Chapter 115: Finding a Foothold

While the Ninth Prince was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and the Tenth Prince flitted about like a headless fly, Yan Yan had already left the capital with Wu Tong and Cui’er. After more than half a month of travel, they finally arrived at a small place called Changli.

Why Yan Yan chose Changli puzzled Wu Tong for quite some time. Originally, Wu Tong had thought their group would head straight to the Northern Walled Village, so that once the Ninth Prince returned, they could go back to the mansion together.

But unexpectedly, Yan Yan, having successfully evaded two searches, set their destination directly to Changli. Wu Tong was stunned. Changli? Did such a place still exist in the Qing Empire? She hadn’t heard of it in the slightest. Even after they were already on the road, Wu Tong still doubted whether this place truly existed in the world.

Yet, to her surprise, they really found it. Looking at the small village of barely a dozen households before her, Wu Tong was utterly amazed. She called out to Yan Yan inside the carriage, “Master, this is Changli Village ahead. What do you think?”

Yan Yan opened the carriage window and gazed at the scene in front of her, feeling a headache coming on. Although she knew that in the Qing Empire it wasn’t customary to flock to the seaside in summer, this village was excessively desolate—more than half the houses were thatched huts.

Sighing, Yan Yan realized there was no turning back now. She whispered, “Wu Tong, go ask if we can buy a piece of land at the village entrance and build a few rooms to live in.” Wu Tong’s eyes widened as she looked at Yan Yan. “Are you sure you want to live here?”

Yan Yan nodded. “Also, visit the village chief and see if you can get a household registration certificate or something similar.”

Wu Tong felt somewhat helpless but still respected Yan Yan’s decision. Concerned that Wu Tong might encounter trouble alone, Madam Chen volunteered to accompany her. After the two left, Cui’er looked at Yan Yan in surprise. “Master, how did you know about this place? It’s incredible.”

Yan Yan smiled shyly. Actually, she had just been taking a chance—more like a lucky blind cat. Who would have thought such a forgotten place hadn’t changed its name for hundreds of years?

In the future, at Yan Yan’s level, she had the opportunity to vacation in Changli once a year. She had gone two years in a row and was nearly driven mad with boredom. So this was the only place Yan Yan knew where one could reach the seaside without taking a boat.

As for why Yan Yan insisted on the seaside, she believed it was the place the Ninth Prince was most likely to overlook. Why it was easily overlooked, Yan Yan perhaps naively thought it was because the Qing Empire’s isolationist mindset was deeply entrenched. Certainly, the most important reason for choosing the seaside was the abundance of seafood, which was excellent for the children.

Cui’er remained suspicious about why Yan Yan had chosen to go so far away. She wondered if Yan Yan was not only hiding from the Ninth Prince’s wife but also from the Ninth Prince himself. Wu Tong had also harbored such doubts and had asked Cui’er more than once, but Cui’er always managed to dismiss the questions.

“What is Master thinking about?” Cui’er asked, noticing Yan Yan was somewhat lost in thought. Could it be that Master had been here before?

Yan Yan smiled and shook her head. “I only read about it in books. Why do you have so many strange questions?”

Cui’er wanted to ask more, but Wu Tong returned. It turned out there was an empty house for sale at the village entrance. The owner was not from the village but a nobleman from the town who was relocating his family elsewhere and wanted to transfer some assets. Seeing Wu Tong’s friendly appearance, he quoted five hundred taels and kindly introduced her to the village chief, who helped arrange the household registration.

The house stood right at the village entrance, only a short walk from the sea—just the time it takes to burn an incense stick. When the carriage arrived at the door, Yan Yan looked at the plaque already hung with the name “Wu Residence” and smiled softly. She said to Cui’er, “Once things settle down, I’ll take charge of arranging your engagement with Wu Tong, alright?”

Cui’er blushed deeply. “Master, please don’t meddle in such matters.”

Both Madam Song and Yan Yan laughed, and even the three little ones nearby giggled along, making Cui’er even more embarrassed. In truth, this arrangement had been made when they first left the capital to avoid arousing suspicion. Wu Tong and Cui’er pretended to be a married couple, with Sweetheart, Hongzheng, and Hongzhang as their children. Yan Yan was a distant cousin, and Madam Song and Madam Chen were the wet nurses. This way, no one questioned them, nor cast strange looks.

Yan Yan settled down in Changli with the three children. The little ones were thrilled not to be riding in the carriage anymore, babbling joyfully every day and bringing much happiness to Yan Yan. Without wet nurses, the children now lived on pumpkin puree and millet porridge. After settling in, Wu Tong somehow procured a cow, so the children had fresh milk, which delighted them greatly.

Now, it was the Dragon Boat Festival of the 46th year of Kangxi’s reign, almost three months since Yan Yan left the prince’s manor. The children had grown day by day and had even learned to tumble about on the bed.

Every afternoon, Yan Yan and Madam Song would take the children and Zisu in a small cart to the beach, spreading a cloth for the children to play freely. Zisu had clearly become the leader among the children, who all eagerly held onto her, babbling. Hongzheng could already hold Yan Yan’s hand and walk unsteadily along the sand.

Yan Yan gazed at the boundless sea and the surrounding tranquility, feeling that living like this would be quite pleasant. Yet, she had no idea that during her disappearance these past three months, the Ninth Prince was furiously raging.

In the second month after Yan Yan’s departure, the Ninth Prince realized she was likely trying to escape him for good. He was angry and furious but dared not reveal this openly. Feeling utterly helpless, he sent a letter to Lady Dong’e, claiming Yan Yan had gone to live in a rural manor with the children under his orders. Of course, he did not specify which manor; it was a transparent attempt to cover his tracks, and Lady Dong’e surely understood.

Meanwhile, Kangxi had already learned the truth from Wudan. Except for the reason behind Yan Yan’s disappearance, everything else had been thoroughly investigated.

At this moment, the Ninth Prince knelt before Kangxi, looking haggard. Kangxi gazed at his shrewd son and sighed heavily, “Yinzhi, do you have nothing to say to me?”