Chapter 96: Protect Her and Keep Her Safe

"No need," the woman said coolly. "There are too many people and too many eyes today. We will speak another day." Her gaze settled on Chi Nan Yi, her eyes narrowing slightly. "In the future, there will be plenty of opportunities. How are things at Yuping Village?"

"Madam, the Chi Family has turned the house upside down and added some guards and servants. I'm afraid it won't be easy to make a move."

"They're just servants with some trifling martial skills. What's so difficult about it? Useless. Return to the manor first!"

"Yes."

The woman glanced disdainfully at the medicinal food shop's signboard, gave a cold laugh, and lowered the carriage curtain.

The carriage's departure did not attract anyone's attention, but Chi Nan Yi inexplicably felt a chill on her back.

Turning around, she saw Yun Tian pushing Gu Han Ze behind her.

Oh no.

She had been so focused on earning silver that she actually forgot this important personage.

Before she could speak, Yun Shui walked to her side and said in a low voice, "Miss Chi, my master says he would like you to visit the manor tomorrow."

"Alright."

Chi Nan Yi thought to herself—was this fellow going to have her make medicinal food for him again?

That evening, when Chi Huai Qian arrived, Chi Nan Yi was doing the accounts. In just this one day, she had earned over two hundred taels of silver.

After returning home that evening, Wen Zhilan said with a worried face, "You child, where have you run off to? These past few days I haven't seen hide nor hair of you."

"I've been in town lately."

"In town?"

"I opened a shop in town." Only then did Chi Nan Yi recount the matter of opening the shop.

"It's just opened, so business isn't that great yet, but it won't be long before the medicinal food shop's reputation spreads. When that happens, there's no need to worry about not earning silver."

"Such a big matter, and you little sister actually kept it hidden until now," Chi Zhiqiu said with a smile. "If the shop needs anything, just ask. Your eldest brother may not have much silver, but he has plenty of strength."

"That's right! Little sister, once I've had my child, I can go help at the shop too." Chi Zhiqiu and his wife were both very happy to hear about the shop opening, while the Chi Family's elders were somewhat worried.

"Yi'er, you're a young lady. It's best not to show your face in public," Wen Zhilan said, holding Chi Nan Yi's hand. "Leave any hard chores to your brothers. Just stay home and keep Father and Mother company, alright?" Looking at Chi Nan Yi's face, which increasingly resembled the late madam's, her worry deepened.

If others were to discover this, what would they do?

"Mother, this truly won't do. The medicinal food shop needs someone who can read pulses. Aside from me, no one in the family knows medicine. Even if my brothers went, it wouldn't work!"

Hearing her say this, Wen Zhilan had no solution either. She couldn't very well make her close the shop she had just opened. Given her cleverness, she would surely grow suspicious.

"Alright, but as a young lady, you must be careful everywhere you go. Make sure no one targets you."

For a long while after that, Wen Zhilan kept telling Chi Nan Yi how to be careful and stay safe, as though she were a three-year-old child.

Not only Chi Nan Yi, but the other Chi Family children as well all felt their mother was being rather excessive.

Their little sister was so capable. What was there to worry about her opening a shop in town?

That evening, in Zhao Anqi's study, Mo Junyan looked at the letter handed to him, his brow slightly furrowed.

"You mean to say, that year it was upon receiving this letter that Situ General led his troops to Jingcheng."

"That's right. Ever since I entered the military camp, I have followed at Situ General's side. That day, it was originally I who wanted to lead the troops to the capital, but Situ General said he hadn't seen his wife for some days, and Situ Madam was about to give birth, so the General led the troops there instead. No one expected…" Zhao Anqi gritted his back teeth. "No one expected that this letter would be a trap. Before Situ General's troops even reached Jingcheng, they encountered an ambush. Three thousand brothers, including the General, all fell there. By the time I received word and rushed over, it was already too late. Not long after, the news came that General Bai had colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country." At this point, Zhao Anqi's eyes turned bloodshot. "The entire Bai Family was executed, and the Situ Family was massacred overnight, with not a single survivor. Prince, it was my cowardice. I feared my wife and children would meet the same fate as the Situ Family, so…" Zhao Anqi knelt on the ground and broke down sobbing. "I know my mistake. I beg the Prince to give me a chance. Even if I am ground to dust, I will find the true mastermind behind these matters and clear the General's name."

Mo Junyan looked at the letter's contents. Judging by the handwriting alone, it was indeed his maternal grandfather's own hand, but he knew his grandfather's character well. Something like colluding with the enemy and betraying the country—his grandfather would never do. Moreover, at that time his mother had already been ranked as Noble Consort and was deeply favored by the Emperor. His grandfather truly had no need to do such things.

Most importantly, his grandfather had always been a man who placed the nation's righteousness and the country's honor above his own life.

How could such a person collude with the enemy and betray the country?

"All these years, have you looked into this matter through other channels?"

"Yes, but there has been no progress." Just then, Zhao Anqi seemed to think of something and turned to search through his study.

Before long, he brought out a box containing a piece of bloodstained cloth. It was quite old, so much so that the bloodstains on it had turned black.

"This cloth was found beneath Situ General's body at the time. It seems he used his last bit of strength to tuck it in. I studied it for a long time but couldn't see anything special about it. Still, it weighed on my mind, so I kept this piece of cloth until now."

Mo Junyan unfolded the cloth. Indeed, there was nothing but a patch of bloodstains on it, with no special markings. Perhaps there had once been markings, but they were obscured after being soaked in blood.

"Never mind. This Prince will take this cloth for now."

"Prince, is there anything you need your subordinate to do?"

Hearing this, Mo Junyan said coolly, "Help This Prince look after someone."

"Please speak, Prince."

"You know this person as well."

He knew this person too?

Who else here did both the Prince and he know?

"Chi Nan Yi." Mo Junyan's gaze was deep. "You must protect her and keep her safe."

Miss… Miss Chi?

Miss Chi was the Prince's… the Prince's person?

How was that possible?

"Prince… your feelings toward Miss Chi…"

Mo Junyan gave him a cold look, and Zhao Anqi quickly shut his mouth.

"No matter who it is, if they harbor improper designs toward her, you know what to do."

"Rest assured, Prince. I will do everything in my power to protect Miss Chi. Even without the Prince saying so, I would never let any harm come to Miss Chi. She is the savior of our entire family, especially my son…"

"That's right. Especially your young master."

Zhao Anqi did not think too much of it, assuming he was referring to the matter of Chi Nan Yi saving his son's life.

"Rest assured, Prince. Even if I lose this life, I will not let Miss Chi suffer the slightest harm," Zhao Anqi said with a smile. "To tell the truth, the first time I met Miss Chi, I felt a certain kinship." Zhao Anqi was not lying. He did not know where this feeling of familiarity came from either.

"See that you do."