These people were quite strange, gathered around the fire basin eating and drinking, yet not saying a single word.

Song Chi couldn’t refuse the postal clerk’s enthusiasm and had to drink a cup of yellow wine. Fearing the alcohol would interfere with his duties, he dared not drink more.

Just as he was about to bid farewell to the postal clerk, the man wearing the robe smiled again: “This young fellow is wearing official guard attire, you must be a bodyguard for some powerful minister! We few have come to the capital without any relatives, and I wonder if you’re familiar with the streets and alleys of this capital city. Are there any places with entertainment performances?”

Ordinary officials at most kept some household guards, how could they afford bodyguards with superior martial skills?

Song Chi smiled: “I’m not from the capital either. My master came to Baodi to visit relatives, we’re hardly considered powerful or noble!”

The man’s eyes flashed with a glint, nodding: “Since the young fellow doesn’t know, I won’t bother you further.”

He turned his head and continued drinking, no longer speaking to Song Chi.

These people were truly strange! Song Chi’s internal suspicion grew heavier—tonight he would likely need to guard the Madam vigilantly without rest.

……

Gu Jin Chao was awakened in the middle of the night by a rustling sound. After her startled awakening, she instinctively looked at her child. Chang Suo’s face was rosy, sleeping soundly without waking. While traveling, she had slept in her clothes. Jin Chao put on a cloak as she rose, seeing two maids crouched beside her bed. Nanny Sun sat dozing on a stool not far away. Outside the room, it was silent, without the slightest sound.

Cai Fu was awakened by her movement and rubbed her eyes asking: “Madam, why have you risen…?”

Gu Jin Chao sat at the table drinking tea, gesturing with her hand for the maid to lower her voice. She also spoke softly: “Don’t you find it a bit strange?”

Cai Fu was even more confused—what was strange?

Gu Jin Chao said quietly: “It’s too quiet.” The rain outside had stopped, so they should be able to hear some sounds. Relay stations usually had people on night duty, striking wooden clappers, patrolling, or checking on the animals at night. How could there be no sound?

Cai Fu quietly walked to her side, whispering: “Perhaps everyone is asleep. Otherwise, shall I go outside to look around?”

Suddenly, a flash of firelight passed outside the latticed window, and low male voices could be heard, with a strange accent. When Gu Jin Chao was young, she had played at her maternal grandmother’s and had heard Shu brocade merchants from Ba-Shu speaking, and this accent sounded quite similar…

Could it be those people lodging here? Gu Jin Chao immediately became alert. Since their voices were so close, they must be right outside the door. If Song Chi and the others were still guarding outside, they would certainly not allow these people to come so near.

She signaled Cai Fu not to speak and quietly stood up to walk to the latticed window. Indeed, there was not a single person outside, not even the guards. But several figures were moving by the corridor rooms across the way…

Gu Jin Chao drew in a sharp breath—something must have happened outside!

What had happened, and where were Song Chi and the others? Was it those foreign lodgers who had done this?

Gu Jin Chao felt that for now, she should think about what she could do. These foreigners were not acquainted with them, and seeing their numerous attendants and luggage, the possibility of robbery and murder was high.

Outside the corridor room was a wall, with only one ventilation window set very high, impossible to climb up to. If they left through the front latticed door, they would certainly be discovered… Looking around, Gu Jin Chao couldn’t find any escape route.

Cai Fu also grew tense: “Madam, this situation doesn’t look right. Should we wake up Nanny Sun and the others to figure something out…?”

They needed to wake them, fortunately, the maids and elderly servants who had come with Gu Jin Chao were all capable. Upon hearing the current situation, they only felt chills down their spines but did not panic.

Xiu Qu said first: “Perhaps we should invoke the Chen family name…”

Gu Jin Chao shook her head. These people were fugitives. Since they were already intent on robbery and murder, they would want to leave no witnesses. They would certainly not let them go. What she found even stranger was that being able to make Song Chi and the others disappear without a sound was not typical of ordinary bandits…

“Then what should we do…” Nanny Sun murmured. In such a desperate situation, even a thousand clever ideas couldn’t be used.

Outside, voices could be heard again, getting closer and closer, seemingly approaching this room.

Gu Jin Chao looked at the sleeping child and took a deep breath, making up her mind.

“Yu Zhu, take Chang Suo and hide in the wardrobe.” When they had entered, Chang Suo had been covered with a cloak. She thought that if one child went missing, they probably wouldn’t notice. And only Yu Zhu was petite enough to fit in the wardrobe… Gu Jin Chao could only think this way. She had to protect her child, whom she had carried for ten months and delivered with difficulty, her and Third Master Chen’s child, although he was still too young to understand anything…

Thinking of how the child would grab her finger and struggle to speak, how he would giggle when she kissed his cheeks.

Gu Jin Chao’s heart ached…

Who would have thought that in this life, despite all her efforts, she might die at the hands of some ruffians?

Yu Zhu looked at Gu Jin Chao, clutching her fingers tightly: “Madam… I…”

The other maids and servants watched in silence, no one speaking.

Hearing the footsteps outside getting closer and closer, Gu Jin Chao picked up Chang Suo and gently kissed his little face.

“Go on, listen to me. This sachet contains silver. After everyone is gone, take him back to the Chen family…” Gu Jin Chao looked at the child’s peaceful little face, her throat tightening, making it difficult to continue. She paused for a long while, the sounds of footsteps became noisier outside the latticed door.

At this point, there was no need to hide anything. She lowered her voice: “Just tell Third Master, he must beware of Fourth Master Chen and Official Zhang. In the future…” Her fingernails dug into her flesh before she slowly uttered a few words, “he must live well!”

Those people were already standing outside the door.

Yu Zhu’s eyes reddened, she nodded vigorously and took Chang Suo into the wardrobe.

Seeing Yu Zhu enter the wardrobe, Gu Jin Chao almost couldn’t stand it. Cai Fu quickly supported Gu Jin Chao’s hand, and the other elderly servants in the room couldn’t help wiping their tears. Gu Jin Chao sat down on the stool. Having died once before, she quickly regained her composure.

Death was merely the worst-case scenario, and she needed to negotiate with these people! The roads to Shu were difficult; no bandits would cross mountains to come to Northern Zhili for their activities.

If they wanted to go to the capital, they must have something important to do.

The door was pushed open. The man who entered wore a brown right-fastening robe, with several men in short clothes behind him holding pine oil torches. Six or seven people poured into the room, instantly brightening it.

The leader had sharp features and bright eyes, though a thick beard obscured his full appearance. He wore several strange iron rings on his hands and stood with an upright posture. Seeing Gu Jin Chao and the others waiting for him, he laughed with some surprise: “We moved so quietly, yet we still woke the Madam! Did the Madam sleep well tonight?”

Gu Jin Chao looked him over and said flatly: “Thank you for your concern, sir, but I’m afraid I didn’t sleep very soundly.”

The man laughed heartily: “Madam is straightforward!”

Gu Jin Chao also smiled slightly: “That’s hardly the case. I just want to know what happened to my guards. You’ve come thousands of miles to the capital, you must have important business. Why bother with us and risk alerting others?”

But the man’s smile faded as he stared at Gu Jin Chao: “Madam is overthinking. We are just bandits and robbers, isn’t robbery what we do wherever we go? As for your guards, they were truly remarkable. If I hadn’t secretly put five-spice powder in the water, we might not have subdued them! We are accustomed to killing without blinking an eye, I’m afraid your guards won’t be coming back to see you!”

They had already killed the guards…

Gu Jin Chao’s heart sank. This man was too unusual, and his words left no room for doubt!

Yet such a person made her feel more at ease. She changed her tone and calmly said: “Sir, since you’re after money, I don’t have much silver on me. Only my jewelry is worth something…” She removed the bracelet from her wrist, along with the gold hair ornament and red coral earrings from her head. “All of you, leave your valuables for these strong men!” She instructed the few maids and elderly servants, who immediately came to their senses and also removed their possessions.

“Sir, after taking these things, please tell me what you plan to do!” Gu Jin Chao pushed the items forward.

The man stepped forward, slowly walking to Gu Jin Chao, and smiled asking: “Aren’t you afraid that after taking these things, I’ll kill you?”

Gu Jin Chao shook her head: “You won’t kill me.”

“Why?” he asked again.

Gu Jin Chao said: “Because I’m not dead yet.”

If he truly wanted to kill her, he should have done so when he first entered. Why would he bother talking to her?

He smiled again, though his beard concealed his expression. “You are indeed clever.” He nodded, then sighed softly, “Though I am a rough man, I know to cherish beauty. Such a face as the Madam’s would be too great a pity to perish…”

Gu Jin Chao’s face turned ashen. How could this man speak so flippantly? Although she was beautiful, her personality was not approachable, and as a legitimate daughter of the Gu family, few dared to take liberties with her in speech.

He had someone collect the jewelry: “Then I’ll trouble the Madam to come with me, I have something to ask of you!” He glanced at the remaining maids and elderly servants, his eyes nothing but cold, yet he calmly ordered his men, “Kill the rest.”

The five maids and elderly servants were so frightened they couldn’t speak, their faces extremely pale.

Gu Jin Chao immediately said: “Since sir has matters that require my assistance, surely you can’t mistreat me!”

“What do you want?” This man still had some patience.

Gu Jin Chao said: “I’ve been raised in luxury at home, always with people serving me. If there’s no one to attend to me, I simply can’t live comfortably.”

He silently pondered for a moment before slowly saying: “Very well, I’ll allow you to bring two people, but the others must still die. Consider carefully who you want to keep alive!” He walked straight toward the door, smiling, “I’ll give you half a quarter-hour to consider!”

Gu Jin Chao clenched her hands and had to close her eyes.