Chapter 64: Flames Shooting into the Sky

"Grandma, are you awake? Do you feel unwell anywhere? Do you have a chill in your head?"

Late at night, Qin Xiangnuan lit the lamp and served Madam Qin by her bedside. Seeing the old lady slowly opening her eyes, she brought her a cup of warm tea, helped her sit up and lean on the armrest of the couch, and fed the hot drink to her mouth bit by bit.

Qin Xiangnuan secretly felt the old lady's pulse with concern. It was much more stable than during the day, which showed that the medicine had taken effect.

"Have you been guarding here all night?" Old Lady Qin saw that Qin Xiangnuan's eyes were bloodshot, and she raised her hand with heartache, stroking her hair. She coughed twice and said, "Grandma is fine. She feels everything is fine and is in good health. You should go and rest. There is no need to guard me here!" After saying this, Old Lady Qin coughed violently again. Seeing her face flushed, Qin Xiangnuan raised her hand and patted her back to help her calm down.

There were only the grandparents and grandchildren in the house. Qin Xiangnuan took out white flour buns and a few stacks of side dishes from the food box and placed them in front of her.

"Grandma, I'll stay here. Seeing you makes me feel at ease. If you chase me away, I'm afraid I'll have sleepless nights, coming to see you every few hours. Wouldn't that make me even more tired? If you care about me, let me stay here." Qin Xiangnuan was good at talking and knew how to coax the old lady into doing what she wanted. "You haven't eaten properly for a few days, and you're leaving tomorrow. How can you have the energy?"

"Eat more."

Qin Xiangnuan knew that her body could not tolerate excessive nourishment, so she chose mild food and made some side dishes.

Madam Qin hadn't eaten such delicious food since leaving the capital. She naturally swallowed her saliva at the sight of the soft steamed buns, but she still reached for the cornmeal cake next to her. "Save this for the journey, for Song'er, and Beibei!"

"You should think about yourself, not those juniors. I've told you this countless times, but you never listen. Even if you don't want to eat today, I'm going to watch you eat it all!" Qin Xiangnuan put her hands on her hips and pointed at the kitchen in the backyard of the county magistrate's residence. "You've been asleep these past few days, so you probably don't know that this county magistrate is a corrupt official. I've already moved all the food out of his house. We'll take it away when the time comes. It's enough to last us for a while."

"Even if it means making Brother Song a fat boy, it's no problem."

After Qin Xiangnuan finished speaking, she looked at Old Madam Qin's wavering expression and hurriedly sent the millet porridge to her mouth, "Just listen to me!"

The grandfather and grandson were talking in private inside the house. Outside, the assassins sent by Gu Mingqi had traveled all night and arrived at Nanfeng Town.

Qin Xiangnuan had arranged for Wang Qiang to guard the entrance to Nanfeng Town, and if he spotted any strange people, he would immediately report back. Before dawn, Qin Xiangnuan learned the news and immediately ran to the bedroom, urging Xu Jian and the others to pack their bags. Qin Feng and Qin Yi had prepared in advance, so they moved swiftly. Taking advantage of the night, the group from the general's mansion quietly left the residence, leaving only the county magistrate, who was tied up and dozing under a tree.

"Hurry up and be steady."

Qin Xiangnuan turned around and looked at the cart being pushed out of the county magistrate's residence.

Old Madam Qin's health had not recovered yet and she was not suitable for long journeys. They had been looting things from the mansion for the past few days, and moved all the food, bedding, and thicker clothes onto the cart, placed them together with the old lady, and dragged it up the mountain.

"Cousin, what do you think they will do?"

Qin Feng was talking about Gu Mingqi. Qin Xiangnuan stood on a high place and looked back at the direction of the county magistrate's house. "We'll know in a moment."

Just two incense sticks had passed since they left when the County Magistrate's residence erupted in flames. The flames shot up into the sky, and almost instantly, every room was engulfed in flames. The residents of Nanfeng Town, choked by the fumes, immediately rushed to put out the fire, carrying buckets of water from their homes. They weren't worried about the County Magistrate's life, but rather that the wooden houses were connected, and if a wind picked up at night, sparks would drift into their homes.

"How could they be so cruel? With one fire, the county magistrate would surely be reduced to charcoal."

"Even if someone from above were to come down and investigate, judging by the intensity of the fire, there's probably nothing left. Even if the County Magistrate has grievances, he wouldn't know which coroner to complain to." Qin Yi shook his head, feeling disheartened by the twists and turns of the court. Qin Xiangnuan's eyes were blazing with fire, and she raised the corners of her lips, as if anticipating such a situation, and said, "Not only that, but even if the County Magistrate's house contained letters or keepsakes that could harm Gu Mingqi, they would all be reduced to dust after this fire, and no one would be able to find them."

This is Gu Mingqi's purpose.

Being able to become the emperor's favorite prince, and even having the potential to become the crown prince, Gu Mingqi's skills are not simple, but he is too impatient and always makes mistakes. Qin Xiangnuan took a deep look at him, turned around and said to Qin Feng, "Let's go."

"Have you completed the task I asked my cousin to do?"

Qin Feng was stunned for a long moment, not even turning back. After a long while, he finally caught up with Qin Xiangnuan and reported to her, "Of course, all those gold bars were sent to Doctor Gao's clinic. As you said, they were all given to him as medical fees for the poor people who have nowhere to see a doctor or medicine to take. He didn't want to accept them at first, but when he heard you say that they could be used to provide disaster relief and welfare to the people, he accepted them."

"As for the rice and flour, and the silver ingots that were exchanged for copper coins, let Doctor Gao arrange for them. I estimate that porridge will be distributed at the entrance of Nanfeng Town in a few days. I hope that the people here can have a warm winter and live a stable life." Qin Feng scratched his head. He felt warm in his heart for doing good deeds with Qin Xiangnuan, as if he could see the grateful expressions of those people towards him.

Qin Xiangnuan turned around and looked at Nanfeng Zhen, "Did you tell them that it was given by the general?"

"I have! Doctor Gao said that he would build a monument at the entrance of Nanfeng Town, saying that he would inform everyone who came and went about this matter." Qin Feng looked at Qin Yi with a guilty conscience. "Cousin, will what we have done cause trouble for uncle? We are no longer the general's mansion. If the people still spread our story... I didn't dare to tell my father, for fear that he would beat me."

Qin Feng is not afraid of anything except Qin Guang and Qin Yi.

Seeing him shrinking his neck, Qin Xiangnuan pursed her lips and replied in a good mood, "I just want to let the nobles in the capital see that even if there is no official title, the General's Mansion is still the General's Mansion. They must always be careful! They can't treat it casually. This is a sword hanging over their heads, and they can't let down their guard for a moment!"