"The silver mine is deep within the canyon."
Ye Yueying led Xiao Moxi and Wu Yutang to the mouth of the canyon.
Wu Yutang eyed the guards stationed at the canyon entrance. "There are too many people here, and who knows how many more are inside the mine? Just the three of us won’t cut it."
Xiao Moxi thought for a moment, then looked at Ye Yueying. "This matter needs careful planning. If we act rashly, we could alert them. Worse, Ren Feng might slip away."
Ye Yueying understood this, but her heart was still heavy with worry for Leng Feng.
Seeing her concern, Xiao Moxi reassured her, "Your uncle is skilled in martial arts; he won’t be caught so easily. We’ll think of a plan to rescue him soon, but for now, we need to return to Haqi City."
Though it was a partnership, the decision-making was clearly in Xiao Moxi’s hands now. While Ye Yueying wanted to save her uncle immediately, she knew that the three of them couldn’t accomplish it alone. Reluctantly, she agreed to return to the city with them.
With that, the three of them left the canyon.
On their way back, Xiao Moxi, in a trial-and-error mindset, took out a token confiscated from the Hu people and showed it to Ye Yueying. "Do you recognize this token?"
Ye Yueying nodded. "I do. This was specifically crafted by Ren Feng as a credential for trading with the Hu people. Any Hu person holding this token can take away high-yield grain seeds totaling up to a thousand stones in a single transaction."
Hearing this, Xiao Moxi and Wu Yutang’s expressions darkened.
Wu Yutang, enraged, exclaimed, "That bastard! To ensure our soldiers don’t go hungry, the Imperial Court prioritizes distributing high-yield seeds to border regions every year, leaving many places with little to none. And yet, here he is, using those precious seeds to fund the enemy! This is outright treason and collusion with the enemy!"
Though Xiao Moxi remained silent, he had already resolved to send someone to investigate this matter in the military camp as soon as they returned to the city.
...
When the three of them reached the city, they immediately noticed that the guards at the city gate had increased significantly. Whereas leaving the city was possible before, entry was now the only option.
Xiao Moxi turned to Ye Yueying. "We’ve rented a small courtyard; you should stay with us. The city’s crawling with searches right now—it’ll be safer with us. Besides, if we decide to return to investigate the canyon, we can notify you promptly."
Ye Yueying didn’t agree immediately. Her collaboration with Xiao Moxi was solely to rescue Uncle Leng. Now that she’d revealed Ren Feng’s crimes, all that remained was to save her uncle before parting ways with them.
However, agreeing to stay with them would undoubtedly mean being investigated by these people.
If the Ren Family were ultimately brought down, it would be fine. But if not, her identity could risk exposure. And if that happened, how could she protect her maternal family from the Ren Family’s revenge?
Seeing Ye Yueying’s hesitation, Xiao Moxi smiled. "Brother Ye, since we’ve chosen to work together, don’t you think we should have at least a basic level of trust between us?"
Ye Yueying replied, "If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have taken you to the canyon or told you about Ren Feng’s grain smuggling."
"Then what exactly are you worried about?" Xiao Moxi asked, looking at her intently.
The clarity in Xiao Moxi’s gaze unsettled Ye Yueying, and she found herself avoiding eye contact. Hesitantly, she muttered, "I just don’t want to impose on you."
Xiao Moxi chuckled. "No need to worry about that. We’re used to working on the road and living casually—it’s no bother at all."
Ye Yueying was momentarily speechless. You may not mind, but I do. Who wants to stay in the same courtyard as a bunch of men?
But with the guards searching the city so thoroughly, Ye Yueying had no choice but to compromise and follow Xiao Moxi to the courtyard where they were temporarily staying.
...
The other Jinling Guards were visibly surprised when Xiao Moxi and Wu Yutang returned with an outsider. They cast a few curious glances at Ye Yueying but soon went about their business.
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