At this time, most of Ji Yuan City’s residents had been gathered in open spaces, leaving very few people in the residential areas. On the empty streets, if anyone passed by, especially a child, they would be particularly conspicuous.

Feng Miaojun calmly shook her head: “I haven’t seen anyone.”

These soldiers were just asking routinely, without much hope, so they turned toward the Prefect’s Mansion, clearly intending to search there once more.

She kept her gaze straight ahead and continued walking. After about half the time it takes to drink a small cup of tea, she stopped, glanced around to ensure no one was nearby, and softly called out: “You can come out now.”

She had reached a humble dwelling with its gate half-closed. She pushed the door open and found it empty inside. The original owner might have died during the battle for the city or been summoned to the square by Wei soldiers.

She stood in the small courtyard, and a timid figure slipped in from outside.

It was the boy.

He was still holding the bamboo basket, staring at her vigilantly: “Why didn’t you tell them you saw me?”

Feng Miaojun examined him: “What benefit would that bring me?” She had heard breathing from the corner of the alley earlier, so she knew the child hadn’t run far but was hiding behind a low wall, overhearing her conversation with the Wei soldiers.

That wall was a false wall, not nearly as high as it appeared from the outside.

The child bit his lower lip tightly.

She sighed: “What’s your name?” She didn’t care to meddle in others’ affairs, but she also didn’t want to watch such a young child be killed because of her identification. Who would have thought this little one was so clever, actually knowing to follow her?

“Cao Qinghe,” the small boy said through gritted teeth. “Can you take me away? I’ll give you a lot of money!” She hadn’t reported him, and those Wei people had been very respectful to her, which gave him hope in his desperate situation.

With no footsteps approaching nearby, Feng Miaojun felt safe enough to ask: “The money, is it in the basket?”

He shook his head: “This is Xiao Bai, not money.” He lifted a corner of the covering cloth, revealing a small furry white head underneath.

This was… a snow weasel? A weasel wearing a collar.

The little weasel’s bright black eyes were also watching her, and she read a kind of wariness and… hostility?

Cao Qinghe pulled out a brocade pouch embroidered with a small golden pig from his bosom and shook it: “The money is in here.” There was the sound of coins clinking inside, obviously the pocket money this child had saved. “If you take me out of here, all of this will be yours.”

Meeting his clever yet innocent gaze, Feng Miaojun pressed her forehead and asked: “Do you know where you want to go?”

He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

With the city fallen, family destroyed, and people dead, not just him, but most adults wouldn’t know what to do either.

Feng Miaojun asked softly: “Do you have any family nearby or trustworthy elders?”

Cao Qinghe blinked, suddenly remembering: “My maternal grandfather’s home is not far ahead, just at the end of Hongtong Street. Can you take me there?”

Maternal grandfather’s home? Wouldn’t that be the Liu family? By now, the Liu family members had probably all been hanged. If Cao Qinghe went there, it would be like a lamb entering a tiger’s den. Feng Miaojun raised the corners of her mouth at him: “There’s no one there anymore.”

Cao Qinghe’s mouth fell open, and it took him a long while before he said: “Then, there’s also an estate in Huanggang that belongs to my family. The estate manager is my Uncle Liu, who has watched me grow up and has always been very good to me.”

Feng Miaojun remained silent.

Huanggang was a small rural county, not far from here, but still about twenty li away. If she agreed, how would she explain to Yun Ya that she needed to leave for a short time?

Seeing her silence, Cao Qinghe grew anxious: “Please take me there. My great-grandfather left some valuable things there, and I can give them to you too.” After a pause, realizing this lady might not know who he was talking about, he quickly added, “My great-grandfather was called Cao Budao. He was very famous! He could tell fortunes, and he was especially accurate. Many immortals came to seek him out.”

This child’s great-grandfather?

Before she could respond, a voice suddenly sounded from behind her: “Your great-grandfather was Cao Budao?”

Feng Miaojun jumped in shock.

That voice was all too familiar to her—Yun Ya.

Why was he everywhere, like a lingering ghost?

It was nearly impossible for her to detect Yun Ya following her. Feng Miaojun made a quick about-face, smiling apologetically: “Young Master, you’re here too?”

He glanced at her, with a half-smile: “If I hadn’t come, how would I know someone here was defying orders and harboring a fugitive?”

She persisted stubbornly: “What crime could such a small child commit?”

Yun Ya poked her forehead with his finger: “You know there’s a term called ‘execution of the entire clan’?”

A fugitive was a fugitive, regardless of age.

His sudden appearance had also given Cao Qinghe a great shock. But this brother had a face like an immortal, which unconsciously lowered his guard. However, the little weasel in his arms had all its white fur standing on end, staring fixedly at Yun Ya.

Feng Miaojun saw him adopt the expression of a wolf grandmother coaxing Little Red Riding Hood: “What did your great-grandfather look like when he was alive? Tell me, and perhaps I’ll let you go to Huanggang.”

Hey, hadn’t this person just reprimanded her for harboring a fugitive a few moments ago? And now he was immediately offering to help the escape? Wasn’t that also defying orders?

Cao Qinghe looked at her, then at Yun Ya, and instinctively decided that his words carried more weight. So he pressed his right temple and said: “My great-grandfather had a big dent here. He said he was injured when he was young and almost died. He also had a small mole at the corner of his mouth.”

Feng Miaojun thought that this must be the person Yun Ya wanted to hear about because he became even more cordial: “Indeed, it’s Cao Budao. Since you’re the descendant of an old acquaintance, I’ll help you escape.” Turning to Feng Miaojun, he said, “Bottle him.”

“Bottle him” meant that she should put this little fellow into the small bottle and take him away, making the escape completely undetectable. Although he held the esteemed position of State Preceptor, he still couldn’t openly defy the monarch.

Feng Miaojun followed him, walking out confidently, passing countless Wei people along the way, before driving a carriage straight to Huanggang.

“How did you initially escape the Wei soldiers’ capture?” Feng Miaojun was very curious about this. All the Cao family members had been caught except for this five-year-old child.

Cao Qinghe said sadly: “Last night there were fires outside the city and loud noises. Xiao Bai got scared and ran away. Mother wouldn’t let me go out at night, but I was afraid Xiao Bai couldn’t find his way home, so I secretly snuck out through a hole in the backyard.” He wiped his eyes, choking up, “Later, when I found Xiao Bai and wanted to go back, I discovered many bad people dragging my family members onto the road. My mother was crying and calling my name, telling me to hide and not to come home.”

Feng Miaojun and Yun Ya exchanged a glance, both understanding immediately: Before the city fell last night, the Cao Prefect had arranged for his family to escape through a secret passage, but this child had secretly left the mansion to find his weasel and hadn’t retreated with the Cao family. It seemed someone in the household had informed them, and the Wei army had intercepted the fleeing Cao and Liu families and brought them back. Counting heads, they realized the youngest Cao child, Cao Qinghe, was missing.

Both families had been hanged, while Cao Qinghe had somehow managed to escape the calamity in the confusion.