Chapter 156: What Does That Mean?!

Finding no answer after thinking it over, Cheng Chengxuan returned to Po Miao weighed down with worry.

Cheng Yao and the others had already started a fire and were toasting the cold steamed buns they had brought along.

Zhou Shizhao, meanwhile, was gazing thoughtfully toward the doorway; seeing him come in, he rose and walked over.

Stepping closer and looking at the veiled Cheng Chengxuan, he asked in a tentative whisper.

"Chengxuan? Is that you?"

Hearing this, Cheng Chengxuan pulled the black cloth from his face and gave him a slight bow.

"Uncle Zhou."

"Chengxuan! It's really you!"

Zhou Shizhao stepped forward excitedly, placed both hands on his arms to help him up, patted his shoulder, his eyes brimming with moisture, and nodded repeatedly.

"Good, that's wonderful. As long as you're safe, as long as you're safe…"

He then thought of something else and wanted to ask about the rest of the Cheng Family, but feared reopening old wounds, so he swallowed the words just as they reached his lips.

Seeing his dilemma, Cheng Chengxuan lowered his head and took the initiative to explain softly.

"Only I came back, but Grandmother and the others are fine."

Hearing this, Zhou Shizhao felt a pang of grief in his heart. He opened his mouth.

He didn't know whether he should comfort him or congratulate him on surviving the ordeal.

In the end he said nothing, only sighed and gave his shoulder two heavy pats, then changed to a less heavy topic.

"Where are we headed next?"

"To Beihuang City."

Hearing this, Zhou Shizhao nodded.

"That's good too. Although it's a bit chaotic there, at least it can serve as cover."

Hearing his words, Cheng Xin and Cheng Yao exchanged a glance and gave him a mysterious smile.

"Lord Zhou, today's Beihuang City is nothing like the old days. You'll know once you get there."

Zhou Shizhao was full of doubt.

Why, looking at their expressions, did they seem to quite like Beihuang City?

But a city that specifically holds exiled criminals, with over seventy percent of its people being prisoners—no matter how good it was, how good could it possibly be?

……

Early the next morning, after a brief rest, Cheng Chengxuan and his group continued their journey toward Beihuang City.

Before setting out, Zhou Shizhao carefully noticed that two people were missing; thinking this in his heart, he asked about it as well.

Cheng Chengxuan explained.

"Last night I sent them to the nearby Yi Zhan to pass along word, to relay your news to Zhou Old General so the old man wouldn't worry."

Zhou Shizhao looked at him gratefully and gave solemn thanks.

"Many thanks."

Meanwhile, in the woods outside An Cheng, the Jiedai and the soldiers had also finished packing and prepared to continue on their way.

Inside the prisoner cart, the Jiedai captain, who had finally come to, took in his situation and began shaking the cart wildly, shouting and screaming.

What do these people think they're doing—how dare they lock him up!

"Ah! Aaah!"

This sound startled even himself, let alone anyone else.

He rubbed his neck hard with both hands until it was bright red, coughed heavily a few times to clear his throat, but the sound that came out was still a shrill, unintelligible screech.

The Jiedai sat down in terror.

How could this be?!

He couldn't speak!

The Jiedai who came to deliver food cursed angrily.

"What are you doing!"

"What are you yelling about so early in the morning?!"

The Jiedai inside the cart scrambled up, pointed at his nose, and shrieked.

"Aaaah!"

'Are you blind?! How dare you speak to me like that—get me out of here right now?!'

Yet no one could understand a thing he was shrieking.

"Oh!"

The Jiedai adopted a mocking tone.

"Why is Lord Zhou so worked up today? He's actually getting angry now."

Lord Zhou?

What Lord Zhou?

Have you got shit in your eyes?!

I'm your father!

Get me out of here right now!

The Jiedai inside the cart grabbed a shoe at random and hurled it at him.

Seeing this, the Jiedai outside was so enraged that he smashed the bowl in his hand onto the ground, snatched up his saber, and struck at him.

"You've got some nerve—a prisoner daring to strike a Jiedai!"

The cramped prisoner cart restricted the Jiedai captain's movement, and the shackles on his hands and feet made it hard for him to act; he was forced to take several blows.

"Ahhhh!"

Finally, he seized his chance, grabbed the dao sheath that had been slapped against him, and glared viciously at the Jiedai outside.

"Ahhhhh!"

'I say it's you who's rebelling! How dare you hit me — once I get out, I'll make you pay for this!'

"Ptooi!"

The next instant, a glob of spit sprayed onto his face.

The Jiedai captain froze for a beat, and the short Jiedai outside took the chance to snatch the dao sheath back.

He kicked the prison cart hard twice.

"Still think you're some glorious court official? Pfft!"

The short Jiedai squinted sideways and shot him a vicious glare.

"Still have the energy to cause trouble? Seems like you're not hungry — no food for you then!"

With that, he turned and walked off.

Inside the prison cart, watching his retreating back, the Jiedai captain was so angry his whole body trembled.

"Ahhhhh!"

I'm furious!

He glared viciously at the short Jiedai's back, looking as though he wanted to tear him into eight pieces.

He raised a hand and roughly wiped the spit from his face — and with that wipe, he sensed something was wrong.

How could this be?

His hands kept touching his face, feeling it over and over.

Where were the mole and the scar on his face?

Why were they gone?

Recalling what the short one had said earlier, his heart was instantly filled with terror.

So this is Zhou Shizhao's face!

He frantically shouted at the Jiedai and soldiers outside.

"Ahhhh…"

'I'm not Zhou Shizhao, let me out!'

A few Jiedai gathered together, pointing and whispering as they watched him.

"Wasn't he fine before? Why did he suddenly go mad? And he can't even speak clearly anymore — just screaming nonsense."

"I reckon he's scared out of his wits. I once heard the old folks say that an extreme fright can easily bring on that… what do you call it… aphonia. In serious cases, a person can be scared silly on the spot."

The men shook their heads, sighed, and paid no more attention to the prison cart, continuing on their way.

Inside the prison cart, the Jiedai captain — who could not, no matter what he tried, peel off the human-skin mask — wore a face of utter despair.

What should he do?

He couldn't speak, didn't recognize characters, and couldn't write either — how was he to prove his identity?

……

Compared to the chaos over here, Cheng Jia Xiaoyuan was far more peaceful and warm.

Early that morning, Yi Jiang sat obediently beside his little companion, holding a small bowl and eating with great relish.

That scene made Feiying, who had just stepped into the yard carrying a roast goose, freeze in his tracks.

Watching the little Young Master eat like a little calico cat, he rubbed his eyes.

That little one nibbling away at cabbage stems, not needing anyone to coax him into eating his vegetables — that really was their little Young Master, right?

What a strange thing indeed.

Could it be that the feng shui of this little courtyard suited the little Young Master better?

Since coming here, the little Young Master, who used to get into trouble every other day, had become impossibly well-behaved — not only had he started settling down to study, he also took the initiative to help carry bowls and chopsticks and wipe the table.

And there was also the secret-recipe roast goose from the household's head chef that he was holding — normally, the little Young Master insisted on having it once every three days, yet yesterday he hadn't even mentioned it.

He glanced at the roast goose in his hand, which he had rushed over overnight and which had already gone completely cold.

Forget it, I'll put it in the Chu Fang first.

Actually, the Cheng Family's food really was quite good.

Feiying was reminded again of the day he had first arrived, when they heard he hadn't had time to eat breakfast and Cheng Feng and the others had made him a bowl of noodles.

That flavor — fragrant as can be!

Because it had snowed lightly again the day before, after breakfast Yu'an and Yi Jiang, the two little companions, decided to build a snowman in the yard.

"Yi Jiang, what do you want to build?"

Yi Jiang pressed his little lips together, thought of Tian Qin inside the room knitting woolen socks for Yu'an, and a touch of sadness crept into his eyes.

"I want to build a mummy."

Hearing this, Yu'an nodded, and a sorrow far beyond his years settled on his tender little face too.

The little fellow gave his nose a sniff.

"Then I'll build two — one Grandfather, and one great-uncle."

Hearing this, Yi Jiang smacked his own forehead in dismay.

Oh no, he'd made Yu'an think of sad things — now neither of them could be happy.

Having made up their minds, the two little companions stuck out their little bottoms and rolled snowballs along the ground.

Halfway through, Yi Jiang suddenly remembered.

"That's not right, Yu'an — shouldn't you be building three? You're still missing your Daddy."

Hearing this, Yu'an grinned and instinctively replied in a delighted tone.

"You don't have to flatter Daddy."

Because Daddy has always been by my side.

And at the door of the main room, Meng Shi, supporting Cheng Old Madam, had just walked out and heard this line.

Both of them jolted in their hearts: "!!!"

The happiness in Yu'an's tone didn't seem feigned.

So what did that mean?!