{"id":3886,"date":"2026-06-07T02:34:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T02:34:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pursuit-of-jade-91\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T10:33:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T10:33:15","slug":"pursuit-of-jade-91-2","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/chapter\/pursuit-of-jade-91-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Pursuit of Jade 91"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 91

The morning sunlight filtered through the military tent and spilled across the camp.

Changning sleepily opened her eyes. Before she had fallen asleep the previous night, Fan Changyu still had not returned. Now, seeing her elder sister sleeping soundly beside her, she rubbed her eyes with her chubby little hands. After confirming that it really was her sister, a delighted grin spread across her face.

Being extremely considerate, she did not wake Fan Changyu. Instead, she took the red velvet cloak covering herself and carefully draped it over her sister. Then she crawled to the foot of the bed on all fours, put on her shoes, and climbed down.

She even dressed herself.

In the past, she had always needed Fan Changyu’s help putting on her winter clothes because her sleeves would keep folding inward. But after being kidnapped by bad people once, she had learned to put on her own clothes, shoes, and socks. The only thing she still could not do was comb her hair.

Changning scratched the little tuft of hair on top of her head and found the small wooden basin used for washing from a corner of the tent.

After getting dressed in the morning, she had to wash her face.

She was about to leave the tent when she suddenly sniffed the air. Turning toward the scent, she discovered a bundle wrapped in a banana leaf on the table.

Standing on a small stool, Changning reached the banana leaf. After fumbling with it for a while, she finally untied the palm-leaf binding. Inside was a grilled fish with all the fin bones carefully removed.

Her eyes instantly sparkled.

But her sister had taught her that cold meat should not be eaten directly, or it would make her stomach hurt.

After thinking for a moment, she wrapped the banana leaf back up with the palm leaf, carefully placed it into the wooden basin with both hands, and then carried the basin out of the tent at a trot.

She needed to fetch water to wash her face and also heat up the fish so she could bring it back and eat it together with her sister!

Changning did not know where to find hot water. However, Xie Qi had been very nice to her yesterday, constantly entertaining her and even taking her to see the falcon. So instinctively, she trotted off on her short little legs to find Xie Qi.

\u2014

The army was breaking camp today.

The cooks had already begun preparing porridge and steamed buns before dawn.

Some of the troops stationed at the foot of the mountain had already withdrawn. The soldiers on the mountain would be the last to depart, so everyone was packing at a leisurely pace.

When Changning arrived carrying her wooden basin, Xie Qi was helping the other guards dismantle tents.

Seeing the tiny figure squeezing through the crowd, he wiped his hands on his belt and led Changning to an open area before crouching down and asking,

“Did you come to see the sea eagle?”

Changning’s eyes immediately brightened.

She nodded, then quickly shook her head and pushed the wooden basin toward him.

Xie Qi saw something wrapped in a banana leaf inside. When he opened it and found fish, the sense of accomplishment from taking care of a child yesterday suddenly resurfaced. He patted Changning’s head and smiled warmly.

“You eat it. I’ve already eaten.”

Seeing that he misunderstood, Changning became anxious. She shoved the basin toward him even harder and said,

“Cold.”

Xie Qi touched the fish through the banana leaf to check its temperature.

Only then did he understand why she had come.

Taking the basin, he asked,

“You want me to help heat the fish up?”

Changning nodded vigorously.

Then she pointed at the basin and said,

“Ningniang wants to wash her face.”

Realizing the misunderstanding, Xie Qi felt rather complicated emotions.

He handed the fish to a nearby soldier and asked him to take it to the cooks to warm it up. Then he poured some hot water from a kettle that had just been filled and prepared it for Changning to wash her face.

He had experience caring for children because he had once looked after his younger sister. He originally intended to help Changning wash her face, but instead watched as she rolled up her sleeves herself, exposing two little chubby arms like lotus roots.

She plunged her hands into the basin, scooped up water, and splashed it onto her round cheeks. Only after thoroughly wetting her entire face did she pick up the washcloth Fan Changyu had cut from an old garment and use both hands to wipe her face.

She scrubbed very hard, rubbing her face until it turned slightly red.

The fine baby hairs on her forehead became damp and clustered along her hairline, making her look especially fluffy.

Several guards nearby had stopped working altogether to watch.

One of them said enviously,

“If I could have a daughter this cute in my lifetime, it’d all be worth it.”

Another guard began negotiating with Xie Qi.

“Brother Qi, you were on duty yesterday. Today you’re off. Let me take care of the little girl and the sea eagle. I’ll definitely do a good job.”

Xie Qi laughed and cursed playfully.

“Get lost! Get lost!”

After Changning finished washing her face, Xie Qi asked,

“Where’s your sister?”

“Still sleeping.”

Xie Qi had originally planned to bring breakfast to the sisters this morning.

However, just as dawn broke, the Marquis had returned from outside covered in morning dew and instructed him to wait a while before going over.

Xie Qi had not thought much of it.

He simply assumed the Marquis was being considerate toward Madam. After all, Xie Wu had said that Madam had fought fiercely on the battlefield. It was perfectly understandable if she wanted to sleep a little longer after exhausting herself.

He seated Changning on a small wooden stool, untied the half-loosened little bun she had slept in, and redid her hair.

Since he had once looked after his sister, he was actually quite skilled at it.

After finishing the hairstyle, he even picked two orange wildflowers and tucked them into her hair.

Changning was delighted.

She squatted beside the washbasin and admired herself from every angle for a long time before finally allowing Xie Qi to pour out the water.

When the cooks finished reheating the fish, they also sent over two bowls of porridge and two steamed buns.

Seeing that Changning could not carry everything by herself, Xie Qi picked them up and escorted her back.

By then, Fan Changyu had already awakened after hearing the horns signaling the breaking of camp.

Discovering that Changning was gone, she hastily tidied herself up and was just about to go search for her when she saw Changning happily bouncing back with Xie Qi.

The moment she saw Fan Changyu, Changning ran over.

Throwing her arms around Fan Changyu’s waist, she tilted her head up proudly and said,

“Big Sister, look at Ningniang’s hair!”

Fan Changyu noticed the two small flowers in her hair buns and pinched her nose.

“Where did you run off to so early in the morning? And who made such pretty hair buns for you? Mister Gongsun?”

Changning beamed.

“No. Uncle Qi did it. Ningniang washed her own face, and Uncle Qi helped heat up the fish Ningniang brought.”

Standing nearby, Xie Qi quickly greeted her.

“Miss Fan.”

Seeing him holding a washbasin in one hand and the banana-leaf-wrapped fish in the other, Fan Changyu said politely,

“Thank you for your trouble, Brother Qi.”

Xie Qi simply replied that it was nothing.

Fan Changyu invited him to stay for breakfast, but he repeatedly declined, saying he had already eaten.

So Fan Changyu sent Changning into the tent first.

Changning sat on a stool, sniffing the tempting aroma of grilled fish.

Despite clearly wanting to eat, she stubbornly waited for Fan Changyu and did not touch her chopsticks.

Swinging her legs, she asked,

“Big Sister, where did the fish come from?”

Fan Changyu casually washed her face with a basin of cold water and answered,

“I couldn’t sleep last night, so I went to the river and caught it.”

Changning suddenly blurted out,

“Did Brother-in-law grill it?”

Fan Changyu froze mid-motion while wiping her face.

Meanwhile, Xie Qi’s eyes widened instantly.

The Marquis had gone out last night and only returned this morning.

Miss Fan had gone out last night too?

Thinking back to the Marquis’s instructions earlier that morning, Xie Qi suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable.

He did not dare look at Fan Changyu at all and simply lowered his head, pretending to be a pillar.

Fan Changyu asked Changning,

“Why would you think your brother-in-law grilled it?”

Changning answered honestly,

“Before Big Sister found Ningniang, Brother-in-law grilled fish for Ningniang. It smelled exactly like this.”

Fan Changyu felt absolutely no guilt about deceiving a child.

“I grilled it.”

Thinking about everything Xie Zheng had said to her the previous night only made her feel even more uncomfortable.

She bit hard into the steamed bun in her hand.

…

After breakfast, the troops stationed on the mountain also began withdrawing downhill.

Fan Changyu packed the sisters’ belongings and helped Xie Qi and the others dismantle the tent.

When it was finally time to leave, she was assigned to a carriage.

Inside sat an elderly man with completely white hair and beard.

He wore only plain cloth garments.

Every wrinkle on his face ran deep, yet somehow those deep lines seemed filled with the wisdom and broad-mindedness granted by age.

A chessboard sat before him.

He appeared to be playing against himself.

When the carriage curtain was lifted, his aged eyes glanced over and he smiled.

“Girl, we meet again.”

Fan Changyu had already learned his identity from Xie Zheng the previous night, but she still habitually addressed him as,

“Master Tao.”

Seeing that both his beard and hair were entirely white, yet that he remained energetic and bore none of the frailty common to elderly people, Changning thought he resembled the sages depicted in paintings or statues in Confucian temples.

Pointing at him in amazement, she exclaimed,

“Immortal Grandpa!”

Her grape-like eyes widened into perfect circles.

Grand Tutor Tao was amused by the childish remark.

“The older sister is a little simple-minded, but the younger one certainly has a sweet tongue.”

He beckoned to Changning.

“Come here, little girl. Let Grandpa take a look at you.”

Changning looked up at Fan Changyu.

No matter how kind strangers seemed, she would always wait for her sister’s permission before approaching.

Fan Changyu rubbed her head and smiled.

“Go ahead.”

After being lifted into the carriage, Changning finally came before Grand Tutor Tao.

The old man carefully examined her features.

The kindly expression on his face gradually became more serious.

Then he studied Fan Changyu’s features as well before stroking his beard.

“This little girl is blessed. Your elder sister will protect you through the first half of your life, and because of that, great fortune will await you in the second half.”

Changning did not really understand.

She merely puffed out her chest and proudly declared,

“Ningniang likes Big Sister the most!”

Fan Changyu had always worried about Changning’s health.

There were times when she would suddenly struggle to breathe.

For years she had been taking medicine, yet her condition showed little improvement.

Hearing Grand Tutor Tao’s words made Fan Changyu somewhat happy.

“You know how to read faces too, Master Tao?”

Grand Tutor Tao replied,

“When one lives to my age, one ends up reading all sorts of miscellaneous books. I’ve learned a little of everything.”

Fan Changyu said,

“My sister has been frail since birth and suffers from wheezing attacks. I only hope she can stay healthy forever.”

After pondering for a moment, Grand Tutor Tao said,

“Her future destiny is simply too wealthy and exalted. Her body cannot bear it, so naturally she’s weak. With you suppressing it on her behalf, it isn’t a major issue.”

The mysterious explanation only left Fan Changyu even more confused.

She scratched her head, wanting to ask further but not knowing where to begin.

Seeing her confusion, Grand Tutor Tao rephrased it.

“Just keep her by your side until she comes of age.”

That, Fan Changyu understood.

She nodded.

“Of course.”

The carriage had already joined the army descending the mountain.

The road was uneven, causing the carriage to sway constantly.

Yet not a single chess piece on Grand Tutor Tao’s board shifted from its place.

He looked at Fan Changyu.

“Girl, play a game of chess with this old man.”

Fan Changyu replied awkwardly,

“I don’t know how.”

Mountain winds swept through the carriage window, making Grand Tutor Tao’s wide sleeves flutter.

Stroking his beard, he said,

“I’ll teach you personally. Watch one or two games and you’ll learn.”

Since the old man had put it that way, Fan Changyu could only agree.

As she gathered the chess pieces, she noticed they seemed to be held firmly to the board by some kind of magnetic force.

No wonder they had not rolled away despite the carriage’s constant shaking.

“In chess, black moves first. The entire game revolves around breath. Black and white pieces battle each other, competing to seize the opponent’s breath…”

Grand Tutor Tao’s voice was old yet resonant.

As his thin fingers placed pieces upon the board, he explained the rules.

Fan Changyu only understood bits and pieces.

She scratched her head and made moves through a combination of guessing and intuition.

After several games, Grand Tutor Tao’s face had turned green.

“You were practically taught by my own hand. How can your chess be this terrible?”

Fan Changyu lowered her head and obediently accepted the scolding.

After venting his frustration, Grand Tutor Tao sighed.

“Forget it, forget it. Even in ancient times there were hopeless chess players like Yuchi Jingde, yet they still became great commanders. Military strategy and chess cannot truly be treated as the same thing.”

Then he glanced sideways at Fan Changyu.

“Girl, I’ve heard that you killed the rebel general Shi Hu. That man was renowned for being unmatched among soldiers. Though you’re a woman, you possess extraordinary ability. It would be a pity to let such talent go to waste.”

He looked at her and asked,

“Do you want to make achievements and build a great career?”

Fan Changyu said,

“Master Tao, are you asking whether I’m willing to remain in the army?”

Grand Tutor Tao nodded.

“I’ll be frank. Someone came to me hoping I would take you as my adopted daughter. Taking in a daughter is no great matter to me.”

Then he let out a faint chuckle.

“But if you want to learn everything I know…”

He snorted.

“That won’t be easy.”

Looking directly at Fan Changyu, he asked,

“Girl, are you willing to become my disciple and learn how to become a warrior capable of facing ten thousand enemies on the battlefield?”<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-3886","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3886"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3887,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3886\/revisions\/3887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=3886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}