Chapter 234: Arrived at Qingzhou 9
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
About the plan for the next day, Jiang Yeqian said to Qi Qingyao, “We’re going to the banquet held by the Jiang family along with Pei Fengtang. I suggest that the three kids don’t go with us.”
“Why?” Qi Qingyao asked.
Si Jin retorted, “I don’t think so.”
“Why?” Jiang Yeqian looked like he was prepared to listen.
Under their twin stares, Si Jin managed to get a sentence out. “They’re only kids. No one will notice them if they sit in a corner. If you’re afraid that they’ll cause a scene, have the Heir’s servant, Li Qing, sit with them by a table in the corner.”
Jiang Yeqian did not say anything.. It seemed as if he was leaving the right to make the decision to her.
Qi QIngyao thought about it for a while. She snapped her fingers. “No, he’s right.”
“You want to leave them here too?” Si Jin asked.
Qi Qingyao caressed her chin, saying calmly, “They’re triplets and, not only do they look identical, they also look a lot like me! If they’re present, they’ll attract some stares no matter what my identity might be. I can handle it, but we should protect the children.”
“You’re right.” Si Jin had the aura of someone who listened to Elder Sister’s every word.
Qi Qingyao was worried about leaving the kids in Heir Pei’s house, and so she said, “I’ll go by myself tomorrow. Alone,” she said, but she would have Heir Pei’s guards with her, so she would not need to worry about her safety.
Jiang Yeqian said, “I’ll worry if you go alone.”
1
“You go with me then,” Qi Qingyao suggested. She trusted Jiang Bai quite a lot. She always felt like he knew a lot, and he was useful whenever she left the house.
“I…” Jiang Yeqian’s “yes” was already on his lips, but somehow it turned into, “Let Si Jin go with you.”
Qi Qingyao asked, “Are any of your enemies in Qingzhou?”
Jiang Yeqian sighed resignedly. “I can wear a mask, but the State Preceptor’s spies will definitely attend the banquet. If there are spies with sharp eyes, they can figure out someone’s identity from their gait and from personal quirks that even the person themself might not notice. This is a banquet too, so we have to eat. If I don’t take my mask off, it’ll incite further doubt. So let Si Jin go with you tomorrow and protect you.”
He did not want Si Jin to go with this woman at all—not after Si Jin said those stupid things about wanting to be her pet.
However, Si Jin was somewhat naive and, from the looks of things, he seemed to not possess a single cunning thought.
That was why Jiang Yeqian was assured.
Qi Qingyao patted his shoulder. “Then you stay here and look after the kids.”
Jiang Yeqian: “…”
It sounded like he had become the kids’ male nanny!
Qi Qingyao had to leave the house early in the morning the next day, so she naturally had to go to sleep early. After coaxing the kids to sleep, Qi Qingyao did not feel like sleeping. It might have been because she had slept too long on the carriage.
Qi Qingyao thought for a while before getting up from bed silently and putting on her clothes. She put on a black fur coat too. Then she opened the door and silently went over to the next room, knocking on the door like a thief.
The guards at the garden were shocked when they saw her. They were about to raise their knives and dash over when Qi Qingyao quickly waved her hand and said, “It’s me.”
With that, the guards put their knives down.
Qi Qingyao knocked on the door for a while and, when no one replied, she went to Si Jin’s room.
She knocked on the door again.
Ever since they came to Heir Pei’s garden, Si Jin no longer needed to share a room with Jiang Yeqian. It was the only advantage to staying here.
Si Jin came over to open the door. When he saw her standing outside, he was somewhat shocked.
Qi Qingyao peeked inside. “You’re in the room.”
Si Jin knew instantly, from her words, that Jiang Bai had snuck out again.
Qi Qingyao knew that too. Maybe he was out to investigate something or perhaps to find his murderer, or any other business.
Qi Qingyao swallowed. She whispered to Si Jin, “Do you want to go outside with me?”
Si Jin said, “Now?”
Qi Qingyao scratched her head shyly. She said, “Let’s go outside for a walk. Let’s see if Qingzhou is really chaotic after nightfall.”
Si Jin’s eyes lit up. “If Elder Sister wants to go, I’ll go with you!”
Si Jin went inside to change, and then he said, “Should we let the guards know that we’ve left?”
Qi Qingyao asked, “Can you leave this house unnoticed?”
Si Jin thought for a while before pulling her inside the room. After he changed into an outfit, he opened the window just a little, and observed the way the guards were patrolling the garden. There were guards, yes, but they would falter eventually. For instance, they might have to go to the toilet or have supper.
Si Jin opened the window stealthily and looped an arm around Qi Qingyao’s waist. He gestured for her to be quiet, closed the window and then, with her in his arms, he jumped out of the window and flew onto the rooftop. Next, he disappeared extremely quickly from the rooftop, like a black cat.
After several breaths, both of them landed on the street outside.
After Qi Qingyao landed, she looked behind her, and then at where she was at now. She swallowed and then she patted Si Jin’s shoulder heavily. “I’ll add another bowl of rice for you during our next meal!”
Si Jin smiled cutely.
Meanwhile, Qi Qingyao was complaining endlessly in her mind.
They were both powerful indeed!
No, if he was so powerful, why was he being chased by a wild boar the first time they met? She looked at Si Jin with doubt in her eyes. Did he want something from her?
It somehow did not seem right.
The first time they met, she was poor as hell, and she was still living in that straw hut. Although her host body did not look too shabby, she was definitely not some deity who had fallen to the mortal realm either. Qi Qingyao was very self-aware when it came to that. The question was though, why was he so powerful now when he used to be someone that a wild boar could chase around? Had he suffered from internal injuries like Jiang Bai too?
However, Si Jin said that he was a young noble in dire straits…
Wait.
It was not strange for a young noble in dire straits to know some martial arts.
No.
He was so good in combat, though. Had he worked as a servant for other families? Oh, right, he said before that he was sold to a rich family. He must have been watched by other experts while he was working there, making it impossible for him to run away.
Si Jin asked, “Where are we going now, Elder Sister?”
Qi Qingyao thought about it for a while. She said, “We’ll go to the most famous restaurant here!”
Si Jin asked, “What’s the name of the most famous restaurant here?”
Qi Qingyao: “…”
The two of them walked over to the busiest market in the east area. They looked at the lit up streets, the beautiful lanterns hanging from everywhere. There were many people on the streets, and there were several restaurants that were quite imposing. The customers that entered were all dressed up to the nines. Qi Qingyao pulled Si Jin over, wanting to enter for some liquor, but they were stopped at the entrance.
“Miss, may I ask where your sign is?”
“What sign?” Qi Qingyao asked.
The doorman bent down and said with a smile, “The pendant that allows you entrance to this place.”
“…”
D*mn it, they adopted a membership system?
Those who were not regular guests would not be able to enter.
Qi Qingyao left the restaurant with Si Jin in tow, cursing all the while. Then she looked at its name: Chunjiang Restaurant.
She committed it to memory.
After she was refused entrance at the first restaurant, Qi Qingyao suddenly understood Heir Pei’s words. Qingzhou City… was indeed not a place that one could live in effortlessly.
However, if she wanted to get some information, it was not necessary for her to go to the grander establishments.
“Elder Sister, let’s go to that one.” Si Jin held Qi Qingyao’s hand, pointing to a restaurant. The customers, judging from what they were wearing, were all people in the jianghu scene.
“That one then.”
Qi Qingyao and Si Jin took big strides as they walked over. It was noisy in the restaurant. There were customers that possessed delicate features, but most of them looked brawny and ferocious.
Qi Qingyao picked a table in the corner and sat down with Si Jin.
A servant quickly came to them.
Qi Qingyao said, “Give me two bottles of your trademark liquor!”
“Sure!” The servant was feeling gloomy because he had to work overtime, but his mood lightened at the sight of this cute-looking customer. “What dishes do you want?”
“Half a catty of spiced beef, cut into thin slices, a plate of peanuts, and two more side dishes. Just give me two dishes that this place is known for.”
“Okay!”
The servant quickly went to prepare. He served Qi Qingyao the liquor she had asked for.
A pretty lady had brought a delicate-looking young boy into the restaurant. It was natural that they attracted some looks.
However, no one dared to rough them up as the servant kept on serving dishes to their table.
After the servant served them the beef, Qi Qingyao pulled him over. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Please do.” The servant was very polite.
“Sit down, have a seat.” As Qi Qingyao spoke, she quickly stuffed a tael of silver into the servant’s palm.
When the servant received such generosity, he quickly hid the silver tael away and pretended to serve his customers. He sat down without further ado.
“What’s Qingzhou City like as a place?” Qi Qingyao asked.
Si Jin started to pour some liquor for himself. He sniffed curiously after he was finished, and the smell of liquor caused him to furrow his brow.
“You didn’t just arrive in the city, did you?” the servant asked.
Qi Qingyao nodded honestly.
“You…” The servant was at a loss for words for a while. He did not know how to continue. He muttered, covering his forehead with his hand, “So that’s why you barged into our restaurant.”
That sounded like… “Is your restaurant scamming your customers?”
“That’s impossible,” the servant said, annoyed and tickled at the same time. “But just look around you! Such a beautiful lady like you should pick a better restaurant next time.”
“It looks safe. No one came here to… rob me of my purity and my money!” Qi Qingyao sounded calm.
The servant: “…” He could not bring himself to say that this restaurant was a scam… Ah, no, not a scam.
However, this restaurant was one where the sleaziest people in the east area visited. This lady looked like a noble lady. It was not appropriate for her to come to this place.
She brought a young boy along too. He seemed to be her younger brother.
They did not have guards with them either! Not even one!
This sight was one that made people worried.
As this lady was not from Qingzhou, he said, “I’m sorry, but Qingzhou City is probably the most dangerous place on the continent.”
“What?” This sounded outrageous. To include the whole continent? Hearing this… Qi Qingyao was indeed shocked.
The servant sighed. “You’re not from here, so you don’t know. This place is even more of a mess than the capital cities of the Four Countries.”