Chapter 649: Chapter 649: My Wife Surely Has a Way
The mother and her children waited the entire afternoon, and when night fell, Liu Ji and Ah Wang finally returned.
The Qin Mansion had been completely transformed, making them wonder if they had taken the wrong path; the mansion was brightly lit, and the aroma of food wafted through the air, warming their hearts.
Fortunately, Sanlang poked his head out from the entrance, and only then did they dare to believe that this was indeed the Qin Mansion, and they hadn’t made a wrong turn.
The fatigue from the afternoon’s journey seemed to dissipate as they stepped through the bright doorway.
Seeing Qin Yao and the children waiting in the courtyard, Liu Ji could no longer hold back and slumped his shoulders in dejection.
"Why did it take you the whole afternoon? Did you see your junior brother?" Qin Yao asked tentatively.
Ah Wang nodded at Qin Yao and went to the kitchen to help bring out the dishes; after a long day, his stomach was already growling.
Liu Ji walked up to Qin Yao, his head hanging low, and said, "My junior brother is not in the Capital right now. At the Prime Minister’s Mansion, we only saw Shi Tou. After inquiring around, we found out they didn’t even know that our teacher is seriously ill!"
As he spoke, Liu Ji raised his head, looking visibly angry. How could his junior brother be so neglectful?
They say he’s the young master of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, living in the same city, merely a few streets away, and yet he knows nothing of the teacher’s condition.
Qin Yao raised an eyebrow in surprise, as the dishes were already on the table; she signaled Liu Ji to wash his hands and talk while eating.
Having not eaten all afternoon, and only having had a few cups of tea and some snacks at noon, Liu Ji’s stomach was already complaining. He nodded, washed his hands at the water tub, and sat down to eat.
Though he was hungry, after just a couple of bites, he couldn’t eat anymore. Liu Ji poked at his rice in frustration, "How can my junior brother not be in the Capital? He promised to take care of the teacher, and now when the teacher’s life is uncertain, he’s run off to that worthless retreat!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he got, and he couldn’t eat another bite.
Well... mainly because the dish was difficult to stomach, too salty, and overcooked.
Yin Le silently observed his master’s reaction, keeping his head down as he ate, not daring to say a word.
Fortunately, Sanlang and Ah Wang weren’t picky, eating whatever was available with gusto.
Qin Yao finished three bowls of rice to fill her stomach before putting down her bowl and chopsticks to ask Liu Ji about his next plans.
Qi Xian is not in the Capital, likely sent away by the Old Prime Minister to avoid getting caught in the political strife.
They had only been in the Capital for two days and had already witnessed a house raid; the tense atmosphere between the Princess and the Eastern Palace clearly indicated that the power struggle between the two sides had reached a fever pitch.
"Until the results are out, the Old Prime Minister would not let Qi Xian return; that route is closed," Qin Yao stated matter-of-factly.
Liu Ji knew this as well, but he felt that the teacher was now a lamb to the slaughter, helpless and desolate, and couldn’t help but vent his frustrations.
"My dear!" Liu Ji suddenly looked seriously at her, "I must see the teacher!"
As he spoke, he reached his hands towards her, grasping her wrists, his peach blossom eyes blinking pitifully, "My dear, you’re so resourceful, I know you must have a way, right?"
"The teacher has been kind to me, I promised to take care of him in his old age, and now he’s an old man, unable to move, locked away somewhere unknown, not even knowing if he can eat or drink..."
The more he spoke, the more he empathized, almost moving himself to tears, his peach blossom eyes welling up with moisture, the corners tinged with red, his lips lightly bitten, "I know I can’t change anything, I just want the teacher to eat better, sleep warmer, and maybe speak a few words with him. He’s surely lying in a cold little dark room now, waiting for me to see him."
Seeing his expression, Qin Yao almost shed tears herself, the more he spoke, the more earnest he became, truly unusual.
Perhaps to Liu Ji, Gongliang Liao, as a teacher, was truly different.
After all, someone who had grown up under suspicion, distrust, and derision for being unruly, had, for the first time, found someone who didn’t despise him, who patiently imparted all his life’s teachings.
But Qin Yao had to remind Liu Ji that the Capital is not a place where thieves can come and go as freely as Kaiyang County.
"Do you know how many guards patrol between the markets? To reach the National Master Mansion, you must cross the Yang River, which bridge has the loosest guards? And how big is the National Master Mansion exactly? Which room does the teacher stay in? We know nothing." Qin Yao stated calmly.
Liu Ji, in an instant, felt a glimmer of hope, he knew that his dear must have a way!
"Ah Wang and I will investigate right away, early tomorrow morning we’ll go!"
"No... We’ll go after dinner!" Liu Ji suddenly regained his appetite, picking up the bowl and taking big bites of rice.
Ah Wang: "..." He wondered why he had to be involved.
Qin Yao’s lips twitched slightly, and she reminded someone through gritted teeth, "It’s already a citywide curfew, you can only move within the market, going out now is asking for trouble."
Liu Ji paused mid-bite, his eyebrows drooping, and suddenly the rice in his bowl lost its flavor.
"Alright, we’ll gather information tomorrow morning, then tomorrow night we’ll visit the teacher, okay?"
Qin Yao couldn’t help but flick him on the forehead, "Is visiting the National Master Mansion at night the only thing your mind can come up with? What about a clandestine visit during the day?"
Liu Ji’s drooping eyebrows lifted a bit, "My dear, do you mean...?"
Realizing the children and Yin Le were watching him talk to Liu Ji, Qin Yao glared, "Eat your food, no eavesdropping when adults are talking!"
Everyone: "Oh." Dutifully bowing their heads to eat.
Qin Yao shot Liu Ji a look, "We’ll talk in my room later."
Liu Ji’s heart skipped a beat, in-in the room?
Ah Wang was shocked, pointing at himself, "Me too?"
"You don’t need to," Qin Yao didn’t plan on letting Ah Wang show his face; the risk was too great, she was safer alone.
Thinking of the masks the children bought today, Qin Yao suggested cautiously, "Ah Wang, do you want to disguise that face of yours?"
But Ah Wang felt that any disguise would risk being recognized, it was better to walk freely on the street.
After all, among those in his former line of work, few had survived these years.
"My lady, only two people have seen my true face in the past."
One was Prince Feng in his fief, the other was the Holy Empress in the deep palace, so there was really no need for disguise.
Thinking about it, Qin Yao agreed, "That’s true then."
As they say, the darkest place is under the lamp, who would think the escaped Death Warrior dared to return?
Even if Prince Feng were still sending assassins after Ah Wang, this was the Capital, his claws couldn’t reach here.
After dinner, since the adults had things to discuss, the children voluntarily cleaned up the dishes, wiped the table, and went back to their rooms.
Knowing he had to rely on his dear to have any hope of seeing the teacher, Liu Ji turned into a diligent little bee, first preparing hot water for Qin Yao so she could enjoy a nice bath, then helping wash the worn clothes.
Finally, he tidied himself up, putting on some incense, carrying carefully brewed hot sugar water, holding a mix of anxiety, anticipation, and restraint, he knocked on her door.
