Chapter 157 — “Nightshade” Has Been Taken Down

Tonight, the moonlight was just right. Silver brilliance spilled across the ground, lighting the path ahead.

When Qin Mohuai heard Ye Chutang’s question, he turned around.

The handsome and high-spirited young man smiled faintly. His starry eyes glittered in the moonlight, and his sexy thin lips parted slightly.

“Hunting wild geese.”

Although Ye Chutang wasn’t someone who was obsessed with looks, she still appreciated good-looking men.

Seeing Qin Mohuai full of confidence made her heart race and her cheeks flush.

“Alright, lead the way.”

The capital was located in the north. Wild geese flew from the south to the far north starting in March, and the journey took about three months.

Right now, the wild geese had just arrived at the capital—it was the perfect time for hunting.

Qin Mohuai had already ordered his men to observe the area near “Nightshade’s” lair at Mount Youming. Flocks of geese often passed through there.

The two of them rode on horseback, making their way along the narrow mountain path.

The higher they went, the harder it was for the horses to climb. The road grew rough and steep, and their pace slowed.

Ye Chutang said to Qin Mohuai, “I suspect the place of exile is at the northwest borderlands. Resources are scarce there, and many people die every winter. I want to send a batch of medicinal herbs over. I’ve already made arrangements with the shopkeeper of Xinglin Hall. Do you have trustworthy people in the northwest?”

Qin Mohuai’s thoughts aligned with hers.

“Not at the moment, but I can.”

The Qin family army in the northeast bordered the Luo family army in the northwest, and the two forces had some ties.

With a single word from him, he could send trustworthy veterans of the Qin army over to the northwest.

Ye Chutang said, “Give me an address, and I’ll have the herb merchants send the shipment directly.”

“That’ll take some time to arrange. I can’t give you an exact address yet—how about I have someone accompany the shipment to the northwest?”

“That works too. Our own people are more reliable.”

Qin Mohuai’s lips curved up slightly when he heard her say “our own people.”

He took out a black jade token, symbolizing identity, and handed it to her.

“Take this to Yingspring Courtyard or Guangjuxuan. My people are at your command.”

Ye Chutang looked at the familiar black jade token in her hand and smiled. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll betray you?”

“I’d gladly accept it.”

“Hopeless romantic.”

Qin Mohuai didn’t understand what that phrase meant and was just about to ask when Ye Chutang changed the subject.

She told him about the emperor’s plot to bring down the Qin family.

Qin Mohuai had guessed there’d be weapons and letters involved, but he hadn’t expected sorcery dolls too.

“For someone so afraid of death, he actually resorted to cursing himself just to ruin the Qin family.”

Ye Chutang raised an eyebrow. Her exquisitely beautiful face looked somewhat cold under the moonlight.

“When that curse takes effect, the emperor’s regretful face will probably be laughable.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a goose’s cry echoed overhead.

They both looked up.

A V-formation of wild geese was flying north, the extended “gaa” cries trailing in the air.

Qin Mohuai pulled a slingshot and a small cloth-wrapped stone from his sleeve.

He drew back the slingshot and released it. The stone, powered by internal force, hit a goose squarely on the head.

The cloth softened the blow—it dazed the bird but didn’t injure it.

The goose dropped from the sky.

Another goose circled in the air, crying mournfully as it watched its mate fall.

Qin Mohuai knew the two were a pair, so he took the second one down too.

The rest of the flock quickly filled in the gap and continued flying north.

Qin Mohuai dismounted and picked up the two dazed geese.

He checked their heads to confirm they weren’t hurt and let out a sigh of relief.

He’d take care of them for the night, and tomorrow morning, he’d give the still-lively geese to Atang.

Seeing him place the geese into a cloth bag, Ye Chutang asked, “Heading back down?”

Qin Mohuai mounted his horse again. “Up the mountain.”

The farther they went, the narrower the road became. Branches stretched across the path, giving it a desolate feel.

After about two cups of tea’s worth of time, the path suddenly opened up. They had reached the mountaintop.

Ye Chutang rode side by side with Qin Mohuai.

From the summit of Mount Youming, they could look down on the entire capital from afar.

The main avenue sparkled, and the lights of countless homes flickered like stars.

Qin Mohuai said, “Beneath the capital’s splendor are countless people going hungry. There may be a paradise, but there’s a hell on earth too.”

Ye Chutang could feel the compassion in his heart. She took his wind-chilled hand in hers.

“All things rise and fall. What falls will rise again—it will get better.”

Qin Mohuai held her hand tightly, enclosing it in his palm.

“Atang, look up.”

Ye Chutang looked up instinctively.

The deep blue sky held a bright, cold full moon and scattered stars.

The air was so clear it gave the illusion that you could reach out and pluck a star from the sky.

It was unreal in its beauty.

As Qin Mohuai looked at her gazing at the moon, a line of poetry slipped from his lips.

“In the north, there is a beauty—peerless and alone. A single glance topples a city, another glance topples a nation.”

[*Note: From “Song of the Beauty” by Li Yannian, Han dynasty]

Ye Chutang turned to look at the feast-for-the-eyes Qin Mohuai, her eyes full of admiration.

“You’re no less dazzling—your charm stands alone, unmatched in the world.”

[*Note: From “The Song of Baishi Lang,” Song dynasty, anonymous]

Suddenly, she thought of Song Jingning.

Another man of exceptional talent and looks, though his aura was completely different from Qin Mohuai’s.

Like the difference between a gentle scholar and a noble-faced general.

Qin Mohuai noticed her zoning out and gently squeezed her hand.

“What are you thinking about?”

Ye Chutang smiled. “I was wondering who the girls would prefer—you or Song Jingning.”

At that, Qin Mohuai suddenly remembered the deer Ye Chutang had once given him—it had been hunted with Song Jingning on Mount Mei.

“Atang, it seems you view Song Jingning a little differently.”

Ye Chutang didn’t deny it and nodded.

She looked at the twinkling lights of the capital, pinpointing the location of the Ministry of Rites.

“I had a brother who was smothered to death by Kong Ru at birth. Ye Jingchuan thought it inauspicious and had the servants throw him into the river to drift away.”

Qin Mohuai knew Ye Chutang looked very much like Song Jingning and stared at her in shock.

“You suspect Song Jingning might be your brother?”

“Not quite suspect—more like I didn’t want to leave out any possibilities. So I shamelessly followed him to Mount Mei.”

“And you’ve confirmed that he’s not?”

Ye Chutang gave a soft “mm.”

“Song Jingning was born in Liangzhou, ten days younger than me.”

“Your birthdays are that close? Want me to investigate anyway?”

“No need. Kong Ru is too cruel. There’s no way she would’ve let my brother live.”

It had been freezing cold at the time. A premature baby who’d already stopped breathing, thrown into a river—the chances of survival were next to none.

Unless he’d been miraculously rescued by someone skilled in medicine just after being tossed in.

Ye Chutang figured that was harder than winning the lottery twice in a row.

Qin Mohuai gripped her hand more firmly.

“Atang, maybe your brother is still alive. Don’t lose hope.”

Just as he finished comforting her, he noticed faint firelight in the forest below.

“‘Nightshade’ has been taken down. Let’s go.”

Although Qin Mohuai had agreed to bring Ye Chutang to “Nightshade’s” hideout, he had never intended to let her take any risks.

So he used goose hunting as an excuse to take her up the mountain to enjoy the view.

Ye Chutang slipped her hand from his, took hold of the reins.

“Let’s go.”