Yan Sanhe: “What’s that calling outside in the trees?”

Xie Zhifei: “Cicadas.”

Yan Sanhe: “Too noisy. Go catch them.”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

Yan Sanhe, you’re making things very difficult for Little Xie!

Xie Zhifei apologized carefully: “This isn’t our Pei manor. Miss, please make do.”

Won’t catch them?

Yan Sanhe raised her chin: “This godforsaken place is deadly hot. Fan me.”

Fan?

Me, dignified Third Master?

Xie Zhifei instinctively glanced at Li Buyan: This is your job.

Li Buyan observed her nose with her eyes, her heart with her nose: Now it’s your job!

Pei Xiao coughed lowly, adding insult to injury: “Little Xie, whatever Miss says goes. Hurry up!”

Zhu Qing looked at his master sympathetically: Master, can’t help you!

Fine.

Master understands.

Master was wrong.

One should never laugh at “the Pei family’s” hot-tempered, sour-faced Miss Sanhe.

Third Master curved his lips, walked to Yan Sanhe’s side, lifted his front hem, and began fanning.

“Miss, there’s no fan right now. Please make do.”

“Miss, should Little Xie use more force?”

“Miss, is it cooler?”

Yan Sanhe: “…”

Miss wants to gag his mouth!

Footsteps approached. Xie Zhifei quickly stepped back and stood straight.

Zhou Ye returned. “Here are the travel documents and letter of introduction. Lord Pei, please keep them safe.”

Pei Xiao rose to receive them, passing them to Xie Zhifei behind him. “Magistrate Zhou, truly grateful!”

“Just a small matter.”

Zhou Ye nodded. “Safe journey. Go and return early.”

“Magistrate Zhou, please stay.”

After Pei Xiao finished his courtesies, he turned to leave.

Yan Sanhe glared at Xie Zhifei, lifted her skirt, and followed with mincing steps.

That appearance…

Xie Zhifei didn’t learn his lesson—his lips were just about to curve when he saw Magistrate Zhou’s gaze turn toward him. He quickly straightened his face and clasped fists toward the magistrate.

…

The bridge built over the North Cang River was called North Cang Bridge.

Crossing the bridge meant entering the Great Qi Kingdom.

After crossing, Zhu Qing presented the travel documents.

The Great Qi Kingdom bridge guards counted everyone crossing one by one. After confirming the count was correct, they stamped the documents and opened the checkpoint to let carriages and horses pass.

Yan Sanhe returned to the carriage, lifted her veil, removed the buyao, then raised the curtain to look outside.

Though only separated by one bridge, the changes were significant.

The forest grew denser, the official road gradually narrowed. After traveling for the time of one tea cup, it became impossible to distinguish whether this was an official road or a mountain trail.

Very bumpy.

No one walked around, yet isolated graves could be seen one after another. Mountain birds and crows called back and forth overhead quite enthusiastically.

“Why is it so desolate?” Yan Sanhe frowned.

“Miss doesn’t know—we saw Hu Family Village was already broken and poor enough, but across the river, the old street is even more broken and poor.”

Li Buyan sighed. “Never mind paying to ask for information—even for a steamed bun, they’d eagerly compete to talk.”

Yan Sanhe felt she’d forgotten something. “Who rules the Great Qi Kingdom now? Still surnamed Chen?”

Li Buyan shrugged. “You’d have to ask Third Master about that.”

Third Master was currently on horseback, using his incomparably handsome smile to cozy up with several guards.

“Brothers, do you normally come to this side?”

Guard A: “Who runs over here for nothing? It’s a godforsaken place.”

Guard B: “Exactly. It’s always the Provincial Administration people who come to our side when they have time. Though Nanning Prefecture isn’t as prosperous as the capital, it has everything it should.”

Guard C: “I heard that side doesn’t even have a brothel. They all do it in the streets.”

“Hahahaha…” The guards all laughed.

Such crude talk…

Hopefully those two young mistresses in the carriage didn’t hear.

Third Master Xie changed topics. “By the way brothers, why do the Great Qi Kingdom’s people hold animosity toward us?”

Guard A: “Isn’t it because of that Wu Guanyue father and son?”

Guard B: “The common folk over there don’t believe they killed Old General Zheng’s family. They all say it’s slander.”

Guard C: “Those two somehow bewitched the Great Qi Kingdom’s people. After all these years, they still remember those father and son fondly.”

Xie Zhifei clenched his hand into a fist and sneered coldly: “We, the mighty Hua Kingdom, would stoop to slandering an exiled father and son?”

Guard A: “Exactly! But will they believe it?”

Guard B: “The Great Qi Kingdom is a barbarous land. These people are unreasonable.”

Guard C: “If not for Magistrate Zhou insisting, we several wouldn’t make this trip.”

“Thank you for the trouble, brothers!”

Xie Zhifei reacted quickly. “Once this business is done, I’ll treat everyone to a feast.”

The lead man among the guards was called San Pang (Three Fatty).

Seeing Brother Xie so tactful, San Pang deliberately said: “How big a feast?”

“Naturally as big as brothers want.”

Xie Zhifei winked at San Pang. “My master authorized me to decide—we’re not afraid of spending silver, just afraid of having no fun.”

What’s fun?

Men all understood.

Not only understood, but very much wanted.

The guards exchanged glances, all chuckling quietly with anticipation.

After appeasing this group, Xie Zhifei pulled the reins. His horse slowly fell back to ride alongside Pei Xiao.

These crude words reached Lord Pei’s ears without exception.

He blinked at Xie Zhifei: Find a place to rest soon. After resting, we need to ride hard and fast. Otherwise at this pace, when will we ever arrive?

Xie Zhifei: Do you even need to tell me? Third Master is sweet-talking them precisely for those four words “ride hard and fast.”

After another half shichen, the group reached a small grove.

Beside the grove was a shallow lake, perfect for watering horses.

The horses all gathered to drink. The people split into two groups.

One group surrounded Xie Zhifei, listening to him tell strange tales from both sides of the Yongding River in the capital. The other group surrounded Lord Pei, silently gnawing provisions.

Who knows what Third Master said—he made the guards roar with laughter.

Li Buyan sighed: “Didn’t expect Third Master had this skill?”

Zhu Qing: “My master can fit in anywhere he goes.”

Huangqi: “True story—when I go to the Five Cities Military Command Bureau and just mention finding Third Master, everyone practically leads me there. Super face-giving.”

Pei Xiao: “He’s been likeable since childhood. Handsome appearance, sweet mouth—pinch his cheeks lightly and water comes out.”

“Oh?”

Yan Sanhe added coldly: “Was he a pretty boy as a child?”

Pretty boy?

Pei Xiao froze briefly, then laughed heartily.

“Actually don’t mention it—he really was. Sickly and weak, crying at every turn. Walk a few steps, tired—extending his hands wanting to be carried. Delicate as can be.”

Yan Sanhe couldn’t figure out how the “delicate” Third Master Xie grew into today’s tall, imposing wastrel.

She looked up, quickly glancing toward the guards.

Just then, Xie Zhifei also turned his head.

Their gazes met.

Both froze simultaneously.

Xie Zhifei: You’re peeking at me?

Yan Sanhe: You’re overthinking.

Yan Sanhe calmly shifted her gaze away. “Zhu Qing, shortly you and Huangqi pick up the pace.”

“Yes!”

“Buyan, shortly you…”

Seeing Li Buyan’s expression suddenly change, Yan Sanhe asked: “What’s wrong?”

“Shh!”

Li Buyan waved her hand, signaling silence, and quickly looked at Zhu Qing.

The moment Zhu Qing met her eyes, the lines of his face suddenly tensed.