Qingyan's face was covered in tears and snot.

I knew it; the Black Bird Guards wouldn't abandon him, and my senior brother wouldn't abandon him either!

The mistress looked at him with disgust.

"You're not even as good as a young lady."

This statement stirred up a hornet's nest.

The grievances and sorrow of escaping after Qingyan's death instantly overwhelmed him, and he burst into tears.

"Why did you save her first, senior brother? What's so good about her?"

…

Five minutes later, in the grove behind the east courtyard of the inn.

The family, which had been separated for five minutes, finally reunited.

Qingyan's face still bore traces of wet tears.

Faced with his tearful questioning, Qi Su did not shirk responsibility.

“I know,” she said sincerely.

Her round eyes reflected the towering buildings burning fiercely in the distance.

A speck of black ash had somehow gotten on the tip of his nose, and his rebirth after the ordeal made his sincerity even more apparent.

"It's a worm-like insect. The worm-like insect is screaming inside your senior brother's body, demanding that he save me, or they will gang up on him and kill him. Your senior brother has no choice in the matter!"

The Black Bird Guard behind him wore an expression that said, "That witch is indeed vicious."

Qingyan: "What happened to the insect gu?"

He was severely out of touch with the information and was unaware that the Zerg ecosystem within his senior brother's body had undergone a complete transformation.

Qi Su kindly explained it to him.

When he mentioned that he was so tired that day that he forgot whether Dao Ci had four or five Gu worms in his body, he said...

Qingyan glared angrily.

"You are even more hateful than that princess of Beiting!"

Qi Su thought for a moment.

"Who can argue with that?"

Moreover, those insects have side effects.

The alluring young woman kept offering herself to her senior brother, but he remained unmoved.

As a result, a few insects almost made him break his vow.

This is absolutely outrageous and intolerable!

.

The postmaster was woken up from his bed in the middle of the night.

He went mad after hearing that the East Courtyard where Master Daoci lived was about to be burned to ruins.

He ran out the door without fastening his clothes or putting on his hat, slipping on his shoes.

Oh my god, may my ancestors protect me! The King of Qishan must not be harmed!

Who is this person who dares to raid the post station at night!

The Qingyuan Inn is right here; it was here yesterday, and it's here today.

Therefore, the people who attacked the post station must have been after Dao Ci and his party.

Such a large-scale operation, even going so far as to launch rockets to burn down most of the Qingyuan post station, shows that it was well-prepared.

They were also very clear about their itinerary.

Knowing that today, the soldiers escorting Dao Ci will separate from him and leave tomorrow morning.

Moreover, the accommodation arrangements were decided by the postmaster himself.

He deserves to die! Why didn't he think to arrange for more people to protect the monk yesterday?

The more I think about it, the darker things seem. It seems he's a strong suspect.

Even if he ultimately cannot bear the huge blame for assassinating the King of Qishan, he will still be held responsible for failing to protect the King of Qishan.

…

The postmaster rushed madly into the main hall of the post station.

The post station was half burned down, and the postmen gathered in the main hall.

Upon seeing the postmaster arrive, they made way for him.

The postmaster was horrified when he saw the blood on the man in the middle.

“Your Highness, Your Highness…” His eyes were filled with tears.

A courier answered the call.

"His Highness has been wounded by an arrow, sir. You should hurry to Qingyuan City and fetch a doctor."

Thank God, thankfully it was just an injury, not a fatal one.

…

The Qingyuan post station was attacked in the middle of the night.

The southeast courtyards of the post station were mostly burned down, and a few people were injured.

His Highness the Prince of Qishan was hit by an arrow, but fortunately it did not hit any vital organs.

The postmaster personally served the medicine to the patient at his bedside, taking even better care of him than he would his own parents.

However, because his eyes were often filled with tears, he was driven away by a young novice monk who served the prince.

Saying it would be too unlucky and would affect His Highness's mood.

If the journey from Liangzhou to Ganjing is fast, news should arrive in seven or eight days.

Since the King of Qishan was injured, he could not continue his journey and had to recuperate at the Qingyuan Post Station.

Judging from the current situation, it seems we won't be able to leave Qingyuan Post Station before the New Year.

After this incident, the postmaster of Qingyuan was quickly reprimanded.

The magistrate of Qingyuan County specially dispatched two hundred soldiers to protect His Highness, but that's another story.

.

As the year drew to a close, there were few pedestrians on the official road, and the post station was very quiet.

His Highness the Prince of Qishan was recuperating in bed, so his servants naturally could not leave the post station.

Besides Qi Su.

"You don't understand. Now that we're in Qingyuan, there's one thing we absolutely can't miss."

"What is it?" Qingyan asked.

Qi Su answered earnestly, "Chicken. Qingyuan chicken is famous all over the world, haven't you heard of it?"

The young novice rolled his eyes.

He's a monk, how would he know the difference between Qingyuan chicken and ordinary chicken?

Qi Su wandered around Qingyuan City for two days. The beef, mutton, and horse meat here were all pretty good, but the chicken was just so-so.

On the third day, she found the largest restaurant in Qingyuan City.

She spent ten taels of silver to call out the head chef to drink with her.

The chef had no idea how he ended up in the kitchen while everyone was drinking at the table.

Why did they start killing chickens and plucking their feathers? Why did they start chopping ginger, garlic, and peeling vegetables? Why did they start cooking chicken stew?

The freshly cooked chicken stew had just been taken off the stove, and I hadn't even tasted it yet.

Qi Su was found by Yan Xiaosan.

"Thirty-one, return immediately. Your master is looking for you."

The servant resembles his master.

Yan Xiaosan was just as disappointed as his master.

Qi Su took the half-eaten chicken pot back to Qingyuan Inn.

His Highness the Prince of Qishan, who should have been resting in bed recovering from his injuries, was standing by the bookshelf in his casual clothes, burning something over a charcoal brazier.

The Crown Prince, the capital, the Prince An's residence...

Occasionally, a few fragments would fly up from the charcoal brazier, and Qi Su would catch a glimpse of them and say a few words.

The young man looked up as all the papers in his hand burned.

Qi Su was still staring at his hands.

Young man: "What are you looking at?"

Qi Su casually replied, "Your hands are beautiful. Long and fair, the way you pick up the chicken stew must look very appetizing."

Dao Ci: "..."

It's okay if he doesn't answer. As a responsible adult, Qi Su will find a topic to talk about herself.

"Where is Qingyan?" Qi Su asked.

Dao Ci: "He went to pack his things."

Qi Su: "When are you going back? He's very curious about what Qingyuan chicken looks like, so I brought him half of it. I don't know if he'll recognize it when it's cooked. Of course, it's just for him to see; I'll save it for Foxin to eat after he sees it."

The warm chicken pot, inside the container, exudes a rich aroma of meat and seasonings.

Dao Ci: "..."

His Highness the Prince of Qishan has other important matters to attend to.

To prevent her from saying anything more shocking, I spoke directly.

"I plan to return to Beijing tomorrow and would like to ask if you would like to travel with me."

“…Hmm?” Qi Su looked him up and down.

"But [you] were wounded by an arrow, and you need to rest and recuperate for a while, don't you?"

Dao Ci: "The King of Qishan will recuperate here. I will return to Kyoto ahead of schedule."

I see.

Qi Su took his arm.

"A wife should follow her husband's lead; of course I'll be with you."