59 Chapter 59
Hire a bodyguard
After settling matters at home, Cheng Mu set off for Yunzhou early the next morning with Gui'er and Saohu.
They had originally brought two horses with them, but in order to speed up their journey, they rented another horse. Each of the three of them had a horse, and they only rested once on the way before arriving in Yunzhou in the evening.
The original body had visited Yunzhou several times, and after entering the city, a sense of familiarity came over him.
They chose an inn to go in. The horses were taken away for feed, and they asked for two rooms and sat down to have a meal.
Although most of the wealthy families she used to interact with had moved to the capital, to be on the safe side, she still didn't want to be recognized. She always wore a veil and darkened her skin color several shades, making her look like an ordinary village woman.
After dinner, Sao Hu said, "Madam Cheng, please go back to your room and rest. I'll go out and find out where Manager Lu lives."
Cheng Mu nodded, and Sao Hu wiped her mouth and left.
Gui'er asked, "Madam Cheng, what should we do next? Should we go and attack them? But they're outnumbered, and a wolf can't defeat a pack of dogs. Even a good fighter can't stand a large crowd, so we need to come up with a safe plan..."
Cheng Xi nodded, "Let's go out for a while too."
Madam Cheng didn't say where she was going, and Gui'er felt a little anxious. After walking half a mile, Madam Cheng went into a rouge shop and bought some powder. Gui'er heard Madam Cheng ask the shopkeeper how to get to the Wuwei Escort Agency.
Ah! Go to the escort agency! Guier's eyes lit up.
Madam Cheng, this is a good idea. The escort agency can protect both goods and people. Wuwei... Gui'er remembered that when Mu Yun was escorting food and fodder to the front line, he had found the Wuwei Escort Agency.
By the way, some of the escorts are acquaintances.
The Wuwei Escort Agency was at the end of a street selling gold, silver, and jade. It was getting late, some shops on Gold Street were closed, and there were few people on the road. Just as I arrived near the Wuwei Escort Agency, I came towards them with two escorts arm in arm. When they saw them, they were stunned for a moment, one of them turned back, and the other came forward to meet them.
"Are you two going to transport an embassy?"
"yes."
Although Cheng Mu felt something was a little strange, she didn't think too much about it. The escort agency was at the end, and the people who came here must be looking for them.
Maybe few people come to do serious business so late.
The escort brought her into the escort agency, where hot water was already prepared. "What kind of tea would you like, sir?" The escort respectfully asked her to sit down at the guest table. "Please wait a moment, the boss will be here soon."
When guests come, isn't it the chief steward who comes out? Why is it the head of the family who comes to receive them personally?
Cheng Mu looked around the reception room of the Wuwei Escort Agency. A portrait of Guan Yu hung in the hall, and various weapons were placed along the wall. Outside the stained glass window, a row of straw handles for archery could be vaguely seen. That should be a shooting range.
Wuwei Escort Agency is well-known in Yunzhou. Besides its excellent business skills, it may also be related to the head of the family’s personal involvement in everything?
No matter what, being personally received by the boss as soon as entering the escort agency and being treated so seriously can significantly change the guest's mood.
After a while, footsteps were heard, and a robust woman in her forties strode in. The escort said, "This is the head of our escort agency, her surname is Wu and her name is Tao."
Cheng Mu stood up and saluted, "Chief Escort."
When Guier saw that the head of the escort agency was a woman, and that she was so heroic, with a steady body and sharp eyes, she was instantly in awe, thinking that this was how a female knight should be.
Wu Tao smiled, and the sharpness in his eyes disappeared. "I don't deserve it. The position of the head escort of our escort agency is still vacant. I am just the head of the family."
Cheng Mu hesitated for a moment, then changed her words and said, "Boss."
"Please sit down and talk." Wu Tao sat at the head of the table.
The person who followed Wu Tao in was a bodyguard who seemed to have something to discuss with him. "Boss, you have to at least give me a definite answer..." He stopped when he saw a guest coming to the hall.
Wu Tao replied, "We'll talk about your matter later."
The escort apologized and was about to leave, but suddenly his eyes lit up and he took a step forward. "Excuse me, but are you two from Zhaojia Village?"
Gui'er then turned her gaze from Wu Tao to the escort, "It's you."
The escort bowed to Cheng Mu and said to Wu Tao, "Master, this is Madam Cheng from Zhao Village who donated a thousand dan of grain."
Upon hearing this, Wu Tao stood up and bowed, saying, "Hearing about someone is not as good as meeting them, and meeting them is even better than hearing about them. Madam Cheng, the righteous man, accepts this gift."
Cheng Mu was bewildered and stood up to avoid him, saying, "I don't deserve to be called a hero."
The escort asked, "Madam Cheng, has the young man who joined the army returned?"
Wu Tao asked Cheng Mu to sit at the head of the table, but she declined, saying she had something to ask of him today. Wu Tao instructed his escort, "Madam Cheng, you must have come here on business. If you want to reminisce, find another time. Go, bring us the best tea."
Cheng Mu said, "Don't bother, just be casual."
Wu Tao said, "I've heard that Madam Cheng is a heroine. It's a great honor to meet you today. Madam Cheng, please don't refuse. May I know the name of this heroine?"
When Gui'er heard her asking and calling her a heroine, she couldn't suppress the corners of her lips and quickly replied, "Zhao Gui'er."
Wu Tao nodded to her and said, "Please take a seat as well." He then turned to Cheng Mu and praised her, "Madam Cheng is kind and righteous, and the people around her also have the spirit of chivalrous men."
"You are too kind, Boss."
By this point, Cheng Xi was sweating profusely. She had never expected to encounter such a situation at the escort agency. It wasn't that she was being overly suspicious, but she just felt that it was a little unusual.
There have been a lot of unusual things happening lately. Xu Xiuying impersonated her, Lu Quer arrested someone for treason, and before leaving, Yu Shi even held Gui Er and talked and cried for most of the night...
Wu Taodong asked about Cheng Mi's visit.
"To be honest, Master," Cheng Mu said, "two years ago, the Prince's General Manager Lu sent an official to me to buy 100 dan of wheat seed. When I bought it, I told him that this wheat seed could yield 300 to 400 dan per mu, that it had excellent characteristics and was drought- and disease-resistant, but that the seeds could not be saved. Next year, you need to come back to me to buy more. If you save the seeds without permission, even if you don't harvest even 100 and a half dan per mu, it will have nothing to do with me. At that time, I was afraid of disputes in the future, so I had the official sign the contract."
Cheng Mu took out the deed and handed it to Wu Tao.
After Wu Tao finished reading, Cheng Mu told him about Lu Quer coming to cause trouble.
"Manager Lu falsely accused me of being a traitor to the imperial court and wanted to capture me and send me to the government. I came to the Boss today to ask for your protection."
"How ridiculous!" Wu Tao pounded his fist on the table. "I've heard everything Madam Cheng did in Yunzhou. That Manager Lu is a piece of shit, how dare he touch you!" Wu Tao said indignantly, "Madam Cheng, don't worry. I will definitely arrange for some of the best fighters to accompany you and keep them away from you."
Cheng Mu negotiated with her about the manpower and price, and soon Wu Tao called out all the escorts in the escort agency and selected four for her. One of them was Chang Qing, who had just recognized them.
After paying the money, the man followed Cheng Mi and left.
After Cheng Mei left, Wu Tao called a small, capable servant and said, "Go and find out what happened in Zhaojia Village and why Madam Cheng came to Yunzhou. Also, about Manager Lu..."
After returning to the inn, Cheng Xi booked two more rooms for the four bodyguards.
Soon Saohu also replied.
"Madam Cheng, I've inquired, and Manager Lu hasn't returned to the city yet."
Gui'er paused as she poured him some tea. "Such a short distance, and you've walked for two days and still haven't returned to the city?"
Sao Hu smirked, "I heard he got beaten with a stick when he went to the capital this time. His back and buttocks are all rotten. I was wondering why he stayed in the sedan chair in Zhaojia Village that day instead of getting out to kick people with his Vajra Kick..."
Cheng Mu interrupted him, "Did you find out when he left the city?"
"The eighth day of the first lunar month. It took three days to get to Zhaojia Village, and another three days to come back."
Guier pushed the teacup towards him and said, "I'll be back tomorrow."
Cheng Mu ordered Sao Hu, "Go over and keep an eye on it early tomorrow morning."
Sao Hu got the arrangements for tomorrow and went after reporting the matter.
Gui'er asked Cheng Mu what they would do before Manager Lu came back tomorrow. Would they just stay in the inn?
Cheng Mu asked, "Do you have anything to do?"
Gui'er flipped the empty teacup over several times, and after hesitating for a long time, she finally said to Cheng Mu, "Before I came here, my mother told me that my grandfather was still an old student in Yunzhou City. He used to be a private school teacher. I don't know what his current situation is. I wonder if I can help."
Cheng Mu looked at her strangely, "You don't know anything about your grandfather's past?"
Gui'er was very innocent. "When I was little, people said my father met my mother while working outside. He made a set of tables and chairs for them for free and bought them back for a few taels of silver. They said my mother was a maid in a wealthy family and had no parents or relatives. Who knew it was all a lie!"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. "My grandfather was an old scholar from the south who couldn't pass the imperial examination, yet he was able to become a private tutor in a wealthy family's school in the north. My mother was bullied by someone from that wealthy family, and not only did he not defend her, he even sold her off, saying that our relationship was severed and she wasn't allowed to come back!"
Yu had never mentioned having relatives in Yunzhou. Cheng Mu said, "When you were pardoned and had nowhere to go, I asked Aunt Yu if she had any relatives or friends in Yunzhou. She said no. When you were in such a difficult time, she didn't even think of asking your grandfather for help. Now, for my sake, she even shared this secret pain." Cheng Mu held Gui'er's hand. "I appreciate your mother's kindness. Thank you. But I can't use it here."
"You already have a solution?" Gui'er said, "Then why should I worry? I don't care about the situation of those who treat my mother badly. But if I run into that rich family who bullies my mother, I will definitely not let him off!"
Cheng Mu smiled, "I'm afraid all the wealthy families in Yunzhou have moved to the capital to live in luxury. However, you should think carefully about your grandfather's situation. If you want to inquire about it, go there early tomorrow morning. I have escorts here to protect you, so you don't have to worry."
Gui'er hesitated for a long time, "Let me think about it."
Cheng Mu also decided to wait until tomorrow to discuss the matter. If Gui Er went to inquire, she would find time to exchange some silver.
Gui'er was a person who fell asleep as soon as she lay down, but because of this incident, she tossed and turned on the kang for a long time before she fell asleep.
Before coming to Yunzhou, Yu took Gui'er alone to discuss this matter. Cheng Mu saw Yu crying for a long time. She had never asked about Yu's background, but she felt that she was very different from the women of Zhaojia Village. That difference was that Yu didn't feel out of place living in the streets of the city. She was good at needlework, could stay in seclusion, and managed the household well. She probably grew up in the city.
The women in the village worked vigorously and didn't care about their daily lives. Yu Shi had a rather frail air. It turned out she came from a family of scholars.
Gui'er felt her grandfather was hateful. Cheng Mu hadn't heard the story of the man involved. Judging from this incident alone, Yu's father had acted decisively, severing ties to save her. There would be no consequences if Yu didn't go looking for him.
After getting up, Gui'er decided to go and find out. The matter was not clear at the moment, so Cheng Mu told her to find out quietly first.
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