Worried about her grandfather, Shen Danru hurriedly packed her bags and set off on her journey with Qingtan, Xiao Wei, and two others.

She explained to her family that she wanted to stay at the estate for a few days to relax, without mentioning her grandfather.

The Emperor couldn't possibly be unaware that his grandfather hadn't returned for so long. So why did the Emperor choose to conceal this matter, even from the Duke of Xingguo's mansion? Shen Danru would never believe there wasn't something fishy going on.

To reach the border as quickly as possible, Shen Danru and the others rode on horseback, which would be faster.

Although she had never ridden a horse before, she forced herself to learn and rode at full speed, reaching the border in just eighteen days.

Of course, she fed the horses spiritual spring water from the system many times along the way, otherwise these horses would not have been able to withstand the fatigue of traveling day and night.

In addition, she replaced the water they drank with spring water to maintain their strength.

As they traveled north, the weather grew colder and colder, and they wore thicker clothes accordingly.

Occasionally, sandstorms would blow so strong that they couldn't open their eyes.

Upon arriving at Fengyang City, where their grandfather was stationed, they all put on the cotton-padded clothes that Shen Danru had brought.

Autumn has just arrived in Shengjing, while winter has already come here.

Four soldiers dressed in thick fur coats stood at the city gate, solemnly inspecting everyone entering or leaving the city.

When Shen Danru and the others arrived at the city gate, the soldiers looked them over for a while and hesitated for a moment before letting them pass.

Shen Danru understood that their attire was somewhat out of place here, which would naturally attract the attention of the soldiers.

Although they were not dressed in the distinctive clothing of Fengyang City, it was still clothing from the Great Shun Dynasty, so the soldiers guarding the city naturally dared not make things difficult for them.

After entering the city, towering houses and a dazzling array of shops lined both sides of the road, including many restaurants and snack stalls, with waiters greeting customers at the door.

Shen Danru said gently, "Everyone must be tired from the journey. Let's have a hot meal to warm ourselves up."

The group understood that Shen Danru had suggested eating first because she was thinking of them.

However, they were all people who prioritized the greater good and knew the purpose of coming to the border, so how could they eat first?

Xiao Wei said firmly, "Master, we are not hungry. Let's go see the old general first."

Shen Danru couldn't bear to make them suffer too much, so apart from resting for an hour or two by the roadside, they spent the rest of the time traveling.

When they were hungry, they would eat some dry food to fill their stomachs, and when they were thirsty, they would drink some water that she gave them.

Upon finally reaching the border, Shen Danru naturally wanted to give them some hot food.

Grandfather is important, but the health of these people is also very important.

“No rush, having a meal won’t take up too much time,” Shen Danru said.

Seeing that their master was so insistent, the men had no choice but to agree.

They arrived at a mutton soup restaurant, whose unique style represented the style of Fengyang City.

As soon as they stepped outside, the waiter greeted them warmly and led their horses over: "Gentlemen, please come in."

Shen Danru found a secluded corner for them to sit down, and ordered a bowl of hot mutton soup for each of them, along with fragrant fried dough sticks. They ate with great relish.

It had been a long time since they had eaten so well. Except for Shen Danru and Qing Tan, who had small appetites, Xiao Wei and the other two quickly finished a large bowl of food.

The steaming hot mutton soup warmed my stomach and filled my belly.

Shen Danru called out, "Boss, give me three more big bowls!"

The three looked at Shen Danru with gratitude.

The master is truly considerate of them, whether in Ningzhou, Shengjing, or even on the border.

Their master felt sorry for them, and they should be even more considerate of their master. They planned to eat their fill as soon as possible so they could serve their master.

Soon, they finished the second bowl of mutton soup, and each of them ate three fried dough sticks.

Shen Danru and Qingtan, however, hadn't finished their bowls yet.

Xiao Wei said in a low voice, "Master, please rest here for a while. We'll go and gather information first."

Seeing that they had finished eating, Shen Danru nodded and took out a money pouch, handing it to Xiao Wei, saying:

"Alright, you should go buy some clothes first, and make sure you change before you go."

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. In order not to attract attention, I had to change into the distinctive ethnic costumes of Fengyang City.

Xiao Wei took the money bag: "Yes, Master."

After the three left, Shen Danru and Qingtan continued to enjoy the mutton soup.

"Miss, you must say, this mutton soup is really delicious. It's the first time I've ever had such good mutton soup."

Shen Danru nodded.

It tasted good, but it was still a little bit lacking compared to her cooking skills.

Just then, a disdainful voice came from behind them, shattering their good mood of enjoying their meal.

"This country bumpkin has never even had mutton soup. I wonder which remote, impoverished place he's from. I don't know what the owner was thinking, letting someone like this in. What a disappointment."

Shen Danru and Qingtan did not realize at first that the other was criticizing them, and they continued to drink their soup with their heads down.

However, the girl on the other end shouted without any politeness:

"Hey, I'm talking to you! Are you deaf? Get out of here right now! This isn't a place for you. You've disturbed our young lady's meal. Can you afford to take responsibility? You poor wretches probably can't even afford to pay for your meal."

Shen Danru and Qingtan looked up and saw an angry girl standing with her hands on her hips, shouting at them.

His brows furrowed in deep sorrow.

They really did look like country bumpkins at that moment.

Before arriving, in order to avoid attracting attention, they changed into ordinary clothes made of common fabrics and came to the border weary from their journey.

He hadn't showered for eighteen days, and had been traveling at breakneck speed without even having time to change his clothes, so he looked quite disheveled.

Qingtan looked around. It wasn't mealtime yet, and there were very few customers in the restaurant.

She immediately realized that this person was insulting them, so she stood up and retorted without backing down: "Disturbing? You're the only one making a scene here. If anyone's disturbing anyone, it's you who's disturbing other people's meals. If anyone's going to get out, it's you who's getting out."

The woman opposite raised an eyebrow, seemingly a little angry.

"Butterfly, chase them away, what a spoilsport."

The maid named Cai Die, having received the order, immediately came over and said arrogantly:

"Did you hear that? Our young lady told you to leave. Are you going to leave on your own, or should I kick you out?"

Seeing this, Qingtan sneered, "What an obedient dog. Your young lady is telling you to eat shit, why don't you do it?"

This is outrageous! They just wanted to have a nice meal; what did they do to deserve this?

Cai Die was so angry that her eyes widened, and she pointed at Qing Tan for a long time without being able to say a word.

This person is really rude and disrespectful.

Seeing that her maid had been rebuffed, the woman dressed as a young lady immediately stepped forward and said:

"I don't know where you're from, but judging by your attire, you must be spies from an enemy country. Since you don't know what's good for you, I'll send men to arrest you."