Yan Liang and Jiang Qin set off for Qingzhou, while Jiang Feng, far away in Yihua Palace, fell in love.
Jiang Feng was aware of his outstanding appearance, but he was never complacent about it. He was gentle and kind, and disliked Yao Yue's ruthless actions. He couldn't say much when sitting opposite Yao Yue. Hua Yuenü was not considered a beauty, but Jiang Feng was not one to judge by appearances. He only knew that he felt very peaceful when he was with Hua Yuenü.
No matter how carefully Yaoyue took care of Jiang Feng, there were still some things she wouldn't do herself. In the palace, Yaoyue only allowed her personal maid, Huayuenü, to approach Jiang Feng, so Huayuenü had more contact with Jiang Feng than Yaoyue.
Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenü developed feelings for each other over time. Unable to bear seeing Jiang Feng trapped here, Hua Yuenü decided to take him away from the Yihua Palace.
Hua Yuenü had served Yaoyue since childhood and knew every corner of the Li Palace like the back of her hand. She knew that there was an underground passage leading to the outside of the valley. After discussing with Jiang Feng for two days, she decided on the time to leave and escaped from Xiuyu Valley through the underground passage in the dead of night.
On the very day they began their discussions, Yan Liang quickened his pace. Jiang Qin, puzzled, asked him why, but only received a nonsensical answer.
"I've done some calculations, and I know your young master has recovered from his injuries and is about to leave the place where he was recuperating with his lover."
Whether it was "calculating with one's fingers" or "peach blossoms," Jiang Qin felt he couldn't understand Yan Liang's thoughts. He originally didn't want to understand, but now that Yan Liang's accelerated journey was disadvantageous to him, he couldn't help but want to dig open this man's head to see what he was thinking.
Yan Liang had already figured out this man's true nature. He was indifferent to his betrayal; everyone seeks advantage and avoids harm. Among his friends were also cunning individuals, but Jiang Qin's thoughts were nothing compared to his friends'; she was no match for him. Yan Liang also enjoyed watching her struggle and agonize, finding it amusement on his journey.
They sped up, leaving Xiao Mimi and Yunyou behind them.
Xiao Mimi never missed an opportunity to seduce a man she was interested in, especially since Yan Liang's reaction displeased her. She was in her early twenties, with a slender figure and stunning beauty; no man could resist her charm. That afternoon, on the day Yan Liang left town, she also drove her carriage, following their trail.
Now that Yan Liang has shaken her off, Xiao Mimi chose to stop instead of rushing to catch up. She didn't want to exhaust herself with the long journey, so she told Yunyou about her decision. This relieved the young man who had been on tenterhooks since they set off—he was afraid that Xiao Mimi would catch up with Yan Liang and get angry because of that face that looked just like Feng Lai's.
Meanwhile, Jiang Feng's sworn brother, Yan Nantian, was also leisurely making his way to Anyi Town.
He was extremely anxious when he heard the news of Jiang Feng's disappearance after descending the mountain. He wrote a letter to the Jiang family and rushed to the northwest. Halfway there, he received a reply from Jiang's steward, who gave Jiang Feng's exact location and mentioned a young man named Yan Liang. After learning that his sworn brother was recuperating in Anyi Town, Yan Nantian relaxed and slowed down.
If he goes too early, his sworn brother might not be fully recovered. It would be better for him to go slowly and return to Jiangnan with Jiang Feng when he is fully recovered.
Yan Nantian deliberately slowed down, while Yan Liang hurried to Qingzhou.
Yan Liang and Jiang Qin found an inn in Qingzhou. That afternoon, instead of going to the city to sightsee, he went to find the Feng family residence that the embroiderer had mentioned earlier.
The embroiderer's memory of the Feng family dates back fifty years. Yan Liang had prepared himself for not being able to find out any information. When he arrived at the old Feng family residence, he unsurprisingly saw an unfamiliar plaque with the character "Wu" written on it instead of "Feng".
The people inside the house saw the gray-clad boy outside and were puzzled. But when they got closer and saw his face clearly, they exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master Feng!"
Yan Liang paused, then gave him a friendly smile.
The man who called him "Young Master Feng" was someone who had a relationship with Feng Lai's father and had seen Feng Lai before he was twelve years old.
"Like father, like son. Young Master Feng looks eight-tenths like Brother Feng. I recognized you at a glance." The other person poured him tea and brought some snacks, then smiled at Yan Liang, "Is your father in good health?"
Men tend to talk a lot, and Yan Liang nodded in agreement. In just a short while, he got the information he wanted to know.
The Feng family had fallen into decline twenty years ago. Feng Lai's father was an unreliable man who had accumulated gambling debts. To pay them off, he sold the old Feng family house to a man surnamed Wu. After paying off the debts, he took the remaining money and left Qingzhou with twelve-year-old Feng Lai.
The other party only knew this much; he knew nothing about what had happened to Feng Lai and his son after they left Qingzhou. However, the other party genuinely cared about the long-lost "Feng Lai." Yan Liang tried his best to respond, briefly informing him that he was currently traveling the world and that his father was in good health. After having a meal at his home, he got up to take his leave and politely declined the other party's offer to send him back to the inn by carriage.
Yan Liang stepped onto the bluestone slabs, gazing at the gently flowing river beside him under the starlight. Having clarified Feng Lai's background and completed the system's assigned task, Yan Liang still felt a heavy weight in his heart.
What happened to Feng Lai and his father after they left Qingzhou that led them to meet Xiao Mimi?
Yan Liang felt a heavy weight in his heart as he thought of Feng Lai's injuries and the strange reaction of the young man named Yunyou.
He returned to the inn, but Jiang Qin had not yet come back. Yan Liang checked the surveillance footage and found that the person was still eating in the restaurant, with a table full of fish and meat.
The butler gave Jiang Qin some travel money, but Yan Liang had been using the money he earned from fortune telling. Seeing that he didn't mention it, Jiang Qin secretly used the money herself, and she used it very happily, without feeling guilty or ashamed at all.
Yan Liang watched him eat until his cheeks were bulging like a bun, and found it boring. He turned his head to look at what Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenü were doing.
By this time, Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenü had escaped from Xiuyu Valley through a tunnel under cover of night, and the two fled hand in hand through the mountains and forests. Although their future was uncertain, Jiang Feng felt boundless motivation when he thought of the girl beside him.
Hua Yuenü was the same; the moment she fell in love with Jiang Feng, she knew there was no turning back. No one in the Yihua Palace dared to disobey Yaoyue; she was the first to do so.
But she doesn't regret it.
Five hours before Yaoyue and Lianxing discovered their escape was enough for Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenü to flee the territory of Yihua Palace overnight.
Yan Liang watched for a while, then decided to go to sleep.
If we can't catch up in a short time, we might as well get ready and go pick them up.
When Jiang Qin returned to the inn after a satisfying meal, she was puzzled to see Yan Liang's dark room. She wondered what Yan Liang had been up to and why he hadn't returned yet. Despite her puzzlement, she was still happy to see Yan Liang occupied with something. It would be even better if he could slow down or part ways with her.
The next day, Yan Liang, looking refreshed, knocked on Jiang Qin's door and said with a smile, "I've taken care of my business. Let's go pick up Jiang Feng together."
Jiang Qin: "..."
He discovered that anything related to Yan Liang often went against his wishes.
Jiang Qin dawdled reluctantly for a while, thinking she had concealed it well, but Yan Liang had seen everything. He leaned against the door frame and smiled, saying, "Aren't you awake yet? Do you want me to help you?"
Jiang Qin paused, then quickly sped up—the silver that Steward Jiang had given him was still in his bundle. If Yan Liang saw it, he might question him, and explaining it would be even more troublesome.
The two quickly packed their things, and Yan Liang's horses began to gallop like the wind again. Whenever they rested, Yan Liang would prepare the best hay for them and soothe them, so the horses pulling the carriage were full of energy and moved at a speed that Jiang Qin did not want to see, like lightning.
When Yaoyue discovered that Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenü were missing, she was furious and sent people to chase after them. At the same time, she also sent people to look for Yan Liang—she had not forgotten that she had used Yan Liang to threaten Jiang Feng.
Yi Yaoqing was the one who was sent out to find him.
“You’ve spent the most time with him, so you should know where he might go,” Yaoyue coldly ordered. “Go find him, bring him back, and let Jiang Feng see what a foolish decision he’s made.”
Yi Yaoqing bowed his head, "Yes."
Lianxing looked down at Yi Yaoqing and recalled the boy in front of the Yihua Palace two months ago. Yan Liang had told her that he was going to Jiangnan to report Jiang Feng's safety. She guessed that he had left Jiangnan after delivering the message.
Jiang Feng chose Hua Yuenü instead of her sister, which left Lianxing somewhat bewildered—she had originally thought that only Yaoyue was worthy of Jiang Feng, but Jiang Feng's actions told her that he did not think so.
Yi Yaoqing accepted the order and left the palace. When she stood at the entrance of the valley, she was extremely lost. The people who were tracking Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenü had already left in several different groups, but she didn't know where to go.
Yan Liang did indeed say he was going to Jiangnan to deliver a message to Jiang Feng. Now that a month has passed, he must have left the Jiang family long ago. Moreover, that person had mentioned many places he wanted to go to to Yi Yaoqing, so she was hesitant at this moment.
Yi Yaoqing stood there for a moment and decided to head to Jiangnan first to try her luck.
She felt from the bottom of her heart that Yan Liang had suffered an undeserved misfortune, and she did not want to bring him back. Besides, he had not been found yet, so it was better to find him first and then talk to Yan Liang about it.
No matter how much Ren Yiyaoqing imagined, she could never have imagined that the person she was looking for was about to walk right into her trap, driving his carriage at breakneck speed toward her.
Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenü decided to detour back to Jiangnan. Behind them was a group of Yihua Palace disciples sent to chase them. Meanwhile, Yan Nantian was leisurely drinking and sunbathing on the road towards Anyi Town. Yan Liang and Jiang Qin were driving their carriage at breakneck speed, with Xiao Mimi and Yun You walking slowly behind them. On the other side, there were people Jiang Qin had secretly leaked information about who were rushing to Anyi Town.
Yan Liang was unaware of Yan Nantian's affair with Yihua Palace, but he guessed that Yihua Palace had sent people to capture him. While wondering who the people sent would be, he watched Jiang Qin's conflicted and anxious state with amusement.
Jiang Qin frantically pulled at her hair, managing to discern a hint of joy amidst the flying dust and the clatter of hooves.
Jiang Qin couldn't help but suspect once again that this person knew everything, but at the same time, she felt that he knew nothing, which made her even more anxious.
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