Yang Xi took a closer look, confirming that she wasn’t mistaken. It was indeed Little Miss Jiang; no, now it was Young Master Jiang! Look at him in his elegant attire, so noble!

Yang Xi tugged at Zhou Yu’s sleeve, gesturing for the doorway, mouthing “Young Master Jiang.”  Zhou Yu looked over and carefully examined him before confirming it was Young Master Jiang. “He’s changed back into men’s clothing.”

Third Yang looked at his sister, then his Jiefu, then at Young Master Jiang, exclaiming, “He really is a man dressed as a woman; that’s ruthless!”

Yang Xi gestured for Third Yan to be quiet; thankfully, the waiter had already left.

Zhou Yu’s gaze fell on the men beside Young Master Jiang. Even from a distance, he could sense their hostility. He didn’t see Young Master Jiang’s maid or servants; this was interesting!

Yang Xi scrutinized the men’s menacing aura, her gaze lingering on their dark skin, and couldn’t help but touch her own face.

Third Yang asked, “Sister, what’s wrong?”

Yang Xi saw that Young Master Jiang and his group had gone upstairs, obviously checking into the inn before them, and whispered, “Those men’s skin isn’t rough due to the cold wind.”

Zhou Yu’s mind raced, “Sea breeze.”

Yang Xi nodded, “We guessed right!”

Young Master Jiang was indeed using underhanded tactics, but he wasn’t just after money and supplies; he was also after pirates!

Zhou Yu said, “These men are very respectful to Young Master Jiang.”

They followed half a step behind, the posture of a subordinate.

Yang Xi’s heart skipped a beat. “Training pirates to make money?”

Zhou Yu nodded. He had guessed the same thing: “And salt.”

Salt prices had fluctuated greatly in recent years, rising sharply. Smuggling salt for personal use or to sell could not only generate a profit but also establish numerous connections.

Yang Xi gasped inwardly. If their guess was correct, and Young Master Jiang was related to King Jiang, then King Jiang’s preparations were far too thorough.

Third Yang whispered, “We’re in Haizhou. There are many pirates in Haizhou. We’ve traveled with Young Master Jiang before. Will he be afraid we’ll recognize him and kill us?”

Yang Xi was speechless. They could remove the “will he be” part; Young Master Jiang would definitely kill them all to maintain secrecy.

This was truly worrying!

Zhou Yu was also troubled. Was it good luck or bad luck? They were lucky because they had guessed many of King Jiang’s plans along the way, and with Yan Bing’s presence, they knew many of King Jiang’s secrets. If they didn’t run away today, they would be in trouble, but running away suddenly would only attract Young Master Jiang’s attention more. Wasn’t that an admission of guilt?

Yang Xi asked, “Shall we eat first?”

Zhou Yu saw the waiter bring hot water and rinsed his wife’s teacup. “Let’s eat first.”

Third Yang was speechless.

So, he was still too unsettled!

The food came quickly. One braised pork knuckle wasn’t enough, so another one was served. Of the eight dishes, only a pile of chicken bones and large pork bones remained. Even the soup was eaten by Third Yang and the others using steamed buns as a base.

Zhou Yu and Third Yang had already stood up to go upstairs when Yang Xi touched her abdomen and suddenly cried out, “I think I’ve had a miscarriage! Quick, quick, go get a doctor!”

Third Yang and Zhou Xiaodi were dumbfounded!

Zhou Yu felt his wife’s hand gripping his, his neck stiffened, and he didn’t look up at the stairs. He put his arm around his wife and said to Third Yang and Zhou Xiaodi, “Hurry up and find a doctor!”

Third Yang and Zhou Xiaodi were truly panicked; they were genuinely afraid something bad had happened. The journey had been so bumpy, and pregnant women were most vulnerable!

Jiang Huo stood at the top of the stairs, his expression cold, his eyes even colder, until the man behind him asked, “What’s wrong, Young Master?”

Jiang Huo looked away. “Let’s go.”

The man looked downstairs in confusion. He only saw a woman clutching her stomach, frowning slightly before letting go. They were going out to sea.

Jiang Huo stepped out of the inn. A carriage was parked outside. He got in and said to a man, “Keep an eye on that woman’s table. If they leave the city tonight, take care of them.”

If they didn’t leave, he didn’t want to cause a scene. He wanted to keep a low profile this time; he was confident in his disguise.

The man had a long scar on his hand and didn’t understand why his young master had given such an order. He replied, “Yes.”

Inside the inn, the innkeeper, understanding the reason, breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll have the waiter boil more hot water.”

Zhou Yu said gratefully, “Thank you.”

He then picked up his wife and carried her upstairs to their room.

Yang Xi nestled in Zhou Yu’s arms and breathed a sigh of relief. They had almost gotten up and gone upstairs just now. If they had been face-to-face, even if they said they didn’t recognize Young Master Jiang, he wouldn’t believe them!

Even though Young Master Jiang rarely got out of his carriage and his face changed quite a bit, if they were face-to-face, for safety’s sake, he had to silence them!

Luckily, Yan Bing didn’t like messy environments, so he didn’t come downstairs for dinner. Thinking about it that way, they were quite lucky!

Back in their room, Yang Xi no longer looked upset. She picked up the teapot and poured herself a glass of cool water to calm her racing heart.

Zhou Yu said, “We’re having bad luck today.”

Yang Xi said, “We didn’t expect Young Master Jiang to come to Haizhou. He said he would head straight south.”

Zhou Yu thought about it and realized that leaving tomorrow would be dangerous. “It’s best to rest for a few days if you’ve had a miscarriage.”

Yang Xi listened to the noise downstairs. “There are many caravans at the inn. It’s still about three days’ journey to leave Haizhou. Let’s follow the caravans.”

“Okay, I’ll go find a caravan.”

Yang Xi said quietly, “I’ll lie down and wait for the doctor.”

“Alright.”

The doctor didn’t arrive quickly. Doctors were scarce in all the states. It took an hour for the doctor to examine her pulse. Yang Xi was indeed having a miscarriage due to the travel, but she couldn’t feel it and thought it was just fatigue. He prescribed some medicine to stabilize the pregnancy, which cost a full two taels of silver.

Zhou Yu called over several families to discuss the matter. Zhou Yu didn’t tell the Zhao and Ye families about Young Master Jiang, only Wu Shan.

Wu Shan, “…”

Actually, he could have kept it all from him!

Wu Shan didn’t sleep well all night. His eyes were bruised. With a knife hanging over his head, he didn’t have the heart to sleep!

However, Zhou Yu and his wife slept quite well!

Wu Shan looked around. “…”

So he was the only one who hadn’t slept?

Zhou Yu and his group stayed at the inn, using Yang Xi’s need to rest during her pregnancy as an excuse. Third Yang thrived at the inn, and within two days, he was at Li Dong’s dinner table!

Yang Xi’s perception of Third Yang was once again refreshed. Third Yang absorbed knowledge quickly, enriching himself daily through study, and his speech became more rigorous and insightful. As a result, before Zhou Yu even had a chance to choose which caravan to join, Third Yang had already made arrangements.

The Zhao and Ye families were dumbfounded, their minds reeling from the news. Wu Shan, however, remained calm, having become numb to it all.

After resting for two more days, Li Dong’s caravan set off, and the Zhou family followed. They traveled for over ten miles outside the city without any incidents, and Zhou Yu and his wife knew they were safe.

Yang Xi asked Zhou Yu, “Do you think we were lucky? Or was Third Yang lucky?”

Zhou Yu was also unsure. Although there had been dangers along the way, they had remained safe and sound—their luck was almost unbelievable!

Yang Xi, “Or perhaps it’s a combination of luck?”

Zhou Yu chuckled softly. “I think it’s a combination of luck.”

Yang Xi’s eyes crinkled. “Yes.”

The Li family caravan not only had trained guards but also hired bodyguards, making the journey truly safe!

They arrived smoothly at the border of Haizhou, where Li Dongjia approached Zhou Yu and Yang Xi. “I admire Third Yang. This kid said he doesn’t want to leave you. Everyone in Jingzhou knows our Li family. This kid will have a bright future with me.”

Yang Xi, “???”

Had he taken a liking to Third Yang?

Zhou Yu sighed, “My wife’s younger brother is the only male heir of the Yue family. Please forgive him, Dongjia.”

Third Yang and his wife shared the same surname, which was indeed very convenient sometimes!

Li Dongjia truly admired Yang San, “That’s a pity.”

Before leaving, Li Dongjia casually asked, “The bows you’re using are quite good. Where did you buy them? I’d like to have more made.”

Yang Xi thought to herself, “He really knows his stuff. ”

Zhou Yu thought to himself that this was something he hadn’t managed to pry out of Yang San’s mouth. “In our family, it’s my wife’s younger brother who loves to make a fuss. He bought all of it. I’m just a scholar—I don’t understand these things.”

(End of Chapter)