When the Su family returned to the inn, the torrential rain had subsided slightly, but it seemed to be continuing without stopping.
Su Jingxuan said, "If the rain is lighter tomorrow, let's get going."
He felt that the person his grandson had offended at the perfume shop today had a sinister look in his eyes. Based on his years of experience in judging people, he was certain that the person was no good person and he should avoid him as soon as possible.
Especially in the lobby, he noticed that the man's eyes were fixed on his daughter, with a greedy look in them.
Ling Qingxue nodded: "What you say is true. Once the rainy season arrives in Jiangnan, floods will frequently occur on the roads, and we may have to change our route and head south by water."
"From Zhenjiang Prefecture, the nearest larger county town is Wuxi, which belongs to Changzhou Prefecture. It is about eighty li away from Zhenjiang. On the way, you need to cross several mountains and stay at an inn for two nights before you can reach it..."
Su Jingxuan frowned, as if he was pondering something.
"In my opinion, it would be better to take a boat south from Zhenjiang Wharf. Even with the continuous rain these days, it won't be a big obstacle."
Ling Qingxue said sincerely.
Su Jingxuan nodded: "For safety's sake, there's no need to take the land route."
He immediately instructed Han Changrong to go to the dock to buy boat tickets.
When Han Changrong returned after a while, he said that the passenger ships heading south were fully booked even for five days from now, as everyone was anticipating the rainy season and choosing to travel south by water.
"How about we stay in Zhenjiang for a few days and buy tickets for a boat trip south five days from now?" Ling Qingxue suggested.
Han Changrong said, "Sir, you may not know this, but if the water level rises sharply in a few days, the waterways will not be safe. Therefore, the passenger ships at the dock are selling tickets for the next five days. After five days, we will need to observe the weather before deciding."
"If it's by land, flash floods can destroy roads and bridges, making it even more unsafe to be stranded on the road."
Su Xuerong was filled with regret upon learning this news.
If she had known that the rainy season in Jiangnan was so frequent, she shouldn't have insisted on taking her family south by land.
Nowadays, traveling by land takes at least twice as long as traveling by water.
Su Xuerong thought for a moment and asked Han Changrong, "Brother Han, how long does the rainy season in Jiangnan last?"
"It will only last for about one or two months, and by June or July, the floods will have subsided."
Su Xuerong thought for a moment and looked at Su Jingxuan: "Father, why don't you take Mr. Ling and Brother Han to find a house to rent tomorrow, and we can stay until after the rainy season before heading south?"
Since they had already escaped Xiao Shiyan, and Zhenjiang Prefecture seemed quite prosperous, staying here for a month or two wouldn't be a bad idea.
Xiao Shiyan gave her enough silver notes; there was no rush.
Su Jingxuan nodded and said, "That's right. We don't necessarily have to rush to Hangzhou. We should rest here for a while first."
After reaching an agreement, Su Jingxuan immediately sent a letter to his son in Yangzhou, telling him to focus on handling the affairs of the Lin family in Yangzhou and to wait until they set off for Hangzhou before continuing their journey.
The following day, Su Jingxuan, along with Ling Qingxue, Han Changrong, and others, went to several real estate agencies to select a suitable house.
Half a day later, they booked a three-courtyard house in Danxi, east of the city. The price was slightly lower than that in Jingkou, where the prefecture was located. The house was fully furnished, and the rent for two months was ten taels of silver.
That day, the whole family moved to the house in Danxi.
Early the next morning, Zhou, along with Li and several guards, went to the street to buy some simple luggage and bedding, and settled all the accompanying personnel.
The women lived in the backyard. Xiuchun served Su Xuerong personally. Zhou Shi and Li Shi lived in the outer room. Su Jingxuan and Su Jian lived in the front yard. Ling Qingxue lived in the east room. The west room was given to Han Changrong. The rest of the people lived in the back room.
Zhou arranged for a few guards to clean up the mess, and several bodyguards to act as protectors. The coachmen were on call with their carriages.
This put everyone at ease, and they no longer had to worry about the dangers they might encounter on the road.
A loud crash echoed from a private room on the second floor of a tavern, as a wine pot shattered on the floor.
Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Yue Jin was furious.
Unexpectedly, the Su family stayed in Zhenjiang and refused to leave. How was he supposed to make a move now?
The subordinate said tremblingly, "Boss, we should hurry to Hangzhou to find the Prince of Fenyang. Otherwise, if we are delayed on the road, the Xiao family might catch up with us..."
Yue Jin sneered: "Don't worry, that old bastard still needs a few months to prepare for his coronation..."
"But the old princess and the princess are still trapped in Daming Prefecture. If we delay like this..."
Yue Jin glared at him fiercely, and he immediately fell silent.
Yue Jin thought of the young woman he saw at the perfume shop last night, and his whole body went limp. All he wanted to do was tie her up and take her to his bed as soon as possible.
And the things the old prince entrusted to me before his death...
"The roads have been washed away by the continuous heavy rains. We will have to wait in Zhenjiang for a few days before we can head to Hangzhou. I'm sure the old princess will understand!" Yue Jin said coldly.
His subordinates said he had stepped down.
At the same time, at the Jinxiu Inn.
"What? Yue Jin, a subordinate of the King of Xiangyang?" Xiao Yuan frowned deeply.
"It seems they came straight to Hangzhou to find you, Master. It appears the old prince entrusted him to ask you to go to Daming Prefecture to rescue the old princess and the princess..."
Within half a day, Ming Shu disguised himself and followed the group from the previous night. Under the pretext of offering them drinks at a tavern, he managed to extract these words from Yue Jin's men.
Xiao Yuan sneered, "How could he possibly convince me to go and save people?"
Ming Shu glanced at him, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.
Chen Zhong, the former Prince of Xiangyang who was not of the same surname, had once discussed marriage with the master, and Princess Qinghe had also longed to marry the master.
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