Qing Luo and Han Yan also reacted swiftly. At this moment, they couldn’t worry about anything else. They cleverly jabbed their elbows into the belly of the person behind them, striking them backward and temporarily gaining some space, then pulled Song Chuyi up with one motion.

But no matter how skilled their martial arts were, in a place where people were pressed together like this, they were of little use. Having pulled her up and now leading a small child as well, their progress was truly laborious, step by step. Han Yan was somewhat struggling and was about to discuss with Song Chuyi about putting the child down to walk on their own when she saw Song Chuyi had already stopped.

“Following along like this isn’t a solution either. Let’s go to the side and find somewhere to take shelter.” She was gripping the child’s hand. The child was crying terribly, gasping for air, clearly frightened badly.

Han Yan instinctively shook her head: “That won’t do, Miss. If the fire spreads to this area, it will be terrible—”

But continuing forward wasn’t a solution either. To abandon this child, with people all around, as soon as they let go the child would lose their life. Song Chuyi tightened her grip on the child’s hand and made a decisive decision: “The fire won’t spread here, look.”

Han Yan and Qing Luo looked in the direction her finger pointed. Indeed, they could no longer see the sky-high flames. But the black ash floating everywhere with the wind, becoming even more conspicuous under the lantern light, still burrowed directly into people’s nostrils and mouths. They both worriedly advised Song Chuyi to reconsider: “The fire is burning too fiercely. An entire street has been affected. Didn’t Wangyue say that this street mostly sells silk and fabric, plus there are oil shops? Once those catch fire it becomes even more terrible, with so many people…”

As they walked, they were pushed along by the crowd for another stretch. Song Chuyi frowned: “No need for more talk, we’ll do it this way!”

Qing Luo and Han Yan had no choice. They had both been given to Song Chuyi by Zhou Weizhao. Back in Yangquan, they had already made the mistake of acting on their own initiative once. Now hearing Song Chuyi speak in such a tone, they couldn’t bring themselves to disobey. They could only do everything possible to protect Song Chuyi and the child as they squeezed into a shop on the side.

Fortunately, Song Chuyi never joked with her own life or others’ lives. Before long, Qing Zhuo’s voice was already ringing out downstairs, calling out heart-rendingly for Sixth Miss, Sixth Miss. Qing Luo’s martial arts were originally excellent, so she immediately distinguished his voice. Her heart relaxed as she responded and quickly went downstairs, indeed finding Qing Zhuo.

Qing Zhuo was so exhausted his hair was soaked with sweat. Having found Qing Luo, the sweat on his forehead dripped with a plop into his eyes. The stinging made him rub vigorously with his sleeve. Taking the water Han Yan handed over, he gulped down an entire pot without stopping for breath. Wiping his mouth and exhaling, he finally felt his throat wasn’t smoking anymore: “Oh my heavens! Thank goodness I found you!”

As he spoke, he asked them: “Where is Sixth Miss?”

Qing Luo hurriedly pointed upstairs, while involuntarily breathing a sigh of relief: “Fortunately you came. How is it outside now? Sixth Miss also stopped Madam Chang’s group, not letting them go outside…”

Qing Luo didn’t finish the rest of her sentence. She wanted to say that Song Chuyi was truly taking too great a risk. If something went wrong with the Chief Minister’s wife and children, this account would inevitably be put on Song Chuyi’s head. At that time, who knew how great the impact on Zhou Weizhao would be? Song Chuyi was taking risks herself and dragging the Chang family along with her—it was truly unwise.

Qing Zhuo blinked, unable to help beaming with joy: “Outside, people from the Five City Military Commissioner’s Office and Shuntian Prefecture have all arrived. Quite a few people were trampled to death. Right now they’re still busy using their staffs to maintain order, but with so many people, how can they hold them back in a short time?” He sighed, then belatedly reacted to the second half of Qing Luo’s words and asked: “What did you say? Madam Chang and her group are also here? Oh, that’s wonderful! Master Chang nearly cried from anxiety. He went with the constables from Shuntian Prefecture all the way to find his mother and wife. Fortunately Sixth Miss stopped them. The fire has now been mostly extinguished and won’t spread here. But if they had run out, with them being so delicate and weak, accustomed to comfort and privilege, what if they got pushed and fell?!”

After speaking, he went up to first pay his respects to Song Chuyi. Seeing that Song Chuyi was indeed unharmed, he finally felt relieved: “His Highness was extremely anxious. He went to Chongyin Hall first and searched all the way here. He said once you saw the fire had diminished, you definitely wouldn’t keep following the crowd. We split up to search shop by shop. He’s probably still ahead right now. I’ll go tell him—he’s been terribly worried.”

Madam Chang hugged her little granddaughter. Seeing Qing Zhuo come over to bow and pay his respects to her, and even say her son was also searching, she quickly said: “Then I’ll trouble you, young master, to inform him and tell him we’re all fine…”

At first she had worried they would be burned to death here, but now she truly felt some fear—if they hadn’t listened to Song Chuyi’s words and run out earlier, it would have been truly dire—they were all women after all. Though they had brought servants, how could they be adequately protected? Pushed by the crowd, who knows what might have happened? As Song Chuyi said, there were even plenty of those taking advantage of the chaos to kidnap people…

Thinking of this, she hurriedly expressed her thanks to Song Chuyi again: “Many thanks to Sixth Miss for being willing to remind us…”

Song Chuyi had only discovered Madam Chang and her group rushing outside in a panic after entering this shop. She had naturally urged them strongly to stay. At this moment, hearing this, she didn’t feel angry about Madam Chang and the eldest Chang daughter-in-law’s earlier distrust. Smiling slightly, she shook her head: “What of it? It’s all as it should be. Though I was willing to persuade, you also had to be willing to listen to persuasion.”

Having received Song Chuyi’s permission, Qing Zhuo had already rushed out, not forgetting to turn back and instruct them: “Don’t go anywhere. It’s chaotic outside…”

As he spoke, he said no more. They were all unpleasant matters. Speaking of them would only upset people. Better not to say anything.

Ye Jingchuan was also leading Lu Chonghua to search for Song Chuyi shop by shop. Even the jade crown on his head had come loose without him realizing it and been snatched away by someone’s hand.

It wasn’t that he had guessed Song Chuyi would find a western shop where the fire hadn’t yet spread to hide. It was Lu Chonghua who had reminded him. He turned his head to look once, confirming Lu Chonghua was fine, then rushed forward several more steps.

Lu Chonghua walked until her feet were nearly broken. With great difficulty she caught sight of Qing Zhuo’s figure. Manyue let out a soft cry, nearly weeping with joy: “Miss! Isn’t that Qing Zhuo?”

Ye Jingchuan also looked in the direction she indicated and indeed saw Qing Zhuo, and also saw Han Yan who had seen Qing Zhuo out. He couldn’t help but stop in his tracks.

Lu Chonghua was also forced to stop, looking at him in confusion—earlier it had been he who frantically wanted to find someone, and now that they had apparently found her, why wasn’t he moving forward?

Before she could ask, Ye Jingchuan turned around. Belatedly, he touched his hair that was already hopelessly disheveled, then looked at Lu Chonghua. Not knowing what he was thinking, he lowered his shoulders and said softly: “Miss Lu, let me escort you home?”

What a fool.