, Murong Wei learned that he had a beautiful name: Prince Qi, Xuan Yuanche.
Seeing her so distraught, Ye Bao glared at her angrily and shouted, "Mommy, your eyes are glued to him! He's not my father, why are you staring so intently!"
Although he constantly talked about finding a stepfather, seeing his mother so captivated made him inevitably jealous.
"You're quite the talker, aren't you? Do you know who that person was?" the Grand Steward asked with a smile.
"Who was it? Someone with such influence, not here to pawn a slave, but to have tea," Murong Wei said, her fascination quickly returning to normal.
"I don't know," the Grand Steward chuckled, personally carrying Ren Fan to the large table in the center of the pavilion. Without a word, he began to examine him meticulously, looking almost like he was performing an autopsy.
The old steward remained silent, and the entire pavilion fell silent.
"Mom, you were so embarrassing just now," Ye Bao whispered.
"We'll find out who that person is later," Murong Wei said softly.
"Will he become my father?" Ye Bao looked up and smiled.
"No." Murong Wei rejected the idea without even thinking.
"Then why bother investigating him?" Ye Bao rolled her eyes again, but she didn't deny that the man was handsome. Of course, the main thing was that he was definitely a wealthy man, perhaps even richer than Bai Wushang. The jade hairpin in his hair was several times more expensive than Ning Ran's. He must be a member of the royal family. There shouldn't be such a person in Han Kingdom. He might be from Xuanyuan.
"I was just joking. Why are you so nervous? I'll find a ruthless character to be your stepfather tomorrow, someone who will abuse you and commit domestic violence." Murong Wei also rolled her eyes.
So, the mother and son stood aside, rolling their eyes repeatedly, while the Grand Master's brows furrowed more and more. After a while, he finally came over and said with difficulty, "Gentlemen, this slave..."
"No... we dare not take him?" Ye Bao tried to raise his eyebrows like Bai Wushang, but almost missed.
"Hehe, I'm afraid you won't dare to sell him. How about this, you wait a moment, I'll go find our master. Coincidentally, he's also in the capital. I can't just set a price for this person." The Grand Master said seriously.
Murong Wei and Ye Bao exchanged a glance, smiled knowingly, and nodded.
"Manager, bring tea and treat our guests well. I'll go find our master." The Grand Master said, and then his figure flashed, flying towards the edge of the pool, showing how anxious he was.
"Son, can we really trust this place? I feel like this place is strange." Murong Wei asked worriedly.
"Don't worry, unless the boss has a grudge against us, everything will be fine. This pawnshop has the highest reputation in the industry," Ye Bao assured him, patting his chest.
The shopkeeper quickly brought over green tea and snacks, treating them well.
"Old shopkeeper, is your boss also from the capital?" Murong Wei asked tentatively.
"Well, we really didn't know. I've only seen him once, and from a great distance. I don't know what he looks like. Only the head clerk in our pawnshop has seen him," the old shopkeeper said with a smile. "I
see. How long will it take to invite him over?" Murong Wei probed again.
"Oh, what old man? Our boss is quite young. I saw him about two years ago, and from a distance, he looked to be only in his early twenties. I heard he doesn't have any wives or concubines!" the old shopkeeper added.
"Oh... so he seems to be short of money. Did he just sell the tea set?" Murong Wei probed again.
"How could that be? Our master is never short of money. He's incredibly generous. Two years ago, when I saw him from afar, he was so happy that he rewarded all his hundreds of servants with gold. That huge gold brick was this big. Isn't that extravagant?" The shopkeeper became more and more excited, gesturing to show the size of the gold.
"So generous? He just throws out gold?" Ye Bao took a sip of tea and leaned closer.
"Indeed, our master loves gold. Two years ago, when I saw him from afar, he was surrounded by gold. People who were close by said he was covered in gold!" The shopkeeper said with a smile.
"Gold?" Murong Wei became thoughtful.
"How come it looks so much like that big thing?" Ye Bao also wondered.
"That's right, Jinzi, don't worry. As long as our boss is involved, this deal will definitely not be a silver transaction, it'll be gold. You won't lose out," the shopkeeper said.
Murong Wei slowly turned to look at Ye Bao, and Ye Bao also turned to look at her.
"Mommy, according to your usual estimation method, there's a 99% chance it's that guy," Ye Bao said, word by word, his little face serious.
"Why so much nonsense? Run!" Murong Wei suddenly slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her figure flashing and disappearing into thin air. Ye Bao gave the astonished old shopkeeper an innocent smile and also vanished into thin air.
Almost simultaneously, a whole circle of archers appeared out of thin air around the lotus pond, and a man in golden clothes, seemingly appearing from nowhere, slowly flew towards the stone pavilion in the water, his posture lazy and casual...
...
The shopkeeper's legs trembled. This man, dressed in such luxurious attire, was so close, so similar to the master he had just mentioned. For a moment, he didn't know what to do.
Fortunately, the head steward quickly followed, anxiously asking, "Didn't I tell you to serve him? Where is he?"
"I...I don't know! Just a blink of an eye, the mother and child disappeared." The shopkeeper's voice trembled. Now he was completely certain that the man before him was the master.
The man in gold didn't speak, smiling amiably, and went straight to the large table in the center. He examined the unconscious Ren Fan, his smile growing wider, and said with a smile, "Let him go."
"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!" The shopkeeper, as if granted a pardon, hurriedly left without waiting for the head steward to shoo him away.
The man in gold casually fiddled with the large slave-symbol earring on Ren Fan's left ear, a look of amusement on his face.
"Master, I'm sure I haven't mistaken him. This guy is Ren Fan!" the Grand Master whispered, still shaken. It was unbelievable that a seemingly harmless mother and son were carrying the world's number one slave owner to sell.
"The drug they used was really strong," the man in gold remarked.
"Without a strong drug, they might not have been able to keep him in check. But I'm still curious, where did they get the chance to drug him?" the Grand Master asked, puzzled.
"You'll have to ask them," the man in gold said, slowly tilting his head back and smiling innocently at the mother and son hiding on the roof beam. "Weiwei, don't you think so?"
Murong Wei was practically pressed against the pavilion's dome, her arms and legs braced between two roof beams, while Ye Bao held her waist, barely supporting her.
"Ye Bao, if you don't get down, and your mother's slender waist breaks, I'll never forgive you!" The man in gold narrowed his alluring eyes, still smiling as he spoke. Who else could this be but Bai Wushang?
Ye Bao suddenly felt weak all over, letting go and plummeting straight down. He really thought Bai Wushang would catch him, but Bai Wushang didn't.
As he fell, Bai Wushang suddenly leaped up, and when he looked up, Bai Wushang was already carrying his mother, gently lowering her down.
Ye Bao realized for the first time how beautiful his mother was. Her wide skirt spun beautifully in the air, like a celestial being descending from the heavens.
After landing, she was even more beautiful, even breathtaking!
Her slender waist was held in Bai Wushang's arms. She tilted her head back, meeting Bai Wushang's handsome face as he leaned down. Their eyes met, and Bai Wushang suddenly softened, a smile playing on his lips, gradually drawing closer and closer.
"Kiss him! Kiss him! Kiss him!" Ye Bao screamed inwardly, her hands clenched tightly together.
It really was true; Bai Wushang seemed about to kiss Mommy. He was so close, so very close, his usually carefree eyes now filled with such deep affection, completely oblivious to the leg Mommy had raised behind her.
"Kick him! Kick him hard! Kick his head open!" Ye Bao continued to scream inwardly, her palms sweating.
Finally, as Bai Wushang embraced her tenderly, looking at her, Murong Wei landed on one foot and suddenly raised the other, instantly slamming it down hard on Bai Wushang's head. At the same time, she used the momentum to flip over, burying her head in Bai Wushang's chest, and then pushed hard against his waist with both hands, using the force to back up and regain her balance.
This series of actions happened in the blink of an eye, perfectly executed. Caught completely off guard, Bai Wushang was kicked and pushed, staggering a considerable distance before barely managing to regain his footing.
"What kind of move is that?" he blurted out curiously, completely unfazed by the blow he'd received from Murong Wei.
"Anti-wolf technique!" Ye Bao shouted back, standing beside the Grand Master, his little green snake coiled around the Grand Master's neck, flicking its crimson tongue at Bai Wushang. However, the little green snake was too small to appear threatening, though it suited its master's physique perfectly.
"Bu Qing!" Bai Wushang exclaimed in surprise, recognizing the Bu Qing venomous snake. Of all the venomous snakes in the world, it was second to none!
"Withdraw the archers, or the Grand Master will be dead within seven steps!" Murong Wei said coldly.
"Is this beast male or female?" Bai Wushang asked urgently, completely ignoring Murong Wei.
"Withdraw the archers!" Ye Bao shouted sharply, not joking. The little green snake seemed to understand his emotions; at his command, it opened its mouth wide and clamped its jaws around the Grand Master's neck.
"Master..." The Grand Master was so frightened he almost wet himself. He knew the poison of the Buqing and his master's temperament well.
"Ye Bao, I just got a female Buqing a few days ago. What about yours? Male or female?" Bai Wushang asked again, completely ignoring Ye Bao's warning, and walked towards him step by step.
"Bite him!" Ye Bao gave the order without saying a word.
Bai Wushang stopped, but it was too late. The little Buqing really bit down hard on the Grand Master's neck.
"Ah..." The scream was extremely miserable, and the Grand Master fell straight down.
"You brat are ruthless." Bai Wushang said with a smile, showing no concern for his subordinate.
"You're even more heartless." Murong Wei said coldly, picking up Ye Bao and backing away step by step.
"Weiwei, didn't we agree? You stay and treat my poison, and I'll help you find that Ye... Ye Aniu." Bai Wushang was still smiling, but there was a hint of helplessness that no one could detect.
"No need, Lord Wushang, you should hurry to the palace. Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, and the King will surely have many things to attend to!" Murong Wei softened her tone; there was no point in confronting this guy head-on.
"The King does indeed have many things to attend to, but he urgently needs me for someone." Bai Wushang said, slowly narrowing his eyes. He had been stabbed by Ning Ran as soon as he entered the palace this morning. He knew that this woman couldn't have been chosen by Ning Ran simply because of her outstanding singing and dancing skills. However, he never expected it would be because she had that kind of prescription!
"Mommy, danger!" Ye Bao whispered, sensing that something was wrong.
"Then you should hurry and find the person the King wants! We'll take our leave now!" Murong Wei said, ignoring the archers around her, she grabbed Ye Bao and leaped out of the pavilion. Before she even hit the water, she vanished into thin air.
Bai Wushang frowned, then flew away from the pavilion, waving his hand to signal the guards to fire arrows!
In an instant, a rain of arrows came from all directions, all flying into the pavilion. In a moment, the entire pavilion was a mess, but Murong Wei and her son never reappeared.
Bai Wushang stood on the bank with his hands behind his back, his captivating eyes coldly saying, "Go into the water and search."
Meanwhile, on the roof beams of the pavilion, Murong Wei was still in the same position, Ye Bao still clinging to her waist.
"Mother, I always felt that guy wouldn't be so stupid," Ye Bao whispered.
"But, as it turns out, he was still a bit slow," Murong Wei said with a smile, looking down at the guards who were falling into the water, but she couldn't see Bai Wushang's face with a beauty mark at the corner of his eye.
As it turned out, Bai Wushang had become stupid. He led a group of guards to search the pond for most of the day, only to return empty-handed and covered in sweat.
Even the poisoned and dying Grand Master was taken away, leaving the entire backyard empty and eerily quiet.
"Mommy..." Ye Bao finally whispered.
"It seems... we can escape." Murong Wei whispered back, somewhat uncertain.
"Where to?" Ye Bao asked.
"Straight to the backyard of the Murong residence." Murong Wei said.
The mother and son exchanged a glance and vanished into thin air. When they reappeared, they were already on the shore. Ninjutsu wasn't some magical or profound skill; it only allowed for short-term disappearance and short-distance movement.
"Mommy, climb over the wall!" Ye Bao said, lightly touching the ground with his toes and using the momentum from a nearby stone to leap onto the wall. His lightness skill wasn't bad.
Murong Wei, on the other hand, took out a "multi-purpose hook," used the grappling hook to reach the top of the wall, and then climbed up using a rope.
Ye Bao glanced at her sideways, chuckling to himself, and said, "Mom, it's quite good for us to follow Lord Wu Shang. We won't have to worry about food or clothing with him, and we can even learn martial arts. Why don't we just follow him once we find that toolbox?"
"Do you think he can protect us both in front of the King regarding your 'rejuvenation medicine'?" Murong Wei rolled her eyes at him, then pulled him down the high wall.
This side of the wall wasn't a small alley anymore, but a main street. At this time, the street was already bustling with people and carriages.
"Mommy, the royal city is truly a royal city, so lively." Ye Bao exclaimed with admiration.
"This street is the main street of the royal city, called Chaofeng Street. The royal palace is located at the street, separated from the main street by a river. Facing the royal palace, on the left is General Murong's Mansion, and on the right is the Prime Minister's Mansion. Both mansions are built along the river. We're walking along the main street now, and we can see the Murong Mansion on the left side." Murong Wei said calmly.
Ye Bao fumbled for a map for a long time but couldn't find it. He looked at his mother and said, "Mommy, you're a living map!"
"Do you know where the most precious things are hidden that are hardest to steal?" Murong Wei asked.
Ye Bao shook his head.
"In your head." Murong Wei smiled, her eyes narrowing, and took Ye Bao's hand, disappearing into the crowded throng.
However, they hadn't gone far when the path ahead became completely blocked.
"Mommy, what are they all scrambling to see?" Ye Bao, already picked up by Murong Wei, asked curiously.
"Look, I can't see it," Murong Wei said.
"It looks like a royal edict." Ye Bao said, leaning forward, trying to make out the words and pictures.
"What?" Murong Wei shouted, but Ye Bao's voice was completely inaudible in the noisy environment.
"It's a royal edict!" Ye Bao shouted.
"A royal edict? What does it say?" Murong Wei shouted again.
"I can't see clearly, there are words and portraits..." Ye Bao said loudly, leaning forward again with renewed effort.
"With writing and a photo, a typical wanted fugitive!" Murong Wei finally lowered her voice.
Ye Bao, however, shrank back, sliding off Murong Wei's shoulder, grabbing her hand, and turning to leave without a word.
"Could it be..." Murong Wei was stunned. At the same time, everyone in front turned to look.
"Run!" Ye Bao pulled Murong Wei, turning and rushing forward together.
Only then did everyone come to their senses.
"That woman is wearing a golden mask!" "
A five or six-year-old child, dressed in a blue robe, it must be them!"
"One hundred ingots of gold, chase after them!"
"Quick, don't let the gold get away!"
...
In an instant, everyone on the street gave chase. Murong Wei and Ye Bao ran desperately. She loved gold more than anything in her life, but she never imagined she would be mistaken for gold and chased all over the street.
Can you imagine the scene at that moment?
Two tiny figures darted through the streets, pursued aggressively by a large crowd, more and more of whom joined in, many unaware of what they were chasing, only knowing that catching them meant a large sum of gold.
The mother and son had no chance to catch their breath, running relentlessly forward.
They ran across three main streets and four alleyways in one go.
Finally, Ye Bao stopped, panting, at a fork in the road. "Mommy... I can't go on... let's split up... let's run in different directions."
"Go left, you'll see Murong Wei's backyard, be careful... no matter which way you run, we'll meet at our destination tonight!" Murong Wei gasped for breath, having no other choice.
The mother and son exchanged a glance, and without another word, they fled in different directions.
After Ye Bao disappeared from sight, Murong Wei turned back, deliberately lingering for a moment, leading a large group of people towards her.
"Stop!"
"You're a wanted criminal, stop!"
...
The people shouted and chased after her. Murong Wei still couldn't guess what crime she had been accused of. However, the matter had already alarmed the King, and it seemed that Bai Wushang really couldn't protect them.
The Murong family and the Prime Minister's family had been on good terms for generations. With Consort De entering the palace, Ning Ran would definitely teach Bai Wushang a lesson at this Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, and this matter might even become a handle against them.
As Murong Wei fled, she wondered why she had suddenly become concerned about that man's situation. Was it because of the king's coercion that he had gone to such lengths to find her and Ye Bao?
The people behind her were getting closer and closer, but Murong Wei suddenly stopped, having already led everyone into a small alley. Ahead lay the path.
She didn't turn around; her figure flashed and she vanished.
"Where is she?" someone suddenly exclaimed.
"A monster!" another person blurted out out of the blue.
"Does it look like one?" Suddenly, Murong Wei appeared in front of the man, smacked him on the head, and then disappeared again.
"Ah..." the man cried out.
"Here she is!" Murong Wei reappeared, cheerfully speaking, emerging from the crowd.
"Grab her!" a burly man shouted, lunging forward. Others instinctively lunged as well, but Murong Wei vanished again.
When she reappeared, she was already behind the crowd. She grinned at everyone, casually swept aside a large pile of bamboo poles at the alley entrance, and then turned to continue running.
However, she didn't dare go in the opposite direction from Ye Bao's direction; instead, she fled directly in the opposite direction from the palace. She didn't bother looking back; the bamboo poles could block the crowd in front of her, but she didn't know if they could block a very familiar person who had joined the group at some point.
Finally, she reached the end, utterly exhausted, and stopped, her hands on her legs, unable to straighten her back, panting heavily.
However, when she looked back, she saw that very familiar person less than a hundred meters away, also panting heavily.
“You are wanted nationwide. The King wants to see you… Come to the palace with me. If you don’t, both of us, including Bai Wushang and your son who know about this, will die… If you come to the palace… there might still be a chance for things to turn around.”
The long-absent Grand Chancellor Ning said breathlessly, his face somewhat pale, his usually gentle eyes now fixed intently on Murong Wei.