Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The old horse trotted slowly while pulling the carriage. Its pace was so slow that it made people feel sleepy.

Although they had already traveled for half a day, they were not too far away from Diyang District. The boy servant sat outside and drove the carriage. He muttered, “Sir, what if the person in charge of Chengan District isn’t Mr. Zixiao?”

Yang Si lifted the curtains on both sides. He held a book which had delicate yet impressive handwriting on it in his hand. Although it was not the work of a great master, the writing skills could be seen. It had a vigorous style which was very different from the boy servant’s proper style of writing.

Hearing the boy servant’s grumble, he said, “You speak and act on hearsay. Had it not been for my good temper, I don’t know how many losses you would have to suffer. You’re the one who wants to go to Diyang District and Chengan District. Now, you’re also the one who doesn’t want to go to Chengan District…”

The boy servant mumbled, “I’m just worried. We’ve run into a brick wall in Diyang District. What if the same thing happens in Chengan District?”

It was very dangerous to be outside, especially while the political situation in the north was so unstable. Conflicts between the Tsing Yi Army and the Red Lotus Group were everywhere. Mobs who turned to banditry were countless. Being able to travel to Diyang District safely did not mean that the master and servant could safely travel to Chengan District.

Yang Si said, “You’re thinking too much. Instead of worrying unnecessarily, it’s better to think about what to have for lunch today. I refuse to eat dried food.”

The boy servant responded with a long face, “You’re even fussy about food right now, Sir. You’re hard to serve.”

The master and servant chatted about this and that. After about an hour, the sound of a horse trotting was heard from behind.

Yang Si frowned. He leaned against the window slightly to look behind, only to find a cleanly dressed young man riding at full gallop. He looked like he was born to a rich family, but as if his eyebrows had caught fire. He looked anxious.

Seeing the slow-moving carriage ahead, Huang Song pulled back on the reins and saw a skinny man sitting inside the carriage through the window. His cheeks looked a bit puffy and he had soft eyebrows. His sparkling eyes were like black pools. His lips had a natural curvature.

He looked like an amiable man from every angle. He was too different from the Yang Si Huang Song had imagined.

Sitting outside the carriage, the boy servant, who was wearing clothes with colorful patches, stared at him.

“Excuse me, what… what are you trying to do…” The boy servant looked at him in a panic while holding the horse whip tightly in his hands.

Huang Song could not help but remember what the concierge had said when he saw the boy servant. His eyes lit up and looked at Yang Si in the carriage.

He greeted Yang Si with his fist clenched in the other in front of his chest. He collected himself and asked, “Sir, are you Yang Si, Mr. Yang, from Jiangding County?”

The boy servant looked stunned. However, Huang Song’s attention was on Yang Si, so he did not notice such details.

Putting down the book in his hand, Yang Si blinked languidly, and said in a natural manner, “My surname is Zhao. You’ve got the wrong person.”

Disappointed, Huang Song apologized to Yang Si. He waved his whip and continued to ride forward.

When he had disappeared, the boy servant then whispered, “Sir, is the man just now…”

Yang Si replied steadfastly, “Huang Song.”

The boy servant’s heart was stirred with delight, but it immediately faded. “Then, why did you say that you’re not?”

Yang Si replied, “I’m not satisfied. He’s too young and impulsive. I’m old, so I can’t afford to be tossed around.”

The boy servant did not continue to ask. The person must be substandard if his master was not satisfied.

In fact, Yang Si was very satisfied with Huang Song’s action of pursuing him.

If Huang Song became more prudent and mature after a few more years, Yang Si felt that he would be worth trying.

Just by looking at how Huang Song could put the enmity of the past aside and chase after him all the way, he was already ten times better than Prince Changshou.

Yang Si said, “We’ll wait for a few more years. He may be a hidden talent. Now… We’ll look for Zixiao in Chengan District and get him to pay his debt. We’ll freeload for food and shelter there for several years. If Huang Song can stay uncorrupted, we’ll go to Diyang District again.”

Timing was important, even if he left the mountains to look for a wise master.

He was indeed very satisfied with Huang Song. However, the timing was not right, so Yang Si would not go to him.

The boy servant was confused by his master.

Huang Song rode on his horse for the whole afternoon, but he did not find anyone who matched Yang Si and his servant along the way.

Thinking about it again, he was suddenly annoyed. The master and servant back then had to have been Yang Si and his boy!

Seeing that Huang Song was returning with a disappointed look on his face, Feng Jue asked him about what had happened. He knew why Huang Song did not manage to stop them.

He said with a sigh, “I’m afraid that Yang Si is annoyed.”

Huang Song did not feel good inside. He had some criticisms towards Yang Si’s behavior of fooling him.

He said, “Their carriage isn’t moving fast. If we dispatch some troops, they’ll be able to intercept them.”

Feng Jue knitted his eyebrows with worry and responded tiredly, “Forget it. His thoughts are elsewhere. What’s the use of stopping him?”

Had the concierge not caused trouble, Yang Si would definitely have been recruited, but such a huge mess was created instead.

Was there any real talent who was not arrogant and unyielding?

Putting himself in Yang Si’s shoes, Feng Jue was furious to think about being given the cold shoulder for three days, let alone Huang Song and Yang Si who had a grudge between them.

Disheartened, Huang Song could only give up when Feng Jue said that.

As they headed towards the north, they saw more and more refugees. However, they did not look despaired or dazed.

The sight surprised the boy servant and Yang Si.

After a careful inquiry, they learned that these refugees were rushing to Chengan District, Maolin District and Jiaoping District.

“They’re recruiting people there now. Three meals will be provided a day, so at least we won’t starve to death there… I heard that if we perform well, we can even be promoted and rewarded. If we’re able to settle down in the district in the future, we can even get our own farmland and rent houses in the district…”

Many refugees were talking about that. Though they were still somewhat doubtful, they were more hopeful towards their lives in the future.

Yang Si and his servant made their way to Chengan District slowly. They could see people working on the city walls from afar. Even if more than a month had passed, one could still see the destruction from the siege through the cracks on the city walls. The boy servant did not see it, but Yang Si discovered a doorway.

Many refugees were waiting outside the city. There were two roads leading in. One was for the people in the city to enter and exit, and the other was prepared for the refugees.

It was as if Chengan District was dancing on the tip of a knife. Every step was extremely dangerous. The garrison in the city was not as strong as that seen by outsiders. If there were ill-intentioned people among the refugees, trouble might arise, so the refugees were very strictly inspected upon entering the city.

Even if they were refugees, the people in charge of the inspection were divided into two groups.

One group was for men and the other was for women. The refugees had to queue in two different lines according to their gender to be inspected, registered and verified.

The boy servant did not line up with the refugees. Instead, he walked towards the tall city gates which were open.

As expected, they were stopped.

The boy servant said, “My master and I aren’t refugees. We’re here to look for someone.”

The guard at the city gates asked, “You’re here to look for someone?”

The boy servant replied politely, “The person in charge of Chengan District, Wei Ci, Mr. Wei Zixiao.”

He felt somewhat worried. Could they not even get past the city gates this time?