Who in the world does not know you?

Chapter 18 Rebellion

Yun Luobai never expected to meet Ye Zi here.

The vegetable basket that Ye Zi was carrying belonged to his family. Because a small piece of gray cloth was tied around the edge, Yun Luobai recognized it as his own at a glance.

She had obviously already gone back to his house.

"Going grocery shopping? What are you planning to cook for me and my dad tonight?"

Yun Luobai took the initiative to strike up a conversation. Upon hearing the familiar voice, Ye Zi, who was putting a bunch of leafy greens into her basket, turned her head to look at the person beside her, a hint of surprise appearing on her pretty face.

"Young Master Yun, what brings you here?"

The expression on her face did not show any sign of reproach.

Logically speaking, she should have told Yun Luobai about her tragic experience before entering Mu Li's boudoir, the scene of the crime. However, the latter did not seem to care. When she tearfully begged the madam for mercy, he did not lend a helping hand. Such behavior seemed somewhat cold and heartless.

Yun Luobai, however, was quite carefree and did not feel embarrassed or regretful. He looked relaxed and content with the status quo.

What's done is done; Ye Zi has now become his maid, so naturally, she should get along well with her.

"You still call me Young Master Yun?"

"Hmm? Then what should I call you?"

"You should call me Young Master, or Father Master. That's how maids in wealthy families address their masters."

"..."

Ye Zi, who hadn't seemed angry before, couldn't help but show her displeasure now. However, she was under someone else's roof and had no choice but to bow her head. She couldn't say anything to refute him, nor could she call him that in front of a stranger. She felt a little embarrassed for a moment.

The old woman selling vegetables was puzzled. She saw the two squatting in front of her stall, whispering to each other. A smile appeared on her lips, making the wrinkles on her face seem even softer.

Seeing that Ye Zi didn't speak, Yun Luobai stopped teasing her and changed the subject.

"I asked you to buy some clothes, have you bought them?"

"Yes, I bought it and left it at home... but I'm not sure which room I live in, so I've temporarily placed it on the table in the main hall..."

Ye Zi lowered her head and pursed her lips, her tone and expression revealing a hint of shyness.

"That's good. The ingredients you bought are probably for dinner, right? My father eats lunch at the government office and won't be home. It's almost noon, and you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"Um……"

"Qingchuan's treating, you can have one too."

Yun Luobai's lips curled slightly, and he deliberately lowered his voice as he spoke, as if he were telling a little secret that belonged only to the two of them.

"Hey, you surnamed Yun, why are you being so sneaky if you want to benefit from my connections?"

Qingchuan's cheerful voice came from behind. Yun Luobai gently touched Ye Zi's arm with the back of his hand, and the two of them stood up and turned around at the same time.

"Ye Zi, it's been a while. It's a pity that Miss Mu Li has passed away. Now that you've followed that Yun guy, it's like escaping one tiger's den only to fall into another..."

"Young Master Qing is joking."

Ye Zi bowed slightly to Qing Chuan, then looked up at him in his white robes, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"You seem to be in a much better mood now. You never smiled when you saw me before."

Qingchuan pursed his lips and replied casually, then pointed to the Honggu Restaurant across the street.

"Let's go, it's my treat. Eat and drink your fill before you go back. Once the door is closed, this guy will reveal his true colors, and you'll have a time when you're filled with regret and have nowhere to turn."

"what?"

The leaf opened its mouth slightly, looking somewhat panicked.

Seeing this, Ning Qi tried to smooth things over again.

"Don't be afraid, he's just joking with you. The second son isn't that kind of person."

Yun Luobai remained silent and offered no explanation, simply walking towards the Red Drum Restaurant.

Ye Zi stood there for a moment, then belatedly paid for the vegetables, picked up her basket, and quickly followed.

She was already lame, and quickening her pace inevitably made her appear somewhat clumsy, but she still managed to reach Yun Luobai's side before he arrived at the entrance of the Red Drum Restaurant.

There was nothing she could do; her indenture was now in Yun Luobai's hands.

She's already his.

There are actually many interpretations of the term "contract of servitude".

Logically speaking, Ning Qi's suggestion to pay money to buy Ye Zi from Liu Niang, the madam of Rouge Pavilion, should not only involve obtaining the original indenture from Ye Zi's father when he sold her to Rouge Pavilion, but also a written agreement proving that Liu Niang had resold Ye Zi to Yun Luobai. This new indenture would determine the master-servant relationship between Yun Luobai and Ye Zi, and if Ye Zi were to run away and deny it in the future, the government could intervene based on this agreement.

Ning Qi, being a member of the government, naturally understood the intricacies of the situation. However, he also knew that Yun Luobai was a kind person and would never use a contract of indenture to restrict Ye Zi's personal freedom.

If Ye Zi really didn't want to be a servant in the Yun family, she could explain her thoughts to Yun Luobai, and Yun Luobai would readily let her leave.

It's only twenty taels of silver; it's worth it to save an innocent girl from a living hell.

When the owner of Honggu Restaurant saw Qingchuan's figure from afar, he became as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood, and squeezed out a fawning smile to personally come out and greet him.

"Oh, Young Master Qing is here! Please come in! A private room upstairs has been prepared for you!"

Honggu Restaurant is considered one of the more famous restaurants in Ningzhou Prefecture. The chef in charge of cooking used to be very famous in the Jiangnan area. Manager Liu hired him at a high price, and as a result, Honggu Restaurant was always bustling with customers and its booming business was the envy of many.

Honggu Restaurant is doing very well, but that doesn't mean Manager Liu can ignore Qingchuan's identity.

Throughout the entire Ningzhou Prefecture, no one dared to provoke the eldest son of the General's Mansion. Even though Qingchuan never abused his power, he was known far and wide for his eccentric behavior.

If this young master suddenly decides to hold a funeral for Mu Li right here at the Red Drum Restaurant, then Manager Liu might really faint from shock...

Qingchuan didn't say anything, but reached into his pocket, took out a silver note, and stuffed it into Manager Liu's hand. The latter nodded and thanked him repeatedly, as if he had received a great reward.

Ye Zi's gaze fell on the two of them. She naturally didn't say anything, but a hint of curiosity flashed in her clear eyes.

"Frontier wars are frequent, and General Yun Que has become a pillar of the dynasty. It is said that the emperor trusts him greatly, and he now commands a total of 200,000 troops. Do you understand what that means?"

Yun Luobai spoke softly from the side, but Ye Zi, naturally unaware of these things, shook her head gently.

"Generals are highly respected in the army. The last person entrusted with the important task of leading 200,000 troops by the current emperor was the Flying Phoenix General, who had made great military achievements. After that, the court diluted military power for many years, allowing several generals to check and balance each other. What the royal family was worried about was that the generals on the frontier would become too powerful and thus..."

Yun Luobai stopped there.

Qingchuan, who was walking at the front, heard it clearly and replied without turning his head.

"He meant that my father now commands 200,000 troops, so even if he were to rebel, he could still plan it. The awkward thing is that the number of these 200,000 soldiers is neither too many nor too few. It can be said that they have the ability to rebel, but it is basically impossible for them to succeed."

The word "rebellion" has been a taboo subject throughout history, and people avoid it at all costs. People like Qingchuan, who dare to talk about it in public, are even rarer.

Not to mention General Qing Sheng, who is also his father.