Chapter 21: The Country Villa

The team count was completed, and they officially set off.

Chaochao was worried about her father. Clasping a bird in her arms, she trailed closely behind him, his neck locked in a wooden cangue and his feet bound by shackles. From time to time, she would look up, her eyes filled with concern.

"Father, are you alright? Is the wood heavy?"

Li Zelin lowered his head, wanting to stroke the child's face, but unable to move freely, he instead offered a gentle, reassuring smile. "Be good, it’s not heavy. Father is fine. Don't worry, little one, Father can manage."

Although her foolish father insisted, seeing him walk with such difficulty, Chaochao could not suppress her anxiety.

With this heavy heart, her brows tightly knitted, she followed the team as they stepped out of the imperial prison. She couldn't help but glance back at the pitch-black gate illuminated by torches, stepping down the stairs and passing the two menacing stone beast statues that guarded the entrance.

Just as Chaochao was secretly sighing that she was finally leaving this hellish place, a figure suddenly rushed out from the shadows.

"Young Miss! Second Master!"

The voice was exceptionally familiar. Both father and daughter looked toward the sound, and in the faint light of dawn, a familiar figure appeared before them, carrying a large bundle on her back.

"It’s Sister Qiuxiang!"

Chaochao exclaimed in surprise, but as Qiuxiang rushed toward them, she was blocked by the guards patrolling the perimeter.

"Who goes there? Prisoners are being escorted; no loitering!"

Seeing the cold, gleaming blades blocking her path, an anxious Qiuxiang grasped the back of a blade and pleaded bitterly.

"Kind officers, please have mercy. I am not a bad person; I have only come to join my masters. I beg you to show compassion and allow me to reunite with my family."

As she spoke, her hand moved slightly. A silver ingot she had long prepared slid into her palm, and she stuffed it into the hand of the guard blocking her way.

The guard knew exactly what it was the moment he felt it. Weighing it secretly in his hand, he pocketed the silver, exchanged a glance with his companion, and they withdrew their blades to let her pass.

Qiuxiang thanked them repeatedly and rushed forward with her heavy basket on her back. The father and daughter also hurried forward to meet her.

"Sister Qiuxiang, why are you here?"

"Oh, my young mistress, I have finally waited for you!"

Qiuxiang was overwhelmed with emotion. The fear and anxiety of the past few days finally found an outlet the moment she saw her masters, and she knelt down immediately.

Li Zelin wanted to reach out and help her up, but his restricted movement prevented him, so he said, "Qiuxiang, get up and speak."

Chaochao also urged, "Yes, yes, Sister Qiuxiang, please get up. Let's talk properly."

As his daughter helped her up, Li Zelin asked, "Qiuxiang, how are you here?"

Qiuxiang quickly replied, "Thanks to your grace, young miss, my indenture was voided, and I was granted my freedom the day the house was raided. Later, when the estate was in chaos, I went back to look for you, but only heard the news that you and the Second Master had been taken to the imperial prison."

Recalling the days of terror, tears streamed down Qiuxiang’s face.

"I wanted to use my connections to get into the prison to see you both, but alas, I was powerless and had no way to help. It is my fault that you both had to suffer for so long."

Li Zelin was moved and shook his head repeatedly.

"Do not say such things. The imperial prison is a heavily guarded place; even high-ranking officials cannot gain entry, let alone you. Qiuxiang, you have done enough; do not belittle yourself."

Chaochao also rushed to comfort her, "That's right, Sister Qiuxiang, you've already been wonderful. Nothing else matters."

Indeed, nothing else mattered.

As time had changed everything and an old friend stood before him, Li Zelin felt both comforted and wistful.

"Qiuxiang, as the saying goes, there will come a time to ride the wind and break the waves. One must look ahead. I, Li Zelin, thank you for not forgetting to visit us in these difficult times, fulfilling our bond as master and servant. Now that you have seen us, and you are a free woman, you should return and live your own life well."

Upon hearing that her master intended to send her away, Qiuxiang, who had long planned to accompany them to the Far North, was stunned.

"Second Master, Young Miss, I will not leave. I was assigned to the young mistress by the mistress of the house. Wherever the young mistress goes, I go. I will accompany you to the Far North."

This declaration left the father and daughter dumbfounded.

"No, Sister Qiuxiang, you are free now, you aren't a servant anymore. Why would you want to come to the Far North with us? Are you silly?"

Li Zelin also tried to dissuade her, "Qiuxiang, don't be stubborn. The Far North is bitter and cold, and the journey is long. We don't know what dangers we will face. It is not easy for a woman to survive there. It is already hard enough for me to take care of Chaochao; I cannot look after you!"

"I understand your good intentions, Second Master, but I don't need your care. I have waited so long. Once the imperial decree was issued, I was afraid of missing you, so I didn't dare move an inch. Now that I have finally reunited with you, I am not leaving."

At that moment, the sound of a familiar whip cracked through the air.

"You lot in the front, what are you dawdling for? The city gates will open soon. Move faster! If you delay the schedule, don't blame me for whipping you."

Seeing that Qiuxiang was adamant and wouldn't listen to his daughter's pleas, Li Zelin closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he had made a decision.

He leaned close to Qiuxiang and whispered rapidly, "Qiuxiang, do you remember the villa where your mistress disappeared?"

Caught off guard while trying to keep up, Qiuxiang was shocked and looked at her master in disbelief. "Second Master, what do you mean?"

Seeing the guards approaching, Li Zelin hurried on.

"Qiuxiang, the reason I won't let you come is because I have a heavy burden to entrust to you. The day your mistress disappeared was strange. Although the family held a funeral, you know as well as I do that she only went missing; she did not die. I keep thinking that perhaps one day she will return, and if that happens, we need a reliable person to guard the villa!

"Chaochao and I are now prisoners, and we must go to the Far North. You are the only one in the capital we can trust. If you come with us, what will happen to the villa? What will happen to your mistress? If she returns, wouldn't we lose all contact? Qiuxiang, I only trust you!"

Hearing this, Qiuxiang was struck as if by lightning.

Thinking of her benefactor and the empty coffin at the funeral, a look of resolve flickered in her eyes.

"Second Master, I understand."

"Hey, I'm talking to you! Why aren't you moving? Careful or you'll get the lash!"

Seeing the guard’s whip descending, Qiuxiang had no choice. It was not the time to linger. She cast a reassuring look at Li Zelin, immediately shielded Chaochao, and started walking.

Qiuxiang's appearance drew side-glances from the Li family, but as the guards' shouts were like death knells, no one dared to speak up.

The group moved in silence, trekking through the streets and markets. As the morning light hit the eaves, they finally passed through the Yijiang Gate in the northeast of the capital.

As the team arrived, the crowd that had been waiting at the gate became restless.

"Father, Father, are you alright?"

"My child, my child! Mother thought you would die in prison and I would never see you again!"

The crowd was filled with grief and wailing. Those standing outside the defensive perimeter craned their necks, and upon seeing their long-lost, bedraggled relatives, they rushed forward, creating a moment of chaos.

The guards were not alarmed; as veterans, they were long accustomed to such scenes. The escort officer, Chen Shan, even stroked his bristly beard with a satisfied smile.

A large crowd was good; a large crowd was wonderful. The more relatives who came to see the prisoners off, the more benefits they would reap. This escort mission wouldn't be in vain, and the brothers would be able to have a prosperous year.