That person is most likely a vixen!

Didn’t Grandma always talk about this while sipping tea with those Xia Capital noblewomen, discussing which official’s family has taken up a few more concubines?

In the new Emperor’s harem, a few more beautiful small-nation vixens have arrived. In short, men leaving women usually boils down to another woman.

Thinking about this, Jiunian’s cheeks puffed up with anger.

Hmph!

Mother is just too kind to wait for that heartless father.

No way, he definitely wants to teach those who bullied Mother a hard lesson.

Grandpa and Godfather always say that as a man, he must protect his mother and family.

Thinking of this, Jiunian waved his little fist.

He read the letter that made Mother very unhappy.

As a child prodigy who entered the Imperial College at the age of three, Jiunian already recognized many words.

So he naturally understood the "Ancient Nine Provinces" and the pickup location mentioned in Ye Lingyue’s letter to Lan Cai’er.

The pickup location is at an inn not far from Xia Capital.

"What is Ancient Nine Provinces?"

Jiunian was puzzled, just then Chi Chi poked its head over too, and upon seeing the words Ancient Nine Provinces, its eyes gleamed happily, and it let out a roar from its throat.

"Little Chi Chi, you say you know that place, then that’s settled, we will go to Ancient Nine Provinces to bring back the heartless father."

Jiunian naturally assumed that the so-called Ancient Nine Provinces must be similar in distance to places like Ciyun Temple, where Grandma often goes outside the city to burn incense.

Having made up his mind, Jiunian returned to his room.

He rummaged through boxes and cabinets, and pulled out a few sets of clean clothes (made by Mother), a few gold ingots (given by Grandma as Chinese New year red packet every year), and a small dagger given by Grandpa.

After gathering everything up, Jiunian stuffed all these things into a small storage bag (gifted by Aunt Ye Lingyue on his birthday).

With everything ready, Jiunian walked nonchalantly out of the room carrying the "Chi Chi" he pretended to have just found, and appeared before everyone.

In the next couple of days, Lan Cai’er wrote a reply to Ye Lingyue, informing her that due to Jiunian’s youth, she could not go to Ancient Nine Provinces for the time being.

She then handed this letter over to the Ye Family.

Ye Lingyue also sent a letter to the Ye Family, where she prepared some supplies from Ye Gu, especially some refined Xuantie Ores, loaded several carts full, ready to be transported to Huangquan City.

Huangquan City is situated in a remote area and has very few ores, so Ye Lingyue planned to transport a batch from Qing Province Continent.

"Niece, you can rest assured, I will have someone deliver the letter to Ling Yue." Ye Gu sympathized with Lan Cai’er’s situation.

Once the letter was properly handed over, Ye Gu dispatched a few young members of the Ye Family to deliver the supplies to the meeting place.

Lan Cai’er had barely left Lan Residence, while Jiunian, who should have been studying at the Imperial College, calculated the time and sneaked out of the college.

He walked properly to the city gate, spent some silver bits, hired a carriage, and headed to the inn outside the city.

The coachman was suspicious, but, seeing the money, didn’t ask more questions, flicked the whip, and sent Jiunian out of the city.

Outside the city, ten miles out, at the Eight Miles Slope Inn.

Several members of Heroic Society disguised as traveling merchants were awaiting the arrival of Lan Cai’er and Ye Residence’s supplies.

At this moment, a carriage stopped in front of them.

They thought Lan Cai’er had arrived, but unexpectedly, a small, tender child jumped down from the carriage.

"Uncles, are you heading to Ancient Nine Provinces?" Jiunian asked politely.

"Little ghost, where are you from, how did you come here?"

Several members of the Heroic Society were baffled.

They remembered clearly that the president instructed them to pick up a lady named Lan Cai’er in Xia Capital, around her twenties, definitely not this little ghost in front of them who hadn’t grown any hair yet.

"I am from the Lan Residence, named Lan Jiunian, my mother is Lan Cai’er. She is unwell, so I am here to go to Ancient Nine Provinces to find my aunt. You wouldn’t not know my aunt, right? She is amazing, her name is Ye Lingyue. I’m her most beloved little nephew."

Jiunian spoke, afraid of their suspicion, he took out the letter bearing Ye Lingyue’s signature, which indeed had Ye Lingyue’s signature.

He was a clever little one, afraid his mother would suspect something, he merely stole the envelope.

Initially, the few members had some doubts, but hearing Jiunian say this, they started believing.

Although Ye Lingyue wasn’t one of them, her reputation preceded her.

Among many other things, it was rumored that the late vice president Tan Su offended her, resulting in the calamity of dying without a complete corpse. Moreover, the president seemed to admire City Lord Ye greatly.

"So it’s Young Master Lan, pardon us. Young Master, at such a young age, why did your family allow you to travel alone? You will need to wait longer; we are still waiting for the Ye Residence’s supplies to arrive."

Seeing Jiunian being cute and witty, a few members let their guard down and proceeded to chat with him.

Just then, the sound of cartwheels approached, as the supplies sent by Ye Residence were delivered.

Seeing this, Jiunian scuttled to the side like a little mouse.

Once the Ye Family members departed, the Heroic Society members checked the supplies and left the inn with Jiunian.

Around dusk, the Lan Residence coachman, as usual, went to the Imperial College to pick up the little young master.

He waited until the last child left, but still didn’t see the young master, asking around only to find out that Lan Jiunian had been missing all morning.

The coachman panicked and hurried back to Lan Residence to report the young master’s disappearance.

In an instant, the Lan Residence was in chaos.

Lady Lan fainted upon hearing her beloved grandson was missing.

Lan Cai’er was also alarmed, and upon hearing the news, Lan Yingwu and Dao Ge hurried back too.

"He was fine; how could he be missing? Have you asked the classmates he is close to and the places he often roams?"

Lan Yingwu was extremely anxious.

"Father... don’t look anymore. I just found this letter in Jiunian’s room."

Lan Cai’er choked up.

"Grandpa, Grandma, Mother, Godfather, I have taken Chi Chi to find the heartless father; I will definitely bring him back. Jiunian."

Upon seeing the letter, everyone at Lan Residence was taken aback.

"Sir, Ma’am, Miss, there is news. This morning in the city, a coachman said he was paid to take a three or four-year-old child to a station outside the city."

The guard from Lan Residence rushed in, breathless.

Upon hearing this, Lan Cai’er let the letter fall to the ground, her eyes widening.

Jiunian had truly gone to Ancient Nine Provinces!