“So you really like silver, don’t you?” Xie Yu asked with a smile.
Ma Bing only then realized she had laughed out loud. Instantly, she wore an expression of absurdity, as if to say, “Listen to what nonsense this young noble is spouting.”
Does anyone dislike silver?
Xie Yu also seemed to realize he had asked a foolish question and simply lowered his head to continue eating.
They hadn’t brought utensils since Xu Maocai proved so useless, so the bowl and chopsticks in Xie Yu’s hands were carved on the spot by Huo Ping with a knife, faintly exuding a woody fragrance.
Though hastily prepared in the wild, the stewed meat smelled surprisingly delicious, making people even hungrier.
Unable to see, Xie Yu displayed a bit of awkwardness while picking up food, but still refused any assistance.
First, he slid his left hand, which held the bowl, gently around the outer rim, seemingly demarcating the edge, then raised his right hand with the chopsticks, after which his movements became smooth and unhesitant.
Suddenly, the campfire crackled, the flames flaring up momentarily, engulfing the tiny insects dancing at its periphery. The air instantly filled with black smoke tinged with a burnt smell, slightly suffocating.
Yet he still found the mood to compliment, “It tastes great.”
As the meat entered his mouth, it almost instantly melted into rich broth, filling his mouth with flavor.
It was rabbit meat, the tendons and connective tissues stewed until tender.
The flavor was uniquely distinctive—rougher compared to what he had eaten before, but oddly fitting for the current circumstances.
“There are medicinal ingredients in this, aren’t there?” Xie Yu savored it carefully.
His tongue was indeed sharp, Ma Bing nodded. “Your eyes are slightly bleeding and swollen, so I added stir-fried cassia seeds while stewing. Cassia seeds clear liver heat and benefit the eyes, while shepherd’s purse stops bleeding and clears internal heat—perfect for your condition.”
Xie Yu chuckled lightly. “This silver was well spent.”
Yuanpei glanced over a couple of times, then nudged Huo Ping, who was hugging a large wooden bowl and devouring his food heartily. “They’re actually chatting and laughing?”
Huo Ping, his mouth dripping with oil, didn’t even lift his head as he replied, “What, should we be crying instead?”
What’s the big deal!
Yuanpei: “…”
It’s not about that. Has that girl gone and fallen for money?
Isn’t that blatant extortion!?
Except for Ma Bing and Xu Maocai, everyone else in the group were strong men. This bit of wild game was barely enough to slightly fill their stomachs, certainly not satisfying. After finishing his portion in just a few bites, Huo Ping licked his lips longingly and shifted his gaze to his companion’s bowl.
Yuanpei: “…”
Yuanpei knew his companion’s appetite well. Upon seeing this, he immediately lost interest in further inquiry and started gobbling down his own food with his head buried in the bowl.
Seeing this, Huo Ping grinned.
This kid just hasn’t experienced real hunger before—thinking all sorts of unnecessary thoughts. The Young Lord knows what he’s doing!
He contentedly patted his belly, about to speak, when he saw Xu Maocai slowly approaching, leaning on a branch. Instantly alert, Huo Ping asked, “What do you want?”
Xu Maocai smiled nervously. “Esteemed sir, I would like to speak a few words with Master Xie.”
Hearing this, Yuanpei, who had just finished eating, tossed his empty bowl into the fire. The flames immediately climbed up the residual oil on the bowl’s inner wall.
“What now? Is your wife trying to harm our master again? Or are you trying to follow up on that attempt?”
Whether intentional or not, Yuanpei already held a grudge against Lady Xu and was even more upset that Xu Maocai had caused Master Xie to spend a night in the wilderness.
Hmph! This couple is just a pair of disasters!
If it weren’t for the trouble caused by these two bringing their little disaster into the world, they wouldn’t have had to make this trip.
Upon hearing this, Xu Maocai nearly burst into tears.
How dare I!
“My wife and I would never dare harbor such thoughts! It’s just… there’s something very strange about my son’s case…”
Before Yuanpei could interject again, Xie Yu had already heard the commotion from this side. “Let him come over.”
Ma Bing stood up to excuse herself. “I’ll go prepare the herbal medicine.”
Xie Yu gave a slight nod. As Ma Bing had just taken a few steps away, he casually remarked, as if offhandedly, “Does Miss Ma have martial arts skills?”
Since being blindfolded, his other senses had been greatly heightened. On this journey, he had gradually become able to distinguish the footsteps of those around him.
One set of footsteps in particular felt unfamiliar—naturally, it belonged to Ma Bing, whom he had just met today.
He had also noticed that her steps were especially light. Earlier, if she hadn’t spoken out voluntarily, he wouldn’t have even noticed her approach.
Considering the ground was covered with dry grass and fallen leaves, even the slightest touch would cause faint rustling sounds. Even Yuanpei and the others couldn’t completely avoid making such noises, yet she had made none.
Ma Bing was momentarily taken aback, then replied calmly, “Not really martial arts. In my younger days, I often followed my parents into the mountains to hunt and gather herbs. If I stepped too heavily, I would often startle wild animals, resulting in no catch and even endangering our lives. So over time, naturally, my steps became light.”
“I see.”
Xie Yu nodded. He didn’t say whether he believed her or not, nor did he express disbelief, as if he had simply wanted to hear an answer.
What a strange person… Ma Bing looked at him a few more times until Huo Ping arrived with Xu Maocai, and then she left.
Huo Ping was holding a finely crafted black sable cloak. “My lord, it’s getting frosty. Please put this on.”
Xie Yu turned his gaze toward where Ma Bing had gone. “Give it to Miss Ma.”
Huo Ping: “This…”
Hearing this, Ma Bing, who hadn’t gone far, immediately took out a sheepskin coat from her horse and put it on.
What was this—trying to pacify someone by alternating between punishment and kindness? Not falling for it, hmpf.
Seeing this, Huo Ping let out a sigh of relief. “My lord, Miss Ma already has her own.”
Xie Yu hummed in acknowledgment and only then allowed Huo Ping to come over and drape the cloak over him.
“Minister Xu, you have something to say?” He adjusted the cloak.
The black sable fur used to make the cloak had been a gift from the palace during the New Year. It was soft, thick, and glossy, with each strand clearly defined, clustering around Xie Yu’s chin, giving him an unusual air of warmth.
Xu Maocai was actually somewhat afraid of Xie Yu. But if he didn’t make a move now, the Xu family might face extinction.
He gritted his teeth. “My lord, my son is indeed unworthy, but without someone enticing him, there’s absolutely no way he could have come into contact with the five-stone powder. He must have been framed. I beg you, my lord, please investigate thoroughly.”
His eyes still ached slightly, so Xie Yu lightly tapped his temples with his fingertips. “You’re so certain?”
Xu Maocai suddenly found courage. “The people around him are my trusted men. His daily activities are closely monitored. There was absolutely no opportunity for him to touch the five-stone powder.”
Xie Yu suddenly lifted his head. “Had he taken five-stone powder before?”
Though phrased as a question, his tone was certain.
Even though his eyes were blindfolded, Xu Maocai felt as if two sharp gazes were piercing through him, making his entire body tremble.
His face stiffened slightly. “My lord, you’re joking. My son, although…”
Wait, did he know something?
Xie Yu smiled ambiguously, his fingers tapping slowly on his knee. “Absolutely never?”
Sweat suddenly appeared on Xu Maocai’s forehead, and his back felt damp and clammy.
He wanted to deny it again but was unsure whether the other party had any evidence. If so, wouldn’t that make him guilty of concealing the truth?
Xu Maocai’s mind raced:
If it was merely poor parenting, at worst, the little brat would be punished, and he himself might only face demotion. As the saying goes, as long as the green mountains remain, one will never worry about firewood. He was not yet fifty and could still have more children!
But if he were accused of deceiving the emperor…
But, but that was his own flesh and blood! All those years of affection and indulgence couldn’t be fake. If he lost the boy, it would be like having his heart torn out!
“You’re hesitating. You’re trying to take a gamble,” Xie Yu suddenly said.
Xu Maocai was drenched in sweat, but in a flash, he made his decision. “My lord, please don’t laugh at me. I’m just regretting not having taught him properly…”
“Oh,” Xie Yu added, “Then I suppose this matter has nothing to do with Minister Xu suddenly raiding the Qingxu Temple outside Ningzhou three years ago?”
The recipe for five-mineral powder was not unique; it typically contained ingredients such as cinnabar, alum, sulfur, and quartz—none of which were particularly rare or hard to obtain, even for commoners. However, the crucial formula and preparation method were always known only to a privileged few, such as Daoist priests who regularly engaged in alchemical practices.
Xu Maocai’s heart pounded like a drum. “Of course not.”
Xie Yu was silent for a moment, then gave an ambiguous, meaning-laden chuckle. “It’s getting late. Minister Xu, you should rest. We still have a long way to go tomorrow.”
Xu Maocai looked at him with a mix of shock and suspicion, wanting to say more, but Huo Ping beside him issued a dismissal. “Please take your leave.”
Xu Maocai opened his mouth, about to turn around, when he heard Xie Yu ask again, “Oh, by the way, how long has Miss Ma been treating patients at your residence?”
For some reason, his voice suddenly dropped lower than before, so much so that Xu Maocai almost didn’t catch it.
Xu Maocai’s mind was in turmoil, but he didn’t think much of it, assuming the other was merely showing sudden interest. He honestly replied, “Let me see… about three or four months, I suppose.”
Three or four months… Xie Yu pondered for a moment, then waved his hand, signaling Xu Maocai to leave.
Is the Young Lord suspecting Miss Ma?!
Huo Ping was somewhat surprised but, upon reflection, found it not entirely unexpected.
The next morning, the group set off again. This time, no one paid any attention to Xu Maocai—they simply pressed forward.
Xu Maocai dared not complain. In secret, he asked Ma Bing for some medicinal powder to stop the bleeding and promote healing, applying it to the raw wound on his inner thigh. He tore off part of his undershirt to wrap it tightly and gritted his teeth to keep up.
He had no choice but to keep up.
The moment he showed the slightest sign of falling behind, Yuanpei would seem to develop eyes on the back of his head, turning around to lash Xu Maocai’s horse’s rump with his whip.
Xu Maocai simply couldn’t understand how someone with such a youthful, gentle face could be so ruthless…
Truly, one must never judge a book by its cover!
Thanks to their harsh treatment of Xu Maocai, by the next evening, just as dusk approached, the group could already see the city walls of Kaifeng Prefecture in the distance.
As a former capital of multiple dynasties, Kaifeng naturally had its unique strengths. At least from what Ma Bing had seen traveling through many places, no other city could match its grandeur.
Being the nation’s capital, naturally everyone aspired to visit. Even at this hour, with the city gates about to close, there were still many people waiting in line to enter.
Northern cities were mostly square in shape, and Kaifeng was no exception. Each city wall had several land and water gates for the daily entry and exit of tens of thousands of people.
Each gate had a central main gate, flanked symmetrically by side gates and the smallest gates at the very edges. The main gate was only opened for major events.
Xie Yu’s group, being on official business, could use the side gate, while commoners had to use the smallest ones.
The side gate had fewer people, but due to the New Year holiday having just passed and the city being packed with nobles, they still had to queue.
Kaifeng was the nation’s political and economic center, bustling with commercial activity. Vendors of all kinds were everywhere inside and outside the city walls. Even along the road where people queued to enter the city, vendors lined both sides.
“Hot tea! Hot tea~”
“Fragrant and steaming steamed buns, sesame flatbreads!”
“Lamb soup noodles! Lamb soup noodles! Tender, big chunks of lamb!”
Ma Bing watched with interest. Since there was still some time before they could enter the city, she bent down and asked casually, “How much for the pears?”
The small pears were greenish-yellow, each about the size of a woman’s fist, neatly arranged, quite neat and lovely. There was also a basket of bright red honey tangerines, even more delicate and small, contrasting against the silver-white frost like fiery pearls.
Hearing her, the vendor quickly picked out the best-looking one, wiped it with a white cloth, and handed it over. “Young lady, you’ve got a good eye. My pears are the crispest and juiciest, with no residue at all. In spring, it’s easy to get heaty; eating these pears is the best way to quench your thirst and moisten your mouth. Try one?”
As she leaned in, a strong fruity fragrance hit her face, turning her initial six parts of interest into nine parts of desire.
Smiling, Ma Bing took it and took a bite. Indeed, it was juicy and refreshing.
Just as she was about to speak, a childish voice from the roadside cried out, “Mom, I’m thirsty. I want a pear.”
Xu Maocai: …Damn it!
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