Chapter 124 Encountering the Exiled Shi Family

After leaving the group, Yunxi felt much easier to breathe. They didn't take a carriage, but instead walked around the small market in the town.

They had only traveled for a day, so they weren't too far from the capital. Most of the people they saw were still of their own ethnicity.

Occasionally, you can see one or two people from other ethnic groups setting up stalls in the market, selling goods that they brought from elsewhere.

Yunxi first saw a folding fan at the stall. The handle was made of green bamboo and the fan was painted with landscape patterns. It looked very suitable for Qi Jinxiu.

Thinking of his meticulous care and companionship over the past three years, Yunxi bought it and immediately gave it to Qi Jinxiu.

Yunxi watched as Qi Jinxiu happily accepted the gift, then played with it with it with obvious delight. She was happy because the gift she gave was liked.

Suddenly, she felt a surge of resentment beside her, almost overwhelming her.

Turning her head, she was indeed met with Gu Nanxiao's gaze, as if he were looking at a heartless woman. Gu Nanxiao's beautiful peach blossom eyes were full of accusation.

His already thin lips were now pressed tightly together, making them appear bloodless. If someone didn't know him, they would really think he had suffered some great injustice.

Yunxi looked at Gu Nanxiao's sudden change in demeanor, but all he could do was rub his forehead in exasperation. He immediately pulled the resentful man along and headed to the next stall.

This was a stall set up by foreigners, displaying many exotic accessories. Among the dazzling array of goods, Yunxi picked up a dagger inlaid with three gemstones of different colors.

After some negotiation, it was sold to Gu Nanxiao for thirty taels of silver.

Upon receiving the gift, Gu Nanxiao's resentment vanished instantly, transforming him into a smug rooster. He deliberately brandished the dagger in front of Qi Jinxiu, eventually muttering to himself, "..."

"Oh dear, Yunxi really loves me the most. The gifts she bought for me were all worth thirty taels of silver. Unlike what someone else got, which wasn't even worth thirty copper coins. It's true what they say, comparison is the thief of joy!"

How could Qi Jinxiu be angered by such a petty trick? He immediately opened his folding fan, gently waving it, and retorted:

"It's the thought behind a gift that matters, not the price. Yunxi understands me best; the gift he gave me touched my heart."

Even if this folding fan costs less than thirty coins, it's still my prized possession. From now on, I'll take it wherever I go. Even at night, I'll sleep with it under my head.

It has to be said that when it comes to being sarcastic and sarcastic, Qi Jinxiu is indeed a cut above the rest. Gu Nanxiao didn't manage to anger him, but he made himself so angry that his eyes were about to burst.

At this moment, Yunxi suddenly felt a bit of admiration for those who dared to have a harem. She didn't know how they managed it, but she certainly couldn't accept that kind of life.

Yunxi raised her hand to stop the two from making a pointless comparison, and said coldly, "If you don't like the gifts I gave you, give them back to me now."

Her words successfully stopped the two from comparing themselves. They immediately stuffed their gifts into their pockets, as if afraid Yunxi would want them back.

Yunxi looked at Qi Jinxiu with such a protective expression. Who would have thought that he was the rising star of the dynasty, the Grand Secretary of the Great Yan Kingdom?

Then look at Gu Nanxiao, with that unreasonable and irrational appearance. Who could possibly imagine that he is the great general who defeated the northern border enemies and struck fear into the hearts of all, the Prince Xian, the commander-in-chief of the three armies?

Yunxi felt that if she stayed with them any longer, she would have to force herself to become less intelligent, so she gave up on browsing the market and decided to hurry on her way.

This time, the motorcade included an extra-large, ultra-luxurious carriage, second only in size to the princess's.

This was specially prepared by Gu Nanxiao for Yunxi and himself. The soft cushions inside the car were all laid out by him personally, partly to make Yunxi suffer less during the journey.

Secondly, it was also to provide them with a temporary place to stay. Therefore, it was natural to do everything in our power.

Yunxi was helped into the carriage by Gu Nanxiao, and just as they were about to start moving, Qi Jinxiu suddenly squeezed in.

Seeing this, Gu Nanxiao glared at her and wanted to kick them out, but Yunxi stopped him. To prevent the two from bickering like fighting cocks the whole way, they decided to keep quiet.

She suggested that in the future, when the three of them ride together in a carriage, they should study and discuss military strategy together.

Yunxi's suggestion was unanimously supported by the two men. So, the three of them began a lively discussion about military strategy during their tedious journey.

Because the three have very different personalities, their methods of strategizing are also quite unique.

At first, Qi Jinxiu and Gu Nanxiao would deliberately antagonize each other. But as time went on, they began to secretly admire each other's strategies.

The three of them discussed animatedly, and even when they rested in the woods at noon, they were still not done talking.

They had a simple lunch, and Yunxi suggested setting up a makeshift sand table in the woods to practice the military strategies they had just discussed.

Gu Nanxiao and Qi Jinxiu played a game of chess, while Yunxi watched from the sidelines.

After several days, Qi Jinxiu and Gu Nanxiao felt as if they had known each other for a long time. As long as Yunxi's affairs were not involved, they could get along peacefully.

The further northwest they went, the more foreigners they encountered. Yunxi observed their clothing, appearance, and eating habits. They seemed to resemble the Hui people from her hometown, whom they called the Muhammad here.

They bought a lot of dairy products, dried meat, dried bread, and other local snacks at the market here as a way to store up food supplies.

They traveled for another half day, and while resting, they happened to meet the Shi family who were being exiled.

There were no inns within dozens of miles. Therefore, they would have to spend the night here.

When Yunxi saw Shi Qingchen, she couldn't help but feel a surge of hatred.

Since she met Shi Qingchen, almost everything she has done has been for Shi Qingchen's benefit.

Shi Qingchen, that ungrateful and venomous snake, was always scheming against her, either for the prescription she possessed or for her as a person. When his schemes failed, he tried to force her into slavery, keeping her to serve him.

Even if he were reincarnated, he would still use the only diary he had to trip her up and sow discord between her and Gu Nanxiao.

If we're talking about the conflict between her and Gu Nanxiao, Yunxi resented Gu Nanxiao the most, but hated Shi Qingchen the most.

Yunxi's murderous gaze gradually drew the attention of everyone in the Shi family. Many of them had only heard of Yunxi's name but had never seen her after she was resurrected.

Upon seeing this, some people felt hatred, some were amazed, some were fascinated, and some were wary.

At this moment, the Shi family was being held in a circle by the officials. They sat on the ground, each with only a bowl of thin porridge to fill their stomachs, without a single bite of vegetables or rice.

This treatment was undoubtedly due to the combined care of Qi Jinxiu and Gu Nanxiao. Everyone in the Shi family, except for the young children, understood whose handiwork this was.

When Gu Nanxiao and Qi Jinxiu's gaze swept over them, they immediately lowered their heads, not daring to meet their eyes. Now, their lives were as worthless as grass, as precarious as ants; they no longer possessed the ability to challenge the two of them.

The officials escorting the Shi family immediately bowed and greeted the two officials. After each receiving a bag of reward money, they shrewdly waved their whips and drove the Shi family members to sit on the hillside. They then cleared the area for Gu Nanxiao and his group to rest.

Yunxi looked at their thin prison clothes, which were covered with whip marks, some stained with bright red blood, others with dried blood. Mixed with dust and filth, they looked utterly miserable.

The beating the officials just gave them was probably for a performance; it was obviously exceptionally harsh, instantly eliciting cries of agony from the Shi family.

When Yunxi saw them being whipped, several of the former masters immediately pulled over the servants beside them to shield them from the whipping.

A quick glance revealed a brother and sister being whipped; they had once been very close friends with Que'er and Feng Xun.

Yunxi immediately pointed it out to Gu Nanxiao, asking him to instruct the officers not to harm the brother and sister.

Gu Nanxiao sent Mo Yu over to give them some instructions and also gave the two of them two pieces of cooked beef. He stood there and watched the brother and sister finish eating before returning to report.

The meaning is obvious: they are afraid that after he leaves, others will take away the food from the brother and sister.

Shi Qingchen glanced at the brother and sister, who were wolfing down their beef. Then, he turned his gaze to Yunxi, who was sitting by the campfire, and unconsciously curled the corners of his lips into a smile.

His beloved woman possessed such a bright and cheerful personality. She would remember even the slightest kindness shown to her and would repay it tenfold or a hundredfold.

But if anyone dares to be unkind or unjust to her, Yunxi will show no mercy and will teach that person a lesson they will never forget.

Thinking of this, Shi Qingchen gave another bitter laugh. He didn't know what he was thinking back then, that he could force Yunxi to serve him with his abilities, which was simply the most ridiculous thing in the world.

Shi Qingchen looked at the porridge that had been spilled when he was chased away, then licked the rice water in the bowl clean before looking up again at Yunxi, whom he hadn't seen for three years.

His gaze greedily traced that beautiful face illuminated by the campfire. The regret in his heart was beyond words.