Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 258 - 257: Scholar Gongliang Liao

At the same time, Ding Shi’s carriage came to a halt.

The young man ran up to Qin Yao, stopping just in front of her, and heavily clasped his fists:

"Miss Qin, I didn’t realize earlier that it was Qi Xian’s carriage, but now that I recognize him, and Liu Ji has been called by name, we can’t just ignore this!"

Qin Yao and her husband asked in unison, "Why?"

Inside the carriage, Da Lang and his siblings shared the same doubt, wondering if Qi Xian was the Golden Horned King from their mother’s stories, who calls out names with the Purple Gold Gourd, and whoever he names will die?

Ding Shi was certain as he said, "If I’m not mistaken, there must be someone else in the carriage behind Qi Xian."

"Who?" Liu Ji scoffed, "Besides me, who else could compel my lady to act?"

Ding Shi gave him a sidelong glance before answering Qin Yao, "It should be the scholar Gongliang Liao!"

Liu Ji scratched his ear, "What scholar, what Gongliang, what Liao? Never heard of them... wait a minute, sounds a bit familiar..."

Could it be, could it be?

"Could it be that famous direct descendant of Mencius, fifty-third generation, the Han Dynasty Emperor’s Tutor, the reincarnation of Zhuge, the strategic genius who defeated armies of a hundred thousand to help the Emperor and Empress reclaim the land, the unique and unconventional Gongliang Liao?!"

Liu Ji was excited!

Before Qin Yao could ask, "Which unique person is Gongliang Liao?" Liu Ji grabbed her hand, "My lady, quickly save him! If we save him, we will surely benefit greatly!"

...

"Liu Ji——"

Qi Xian watched from a distance as those three carriages sped away from the village, feeling his heart sink.

After a moment’s thought, he realized they weren’t familiar with him and indeed had no obligation to risk helping him.

But his youth showed, and his lack of experience made his frustration and anger apparent on his face.

He turned and looked at the refugees around him, who had already taken the grain sacks from the carriage but still wouldn’t stop, wanting to take his ornaments as well. For the first time, Qi Xian felt so disappointed in humanity.

He had given them food out of good will, only to end up with such an outcome.

The joy he imagined receiving their gratitude turned out to be wishful thinking.

"Young master!" The guards shouted at him heavily, urging him to make a quick decision.

They were under pressure not to harm anyone, and though they had weapons, they didn’t dare use them. Instead, they were suppressed by the refugees surrounding them, feeling utterly frustrated.

Qi Xian looked at his guards, who were nearly overwhelmed by the refugees, and then glanced back at the carriage behind him.

He called softly for the gentleman inside, but the noise of the crowd kept the man from hearing the young boy’s regretful murmuring.

The situation didn’t allow Qi Xian much time to think. He was about to order his guards to abandon the carriage and take him and the gentleman away.

Just then, the sound of horse hooves suddenly broke out.

The guards looked up surprised at the source of the sound, only to see a woman in blue with a long bamboo pole riding a horse towards them.

With a sweep of her long pole, the gathered refugees fell like wheat in a field, all swept away by the bamboo pole.

The long bamboo pole in her hand was like a weightless stick, and with effortless movements, left and right, the refugees blocking the carriage fell like leaves, clearing a path for the carriage.

Seeing the refugees on the roadside exclaiming and wailing in shock, Qi Xian was dumbfounded—he never thought escaping the encirclement could be this easy!

"Move! What are you standing there for!"

Qin Yao pushed people aside, seeing them gape at her in astonishment without moving, couldn’t help but shout.

The shout seemed to yank Qi Xian’s dazed spirit back. Overcome with surprise, he immediately clutched the carriage door, dashing out with the protection of his guards.

"Follow me!" Qin Yao nodded to the young boy at the carriage door, then tossed the long bamboo pole behind her, knocking down a swarm of refugees trying to catch up.

She then rode to the front of the convoy, leading Qi Xian and his group forward.

The nearby refugees, likely drawn by the earlier commotion, posed no interception along the way.

Without realizing it, the sun set, and the last glow disappeared into the forest, rendering the path dark, illuminated only by the rhythmic clatter of galloping hooves.

The shadows of trees beside the road swayed with the wind, casting eerie shapes on the ground.

In the faint moonlight, a glance back showed the pursuing refugees already out of sight, long since left behind.

Qi Xian finally exhaled the breath he had been holding in tightly.

"Young master, there’s a Daoist temple up ahead," a guard reported.

The galloping horses stopped before the Daoist temple, where someone awaited with a lantern.

As Qin Yao dismounted, children swarmed around her, concerned if she was injured or the like.

Qin Yao waved dismissively, indicating she was fine, then glanced inside the Daoist temple, where the wagons had already been unloaded and placed in the courtyard.

The temple, having ceased offerings for a long time, was overrun with weeds, some as tall as a person.

A hall for offerings inside was locked, and due to certain taboos, it wasn’t appropriate to disturb the deities. Da Zhuang and two Ding Family guards were clearing the courtyard weeds, preparing to camp there for the night.

Two fires were lit for illumination in the center of the cleared courtyard, providing reassuring light against the dark night.

"You go in first," Qin Yao gestured with her eyes to Da Lang and Second Lang, to secure a spot for their tent.

With so many spending the night, yet the courtyard so small, arriving late meant no good spot.

Da Lang and Second Lang nodded with smiles, indicating understanding, and led the Dragon and Phoenix Twins into the courtyard.

However, after entering, they curiously looked back at Qi Xian’s group now stopped before the Daoist temple.

The four siblings found it unbelievable that the prodigy they once observed distantly across the river was now so close.

Moreover, there’s a high chance they’d sleep in the same dilapidated Daoist temple that night.

The Qi Family’s carriage stopped in front of the crowd, as Ding Shi, Liu Ji, and Liu Li approached, introducing themselves and expressing concern.

Only then did Qi Xian realize that Liu Ji’s group, whom he thought had fled, hadn’t left but came back to save him.

Yet the rescuer wasn’t among these three, but the woman in blue standing under the orange lantern at the Daoist temple’s entrance.

Unlike Liu Ji’s group’s eagerness to make connections, she stood in front of the Daoist temple, boldly looking them over.

Finally, her gaze settled on the second carriage, which had remained quiet all along.

Qi Xian thought for a moment and called his bodyguard Shi Tou to walk past Liu Ji and Ding Shi towards the Daoist temple’s entrance.

Reaching Qin Yao, he clasped his fists gratefully, "I, Jing Xuan, thank the lady for her help today. Without the lady, we and the teacher might still be trapped among the refugees."

As he spoke, Qi Xian looked up at Qin Yao, noticing the faint smile at her lips, neither brushing off the thanks nor offering compliments, as she accepted the gratitude graciously.