Chapter 299: Late-Night Assassination, Qian Fanji Injured

"After all, Minister Qian is the one who stirred up this trouble," Ye Qianning added.

Qian Fanji steadied himself. Of course he knew she was protecting him, and a complex feeling rose in his heart.

After the carriage had traveled for a mile or two, Ye Qianning sat up. She lifted the curtain and looked ahead. There were quite a few people.

"Did you kill their parents or something?" Ye Qianning couldn’t help but ask, dropping the curtain.

There were pursuers behind who hadn’t caught up, and more people ahead blocking the way. To use such tactics to intercept one person was no simple matter.

"I took something of theirs," Qian Fanji said.

"What is it?"

Without any hesitation, Qian Fanji pulled a booklet from his robes.

Ye Qianning took it and flipped through it. In her recent days at Lou Mountain Academy, she had learned quite a few traditional characters and could recognize most of them. It was a register of letters.

The register seemed to document matters not of Beili, but of East Shu. It also appeared to mention Beili officials.

She understood. It was evidence of treason.

She had investigated Qian Fanji’s family before. His father, Qian Fu, had been the prime minister of Beili but was later suspected of treason. At the time, if not for Qian Fu’s connections to the Great Zen Temple, the entire Qian family would have been exiled upon conviction. In the end, Qian Fu voluntarily resigned from his post as prime minister and became a lay member of a Buddhist sect.

It was only because the Great Zen Temple intervened that the entire Qian family was spared.

Qian Fanji was more brilliant than any scholar, but because of his family’s stained reputation, he entered officialdom as a Chief of Staff and remains one to this day.

He rarely participated in court politics and held no military power, which was why he had so much free time and would occasionally go to Lou Mountain Academy to teach.

This booklet recorded the private correspondence between East Shu and officials in the court. No wonder Qian Fanji had to snatch it.

Who would want their family to be saddled with a reputation for treason?

"I can’t read this. It’s just a worthless old booklet," Ye Qianning said, tossing it back to him.

’It’s related to East Shu. So, are these people from East Shu, or are they officials hiding in the Capital City?’

"Young Miss," Luo Wen called out in a low voice. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Ye Qianning lifted the curtain. At a fork in the road not far ahead, a group of men in black holding torches was blocking the way.

Qian Fanji started to get out, but Ye Qianning grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Lie down."

Qian Fanji was confused, but Ye Qianning pushed him onto the soft couch and, with a flick of her small hand, covered him with a blanket.

"..."

"Don’t move. If they find you, we can’t beat them," Ye Qianning said, holding him down.

Qian Fanji struggled for a moment, then went still. He hadn’t expected her to be so strong.

"Stop! Stop right there!" a man in black advanced, holding a torch and a longsword.

Luo Wen reined in the carriage.

"Don’t make the first move," Ye Qianning whispered as a warning.

Receiving the order, Luo Wen immediately put on an apologetic smile. "My good sirs, what seems to be the problem?"

"Who is in the carriage?" two of the men in black asked, stepping forward.

"It’s my young miss and my master. We’re going into the city to see a doctor."

"Have them all get out," a man in black ordered, holding up his torch.

"Well... my young miss is very young. She can’t handle a scene like this. Please, be considerate, my good sirs." As Luo Wen spoke, he pulled a silver note from his robes and offered it.

"Cut the crap! Get them out here!" The man in black slapped the silver note out of Luo Wen’s hand.

’Damn them,’ Luo Wen cursed to himself.

Even without looking, Ye Qianning knew how frustrated Luo Wen must be. She lifted the curtain with her small hand, poked her little head out, her eyes filled with fear. "Wh-what’s happening?"

The two men in black exchanged a look, clearly not expecting to see a little girl who looked to be only four or five years old.

"Young Miss, it’s nothing, it’s nothing. Get back inside." This was the first time Luo Wen had ever seen his young miss act like this. ’So charming, so adorable.’

"Get back inside? Everyone out! I don’t want to say it a third time."

Ye Qianning’s small body trembled. She looked at the two men, her lower lip quivering as if she were about to cry but holding it back. In a small voice, she said, "My... my dad is sick. He’s very sick... he can’t get up... We’re going to find a doctor."

Luo Wen gritted his teeth. ’These blind fools, daring to scare our young miss. I’d love to kill them.’

Luo Xuan had always been composed, but now, a murderous glint was hidden in his eyes. ’Anyone who disrespects his young miss should have died long ago.’

Hiding under the blanket, Qian Fanji felt his heart almost shatter when he heard her call him "dad"...

The little girl had just called him...

That single word was like music from the heavens, reaching deep into his soul and touching its very core.

"I don’t care if he’s sick! Even if he’s dead, he’s getting out!" The man in black was unmoved.

Seeing that playing innocent was useless, Ye Qianning dropped the act. She pulled the curtain wide open. "My dad has a contagious disease. He can’t get up. You can carry him out yourselves."

Hearing "contagious disease," the man in black hesitated. His eyes inadvertently landed on the little girl’s exposed arm and the red spots dotting it. "What’s that on your arm?"

"There’s an infectious disease going around our village. You can catch it from contact. My dad’s had it for three days; he can’t even get up anymore. I only just caught it, so I’m fine." Ye Qianning frantically pulled her small hand back, tugging her sleeve down to cover it. "Be gentle when you carry my dad out."

As she spoke, she moved aside to make room.

The men in black looked at each other, deeply wary of contagious diseases.

One of them climbed into the carriage and cautiously entered the cabin.

"COUGH! COUGH! COUGH..." Qian Fanji let out a violent cough right on cue.

The man was instantly terrified and scrambled out. "Let’s go, let’s go! What rotten luck!"

"Thank you," Ye Qianning said quietly, lowering the curtain.

Luo Wen snapped the reins, and the horses galloped off.

The carriage had just started moving when another group of men in black on horseback arrived from behind.

"Stop that carriage!" a shout rang out.

The men who had been about to leave were stunned for a moment, then quickly mounted their horses and gave chase.

Luo Wen urged the carriage onward at a frantic pace, but even at top speed, it couldn’t outrun a single rider. The horses behind quickly closed the distance.

Ye Qianning lifted the curtain and looked back. There were more than twenty men, with another dozen or so riding toward them from the distance. ’It seems the booklet in Qian Fanji’s hands implicates quite a few people.’

"Turn at the fork up ahead," she ordered coldly.

"Young Miss, this subordinate will go and intercept them," Luo Xuan said, standing up.

"I’ll get off. You all go on," Qian Fanji said, sitting up.

"Nobody move yet. This isn’t the place for a fight. Luo Wen, drive the carriage somewhere more remote." A fight on the main road would be discovered by the authorities at daybreak.

"You go back to the city." Qian Fanji jumped off the carriage.

Ye Qianning tried to grab him but missed. She cursed under her breath. It wasn’t truly late yet; even at this hour, people still occasionally traveled the main road. Fighting here was not a wise move.

"Young Miss?" Luo Xuan asked, seeking her orders.

"Go on. Just don’t let him die."

"Yes, ma’am." Luo Xuan followed Qian Fanji to face the pursuers.

"Stop the carriage. Luo Wen, you go too."

"Young Miss, this subordinate will stay to protect you." Although Luo Wen knew his young miss was formidable, he didn’t dare leave her alone.

"Ying Ge and Ying Yuan are in the shadows. You go. Those two can’t handle more than twenty men. Besides, this is a good chance for me to see if your Inner Strength has improved recently."

Another group was still hidden on the main road, not yet making a move. It wasn’t a good time for Ye Qianning to act.