Most importantly, the guard who had always been by the princess's side was actually sitting on the carriage shaft.
Those were the personal guards that the Marquis had assigned to the princess, and they would not leave her side easily.
How can I go on a long trip with Jiaren now?
Sure enough, the men they sent out returned at sunset...
The Li family's caravan traveled for a whole day without stopping to rest at noon, and finally arrived at a small town when it got dark.
They were more than 80 li away from Xindu, and everyone was quite tired. The horses were also panting heavily. Fortunately, they could rest for the night.
The largest inn in town was reasonably well-equipped, but there weren't many guests.
The group rented a courtyard, which was quiet and safe to live in.
Lao Hei and the others arranged for the horses to drink water and be fed, and agreed to take turns keeping watch at night.
Zheng Yi led his men to boil water and ponder what to cook for dinner.
Jiaren was sitting in his room, opening a box to take out a set of writing implements, when there was a knock on the door.
He went over and opened the door, where Mu Xu was standing.
Jiaren frowned slightly and gestured for him to come in, but Mu Xu shook his head and said, "Young Master, I won't go in. I need to ask for leave to go to town to see an old friend. I'll be right back."
In town? An old friend?
Jiaren's eyes lit up, and he casually asked, "Su Zhihe, Mr. Su?"
Now it was Mu Xu's turn to be surprised, "How does Young Master know this person? He..."
Jiaren tugged at him and said, "Since I was just about to go find him, let's go inside and talk."
The two sat down again, and Jiaren poured Mu Xu a cup of tea, asking, "Why did you go to see Mr. Su? To have him testify for you?"
Mu Xu nodded, looking somewhat annoyed and regretful. "I didn't expect... that person to be so stubborn. I've already warned him, but he still caused so much trouble for our family."
When Jiaren heard him address Mr. Tang as "that person" and treat the Li family as his own, his expression softened considerably. He smiled and said, "I only learned of Mr. Su's existence by chance and was thinking of inviting him to Xindu to give Mr. Tang some advice. Now that you, the person involved, have stepped forward, it is certainly the best thing."
"After all, I'm caught in the middle, and my position on this matter is difficult; otherwise, my family wouldn't have made me leave so early."
A cold glint flashed in Mu Xu's eyes. "Young Master is acting this way because he is mindful of that person's kindness in teaching him, but I don't need to do that."
"I only recognized that person after I had seen his portrait a few times since I was old enough to remember things. That person has not made any contribution to the Mu family. I respect him as an elder, but that's just a formality. He really thinks he's an elder."
"How dare they try to interfere in my life and control my actions! It's utterly ridiculous!"
Jiaren was reluctant to criticize his teacher, but he was extremely satisfied with Mu Xu's actions.
“It’s not that your family dislikes you, but we’re worried that you’re too young and your temperament is too fickle to protect the princess. If you really are willing to give up the marriage with Mr. Tang for this, then you do have some courage and resilience, which will put our family at ease. Go to the Su family tonight, and once things are settled, go back to Xindu as soon as possible.”
Mu Xu was getting anxious and quickly stood up, but still said, "I promised the Second Master that I would escort you safely to the Southwest. After I have discussed it with Mr. Su, I will still set off with the caravan..."
Jiaren patted his shoulder and said helplessly, "You'd better listen to me and not keep the princess waiting."
The princess may seem materialistic, but she isn't. What she values most is loyalty and affection, and she's incredibly resolute in her loyalty. If she trusts someone, she treats them with her whole heart. But if that person disappoints her even once, even if it turns out to be a misunderstanding, her heart will never be the same again.
Before the words had even finished, Mu Xu had already turned and darted out, without wasting a moment!
Zheng Yi was walking to the door when he almost bumped into someone. He called out a few times but Mu Xu didn't answer, so he asked Xiang Jiaren, "Young Master, it's so late, where is Brother Mu in such a hurry to go?"
Jiaren waved his hand and instructed, "He's gone back to Xindu and won't be going to the southwest with us. Prepare two dishes and a pot of wine for me; I want to have a few drinks."
Zheng Yi was even more puzzled, "Didn't the young master say to be careful on the road and not to drink? Why is there an exception?"
Jiaren glared at him, then turned and went back into the house.
Who can understand his feelings? His precious little girl, whom he's cherished since childhood, is about to be snatched away by a "wolf"...
The town of Luoan has always been vibrant because of the presence of the academy.
Especially at this time of year, when the weather is fine, the grass is growing and the birds are singing, the students are willing to run out of the academy and wander around whenever they have free time, and everyone has a smile on their face.
But there was also a corner of the academy that seemed to be shrouded in dark clouds, where the servants dared not even breathe loudly, for fear of angering their master.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the courtyard gate. The pageboy darted over like a rabbit in fright, opened the door, and made a shushing gesture with his fingers.
He was afraid that the visitors would make noise, anger the host, and cause them to be scolded.
Unexpectedly, the person who came was Dean Zhou, so the pageboy quickly and awkwardly stepped aside.
Dean Zhou frowned and asked, "Is Mr. Tang here? Is he feeling unwell? Have you neglected him?"
The servants' indentures are held by the academy; ultimately, the dean is their ultimate master.
The pageboy was terrified and quickly knelt down to report, "Master, I dare not. The master received a letter yesterday and was very angry. We prepared a meal, but he refused to eat it. Originally, I wanted to go and ask you to come and persuade him, but Mr. Tang wouldn't allow it..."
Dean Zhou immediately grasped the key point: "Why is it you who are regulating the food? Has the cafeteria stopped delivering three meals a day?"
The pageboy lowered his head, not daring to speak, nor knowing how to speak.
In the past, not to mention the husband's three meals a day, even their meals were delivered by the canteen.
Not only are there vegetables and meat, but fruits are also common.
The other men in the courtyard would enviously turn red whenever they heard them mention it.
But for some reason, starting the night before last, the cafeteria stopped delivering meals. When students went to pick them up, they had to pay with meal tickets, just like the other students.
When they returned and told their husbands, they were furious. Instead of standing up for them, the husbands were enraged.
They were caught in the middle, and they couldn't have been happier.
Seeing that he couldn't get any information from him, Dean Zhou went inside and announced loudly, "Mr. Tang, I've come to play chess with you!"
Mr. Tang was lying on the bed groaning, with a white cotton cloth draped over his head. Hearing the noise, he sat up and called to Dean Zhou from the window.
Dean Zhou was startled and quickly went into the room, asking, "What's wrong, sir? You didn't even mention you were sick. Have you had a doctor examine you?"
Mr. Tang's hair was somewhat disheveled, and his lips were dry and chapped, a stark contrast to his usual neat and tidy appearance.
He waved his hand and replied in a hoarse voice, "No need to see a doctor, this is a heart problem!"
"Heartache?" Dean Zhou was even more puzzled. He poured him some tea and asked, "The birthday banquet the other day was so lively, and you even reunited with your surviving grand-nephew. Everything was a good thing, so why did you develop a heartache?"
Mr. Tang downed his tea in one gulp, intending to explain everything at once, but he hesitated and said, "My grand-nephew wants to be a slave in the Li family and doesn't want to come back to me!"
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