My Fantastic Chef Wife

366. The Escape

Translator: Kickassjo

Ye Xiaoxian had a bad feeling, so she quickly asked Xiao Baoshan, “What did Empress Dowager say to you? Did she ask you to do anything for her? Baoshan, no matter what it is, if you don’t want to do it, don’t force yourself!”

Xiao Baoshan smiled lightly. “No, she didn’t.”

Empress Dowager said from behind, “It’s getting late. The two of you should hurry and leave the Imperial Palace now, you don’t have to keep me company anymore.”

Ye Xiaoxian took a doubtful glance at Empress Dowager.

Empress Dowager also looked at her.

It was by that look that Ye Xiaoxian was able to confirm Empress Dowager’s intention in her eyes.

Her look were really full of love and reluctance of parting, as if she was looking at her own little daughter.

How could this be?

No, Empress Dowager couldn’t feel love for her. Empress Dowager wanted so badly to have her killed before.

She must be faking it.

Wasn’t that Empress Dowager was holding up her kill move and that Ye Xiaoxian and Xiao Baoshan would die as soon as they leave the Imperial Palace?

At that thought, Ye Xiaoxian quickly grabbed Xiao Baoshan, “Baoshan, let’s go!”

Xiao Baoshan’s eyes were solemn and he didn’t say anything.

As they were about to go out, Empress Dowager suddenly shouted from inside, “Little Ye!”

Ye Xiaoxian turned to look at Empress Dowager only to find the smile on Empress Dowager’s face and the tears in the corner of her eyes, “Go on, hurry.”

It left Ye Xiaoxian speechless.

On her way out of the Imperial Palace, Ye Xiaoxian was wondering what Empress Dowager and Xiao Baoshan had talked about.

However, the Imperial Palace was not a place for chitchat. Besides, Xiao Baoshan’s face was sullen now, and she didn’t dare to ask, so she could only follow Xiao Baoshan out and save the talk till they were out of the Imperial Palace.

However, after they left the Imperial Palace and seated in the carriage, Xiao Baoshan had no intention of talking to Ye Xiaoxian.

“Baoshan, what did Empress Dowager say to you?” Ye Xiaoxian asked.

Xiao Baoshan only replied, “Empress Dowager pointed out a good path for us.”

“What path?”

Xiao Baoshan looked towards her and said gently, “I’ll tell you when we are out of the Capital City tomorrow.”

Out of the Capital City?

……

After Ye Xiaoxian and the rest left Imperial Palace, Empress Dowager sat down at the original spot.

The tea was still warm, so she took a sip and saw the note Ye Xiaoxian left on the table.

The title in the note says Recipe of Pearl Milk Tea.

Even though some words were misspelled and simplified a lot, Empress Dowager could still make it out.

There was not a single word which looked good in the note and the note was obviously written by someone who had never practiced calligraphy before. Nevertheless, Empress Dowager’s eyes grew tearful after reading it.

If her daughter had been educated since she was young and was able to write a beautiful hand, how would she end up being a chef?

Empress Dowager felt extremely sorry.

After staring at it for a while, she asked for the servant and said, “Frame this note and put it on the wall.”

The servant was surprised but she did as she was told.

……

The next day.

Xiao Baoshan got up early and asked Ye Xiaoxian to go along.

Ye Xiaoxian asked with sleepy eyes, “Baoshan, why are we up so early?”

Xiao Baoshan said, “Let’s get out of the city!”

“Out of the city?” Ye Xiaoxian asked puzzled, “Aren’t we being monitored all the time? And we don’t have the official document to leave the Capital City either.”

Xiao Baoshan said, “I have it now.”

Ye Xiaoxian was still confused. How come she went to the Imperial Palace yesterday and suddenly attain an official document today?

Ye Xiaoxian stopped Xiao Baoshan and asked, “Baoshan, what did Empress Dowager tell you exactly? Did she ask you to do anything? Will you send me out like you did with Jin Xiaoyu and come back by yourself?”

Xiao Baoshan touched Ye Xiaoxian’s head, “No, I won’t. We have talked about this, wherever you go I will follow in this lifetime, so I won’t leave you behind no matter what.”

Ye Xiaoxian still didn’t believe it, so she said seriously, “Baoshan, let me put it this way, if you leave me in the middle of the way, I will kill myself in front of you so as to make you feel guilty for the rest of your life!”

Xiao Baoshan promised to her again, “I swear I won’t. You won’t die and neither will I. In fact, none of us will. In the future, you will live a much happier and much more comfortable life than you do now.”

It was not until Ye Xiaoxian heard such a firm and solemn promise from him did she start to dress up in doubt.

She asked Xiao Baoshan again, “Do we need to bring anything?”

Xiao Baoshan only picked a few gold ingot and said, “No need, you don’t have to bring anything, just some money should be fine.”

……

The Great Qi Dynasty’s Spring Festival continued to the Lantern Festival. In a couple of days, there would still be some activities on the Lantern Festival, so even if it was still morning at this hour, the city was already quite lively.

Xiao Baoshan and Ye Xiaoxian had breakfast in the city’s breakfast stall first, then went to the crowded flower street to see the flowers and the lanterns.

It was Spring Festival now, so there weren’t many people keeping an eyes on them. Even if there were, they were very slackened.

After all, they hadn’t done anything outrageous in this period of time. They merely wandered around the city, drank tea and enjoyed shows.

The tea house was filled with people today. Xiao Baoshan and Ye Xiaoxian disappeared into the crowd not long after they went inside.

The people who followed them were not anxious either. They thought that as long as they waited at the door, the couple would eventually reappear.

However, Xiao Baoshan led Ye Xiaoxian to another door and get out from there quickly.

Once out of the tea house, they went straight to the city gate.

The guard at the city gate had previously received an order forbidding Xiao Baoshan leave the city.

However, Xiao Baoshan took out the official document with State Preceptor’s seal on it today, stating that he was to carry out a mission to the north of the city.

The guard at the city gate studied the seal for a long time before he confirmed that it was State Preceptor’s seal indeed and dissipated his remaining doubt and then let the couple out of the city directly.

When they were at the outside of the city, Xiao Baoshan bought a horse and helped Ye Xiaoxian on the horse before he mounted the horse as well. Then the two of them rode fast towards the west.

Ye Xiaoxian was still confused till now. How did Xiao Baoshan have State Preceptor’s seal?

Did Empress Dowager give it to him?

Why did Empress Dowager give Xiao Baoshan an official document with State Preceptor’s seal on it? What were they plotting yesterday?

Since Xiao Baoshan had State Preceptor’s seal, it meant that he had agreed on Empress Dowager’s terms. What were the terms then?

However, Xiao Baoshan was riding so fast in such a windy condition, it was inconvenient to talk on the road. So she gave up the idea of pressing the questions and decided to follow Xiao Baoshan’s lead.

They rode for a day until they finally reached Beihui City.

Like the last time, Xiao Baoshan bought food and a camel in Beihui City, and then he got on the camel with Ye Xiaoxian and headed for the desert.

……

In the Capital City, the people who followed Xiao Baoshan was still waiting at the door of the tea house.

Although the two of them never came out, the guards were not anxious.

Without State Preceptor’s command, Xiao Baoshan couldn’t leave the city. Even if he went missing inside the city, he still had to go back to his house at night.

Therefore, the guard went on into the night.

When all the people in the tea house left, those stalkers thought perhaps Xiao Baoshan had gone home already.

They asked about in Xiao Baoshan’s house trying to see if Xiao Baoshan had been back.

However, the housekeeper said that the Xiao Baoshan couple had left the house early and hadn’t been back yet.

Only then did the stalkers grew alert and hurried back to report to State Preceptor.

State Preceptor told them to inquire about their whereabouts at the city gate.