Looking for him
Following the route provided by Xie An, Wen Zhibai found Wutong Village, hidden deep in the mountains.
The village was dilapidated, but one house stood out conspicuously with its neat and well-decorated courtyard.
After meeting up with Xie An, she handed him the snacks she had brought, saying, "Thank you for your hard work."
"Thank you, Miss!" The boy grinned and happily accepted the gift.
Just then, a middle-aged man in worn clothes passed by, and Xie An stepped forward to stop him and ask him questions.
The man eyed them warily: "Who are you?"
Wen Zhibai took out a few taels of silver and handed it over, saying in a calm tone: "Some strange things have happened at home. I heard that there is a Xibei witch doctor here who is quite knowledgeable about the supernatural, so I came to pay him a visit."
The man snatched the silver, his attitude instantly warming up: "This is his house! What a pity, that Xibei went to Shangjing a few days ago and fell off a cliff to his death!" He changed the subject, a smug look on his face, "Luckily, I had him calculate it beforehand, and my wife will give birth at midnight to give me a big, healthy son! I'm not talking to you anymore, I have to go back and wait!" With that, he ran off without looking back.
Wen Zhibai and Xie An exchanged a glance and followed without making a sound.
As they approached the dilapidated courtyard, they heard a woman's shrill screams coming from inside, and a midwife was rushing over.
The two hid behind a nearby cowshed and heard the man stop the midwife at the door.
"What's the rush! Wizard Xibei calculated it all, it's midnight! The time hasn't come yet, you can't give birth!"
The midwife said with difficulty, "But... a woman giving birth can't wait!"
"Just wait! If you ruin my feng shui, can you take responsibility?!"
Inside the room, the new mother's pleading voice was trembling with sobs: "Please... I really... can't take it anymore..."
The man ignored him and instead pushed the midwife away.
Wen Zhibai's gaze darkened, and he walked straight out from behind the cowshed.
"Xie An, stop him."
The commands are concise and straightforward.
Xie An stepped forward and grabbed the man's arm, pinning him down firmly.
The midwife was stunned with fright.
Wen Zhibai looked at her, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Grandma, hurry and save them."
"Okay, okay!" The midwife rushed into the house in a panic.
The man winced in pain, both shocked and furious: "What are you doing?!"
Wen Zhibai walked up to him, her voice icy: "So you do feel pain? Your wife was in there risking her life, and you're at peace with yourself?"
"So what! Wizard Sibe..."
"If the wizard Xibei is so divine, how come he didn't foresee his own death?!" Wen Zhibai interrupted him, his words laced with sarcasm.
At that moment, the midwife shouted urgently from inside the house, "Hot water! Quickly, bring a basin of hot water!"
Wen Zhibai stared intently at the man: "Where's the kitchen?"
The man stubbornly refused to speak.
Wen Zhibai lost his patience and grabbed his collar: "Those are two lives!"
Xie An's fist was about to fall.
The man instantly cowered, pointing tremblingly into the room: "The...the very inside..."
Wen Zhibai released him and quickly went into the house to bring out a basin of water.
The woman in labor was deathly pale, her hair soaked with sweat and tears.
Finally, a baby's cry pierced the twilight.
It's a daughter.
Upon hearing this, the man outside collapsed to the ground, crying out, "It's all over! Everything's over! My son!"
As Wen Zhibai stepped out of the house, the man suddenly jumped up, pointed at her nose, and yelled, "It's all your fault! You ruined my feng shui! You turned my son into a money-losing burden! I'm not finished with you!"
“If you had been a moment later, you would have been the murderer of your wife and children.”
Enraged, the man tried to rush into the house to strangle the baby, but Xie An forced him back with a single stab.
Wen Zhibai quickly picked up the baby girl and protected her in front of the mother.
At this moment, the woman in labor struggled to sit up behind her, and with her last bit of strength, she said, word by word: "I...want to...divorce you."
The man flew into a rage: "Divorce?! I haven't divorced you yet!"
"Listen carefully, it's her, she wants a divorce."
"Why?! This is how the world has always been! How can she live without me?!"
"Is it right just because it has always been this way?" Wen Zhibai turned around and looked at the woman with a resolute expression. "If your mind is made up, I will write you a divorce agreement. In the future, you can bring your child to work in my shop."
The woman, tears streaming down her face, nodded emphatically: "I'll do whatever...Miss says."
Wen Zhibai tossed the man twenty taels of silver.
"Take your money and get out."
Inside the carriage, the rescued woman, Thirteen Sister, choked back tears as she revealed the crucial detail: "The sorcerer Xibei was promoted three years ago by a noblewoman from the capital, and he specializes in witchcraft..."
Wen Zhibai's eyes narrowed.
It was indeed related to Qin Yanzhen.
She grasped Thirteen's hand: "I need you, I need all the victims. Do you dare to come back to the capital with me and bring down the real culprit?"
During her recuperation, Wen Zhibai collected evidence of the Qin family's witchcraft troupe while also asking Xie An to take her back to the place where her mother was buried.
Her mother's tombstone clearly read "Tomb of Jiang Xuwan." She then turned her gaze to the other tombstones. Wen Zhibai couldn't help but frown. Although they were in the same cemetery, the others had the character "Jiang" on their tombstones.
Recalling what she saw and heard in Wuyu Pavilion before her rebirth, she figured that the Jiang family must have changed her mother's surname and prepared for a severance of ties.
During this period of time, no members of the Jiang family have appeared. Wen Zhibai has searched for dozens of miles around, but still has not found the Jiang family mansion.
She had asked Wen Lingchen about it, but he remained silent.
Since her injuries had not yet healed, she had no choice but to wait and rest for a while.
That day, Tao Zhi stumbled into the study. Wen Zhibai had been organizing evidence the night before and had fallen asleep on the table.
"Miss! Miss!" Tao Zhi accidentally fell to the ground when she entered the room. Wen Zhibai looked up from the account book and went to help Tao Zhi up.
Are you alright?
Wen Zhibai asked worriedly, but saw Tao Zhi sobbing with her head down. She looked up and told her, "Miss... Master... he's had an accident..."
Her brows furrowed into a deep frown, and her heart skipped a beat: "Taozhi, explain yourself!"
"The Naqi army of 100,000 is pressing in. General Qi, who was stationed in Liangchuan, was seriously wounded and returned to the capital. Your Excellency went to Liangchuan. This morning, news came from the capital that His Highness the Crown Prince had been captured and taken hostage. To rescue the Crown Prince, Your Excellency led only 10,000 elite troops to fight against the Naqi. The battle lasted for five days without result, and the Naqi burned all the supplies. Your Excellency led a large force to search for food, but never returned. They all say that Your Excellency fled with his men. Now Liangchuan is leaderless and on the verge of falling. The Emperor is furious and has ordered the Pei residence to be sealed off..."
Upon hearing this, Wen Zhibai's eyes went vacant, his body became unsteady, and he staggered back a few steps, bracing himself on the table.
Wen Zhibai only came to his senses when he heard the sound of orderly footsteps outside the courtyard and the sound of Xie An drawing his sword.
Tao Zhi immediately closed the study door and opened the window behind the bookshelf: "Miss, you should leave quickly! There's a hidden door in the backyard, go out through there! You have no direct relationship with the master, so leave now!"
Wen Zhibai walked up and slammed the window shut: "I can't let go of anyone, and I can't let go."
She clenched her fists, her gaze resolute as she pushed open the door. Sunlight shone on her face as she walked out, saying, "Taozhi, quickly gather all the account books and books from the desk and take them with you!"
Upon arriving outside the mansion, Wen Zhibai discovered that the Imperial Law Office had already surrounded the Pei residence.
Wen Zhibai pressed down on Xie An's sword, which was about to be drawn, and stepped forward steadily, facing the imperial guards alone.
The head of the Imperial Law Office reined in his horse, his gaze sweeping arrogantly over the Pei residence's gate, his voice filled with undisguised sarcasm:
"By imperial decree, Your Majesty, Pei Qinzhou, a staff member of the Crown Prince's palace, not only failed in his duties during the relief efforts in Liangchuan, resulting in the Crown Prince's perilous situation, but also abandoned his troops and disappeared three days ago, an act tantamount to desertion! I am deeply saddened and enraged. I hereby order the Imperial Court to temporarily seal Pei's residence pending investigation and punishment!"
After he finished reading, he scoffed and added, "Pei Qinzhou? What young talent? He's nothing but a cowardly and incompetent coward, a mere deserter!"
“My lord,” she said in a clear, neither humble nor arrogant, “the Pei family may be granted a fief, but the imperial decree cannot be disobeyed. However, whether Pei Qinzhou is dead or alive, whether he fought or fled, is still uncertain. As an official of the Imperial Law Office, you must be careful with your words. How can you so easily label a general who fought for the country and whose whereabouts are still unknown?”
The leader on horseback looked down at her with disdain and inquiry: "Who are you to Pei Qinzhou? Do you have any right to speak here?"
"Who I am is irrelevant to the truth." Wen Zhibai raised his head, his eyes blazing. "The war in Liangchuan is perilous, and the Naqi army is fierce and ruthless. If you have the audacity to make arbitrary judgments here, why not volunteer to go to the front lines and fight the enemy?"
The leader's eyes flashed with malice: "How dare you disrespect the Imperial Law Office?!"
Wen Zhibai chuckled lightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "I don't respect ghosts or gods, I don't respect the powerful and wealthy, I only respect heroes, that's all."
"Ha, sharp tongue." The chieftain was stung by her words and lost face. He spurred his horse a few steps closer and prepared to reach out his finger to tuck a strand of her hair behind his ear.
Wen Zhibai abruptly dodged to the side, his eyes instantly turning icy: "My lord, please have some self-respect!"
"Self-respect? You're just a woman, what can you do to me?"
"My lord, don't forget that the Pei residence has only been temporarily sealed off. The fate of Pei Qinzhou is still uncertain. Let me tell you, I am Pei Qinzhou's betrothed! If you dare to lay a finger on me today, my husband will not let you off when he returns. I think you've heard of his methods, given that he resides in the Eastern Palace and is always by the Crown Prince's side."
Wen Zhibai looked back without fear, his hand clenched into a fist in his sleeve, his nails digging deep into his palm, using the pain to maintain his outward composure.
After a brief stalemate, the leader ultimately did not dare to take another step.
He snorted coldly, reluctantly withdrawing his troops, only to leave with a single sentence before departing: "Enough with the empty words! Don't forget, the imperial court has cut off his food supplies! Even if Pei Qinzhou has extraordinary abilities, how many days can he survive in that desolate place of Liangchuan? Humph!"
………
After the Pei residence was sealed off and the officials from the Imperial Law Office left, everyone, from top to bottom, looked at Wen Zhibai.
Xie An: "Young...wife?"
"Cough cough..."
"Miss, what do we do now?" Tao Zhi asked, trying to reassure everyone.
Wen Zhibai looked at the group of people staring at her expectantly and said, "With me here, what are you afraid of? Pei Qinzhou will be fine."
Wen Zhibai took the bundled account book from Tao Zhi's hands and handed it to Xie An to take people to rent a house in West Street first, so that they would have a place to stay. Tao Zhi then went with her to the shop under her mother's name to reconcile accounts.
Wen Zhibai gathered all the shopkeepers and, based on the maximum output of each shop, collected all the existing goods before 9 PM.
Pei Qinzhou once said that if she said she missed him, he would rush back to her side before the first snow of the year.
But this time, Wen Zhibai didn't need him to walk towards her.
She wrote in that purple book:
Pei Qinzhou, you said you would return when the first snow fell. If I cannot wait for you, I will brave the wind and snow to personally bring you home.
The autumn wind is bleak, withered leaves rustle, the sky is asleep, and the night is dark and turbulent.
Xie An checked the mountain of grain and supplies: "Miss, everything is ready."
Wen Zhibai mounted his horse, tightened the reins, and looked towards Liangchuan with unwavering determination: "If the court cuts off his supplies, I will deliver them. If they can't find someone, I will find them."
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