Qingyan and Qingxuan quickly dismounted and hurried into the cave.
Qingyan handed the thing in his hand to Xiao Yunchen and respectfully reported the information he had obtained.
"Sir, the situation is not good. Wang Jiang has arranged for people to guard all nearby cities? He also took Lord Zheng's portrait?"
Xiao Yunchen's gentle features gradually turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "I didn't expect these people to be so brazen."
He walked towards Zheng Hongye, who was pretending to sleep with his eyes closed, and said gently, "I really feel sorry for Master Zheng. You are so loyal to your master, but you don't have the slightest trust. Now in our eyes, you are just a discarded pawn who needs to be eliminated as soon as possible."
Zheng Hongye turned his head away.
Seeing that he remained silent, Xiao Yunchen comforted him gently, "Don't worry, Lord Zheng. As the Imperial Inspector, I will definitely bring you back to the capital safely."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Hongye opened his eyes and sneered.
"Your Excellency, the Imperial Censor, please do not waste your time. Now that things have come to this, I, Zheng Hongye, will die on the road! I will never betray my master!"
Xiao Yunchen chuckled lightly: "Don't worry, Master Zheng. I will never let you die on the way. As for entering the capital, it all depends on your luck."
He patted Zheng Hongye on the shoulder and said earnestly, "After all, your master's status is unusual. Officials like us cannot influence his decision on who he wants dead."
Zheng Hongye opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing.
Xiao Yunchen was not in a hurry, after all, the road back to Beijing was still long.
The cold wind howled all night long and gradually stopped as the morning light rose.
At noon, Xiao Yunchen and his group headed southwest according to the plan.
They traveled for several days and did not enter any city they passed by. They only asked Qingyan and the others to go into the city to purchase some food and necessities.
It was not until the vegetation on the road gradually became lush and vibrant that the group finally stopped in a city.
It was the spring rainy season, and they were soaked to the bone as soon as they arrived.
Fortunately, Qingyan had already booked an inn, and Li Sisi took a hot bath as soon as she arrived at the inn.
After changing into clean clothes and returning to her room, she was bored for a moment, so she opened the window to look at the scenery and to see the next escape route.
Different from the simple architectural style of the northwest, this place belongs to the south, and what you see are exquisite and beautiful pavilions and delicate and elegant terraces.
The breeze brought in a drizzle of rain, bringing a damp chill.
The big trees on the roadside are winding, and their branches are full of lush green leaves. The branches sway gently in the breeze and drizzle.
As the drizzle gradually got heavier, the rain formed a white curtain that hid all the scenery. One could only see the raindrops falling rapidly like beads under the nearby eaves.
The puddles on the ground slowly gathered into streams, and soon the entire street was filled with water.
"Boom! Boom!"
Lightning and thunder streaked across the sky, and a strong wind suddenly blew.
Li Sisi quickly closed the window, feeling helpless and disappointed.
It was raining so hard, it looked like she wouldn't be able to escape for a while.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!" Someone knocked on the door.
Xiao Yunchen's voice rang out from outside the house: "Sister, it's time to eat."
For the sake of convenience, they basically ate pancakes and steamed buns along the way. They could eat steamed buns occasionally, but they never touched rice.
Now I can finally have a normal meal.
Li Sisi opened the door and followed Xiao Yunchen downstairs.
Because of the sudden rain, many people on the road temporarily looked for a place to rest and take shelter from the rain. At this time, the lobby of the inn was full of people.
Xiao Yunchen and his group occupied three tables.
Li Sisi and Xiao Yunchen sat at a table alone.
The table was filled with dishes of southern flavor. For Xiao Yunchen, who had always endured unpalatable dishes in the northwest, today's dishes were much more to his liking than the rough northwestern cuisine.
For rice, he ordered the best pearl rice in the restaurant.
The dishes are: sweet and sour spare ribs, Baodi whitebait, Huaiyang bamboo shoots, steamed eggs with shrimp, four seasons gathering and pheasant soup.
Li Sisi was already craving for food even before she had eaten.
Although Yu Niang’s cooking skills are pretty good in the Northwest, she was taught by Li Nian after all, so there is always a hint of modern cooking techniques in her cooking, and it cannot be considered authentic Nanjiang cuisine.
I haven't eaten real Nanjiang cuisine for more than a year.
Li Sisi had a big appetite and couldn't wait to pick up her chopsticks and start eating.
Xiao Yunchen picked up a piece of silverfish with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth to taste it, and his brows couldn't help but frown.
The chef of this inn has average cooking skills and fails to bring out the characteristics of the dishes at all.
He looked up at Li Sisi across from him, only to see her enjoying her meal without restraint. He couldn't help but ask, "Do you think these dishes are to your taste, sister?"
"It's okay." Li Sisi answered casually, "But I feel like something is missing. It's not as delicious as Nian Nian's cooking."
She thought for a moment and then added, "Actually, the dishes cooked by Yu Niang are not bad either. She has inherited Nian Nian's true teachings, and the flavors are rich. These dishes are a bit too bland."
Xiao Yunchen nodded thoughtfully: "So sister prefers dishes with stronger flavors?"
"Yes, fresh, fragrant, spicy or anything else is good." Li Sisi scooped herself some soup and continued, "But I'm not picky about food. If there's something that suits my taste, that's best. If not, I'll just eat until I'm full."
She took a sip of the chicken soup and couldn't help but brighten up: "This chicken soup is good, you should try it too."
Seeing her relaxed and cheerful look, Xiao Yunchen suppressed the smile on his lips and said meekly, "Okay, I'll try this soup too."
For a moment, the aroma of food spread in the warm atmosphere of the lobby, and it seemed that the tense mood had miraculously disappeared at this moment.
After finishing the meal, Li Sisi went back to her room to rest.
Xiao Yunchen knocked on the door again.
Li Sisi opened the door, frowned and asked in confusion, "What's the matter?"
Xiao Yunchen held up a book and some cakes in his hand and said, "This rain will probably continue for a few days. I thought my sister might be a little bored, so I found some storybooks and some food to entertain her."
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