Chapter 173 The Essence of Tea
Fearing that her credit would be stolen, You Bingyue immediately said she wanted to return to Beijing right away.
Du Ziheng and the others felt they should rest for another night before leaving.
After all, they had traveled all day and had been frightened in the village. If this village weren't a place where people couldn't sleep, they probably would have collapsed and rested nearby long ago.
Moreover, both Ouyang Shuo and Li Changhuai were injured and needed to rest.
Besides, their horses were tired.
Du Ziheng explained the reasoning in detail, but You Bingyue only said that Ouyang Shuo and Li Changhuai should go to town to rest, while the three of them would take Cao Yaozu back to the capital first.
"To prevent any unforeseen complications, it is essential for Bingyue to return first."
Ouyang Shuo suddenly made a statement.
He also felt that Yu Zhiyi was rushing back so hastily because she wanted to steal the credit, and he naturally couldn't allow that to happen.
This unorthodox approach shouldn't be so arrogant.
Since the injured party had said so, Du Ziheng couldn't say anything more.
So the three of them hurried along, taking Cao Yaozu with them, and set off for Shengjing.
You Bingyue was very confident in her riding and archery skills. One of her mission targets in her previous life had a peculiar hobby: he was very fond of women who were good at riding horses. So she practiced horsemanship diligently. She could say that her horsemanship was definitely better than 90% of the people in this era.
As for Yu Zhiyi, although she possessed some unorthodox skills, she didn't have much time to practice riding and archery.
She believed that it wouldn't be long before she caught up with that woman.
Then……
As dawn broke, You Bingyue looked at the tall horse that had crashed to the ground and cursed her bad luck under her breath.
Liu Feiyang's horse was also about to give up, as it was the only one of the three that had carried an extra person, and it was now on its last legs.
Only Du Ziheng's horse was in good spirits.
While catching his breath, Liu Feiyang circled Du Ziheng's horse, marveling, "We all set off together, how come Brother Youlin's horse is still so energetic?"
Du Ziheng said he didn't know either.
Actually, not only the horse, but even he himself wasn't very tired at the moment.
In contrast, You Bingyue and her two companions had been traveling non-stop all night, and their faces were pale and they looked quite tired.
Liu Feiyang clicked his tongue in amazement: "No wonder he lives with the Great Immortal, he's just different from us ordinary mortals."
Du Ziheng smiled slightly, his expression revealing a hint of shyness.
However, he soon thought of You Bingyue again, his expression changed, and he quickly glanced at her.
You Bingyue simply kept a cold face and said nothing.
I don't know what she's thinking.
Suddenly, she said, "Young Master Du, could you lend me your horse?"
Liu Feiyang: "?"
Du Ziheng was also taken aback: "But..."
You Bingyue's expression changed, and she looked somewhat dejected: "Never mind, we're just ordinary friends now, it's really not appropriate. I didn't mean anything by it, I'm just in a hurry to go back and hand in my mission."
As if she had said something wrong, she quickly bit her lower lip and looked at Du Ziheng awkwardly: "Young Master Du, you go first. There's a town not far ahead, and it'll be there in about 15 minutes. Don't worry about me, I'm strong and fast, I'll get there quickly, and it'll be fine to buy a horse later."
After hesitating for a long time, Du Ziheng finally gritted his teeth and said, "It's too dangerous for a woman like you to walk in this desolate wilderness. You should ride my horse. As for me, I'll go with the young master, and we'll meet up in town."
Yu Bingyue was secretly pleased, but on her face she showed an embarrassed expression: "Isn't that inappropriate..."
Despite saying that, she showed no embarrassment as she took the reins: "Alright, everyone is tired, so I won't refuse. I'll go ahead first, and you guys should come over quickly."
Then he lifted Cao Yaozu onto the horse's back, flicked the whip, and rode away.
Watching the horses disappear into the distance, Liu Feiyang raised an eyebrow with a peculiar expression: "Miss You... she's quite an eccentric person."
When he first met You Bingyue a few days ago, he felt that this woman was different from ordinary women. She was generous and unconcerned about trivial matters. In addition, she was surrounded by the filter of having lost her beloved, which made people inevitably feel sorry for her and dislike Yu Zhiyi.
However, after these two days of contact, Liu Feiyang felt that the unconventional person might not want to be associated with You Bingyue.
Her behavior was often no different from that of a robber.
Moreover, many of the things he said were spoken in a tea-like, sarcastic manner.
As the heir apparent of the Yunnan Kingdom, what kind of woman hadn't he seen?
I have personally experienced the shady dealings within the inner quarters countless times.
So when he heard You Bingyue's teasing words last night, his idealized image of her was shattered.
Seeing that Du Ziheng had really gone out to see the horse off, he gave Du Ziheng a half-smile and said, "Young Master Du is truly a man who cherishes women. I admire him." He then changed the subject, "However, my horse has been exhausted all night and is about to give up. I will not invite Young Master Du, lest the horse also succumb to the strain on the road."
Having said that, he flicked his whip and rode away.
Du Ziheng: "..."
Yu Zhiyi had no idea what happened after she left.
She urged her horse onward, letting it graze twice along the way, and finally returned to Shengjing before the city gates were locked the next day.
Li Rou was surprised to see her return so quickly: "Miss, why are you back so soon? Have you eaten? You look travel-worn. I'll go and have someone boil some water right away."
"I haven't eaten yet, you've worked hard."
Yu Zhiyi was indeed a little tired.
She had never been so busy in her life.
Although I used to often stay up late to cultivate, cultivation is for improving one's cultivation level. Not only do I not feel tired, but I also feel refreshed and energetic.
After eating and quickly washing up, Yu Zhiyi lay down on the bed and fell asleep immediately, completely unconcerned about the life or death of her so-called husband who was hundreds of miles away.
Because she had made a certain decision long before she returned.
Yu Zhiyi, who had gone to bed early, was unaware that You Bingyue had also arrived outside Shengjing City that day.
Unfortunately, the city gates were locked, and she couldn't get in.
She originally intended to knock on the city gate, but before she could get close, a head popped out from the city wall, warning her that no unauthorized personnel were allowed to approach while the city gate was closed, or they would be treated as spies.
Two longbows also emerged at the same time.
You Bingyue was almost furious, but there was nothing she could do.
If she had known, she wouldn't have traveled overnight.
Along the way, she had to endure the exhaustion of two fast horses before finally reaching her destination, only to find herself staring at the city gate, unable to get in!
Left with no other choice, she could only wait outside the city gates until they opened the next morning before entering.
That night, You Bingyue leaned against a large tree a few dozen meters away from the city gate and closed her eyes to rest.
The weather is getting colder and colder, and she can't possibly sleep in the open, because she might catch a cold when she opens her eyes tomorrow.
With her willpower, it's impossible for her to fall asleep.
But for some reason, she still fell asleep.
When she woke up the next day, there were dark circles under both of her eyes.
Because she had a nightmare.
In her dream, a five-year-old child kept screaming in her ear: You are not my mother!
The ugly man was choking her, blaming her for killing his wife.
An elderly couple watched indifferently, their eyes filled with chilling hatred.
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