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“Then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Xiao,” Wei Yunlan said politely.
Although this Xiao Huwei did not have a name that indicated his rank like Yu Wu or Seventh Lady Yu, the way Seventh Lady Yu and the others treated him suggested that he held some status in Tianshu Pavilion. At the very least, his skills were certainly up to par, more than capable of teaching her and Mingxuan, who were complete novices.
Upon returning to the small courtyard where the Wei family was staying, Wei Yunlan noticed two unfamiliar figures in the yard.
One was chopping firewood, while the other sat on a small stool weaving a bamboo basket.
“Who are they?” Wei Yunlan called over Wang Gui, who was feeding the sheep nearby.
“Miss, these are Ye Song and Ye Bai. A few days ago, they were kidnapped along with Young Master and me and taken to the mine. When we stayed in the communal quarters at the mine, they were right next to us. On the first day we entered the mine to work, the two brothers shared some of their ore with me and Young Master, which spared us from being beaten by the foreman that day. Later, Young Master helped them several times as well,” Wang Gui explained.
“They are from Suizhou, and their family perished during the ‘Earth Dragon Turns’ disaster. Now they have nowhere to go and wish to follow Young Master. However, Young Master hasn’t made a decision yet.”
From Wang Gui’s words, Wei Yunlan inferred what Wei Mingxuan was thinking. He was likely worried that adding two more people to the group would increase their burdens. It was also possible that due to her critical illness in the past few days, he hadn’t had the time to consider other matters.
“Go call Mingxuan here.”
After speaking to Wang Gui, Wei Yunlan turned her gaze to the two brothers. Upon closer inspection, she realized that they looked identical, with the only distinction being a fresh, red scar just below the eye of the one chopping wood, likely a recent injury.
Noticing Wei Yunlan’s gaze, both brothers felt a bit shy and set down their work. Hesitantly, they approached and, imitating Wang Gui’s earlier address, softly called out, “Miss.”
“No need for such formality,” Wei Yunlan said.
At that moment, Wei Mingxuan walked over. Wei Yunlan clarified, “It wouldn’t hurt to add two more people to the group, but the journey ahead may not be easy. Life in Beiguan is particularly harsh. Are you sure you want to follow us north to Beiguan?”
The two brothers exchanged glances, and ultimately, the one with the scar spoke up, “We are sure.”
They didn’t hesitate much; they were just a bit afraid of being rejected, so they mustered the courage to express their thoughts. “The world is difficult now, and we have only our strength to offer. If it weren’t for Young Master’s help at the mine, I might have lost my eye that day.”
Having been with the Wei family for these past few days, they had also vaguely understood that to stay, they needed an identity, just like Dong Da, Liu Quan, or Tingxue and ningshuang in the group.
“Miss, Young Master, our lives were saved by you; we are willing to sell ourselves to stay,” the scarred brother said earnestly.
“That isn’t necessary.” Wei Yunlan paused her gaze on them for a moment before turning to Wei Mingxuan. “Mingxuan, go talk to them about what we’re heading to Beiguan for. If they still wish to follow us, let’s sign two contracts for their service.”
If they were to choose not to stay after hearing the details, Wei Yunlan wasn’t worried about them spreading rumors. After all, there was little about the Wei family that was forbidden to outsiders, aside from the time they had split up to evade the guards.
There was nothing else to hide, especially considering the brothers’ identities; they had nowhere to discuss their situation with outsiders.
After instructing Wei Mingxuan, Wei Yunlan returned to the house.
The twin brothers inspired her; now that there weren’t many servants following them, once they reached Beiguan, they would inevitably face a shortage of manpower, regardless of how they intended to develop.
It seemed that along the way, she could think of ways to build her own foundation.
They would only be signing on for three years, and if, after that time, the brothers wished to regain their freedom, they could leave the Wei family at any moment.
“……”
After Doctor Yu checked her pulse and confirmed that Wei Yunlan’s health was stable enough to withstand the journey, the Wei family finally set off north once more.
This time, the journey was significantly smoother and easier than previous ones.
Without the officials and guards watching over them, they didn’t have to wear wooden cangues or rush to cover fifty miles a day, camping out in the open.
The convoy of three carriages had expanded to five, accompanied by several riders on horseback. With such impressive and capable-looking guards, it was a formidable sight that discouraged anyone from attempting to stop them.
According to the revised route, they would next pass through Xingzhou and Qingzhou, followed by the steep and majestic Yandu Gorge, before crossing into Huangzhou, reaching the northernmost point of the Great Yong of Dynasty territory at Beiguan.
“This route will hardly pass through any large cities; we will only stop for supplies in a few small towns,” Wei Maolin explained. “I’ve discussed it with Xiao Huwei, and the journey should take about twenty days.”
Due to their swift pace, the group of Tianshu Pavilion guards accompanying the Wei family had also changed their approach.
On the surface, they were simply hired escorts for the Wei family.
As night fell and they had yet to leave Lianzhou, they stopped at an inn along the way, where they could still hear discussions among the patrons about the recent upheaval in Lianzhou’s official circles.
The discussions in the inn were lively.
Including Lianzhou’s Provincial Governor Pei Jiang and Inspector Song, over a dozen officials had fallen from grace.
Some among them hadn’t actively participated in the illegal mining and selling of iron ore, but they had inadvertently facilitated these activities.
What connected them all were the beautiful concubines from the Liu family’s back courtyard. It seemed that all these concubines came from the same household.
This Liu family… was quite remarkable.
Wei Yunlan couldn’t help but be astonished. No wonder the Manager Liu from Suijiang City had been so arrogant.
It turned out that this family had firmly controlled Lianzhou through their so-called “backyard diplomacy,” and had even infiltrated Suizhou and Chongzhou to a significant extent.
But could a mere merchant family really achieve all of this?
That Young Master Liu, did he truly have so many sisters and younger sisters to send to various powerful households? Perhaps these so-called “sisters and younger sisters” were all trained and groomed together…
If that were the case, the forces behind the Liu family would be even more unfathomable. It was uncertain whether it was the Northern Barbarians, the Xiliang, or some other forces eyeing the Great Yong of Dynasty territory.
“Miss Wei, focus.”
In the courtyard behind the inn, Qi Xu pressed the scabbard against Wei Yunlan’s long sword.
Startled, Wei Yunlan met his star-bright eyes and quickly regained her composure, a hint of apology flashing across her face. She had been distracted by the louder discussions about the Liu family in the front hall.
But since the thought had already crossed her mind, she said, “Mr. Xiao, could you please remind your Pavilion Master? In addition to investigating Pei Jiang, I think the Liu family merits deeper scrutiny.”
“……”
“Alright, I will remind him.”