In the years of the imperial examinations, candidates from all over the country gathered in the capital. The inns in the capital were usually full, and some who were not in good condition would stay in temples on the outskirts of the city instead of staying in inns.

Xu Yao, accompanied by two maids, took a carriage to the largest fur shop in the capital.

Xu Yao returned from Liaodong with a lot of furs. Liaodong is close to the territory of the Jin people, who generally used furs to keep warm. Therefore, Liaodong Prefecture, which is close to the Jin people, is also a major producer of furs.

The leather goods Xu Yao brought back were either small or large items, and most of them were fox fur. She had asked around and found that knee pads made of wolf fur were the best.

The fur shop had all kinds of furs. After hearing Xu Yao's request, the shop assistant asked Xu Yao to wait in the shop while he went to the back warehouse to find some suitable wolf pelts for her. Xu Yao stood at the entrance of the fur shop with two maids and waited.

Hearing a commotion coming from the street, Xu Yao craned her neck to look outside and saw a carriage wobbling toward her in the distance, with someone shouting behind it, "The horse is spooked! The horse is spooked! Everyone be careful!"

Xu Yao had diligently practiced riding and archery with her brother-in-law in Liaodong, so she naturally knew how to control a horse. Seeing the pedestrians scrambling to avoid her on the street and the vendors selling their wares by the roadside, Xu Yao untied the sash of her cloak, took it off, and threw it to the maids behind her before rushing into the street. The two maids behind her cried out in alarm and tried to grab their mistress, but they couldn't, so they could only run after her.

Xu Yao mentally considered how to grab the reins when the carriage reached her side.

As the carriage drew nearer, Xu Yao turned around, glancing back at the approaching vehicle, preparing to jog and jump onto it to grab the reins.

As the carriage drew near, Xu Yao focused her attention and was about to jump onto it when she saw a figure leap onto the carriage beside her and grab the reins.

The horse was very agitated because its reins had been grabbed, and it raised its front hooves high. Only then did Xu Yao see that a little child on the other side of the road had not run to the side of the road and had fallen to the ground. Looking at the carriage and the horse, the child could not even cry and just lay on the ground, staring blankly at the horse's hoof that was about to fall on him.

Xu Yao ran over in a few steps, grabbed the child, and scrambled to the side. Luckily, the horse's hoof almost stepped on Xu Yao. Xu Yao was so frightened that her face turned pale. Holding the child, she stared blankly at the horse, which had gradually calmed down.

The afternoon sun cast a soft light. Xu Yao, holding her child, looked up and saw a young man standing on the carriage shaft, pulling hard on the reins to keep the horse in place. He wore a dark blue robe, had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and was now pursing his lips, looking at her with a worried expression.

Xu Yao's two maids were so frightened by their mistress's actions that they couldn't speak. Only after the horse was subdued did they run over crying, help the child who had started to cry quietly up from under Xu Yao's body, and then carefully help their mistress up.

Only then did Xu Yao realize the pain all over her body. She had been rolling and crawling on the ground, and even though she was wearing thick clothes, she couldn't control her strength in her haste. Both of her hands were scraped and burned.

This unexpected turn of events drew a crowd to the street. The child had come out shopping with his mother, who then ran over, hugged the child, and started crying. Upon seeing this, Xu Yao had two maids help her to the fur shop. Xu Yao knew that this was not the time for her to show her face.

The child's mother had naturally witnessed how Xu Yao had saved her child. She followed behind Xu Yao, thanking her profusely. Xu Yao gave a signal to a maid, who quickly stopped the mother and child, saying, "Madam, there's really no need for this. The child is frightened. You should take the child back and find someone to take a look."

After thanking her repeatedly, the lady wanted to know where Xu Yao's residence was, as she wanted to visit him another day. The maid insisted on not telling her, and kept urging her to take the child to see a doctor.

The shop assistant had already found several good-quality wolf pelts in the back warehouse. He was surprised to see Xu Yao come in looking disheveled. The maid who helped Xu Yao in said, "Please, sir, bring us a basin of hot water so I can help our young lady wash her hands."

The waiter quickly went to the back to fetch hot water. The shopkeeper had naturally seen what Xu Yao had done. Seeing the injury on Xu Yao's hand, he said, "You are so kind, young lady. I have some wound medicine here. If you don't mind, please use some."

Xu Yao had never suffered such an injury since she was a child. Right now, her hands felt burning and her whole body ached. She didn't want to do anything but go home, wash up properly, and rest in bed.

The maid quickly washed Xu Yao's hands with hot water and then applied the wound medicine provided by the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper also took it upon himself to give Xu Yao a 20% discount on the two wolf pelts she had bought. Once everything at the shop was settled, the Xu family's carriage came to pick her up at the fur shop. Xu Yao got into the carriage and prepared to go home.

Before the carriage had even moved, someone outside said, "Please wait, young lady."

Xu Yao sat against the carriage without moving, but a maid lifted the curtain, jumped down from the carriage, and asked, "What brings you here, young master?"

The young-sounding voice said, "Young lady, you have a chivalrous heart. I am Lin Zhining from Gaoqing County, Jinan Prefecture, and I admire you greatly."

The maid bowed to the visitor and said, "Young Master Lin, you are too kind. Our young lady has been out for a long time and is in a hurry to get home, so she will not stand on ceremony with you."

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!