Volume One: Carefree Journey Through Indistinguishable Paper Leaves Chapter Seventy-Six: Disguise

Gu Qinghan thought to herself that this was truly the naive talk of a child, but then she remembered that Yang Ning was unfamiliar with Jiangling, so his doubts were understandable. The influence of the Marquis of Brocade Guard, the Qi family, in Jiangling could only be truly felt by those who lived there. The Qi family’s roots were deeply entrenched in the region, and ever since they became hereditary marquises of Great Chu, their sway was unparalleled. When people thought of Jiangling, the first name to come to mind was always the Marquis of Brocade Guard.

Although the Marquis did not form factions at court, everyone knew that Jiangling was the Qi family’s stronghold. To serve as an official here without their support was simply untenable. Although the Qi family’s ancestral home was not within Jingzhou City itself, the chief steward of the old residence held a status in Jiangling equal to anyone’s—so much so that even the prefect of Jiangling, out of respect for the Marquis, would not dare slight him. As the Marquis's representative in Jiangling, Gu Qinghan could hardly imagine anyone daring to coerce the chief steward.

“Ning’er, aren’t you overthinking this?” Gu Qinghan mused for a moment before saying, “Once we meet the chief steward, many problems will resolve themselves.”

“Third Madam, it’s not that I’m overly suspicious,” Yang Ning sighed softly. “But lately, one strange incident after another has occurred at the Marquis’s residence. Given the situation, we can’t afford not to be cautious.”

Seeing Yang Ning’s earnest and mature demeanor, Gu Qinghan couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you saying I’m easily deceived?”

“Who could ever fool you, Third Madam, so clever as you are?” Yang Ning smiled in return. “I just feel that as circumstances change, so do people.”

“Then what do you think we should do?” Gu Qinghan was intrigued by Yang Ning’s thoughtful expression.

“Third Madam, for so many years you’ve resided in the capital, and father has been campaigning far from home. The affairs of Jiangling have all been left to the chief steward—you both probably know little of the local situation.”

Gu Qinghan nodded slightly. “That’s true; it’s been many years since I last returned.” Her gaze grew thoughtful.

“I believe, rather than heading straight for the old residence, it would be better to disguise ourselves and make a private investigation first,” Yang Ning finally said. “We should find out whether the people of our fief have paid their taxes and get a sense of the situation here. That way, when we arrive at the old residence, we’ll have the upper hand. Otherwise, if we go now, we’ll be completely in the dark and have to rely solely on the chief steward’s word.”

“Go in disguise?” Gu Qinghan’s beautiful eyes sparkled. “You mean we disguise ourselves as commoners and investigate first?”

“I mean myself, not both of us,” Yang Ning corrected her. Seeing Gu Qinghan’s excitement, he couldn’t help but ask, “Third Madam, surely you don’t want to dress up and go, too?”

Gu Qinghan gave a charming smile and countered, “And why not?”

“Absolutely not.” Yang Ning shook his head at once. “You’re a woman—private investigations are no trivial matter. It would be exhausting, not some game—” He suddenly realized Gu Qinghan was staring at him, her eyes tinged with anger. This time she did not hold back—reaching out her slender fingers, she pinched Yang Ning’s ear, and with a deliberately stern face said, “What did you just say? Repeat it to me! If I give you an inch, you want a mile. Is it your place to decide or mine?”

Seeing her arched brows and feigned fury, Yang Ning—no fool himself—immediately recognized her playful act. This beautiful young widow, far from being fierce, looked only more alluring in her pretense. Yang Ning’s heart fluttered, but outwardly he could only smile wryly. “Naturally, Third Madam has the final say. Ow—let go, or you’ll pull my ear off.”

Only then did Gu Qinghan let go, giving him a glare before breaking into a radiant, enchanting laugh. “As long as you understand. Your idea isn’t bad—if we first find out what’s happening here, we’ll know what to ask when we see the chief steward. You’re bold to a fault, and if I don’t keep an eye on you, who knows what trouble you’ll stir up!”

“You’re not worried about me causing trouble,” Yang Ning teased, rubbing his ear. “You’ve finally returned home and want to look around.”

Gu Qinghan was taken aback, and her expression suddenly turned somber. She spoke softly, “Now that I’m back, who knows when or if I’ll ever return again? Perhaps... perhaps I never will.”

Yang Ning frowned, knowing in his heart that Gu Qinghan must be deeply anxious about the future of the Marquis’s household. The fortunes of the Marquis of Brocade Guard were visibly declining. Though the sudden shrewdness of the heir was a matter of joy for all at home, he was still young and his foundations at court and among the gentry were shallow compared to the stellar achievements of the two previous marquises. Yang Ning realized that even Gu Qinghan and others might doubt whether the new heir could support such a grand family.

Having lived among aristocrats, Gu Qinghan had witnessed many rises and falls, and perhaps she had long prepared herself for the worst. Her sorrowful expression, with a hint of hidden grief, was so moving that Yang Ning couldn’t help but reach for her delicate hand and say softly, “Third Madam, don’t worry. In the future, whenever you wish to return, you will be able to. I will always be by your side to protect you.”

Gu Qinghan smiled gently at this, withdrawing her hand without fuss, raising it to brush a lock of hair from her cheek in a gesture both feminine and captivating.

Since Gu Qinghan insisted on joining him in disguise, Yang Ning could not refuse. They discussed the plan in low voices. Gu Qinghan’s attire clearly marked her as a noblewoman; going out dressed as she was would only draw attention. If they were to travel incognito, they needed to disguise themselves thoroughly.

Gu Qinghan intended to dress as an ordinary gentlewoman, but Yang Ning had a sudden idea and suggested she dress as a man instead. This, he said, would draw even less attention.

Gu Qinghan was greatly interested in the suggestion. Their plans settled, they did not hurry to the old residence, but first entered Jingzhou City, found a secluded inn, then Yang Ning instructed Qi Feng to purchase two sets of plain clothing. Qi Feng, not knowing what the young master was up to, could only obey.

Following Yang Ning’s instructions, Qi Feng bought two very ordinary sets of men’s clothing. Yang Ning changed at once. Seeing this, Qi Feng couldn’t help but ask, “Young master, are you going for a stroll?” He assumed Yang Ning simply didn’t want to attract attention while touring the city.

Yang Ning didn’t bother to explain. “Qi Feng, you will rest here in the city tonight. Tomorrow evening, proceed to the old residence. If we haven’t arrived, wait for us there. Remember: don’t cause any trouble.”

Qi Feng was puzzled. “Young master, you want to go separately from us?”

“Keep it quiet,” Yang Ning whispered. “Third Madam and I are going to visit a friend. We don’t want anyone to know. We’ll meet you at the old residence tomorrow night.”

“A friend?” Qi Feng thought, Young master, you’ve never been to Jiangling—who could you possibly know here? Perhaps it’s someone Third Madam wishes to see? But since Yang Ning said so, he dared not ask further. “Young master, let me accompany you both, for your safety.”

The young master had recently been kidnapped and attacked more than once; Qi Feng and the other guards were both guilty and anxious. If anything happened to the young master again, Duan Canghai would likely wring his neck.

Yang Ning knew that just traveling with Gu Qinghan would not attract much attention, but if more people joined, it would be harder to keep a low profile. Besides, the old residence was not far from here, and if they disguised themselves and investigated nearby, there should be no problem. He had some confidence in his own skills—common thugs were nothing to him.

Just then, before Yang Ning could reply, there was a knock at the door. Qi Feng was immediately alert. “Who is it?” he called out.

There was no answer, only the continued knocking. Qi Feng glanced at Yang Ning, then cautiously approached the door. He reasoned that, though it was broad daylight and the inn had other guests, no one would dare harm the young master here. Still, he remained wary. Suddenly he yanked the door open and saw a man standing outside. “What do you want?” he asked with a frown.

The man, hands clasped behind his back, swaggered into the room. Qi Feng was about to seize him when Yang Ning laughed, “Qi Feng, you fool, can’t you tell who this is?”

Qi Feng looked closely, startled. “Third...!”

The man burst out laughing, casting a proud glance at Qi Feng. “Are you really that blind, or just pretending?”

It was, of course, Gu Qinghan in disguise. Though dressed plainly, her features were refined and strikingly handsome.

“Ning’er, how do I look?” Gu Qinghan deliberately lowered her voice. “Am I convincing?”

Yang Ning sighed, “Qi Feng may be blind, but Third Madam, anyone who looks at you twice will know you’re a woman.”

“What?” Gu Qinghan demanded anxiously. “Why do you say that? What’s wrong?”

Yang Ning said nothing, only fixing his gaze on her chest. Following his eyes, Gu Qinghan realized that her full bosom was straining against the fabric, making two obvious bulges. Her face flushed, and when she looked up to see Yang Ning still staring, she glared at him fiercely, her cheeks burning, and fled the room in embarrassment.

The two left the city before sunset, the western sky still bright. Riding side by side, Yang Ning asked, “Third Madam, you’re more familiar with this place than I am. Where shall we go first?”

“To the west of Jingzhou City is a village, also part of the Marquis’s fief,” Gu Qinghan replied, glancing at the sky. “It’s still early; the people there are simple and honest. We might even find lodging with them tonight.”

“Good!” Yang Ning smiled. “I’ll follow your lead.” Yet his gaze drifted downward, sweeping over Gu Qinghan’s chest. Now, her former curves were completely concealed, and she truly looked like a handsome young man. Yang Ning couldn’t help wondering, How did she make them disappear? Did she bind them with a sash? But with such a full bosom, binding must be dreadfully uncomfortable...

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