At the end of autumn, night fell especially early. It seemed as though the sun had dropped behind the western hills in the blink of an eye....
At the end of autumn, night fell especially early. It seemed as though the sun had dropped behind the western hills in the blink of an eye. Before long, Longtian Town was shrouded in darkness.
When Ye Shi arrived in Longtian Town, she did not stay at an inn, but lodged with a farmer instead. Shang Da thought staying at an inn was too risky, and lodging with a farming family would be safer and more secure.
Shang Da did not return until midnight. Upon entering the room and seeing Ye Shi, he said, "We'll have to wait two days. Then we'll cross Menghu Mountain together with the refugees."
Feeling uneasy, Ye Shi asked, "Did something happen?" Before Shang Da had left, he had said they could cross Menghu Mountain the next day, but now he was saying they had to wait two more days—something must have gone wrong.
Lowering his voice, Shang Da explained, "Bandits had captured Lu Shi's party. They had demanded a ransom of 200,000 taels of silver from Madam. Because of this, the authorities are conducting very strict inspections, checking everyone crossing Menghu Mountain individually."
Ye Shi's expression changed. "Then can we pass through safely?" Yuxi had only been willing to pay two hundred thousand taels to ransom Lu Xiu because she had her two sons with her. Now that Ye Shi was alone, Yuxi might not be willing to pay to redeem her.
Shang Da said, "Don't worry. As long as you follow my instructions, nothing will happen." Ye Shi had been ill for a long time and had not had proper rest. She had grown so thin that she was little more than skin and bones. Her illness had not yet healed fully, and her complexion was sallow. If she put on shabby clothes, she would look no different from the starving refugees. The real problem was not Ye Shi, but Mama Li. Mama Li had been well cared for and looked prosperous and well-fed. Even after such a long journey, she had hardly lost any weight. At this point, even if Mama Li wore worn-out clothes, she still didn't look like an elderly woman who had suffered hardship.
Mama Li panicked slightly. "What should we do then?" She had always considered a plump body a blessing, but never imagined it could one day endanger her life.
Shang Da replied, "Let Da Nainai1 go through first. You can cross a couple of days later. I'll go ahead and arrange a new identity for you. Even if you're caught by bandits, we'll send people to ransom you." If the bandits of Menghu Mountain were to capture Mama Li, they would most likely assume that she was an elderly woman from a wealthy household. As long as everything was arranged properly, it would only cost a hundred taels of silver to redeem her.
Seeing Mama Li's face turn pale, Shang Da comforted her, "Don't worry. These bandits are only after money. As long as someone pays the ransom, they will release the person." Bandits need to honour their word, too. If they took ransoms and refused to release their captives, no one would pay ransoms in future. Therefore, Shang Da was not worried about Mama Li's safety.
Ye Shi said guiltily, "Mama Li, I've dragged you into this."
Although frightened, Mama Li did not blame Ye Shi. "Da Nainai1, what are you saying? I'm staying of my own free will. Besides, Brother Shanda has already said nothing will happen."
In Lüliang City, Shang Da found a local man surnamed Hu, named Mang. He had an elderly mother and was unmarried. Unable to survive in his hometown, he had heard that life was better in Yanzhou City, so he planned to take his mother there to find a way to make a living. He sold all his possessions to raise enough money for the journey.
Shang Da approached Hu Mang, promising him a large sum of money in exchange for escorting Ye Shi across Menghu Mountain. Although he felt it was dangerous, Hu Mang agreed because he believed that, if they succeeded, he and his mother would no longer have to worry about their livelihood, and he might even be able to afford to marry. With hardly any hesitation, Hu Mang agreed.
However, another problem arose. The bandits of Menghu Mountain were all shrewd and cunning. Not only did they inspect people carefully, but they also made travellers speak. Ye Shi spoke pure capital-city accent, so the moment she opened her mouth, she gave herself away.
On the day they prepared to cross Menghu Mountain, Shang Da reminded Ye Shi, "When we pass Menghu Mountain, you must not speak, understand?" Given how Ye Shi looked now, unless someone knew her personally, no one would believe that she had once been a duke's wife.
Ye Shi was physically weak, and after walking for half the day, she could no longer go on. Seeing that they had already fallen behind the group, Hu Mang crouched down, indicating that he would carry Ye Shi on his back.
Given Ye Shi's upbringing, the idea of being carried by a man, let alone touched by one, was unthinkable. She immediately shook her head at Hu Mang to indicate that she did not need his help.
However, Hu Mang ignored her wishes and forcibly hoisted her onto his back. They were already lagging behind the others. If they delayed any further, they would not reach the nearest village even if they crossed Menghu Mountain safely. Spending the night in the wilderness would put their lives in grave danger.
As they neared the inspection point, Ye Shi pretended to faint. The leader asked Hu Mang, "Who are these two people to you?" Due to malnutrition, Hu Mang and his mother were extremely thin and sallow-faced, much like Ye Shi, who had not yet fully recovered from a serious illness.
Hu Mang briefly explained who the two people were, then took out the toll money. As the bandit reached out to take the money, Hu Mang's mother told him, "Have your wife get down."
Hu Mang dared not resist and put Ye Shi down. As a result, Ye Shi collapsed limply onto the ground. This time it was not an act—she had genuinely fainted from the heat.
Hu Mang's mother rattled on with a stream of chatter.
The bandit grew impatient as well and waved his hand, saying, "Go on, hurry and go." It was also because Ye Shi's current appearance was extremely convincing.
After crossing Menghu Mountain, they entered the northwestern territory, where troops were stationed on guard. Summoning his courage, Hu Mang approached the garrison's commanding officer.
The officer guarding the border was one of Liu Yongnan's trusted subordinates. Upon hearing that the people had been sent by Shang Da, he did not dare delay and immediately escorted them to the county town.
After receiving the news, Han Hao immediately went to confirm their identities. Upon seeing that it was indeed Ye Shi, he promptly honoured Shang Da's promise by giving Hu Mang one hundred taels of silver.
Seeing Ye Shi unconscious and unresponsive, Qiu Shi cried uncontrollably. Along this journey, their entire family, young and old, had suffered tremendously.
Han Hao comforted her, "Old Lady, the physician has already examined her. The Eldest Lady is not in danger; as long as she rests properly for a while, she will be fine. Momo Quan, who serves Si Gunainai2, is especially skilled at nursing the body. Once we reach Haocheng, the Eldest Lady will recover quickly." In truth, Ye Shi's condition was extremely serious—Han Hao had merely spoken these words to comfort Qiu Shi.
Lu Xiu also tried to persuade her from the side, saying, "Mom, don't cry anymore. If Dasao3 wakes up and sees you crying, she will surely be distressed as well. Although the journey was difficult, from now on we won't have to live in fear. All the suffering we endured was worth it." At the very least, the whole family had arrived safely in the northwest.
Qiu Shi wiped away her tears and said, "You're right. Once your Dasao3's health has improved, we'll go to Haocheng." Fortunately, the two places were not far apart, and the journey by carriage would only take about ten days. This time was different from before—the roads were safe, and there was no longer any need to worry about bandits.
The next day, Yuxi received the news that Ye Shi had arrived in Suiyuan. She said to Han Jianming, "Dage4, Dasao3 has reached Suiyuan, but her condition isn't very optimistic. Dage4, put aside what you're working on and hurry to Suiyuan!"
Han Jianming's face instantly turned pale. "Is your Dasao3's life in danger?" At that moment, he felt especially regretful. Had he known that Ye Shi's body wouldn't be able to endure the journey, he would have let her stay in Baoding to recuperate. Although there was danger, it might not necessarily become critical.
Yuxi hurriedly shook her head. "Liu Yongnan only said that Dasao3 is seriously ill. He didn't say her life is in danger. But I think that if Dage4 could be by her side right now, she would be very happy." When a person's spirits improve, the body naturally recovers more quickly. Yuxi's earlier injuries healed so fast, not only because of the miraculous medicine, but also thanks to Yun Qing.
If Ye Shi were merely unwell, Han Jianming certainly would not abandon his current affairs to go to Suiyuan. However, Yuxi's words just now made him feel uneasy. "The physicians in Suiyuan are probably not very skilled. I'll bring a physician with me."
Yuxi nodded. "Dage4, I've already sent someone to invite Physician He." She had already selected a five-courtyard residence for Han Jianming. However, since he was alone in Haocheng, he temporarily stayed at the Governor-General's residence.
Han Jianming said, "Then, once Physician He arrives, I'll set off!" There was no time to lose—if the illness worsened due to a delay, it would be too late for regret.
Yuxi hurried back to the rear courtyard to fetch a packet of medicinal powder and said to Han Jianming, "Dasao3's body is weak. When she wakes up, divide this packet into three portions and brew it for her to drink." For a normal person, one small packet would suffice, but for a patient, dividing it into thirds was about right.
Han Jianming took it and expressed his gratitude, "Yuxi, thank you." Without needing to be told, he knew it was something valuable.
Yuxi shook her head. "Dage4, why thank each other within a family? I only hope Dasao3 will be safe." She herself bore some responsibility for Dasao3 having to endure so much suffering.
Han Jianming nodded. "Don't worry—your Dasao3 will definitely be fine."
When Momo Quan learned that Yuxi had sent out two packets of medicinal powder, she felt distressed. "Take it easy in future—don't give any more away. Every packet you give away is one less you have left."
Yuxi said, "Dasao3 suffered this hardship because of me. If anything were to happen to her, I'd feel guilty for the rest of my life." There was not much of the fleshy lingzhi left now. Yuxi no longer consumed it herself, saving it for emergencies.
Momo Quan disagreed. "Coming to the northwest was their own choice—you didn't force them. Why should you feel guilty?"
Yuxi said, "I won't do it again." Seeing that Momo Quan was about to continue, Yuxi quickly changed the subject. "Did Momo talk to Zhang Liniang about that matter I mentioned a few days ago?"
Momo Quan answered, "Liniang didn't agree. She said she would never marry again in this lifetime. After experiencing such harm, it's perfectly understandable that she doesn't want to marry again." Momo Quan had originally trained Zhang Liniang to be Yuxi's assistant. Now, Zhang Liniang helped Mama Qu manage household affairs and was set to take her place once Mama Qu stepped down due to old age.
Hearing this answer, Yuxi said nothing more. Since Zhang Liniang herself did not agree, Xu Daniu would have to give up on her completely.
Footnotes Full List
- 大 (dà): eldest, 奶奶 (nǎinai): young mistress of a house
- 四 (sì): Fourth, 姑奶奶 (gūnǎinai): (respectful form of address for a married woman used by members of her parents' family) married daughter
- 大嫂 (dàsǎo): eldest sister-in-law
- 大哥 (dàge): Eldest Brother
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