As the sound of hooves drew closer, Concubine Jiang strained her eyes looking for the arrival.
But when the horses finally approached, she saw that the person coming was Sun Chu.
Sun Chu tied the two horses to a nearby spot.
He hurried over to Ye Chutang and said, "We found the person who started the fire."
Ye Chutang blinked at Sun Chu and deliberately asked, "Was it that bastard emperor who ordered the arson?"
Sun Chu understood the look in Ye Chutang's eyes and nodded with certainty.
"Besides that swine, who else could it be!"
He then glanced around and asked, "Got anything to eat? I'm starving."
Concubine Xu quickly handed him some meat pies and fruit.
"Master Sun, there's plenty of food left. Please, help yourself."
After thanking her, Sun Chu took the food and wolfed it down.
"Any water?"
Ye Chutang handed him the waterskin filled with river water.
Just in case he complained that this water didn't taste as good as the spring water from before and gave something away, she immediately asked, "Can you get the fire under control?"
Sun Chu's throat was parched beyond belief—he couldn't even taste what the water was like, only that it didn't make him feel as refreshed.
But this wasn't the time to worry about that.
He returned the empty waterskin to Ye Chutang.
"It'll definitely be controlled. So long as the wind doesn't shift, the wildfire won't spread within two hours."
Even though the fire covered a large area, Dayang Town had plenty of residents, and there were plenty of troops stationed nearby as well.
Pooling their efforts to contain the wildfire wasn't too difficult.
Ye Chutang felt completely relieved.
"Good, as long as it's contained. Were there any civilian casualties?"
"No casualties. The fire started from one village—dry weather, lack of water. The villagers knew they couldn't put it out, so they evacuated right away."
After saying this, Sun Chu pulled a map from his chest and returned it to Ye Chutang.
"How did Madam Qi calculate the position of the firebreak?"
It was too precise!
It would have taken modern mathematics and physics combined with geography to calculate it with such exactness.
And without that knowledge, no ancient person could have figured it out.
Ye Chutang knew that her identity as a time-traveler would eventually be exposed.
After all, the poems she'd written and the famous couplets she'd left behind all came from the modern world.
If Sun Chu did a little digging, he'd realize they were "fellow travelers from the same era."
But she wasn't planning to admit it now—she'd wait until Sun Chu found proof and confronted her.
"The situation was urgent—I didn't have time to calculate anything. I just drew it by hand."
That explanation wouldn't fool anyone, not even a ghost.
Sun Chu didn't get his answer, but he became even more suspicious that Ye Chutang was also from the modern era.
He figured word about Ye Chutang would reach him soon enough, so he didn't press further.
"Who else came back besides me?"
Ye Chutang glanced at the horses lying exhausted on the ground and said, "Azhou. He went upriver to wash off in the water hole. You should go clean up too, if you want."
Sun Chu wasn't all that dirty, but he reeked of sweat.
He couldn't stand the smell, so he rubbed his nose and said, "Alright, I'll go after I finish eating."
"And while you're at it, bring back a bucket of water for the horses."
"Got it."
After finishing his meal, Sun Chu grabbed his clothes and headed upriver.
He hadn't walked far before he saw Qi Yanzhou, already done washing.
"Young Master Qi, hand me the bucket. I'm going to rinse off."
Qi Yanzhou was carrying a full bucket of water, planning to use it for cooking.
"Hold on a moment, I'll empty this out."
He set up the iron pot and poured the water into it.
The leftover water was put into a basin to mix with flour later.
"Han Chong and the others will be back soon, and they're all hungry. Let's make some dough drop soup."
Concubine Xu quickly agreed. "Alright, I'll start right away."
After Sun Chu left with the bucket, Qi He'an and Old Master Qi went to gather dead branches.
Old Madam Qi and Concubine Xu prepared the ingredients for the dough drop soup.
Besides mixing the flour into small dough pieces, they could also throw in some greens and diced meat to flavor the broth.
Ye Chutang hadn't cooked in a long time—it was usually Concubine Xu and Qi He'an who handled the cooking, with the Qi elders helping, and Qi Jingyao doing the heavy work.
Dough drop soup was easy enough to make, so she didn't call Qi Jingyao over.
Seeing that Qi Yanzhou looked unwell, Ye Chutang led him aside to sit down and took his pulse.
"Your pulse is rapid and you have a feverish feel. What did you do to nearly trigger your fire poison?"
Qi Yanzhou turned his wrist over, palm facing up.
His palms were covered in burst blisters, painful to look at.
"I was only thinking about cutting down trees as fast as possible so I could stop the wildfire—I pushed my inner energy too far."
He'd felt his body give off warning signs back then, and even if Han Chong hadn't shown up, he would have rested.
"Don't worry, A'Tang. A little rest and I'll be fine."
"Wait here, I'll get the ointment."
Ye Chutang had brought the bundle of medicine with her, and from it she pulled out a bottle of wound-healing powder and a roll of silk bandage.
She poured the brown powder over the wounds on Qi Yanzhou's palms, spread it evenly, and wrapped it up.
"Don't get this wet. It'll heal in two or three days."
Qi Yanzhou hummed in acknowledgment and asked, "Did Sun Chu bring news about who started the fire?"
He didn't think it was the accursed emperor.
After all, the grand gift he'd sent to the capital had only just arrived—even if the emperor wanted to retaliate, word couldn't have gotten back this fast.
And besides, having suffered two crushing defeats already, the emperor wouldn't dare do something that harmed the people and harmed himself.
Ye Chutang hadn't gotten the real answer from Sun Chu, but she shared Qi Yanzhou's opinion.
She leaned close to Qi Yanzhou and whispered, "It was probably villagers who accidentally started the fire. We'll ask Sun Chu when he gets back."
Then she said, "Are we resting here for the night?"
Qi Yanzhou nodded. "Mhm. Han Chong and the others are all worn out—we need a night of rest."
Just as he finished speaking, the clatter of messy hoofbeats rang out.
It was Han Chong arriving first with the mounted men, all coming to the river channel.
Everyone was covered in dust and exhaustion.
The horses were spent too, lying on the ground and panting heavily, white foam dripping from their mouths.
Qi Yanzhou stood up and walked toward Han Chong.
"There's a big water hole upriver. Go wash off in a bit, then come back for some dough drop soup."
The soup was still too hot, so it needed a little time to cool.
Han Chong's filthy face was streaked with clean lines where sweat had run through the grime.
He wiped his face with his sleeve, only making it dirtier.
"Alright. Did you stop the fire on the other sides?"
Seeing how cracked Han Chong's lips were, Qi Yanzhou handed him his father's waterskin.
"The fire's under control now. Seven hilltops burned in total, but there were no casualties."
"At least all that work wasn't wasted."
Han Chong took the waterskin, barely wetting his throat before passing it to his men.
Suddenly, he caught a whiff of blood and frowned. "Someone's injured?"
Ye Chutang chimed in, "Ye Siyin had a miscarriage."
Han Chong had no interest in such irrelevant matters and changed the subject.
"Young Master Qi, what do you plan to do with this wildfire?"
"Simple—bring the truth to the people."
Qi Yanzhou smiled as he spoke, then silently mouthed two words: "The Emperor."
The emperor was always making others take the blame, wasn't he?
Well, let him taste that same bitterness for once!
Han Chong thought Qi Yanzhou's approach was excellent, but right now he was more worried about the situation in the Northern Chen kingdom.
With the royal family having lost all their prestige, many people would rise up in defiance against tyranny, throwing the realm into chaos.
Take the grain prices, which directly affect people's livelihoods, for example.
If the government refused to recognize the imperial decree controlling grain prices, and the merchants ignored the government's restrictions, the Kingdom of Beichen would descend into chaos.
In the end, the common people would be the ones to suffer.
Han Chong shared his concerns with Qi Yanzhou.
"Young Master Qi, shouldn't we put someone forward to stand against the royal family?"
Although it wasn't the right time to overthrow the crown, if a force could emerge to rival the emperor, it would be good for the people.
Qi Yanzhou had considered this matter as well, but he hadn't yet found a suitable person to take on such a heavy responsibility.
The choice of a new emperor had to be made with extreme caution; if the wrong person was chosen, it could well backfire.
He didn't refute Han Chong but instead asked, "Do you have someone in mind?"
Han Chong remained silent, staring intently at Qi Yanzhou.
Once Qi Yanzhou understood his meaning, he shook his head. "Wait a little longer. The right person will appear."
Han Chong had already anticipated this answer.
After all, Qi Yanzhou had previously made it clear he had no interest in the throne.
He looked toward Ye Chutang under the tree, hoping she might persuade Qi Yanzhou.
But Ye Chutang had even less interest in the palace walls and simply ignored Han Chong.
Han Chong sighed inwardly and asked Qi Yanzhou again.
"If the emperor ignores your threats and continues to move against the Qi family, what will you do?"
After the emperor's "stand-in plan" in Liangzhou had failed, Qi Yanzhou had threatened the emperor with rebellion.
But the emperor, unchanged in his ways, had then devised the "City-Burning Plan" in Dayang Town.
After Qi Yanzhou broke through that scheme and retaliated, would the emperor truly be intimidated?
The answer was definitely: No!
Qi Yanzhou knew very well the emperor wouldn't let the Qi family go so easily.
But after receiving the crown prince's head, the emperor would surely quiet down for a while—long enough for them to reach Tianshan Prefecture.
By then, even if the emperor wanted to move against the Qi family, he would lack the means.
"If the emperor refuses to change his ways, then we'll put a prince on the throne."
Han Chong raised an eyebrow. "Which prince does Young Master Qi choose?"
Qi Yanzhou answered without hesitation. "The Second Prince."
This answer was unexpected to Han Chong.
The Second Prince, Zhao Cheng'an, was even more vicious than the late deposed crown prince.
Not only did he form factions for private gain and rig the imperial examinations, but he also scoured for the blood of young boys to give the emperor for his alchemical pills in order to secure favor.
He even colluded with sinister Taoists, exploiting the emperor's love for Daoist immortality practices to do evil!
Han Chong asked in confusion, "Why him?"
Qi Yanzhou smiled. "Because he knows how to put on an act."
Though Zhao Cheng'an had no heart for the people, once he ascended the throne, he would pretend to be a benevolent ruler to salvage the royal family's reputation.
At least for three years, the people wouldn't be tormented.
That would also give Qi Yanzhou enough time to scheme behind the scenes—a win-win.
Though Han Chong didn't fully grasp Qi Yanzhou's reasoning, he trusted his decision.
At that moment, Sun Chu, who had finished washing, came back carrying a bucket of water.
He looked around and asked, "This bucket is too small for a horse. How are we supposed to water them?"
No sooner had he spoken than the Imperial Guard troops brought the things left in the valley down to the riverbank.
Qi Qingyu brought out the basin she used for washing clothes, and filled it with water for the horses.
Han Chong took the fodder from the cart, set it beside the basin, and then carried his clothes and the bucket to a pool upstream to rinse them.
Once the Imperial Guard troops left, the physician gave Ye Siyin medicine to prevent her from dying due to the miscarriage.
Before long, the man Wu Chenggang had sent to find a water source returned.
Half a li downstream, there was also a large pool.
But that spot was closer to the wildfire, and since no trees sheltered the pool above, the ash from the burned vegetation had drifted into it.
Ye Chutang didn't think it was a big deal.
Wood ash wasn't dirty; in fact, it purified water and had disinfectant properties.
"Just bring the water back and let it sit for a while," she said.
Then, she took two sheets of waterproof canvas from the cart and handed them to Qi He'an.
"Go find a spot for us to rest tonight and set up the canvas to block the falling ash."
Getting a bit dirty was fine, but accidentally inhaling the ash would be unpleasant.
Qi He'an took the canvas. "Alright, Second Sister-in-law."
He had only taken a couple of steps when he spotted a rabbit darting out of the woods.
With his modest martial arts skills, he swiftly grabbed the old rabbit by its long ears and hoisted it up.
"Haha, we'll have roast rabbit tonight!"
Sun Chu, watching the struggling rabbit trying to escape, said, "With those seven mountains burning, no doubt quite a few animals have fled. This is a good time for hunting. I'll go take a look."
With that, he ran off out of sight.
Hearing this, the Chen family members thought they could try their luck in the mountains—maybe they'd stumble upon something by sheer chance.
Ye Jingchuan was sick of eating black flour buns and wanted to try his luck in the mountains too.
After telling Wu Chenggang, the two of them went together.
They came back empty-handed.
But the Qi family and the Imperial Guard troops were already roasting meat.
Sun Chu's martial arts were formidable; catching game was like child's play to him.
He tied up over a dozen rabbits with vines and also caught two deer, bringing them all back.
Soon, the aroma of roasted meat spread through the air.
Except for the Zhao, Ye, and Chen families, everyone else got to eat roasted meat and drink thick noodle soup.
The next day.
Before dawn, Qi Yanzhou was already awake.
The air was thick with the smell of burnt wood, and the ground was covered in a layer of black ash.
Luckily, Ye Chutang had been foresighted enough to have the waterproof canvas stretched over their resting area.
The air felt warm—lingering heat from the wildfire.
He went to check the nearest firebreak.
The wildfire had already gone out, leaving behind charred earth and a few tall trees that hadn't burned through.
By the time Qi Yanzhou returned to the river, everyone had packed up and was ready to set off.
He used the water that had been set aside for him and washed up briefly.
Wu Chenggang looked at the moon still hanging in the sky and called out, "Move out!"
The road was also covered in ash, and as the group walked, they stirred up clouds of black dust that choked the lungs.
Around noon, the exile convoy finally made it out of the area affected by the wildfire.
Four days later, they arrived in Dingzhou.
Word of Qi Yanzhou leading everyone to stop the wildfire had already spread to Dingzhou City.
Many common folks had gathered at the city gate to welcome them, offering words of gratitude.
Even Dingzhou's Prefect, Zhu Hong, appeared at the city gate and personally escorted the Qi family to the courier station.
"Young Master Qi, if you need anything at all, just ask. The station master will do his utmost to oblige."
He might be the emperor's man, but he had to leave himself a way out.
Qi Yanzhou had no fondness for Zhu Hong and waved him off.
"Prefect Zhu, go attend to your duties. We'll be leaving early tomorrow morning."
In other words, as long as Zhu Hong didn't cause trouble, Qi Yanzhou wouldn't actively pick a fight.
That was exactly what Zhu Hong wanted to hear.
He had no desire to be implicated by Qi Yanzhou just because he served the emperor!
"Very well, rest up. I'll take my leave now."
After Zhu Hong left, Qi Yanzhou made sure the station wasn't being watched, then went out to find the old subordinates of the Qi family army.
