At first, Ye Ping'an didn't approve of his wife's decision to adopt someone else's child.
Ye Ping'an didn't want to raise someone else's child. However, he was a bit intrigued by the baby's fate. So he told his wife that they should raise the child for a while to see if, as Master Huaihai had said, this child could bring good luck to those around her.
Later, he was promoted for his meritorious service in flood control. From then on, he began to believe what Master Huaihai had said.
Not long after, he was successfully transferred back to the capital and joined the Censorate. He became even more convinced that the child's fate could bring him good fortune.
Just like his wife, he hoped that Ye Wanxing could completely inherit Jiang Mian's lucky fate and thus bring glory to the Ye family.
Therefore, Ye Ping'an was aware of and acquiesced in many of the things his wife had done to Jiang Mian.
The act of taking the baby away had been very secretive. Only the Ye couple knew that Jiang Mian was the descendant of the Li family and the daughter of Li Bingjun.
Back then, they had only revealed to Concubine Feng and Xiao Yixuan that Ye Wanxing was the lucky one. They didn't mention that Jiang Mian was actually the lucky star. That's why Empress Feng and Xiao Yixuan had cooperated with them and staged the farce of trying to marry into a powerful family at the Spring Banquet.
This plan had seemed foolproof. Who could have known that Jiang Mian would manage to escape after she was sent to Xuanzhou, and that many years later, Master Huaihai would suddenly expose the truth about the baby swap!
In just two months, the reputation of the Ye family had plummeted. Empress Feng and Xiao Yixuan were now at odds with them.
What Xiao Yixuan had said to him just now was an implication that he had designs on Li Bingjun's daughter.
If Xiao Yixuan were to find out that Jiang Mian was Li Bingjun's daughter, with her special fate, once she became Xiao Yixuan's woman, the Ye family would have no advantages left!
"Hubby, we can't let them live!"
Mrs. Ye's eyes were filled with cruelty. "Now that Li Bingjun has found his wife and daughter, he must know that we swapped the babies and drove that woman crazy. The Ye family and the Li family are irreconcilable enemies. If Li Bingjun is favored by the emperor, he will surely try to take revenge on us."
"Don't you think I know that?" Ye Ping'an's face was阴沉. "But the Crown Prince said he would go with me. How can I take action in front of him? Wouldn't that arouse his suspicion?"
What could they do then?
Mrs. Ye looked worried.
"Forget it. Let's take things as they come. After we get to Luozhou, I'll find a way to get rid of them." Ye Ping'an said, his eyes hiding a hint of cruelty.
Two hours later, Ye Ping'an, who had finished packing, sent a message to Xiao Yixuan. Soon, two carriages left Yunzhou heading north under the escort of five hundred elite soldiers.
...
Luozhou.
Early in the morning, the Li Mansion was bustling. They weren't preparing for a banquet, but packing up luggage for the master, his wife, and the young lady.
This departure from Luozhou was special. They were going to leave at night when the people of Luozhou were asleep. Jiang Mian guessed that Li Zhao must not want to expose the whereabouts of Emperor Xiao Tianchi and himself for the time being, so that they could leave more smoothly.
After nightfall, before they set off, all the servants gathered in the front hall to listen to Li Zhao and Jiang Zhiqing's instructions.
"Although the emperor has bestowed a prince's mansion on us in the capital, the Li Mansion is the foundation of the Li family and still needs to be carefully maintained. So when we leave this time, except for the servants who will accompany us, the rest will stay in Luozhou."
Now that Jiang Zhiqing was the Princess of the Li family, her words unconsciously carried a touch of authority.
"Your monthly salaries will be paid on time. Someone will also write a report about the big and small things in the mansion every month and send it to the capital. If anyone is found to be lazy or slander the reputation of the Li family, they will not be spared."
"There's another thing." Jiang Zhiqing looked at Li Zhao. Li Zhao gave her an encouraging smile, and then she continued:
"You should all know what happened to the Li family before. On the day I married the master, the most noble person in the Sheng Kingdom came. But this is not the end, but the beginning. From now on, there will be many people coming to pay their respects to the master.
Steward Yin's expression became solemn after hearing this.
"We chose to leave with the emperor at night because we want to hide our whereabouts from the people of Luozhou. I hope you can keep the master's whereabouts a secret and create the impression that the master is still in Luozhou for the time being."
After Jiang Zhiqing finished speaking, Li Zhao took over: "Steward Yin, I'll leave this place to you."
Steward Yin quickly clasped his hands: "I will surely live up to the trust of the prince and the princess!"
Li Zhao and Jiang Zhiqing glanced at each other. Since there was nothing else to say, they called Jiang Mian, and the family walked out under the cover of night.
The night was dark, and everywhere in Luozhou City had become quiet. Most of the people had already fallen asleep.
There were several carriages waiting outside the door. The first two were much more imposing and spacious than the ones they had taken when they left Dongli Town. The carriages were equipped with cushions, tea tables, and bedding, which fully matched Li Zhao's current status as a prince with a different surname.
Moreover, to make it easier to leave, the horses' hooves were wrapped in cloth, and the wheels were wrapped in a layer of rubber to reduce vibration and noise.
Jiang Mian helped Jiang Zhiqing into the carriage, and then boarded the carriage behind with the support of Su Yu and the others.
After the luggage and the accompanying maids and servants were all settled, the coachman drove the carriage towards the city gate. The servants of the Li Mansion silently watched them leave with lanterns in their hands.
After living in Luozhou for a while, Jiang Mian had finally felt at ease. Now that she was about to leave, she felt a bit reluctant.
She lifted the curtain and lay on the window looking outside.
But it was too dark at this time. All the lights were out, and she couldn't see anything.
She didn't know when she would come back next time.
Because they had to avoid being seen, the carriage didn't go very fast. It took nearly an hour to reach the north gate of Luozhou City.
The guards of Luozhou had already received the news and let them out of the city. Outside the city, the emperor's carriage was already waiting.
Li Zhao got off the carriage with his wife and daughter and stepped forward to pay his respects to Xiao Tianchi: "Your subject, Li Bingjun, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Xiao Tianchi's figure appeared.
He smiled and said, "No need to be so formal. With the help of Prince Li, I feel like a tiger with wings. The world will surely be stabilized more quickly. It's getting late. Get in the carriage. Let's go back to the capital."
When they got back into the carriage, Jiang Mian sat with Jiang Zhiqing. Because Li Zhao, as the Prince of the Li family, was allowed to ride in the same carriage as the emperor, which showed the emperor's trust in the prince.
The carriage started moving again. This time, there were soldiers closely guarding the carriage to protect the people inside at any time.
Luozhou City was gradually left behind. Suddenly, Jiang Mian remembered -
Yes, she remembered that her master had said that they would meet when they left Luozhou.
But now they were going back to the capital with Xiao Tianchi. Would her master still show up?