"Governor, the Di family is watching you."
"I know."
Xiao Yan was indifferent. He couldn't tell whether the Di family liked or disliked him at the moment, but after meeting Di Tao and the others, he gave up on the idea of directly using the Dragon Pattern Pendant to approach the Zhen'an Army and Longting Guards.
He never believed that a mere token could command hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Moreover, his father had been dead for many years, and those who were left behind by the founding emperor had been replaced several times. Even if they still recognized the orders, no one knew how many of them remained loyal to the former "Emperor," or how much loyalty they had left.
Xiao Yan initially planned to infiltrate the Zhen'an Army and Longting Guards after reaching the northwest. He didn't intend to conquer them directly; his goal was just to verify whether the Dragon Pattern Pendant was the same token that his father used to control the Zhen'an Army.
But now that he had encountered the Di family, much of the effort was unnecessary.
"Have the people from earlier all retreated?" Xiao Yan asked.
"Yes, Governor. They've already retreated. Except for Xu San and a few others who were injured, the rest are fine."
To deceive the Di family, it was impossible for them to remain unscathed. Most of those who attacked Xiao Yan’s group pretended to be dead, but those who attacked the Di family were injured to some extent.
Xiao Yan said, "Leave the injured behind to recover. The rest should spread out and try to eliminate the spies from Beiling." He paused for a moment, then added, "But don’t eliminate all of them."
He wanted the Di family to understand how difficult it was to protect them on their way to the northwest.
Tu Bai nodded. "Understood, my lord."
Xiao Yan rode ahead, creating a large distance between himself and the convoy, using the excuse of scouting the road. While speaking to Tu Bai, he had no fear of others overhearing.
When night fell and they still hadn’t found a town to rest in, they set up camp in the wilderness. The next morning, they continued their journey.
The number of Beiling spies sent after the Di family increased, and even though Xiao Yan had eliminated some, they continued to be ambushed over the following days.
Three days later, they killed another wave of attackers.
Xiao Yan stopped his plans to proceed further and called for the three members of the Di family.
"This won't work. I've only brought so many people with me to the northwest, and if we keep killing, we won’t be able to withstand the losses."
Over the past few days, a few of his men had "died," and one of the Di family's guards had also been lost.
Xiao Yan looked at the Di family. "Your faces are already known, so continuing on like this will draw attention. We must think of a way to disguise ourselves and avoid Beiling's spies."
Di Tao, exhausted from days of being pursued, asked, "How can we change?"
"I have some pills," Xiao Yan said, "that will cause a rash on the face. If you apply some herbal ointment, it can hide your appearance."
He looked at the Di family. "You're badly injured and shouldn’t travel too quickly. We’ll disguise you as a sick man near death. I’ll pretend to be your brother. We’ll say we’re traveling to Fengcheng for business, but along the way, you fell severely ill, and I’ve been trying to find a doctor for you."
"What about my mother and sister?"
"All three of you together are too eye-catching. The reason you’ve been targeted by Beiling’s spies is because you’re too obvious. Have your guards take Lady Di and Miss Di and go separately. I’ll have people secretly protect them and meet up in Fengcheng."
Fengcheng was close to Luoyan Pass. Once they reached Fengcheng, they would be safe.
The past few days of danger had been saved by Xiao Yan’s desperate efforts. Di Tao no longer had any doubts about him. Separating was indeed safer, and even if one group faced danger, the other could escape. He was about to agree when—
"I won’t separate from my brother!" Di Fangyun exclaimed.
Hearing everyone look at her, she bit her lip. "Brother is severely injured and needs someone to care for him. Besides, you’ve been burning with fever. How can I leave with Mother and the others, and then trouble Brother He again?"
Lady Di also came to her senses. "Fangyun is right. Tao’er needs someone to stay with him. I’ll stay and take care of him, and Fangyun can go alone."
"No, Mother, your health is already poor, and you’ve been anxious. If you travel with Brother Li and the others, I’ll stay to take care of Brother."
Seeing Lady Di hesitate, Di Fangyun continued, "Brother and Brother He will pretend to be brothers. Even if something happens, I can pretend to be their wife. As for Mother, it’s unusual for a merchant to travel with elders."
"I can take care of Brother. I won’t be a burden to Brother He."
Lady Di hesitated, but Di Fangyun went on. "Beiling wants to capture us to threaten Father. Their targets are Brother and me. If Mother travels alone with a different identity, she won’t attract attention."
"With Brother Li and the others protecting you, you won’t need to fear assassination. If you reach Fengcheng early, you can contact Father and have him send someone to rescue us."
After speaking, she glanced at Xiao Yan and whispered, "I’ll travel with Brother and the others. If anyone asks, I’ll say I’m Brother He’s wife…"
Bang.
A stick was thrown into the fire, sparking a burst of flames. Xiao Yan looked up. "I have a wife."
Di Fangyun’s face turned red. "It’s just pretend…"
"My wife is possessive and won’t tolerate anyone coveting me," Xiao Yan said coldly. "Pretend or not, it’s not acceptable."
Di Fangyun, who had initially felt embarrassed, suddenly felt as though cold water had been poured over her. She looked at Xiao Yan’s handsome profile, quickly lowered her eyes to hide her disappointment, and tried to look calm.
"That’s true. Brother He really treats his wife well. I’ll pretend to be Brother’s wife, but calling him ‘husband’ feels a little strange."
Di Tao didn’t think too much about it. He also felt awkward pretending to be married to his sister, but life and death were more important than any discomfort. He patted Di Fangyun and said, "It’s nothing, it’s just pretending. We just need to fool Beiling."
"Mother, you go with Brother Li and the others. Fangyun and I will travel with Brother He."
Although Lady Di was worried, she knew it was too dangerous for the three of them to stay together. Her son was injured and couldn’t travel fast. If she could reach Fengcheng early, she could contact her husband and have him send help for her children. After a brief hesitation, she agreed.
Xiao Yan instructed Tu Bai, "There’s no time to waste. Take the three of them and escort Lady Di first. Even if you need to take a detour, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure she is protected."
Tu Bai nodded. "Rest assured, my lord. I understand."
The three members of the Di family said their quiet farewells, and Lady Di was taken away. After dawn, the Di siblings, who had changed their appearance and clothing, continued their journey under Xiao Yan’s protection.
Perhaps the disguise and separation worked, as they encountered fewer ambushes. For the next two days, no one attacked them.
When they finally reached a town to rest, Xiao Yan led the Di siblings into the city without incident. He found a doctor to treat Di Tao’s injuries, and the Di siblings finally felt like they might survive.
The doctor received a heavy sum and didn’t ask any questions. After prescribing medicine and leaving, a secret guard quickly entered and whispered in Xiao Yan’s ear.
The Di siblings watched as Xiao Yan, who had previously had a cold expression, softened noticeably.
"Brother He, is there good news?" Di Tao asked.
Xiao Yan smiled as he took the letter from the servant. His usually calm face warmed with a subtle smile, and his eyes sparkled with joy.
Di Fangyun bit her lip. "It’s just a letter, and he’s this happy?"
After traveling with Xiao Yan for a while, Di Tao had come to understand Xiao Yan’s deep feelings. He chuckled. "Ah, it’s from your wife. No wonder Brother He is so happy."
Xiao Yan liked the term "wife" very much and responded to Di Tao with rare gentleness, "Rest well and recover. We’ll travel tomorrow."
As Xiao Yan walked out with the letter, his back seemed to radiate happiness.
Di Tao sighed, "Brother He and his wife have such a good relationship… ugh!"
He winced as his shoulder hurt from the injury, groaning in pain. "Sister, be gentler."
Di Fangyun replied, "Brother, stop talking about others."
Di Tao: "?"
What did he say?
...
Xiao Yan, unaware of the Di siblings' conversation behind him, left the room and went to a side chamber. He took out the letter and began to read it. Before even looking at the contents, he noticed a small dried jasmine flower that had been slipped into the paper.
He lowered his head and gently sniffed the delicate scent. The faint fragrance mixed with ink, reminding him of a straightforward yet shy young girl.
Jasmine.
Could it be Mo Li?
Even though the young lady had said nothing, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but smile softly.
===============
You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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