The dark clouds covering the north finally dissipated, the rainy season in Huozhou came to an end, and early summer was quietly approaching.
The sky was already getting light, but there was still about half an hour before sunrise.
The entire city of Murhe was still immersed in last night's carnival and had not yet woken up. It seemed that even the noisy birds were a little lazy, and the streets to the east, west, south and north were all quiet.
At the back door of Wangchen Tower, a figure emerged from the inner courtyard, a cloak obscuring both body and face. The door hinge, long unused, creaked harshly. The figure paused, glanced around to confirm that no one was around, then boarded a carriage waiting in the back street and headed for the north city gate.
The rumbling of the wheels gradually faded away, and then there was movement at the back door again.
Four or five shadows filed out, got on another carriage parked at the corner, and followed the previous one.
At the north gate, several guards were rubbing their hands together as they prepared to take over. Having stood guard all night, they finally made it to the final moments before sunrise. It was a time of extreme fatigue, and everyone was eager to finish their work and return home to rest.
There was some noise coming from far away on the street. It turned out to be a carriage.
At this time, there was still some time before the city gate was opened, but when the leading guard saw this, he ordered the side door to be opened.
The old slave driving the cart quickly delivered a heavy ingot of silver and drove the cart out of the city gate.
The other guards were already used to it and walked forward to close the city gate again.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, another carriage appeared at the end of the street, also heading towards the city gate.
The leading guard became impatient and ordered his men to stop the car.
"You are not allowed to leave the city before the time comes."
The coachman lifted his hood a little, revealing a round face. "Brother, look, the guy up ahead has gone out now. Please be kind. We'll be there in less than half an hour."
The guard's tone couldn't help but be a little contemptuous: "The one in front of you? The one in front of you is the master of the Zou family. He was going to his own farm outside the city to take inventory. He couldn't delay and informed us in advance. Where did you come from? Do you think our gatekeepers are so casual?"
Another guard nearby noticed that the carriage, though unassuming, was clearly not something an ordinary family could afford. Fearing he might offend someone, he tried to smooth things over: "Since the gates will open in less than half an hour, you should wait a little longer."
"We can wait, but I don't know if Mr. Zou can wait."
A voice came from the carriage. It was a light voice, but it sounded particularly clear in front of the deserted city gate in the early morning.
The guards were stunned for a moment after hearing this, and even the coachman was stunned for a moment.
Then, the voice sounded again: "I am the steward of the Zou Mansion. The master left in a hurry this morning and left an important seal behind. I only caught up with him when I realized it, and I am afraid that it would be delayed if I were too late. The master did not publicize this trip, so I, your servant, did not inform you. Please forgive me, gentlemen."
The guards were skeptical about what he said.
As if sensing their doubts, someone lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, revealing half a figure at an angle. In his hand was a box, in which was placed a square seal, spotlessly white and extremely exquisite.
The leading guard stepped forward and took a closer look. He saw that there seemed to be some words carved on the side of the seal, but they were like scribbles. He could not recognize many large characters and could not make out the meaning at all.
When he looked up at the man holding the seal, he saw him smiling. That smile...how could I put it? It gave him a strangely kind and benevolent look, even though he looked no more than twenty years old.
The guard quietly stepped back, waved to the servant, and whispered a few words in his ear. The servant quickly stuffed a piece of silver into the man's palm, his action was very covert. The guard then waved his hand, signaling his men to open the city gate.
The coachman seemed to have not expected it to be so smooth. He thanked the boy repeatedly with a look of surprise on his face and drove the carriage out of the city in a hurry.
After leaving the city, the cobblestone road turned into a dirt road, and the horses galloped even more happily. Shrike threw away the veil that covered his head, revealing his thick black eyebrows, and cursed angrily.
"A bunch of greedy idiots! Why don't you just be quick when you want the money? You've been dithering for so long that now you can't even see a fart from Zou Sifang!"
Inside the carriage, Xiao Nanhui was also a little anxious: "Hurry up, if it really doesn't work, unload the carriage and I'll ride after him."
Zhongli was actually sitting closest to the carriage door, playing with the white jade seal he had just used in his performance. "No rush, this is the only way out of the city for five miles. He tampered with the carriage wheels to hide his tracks. It's quieter, but it won't go very fast. We can catch up with him before the road forks."
Xiao Nan looked back at the man and for the first time thought: It turns out that having a better appearance is really useful.
Hao Bai, sitting in the innermost part of the carriage, squeezed in with Ding Weixiang, couldn't help but praise him, "Brother Zhongli is truly amazing. He stays calm no matter what the situation. Even that time at the city gate, I almost thought I wouldn't make it."
It would have been better if he didn't speak, but as soon as he did, Xiao Nanhui recalled what happened last night. She had thought this doctor was a real person, but she hadn't expected him to be so secretive.
"Mr. Qu, why should you be so modest? You've managed to succeed in business and handle family affairs at the same time. You're quite impressive."
Hao Bai heard the dissatisfaction in his words and blinked, appearing completely innocent. "Brother Yao, are you still blaming me for not telling you the truth? You should know that I didn't come here voluntarily. I was forced to do so by the important tasks of my family."
Everyone has their own difficulties, and Xiao Nanhui himself is no exception. In fact, he has no position to blame others, and he softened his tone a little. "Since you are pursuing the defector, why are you so concerned about the jade seal?"
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