Trip to Beijing

During the Beginning of Autumn, the stuffy carriage was like a sauna, and the bumpy ride made it very uncomfortable.

The team returning to Beijing traveled on and off for eight or nine days, which had worn Wang Pan'er down considerably.

She lay on Mu Chuan's lap, asking lifelessly, "How much longer!"

The car window remained open. Mu Chuan glanced at the scenery outside and said, "We're almost at the outskirts of the capital. It should take at most two hours. We'll definitely arrive today."

Wang Pan'er wailed, "Only two hours left! I feel like I'm falling apart!"

If it weren't for the urgent need to report back, Mu Chuan would never have let Wang Pan'er suffer like this.

They were used to martial arts and riding horses, so they could simply set off under the scorching sun wearing straw hats. Wang Pan'er, however, was different. Let alone eight or nine days, even a day or two of riding would leave her with a sore bottom.

Horse-drawn carriages are comfortable, but their drawbacks are obvious: they are extremely stuffy. On long journeys, it's impossible to keep ice available everywhere to cool you down.

Mu Chuan cleverly massaged Wang Pan'er's shoulders and back, saying, "When we get to the manor, Mother will definitely prepare a feast. After we've freshened up, we'll have a big meal!"

"I want a cold drink!"

"When we see watermelons later, let's buy some and put them in the freezer."

Wang Pan'er finally raised her eyes: "You have a cold storage at home too?"

"Of course," Mu Chuan replied, then, sensing that Wang Pan'er's interest in this meant she had some plans for the summer ice, he asked, "What kind of fresh food are you preparing?"

Sure enough, Wang Pan'er immediately perked up: "Since there's ice, I want to make shaved ice!"

Mu Chuan smiled and agreed, "My home has a large icebox, so you definitely won't get too hot when we get back."

Sun Mingyuan also took good care of his cousin's wife who helped solve the case. Whenever there was a water source or wind, he would stop the car and let Wang Pan'er get off and rest for a while.

People frequently traveled around the outskirts of Beijing, and teahouses were set up by merchants in the woods outside different city gates.

Sun Mingyuan directed the soldiers to tie the reins of all the horses in front of the teahouse, found the best spot, and had Mu Chuan help Wang Pan'er get off the carriage to rest.

Lying down was fine, but as soon as Wang Pan'er got up, she felt dizzy.

She sighed. Luckily, she made it today. If she waited until tomorrow, she didn't know if she could survive without getting heatstroke.

Since Mu Chuan was there, there was no need to be stubborn. She leaned against Mu Chuan's shoulder and let him half-lift and half-carry her to a chair in the teahouse.

Mu Chuan poured Wang Pan'er a bowl of herbal tea and took out a small snack bag folded in oil paper: "These are the last few sour plums. Take a good rest, and then we'll make it to the capital in one go."

Wang Pan'er gulped down several mouthfuls of herbal tea, regaining some strength. Looking at Mu Chuan, who didn't seem to be feeling much, she said with a hint of jealousy, "How come you don't feel any pain at all!"

Mu Chuan held a fan and fanned Wang Pan'er, finding her stern expression amusing: "Practicing martial arts in the summer heat is much more arduous than riding in a carriage. Why are you arguing with me? If I also give up, this group is all men, who will take care of you? Next time it's hot, let's not go out. Let's find a place to escape the heat."

"Then fan faster."

Wang Pan'er didn't stand on ceremony and lay down on the table to enjoy the coolness.

A moment later, Xianying darted up to Muchuan: "Young Master, that coward from the Su family is making a scene demanding to see Miss Wang, what do you think?"

Already feeling irritable, the annoyance from the idle people only made her feel more exhausted and unwilling to continue. Wang Pan'er raised her head and said irritably, "I won't see you."

Xianying frowned: "But he said he had Miss Wang's birth chart."

Wang Pan'er dismissed them, saying, "They're all fake."

Mu Chuan's face darkened as he looked at Wang Pan'er: "He's already a prisoner, yet he still tries to ruin your reputation. If you don't want to go, then let me deal with him."

Perhaps Mu Chuan was concerned about her engagement to Su Lingzhao. Although it was all just for show, many merchants in Jinzhou Prefecture knew about the marriage. It was understandable that Mu Chuan was jealous, and Wang Pan'er certainly wouldn't object.

"Seeing as you're happy." She waved her hand, letting Mu Chuan do as he pleased. After all, the Su family was a bunch of worthless people, and making Mu Chuan happy was much more important.

The prison van was at the end of the procession.

The group of over a hundred people wasn't long, but it was enough for Mu Chuan to carry Wang Pan'er and do whatever he wanted.

They say clothes make the man, but Su Lingzhao, worn down from her journey, had long lost her radiance. Her hair was as messy as straw, her once fair face was now tanned dark, and her lips were chapped and cracked.

When Mu Chuan arrived, he was throwing a tantrum.

Although bound inside the prison van and posing no threat, its hoarse voice, hoarse from dehydration, emitted a sharp noise that made one's head spin.

Mu Chuan walked over calmly, stood in front of Su Lingzhao's prison cart, and said contemptuously, "Looking like this, you still want to see Pan'er?"

"You!" Su Lingzhao turned around, about to start cursing, but froze when he saw the person in front of him. He had a strange sense of familiarity with the person in front of him, but this familiarity was quite unpleasant.

With red lips and white teeth, though her appearance was aloof, her eyes held a captivating charm, bearing a striking resemblance to himself. Ironically, Su Lingzhao's greatest advantage lay precisely in these two or three points of similarity.

He was consumed by rage and lost his temper, shouting, "Where did you come from?"

Mu Chuan raised his voice, clearly intending to dampen Su Lingzhao's spirits.

The soldiers standing nearby, not wanting to miss out on the excitement, dragged a chair out of somewhere for Mu Chuan.

Even Sun Mingyuan leaned closer with a look of amusement, to see his cousin, who had been aloof for over twenty years, now acting like the empress.

"Where did I come from?" Mu Chuan pointed to himself and asked the people around him, "Tell me, where did I come from?"

The officers honestly replied, "Young Master is one of His Majesty's most trusted men. He came to Jinzhou to help His Majesty investigate the case of the smuggled iron."

Su Lingzhao's face froze, and even Su Shixiang, the wealthy man, turned around to stare at him. He scrutinized Mu Chuan for a long time, anger rising within him: "It's you! You're not dead!"

"Of course I'm not destined to die." Mu Chuan leaned on the armrest of the chair with one hand, tilting his body slightly to the side, looking nonchalant. "Not only that, you chased me twice, and it was Pan'er who saved me both times. Pan'er and I were able to get married without the matchmaking of Master Su."

After saying this, Master Su's eyes widened in fury. He suddenly rushed to the wooden bars of the prison cart and said, "I will not let you go. I will haunt you even as a ghost."

Having successfully angered Master Su, Mu Chuan was in a good mood. He then turned towards Su Lingzhao, raising his sleeve to cover the lower half of his face: "Your father recognized me, did you?"

Su Lingzhao's angry gaze froze, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. He wanted to curse, but found his entire face contorted and twitching. His mouth opened and closed several times, squeezing out a few broken syllables: "You are... the... Qin... woman..."

Mu Chuan lowered his sleeves, revealing a victor's smile: "Pan'er has never liked you. She approached you only to help me gather clues."

Su Lingzhao, exhausted, slumped into the prison cart. Su Shixiang, still defiant, barked, "Don't be so smug! You think capturing me means everything's fine? The Northern Di won't let you get away with this!"

"The Northern Barbarians?" Mu Chuan's expression darkened. "So it turns out that not only did the private ironworkers collude with high-ranking officials in the court, but they also had evidence of treason."

He called over Sun Mingyuan, who was watching the scene from not far away: "Uncle, did you hear that clearly? Everyone here is a witness."

Sun Mingyuan jogged over to the group, his eyes crinkling into slits with laughter: "Wow! All these things came to us so easily!"

Su Shixiang thoroughly investigated the background and family history of the imperial envoy.

Mu Chuan called him his cousin, and since he was also surnamed Mu, Su Shixiang seemed to realize something. His face showed fear, and like Su Lingzhao, he collapsed to his knees with a thud, falling into the prison cart.

Seeing the Su father and son both collapse, Mu Chuan smiled contemptuously: "You said you wouldn't let me go even as a ghost, then I'll let you be ghosts who know the truth."

He stood up, pulled the chair towards Su Shixiang, then sat down again, looking down at the two men in the prison cart: "At first, I only suspected you. I was being chased in Da'an Town, and immediately I had sentries tailing me. A mere chamber of commerce couldn't do that, could they?"

Mu Chuan then turned his gaze to Prefect Zhao: "Therefore, you have also come under our suspicion. The next day, you immediately strengthened the defenses of the mine, which can be described as a cover-up."

"As for the protective umbrella, we must thank Young Master Su for his generosity in giving away the Yun brocade. You ignorant people probably don't recognize the Yun brocade, let alone know that it is produced by the Weaving Bureau and is a gift from His Majesty. His Majesty's gifts are all recorded, and I will definitely check them carefully when I return to the capital and find out who is behind you."

The more he spoke, the brighter his smile became: "And then there's Pan'er. Pan'er only joined your Liuyun Chamber of Commerce because of my request. Young Master Su may have some looks, but regardless of family background, appearance, or even the gold and silver that I value the least, with my jewel in front of you, how can a piece of trash catch your eye? When you plotted to send Pan'er to prison, did you ever consider that those account books she looked at were copied out and used as evidence to convict her? Young Master Su, please stop talking about betrothal gifts and engagements—these are laughable things."

"After all, the birth dates she gave you were all fake." Mu Chuan paused, a hint of shyness suddenly appearing on her face. "And the fact that I married Pan'er was something she proposed to me on her own initiative."

Sun Mingyuan: "..."

Mu Chuan's rampage silenced the Su family father and son, as well as Prefect Zhao, who all hung their heads as if they had lost their parents.

He was victorious. He snorted and stood up from his chair, directing the soldiers beside him, "If they keep making noise, just whip them. Don't inform us again. Traitors who collude with the enemy deserve no punishment. Pan'er is feeling stifled; I need to go fan her."

Sun Mingyuan followed beside him, his teeth aching, and said, "How did you change like this?"

"What?"

“Well… um…” Sun Mingyuan was at a loss for words, his tongue lolling out, “It makes people quite uncomfortable.”

Mu Chuan glanced at him lightly: "That's you."

Sun Mingyuan recalled his former aloof and arrogant demeanor and couldn't help but shudder, his skin crawling with goosebumps: "Tsk, I wonder what those noble ladies who fawned over you think."

Mu Chuan didn't care about these irrelevant people at all: "Do whatever you want and think whatever you want, what does it have to do with me?"

Mu Chuan quickened his pace, fanning himself, and soon returned to Wang Pan'er's side.

The waiter at the teahouse heated up the flatbreads that the soldiers carried with them. When Mu Chuan returned, Wang Pan'er handed one to him.

Mu Chuan tore off a small piece, chewed it a couple of times, and then frowned.

Seeing his loss of appetite, Wang Pan'er said, "You can't take it anymore either, can you?"

Mu Chuan sighed, "Summer food spoils easily, so we can only bring these dry rations that are hard to swallow. Thinking about how we're about to head to the capital, it's really hard to eat them."

No one could argue with that. Wang Pan'er would rather starve and wait for a big meal than eat this naan bread that made her jaw ache and go numb.

She pointed at Mu Chuan and said, "When we get back, I'll get some ice from your freezer. I want an iced drink!"

Mu Chuan nodded hurriedly: "We're so close! Following you, I'm so lucky to have such delicious food!"