Wu Chenggang relayed the soldier's words to Qi Yanzhou.
"Master Qi, if we skip reporting at Dingzhou City, we can save two days."
Avoiding Dingzhou City would allow them to take many shortcuts.
Qi Yanzhou didn't think bypassing Dingzhou City was a good idea.
"The exile procedure cannot be flawed. We go to Dingzhou."
He didn't actually care about the so-called exile procedure; he simply wanted to pass through Dingzhou.
Because Dingzhou housed the old troops of the Qi Family Army.
Wu Chenggang immediately went to explain their stance to the blocking soldier.
"The exile document must bear the seal of every prefecture. That is a rule set by the Emperor. Is the Prefect trying to overstep his authority?"
With such a heavy accusation leveled at him, the soldier quickly changed his tune.
"Sir, you misunderstand. The Prefect has no intention of showing contempt for the Emperor's authority. He simply feels grateful that Master Qi saved the tens of thousands of lives in Dayang Town, and Madam Qi prevented the spread of the plague. He doesn't want them to take the long way around."
Wu Chenggang replied with a smile, "If the Prefect truly believes the Qi family has done good deeds, shouldn't he welcome them into the city and host them properly instead?"
His rhetorical question left the soldier with no good answer, so he had no choice but to let them through.
Once the exile procession had moved far away, he immediately sent a companion on horseback back to Dingzhou City to deliver a message.
The Qi family insisting on going to Dingzhou City must have ulterior motives!
It was now mid-June, the hottest time of the year.
When the sun hung high in the sky, you could see heat shimmering from the ground.
They could only travel during the early morning and late evening, failing to cover the required fifty li per day.
From the border of Dingzhou to Dingzhou City would take at least four days.
Han Chong noticed everyone was red-faced from the heat and panting heavily. He walked over to Wu Chenggang.
"Is there a suitable place to rest nearby?"
Wu Chenggang pointed to a mountain ahead. "If we circle around this mountain, there's a valley with a stream and a spring. It’s quite cool there."
"We'll rest in the valley at noon and set out again at the hour of the Rooster."
Walking under the scorching sun wouldn't make them go faster; it would only lead to heatstroke, which would be counterproductive.
Now that they had burned bridges with the Emperor, there was no need to strictly follow the exile rule of walking fifty li daily. They could do whatever made them comfortable.
Climbing the mountain was strenuous. After about an hour, they finally reached the valley.
Though the valley was cool, the stream had already dried up.
The trees along the banks looked lush, but the grass on the ground was withered and yellow.
It was clear a drought had persisted for too long.
Wu Chenggang said, "The spring is not far ahead. Let me go check on it first."
He was worried the water level had dropped too low for the spring to overflow.
Han Chong quickly followed. "I'll go with you."
Everyone else found a spot to rest.
Ye Chutang said to Qi Yanzhou, "Let's head deeper into the valley. It'll be more convenient to fetch water later."
But the valley path was rugged, making it impossible to pull the cart in.
Qi Jingyao volunteered, "I'll stay and watch the luggage."
Ye Chutang figured the Imperial Guard would also need someone to guard their supplies, and that person could keep an eye on Qi Jingyao, so she nodded.
"Fine, thirty wen."
The entrance to the valley had sparse trees and the temperature was higher, so the labor cost was a bit steeper.
The six members of the Qi family took their cooking ingredients and tools and headed deeper into the valley.
They also invited Qi Qingyu and her family of four.
The Chen family, thinking it would be cooler deeper in the valley and easier to fetch water, grabbed their bags and followed.
The Zhao family found a large, leafy tree and rested beneath it.
Ever since Zhao Mingxu had left earlier with Zhao Qingshu’s body, the Zhao family had been reduced to eating only dark wheat buns.
Ye Chutang had also made the Zhao and Ye families suffer through an illness.
Now, with their gaunt, sallow faces, they looked like refugees.
But they thought about how their days of hard travel were ending soon, and their eyes lit up.
"We'll finally reach Dingzhou City. I hope nothing else goes wrong."
The journey here had been fraught with danger. It was a miracle they had made it to Dingzhou alive.
"The master has gone ahead to Dingzhou to make arrangements. Our good days are almost here."
As the Zhao family fantasized about life in Dingzhou City, their gazes fell on Ye Siyin, who was carrying the child of the deceased.
"She's carrying the Zhao family's only bloodline. I wonder if she can stay in Dingzhou?"
"Of course not! She's still a convicted criminal and must first be exiled to Linzhou City."
"As the baby grows, her body won't be able to handle it. It will be hard to keep the child."
"That can't be helped. It's her own fault for being indiscreet. If she dies, she deserves it!"
The speaker was Zhao Mingxu's concubine.
She had not only had her private savings taken away but had also been abandoned during the plague outbreak. Her hatred for Zhao Mingxu was immense.
Naturally, she couldn't care less about the Zhao family's last descendant.
Zhu Rong had just lost both her son and daughter. Ye Siyin's unborn child was her only remaining hope.
She slapped the concubine who had spoken so harshly.
"If you can't say anything nice, shut up!"
No sooner had she spoken than the concubine slapped her back.
"Slap!"
The sharp sound rang out. Zhu Rong was stunned, instinctively covering her cheek.
"You... you..."
The concubine snorted coldly. "You what? Now you have neither son nor daughter, and your grandchild might not even survive. What right do you have to compare yourself to me, who still has a daughter?"
The Zhao family might have fallen, but her daughter shared a drop of the royal blood. Marrying a good husband wouldn't be hard.
And she, the mother, would rise in status because of her daughter!
Zhu Rong was left speechless, feeling both sorrowful and humiliated.
Ye Siyin walked over to Zhu Rong and helped her up.
"Auntie Zhao, why don't you come with me?"
Since Zhao Qingshu's death, Ye Siyin had been very attentive to Zhu Rong's feelings, and a good relationship had developed between them.
The two sat down under a tree.
Zhu Rong gently stroked Ye Siyin's flat belly, her eyes nearly overflowing with grief.
"Yin'er, I will definitely preserve your and Qingshu's child!"
This was her son's posthumous child. There could be no mistakes. She had to find a way to keep Ye Siyin in Dingzhou City for the birth!
But she couldn't openly defy the Emperor's orders.
How was she to do it?
Ye Siyin watched Zhu Rong struggling to think of a plan, and a glint of cunning flickered in her eyes.
"Auntie Zhao, I will do my best to protect the child too, but life and death are fated..."
She didn't get to finish before Zhu Rong covered her mouth.
"Don't say that. The child will be born safely."
Seeing that Zhu Rong hadn't caught on to her hint, Ye Siyin pushed her hand away and looked down at her belly.
"If the child dies, I will die too!"
She deliberately emphasized the word "die."
"Pah, pah, pah! Don't say such unlucky things. None of this dying business, we all have to live!"
As she said this, a flash of inspiration struck her. She thought of a way to keep Ye Siyin in Dingzhou.
Faking death and living under a new identity!
Zhu Rong leaned close to Ye Siyin's ear and whispered, "Yin'er, when we reach Dingzhou City, I'll have my husband arrange for you to fake your death."
Ye Siyin saw that Zhu Rong had understood her hint, and her anxious heart settled.
She pretended to worry about the Zhao family for a moment, then said, "Auntie Zhao, the idea of faking death is good, but it can't implicate the Zhao family. I have a better plan."
Zhu Rong was excited. "Tell me quickly."
Ye Siyin plucked a withered blade of grass from the ground and placed it in Zhu Rong's hand.
She said nothing, but Zhu Rong understood her meaning.
Start a mountain fire!
Her hand, clutching the withered grass, trembled slightly. She was hesitant about setting such a blaze.
The mountain ranges stretched endlessly, with many villages nestled in the valleys. If a fire broke out, countless people would likely die.
She didn't care about the lives of others, but wanted to accumulate good karma for her only grandson.
Ye Siyin noticed Zhu Rong gripping the withered grass in silence, so she moved Zhu Rong's hand from her belly.
"Aunt Zhao, please rest well. The child is mine, and I will protect him."
Zhu Rong caught the undertone in Ye Siyin's words: the child would have nothing to do with the Zhao family from now on!
She immediately grabbed Ye Siyin's wrist. "Yin'er, don't be angry. I... I was just..."
Ye Siyin smiled as she caressed her belly.
"I'm not angry. I understand your dilemma, Aunt Zhao. Whether you keep the child to preserve the Zhao lineage or bring him to reunite with Qingshu, I can accept either."
The veiled threat landed on Zhu Rong's ears, forcing her to concede immediately.
"Yin'er, don't leave just yet. Stay and chat a while longer with me."
Hearing this, Ye Siyin knew she had succeeded.
She leaned against a thick tree trunk, tilting her head toward Zhu Rong, her eyes scanning the surroundings warily to ensure no one overheard.
"Aunt Zhao, please go ahead."
Zhu Rong looked toward the Ye family and asked Ye Siyin,
"Yin'er, your grandmother is a burden to the Ye family, isn't she?"
As a woman who had held her position as the head wife in the back courtyard of the Prince An manor, surrounded by fawning concubines, Zhu Rong was no fool.
Using others as a scapegoat was one of her common tactics.
Ye Jingchuan had once been a filial son, but along the journey of exile, Old Madam Ye had become nothing but a hindrance. His patience had long worn thin.
Concubine Jiang and Ye Siyin had also grown tired of the old lady's self-righteousness and bossiness.
But the weight of "filial piety" forced them to endure.
Ye Siyin understood Zhu Rong's implication but didn't respond.
Zhu Rong continued, "Yin'er, both of my children are gone. My only hope now is Qingshu's flesh and blood."
The unspoken message was clear: she was more valuable alive.
The two concubines and three illegitimate daughters of the Zhao family were not easy to deal with.
Ye Siyin took Zhu Rong's hand and said with a smile, "Aunt Zhao, you're right. I'll go discuss this with my father now."
She kept Zhu Rong around mainly to rely on the powerful Zhu family as her backing.
After rising, she glanced at the depths of the valley, a faint smile curling her pink lips.
The narrow valley amplified the wind speed, creating a draft.
If she set the withered grass on fire, the wind would help the flames spread rapidly.
With luck, the fire might even burn Ye Chutang to death!
With this thought, Ye Siyin immediately went to discuss the arson plan with Ye Jingchuan.
After hearing her out, Ye Jingchuan thought it was unreliable.
The escorts were highly skilled martial artists. The fire would likely be extinguished as soon as it started.
And faking death was no easy feat.
She would have to outrun the spreading flames and the skilled guards—an outright impossibility!
"Yin'er, don't bother with something so hopeless."
Though his mother was a burden, he wouldn't send her to her death.
Ye Siyin had anticipated Ye Jingchuan's refusal.
"Father, the Ye family can only rely on the Zhao family to turn things around. But if I lose the child in my womb, we'll forfeit our only bargaining chip.
And back in Dayang Town, Ye Chutang couldn't care less whether we live or die. Do you really think we'll make it safely to Linzhou City?"
These words reminded Ye Jingchuan of Ye Chutang's cruelty.
When he couldn't afford the herbal medicine to prevent the epidemic, he had been sick to the point of death.
He had begged Ye Chutang, even kneeling before her, but she hadn't shown an ounce of pity!
Seeing Ye Jingchuan wavering, Ye Siyin pressed on.
"Father, let's fake death together. Stay in Dingzhou, change our names, and start anew."
The idea tempted Ye Jingchuan.
He glanced at his mother, who was fussing over the food, and irritation surged within him. He decided to take the risk.
If it succeeded, he could escape this life of coarse food and misery.
If it failed, he'd only lose a burdensome mother.
After hesitating for a long moment, Ye Jingchuan nodded.
"Alright, I'll talk to your grandmother. She'll agree."
Ye Siyin grabbed Ye Jingchuan's sleeve and shook it playfully.
"Father, go now. The wind and terrain are perfect for faking death."
The wind would blow the fire into the deep valley where Ye Chutang was.
The valley was dense with trees and thick shrubs—easy to hide in and escape from.
Ye Jingchuan found the reasoning sound and immediately went to Old Madam Ye.
He wouldn't, of course, directly ask his mother to risk her life. Instead, he claimed he couldn't bear to see her suffer and would set the fire himself, then take her along to fake death together.
Old Madam Ye naturally didn't suspect her only son.
She had long grown tired of her miserable life and agreed at once.
"Chuan'er, let me set the fire. If I'm discovered, don't worry about me—pretend you know nothing."
Ye Jingchuan argued weakly for appearances before yielding to the "pressure" of filial piety.
"Mother, we'll succeed."
With that, he called for the three Ye family members to move deeper into the valley.
The escorting guards were stationed either at the valley's entrance or near the spring.
He needed to pick a resting spot in the middle, where fewer guards could watch.
As the Ye family took their midday rations of black wheat flatbreads and moved further into the valley, the scout from the Guardian Army hidden in the trees silently slipped away to report to Han Chong.
Ever since Ye Siyin failed in her scheme against Qi He'an, Ye Chutang, knowing full well her scheming nature, had the Guardian Army secretly monitor her.
Ye Chutang had long known that Ye Siyin had drugged Zhao Qingshu,
but since it didn't concern her, she hadn't meddled.
Now, having barely escaped with her life in Dayang Town, Ye Siyin was already plotting something wicked again.
The drought had lasted months. Not just the grass but even the shrubs had withered away.
The tree leaves were limp, their moisture nearly evaporated, making them highly flammable.
With the wind's help, once a wildfire broke out, it would spread rapidly,
not only burning away the entire mountain and killing its animals
but also dooming the villagers living near the hills—suffocated, burned alive, or starved to death,
since the mountains were their livelihood.
Ye Chutang suppressed the fury churning within her. "Watch the Ye family. Whoever starts the fire gets burned—but don't let them die."
Death would be an easy end, an escape.
Living, in torment, was the true punishment.
The Guardian Army received her order and left at once.
Qi Yanzhou was about to ask Ye Chutang how she planned to deal with the Ye family when Sun Chu's frantic shouts rang out,
"Turn back! Head the other way! A wildfire—a huge one—is closing in!"
His voice carried with internal force, piercing the eardrums.
Clearly, Sun Chu was far from the valley yet, but the danger was so dire he had to use his martial power.
"A Tang, I'll find higher ground for a look. Take your parents toward the valley entrance first,"
Qi Yanzhou said, leaping into the trees toward the canopy.
Ye Chutang, still seated on the ground, pressed her palm to the earth,
sensing the temperature of the soil around her.
