Yuxi solemnly bowed towards Master Yang and Yu Zhi as she said, “Master Yang, Fourth Brother Yu, I have an ungrateful request, which I hope you can agree with.”

Yu Zhi asked nervously, “What are you going to request from us, Miss Han?”

Yuxi answered, “You also know that Yun Qing has many enemies, and once I marry him, my life will always be in danger. It will not be enough to have Zijin alone to protect me, so I hope Master Yang and Fourth Brother Yu can also stay beside me. That way, I won’t worry much about my safety.” What Yuxi meant by this was that she wished Master Yang and Yu Zhi would protect her at her new home.

Fourth Brother Yu turned to Master Yang. This matter had to be decided by him.

Master Yang did not say anything as his eyes fell on Yuxi. This girl. He did not expect she would come up with an idea of using them both master and apprentice as her guards.

Yuxi continued, “Master Yang, didn’t you say that in this world, people can’t just only care about themselves while disregarding other people’s lives?” Anyone could say anything that was just awe-inspiring, but how many people could ignore their own life and death for the sake of righteousness?

Master Yang laughed at these words of hers. “You’re pretty good, really good. Fine, Yu Zhi and I will stay until you have enough ability to protect yourself. After that, we will leave.” It was him who dug this pit in the first place. Therefore, he still had to jump in even when he was unwilling.

Yuxi responded with a grateful face, “Thank you, Master Yang and Fourth Brother Yu.” With Master Yang and Yu Zhi around, she felt much at ease.

Master Yang waved his hand and said, “Do not give me this fake gratitude. Go to bed early. We have to continue our journey tomorrow!” After saying that, he took Yu Zhi out of the house.

Back in their room, Yu Zhi could not help but ask, “Master, what exactly does Miss Han mean by this? Before, she was so afraid of dying, but now, she has become fearless.” He was so confused.

Master Yang knocked on Yu Zhi’s head with his tobacco pipe while feeling disappointed that iron could not turn into steel. “How did I accept such a stupid apprentice as you?”

Despite that, Yu Zhi still pestered Master Yang for an answer. “Master, I don’t understand. Just tell me. What exactly does Miss Han mean?”

Master Yang’s greatest fear was Yu Zhi’s follow-up manoeuvre. If he did not answer Yu Zhi’s question, he would ask him the same thing all day long and wouldn’t even let him sleep at night. “Han girl’s meaning is to see whether Yun Qing is worth the risk. If he is, then she won’t be afraid of any danger.”

Yu Zhi still has a question mark on his face. “Then, how can he be considered worthy?”

Master Yang turned speechless and said, “If you want to know, you can just ask her yourself.” After a pause, he added, “If this girl can live with Yun Qing wholeheartedly, then it is also his blessing! I think the late Old Man Yun can also rest assured.” The advantages of marrying such an outstandingly intelligent wife surely outweigh the disadvantages.

After Zijin sent Master Yang and Yu Zhi away, she instantly asked Yuxi, “Miss, do you truly want to go to Yu City?” Knowing that Yu City was a tiger’s nest and her Miss still wanted to go there made Zijin don’t feel good.

Yuxi sighed and said, “Zijin, as matters stand, I have no other way to retreat. I can only proceed to Yu City.” Her stand-in was a woman from the brothel. Thus, Yuxi had no expectations that the other party would choose to die rather than give in. Once the other party succumbed to the northern captives’ obscene power and died, while the real one did not show up, there was no way to prove that the one northern barbarians had taken a mere substitute. When that time came, Yun Qing might just suffer some humiliation, but the Han family would undergo the most devastating blow. She changed her mind, not for Yun Qing, but her mother, Dage, and Er Ge’s sake. They were the reason she couldn’t just walk away like that.

Zijin was silent.

Yuxi added with a smile, “Don’t worry. Didn’t Master Yang and Yu Zhi promise to stay to protect me? With them around, I’m not worried. When we get to Yu City, we will ask Yun Qing to find me some more guards for more protection.” At this point, there was nothing else more important that she should be thinking about, other than to plan earnestly on how to get a firm foothold in Yu City!

When Zijin heard Yuxi talk about guards, she immediately told Yuxi that Yun Qing had sent people to fetch her caravan. “I heard from the people downstairs that the northern captives had infiltrated with 70 to 80 people, all of whom were elites. Both Guard Xu and Uncle Luo’s people fought with them, and the battle was quite fierce.”

As soon as Yuxi heard this, she asked, “How many casualties on our side?”

Zijin replied, “More than half the people on our side are dead and wounded. But Miss should rest assured. Most of the northern barbarians had been killed and wounded,” As for who had been the casualties on their side, Zijin was not very clear.

Yuxi’s face turned grave.

Zijin was somewhat thankful. “Miss, fortunately, at that time, we had used stand-ins.” If not, it would have been Miss who the northern barbarians captured. Even if Miss did not end up dead after falling into their hands, it would still ruin her innocence.

And at this time, Yun Qing got the news that the northern captives had captured Yuxi. At first, he thought it was fake news, but when the other side sent out an envoy to say that they wanted to negotiate with him, Yun Qing realised that this might have been true. However, before Xu Wu returned, he would not respond to it. As for the provocations from the northern captives, he would just bear with them for the time being.

Huo Changqing asked, “If this is true, what are you planning to do?”

Yun Qing gave his answer without thinking, “Naturally, I want to save her.” What kind of man would he be if he didn’t save his own wife?

Huo Changqing said, “I won’t stop you if you want to save her, but before you do anything, you should give priority to your safety first. If you can’t save her, get out immediately. Don’t let yourself be killed instead.”

The news of Yuxi’s capture soon spread in Yu City. When Han Jianye heard it, he rushed to find Yun Qing, asking the authenticity of this information.

Yun Qing had someone show Han Jianye the clothes sent by the northern captives. “Sukhbaru had just sent them.” Sukhbaru was the Garrison General for the barbarians of the north.

Han Jianye looked at the cerise garment and asked, “How can you be sure that person is my Si Mei with just this one dress? Is there anything else to prove it?”

Yun Qing shook his head and said, “No.”

Although Han Jianye was anxious, he didn’t lose his head. “How can such a few pieces of torn clothes prove that it’s my meimei? Let them come up with more reliable evidence.”

Yun Qing looked at Han Jianye and asked, “Do you suspect that they are only faking it?”

Han Jianye answered, “No, I just want to make sure. Since my Si Mei came from the capital, her caravan must have kept her identity secret from the public. How did they know about it, though?” Not only were they aware of it, but they also managed to capture her, which already smelled fishy to him. Furthermore, he thought Yuxi had brought so many guards with her; hence how could those northern barbarians catch her that easy? Of course, this was also his way of escaping from accepting the truth. Deep inside, he was unwilling to believe that the northern barbarians had captured Yuxi.

When Sukhbaru heard that they could not use the clothes to confirm the girl’s identity, he asked someone to bring Yue Hong in and asked, “Tell me, what other things can be used to prove your identity?”

Yue Hong fainted when these barbarians seized her. When she finally woke up, she knew she was in the middle of their army camp and instantly lost her mind. She also did not understand what Sukhbaru was saying in their meeting right now as she was merely shouting uncontrollably, “I am not Yun Qing’s fiancée. I am only Han Shi’s stand-in.” Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Yue Hong cried bitterly. “I’m telling the truth. Why don’t you believe me? I’m genuinely not Yun Qing’s fiancée!”

Sukhbaru gave Yue Hong a disgusted look. He didn’t know what kind of vision Yun Qing had, wanting to marry such a useless woman. At that moment, he impatiently ordered, “Tell her to shut up.” His voice was so sharp that it sounded very unpleasant to the ear.

The guard beside Sukhbaru asked, “General, what should we do now?” The other side wanted evidence, but this woman had nothing other than her clothes to prove her identity.

At this time, Sukhbaru’s aide, Nie Sheng, proposed, “Cut her hair and send it over. If they still don’t believe it, send her fingers next time.” Nie Sheng was a native of the Central Plains. However, when Marshal Qin found out that he was selling military supplies to the northern captives, he fled to the enemies’ side and became Sukhbaru’s aide.

When Han Jianye looked at the hairs sent by the other side, he almost strangled the northern barbarians’ envoy. “What have you done to my meimei?”

Seeing this reaction from Han Jianye, the envoy was relieved and said, “We have not done anything to her. But our General wishes to sit down and have a good talk with General Yun.”

When Yun Qing saw Han Jianye’s reaction, his heart sank. “I will not talk to a despicable and disgusting evil person.” After saying that, he had people drive the northern barbarians’ envoy away.

As soon as they left, Yun Qing asked, “Is this beyond doubt your meimei’s hair?” This hair was even more unreliable than the clothes. At least the clothes might still have their characteristics, but how could this hair be distinguished? But from Han Jianye’s reaction just now, it did not look like it was fake. This matter was indeed tricky. No matter how difficult it had become, he still had to save his wife!

Han Jianye shook his head and replied, “No, my Si Mei’s hair is as smooth as satin. Look at these hairs. They are as dry as straws……” He might exaggerate a bit by saying the hair was as dry as straw when its tail was just slightly yellowish.

Yun Qing didn’t bother to look since he couldn’t make out the difference anyway. “Are you sure this is not your meimei’s hair?” As long as it was not Han Shi’s hair, he did not have to be concerned about it that much.

Han Jianye nodded and said, “This hair sure as hell does not belong to my Si Mei’s. Moreover, if they had captured her for real, there was no way she would just go quietly.” Seeing Yun Jianye’s puzzled look, Han Jianye explained, “If it undeniably happened that way, she would have tried her best to send me any news. That girl has a lot of ideas and a very meticulous mind.”

Yun Qing relaxed a lot when he heard these words. It was good that she was a bold one. If she was a timid person, he worried that he couldn’t endure her in the future. “Since we are sure that this person is not your meimei, we can take advantage of the situation.” It would be great if he could take this opportunity to kill Sukhbaru and dampen the northern barbarians’ morale.

Huo Changqing nodded and reminded them of one more thing. “Don’t forget that the person surnamed Nie is still with them. That dirty swine is suspicious by nature. If we just agree so easily, it will make him wary.”

Yun Qing nodded a bit and said, “With Han Jianye’s performance just now, even if I don’t admit the identity of the Fourth Miss Han, the other side will only assume that I’m just unwilling to rescue her.”

Guo Xun asked, “What if they don’t look for the General but Han Daren?” After Han Jianye came to Yu City, he was also courageous in killing the enemy. For the northern barbarians, a general who could fight them back should be disposed of first.

Yun Qing shook his head and said, “No, Sukhbaru’s main target is me.”

Huo Changqing reminded Yun Qing, “Sukhbaru is not that stupid to just grab someone and say she is your fiancée. There must be something fishy about this. You must be cautious. You can’t let them beat you at your own game, causing you to end up in their trap instead.”

Yun Qing nodded and said, “We won’t know the whole story until Xu Wu comes back.”

As Yun Qing expected, the northern barbarians sent a finger over the next day. Yun Qing’s eyes sparkled with fire when he looked at the bloody finger. “Tell Sukhbaru, is he a true man for bullying weak women? If he has what it takes, let’s see what he can actually do when meeting me on the battlefield.”

Han Jianye saw the finger and informed Yun Qing, “This person is 100%, not my Si Mei.” Both the hair and finger didn’t match with Yuxi.

Seeing Han Jianye use such an affirmative tone, Yun Qing nodded his head and said, “I know.” Since this was the case, there was nothing more for him to worry about.