Qi Yanzhou looked coldly at the troublemaking Concubine Su and demanded, "This food was given to A-Tang by me. I am the one being unfilial. If you have a problem, direct it at me, Concubine."
Concubine Su didn't dare to criticize Qi Yanzhou and looked at Old Master Qi with a pitiful expression.
"Master, this humble concubine meant no harm. I merely felt that the order of seniority and precedence should not be disrupted."
Old Master Qi slapped Concubine Su on her face, which was still swollen and red from a previous strike.
"In the Qi family, you are the inferior one!"
After saying this, he turned to Ye Chutang with a kindly expression.
"Tang'er, your complexion doesn't look well. Eat more and pay no mind to irrelevant people."
Just based on Ye Chutang's ability to save Zhou'er, her willingness to endure hardship and exile with him, and her help in preserving the Qi family's dignity, she deserved to be treated with the utmost respect by the whole family!
Old Madam Qi, usually a very gentle person, lost her temper for the first time.
"Everyone remember this: if it weren't for Tang'er, the clothes and jewelry on your bodies would have been long gone!
Tang'er is the Qi family's lucky star. If anyone dares to oppose her again, don't blame me for being unforgiving!"
Concubine Su, covering her burning face, ran back to the east side hall.
Old Master Qi said, "It's already dark. Everyone go wash up and get some sleep."
Ye Chutang couldn't finish the two dishes and said, "If anyone is still hungry, please share this."
Qi He'an wanted to eat but was pulled away by Concubine Xu.
Soon, only Old Master Qi and Old Madam, Qi Yanzhou, and Ye Chutang remained in the main hall.
"Father, Mother, A-Zhou, these dishes are quite good. Have some with me."
Facing Ye Chutang's warm invitation, the three did not refuse.
After the meal, Ye Chutang said, "Those concubines each have their own agendas. The Qi family right now is like scattered sand. Shouldn't we think of a way to unite everyone?"
Qi Yanzhou, knowing the Imperial Guards were eavesdropping, said, "I have no mind to manage them. We only have three days. Clearing our name of false charges is more important than anything."
What he actually thought was that a state of disarray made it easier to distinguish friend from foe.
Ye Chutang followed Qi Yanzhou's lead and asked, "Do we have any leads now?"
"None. If it really was the work of the 'Ghost Thief,' finding evidence will be extremely difficult. The Qi family is doomed to bear the charge of treason."
Old Master Qi sighed. "We must do our best and leave the rest to fate."
With that, he stood up and returned to the west side hall.
In the outer section of the side hall, bedding was spread on the floor, giving a sense of a large communal sleeping area.
The inner section had been arranged as a bathing room for washing and changing.
Qi He'an was bathing, and the sound of water could be clearly heard.
The bathwater had been fetched by the servants who hadn't left.
Qi Yun'an sat on the moved-out chaise lounge, head bowed, lost in thought.
Seeing Old Master Qi enter, he quickly stood up to offer the chaise.
"Father, the night is cold and the floor is damp. You should sleep on the chaise lounge."
Then he tentatively asked, "Father, is exile a certainty now?"
Old Master Qi knew his youngest son was selfish and scheming.
"Yun'er, you've been clever since childhood. You should understand the Emperor's attitude towards the Qi family very clearly."
Qi Yun'an fiddled with the lamp wick on the small table. The flickering flame made his face appear inscrutable.
"If we are exiled, is it unlikely we'll survive the journey to Tianshan County?"
"Yun'er, don't overthink. The Emperor's grace is vast; of course we will reach Tianshan County alive."
"I understand."
Old Master Qi noted his youngest son's unusual behavior.
Not long after, Qi Yanzhou also entered the side hall.
He actually wished to stay with Ye Chutang longer, but with the Imperial Guards watching, they couldn't talk freely.
"Father, it's been a long day. You should rest early."
Old Master Qi glanced in his youngest son's direction, hinting for Qi Yanzhou to keep an eye on him.
Qi Yanzhou, knowing the kind of people his family members were, gave a slight nod.
Meanwhile, Ye Chutang and Old Madam Qi returned to the east side hall.
There were many womenfolk, six in total.
The floor of the outer section was almost entirely covered with bedding.
The chaise lounge Ye Chutang used for her afternoon nap had been moved to the outer section and placed by the window.
"Mother, you should sleep on the chaise lounge."
Old Madam Qi took Ye Chutang's hand. "Tang'er, I prefer sleeping on the floor. The chaise lounge is for you."
"I'm not used to sleeping with many people. After everyone finishes bathing, I'll sleep in the inner section."
"No, the floor is too damp after bathing."
Ye Chutang smiled and said, "It's alright. I'll just ask the Imperial Guards for a few more quilts."
Sleeping separately would make it easier to slip out at night.
Old Madam Qi, thinking that with the ice blocks for cooling, a few extra quilts wouldn't make it too hot, stopped trying to persuade her.
Exhausted from the day's events, everyone lay down directly after bathing.
Having slept all afternoon, Ye Chutang wasn't sleepy at all.
She lay on the soft bedding, waiting for all the women to fall asleep.
Before the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), all the women were asleep.
Ye Chutang got up quietly and applied pressure points to make each one sleep deeply, ensuring they wouldn't wake for at least two hours.
She returned to the inner section, took three pillows and a T-shirt printed with her portrait from her space.
She put the T-shirt on one pillow and stuffed the other two pillows under the quilt.
She used foundation to cover the open eyes on the T-shirt print.
The roof was about twenty feet from the ground, and combined with the dim light, it was impossible to tell that it wasn't her lying under the quilt.
After setting up the decoy, Ye Chutang pried open a floorboard and left Prince Chen's Mansion via an underground passage.
First stop, the Minister's Mansion.
The red silks at the Minister's Mansion hadn't been taken down, giving it a festive appearance, but it was unnervingly quiet.
Imperial Guards had surrounded the mansion.
Although the Emperor hadn't ordered a search, the Ye family's downfall was inevitable.
Ye Chutang returned to Ningchu Courtyard and took all the valuables.
Along with the previously dried meat jerky.
With little left of value at the Minister's Mansion, she headed to the palace.
She placed some weapons underground near Xishou Palace.
As she was about to leave, she heard Ye Anling's screams and the sharp crack of a whip striking flesh.
"Worthless wretch! Utterly useless, good-for-nothing!"
Eunuch De's voice was shrill and thin, but to Ye Chutang's ears, it sounded like beautiful music.
Ye Anling pleaded incessantly, but it earned her no mercy whatsoever.
Ye Chutang circled the palace, taking anything easily accessible.
Then she went to the Song Family.
It was close to midnight, and the Song Family was very quiet.
She didn't know which courtyard Song Jingning lived in, so she had to search slowly.
When she found the main courtyard, she overheard the conversation between Song Mingyu and his wife, Cui Xiangyun.
"Husband, the northwest is barren and harsh. Even Tianshan County is no better. Can you really bear to let Jingning suffer there?"
"Jingning has traveled and studied for five years; he's endured his share of hardship. Sending him to Tianshan County will benefit the path he wishes to take in the future."
"That's true. He is not a child of the Song Family by blood, so he isn't bound by its rules. He can pursue an official career."
As soon as Cui Xiangyun finished speaking, Ye Chutang jumped through the window into the bedroom.
Although she didn't make much noise, the night was quiet, and Song Mingyu immediately sensed her presence.
Just as he was about to call for the guards, Ye Chutang spoke.
"Master Song, it's me, Ye Chutang."
Song Mingyu sat up in shock and pushed aside the bed curtains.
The room was unlit; only a faint glow from the lanterns in the corridor seeped in, but it was still too dark to see anything.
He fumbled to light the oil lamp and saw Ye Chutang standing by the bed.
"Miss... Miss Ye, what are you doing here?"
Cui Xiangyun immediately sat up and looked at Ye Chutang.
Facing the same eyes and brows as Song Jingning, her heart was in turmoil. She asked, "Miss Ye, did you hear everything just now?"
Ye Chutang nodded frankly. "I heard. Song Jingning is not from the Song Family. Which family does he belong to?"
Hearing this, Song Mingyu threw off the covers and got out of bed, putting on his outer garment.
"Miss Ye, it's a long story. Come, have a seat."
The two sat down by the round table.
Cui Xiangyun also got up and sat at the table, pouring Ye Chutang a cup of cool water.
Song Mingyu adjusted his outer garment and asked, "Miss Ye, weren't you under house arrest at Prince Chen's Mansion? What are you doing sneaking into the Song Family?"
Ye Chutang said bluntly, "I came to find Song Jingning, to see if he has an ingot-shaped birthmark on his back shoulder."
"He does. The birthmark was quite obvious when Jingning was a child. It has faded a lot as he grew up, but it's still visible."
Hearing this, Ye Chutang confirmed that Song Jingning was the original host's twin brother.
She stood up and bowed deeply to the Song couple.
"Thank you both for saving my brother."
Given Song Jingning's condition at the time, keeping him alive and raising him could not have been easy.
Cui Xiangyun immediately helped Ye Chutang up, her eyes brimming with tears. "It was your brother who saved me."
"Why would you say that, Madam Song?"
The couple, Song Mingyu and his wife, told Ye Chutang in detail about what happened after they found Song Jingning.
"Miss Ye, I truly never imagined Jingning was Tang Wanning's son."
Back then, no one knew Tang Wanning had given birth to twins, and that the son had died young.
He also never expected that the awkwardly stitched character "Ning" on the small quilt wrapping Song Jingning was the "Ning" from Tang Wanning's name.
"My mother once had an accident, injuring her hand and nearly losing the child. She endured the pain and personally embroidered the character 'Ning' from 'Fu Shou Kang Ning' (Blessings, Longevity, Health, Peace) on the small quilt."
"So that's how it was."
Song Mingyu asked curiously, "Why did Miss Ye suspect Jingning might be your twin brother?"
Ye Chutang smiled and said, "His eyes and brows looked too much like mine, which raised my suspicions. To confirm, I shamelessly followed my brother to hunt at Mei Mountain. But after talking with him about our birthdates and birthplace, I realized I had made a mistake and dismissed my doubts."
As she spoke, she paused, picked up the cup of cool water in front of her, and drank it all in one go.
After finishing the tea, she continued, "On the day I met the head of the Song Family, you kept steering the conversation towards my brother, which made me suspicious again. Hence, tonight's visit to the Song Family."
Song Mingyu found this amusing. "Miss Ye is clever. I always thought my questions were very subtle and went unnoticed."
"The head of the Song Family learned that I had a twin brother and knew my birthdate, which confirmed that Song Jingning is my brother, right?"
"Correct. That day at Huating Academy, after you left, I learned your birthdate from Jingning and also found out he is Ye Jingchuan's son."
Ye Chutang asked with certainty, "My brother still doesn't know about his origins, does he?"
This question made Song Mingyu somewhat ashamed, and he nodded.
"Yes. To be selfish for a moment, I don't want him to return to his ancestral family."
It wasn't because he had raised Song Jingning and was reluctant to let go of the renowned "First Young Master."
It was because Ye Jingchuan was utterly despicable and unworthy of being Jingning's father!
Thinking this, he looked seriously at Ye Chutang.
"Miss Ye, I never intended to keep it from Jingning forever. I originally planned to tell him about his origins after your wedding, letting him choose whether to stay or go. But then, both Prince Chen's Mansion and the Minister's Mansion ran into trouble."
"So, the head of the Song Family sent my brother to Tianshan County to find me?"
Song Mingyu refilled Ye Chutang's teacup.
"That's one reason. The Song Family wants to support Qi Yanzhou as the new sovereign, that's the second reason. The Song Family also hopes to use Miss Ye's influence to establish a women's academy, that's the third."
Considering the Song Family had saved her original brother's life, Ye Chutang agreed to the "third" reason.
"I agree to the matter of establishing a women's academy. It was thoughtful of you, Head of the Song Family, to have my brother go to the Minister's Mansion to offer congratulations and see me off for my wedding."
"It was the least we could do. Now that Miss Ye knows Jingning's origins, what are your thoughts?"
As soon as Song Mingyu finished asking, Cui Xiangyun anxiously said, "Miss Ye, Minister Ye conspired with a prince and privately hoarded weapons. He will surely be convicted. If Jingning were to acknowledge his ancestry now, he would be unjustly implicated for no reason."
If Song Jingning had grown up in the Ye Family, being implicated would be expected.
But he never ate a single grain of rice from the Ye Family, never drank a drop of their water, and even "died" in the Ye Family. To be implicated just because of blood ties would be too pitiful.
Looking at Cui Xiangyun's face, full of anxiety and worry, Ye Chutang felt a surge of emotion in her heart.
"Madam Song, Song Jingning is a member of the Song Family. He was in the past, he is now, and he will be in the future."
After saying this, she stood up and bowed once more.
"Head of the Song Family, Madam Song, please keep this secret. Do not tell my brother about his origins for now."
This statement greatly surprised Song Mingyu.
"Why? Even if Miss Ye doesn't want Jingning to return to the Ye Family, shouldn't you at least acknowledge each other as siblings? Weren't you testing Jingning before because you wanted to find your brother?"
If she didn't want to acknowledge him, she wouldn't have come to the Song Family tonight!
Ye Chutang straightened up, a faint smile appearing on her exquisitely beautiful face.
"The timing isn't right. The more my brother knows, the more it will restrict his actions. When peace reigns over the land and the world is tranquil, I will acknowledge him."
Song Mingyu nodded in agreement. "That's fine too. Even without acknowledgment, you can still get along well in Tianshan County."
After saying this, he moved on to serious matters.
"Miss Ye, on the day of your exile, Jingning will take Jun'er to see you off at the Ten-Mile Pavilion. What do you need? I'll have them bring it to you."
"Nothing is needed. Ah Zhou and I have prepared quite thoroughly."
Song Mingyu understood the double meaning in Ye Chutang's words, and the worry in his heart dissipated.
"It's good that you're well-prepared."
"Head of the Song Family, Madam Song, I've disturbed you. We'll meet again if fate allows."
Cui Xiangyun quickly said, "Miss Ye, have a safe journey. Take care!"
Ye Chutang came suddenly and left just as briskly.
As the window opened and closed again.
Cui Xiangyun grabbed Song Mingyu's arm and asked, "Husband, should we tell Jingning the truth?"
She was very conflicted.
She neither wanted Song Jingning to be involved with the Ye Family, nor felt it right to keep such a significant matter as his origins from him, preventing him from making his own decision.
Song Mingyu gently brushed aside the hair covering her brows and eyes, a faint smile on his lips.
"Let's listen to Miss Ye. Anyway, with Jingning's intelligence, we won't be able to keep it from him for long."
When Jingning asked during the day why he was to take Jun'er to see Ye Chutang off, he knew the young man had become suspicious.
Once he became suspicious, he would definitely investigate to get to the bottom of it.
Cui Xiangyun nodded. "Alright."
After leaving the Song Family, Ye Chutang went to the Crown Prince's residence.
The Crown Prince's residence was brightly lit.
Inside the study, the Crown Prince was restless, pacing back and forth.
The letters taken by the Emperor were like a sword hanging over his head, making him unable to eat or sleep in peace.
The thought that Ye Jingchuan had stockpiled provisions and weapons for the Second Prince infuriated him.
If the Minister's Mansion hadn't been surrounded by the Imperial Guards, Ye Jingchuan would have already been torn to pieces!
He looked at the two advisors he had made dizzy with his pacing, his face gloomy.
"You're usually so talkative. Why are you mute today?"
The advisors had wanted to speak earlier.
But with the Crown Prince in a rage, they were afraid of drawing misfortune upon themselves and getting burned, so they remained silent.
Now that they had the opportunity, they started chattering away.
"Crown Prince, please don't be anxious. The fact that His Majesty is only targeting the Minister's Mansion is a good sign."
"Although the Emperor holds evidence of crimes committed by you and the Second Prince, I dare say he will not move against either of you."
"Currently, you and the Second Prince are locked in a stalemate. If both of you were to fall, the court would be thrown into turmoil, which is not something His Majesty wishes to see."
"Crown Prince, don't worry about those letters. What you must do is find a way to win the Emperor's favor."
After listening, the Crown Prince remained agitated.
"Even if Father wishes to make light of a major issue, the court officials and the common people will not accept it!"
Embezzling military provisions and funds is a capital crime!
Of course, as the Crown Prince, he wouldn't be executed, but he would very likely lose his position as heir!
The advisor had no way to refute the Crown Prince and hurriedly reminded him, "Crown Prince, to prevent His Majesty from sending people to search your residence for evidence, you must quickly dispose of any potential hazards."
No prince is without connections to officials. To prevent officials aligned with them from turning coat, princes always keep some leverage in hand.
This leverage is their tool for controlling officials, but also evidence of their factionalism and corruption!
The Crown Prince nodded in agreement. "Yes, it must be disposed of."
After saying this, he opened the door to the secret chamber.
The chamber was pitch black; the night-pearl that provided illumination had gone dark.
The Crown Prince's face changed dramatically, and he roared, "Bring lamps!"
The two advisors sensed something was wrong. Each grabbed a lamp and quickly came to the entrance of the secret chamber.
Holding both lamps, the Crown Prince descended the steps into the chamber.
The chamber was empty, his footsteps echoing.
Although he had anticipated this outcome, his vision still darkened.
"Ghost Thief!"
He spat out these two words through gritted teeth, then immediately went to check the hidden compartment in the wall.
The hidden compartment was also empty.
The leverage he held over the officials, hidden inside, was gone!
The Crown Prince struggled to breathe. The oil lamps fell from his hands, and darkness surged in.
If that leverage fell into his father's hands...
He dared not think about it; the mere thought made his head feel like splitting open.
Suddenly, the voice of an advisor came from outside.
"Crown Prince, come out of the chamber quickly! The study is on fire!"
The study was full of books and papers. Once set alight by Ye Chutang, the fire quickly grew.
Seeing the glow of flames at the chamber's entrance, the Crown Prince could no longer concern himself with the stolen leverage. He immediately rushed out of the chamber.
The two advisors shielded him as they exited the study.
Disguised as a man, Ye Chutang appeared in the study. She collected the unburned books, along with the bookshelves, into her space.
Knowing the fire in the study would be hard to extinguish, the Crown Prince said, "Don't let the flames spread."
After uttering these words, he hurried to his own courtyard.
As he had feared, all the valuables were gone.
The storeroom had also been looted clean, not a single item left.
Furious, he kicked the base of the wall.
"That damned 'Ghost Thief'! Prince Chen's Mansion has so much gold and silver, why didn't he go steal there?"
Ye Chutang, having emptied the Crown Prince's residence and preparing to leave, kindly offered an explanation upon hearing this.
"I enjoy watching incompetent mortals fly into a rage!"
She used a male voice, gloomy and hollow, as if from the netherworld.
The Crown Prince broke out in a cold sweat from fright and shouted, "Guards! Assassin!"
Ignoring the Crown Prince, who was scared out of his wits, Ye Chutang traveled underground to the Second Prince's residence.
Compared to the Crown Prince's restlessness, the Second Prince appeared quite composed and was already fast asleep.
However, his courtyard was surrounded by multiple layers of guards.
Likely a precaution against the Emperor making a sudden move, so his men could protect him and facilitate his escape.
Conspiring with high-ranking court officials and privately hoarding weapons and provisions were capital crimes!
Even if the Emperor considered their father-son bond, the best outcome he could hope for was lifelong house arrest.
The Second Prince's defensive arrangements actually made things convenient for Ye Chutang.
In less than a quarter of an hour, she had looted the Second Prince's residence clean.
She didn't even spare the heavily guarded courtyard.
The guards could keep out intruders from outside, but they couldn't stop her traveling underground.
Before leaving, Ye Chutang counteracted the sedative she had used on the Second Prince.
While he was still not fully conscious, she whispered in his ear, "Don't blame me. It's the Crown Prince who wants you dead!"
After saying this, she took a dagger stolen from the Crown Prince's residence from her space and swiped it towards the Second Prince's neck.
Instinct for survival made the Second Prince dodge the fatal blow, but his neck was still cut.
"Guards! Assassin!"
Before his words even faded, guards burst through the door.
Ye Chutang threw the dagger at the Second Prince, then vanished underground and returned to Prince Chen's Mansion.
With so many enemies, she could take her time emptying their storerooms; no rush.
After nearly four hours of tossing and turning, she soon fell asleep.
The next day.
Ye Chutang was awakened by noise.
She faintly heard something about morning and evening greetings, and a new bride serving tea.
She sat up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and instinctively wanted to call for Dan'er, then remembered she was in Prince Chen's Mansion.
Ye Chutang put on her bright red everyday attire, folded the bedding, and placed it in a corner.
Coming out from the inner room, she bowed to Old Madam Qi.
"Mother, your daughter-in-law has risen late."
Old Madam Qi wasn't angry at all and said with a smile, "There's nothing to do even if you were up. Late is fine."
After speaking, she told Ye Chutang to go wash up.
A servant had placed the fetched water at the corner connecting the main hall and the side hall.
The Qi family had already finished their ablutions; only she remained.
Ye Chutang didn't feel particularly embarrassed, but she had never gotten used to brushing her teeth with willow twigs.
Once she reached Tianshan Prefecture, she would make toothbrushes!
After washing up, a servant happened to bring breakfast.
Mushroom and chicken congee with vegetarian buns.
The congee was soft, sticky, fragrant, and smooth. Ye Chutang found it quite good and ate two bowls.
After the meal, the Qi family had nothing to do, just staring at each other.
Bored, Ye Chutang had the Imperial Guards bring ink, brush, paper, and inkstone so she could write poems.
She used multiple calligraphic styles, writing five poems in total, ten copies of each.
After finishing, she used charcoal to draw a realistic sketch of Qi Yanzhou.
Seeing it, Qi He'an was so astonished his eyes widened.
"It's so lifelike, exactly the same! Second Sister-in-law, can you teach me?"
He was very interested in poetry and painting, but unfortunately lacked talent and had always been at the stage of amusing himself.
Previously, hearing everyone's praise of Ye Chutang, he had scoffed, thinking it exaggerated.
Seeing her work today, he wished he could slap himself twice.
Ye Chutang wasn't familiar with Qi He'an and simply threw him two words.
"No."
After saying that, she handed the finished sketch and the fifty copies of poems to the Imperial Guards, along with two pieces of broken silver.
"Please deliver these to the manager of the Poetry Pavilion and ask him to sell them on my behalf. Five hundred taels of silver per poem copy, the Poetry Pavilion takes a twenty percent commission. If anyone wants a portrait, one thousand taels per piece."
Since she was idle anyway, she might as well earn some extra money.
Once she left the wealthy capital, making money wouldn't be so easy.
