Hearing this, Yi Xun immediately became alert. She looked around, and seeing no one else on the road, she then lowered her voice and said: “Replying to Your High, Miss Shen, the lord is still in Luoyang.”
Li Chanxiu was startled upon hearing this. A sense of disappointment rose in his heart, yet it wasn’t entirely unexpected. After all, when he had first heard the news, he had already found it suspicious.
On her way here, Yi Xun had also heard the news that the Crown Prince had raised troops in Liangzhou. Now she frowned and said: “We do indeed have people in Liangzhou, but a month ago, in order to send Your Highness out of the capital, Lord Zhao and the others frequently used their connections, which exposed everyone’s movements somewhat. Luoyang suddenly went under martial law, and our people were trapped in the capital, losing contact with Lord Cai in Liangzhou. For now, we also don’t know the situation over there.”
In just a few sentences, she summarized the situation in Luoyang after Li Chanxiu left the capital, omitting many dangers and crises.
In truth, after Li Chanxiu had been successfully arranged to leave the capital, the emperor noticed that the Crown Prince’s former subordinates were active in the capital and quickly ordered martial law, conducting a citywide search. During that period, the old subordinates hid everywhere, sometimes staying in cellars for seven or eight days at a time without daring to show themselves. Even so, several of them were still captured, nearly implicating everyone.
In addition, Li Xuan, who was imprisoned in the northern courtyard of the Crown Prince’s residence, was interrogated multiple times and subjected to even harsher treatment and surveillance. Even the coffin in which Li Chanxiu had faked his death and been transported out was opened for inspection. Fortunately, Lord Zhao, one of the old subordinates serving as an official in court, had prepared in advance and ordered that a female corpse with a rotting face be placed inside the coffin, which successfully covered things up.
Because of this, the old subordinates remaining in the capital were unable to pass on the time and route of Li Chanxiu’s exile, causing Yi Xun and the others, who were supposed to receive him, to be unable to find him.
It was only some time ago, when the emperor left the palace and Luoyang was subsequently surrounded by refugees, that a portion of the old subordinates trapped in the capital found an opportunity to escape, rejoined Yi Xun and the others, and headed toward the northwest to find Li Chanxiu. But who would have thought they would be scattered again by chaotic troops along the way?
Even without Yi Xun saying it, Li Chanxiu could imagine how difficult things had been for them during this time. He couldn’t help sighing: “You’ve all worked hard during this time.”
After a pause, he asked hesitantly and with concern: “My father… is he alright in Luoyang?”
“The lord is safe and well. Please do not worry,” Yi Xun said quickly. “We still have people in the capital. Lord Zhao said that with Luoyang under siege and insufficient military strength in the capital, the guard on the Crown Prince’s residence may loosen. They are recently looking for an opportunity to rescue the lord.”
Li Chanxiu listened quietly. Only after a long while did he softly respond with an “Mm.”
After that, he remained silent the rest of the way. Upon arriving at the clothing shop, he went to see the shop assistant and asked him to help conceal Yi Xun’s identity and arrange for her to stay in the town.
The assistant was a trusted subordinate sent by Xuanping, steady and reliable, and he quickly nodded in agreement.
Reassured, Li Chanxiu gave Yi Xun a few more instructions, telling her to stay here and recover from her injuries first.
It was nearing evening. When he left the clothing shop, the sky was spread with rosy clouds, dyeing the low earthen walls a gray-gold.
Thinking about his father as he walked back, his heart felt heavy. As he passed the entrance of an inn, he was suddenly stopped.
“Cousin, what brings you to town?” Gu Heng raised his hand to block his path and spoke with a smiling expression.
Li Chanxiu looked up at his smiling face and was momentarily speechless.
Yongfeng Town wasn’t far from the camp, wasn’t it perfectly normal for him to come buy something?
Naturally, Gu Heng’s words were merely ordinary pleasantries, but since he already disliked this person somewhat, he found fault in his words.
He quickly composed his expression and said: “I came to town to buy a chicken, to take back and nourish my husband. He’s been leading troops outside recently and has worked too hard.”
Naturally, he said this deliberately for the other party to hear, lest this man again slander Pei Er and try to persuade him to divorce.
After saying this, he walked past him, intending to continue on.
Gu Heng’s smile stiffened, but he quickly reacted and stopped him again: “Cousin, it’s rare for us to meet again. How about we go to a restaurant for a chat? My treat.”
After speaking, he looked at Li Chanxiu’s hands, half tucked into his sleeves due to the cold, and said with pity in his tone: “Cousin, you were once also a young lady of an official family, attended wherever you went. Now, being with… with your husband, you even have to buy chickens, slaughter them, wash his clothes, and cook for him. When you were at home, would Aunt ever have been willing to let you do such rough work? Does your husband not cherish you at all? Seeing this truly pains me…”
“Ahem!” From the second floor of the tavern across the street, Yang Yuanyi could no longer listen and directly threw a cup of wine in front of Gu Heng, interrupting: “Where did this scoundrel come from? Daring to flirt with a married woman in broad daylight!”
Li Chanxiu also frowned upon hearing this, only feeling that although Gu Heng looked refined and elegant, why did he speak so abnormally? Besides, Pei Er had never actually made him wash clothes or cook, most of the time, it was the other party who cooked.
He quietly stepped back, looked up and saw Yang Yuanyi, and his expression changed slightly.
At this moment, Yang Yuanyi flipped over and had already leapt down from the second floor. In two or three steps, he arrived in front of Gu Heng.
Gu Heng had been splashed with a cup of wine and publicly accused like this, immediately feeling his dignity ruined, his face turning unpleasant. But before he could react, Yang Yuanyi had already appeared in front of him, startling him into taking a step back. After steadying himself, he frowned and rebuked: “Who are you? Do you know that I am an official…”
“Not anyone in particular. Just helping when seeing injustice,” Yang Yuanyi said, pressing a hand on the blade at his waist. After carefully glancing at the official robes he wore, he sneered, “Didn’t notice just now, you’re actually an official.”
Gu Heng was visibly choked. Seeing the armor Yang Yuanyi wore and his unruly attitude despite clearly recognizing his official robes, he couldn’t help but think: could this man have some background or backing?
Thinking this, he became somewhat cautious, unwilling to entangle further. After saying “Farewell,” he turned and left.
Seeing that he actually left just like that, Yang Yuanyi was stunned for a moment, then said: “No fun.”
After speaking, he put on a smile again, turned around and said: “Little sister-in-law, eh, where is she?”
How had she already gone so far?
Yang Yuanyi’s expression stiffened. He couldn’t help touching his face and muttering to himself: “Could it be she’s really afraid of me? I’m not ugly, am I?”
Inside the inn, Gu Heng returned to his room. The gentle elegance on his face instantly disappeared, and his expression turned gloomy.
A confidant beside him advised: “Sir, since your cousin doesn’t know what’s good for her, why bother with her? Prefect Yan has already left Yongfeng, there’s no need for us to keep delaying here.”
Gu Heng glanced at him and after a while said: “What do you think of my cousin’s appearance?”
The confidant looked at him carefully and considered his words: “Naturally graceful and beautiful, a rare beauty.”
Gu Heng murmured: “Yes, I also didn’t expect that the sickly child from back then would grow up to have such looks.”
After a pause, as if suddenly coming back to himself, he added: “You know the Wang family in the prefectural city, right?”
The confidant nodded.
Gu Heng continued: “Although their surname is Wang, this Wang family is not the same as those two great aristocratic Wang clans. The Wang family of Yongzhou was originally just a minor clan, but they married their daughter into the Song family, which is related by marriage to Liang Wang, and from then on rose in one leap.”
“My cousin’s appearance is rare in the world, even the noble ladies of Luojing probably have none who can compare. Now Liang Wang Shizi is in the prefectural city of Yongzhou. Tell me, if we were to present my cousin to the shizi…”
Hearing this, the confidant couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air.
“Forget it, let me think about this matter again.” Gu Heng waved his hand and frowned in thought.
As a fallen branch of an already declining aristocratic family, his branch of the Gu clan had fallen to the point of being no different from commoners. Although he had used every method to become an advisor to Liang Wang Shizi, he was not valued. If this continued, when would he be able to restore his family’s standing?
Originally, going to see “Shen Xiu” had merely been because he happened to learn that this cousin had been exiled here. Since he had already come, not seeing her would seem heartless.
But he had not expected this cousin to grow into such beauty, making him instantly weigh the pros and cons. Originally, he thought this matter would be simple, after all, a young lady who had once lived in luxury, now exiled here, must have suffered greatly. Giving her a chance to leave, she would surely seize it tightly.
But unexpectedly, whether her mind was broken or something else, this cousin of his was actually wholeheartedly devoted to her poor husband.
Since he wanted to use her to exchange for benefits, he couldn’t force her. Otherwise, if she resented him, even if he truly sent her to Liang Wang Shizi, he wouldn’t be able to gain long-term benefits.
Thinking this, he felt that this matter required long-term planning. At the very least, he needed to build a good relationship with his cousin first. And that husband of hers was truly an eyesore.
***
On the other side, after Yang Yuanyi returned to the tavern and settled the bill, he carried the packed wine and dishes toward the military camp. On the way, he happened to encounter Pei Zhen riding home on horseback.
He quickly stopped him, handed over the food, and said: “Here, take it, brought it for you.”
Pei Zhen didn’t take it. Instead, he frowned: “You’re not investigating the case, but drinking here?”
Yang Yuanyi clicked his tongue and said: “Can’t I have just finished investigating and taken a break, grabbing a drink in my spare time? And don’t be ungrateful, I’m helping you. Hurry and take the food home. If you don’t cherish your wife, someone else will do it for you.”
Pei Zhen’s face instantly turned cold. His gaze shot toward him as he asked coolly: “What do you mean?”
“Uh, don’t misunderstand, not me.” Yang Yuanyi suddenly felt a chill on his neck and quickly shrank back, then repeated what Gu Heng had said earlier.
Afraid this would affect their relationship, he hurriedly added: “But your wife is truly devoted to you, she didn’t pay any attention to that fake cousin at all, and even said you’ve been working hard leading troops lately, so she was going to buy a chicken to nourish you.”
Pei Zhen’s previously cold expression instantly melted like snow under the sun. He glanced at him and said: “Did you really need to tell me that?”
How much his wife liked him, wouldn’t he know?
After saying this, the corners of his lips couldn’t help but lift.
Yang Yuanyi immediately felt uncomfortable, forcibly shoved the food into his hands, and said: “Alright, hurry and go home.” I really don’t want to see you.
Pei Zhen took the food, cupped his hands in thanks, and rode off. In his heart, he even felt a bit impatient.
…
Inside the small courtyard, Li Chanxiu had just returned carrying a chicken when he heard the sound of hooves outside.
At this time, someone riding over could only be Pei Er.
His heart tightened instantly. His gaze fell on the haystack, and he remembered that the blood on it hadn’t been cleaned up yet.
At this moment, it was too late to gather the hay and burn it in the kitchen. He made a quick decision, grabbing the bloodstained hay to the side of the stone slab, and at the same time pulling out a blade from beneath it.
Just as Pei Zhen pushed open the courtyard gate and entered, Li Chanxiu’s gaze turned cold. With a swift motion of his hand, the blade fell, clang, and he cleanly chopped off the chicken’s head.
Pei Zhen, carrying the food Yang Yuanyi had given him, had just been about to greet him when he was suddenly faced with such a killing strike. He froze, inexplicably feeling a chill on his neck.
Hearing the movement, Li Chanxiu turned and gave him a gentle smile, his voice soft: “Husband, you’re back?”
As he spoke, he placed the headless chicken onto the nearby dry hay, subtly letting the blood drip onto it.
Pei Zhen: “…”
He gave a light cough, walked over, and said: “Wife, leave rough work like killing chickens to me in the future.”
Li Chanxiu pressed his lips into a smile: “It’s not tiring.”
Pei Zhen felt that even if it wasn’t tiring, he still couldn’t bear for the other to do such things. Moreover, thinking of what Gu Heng had said earlier made him feel displeased.
After placing the food in the kitchen, he rolled up his sleeves and came over, taking the headless chicken from Li Chanxiu, saying: “Let me do it.”
Li Chanxiu had already covered up what needed to be concealed, so he didn’t argue and said: “Then I’ll go boil some water.”
As he spoke, he picked up the bloodstained hay, intending to take it away as well.
Pei Zhen responded with an “Mm,” but just as he picked up the hay, he suddenly said: “Wait.”
Li Chanxiu’s back stiffened instantly. After a moment, he turned around with a smile and asked: “What is it?”
Pei Zhen gave a light cough and asked: “Why did you suddenly buy a rooster?”
After asking, his gaze couldn’t help but linger on him. Expectation was hard to hide in his eyes, and a faint smile curved at his lips.
He naturally knew, Yang Yuanyi had already told him, that his wife felt sorry for him working hard leading troops lately, and had specially bought a chicken to nourish him.
But he still wanted to hear it once more with his own ears.
In the past, he hadn’t thought love words were pleasant to hear, he had even found them cloying. But perhaps because his wife’s voice was pleasant, after hearing it once before, he always felt it wasn’t enough. However, cultivating oneself and managing the household, harmony between husband and wife meant harmony in the home, so there was nothing bad about that.
Hearing this, Li Chanxiu immediately relaxed and smiled slightly at him: “You probably don’t know, Little Black is back. It may not have caught much food outside, so as soon as it returned, it wanted to eat meat. I went to town to buy it a chicken.”
Pei Zhen: “……”
His smile suddenly froze.
![After Exile, I Married the Amnesiac General [Rebirth]](https://i1.wp.com/lazygirltranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20240810023906_300_420.jpg?resize=151,215 "After Exile, I Married the Amnesiac General [Rebirth]")
