When they arrived at the place where everyone was resting, Fang and the others had already gathered firewood, and even Yun Shijiu was carrying a bundle of dry tree branches as thick as an arm on his back.
Lin Yinan threw down the goat, and the children immediately surrounded her. Then Lin Yi'an and Lu Changqing, who were about the same age as her, asked her all sorts of questions.
Qianwu handed her a pot of lukewarm water, and Lin Yinan took it and drank half of it in one gulp.
From the moment the three emerged from the woods, Qianwu noticed the solemn expressions on their faces.
She asked softly, "Madam, has something happened?"
Lin Yinan nodded slightly, "Let's go back first."
"I've packed everything up, and Fang and the others have chopped their firewood," Qianwu said.
To make it easier to go down the mountain, Fang and others pulled up some vines, tied the hooves of the two wild goats together, and cut a tree branch to thread through the middle so that the two of them could carry them down the mountain.
Each child in the Yun family carried a bundle of firewood, large or small, making their journey down the mountain extremely slow.
By the time they reached the city gate, the sun was already setting in the west.
Lin Yinan glanced at the official road, but there wasn't a single person in sight.
It was freezing cold, and the people who came to buy things had already gone home. With the end of the year approaching, the merchants no longer went out.
Inside the city gate, Yun Dong was leading his men to change shifts. When he saw Lin Yinan return, he respectfully stepped forward and bowed.
Yun Shijiu was fast asleep on Qianwu's back. Lin Yinan told her to take the children back first and send the hunted wild goats to the Lin family so that Lin Shuo and his cousins could help clean them.
Lin Yi'an and Lu Changqing wanted to stay and help, but Lin Yinan waved them off.
After everyone left, Yun Dong asked directly, "Does Madam have any instructions?"
Lin Yinan then told him everything he had seen and heard at the foot of the mountain, "Quickly send someone to investigate and find out how many people are in their space and what business they have in Longtan."
"Yes, I will take care of it immediately."
The matter was of great importance, so Yun Dong, who was originally planning to return, dared not be careless. He selected two skilled bodyguards and personally led them in the direction Lin Yinan had indicated.
Back at the Yun family home, Yun Shijiu was still asleep. After Qianwu gave Lin Zhiyan a quick wash, she climbed onto the bed and cuddled her younger sister, sleeping soundly.
With Yunmu not home, the energetic boys ran to the Lin family next door to watch the sheep being slaughtered, and even Li Huishan went along.
Lin Yinan leaned against the low couch, closed her eyes to rest, and recalled the people she had met that day and what they had said.
"Madam, the eldest young master has arrived," Qianwu said softly as she pushed open the door.
Lin Yinan opened her eyes and followed Qianwu to the reception room, where Lin Yi'an and Lu Changqing were also present.
Seeing her sit down, Lu Changqing poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her.
"Did An'er and Changqing say you encountered refugees at the foot of the mountain on the other side?" Lin Yiheng asked.
Lin Yinan took a sip of tea and told him the results of her review.
“I observed that their clothing did indeed resemble that of refugees, but I did not know where they came from. From their few words, it seemed that someone had deliberately led them to Longtan.”
Lin Yiheng frowned. "Who do you think it could be?"
"How about we ambush them on the way tonight, kill them, and then quietly destroy the evidence!" Lu Changqing made a gesture of wielding a knife and touching a neck.
Lin Yinan: "No rush. Yun Dong has already sent people to investigate the situation. He will send back a message later."
"Okay, let's wait for Yun Dong to find out the situation before making a decision."
Lin Yiheng glanced at Lin Yi'an and Lu Changqing, feeling a bit of a headache. He didn't know when the two of them had developed a fondness for wielding swords and spears.
The two paid no attention to his opinion. Judging from today's actual combat, their archery power and speed were far inferior to Sister Anan's.
"Sis, when do you have time to give us some pointers on archery?" Lin Yi'an asked Lin Yinan shamelessly.
Judging from their performance today, both of them were very fast and accurate in archery. Although Lin Yi'an was slightly inferior to Lu Changqing in terms of reaction, it was already very good for them to reach this level at their age.
Lin Yinan still wanted them to read more books.
"You are still young, you should study hard and learn right from wrong."
The two exchanged a glance. Looking at Lin Yinan's cool face, Lu Changqing said firmly, "Sister A-Nan, I started my education at the age of three and have learned all the characters I should know. I don't want to take the path of taking the imperial examinations in the future. I just want to learn more skills to protect you and Longtan. I want to join the army with my brother-in-law."
“Sister, me too!” Lin Yi’an said.
Lin Yiheng: "Nowadays, the imperial court is controlled by a few powerful clans, and the imperial power has fallen into the wrong hands. It is extremely difficult for ordinary scholars from poor families to rise up. Practicing martial arts can not only strengthen their bodies, but also help them protect Longtan in the future, which is a good way out."
The darkness and turmoil of this period lasted for hundreds of years.
Lin Yiheng's words were indeed correct.
Thinking of the horse farm on the mountain and the mobile target that Yun Er later built, Lin Yinan looked at the two of them.
"When Yun Er comes back, we'll have him take you to the horse farm for some training next time."
With her older siblings' permission, Lin Yi'an was overjoyed and danced with delight.
"Don't worry, sis, I will definitely train hard!"
Lu Changqing: "Sister Anan, I won't let you down!"
The three talked for a while, and then they heard Yunmu's voice from outside the door.
She called to a few older boys and asked them to carry the half-eaten lamb from the basket into the kitchen.
Yunmu smiled broadly, her mouth practically splitting open. "Fang He, you guys don't need to go back either. Stay home for dinner tonight, we'll make stewed mutton."
"Okay, Auntie, I'll go start the fire right away."
Fang and the others happily agreed. They had followed the Yun family since they were young, and only after they turned thirteen two years ago did they move into the new house built for them and leave the Yun family to live on their own.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com