“A scoundrel!”

Xie Zhifei fumed at the mention.

“When we return to the capital, I need to mention to Huairen that the Ministry of Personnel’s year-end assessments can’t just assess achievements—they need to assess character too.”

Huang Qi blurted out: “Third Master, the thief was an official?”

“Probably some petty clerk from some backwater.”

Xie Zhifei didn’t want to dwell on it anymore. “Maybe just as Yan Sanhe predicted—already dead under bandits’ blades.”

…

The official post station had horses, every one raised plump and robust.

The price for exchanging horses was very cheap. Silver was a man’s confidence—Xie Zhifei simply exchanged all five horses.

After checking hooves and saddles, before the two could speak, the innkeeper had already scurried over with the hairpin.

He’d worked at this official post station for over twenty years, seeing countless officials come and go, large and small.

These two young gentlemen spoke with capital accents—nine out of ten they were from the capital, and judging by their bearing and manner, most likely from prominent families. Couldn’t afford to offend them.

“Tonight’s meal is my treat to the two official sirs as a send-off. No charge.”

Xie Zhifei wasn’t polite at all. “Also tell the kitchen to prepare two days’ worth of dried rations for us and six rain capes.”

The innkeeper: “Rest assured, official sirs—I’ll have everything prepared perfectly.”

Two days?

Pei Xiao’s rear muscles tightened.

Well then!

My lord’s rear won’t get peace for two days.

…

When Yan Sanhe and her maid came downstairs, Xie Zhifei and Pei Xiao were already seated at the table.

Behind them, Zhu Qing and Huang Qi stood with hands behind their backs.

Yan Sanhe walked over. “You two sit down.”

A master eating while servants share the table? That Li girl has no sense of propriety—he, Zhu Qing, wouldn’t dare!

“Miss, please eat first. We’ll eat later…”

“Then no one eats.”

Yan Sanhe’s tone was unfriendly.

Xie Zhifei and Pei Xiao exchanged glances.

One shouted: “Zhu Qing, sit!”

The other shouted: “Huang Qi, sit!”

With their masters ordering them, the two had no choice but to sit down trembling.

Only then did Yan Sanhe sit with Li Buyan.

Yan Sanhe coughed once. “I’m calling you to eat together—first, to save time; second, I have things to say.”

Seeing his master lounging lazily with no intention of speaking, Zhu Qing quickly said: “Miss, please speak.”

“Zhu Qing, Huang Qi—you two ride the best horses and go ahead to Nanning Prefecture in Guangxi.”

Yan Sanhe: “When you reach Nanning Prefecture, immediately inquire where Old Madam Ji’s natal family is located. This will save the most time.”

Huang Qi grew anxious. “Miss Yan, how do we inquire?”

Yan Sanhe didn’t answer but instead looked sideways at Xie Zhifei.

Xie Zhifei pondered for a moment. “The Ji family holds the position of Vice Minister of Revenue—such prominence should be discoverable. If truly impossible to discover…”

“It won’t be impossible to discover.”

Yan Sanhe interjected: “A fisherwoman marrying into the capital to become an official’s grandmother, wife, and old lady—such glorious news, even if others don’t speak of it, the old lady’s natal family couldn’t help boasting.”

With this explanation, Zhu Qing suddenly understood: “Miss, rest assured—I will fulfill this mission. But after discovering it, where shall we meet?”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze shifted sideways again to Lord Pei.

With this glance, Lord Pei actually understood perfectly.

“Meet at Nanning Prefecture’s most famous temple. Huang Qi, have those bald monks prepare good food and drink to await this lord’s inspection.”

Huang Qi: “Yes!”

Yan Sanhe’s fingers tapped on the table. “The silver—give it to me!”

Xie Zhifei shot Zhu Qing a look. Zhu Qing quickly drew out several banknotes. “Miss Yan, please verify the amount.”

“Bring it all here.”

Zhu Qing felt uncertain. “Miss Yan, this silver…”

“You and Huang Qi keep one thousand taels. Give me the rest to hold.”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze fixed on Third Master. “Don’t worry—I won’t let your Third Master starve.”

Third Master touched his nose sheepishly, then blinked.

Zhu Qing immediately extracted several banknotes and handed the rest to Yan Sanhe.

Pei Xiao secretly nudged Xie Zhifei with his knee: Brother, a man without money is pitiful. Sure you don’t want to rebel a little?

Xie Zhifei lifted his eyelids: Rebel? The hairpin’s still in my hands!

He drew the hairpin from his chest and handed it to Yan Sanhe. “Check if there’s any damage?”

Yan Sanhe fiddled with the hairpin in her hand a few times, then her tone shifted.

“For the rest of this journey, follow my commands completely. If anything hurts here or there, grit your teeth and bear it. If you can’t bear it, think of the Ji family, think of prison.”

Pei Xiao: “…”

This Yan spirit medium finished dealing with Xie Fifty and now she’s coming after me??

The Yan spirit medium set the hairpin on the table and picked up her chopsticks. “Eat!”

As Xie Zhifei picked up his chopsticks, he deliberately bumped Pei Xiao’s foot under the table: Mingting, why don’t you rebel a bit? This girl’s momentum is too strong!

Lord Pei’s mouth twitched: My vital point is in her hands—how can I rebel?

“You two—if you have any objections to my young miss, speak up directly. No need to use eye signals to protest.” Li Buyan smiled.

“No objections!”

Both masters bit out three words simultaneously, lowered their heads to eat simultaneously, and simultaneously cursed inwardly: You’re the one with sharp eyes!

The final meal had excellent food.

Yan Sanhe ate methodically to the last bite, openly pushed it to Li Buyan, rinsed her mouth with tea, waited for all chopsticks to stop, then coughed lightly.

“I hear Third Master was asking about my birthday?”

Third Master Xie was drinking tea and sprayed it out with a “pff,” nearly choking to death.

“That… wasn’t deliberate inquiry, just chatting with Miss Li and it came up, asked casually.”

After speaking, he quickly nudged Pei Xiao’s knee.

Pei Xiao hastily smoothed things over: “What if your birthday happened to be in these couple days? We could help you celebrate.”

Yan Sanhe unhurriedly picked up the teapot and refilled her water.

“A child’s birth date is the mother’s suffering date. I never celebrate birthdays. Does Third Master Xie have anything else he wants to know?”

If I ask, will you answer?

And what you answer—would it be the truth?

Someone who even conceals her birthday…

Xie Zhifei curved his lips in a smile. “Nothing more. Let’s each return to our rooms to rest.”

This meal left his stomach nearly suffocated!

…

At the quarter mark of the Hour of Yin, the sky was still dark.

At the official post station entrance, six horses galloped away, raising clouds of dust.

Two horses were extremely fast, nearly leaving the others in the dust, gradually widening the distance from the four horses behind.

When the sun rose, the two horses ahead had long since vanished from sight.

And when the sun set, only then did the two masters Xie Zhifei and Pei Xiao eat their second meal of the day—

Two cold, hard steamed buns each.

Xie Zhifei looked at the buns in his hands, deeply moved: Third Master indeed won’t starve.

After eating, the four rested back-to-back for an hour, then continued onward.

When the two days’ rations were completely consumed, they finally stayed at an official post station.

Bathing, changing clothes, eating, lodging, exchanging horses, preparing another two days’ dried rations… and so it repeated cyclically.

Half a month passed before Xie Zhifei and Pei Xiao belatedly realized two things—

First, Yan Sanhe always let them rest right at their breaking point.

Second, throughout this journey, Li Buyan hadn’t let them worry about anything—whether finding post stations or purchasing replacement clothes for all four, everything was arranged perfectly without a single hitch.

Of course, Lord Pei had another amazing discovery—

After half a month of friction, his rear had reached a thick-skinned, tough-fleshed state.

Forget pain—he wouldn’t even itch. There was even a faint trend toward feeling uncomfortable if he didn’t rub against the saddle a bit.

Wow!

Truly moving heaven and earth!!