Chapter 62 The Chicken That Doesn't Lay Eggs
Yu Nian looked down at the object in front of her. It was golden and had scale-shaped patterns carved on it. It looked like a fish.
No, to be precise, it was half a fish.
Yu Nian picked up the item and examined it carefully under the candlelight. The back of the fish-shaped tag was smooth and flat, with a few words simply engraved on it.
Chunyu Han, the Grand Eunuch in Charge of Regent's Seal
Seeing Yu Nian's naive and unworldly demeanor, Chunyu Han spoke calmly.
"Take it back if you don't want it."
Who cares what it is? As long as Chunyu Han's name is engraved on it, it's a good thing.
Moreover, once something is in Yu Nian's hands, why would you return it?
"Yes, I will. This is the first time an adult has given me a gift, so I will definitely cherish it."
Yu Nian's bright smile dazzled Chunyu Han. What a heartless little thing! How come he only gave her something for the first time?
"The dowry I gave you, was it all thrown to the dogs?"
Did Yu Nian not even consider the forty-eight loads of betrothal gifts as mere objects?
"That's definitely different from this one."
Yu Nian accepted Chunyu Han's gifts with satisfaction, then made an excuse to leave, as she had important business to attend to.
As soon as Yu Nian stepped out the door, Cang Hai immediately noticed the gold pendant she was carrying.
This is a golden fish tally, reserved for officials of the third rank or above. It is a symbol of status, and within the Eastern Depot, it can even be used to mobilize the Imperial Guards.
His family actually gave such an important thing to Yu Nian!
"sea."
Chunyu Han's voice came from inside the door, and Canghai immediately regained his composure and went inside.
"Go and take a few people with you to follow her."
Chunyu Han's eyes were dark and unreadable. Yu Nian came to him at this time to ask for something. He was being unusually attentive. He must have ulterior motives or be a thief.
He deliberately gave her the fishing token, intending to use a long-term strategy to catch a big fish.
After searching the entire city without success, Chunyu Han's intuition told him that Yu Nian would lead him to the four women.
...
After returning to the manor, Yu Nian summoned the most loyal steward to drive the carriage, and the two headed towards Qingyan Mountain overnight.
It's not appropriate to invite too many people to this kind of thing. If Yu Nian could drive, she wouldn't even have called the housekeeper. After all, the more people who know about this, the more risk Yu Jing faces.
Although the steward was also puzzled by the young lady's summons to come out late at night, he had worked in the Prime Minister's mansion for most of his life and knew what his master should and shouldn't ask.
Holding Chunyu Han's fish-shaped tally, Yu Nian successfully exited the city gate.
The imposing Imperial Guards at the city gate all knelt down on one knee and bowed when they saw Chunyu Han's fish tally. Yu Nian also experienced what it felt like to be worshipped.
Such a small sign was surprisingly effective. Yu Nian even felt that Chunyu Han, her ally, was truly reliable, and marrying him was much more worthwhile than marrying the Crown Prince.
As instructed by Yu Jing, there was a thatched hut at the foot of Qingyan Mountain where he usually dried and stored his laundry. He would only go there occasionally when he went into the mountains to rest.
The four women were imprisoned there.
The horse-drawn carriage was difficult to travel on the mountain road, and it took Yu Nian a long time to finally find the thatched hut.
"Butler, you can wait for me in the car."
Tonight, the bright moon hangs high in the sky, its light shining on the earth so clearly that it can be seen even without torches.
Yu Nian put on a veil and unlocked the door with the key that Yu Jing had hidden by the door.
This was the first time Yu Nian had ever done something like rescuing a damsel in distress, and her heart started racing. She hoped that these "beauties" would cooperate with her a little, which would make things perfect.
Yu Nian pushed open the door, only to find that the moonlit room was completely empty.
If Yu Nian hadn't already unlocked the door, she would have even wondered if she had come to the wrong place.
How could four grown people just vanish without a trace, even with the doors and windows locked?
Even if geese leave their calls as they fly by, they should have left some traces, but this room is unbelievably empty, showing no signs of having been there at all.
Snap...
The sound of flint striking metal came from behind her. Yu Nian subconsciously turned around, and in just a moment, the room was brightly lit.
Shadows moved about on the wall, and the sudden brightness made Yu Nian squint.
What's going on here...?
"Hey, we actually caught a mermaid! This whole day wasn't a waste! Together with the four from before, let's have a good time tonight!"
A glib, slick male voice came from behind him. Yu Nian looked at the men carrying torches and frowned.
There were at least seven or eight people on the other side, and each of them had scars on their faces or looked like they were tough guys.
"This young lady's carriage is quite luxurious; she might be a wealthy family's daughter."
The butler was tied up and thrown to the ground by this group of people, his mouth gagged. Yu Nian secretly cried out that something was wrong; now there was no one left to tip him off.
"My family is quite well-off. How much money do you want? Let's talk this over."
Yu Nianxian tried his best to calm the group down and probe the situation.
The leader of the group of men's eyes lit up; what they needed most right now was money.
"You're smart to know what's good for you. Waiter, go and tie this young lady up first, lest she run away."
A rather short man walked over, holding a rope in his hand, about to hit Yu Nian.
But when he saw the pendant on Yu Nian's waist, his eyes paused, and he ripped off the fish-shaped tally that Chunyu Han had given to Yu Nian and showed it to the leading man.
"Look, honey! Isn't that the brand of that crazy castrated dog?!"
These words from the short man jolted Yu Nian awake, and a sense of foreboding rushed to the top of her head.
With the bandit-like nickname for the head of the household, coupled with the place name Qingyan Mountain, Yu Nian finally remembered what kind of place this was.
The dormant memories awakened and attacked Yu Nian frantically.
Isn't this the very hill where Chunyu Han suppressed the bandits? He mentioned it once at the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, saying he personally led his men to wipe out their stronghold...
Yu Jing, you really know how to hide people! Of all places to hide them, you had to hide them here!
The head of the household took one look and realized that the nameplate looked exactly like the one worn by the eunuch who had come up the mountain to besiege them that day. Moreover, the name Chunyu Han was engraved on the back, so it was definitely the same one!
"It's like finding a needle in a haystack! Tell me! What's your relationship with that mad dog Chunyu Han?"
Yu Nian's lips twitched: "Actually, I don't have much of a relationship with him..."
This gang of bandits barely escaped Chunyu Han's massacre, but only a few of them remained. Their mountain stronghold had already been destroyed, so they had no choice but to wander around. Unexpectedly, they found a treasure in this inconspicuous thatched hut.
"It's alright!? If it's alright, he'll give you the fish-shaped tally that symbolizes your status? Judging from your clothes, you seem to be from a wealthy family. Could it be that you're the one that the castrated dog was rumored to be marrying, the one who couldn't lay eggs?"
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