Chapter 250

Chapter 250: Is There a Ghost?

People have feelings. The first time Yu Zhi Yi formed a clear idea of the word “mother” was from Madam Yao.

She did not refuse again: “Then thank you, Aunt Yao.”

Madam Yao patted her shoulder: “Go on, and have a safe trip.”

Yu Zhi Yi nodded.

The carriage rumbled out through the city gate.

Madam Yao watched the carriage grow smaller and smaller, feeling empty and lost.

In the end, her son simply had no luck.

Thinking of her son, Madam Yao felt stifled. That silly brat had not treasured Yi’er when she lived in their manor. Now that Yi’er had left, he kept sighing over the past. What use is that?

The carriage moved without trouble for a hundred li. Before dark they reached the outskirts of Da He Commandery and slipped into the city just as the gates were closing.

Jiang Liu Yun had driven all day, but he was a lively teenager and did not feel tired at all. After they entered the city, he was even more energetic as he said with shining eyes: “Sister, there are a bit more than four hundred li left. After six more commandery cities, we will be home.”

Yu Zhi Yi could only think his energy was ridiculous. She had sat in the carriage until she was sick of it, yet he was still full of pep.

They planned to stay at the biggest inn in town. The Yue Lai Inn had rooms, but only three left.

There were twenty-four people in their party. No matter how they squeezed, three rooms could not fit them. They did not want to split up, so they had to look elsewhere.

After asking around, they finally found a small, out-of-the-way inn with about ten empty rooms. Though it was in a quiet spot, the place was decent. The front was a two-story building, and behind it a large yard used for carriages.

Jiang Liu Yun jumped down first, lifted the curtain, and gave a bright smile as he reached out his hand: “Sister, come down.”

He had discovered this after studying the habits in the Capital for a long time. Noble ladies in the Capital liked to be helped when getting out of a carriage. He had forgotten to do it at the Capital City gate before and had regretted it all day. He had been waiting for Sister to leave the carriage again so he could show off what he had learned.

Jiang Yu Chuan could hardly look straight at him. The brat had only learned the showy part and missed that those noble ladies always had a footstool.

The more particular ones used a servant’s back as a step. Kinder ones, who could not bear to use a person, used a small wooden stool or a purpose-made set of steps.

Silently, he took a few boards from the bags on both sides of the carriage. His hands moved quickly, and soon the boards became a little stair-like footstool, which he set at Yu Zhi Yi’s feet.

Yu Zhi Yi thought: [This is really not necessary.]

Father and son both meant well, so she did not refuse. After Li Rou also came down, she said, calm and clear: “I am not that delicate. There is no need for these formalities.”

Jiang Liu Yun raised an eyebrow: “That will not do. Sister is an Imperial Court official. She is not like us people of the martial world. The proper respect cannot be less.”

Yu Zhi Yi’s brow twitched: “But I am headed into the martial world. I should follow local ways.”

Jiang Liu Yun waved it off: “No need. Sister is Sister. You should have your own presence. If anyone dares to gossip, I will pull out his tongue and braid it.”

Yu Zhi Yi thought: [ … ]

When she refused again, Jiang Yu Chuan saw she truly wanted to keep a low profile. Noticing his silly son was about to keep arguing, he smacked him on the head and said: “Fool. Your sister wants to be low-key. What you are doing will only bother her.”

Jiang Liu Yun blinked: “Ah? Really?”

He looked a little down, but soon cheered up again as he said with feeling: “That is true. Even without all the formalities, Sister is still the most dazzling young lady in any crowd.”

Yu Zhi Yi’s teeth felt a little sore. It was the first time anyone had praised her as a great-house young lady. What a strange compliment.

Suddenly, she frowned and looked at the inn ahead. In a breath, cold light touched her eyes.

Sensing her change, Jiang Yu Chuan asked in a low voice: “What is it? Is there something wrong with this inn?”

The Marquis Wu’an heir apparent glanced at Yu Zhi Yi, but said nothing.

Yu Zhi Yi pressed her lips together and spoke quietly: “This place is wrapped in thick yin energy.”

The Jiang father and son grew alert at once.

The Marquis Wu’an heir apparent looked at her again, impatience flickering in his eyes. He did not believe in such spooky things at all. He thought his father had gotten him the deputy commander seat through skill and connections. He never expected both his father and mother would want him to go to the Chancellor’s Manor to thank Young Madam Du.

His mother had told him all kinds of strange tales, especially about his brother and You Bing Yue. He found it absurd. How could someone who almost died fall in love with the person who hurt them?

She also often brought up how he had almost drowned as a child. He himself felt nothing about it. Everything was just coincidence.

Luckily, the palace had business just then, and he had pulled several long shifts. When he came home he slept a day and a night. After that, whenever his mother mentioned going to give thanks in person, he found excuses and pushed it off. Over time, his mother finally gave up and stopped talking about it.

He had thought he was done with that charlatan. He never expected His Majesty would order him to escort this woman to Tian’an Commandery, and even grant her a third-rank prefect’s post. No matter how much he disbelieved in her, he could not show it now.

Jiang Liu Yun lowered his voice, eyes bright with excitement as he asked: “Sister, does this inn have a ghost?”

Yu Zhi Yi thought: [What in the world is this kid excited about?] He probably thought that, as a man of the martial world, he could use martial arts to fight a ghost.

Worried he might do something rash, she ended it there: “Let us go in and see first.”

Then she warned them: “Once inside, do not talk nonsense. Watch and act as needed.”

The Marquis Wu’an heir apparent curled his lip in secret. In his mind, she was putting on a show. Was she planning to claim tomorrow that they passed a safe night because everyone obeyed her, so the filth in the inn did not cling to them? He felt he saw through tricks like this.

Yu Zhi Yi did not seem to notice his scorn. Jiang Yu Chuan did notice the Capital Halberd Guard deputy commander’s attitude and looked at him coldly.

The Marquis Wu’an heir apparent acted as if he had not felt Jiang Yu Chuan’s gaze. His face had already returned to its cool, distant look.

Jiang Yu Chuan’s eyes narrowed. He hoped this fellow would not cause trouble for his daughter. Otherwise, he would not give this deputy commander any face.