Ningyang City was more than sixty li away from where they were.
Without a horse, Liu Ji’an could only set off immediately and walk there. Even when he was in perfect health, it would take him several hours—let alone now, when his injuries had not fully healed.
Shen Qingge, on the other hand, waited until nightfall before leisurely setting out.
The reason she wasn’t in a hurry was because she had a cheat ability.
When she reached an open area, with a single thought, a helicopter appeared out of thin air.
For the helicopter, a distance of sixty li was only a matter of a dozen minutes.
She had plenty of time.
Shen Qingge changed into men’s clothing, put on makeup, and used a voice changer.
Only after finishing all that did she pilot the helicopter toward the outskirts of Ningyang City.
After waiting for nearly half an hour, she finally saw Liu Ji’an approaching.
As he came closer, Shen Qingge said directly, “Show the token.”
Liu Ji’an paused for a moment, because the person’s voice sounded somewhat strange.
But he quickly reacted and handed over the black jade pendant.
Shen Qingge pretended to inspect it carefully before returning it.
“Speak. What do you want, and how much?”
Suppressing his excitement, Liu Ji’an asked, “Is any amount available?”
Shen Qingge sneered. “As long as you can afford it, I have as much as you want.”
“I want two thousand shi of grain (200,000 jin). How much silver will that cost?”
“It’s a disaster year, so prices are naturally higher. Ten taels of silver per shi. Two thousand shi will cost twenty thousand taels.”
Liu Ji’an frowned slightly. Normally, one shi of grain cost around one tael of silver—this was ten times the usual price.
But given the current situation, it wasn’t unreasonable. The problem was that he couldn’t gather twenty thousand taels right away.
“The silver will take some time to prepare. Could you allow some flexibility?”
“You can write an IOU. Two percent annual interest.”
Her straightforwardness surprised Liu Ji’an.
Then he thought about it—someone who could provide such a large amount of grain must have strong backing.
Even if he couldn’t find her, she could probably track him down through the jade pendant.
Shen Qingge handed him paper, ink, and a brush. Liu Ji’an accepted them and quickly wrote the agreement, signed his name, and stamped it.
Although the interest was a bit high, it wasn’t a problem for him. What mattered most now was the grain.
After putting away the IOU, Shen Qingge asked, “When will you collect the goods?”
“Tomorrow, if possible?”
“Yes. Tomorrow at the beginning of the Chou hour (1 a.m.), go to that mountain to collect it.”
She pointed to a distant mountain. She had already observed it earlier—there were many caves and very little vegetation. It was remote and perfect for the transaction.
Before leaving, Shen Qingge warned, “When doing business with me, trust is the most important. I hope you don’t have any other intentions, or this deal ends immediately.”
Liu Ji’an replied, “Rest assured, I understand the rules.”
They went their separate ways. Shen Qingge returned to sleep, while Liu Ji’an only arrived back at dawn.
They continued traveling with the village group as if nothing had happened.
At night, however, each of them was busy.
As soon as it got dark, Liu Ji’an went to gather people.
Meanwhile, Shen Qingge went to the mountain and placed the grain in the largest cave.
In addition to the agreed two thousand shi, she added another hundred shi as a gesture of goodwill. After all, she was now part of Dongyuan Kingdom.
With the military grain problem solved, Liu Ji’an could finally return to his relaxed life of recuperating.
As for the family’s grain issue, Liu Ji’an secretly gave some to Mother Liu, saying he got it through connections from his escort days.
Naturally, the silver for the grain went straight into Shen Qingge’s pocket.
Including the twenty thousand taels for the military grain, which were delivered to the agreed location a few days later.
If not for needing to keep her identity hidden, Shen Qingge would have loved to know where he got so much money.
Twenty thousand taels—an ordinary person couldn’t earn that in several lifetimes.
She was certain that Liu Ji’an was far more than just an escort.
Sitting on the cart, lost in thought, she suddenly noticed Fourth Girl quietly approaching her, looking hesitant.
“Fourth Girl, do you need something?”
Facing a child, Shen Qingge’s expression softened considerably.
Fourth Girl looked around to make sure no one was nearby before whispering, “Auntie, my mother is planning something against you. You must be careful.”
“Oh?” Shen Qingge asked. “What is she planning?”
“I don’t know exactly, but last night I heard her talking to someone about taking a concubine for Uncle and driving you out of the house.”
Hearing this, Shen Qingge wasn’t surprised.
She had always known that Feng Shi was dissatisfied with her, though she didn’t know why.
“Let me guess. The other person—is it that woman named Ying Huan who was taken in by our village?”
Fourth Girl nodded repeatedly. “Yes! Auntie, you’re amazing.”
“Thank you for telling me.”
Shen Qingge gently patted her head. Interestingly, the original owner of this body had also been called Fourth Girl in her former family—perhaps it was fate.
With this warning, Shen Qingge quickly understood Ying Huan and Feng Shi’s plan.
It was simple.
Ying Huan bribed Feng Shi to find a way to lure Shen Qingge away, so she could get close to Liu Ji’an.
Once things went too far, they would spread the news publicly, leaving no room for refusal.
After learning this, Shen Qingge told no one—not even Liu Ji’an.
This was also a test for him, to see how strong his self-control really was.
Soon, the two women began their plan.
That day, the rest of the Liu family went to the village chief’s house for a discussion. Only Shen Qingge, Liu Ji’an, Wang Shi, Wen Shi, Feng Shi, and the children remained.
To make things easier for them, Shen Qingge didn’t even wait to be lured away—she proactively left with Wang Shi and Wen Shi, taking the children to gather wild vegetables.
Once they were far enough, Feng Shi quickly called Ying Huan over.
“Hurry inside. Be quick and don’t get caught.”
Ying Huan adjusted her hair. “No need to be so cautious—I’d prefer to be discovered.”
She straightened her clothes, deliberately exposing her pale shoulder, swaying her waist seductively as she walked inside.
“Disgusting,” Feng Shi spat behind her back.
If it weren’t for driving Shen Qingge away, she would never let such a woman into the Liu family.
Inside the shelter, Liu Ji’an was half-lying on the bed, reading a book.
Suddenly, a strange fragrance filled the air, growing stronger by the moment.
“Who’s there?”
Hearing unfamiliar footsteps, Liu Ji’an immediately became alert.
“It’s me, Brother Liu… I’m Ying Huan~”