Chapter 23

When they saw Cai Yan, Ying Yue and Huo Xiaonian were both stunned, but it wasn’t because she was a woman. Rather, it was because of her unique temperament that was so striking and magnetic.

It was natural that these two young ones, whose ages combined were barely in their thirties, couldn’t help but feel intrigued.

It wasn’t until Jia Xu spoke that the two children regained their composure.

The scholar in a green shirt bowed and saluted the elegant lady, saying, “Miss Cai, long time no see.”

Upon hearing Jia Xu’s words, Cai Yan turned her gaze from the little girl to the man beside her. She was initially confused, but after a moment of observation, she seemed to recognize him and responded with a smile, “Ah, it’s Mr. Jia Xu, Jia Wenhe, from under Cao Gong.”

“Huh?” Ying Yue, who had just regained her senses, asked in confusion, “Does Wen He know this sister?”

Why did it seem like Jia Xu knew everyone?

Ying Yue wondered curiously.

Hearing Ying Yue’s question, Jia Xu calmly shook his head and explained, “It’s not that we know each other, but I have met Miss Cai a few times. And if you count it,” he looked at the woman across from him and continued, “At her current age, Miss Cai probably has never actually met me.”

But because she had future memories transmitted to her by the system, she was aware of his existence.

“Is that so…” The little girl nodded, understanding the rule that most system cards came from their peak moments, and the memories were sent to the future. She immediately understood what Jia Xu meant.

After hearing Jia Xu’s explanation to Ying Yue, Cai Yan didn’t ask further. Instead, she addressed the little girl, “I noticed you seemed troubled earlier. Something about your appearance seems off. Could you tell me what’s going on?”

After observing the surroundings, which appeared to be the backyard of a wealthy family, and recalling that she had heard the little girl gasp when she appeared, Cai Yan couldn’t help but ask her about the situation.

Her voice, cool and elegant, made even direct questions seem unobtrusive. She didn’t sound offensive at all. On the contrary, her calm, tranquil voice gave off a sense of stability, which unconsciously made people feel more at ease.

When asked in such a calming tone, Ying Yue, who had been nervous and unsure about how to explain Cai Yan’s existence, immediately felt more composed.

The little girl then explained their situation quietly. Everything seemed unimportant, except for one key point: Miss Shen, who didn’t know about the system’s existence, would return later.

After hearing Ying Yue’s explanation, Cai Yan smiled slightly and said softly, “What’s the difficulty?”

Then she continued, “From what you’ve told me, the governor of Beidi County is a scoundrel. I will tell Miss Shen, whom I have not yet met, that I am an orphan from a poor family, rescued by my sister, and then abducted by the governor.”

“And out of gratitude, I wish to stay with my sister from now on.”

Without realizing it, she had followed the same path that Miss Shen had previously planned for her.

“But,” Ying Yue raised her head and looked at the elegant woman in front of her, speaking hesitantly, “Wouldn’t this be too unfair to my sister?”

Her sister’s exceptional temperament was so noticeable that even Ying Yue could tell she came from a family of scholars. But now, are they going to make her the concubine who was forcefully taken away?

Even though this was the first time Ying Yue met Cai Yan, she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her.

Upon hearing the little girl’s words, Cai Yan smiled. Compared to the distant smile from before, this one seemed more genuine. “What’s wrong with this? It’s just an excuse.”

Though her father had spoiled her and treated her like a treasure when she was a child, her life had been full of ups and downs.

When she was young and newly married, she had believed that she and her husband would live happily ever after. However, Wei Zhongdao died early, and the Wei family called her a jinx. Raised by her father, she had high self-esteem and could not tolerate their insults, so she returned home.

Later, when her father passed away, she wanted to live with the books he left behind, but that small dream was never realized.

At that time, the world was in chaos, and the Huns (a nomadic group from Central Asia) took advantage of the situation to raid the south. She was abducted and became the wife of Zuo Xian Wang. She lived in the north ever since, which she could clearly recall when she turned 22.

So, even after being kidnapped by the Xiongnu, what was wrong with being a “Han” concubine and finding a way to live on? It was just…

Thinking about this, Cai Yan lowered her eyes slightly, glanced at Ying Yue, and thought to herself…

She actually liked this little girl even more.

It is rare for a stranger to feel such kind sympathy and love. This rare feeling should be cherished.

_

Meanwhile, under the guidance of Miss Shen, who was very familiar with the County Magistrate’s Mansion, Zhao Kuo cleared the servants out of the mansion with ruthless efficiency, like chopping vegetables.

Finally, after passing through many courtyards, they arrived at the door of the County Magistrate and his favorite concubine, who had now been promoted to his wife.

Hearing the sounds of laughter coming from inside, Zhao Kuo couldn’t help but look at Miss Shen’s expression.

Seeing the cold look on her face, Zhao Kuo asked, “How about… you don’t go in?”

“No,” Miss Shen rejected his suggestion, “I want to see how that woman dies.” After saying this, she kicked the door open and walked in confidently. Zhao Kuo followed quietly.

Upon entering, the middle-aged couple who had been flirting in the room froze when they saw Miss Shen.

“Shu, Shutan?” the man exclaimed in surprise.

When the man saw her, he realized it was his daughter, whom he had believed dead and had even offered to the bandits. His voice began to tremble.

Because the girl radiated a kind of cold, vengeful energy, the man asked in fear, “Are you a human or a ghost?”

He then held his head, saying, “Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt has its creditor. If you have any grievances, go find your mother! Dad didn’t mean to harm you!”

By the end, his voice and entire body were shaking.

While the man was terrified, Zhao Kuo had already drawn his sword and struck down the woman who had been flirting with the County Magistrate.

Seeing this, the man realized that his daughter was not truly dead and must have joined forces with someone strong, perhaps a Hu person. He was also likely noticing Zhao Kuo’s martial prowess.

So, his obese body trembled even more violently, but he still tried to invoke family ties. “Shu Tan! Shu Tan! I’m your father! You can’t kill me! Do you want to bear the eternal shame of patricide?”

Miss Shen laughed coldly. “I don’t have any special skills, and you’re just a nobody. How could killing you ever be remembered forever?” She thought her useless father was being completely delusional.

“But,” she then said in a quieter voice, “I really won’t kill you.”

She then turned to Zhao Kuo and asked, “General Zhao, can I borrow your sword?”

The young man handed her the sword but warned, “I’ll tell you now, you can cut him a few times to vent your anger, but you can’t kill him yet.” This was an instruction from Jia Xu. Even if Miss Shen did kill the County Magistrate, Zhao Kuo could stop her.

“Understood,” Miss Shen said, taking the sword.

At that moment, she couldn’t help but remember what Jia Xu had told her earlier that morning.

“Why would you, young lady, stain your hands with blood for such a biological father? Even if few people know about it, it is still patricide.”

“What do you mean by that, sir?”

“What I mean is that there are ways in this world that make people suffer more than dying. The more they care about something, the more they’ll lose it. You could be with him, watching him suffer every moment of his life. Isn’t that worse than just ending it all quickly?”

“Shu Tan is dull, please explain further, sir.”

“Xu has a plan, and the girl’s father is part of it. Overall, he still has some value.”

“But why should I go along with this? Sir, you should know that my main goal has always been to kill him. The situation in Beidi County is just a side thing. I’m not as kind as Miss Ying thinks.”

“Because the girl has big goals and no way to turn back. Even though she cares about the governor of Beidi County’s death and her great revenge, she also truly wants the people of Beidi to be free. I don’t believe someone who’s willing to kill their father is as innocent as the girl says. After this, she only wants to be a regular maid at my master’s side, controlled by him.”

“If you have such grand ambitions, why rush for revenge? For now, let’s spare County Magistrate Shen’s life and let him experience all the suffering. Tomorrow, you can decide what happens to him.”

“Besides, doesn’t the girl like my master? Don’t you want to see how far she can go in the future?”

At this point, her voice began to tremble slightly. “…Miss Ying, don’t you just want to be a local tyrant?”

The young scholar’s voice sounded odd, “After spending a few days together, do you still feel the same way?”

Finally, she replied, “…Sir, you’ve won. Shu Tan will listen to you.”

Shen Shutan looked at her father and said in a gloomy voice, “What you said is true. I shouldn’t be called a ‘patricide.’ I won’t kill you, but—”

As her voice changed, she swung her sword, and it landed between the man’s legs.

When the man screamed, Zhao Kuo, standing behind her, couldn’t help but flinch and let out a “hiss.”

This kind of thing would be devastating for any man.

…It’s better to be dead than alive.

The young man couldn’t help but think this.

Hearing Zhao Kuo’s reaction, Miss Shen asked in confusion, “General, are you… scared?” she asked uncertainly.

“Haha.” The young man laughed awkwardly, then said, “What you did is indeed frightening for men like us.”