Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 123 The Eldest Brother's Persistence
Yang Can lay on his side on the oxcart and slowly raised his hands.

A boy, no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, stood beside the oxcart.

She wore a moon-white brocade robe, her skin was as white as snow, and a jade belt around her waist had a mutton-fat white jade pendant fastened to it.

The scabbard of the short sword hanging diagonally was engraved with fine cloud patterns, exuding an air of nobility at first glance.

He looked at Yang Can's gesture, paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow, realizing that Yang Can meant he had no intention of resisting, and said coldly, "Get out of the car."

Yang Can propped himself up on the cart shaft and slowly moved to the ground.

The boy looked at Rena lying in the car, and noticed her dark red, slightly wavy hair. He was slightly surprised and asked, "Who is this Hu woman? Why were you arrested as well?"

A man with a knife stepped forward and replied, "Young master, I saw them together in the sorghum field and brought them back together."

"In the sorghum field?"

The boy's lips curled into a disdainful smile, and when he looked at Yang Can and Rena, his eyes held a hint of contempt.

To congregate in such places in broad daylight is truly shameless!
Although he thought this way, he had no interest in getting involved in such a sordid matter.

For him, finding Jingyao was the most important thing; everything else was irrelevant.

Once Yang Can got off the bus and stopped, the young man asked coldly, "Are you Yang Can, the master of Feng'an Manor?"

"Exactly."

"Have you ever been to this man's hands..." the boy said, pointing to the side where two strong men were dragging someone off a carriage by the edge of the woods.

The man was extremely tall, but as limp as a lump of mud. He was dragged to the ground by the men by his collar, without any power to resist. His face was still covered in wet blood.

"Have you ever bought a young girl from this person?" The boy's voice deepened, revealing a hint of tension and gloom.

Yang Can was immediately relieved; it turned out that the abducted girl's family had come looking for her!
He recognized the man being dragged on the ground as Qian Yuan, the big slave trader, Manager Qian.

This person first kidnapped Qian Yuan and then came to find me; nine times out of ten, it's because his relatives were abducted and he's come here looking for them.

Yang Can did buy many maids from Qian Yuan, but he never mistreated any of them. On the contrary, he felt that if he hadn't bought them, those girls might have ended up in a worse situation.

Now that they've come looking for their relatives, we should just return them to them; there's nothing to be afraid of.

Thinking this, Yang Can nodded frankly: "That's right, I've bought them, and more than one. Could it be that one of them is a relative of yours, young master?"

The boy's eyes flickered, as if he were carefully choosing his words, before he slowly spoke: "Among the people you bought, is there a young girl... whose beauty is as bright as the moon in the sky, as pure as a green stone in a stream, and whose temperament is exceptionally unique?"

Hearing this, Qian Yuan, who was lying on the ground, almost burst into tears again. He had been tricked by this brat's question earlier!
With such an abstract description, who could possibly know who you're looking for? Qian Yuan had almost foreseen Yang Can's fate.

Next, Yang Can was probably completely bewildered before being brutally beaten by the hot-tempered teenager.

To his surprise, Yang Can widened his eyes in astonishment: "Young Master, are you referring to Abbess Jingyao? So Abbess Jingyao still has family members in the secular world?"

Upon hearing this, the handsome young man was stunned.

His brows furrowed into a knot as he exclaimed in astonishment, "Master? When did my sister become a nun? But... Jingyao is the correct name."

Qian Yuan was stunned, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Why? Why did Yang Can know who he was talking about as soon as he heard it?
Why is that?! Why?

Yang Can suddenly realized something from the boy's mutterings: "He said his sister didn't become a nun, but the name matches... Sure enough, Jingyao is a fake nun."

The young man before them was none other than Dugu Qingyan, the elder brother of Dugu Jingyao (this is uncertain).

He and Dugu Jingyao were twins, and their relationship was extremely deep.

Since Jingyao ran away from home, Qingyan has been searching everywhere for her, following every clue and asking countless people before finally uncovering Qian Yuan as a lead.

These days, he no longer dared to have much hope for his sister's fate. What good could come of her falling into the hands of a human trafficker?

Therefore, although he interrogated Qian Yuan time and time again, he still refused to reveal his sister's name.

He is afraid!

If my sister's name were to accidentally get out and people knew that she had been kidnapped and enslaved and suffered all sorts of misery, even if she were eventually found, how would she live her life afterward?
The tongue can kill.

The only thing to do is to keep her identity as a younger sister a secret and never let it slip.

Once he finds his sister, even if she has suffered unbearable humiliation, he can secretly take her home and preserve her reputation.

He always felt that, given his sister's unparalleled charm, anyone who had seen her would immediately recognize her if he simply described her briefly.

Only a slave trader as stupid as Qian Yuan could not understand this.

“When I first met Miss Jingyao, she had already shaved her head. Although she wasn’t wearing a monk’s robe, she always referred to herself as ‘this humble nun’,” Yang Can said truthfully.

Dugu Qingyan and Dugu Jingyao are twins, having grown up together since childhood. Upon hearing this, they understood why their younger sister was pretending to be a nun.

He grabbed Yang Can's collar, his knuckles turning white, his voice filled with urgency: "Is she in your residence now?"

Yang Can gently shook his head: "Master Jingyao... Miss, she has already left."

"left?"

A murderous glint flashed in Dugu Qingyan's eyes, and he asked sharply, "Where did she go?"

“A few days ago, she set off for Pingliang County.”

Pingliang Prefecture?

Dugu Qingyan was stunned for a moment, then slowly released his grip, the murderous intent in his eyes gradually fading away.

He initially thought Yang Can was lying to him, after all, how could his sister not be humiliated in the hands of such a person?

And he actually lied to me, does that mean that my sister did something terrible to protect her innocence and avoid being humiliated?
But Pingliang Prefecture... this person actually mentioned Pingliang Prefecture.

Dugu Qingyan had just come from her uncle's house in Pingliang County a few days ago.

If Yang Can was just lying, how could he have gotten the place name right?
Thinking about it this way, Yang Can's words did seem somewhat believable.

"I just came from Pingliang County, but she went that way... we just missed each other!"

Dugu Qingyan turned around in frustration, his brows furrowed: "The journey is long, and she's just a young woman. What if something goes wrong with her?"

Overwhelmed by anxiety, he suddenly became enraged and rushed to Qian Yuan, who was lying on the ground, punching and kicking him in frustration.

"You bastard! Why didn't you tell me where your sister was then? If you had told me a few days earlier, I could have stopped her!"

Qian Yuan was already unable to stand up from the beating, and could only curl up, cover his head with his hands, and plead with a mournful face: "Young master! You didn't even tell me the name of the person you're looking for, how am I supposed to know who you're looking for!"

"Why didn't I say that?" Upon hearing this, Dugu Qingyan became even more enraged, and kicked the man with even more force: "Didn't I say that girl is like the snow of Tianshan Mountain and the jade of Kunlun? How could you not know that!"

Qian Yuan coughed up blood from the beating and cried out in agony, "How did she become the Snow of Tianshan? How did she become the Jade of Kunlun?"

"Young master, don't you want to listen to what you're saying? How could I possibly know who you're talking about!"

"You don't know? I've explained it so clearly, and you still don't know? Then why did he know as soon as I said it?" Dugu Qingyan pointed at Yang Can, her tone full of anger.

Yang Can coughed lightly and stepped forward to smooth things over, saying, "Young master, please calm down. This Manager Qian... has always favored handsome men and doesn't pay much attention to the charm of women. He probably doesn't understand the subtlety of your description, so naturally he doesn't recognize Miss Jingyao."

Dugu Qingyan was taken aback and looked down at his foot, which was still on Qian Yuan's face, as if he had stepped on something dirty.

He quickly withdrew his foot, pointed at Qian Yuan, and said with a face full of disgust, "Beat him! Beat this scoundrel to death, he made me miss finding my little sister in time!"

The guards swarmed forward, punching and kicking him.

Qian Yuan clutched his head and wailed, "Young master, spare me! Stop hitting me! If it weren't for my homosexuality, how could your sister's chastity have been preserved! Isn't this a good thing for you, young master?"

"Huh?" Dugu Qingyan suddenly seemed to be deep in thought. After pondering for a moment, his dangerous gaze turned to Yang Can. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and said coldly, "You bought my little sister, but did you ever do anything to her...?"

"No!" Before he could utter the word "bully," Yang Can spoke decisively, his voice filled with righteous indignation.

Dugu Qingyan stared at him suspiciously: "Really? My little sister is so outstanding, you really haven't had any feelings for her? Could it be that you're a philanderer like Qian Yuan?"

"Outrageous!" Yang Can's face darkened, and he said solemnly, "Young master, I have studied the Spring and Autumn Annals!"

"Huh?" Dugu Qingyan was bewildered, not understanding what reading the Spring and Autumn Annals had to do with this matter.

Yang Can straightened his back and said righteously, "The Spring and Autumn Annals contains profound meanings, and what I read is propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame. As a gentleman who upholds propriety, how could I do something that violates propriety and law!"

Yang Can met Dugu Qingyan's scrutinizing gaze and said in a clear voice, "In fact, it was my concubine who, seeing that your sister claimed to be a nun and also noticed her extraordinary demeanor, persuaded me to redeem your sister."

Originally, I thought restoring her freedom would be a good deed. Young master, I personally sent men to escort your sister to Pingliang County.

Dugu Qingyan's brows remained furrowed, his fingertips lightly stroking the hilt of his sword, his tone full of doubt: "Why should I believe what you're saying?"

“Young master, I can be your witness!” Rena suddenly spoke up from the side.

Dugu Qingyan sneered, his disdain almost overflowing: "You and he are the same kind of people, so how much of your words can be believed?"

Rena wasn't annoyed by his words. She simply raised her hand to brush aside the curly hair that had fallen across her forehead, revealing her smooth forehead, and said calmly, "Young master, please look here."

Dugu Qingyan gazed intently and saw a lifelike crimson plum blossom on her right temple.

The edges of the petals were tinged with a faint gold powder, which made her already deep eyes even more lively and added a touch of radiance to her whole being.

Dugu Qingyan was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Why do you want me to look at this floral ornament?"

“I am a Persian Hu, and there is no custom of tattooing the forehead in my tribe.”

Rena gently touched the plum blossom with her fingertip: "Beneath this flower ornament, there was originally a slave mark that Qian Yuan tattooed on my forehead to mark me as a slave."

A few days ago in Tianshui City, I found a 'face embroiderer' to change it into a floral appliqué to cover up the mark.

"Oh?"

Dugu Qingyan took a step forward and squatted down to examine it carefully.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, one could indeed see subtle traces of alteration in the delicate details of the plum blossom pattern. The turns of the petal lines were slightly abrupt, and the color was also slightly darker than other areas, clearly indicating that the original pattern had been cleverly modified.

Seeing that his expression softened, Rena continued, "Jingyao and I traveled together and supported each other through difficulties when we were in Qian Yuan's hands. We can be considered friends in adversity."

We were both bought together by Master Yang; I can vouch for what he said.”

Rena paused for a moment, then said, "Miss Jingyao once told me that her original surname was Dugu, and that she had an older brother named Dugu Qingyan. I presume that is you, young master?"

Yang Can, who was listening from the side, was slightly moved: so Jingyao's full name is Dugu Jingyao.

The Dugu clan... Although those with the surname Dugu may not necessarily be the powerful Dugu clan, judging from the young man's demeanor and the well-trained guards behind him, his identity is probably not simple.

When Dugu Qingyan heard the name "Dugu Qingyan," his tense shoulders visibly relaxed, and the wariness in his tone lessened considerably.

"She's willing to tell you my name, so it seems you're not lying."

Dugu Qingyan breathed a long sigh of relief, a hint of lingering fear and relief flashing in his eyes: "That's great... She's been gone for so many days, and I've worried so much about her. As long as she's alright, that's all that matters..."

But as soon as he finished speaking, his body stiffened, and his fair cheeks turned red at a visible speed, spreading from his neck all the way to his ears.

He suddenly looked at Rena, his voice trembling slightly: "You have a slave mark on your forehead... then my sister..."

Rena lowered her eyes, nodded gently, and looked somber.

"Click!"

Dugu Qingyan clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white, and his eyes instantly blazed with fury.

Even though he knew that Qian Yuan usually made very small and easy-to-conceal tattoos on beautiful female slaves in order to sell them for a good price.

Even though he knew that the Dugu clan was originally a Xianbei noble family, and that the clan had a long-standing custom of tattooing.

But his little sister was as bright as the moon and as clear as a stone; how could he tolerate even the slightest flaw in her?
"You deserve to die!"

With a roar, he drew his sword with a clang, the blade gleaming coldly in the setting sun, and charged toward Qian Yuan, who was already lying on the ground, barely alive.

"Thud!" The sound of the sword blade piercing flesh was clear and jarring.

"You deserve to die!" Another sword strike, and blood splattered on his moon-white brocade robe, like a mournful flower blooming.

"Puff! Puff! Puff!"

He didn't know how many times he stabbed Qian Yuan until he was completely lifeless, his body limp on the ground, his eyes wide open, dying with unresolved grievances.

He finally stopped, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, his eyes bloodshot.

Yang Can watched from the side, her heart pounding. This young man was clearly a doting brother!
The fleeting murderous intent in his eyes when he looked at me and Rena just now was definitely not wrong.

Although he hadn't mistreated the boy's sister and had even sent people to escort her, what if the young man wanted to silence her to protect her reputation or the name of the Dugu clan...?

Warning bells rang in Yang Can's mind, but he remained outwardly calm, only letting out a soft sigh with a hint of melancholy in his voice.

“Young Master Dugu, you don’t need to be too upset. Although Miss Jingyao suffered this calamity, she was able to turn misfortune into good fortune and did not suffer any greater pain. This is already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. You should be grateful.”

He seemed oblivious to the lingering killing intent in Dugu Qingyan's eyes, and abruptly changed the subject, speaking half to himself and half as a reminder:
"So it turns out that Miss Jingyao is the daughter of the Dugu family. No wonder she has such outstanding character and noble temperament."

My concubine and she hit it off immediately, finding they were kindred spirits and became sworn sisters. She certainly had good taste and was very fortunate.”

Upon hearing this, both Dugu Qingyan and Rena were stunned.

Rena's eyes widened, her mind filled with doubt. Madam Qingmei and Miss Jingyao had become sworn sisters? How come I didn't know?
Dugu Qingyan was utterly astonished, and his voice suddenly rose several decibels: "What did you say? Sworn brotherhood?"

His face darkened, and anger surged within him once more: "Insolence! Who do you think you are?"
However, even if you were the legal wife of a mere estate owner, you wouldn't be qualified to become sworn sisters with my younger sister, let alone a mere concubine!
This is utterly outrageous!

"Shut up!" Yang Can suddenly shouted, his voice loud and clear, directly interrupting Dugu Qingyan.

Rena was so shocked that her mouth dropped open. She saw that Yang Can's face was flushed and his eyes were wide open, as if he was really angry.

"I see you as a refined and elegant gentleman, how can you be so narrow-minded and have such crude and unbearable views?"

Yang Can's voice was sharp and forceful, each word ringing out.

Dugu Qingyan was stunned by the scolding, and then her cheeks turned red instantly, not from embarrassment, but from anger!

The guards behind him were even more furious when they saw their young master being humiliated, and they all drew their swords from their waists.

They surrounded him step by step, staring at Yang Can with murderous intent, waiting for the young master's order to chop him into mincemeat.

Yang Can, however, seemed oblivious, continuing to stare directly at Dugu Qingyan, his tone growing increasingly stern:
"In terms of character, Miss Jingyao is of noble character, like a snow plum blossom in the cold winter, not competing with other flowers for beauty, but only keeping her heart pure."

How many women in the world can match that untainted spirit?
In terms of magnanimity, she never had any prejudice against different people and always treated everyone with sincerity, regardless of whether they were powerful or commoners.

This spirit of equality is something that few men, let alone women, can match.

As for her demeanor, although she was a young girl, she was not at all the timidity and narrow-mindedness of a young lady. She had a broad mind and often had far-sighted views.

Such an extraordinary woman, she hit it off with my childhood sweetheart at first sight and they became friends without any hesitation. How could she care about her family background?

"Young Master Dugu, do not tarnish your sister's purity with your vulgarity!"

Yang Can spoke these words with righteous indignation and conviction.

To Rena's surprise, Dugu Qingyan was not angry at all after hearing this; instead, he was overjoyed.

It was a kind of pleasure that someone had said something that resonated with him, like scratching an itch he felt.

This guy is a complete doting brother; he's happier when someone praises his sister than when they praise him.

At this moment, every word Yang Can said felt like it landed on his heart, making him feel incredibly comfortable.

That's right! My little sister is exactly like that! He's absolutely right!

Dugu Qingyan stepped forward, bowed deeply to Yang Can, and spoke solemnly, without a trace of his previous arrogance and hostility:
"You're right, I was naive."

My younger sister's insight and demeanor are far beyond my reach. I was mistaken and impolite just now, please forgive me, Master Yang.

Rena watched in disbelief, her mind filled with wonder: how could the master of the manor flatter so elegantly and refinedly?
And this young master Dugu didn't seem to realize anything was wrong at all; instead, he even apologized to him sincerely.

These two men... I bet they both have some kind of problem!
Little did she know that Dugu Qingyan had indeed intended to kill her.

Even if Yang Can and Rena are innocent, he would never leave any potential threat to his younger sister's reputation.

However, Yang Can's words made him feel completely comfortable and dispelled his concerns.

Since Yang Can understands and respects his younger sister so much, he certainly wouldn't easily reveal her secrets.

Moreover, if my younger sister really did become sworn sisters with his concubine, then they would be relatives. If I were to kill them, it would only make me seem petty.

Moreover, what would happen if my younger sister found out?

Dugu Qingyan straightened up, his tone softening considerably: "My younger sister was plotted against by petty people and suffered a lot of torment. The grievances and embarrassment she endured are truly indescribable to outsiders."

Since your wife is my sister's sworn sister, I urge Master Yang to take extra care in keeping this matter quiet and prevent others from finding out, lest it tarnish my sister's reputation.

Yang Can nodded quickly, his tone sincere: "Of course. As you saw, before we knew your identity, we never mentioned Miss Jingyao's true identity."

Dugu Qingyan nodded, his gaze fixed on the direction of Pingliang County, his tone filled with urgency:

"Now that my younger sister has gone to Pingliang County, I will not delay any longer and will set off to catch up with her. Farewell."

Yang Can secretly breathed a sigh of relief; this deadly calamity had finally been averted.

He quickly tried to persuade her to stay, saying, "Young Master Dugu, your sister has been gone for many days. Even if we chase after her now, it will probably be difficult to catch up in time."

Besides, it's getting late and the roads are difficult to travel. Why don't you come with me back to Feng'an Fort for the night, and we can set off again tomorrow? That way, I can show you some hospitality."

Dugu Qingyan shook his head, his tone resolute: "No need."

My younger sister left home in a fit of anger, which has already caused great concern among the elders in the family.

Now that I have news of her, I must find her as soon as possible, so that my family will no longer worry. Goodbye.

After saying that, he turned away and said no more.

Although he abandoned his murderous intent towards Yang Can out of consideration for his sister, the two were of vastly different social statuses, and he had no real interest in developing a close relationship with Yang Can.

The guards swiftly mounted their horses.

They didn't even glance at Qian Yuan's corpse on the ground, as if they had just crushed an ant.

As Dugu Qingyan spurred his horse and rode away, the group galloped away, their hooves kicking up clouds of dust, and soon disappeared into the rising twilight.

As Yang Can watched their departing figures, he thought to himself: I've finally managed to get away with this today.

But if Dugu Qingyan finds out in the future that his sister never swore brotherhood with Qingmei, I wonder if he will come back to settle accounts with me?

As the sun gradually set, its golden afterglow bathed the earth, casting long shadows of the oxcart.

Yang Can and Rena used the oxcart as their mode of transport, slowly making their way towards Feng'an Fort.

The car was very quiet. The two of them didn't say a word the whole way, except for the creaking of the wheels on the road, which was particularly clear in the twilight.

But the scene of the two of them crammed face to face in the narrow carriage on the way here was like a brand, deeply engraved in their minds.

Especially the disobedient second son of the Yang family, whom Rena was too ashamed to talk about, made her cheeks burn whenever she thought about it, and she didn't even dare to lift her head.

Yang Can, driving the oxcart, secretly glanced at Rena beside him.

She seemed lost in thought, her cheeks gradually flushing red, her eyes darting around, unable to meet his gaze.

In Yang Can's heart, ripples quietly spread like those on the surface of a lotus pond where a dragonfly skims the water.

(End of this chapter)