Chapter 121: Encountering Nurse Fei

Chapter 121: Encountering Nurse Fei

Peng Wang, eager to proceed on their journey, arranged for them to continue once they returned.

Upon leaving the city gates, Mo Jiuya spotted five tall figures standing by the roadside from a distance.

Liang Hao and the others had changed into the attire of ordinary citizens. Upon seeing Mo Jiuya, they nodded in his direction as a sign of recognition.

Then, they adopted the appearance of passersby and followed the exiled group from afar.

The procession proceeded along the main road. As they passed by a village, a person suddenly dashed out from the roadside, stumbling towards the group's direction.

It was an elderly woman clutching a bundle in her arms. Upon seeing the group, she cried out, "Help! Someone's robbing me!"

Upon witnessing this, Peng Wang waved his hand to signal the group to halt. He then turned his gaze towards the old lady.

Her hair was white, and the silk clothing she wore had lost its original color, revealing signs of wear. Fear was etched prominently across her face.

At the same time, several burly men were chasing after her.

As the pursuers closed in, the old woman panicked and hurriedly hid behind Peng Wang.

"I can pay you silver. Please save me!"

Peng Wang initially had no intention of getting involved, but the prospect of earning silver for helping out piqued his interest.

Just as the burly men were about to reach the elderly woman, he stepped forward with his companions to intercept them.

"Are you fools? In broad daylight, do you not fear for your lives, committing such acts of robbery?"

The burly men all had shifty eyes, clearly not upstanding individuals. Normally, they would intimidate any passersby into keeping their distance.

But the people before them were different, dressed in official attire, which instinctively repelled the thugs.

However, the thought of leaving without the package the old woman clutched in her arms was too tempting.

The leader of the group grinned, revealing a row of crooked yellow teeth.

"Sir, that old woman is my servant who attempted to steal from our home and flee. We're merely reclaiming what belongs to us."

Before he could finish, the old woman retorted, "Sir, don't believe his nonsense. I don't even know him, so how could I have stolen from his family? Besides, look at his attire. Does he appear to be someone from a wealthy household, capable of employing servants?"

As the old woman spoke, the curious He Zhiran dragged Mo Jiuya along to witness the commotion.

Unexpectedly, Mo Jiuya instantly recognized the old woman. Considering the crowded and gossipy environment, he refrained from calling attention to her. Upon encountering someone he knew, he couldn't simply stand by, especially since this person held a rather unique status.

Thus, before Peng Wang could intervene, Mo Jiuya stepped forward to address the burly men.

"I advise you all to abandon any ill-intent and return from where you came, to avoid physical punishment," he said in a familiar voice.

Upon recognizing the voice, the old woman's grip on her bundle tightened, contemplating an escape opportunity.

He Zhiran also noticed Mo Jiuya's unusual behavior. Normally, he wasn't the type to meddle in other people's affairs. The fact that he stepped in to defend an old woman suggested there was more to the story.

Therefore, after Mo Jiuya left, He Zhiran kept a watchful eye on the elderly lady.

Noticing her attempt to slip away, He Zhiran approached and gently held her back, whispering,

"You can't leave just yet."

Having recognized Mo Jiuya's voice from before, Feng Ma knew that he was the one who had come to her defense. A wave of guilt washed over her, prompting her to seize the opportunity to escape.

To her surprise, she found herself stopped by an unfamiliar, yet beautiful woman.

In this situation, there was no way for her to leave unimpeded.

Feng Ma had no choice but to return to her original spot.

He Zhiran's gaze remained fixed on her, making sure she wouldn't run off.

Over at Mo Jiuya's side, as soon as he finished speaking, Peng Wang and several bailiffs promptly brandished their whips in perfect synchronization.

Seeing the situation, the burly men realized they couldn't gain any advantage here and turned to flee.

Mo Jiuya watched them go before turning to Peng Wang and saying, "Brother Peng, this elderly lady is someone I know. I'd like to have a private conversation with her."

Peng Wang didn't doubt him; he could guess the situation from Mo Jiuya's interference just now.

"Alright, talk as you walk."

Mo Jiuya thanked Peng Wang and, with He Zhiran on one side and the elder lady on the other, led her to the edge of the group.

Matron Fei avoided eye contact, not daring to look directly at Mo Jiuya.

Once they had put some distance between themselves and the exiled group, Mo Jiuya asked, "Why are you here, Matron Fei?"

The matron struggled to control her emotions and kept her head down. "Sir, you must have mistaken me. I'm not Matron Fei."

How could Mo Jiuya, who had seen this Matron Fei frequently in his childhood, possibly be wrong?

"Is there something difficult for you to speak about, Matron Fei?"

Mama Fei remained stubborn: "This old woman thanks the young master for saving my life. You truly have mistaken me for someone else."

With that said, she opened the bundle in her arms and presented a few pieces of women's jewelry.

"Grateful for your life-saving grace, these shall serve as a token of thanks. This old woman has urgent matters to attend to and won't disturb you further."

As she finished speaking, Mama Fei turned to leave.

Once again, He Zhiran stepped forward to block her path.

Mama Fei realized that she could no longer evade the issue today. She faced Mo Jiuya directly, dropping her disguise.

"Duke, this old servant escaped from the palace. It's humiliating that you caught me in such a sorry state."

Mo Jiuya had always held a favorable impression of those from Consort Yuan's palace, especially her two devoted wet nurses who treated him no differently than they did Nan Qi.

At this moment, he pondered that Mama Fei's claim of escaping from the palace hinted at trouble involving Consort Yuan.

Moreover, this matter must somehow be connected to Nan Qi.

Thus, he was determined to get to the bottom of it today.

To avoid straying too far from the main group, Mo Jiuya pulled Feng Nanny along, intending to ask her questions while they walked.

"Feng Nanny, is there trouble for Empress Concubine?"

Feng Nanny had faced countless dangers and near-death experiences since escaping the palace. There were moments when she contemplated if the secrets she knew would be buried with her should she meet her demise.

Now, encountering Mo Jiuya, Feng Nanny saw a glimmer of hope for survival. With a firm resolve, she decided to reveal what she knew to him.

That way, she could rest in peace, without any regrets.

Before divulging her secret, Feng Nanny instinctively glanced at He Zhiran.

Mo Jiuya reassured her, "Feng Nanny, don't worry, my wife is on our side."

Feng Nanny observed He Zhiran closely before speaking.

"I made a grave mistake in my younger years, and now I'm reaping what I sowed," the old servant confessed.

Mo Jiuya's first thought was the switch involving Nan Qi.

"Is what Nurse Fei is referring to connected to Prince Qi?" he asked.

Nurse Fei was astonished.

"Lord Duke knows about this?"

Mo Jiuya saw no reason to keep it a secret.

"Nan Qi once sent assassins after me. Later, when passing through Pingyuan County, he even arranged a meeting at an inn, poisoning my drink..."