Chapter 773 Showing Off
Even if given the opportunity, Bai Youran wouldn't want to commit treason.
"If the Bai family has a happy occasion, Bai Dingfeng benefits; if they have a bad one, I'll definitely be the one to take the blame. Why should I be the one to blame?"
To be so audacious as to plot rebellion and collude with the enemy is a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family! Bai Youran could not understand her father's ambition; she just wanted to find a place to hide.
“My father really did usurp the throne, and I don’t want to benefit from it. He failed and was beheaded, and I don’t want to be implicated.”
Bai Youran wept bitterly, her heart filled with a bitterness worse than that of bitter herbs.
Before Lin Yuesha appeared, she could only cling to Yang Qing. Bai Youran prided herself on her ability to judge people. Yang Qing was an upright man. Although the people of the Sixteen Villages were bandits, they were all honest and upright and treated her with great courtesy, without ever verbally offending her.
Bai Youran was just figuring out how to get Yang Qing to take her in when Lin Yuesha was invited over.
What an unexpected coincidence!
Bai Youran knew that now that she was a member of the Bai family, she would definitely stand on the opposite side from Lin Yuesha, and because of this identity, she was not trusted.
The best way to avoid the Bai and Wei families is to follow the King of Luo's men and head to the northwest.
Although the war in the Northwest was brutal, the people were able to catch their breath for a while. Only in the territory of the Prince of Luo could Bai Youran ensure that she would not be found and feel safer.
"Sister Yue Sha, please help me."
Bai Youran was extremely grateful that she hadn't sided with Wei Lan when purchasing military supplies, otherwise she would have been even more embarrassed to make the request.
Lin Yuesha helped Bai Youran change her clothes and massaged her to improve blood circulation, while inwardly assessing the reliability of Bai Youran's words.
If Bai Youran's act of feigning injury is actually a scheme by Bai Dingfeng, then her good intentions in helping her would be tantamount to inviting a wolf into the house.
"Sister Bai, although I really want to help, you know I'm just here to deliver military supplies."
After much deliberation, Lin Yuesha decided she couldn't get involved in this mess; it was too risky.
I understand your concerns.
Bai Youran bit her lip, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "The capital is in chaos right now. It might not be a good time for you to go back. It would be better to stay in the Northwest, which is at least safer than the capital."
Lord Lin has sought refuge with the Wei family. If the Wei family is overthrown again, Lin Yuesha's return to the capital will be like a lamb entering a tiger's den.
"I don't expect you to believe me. You can arrange for your people to be my maids, as long as I have a place to stay."
Bai Youran gritted her teeth. She had over 100,000 taels of silver left by Li Ruoxue, and she was willing to take out 100,000 taels as military supplies to support the soldiers in the Northwest.
"Bai Dingfeng had been inquiring about the whereabouts of this silver, which is why he agreed to take Li Ruoshuang with him. He thought Li Ruoshuang knew the whereabouts of the dowry silver."
Now that things have come to this, Bai Youran has no reservations and speaks her mind.
If she had to apologize, she truly felt sorry for Li Ruoxue. She felt guilty taking the money, and since she was all alone and had left the Bai family, she had no choice but to keep the money for herself.
At this point, Lin Yuesha finally understood the grand scheme Li Ruoxue had devised before her death: using her dowry to turn the Bai siblings against each other.
In this game of chess, there are no winners; everyone loses.
“That day, some of the men in black were from the Wei family, and the rest were from Sishui City. I had no idea that your carriage was hijacked. It must have been quite a risk.”
Bai Youran sighed, "How easy is it to escape death? I thought I couldn't hold on any longer, but I never expected to be rescued by Yang Qing. It was my good fortune."
"Sister Bai, whether you can come to the Northwest with us or not, it's not good for you to stay in Sixteen Villages."
There are only men on the mountain, not a single woman. It would be too inconvenient to stay. Besides, Yang Qing might agree to take the brothers to the Northwest to join the army after tonight.
"I know my identity is sensitive..."
Bai Youran confided in Lin Yuesha, saying it was her choice and she didn't regret it.
Having already repaid her parents for raising her, having been sold twice, she wouldn't be foolish enough to become a pawn again.
Even if she could only be a peasant woman for the rest of her life, she would never return to the Bai family.
"Get some sleep first, and I'll send someone to bring you down the mountain tomorrow."
After Lin Yuesha settled Bai Youran in, Yang Qing was already drinking and chatting happily with the pockmarked man. She didn't know what the pockmarked man had instilled in Yang Qing, but the two were discussing finding someone to take over the mountain stronghold after he left.
The location of Shiliuzhai is uniquely advantageous, and it is necessary to continue to develop animal husbandry to supply the military needs of the Northwest.
"I brushed honey on the chicken skin, your favorite flavor."
Xiao Qi cut the roast chicken and carefully handed it to Lin Yuesha.
"Mmm, it tastes just like before."
Lin Yuesha nodded repeatedly, showing no restraint despite Yang Qing's presence.
Yang Qing looked to be in his early twenties, not very old. During their chat, Lin Yuesha learned that Yang Qing had no relatives and had no intention of getting married. It was good to have no ties.
"I'll probably be living a lonely life, so I have to congratulate my benefactor and Miss Lin."
After Yang Qing finished speaking, he clasped his hands in a fist salute, stood up, and offered the two men a cup of wine, which he then drank in one gulp.
Lin Yuesha looked at the pockmarked man with a puzzled expression. This man's mouth was too fast; how did he know everything?
“Brother Yang is no outsider. Besides, you and I will eventually turn this charade into reality, so there’s no need to be so formal about the details.”
Xiao Qi, having finally found someone to show off, naturally couldn't let Yang Qing off the hook. Upon receiving the blessing, he immediately stood up to reciprocate.
The two drank back and forth, having a great time.
Lin Yuesha looked up at the sky speechlessly. This was a full-blown performance, fooling everyone around her. This was quite a big show.
Originally, she thought it was just acting in coordination with the pockmarked face, but to her surprise, everyone joined in and genuinely cooperated in the performance.
By the time they left the mountain stronghold, it was already past midnight.
"Brother Qi, Bai Youran suddenly appeared in the Sixteen Villages. Could she be a spy sent by the Bai family?"
Lin Yuesha had doubts about this and was somewhat unsure. After all, the Bai family was too shrewd, having both allied with the Wei family and boarded the big ship of Sishui City, showing their considerable ambition.
"It should be true; she has no use to you."
His men had been hiding around Bai Dingfeng, and Xiao Qi knew everything the siblings were saying.
After that night, without his help, how could Bai Youran have escaped right under Bai Dingfeng's nose?
"Since Bai Youran is willing to offer 100,000 taels of silver for protection, just accept it."
Xiao Qi smiled and seemed to be in a good mood. "Consider it a wedding gift for us."
Lin Yuesha: ...How come everything is related to marriage? What happened to the act?
It was a cold night, so Lin Yuesha took off her down jacket and sat in front of the pockmarked man, shielding him from the cold wind.
In his words, this is safer.
The fact that the pockmarked man, who wasn't a big mouth, announced his marriage to everyone made it public knowledge, and Lin Yuesha felt inexplicably uneasy.
However, the two of them did have to go through the motions, and if he told others, Lin Yuesha wouldn't be able to find fault with it.
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