Chapter 13 Waterways

Cheng Weiyao looked at her tsundere sister-in-law, then glanced at the skewers on the ground, and rubbed her throbbing temples helplessly.

What Wen Liyu was thinking was clearly written on her face. The Imperial Concubine was weak and gentle in nature, and her daughter had not been scheming. Fortunately, she was a princess, but she was raised in a deep mansion, so this kind of temperament would have been severely wasted.

"I appreciate your kindness, thank you."

Considering that her sister-in-law didn't have any bad intentions and was just harsh in her words, Cheng Weiyao still followed her lead and thanked her.

After hearing what she wanted to hear, Wen Liyu raised her chin high, her face actually blushing a little: "I told you not to thank me. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I should do this..."

"How about you save the people and solve the food problem?"

Seeing Wen Liyu blushing, Cheng Weiyao felt amused and couldn't help but make a joke.

Wen Liyu was speechless for a moment, and after a long while she stammered, "Just like before, why don't you go and help find some wild vegetables and fruits..."

She was a child of the highest rank, a child of the highest rank. She'd never touched a household turkey, having lived in the palace with food to spare. How could she possibly solve the food problem? She couldn't even find the ingredients, let alone fry or cook them.

Seeing Wen Liyu's look, Cheng Weiyao couldn't help but burst out laughing. Wen Liyu felt humiliated and turned around to run away.

"Wait, what I meant was that the food I made last time was edible, so why isn't it edible this time?"

Cheng Weiyao gently pulled Wen Liyu's sleeve and explained in a kind manner.

"This mushroom is called the chicken mushroom. It's not only non-toxic, but also has the aroma of chicken. I brought it back because I knew it. If it were really poisonous, how could I dare to take the risk? After all, no one would joke with their own life..."

Cheng Weiyao's rhetoric, in fact, ultimately comes down to her attempt to overcome the stereotype of mushrooms in the eyes of ancient people.

Wen Liyu was somewhat persuaded, but still remained skeptical.

The road to exile is long. If the chicken mushroom is edible, it will undoubtedly help to arrive safely. Throughout history, there have been more than one or two prisoners who died on the road to exile.

"How about trying a rabbit or something?"

Wen Liyu spoke with a conflicted look on her face. Cheng Weiyao had many surprises on her body, from lard to cooking with wild vegetables and fruits, and even extraordinary martial arts skills... Maybe a miracle would happen this time?

My princess, even if there are wild rabbits in these deep mountains and old forests, we won't encounter them! Rabbits are timid, and this huge exile team will scare them away from a long distance...

Cheng Weiyao was crying out in her heart, but there was a slight glint of light in her eyes.

Since they thought of trying it with a living creature, it seems like this might be a possibility?!

Just as she was about to pour herself a bowl of soup and argue again, the officers arrived...

"Everyone, get up, get up and get going!"

The officials, who were well fed and drunk, raised their voices and shouted at everyone to get up from the ground and line up.

"The Qinghe King and his family are still eating, hurry up and pack it up! If you delay the trip, I won't be nice to you..."

The leader picked his teeth, glanced in Cheng Weiyao's direction, and criticized her by name.

"I'll take it now!"

Cheng Weiyao responded loudly, and quickly prepared to put away the tableware, but she silently spat in her heart.

The gold and silver jewelry were all given without fail, and the leader's target was also not less. Did the Qinghe Palace dig up his family's ancestral graves? They always stepped on his feet intentionally or unintentionally.

"Ma'am, I'm here to help."

Wen Chengyun took the initiative to move closer. He had seen all the interactions between Cheng Weiyao and Ayu before. Although the two women seemed to be at odds with each other, they actually got along quite well because of Cheng Weiyao's concessions.

He felt that he had married a virtuous wife by mistake...

"Please clean up the dishes. I'll take care of the food..."

Cheng Weiyao still couldn't bear to part with the mushroom feast she had made. After all, she had painstakingly found all the ingredients. As a chef, the most taboo thing was to waste delicious food...

It was important to hurry on the road, so the soup could not be brought with her. Cheng Wei Yao poured out the mushroom soup in full view of everyone, turned around and quietly put away all the stir-fried dishes and grilled skewers.

Wen Chengyun's eyes flickered slightly, obviously noticing Cheng Weiyao's little thoughts. He curled the corners of his lips slightly but said nothing.

Madam always has her own reasons for doing things, let her be...

As everyone continued to move forward, the road led by the officers gradually became diverted. Cheng Weiyao felt a little confused, but did not dare to be the first to speak.

If she remembered correctly, the entire exile process, from the beginning to now, had always been along the main roads, passing through prefectures and counties. In order to ensure that the prisoners would not escape or be replaced, they had to register at each prefecture and county.

There's something wrong with the path we're taking now...

Soon, a small river appeared in front of them, and the officers began to shout at everyone to prepare to cross the river.

"There's a waterway ahead. To ensure safety, men and women should be separated. Men, who are taller, should wade across first. The elderly, weak, women, and children should wait behind and go up when there's no danger."

The officer's words made sense, and everyone began to stand in line. However, Cheng Weiyao felt a sinking feeling in her heart, and her inner uneasiness increased.

At the urging of the officers, most of the male prisoners had followed the leader to the other side, while the remaining elderly, weak, women and children were taken care of by the remaining officers.

"Make sure it's safe. Bring them here. I'll lead these people to set up a fire and wait for you in front."

The leader gestured to several officers on the other side of the river, picked up a group of male prisoners and prepared to leave.

Wen Chengyun in the team looked back at Qianqian and exchanged a glance with Cheng Weiyao, full of entrustment.

Cheng Weiyao nodded slightly and moved forward a little, hiding Wen Liyu's figure behind her. If something is out of the ordinary, there must be something wrong...

"You women are such a nuisance. You're so short! If you really get into the river, you'll definitely get drowned..."

The officers frowned and shouted at the women to go into the water. They said they were disgusted but their eyes were lingering on the women like wolves.

After entering the water, her clothes were basically sticking to her body, revealing her exquisite curves. Cheng Weiyao came to her senses as she looked at the women in front of her who had already entered the water.

No wonder he suddenly went off the track, he was actually trying to get some benefits...

"ah……"

The woman who was almost drowning was picked up by the officer like a chicken, and she glared at the officer with a slightly red face.

"What are you yelling about? Move forward! You're delaying progress!"

The officer glared back at them fiercely. The woman stopped talking and continued walking forward, but her pace was obviously much faster.

Cheng Weiyao narrowed her eyes slightly, and suddenly she understood.