A Clash of Gods - Chapter 76

Chapter 76 Dress up
Gu Qinghan thought Yang Ning spoke like a child, but thinking that he didn’t know about Jiangling, so it was not surprising that he had such doubts.

Only the people in this area knew about the Qi family’s influence in Jiangling. The family had a deep foundation here and a member became a hereditary marquis of the country, so its influence in this area became incomparable. Speaking of Jiangling, everybody would think of the Marquis of Honor first.

Although the Marquis of Honor didn’t side with others at the imperial court, everybody knew that Jiangling was the Qi family’s hometown. Any official in Jiangling couldn’t stay for long without the support from the Qi family.

Although the old house of the Qi family was not in Jingzhou City, the chief steward’s position in Jiangling was inferior to nobody. Even the governor of Jiangling didn’t dare to disrespect him for the sake of the Marquis of Honor. The chief steward was the deputy of the Marquis of Honor in Jiangling, and Gu Qinghan could hardly imagine that somebody had the nerve to threaten him.

“Ning, are you thinking too much?” Gu Qinghan pondered for a minute before saying, “After we see the chief steward, we would have answers to many questions.”

“Aunt, it’s not that I am suspicious.” Yang Ning sighed. “Recently, many weird things happened to our family. Under the situation, we have to be careful.”

Looking at Yang Ning who appeared serious and cautious, Gu Qinghan couldn’t help laughing. “Do you mean that your aunt can be easily cheated?”

“Aunt, you are really smart. Who can cheat you?” Yang Ning also laughed. “I just think that as something changes, people would change.”

“Then what do you think we should do?” Seeing Yang Ning considering carefully, Gu Qinghan had an interest.

Yang Ning answered, “Aunt, you live in the capital and Father was always on the battlefield for so many years. You leave the matters in Jiangling to the chief steward, and perhaps you don’t know much about this place.”

Gu Qinghan nodded slightly. “Right. I haven’t been back for many years.” She rolled her eyes, as if lost in thought.

Yang Ning finally stated, “I think it’s better to dress up and ask in secret than to go to the old house. Ask the tenants first if they paid the tax. After finding out the truth, we will do a better job when we are in the old house. Otherwise, even if we go to there now, we know nothing and have to listen to the chief steward for everything.”

“Dress up and ask in secret?” Gu Qinghan’s beautiful eyes lit up. “Do you mean that we will dress up as civilians and ask about the situation first?”

“It’s me, not us.” Yang Ning corrected. Noticing that Gu Qinghan got excited, he couldn’t help but ask, “Aunt, do you want to dress up?”

Gu Qinghan smiled sweetly and asked, “Can’t I?”

“Of course you can’t.” Yang Ning shook his head in an instant. “You are a woman. If we dress up and ask, we have to walk everywhere and would be tired. It’s not fun…” Suddenly he felt that Gu Qinghan stared at him, so he glanced at her and found the anger in her pretty eyes. This time, she didn’t show mercy but stretched out her slender fingers to pinch his ear while pretending to show a cold face. “What did you say? Say it again! When I am nice to you, you don’t respect me. Who is the boss here?”

Yang Ning saw her furrow her brows and look angry. He was clever and could see that she pretended to be mad. This young fascinating woman looked like this and wasn’t ferocious but showed a sort of special charm. He was excited in his heart but just smiled bitterly. “Aunt, you are the boss. Ouch, loosen your grip. My ear will be torn off.”

Gu Qinghan finally let go of Yang Ning and glared at him. Then she burst into laughter, looking charming. “It’s great that you know. You have a good idea. Let’s inquire about the situation and then we can ask the chief steward after seeing him. How dare you? If I am not with you and watching you, who knows what trouble you would make?”

“Aunt, you don’t worry that I will make trouble.” Yang Ning rubbed his ear on purpose. “As you finally have a chance to come back, you want to have a walk around.”

Gu Qinghan was stunned and her face turned gloomy all of a sudden. She whispered, “I don’t know when I can come back again after this visit. Maybe…I can’t get back in the future.”

Yang Ning frowned and knew that perhaps Gu Qinghan was always worried about the family’s future.

The family of the Marquis of Honor was on the decline. Although in the eyes of all people in the mansion, it was wonderful news that the heir suddenly became smart, he was young after all, and he had no deep foundation at the imperial court. Compared with the Marquises of Honor of the last two generations with tremendous achievements, the heir was inferior, as far apart as heaven and earth.

Yang Ning was clear that all people including Gu Qinghan might doubt if the new Marquis of Honor could support the large family.

Gu Qinghan was from a wealthy family and had certainly seen many noble families’ ups and downs. Maybe in her heart, she was prepared for the worst.

Gu Qinghan looked dejected, even with sorrow in her eyes and anybody would feel pity for her after seeing that. Yang Ning couldn’t help but hold her hand, saying softly, “Aunt, don’t worry. You can come back in the future wherever you want to. I will stay with you and protect you.”

Gu Qinghan gave a sweet smile after hearing that and took back her hand from Yang Ning quietly. She pretended to raise her hand to wipe the black hair on her cheek. She was so feminine and attractive.

Since Gu Qinghan wanted to dress up with him and ask the peasants, Yang Ning couldn’t refuse her. So he discussed with her softly. She looked like a noble lady with her clothes. When she walked out, it was impossible that nobody paid attention to her. She naturally needed to dress up and disguise her identity before asking the tenants.

Gu Qinghan planned to dress up as a common woman, but Yang Ning had an inspiration and suggested that she disguise herself as a man, so she wouldn’t attract attention.

Gu Qinghan was interested in Yang Ning’s suggestion. After they made an agreement, they didn’t go to the old house in a hurry. Instead, they went into Jingzhou City first and found a remote hotel. Then Yang Ning told Qi Feng to buy two suits. Qi Feng didn’t know what the heir wanted to do but had to obey his order.

As Yang Ning told, Qi Feng bought two common suits for men. Yang Ning immediately changed into the suit. Seeing that, Qi Feng couldn’t help but ask, “Your Excellency, are you going shopping?” He thought that Yang Ning got changed before having a walk around Jingzhou City as he didn’t want to parade.

Yang Ning replied simply, “Qi Feng, you have a rest tonight in the city and get to the old house tomorrow night. If we haven’t arrived then, just wait there. Remember not to make trouble here.”

Qi Feng was confused. “Your Excellency, are you going to part with us?”

Yang Ning answered softly, “Don’t tell anybody. Aunt and I will visit a friend and don’t want anybody to know. We will go to the old house and see you tomorrow night.”

“A friend?” Qi Feng thought, “Your Excellency, you have never been to Jiangling. How can you have a friend here? Is the third lady going to see somebody?” Since Yang Ning said that, Qi Feng didn’t dare to ask, so he had to say, “Your Excellency, I will go with you so that I can help you if you are in need.”

The marquis’ heir had been kidnapped and almost assassinated in the past few days, so Qi Feng and the other guards felt guilty and regretful. This time he came to protect them. If there was something wrong with the heir, Duan Canghai might behead him.

Yang Ning knew that if there were only two people, him and Gu Qinghan, they wouldn’t be noticed, but if there were many people, it would be far from good. Moreover, it was not far from the old house in Qi Village. When they dressed up and inquired in the neighborhood, it would be no problem. And he had confidence in his martial art skills and didn’t take the common local ruffians and rascals seriously.

Before Yang Ning spoke, they heard a knock on the door. Qi Feng got alert at once and asked in a deep voice, “Who is it?”

There was no answer outside and the comer still knocked on the door. Qi Feng glanced at Yang Ning and walked slowly to the door, thinking, “It is the daytime, and there are other customers in this hotel, so there must be nobody who dares to hurt His Excellency here.” Even so, he was still cautious and suddenly pulled the door open, but he saw a man standing outside. He frowned and asked, “What do you want?”

While the man put his hands behind his back and walked into the room swaggeringly. When Qi Feng was about to pull the unexpected visitor, Yang Ning laughed. “Qi Feng, idiot, can’t you find who he is?”

Qi Feng looked at him carefully and then shouted in surprise, “My Lady…”

The man burst into laughter and glanced at Qi Feng complacently. “Didn’t you recognize me? Or did you pretend?”

Of course this “man” was Gu Qinghan. Although the clothes were ordinary, she had pretty eyes and brows and looked handsome.

“Ning, what do you think?” Gu Qinghan asked in a deep voice on purpose. “I can’t be recognized, right?”

Yang Ning sighed. “Qing Feng is blind. Aunt, as long as I give a second glance at you, I know that you are a woman.”

“Ah?” Gu Qinghan asked in a hurry. “Why? What’s wrong with me?”

Yang Ning didn’t speak and just looked at Gu Qinghan’s breasts. She followed his eyes and looked down, and then she blushed. Afterward, she raised her head and found that Yang Ning still stared at her chest. She glared at him and just felt her face burning. Then she turned around and ran out in panic.

When they went out of the city, it was before the sunset. The sun was still bending in the west, and two horses walked head to head. Yang Ning asked, “Aunt, you are more familiar with this place than me. Where shall we go first?”

“As far as I know, there is a village in the west of Jingzhou City, and that is our fiefdom. Let’s go there to have a look first.” Gu Qinghan looked up at the sky. “It’s still early and the people here are unsophisticated. Maybe we can spend one night at somebody’s home.”

“Okay.” Yang Ning laughed. “I will follow your commands, Aunt.” But he couldn’t help looking down at Gu Qinghan’s chest. At this time, he couldn’t notice her plump breasts, and she just looked like a handsome man. He talked to himself in secret, “How did she conceal them? Did she press them with a belt? If so, wouldn’t she feel uncomfortable?”