After discussing and agreeing with Xiao Xin, Xu Rong then informed Wei Shi of his decision.
Lady Wei was somewhat apprehensive: "Go to the Duke of Ying? He's the Marquis's father-in-law, would he help Erlang? What if—"
She wasn't worried about herself, but only about Xiao Xin's safety.
“He’s just a father-in-law, not my own father. Would he really kill a newly appointed top scholar for the sake of a son-in-law?” Xu Rong was not afraid. “At most, the Duke of Yingguo just doesn’t want to get involved and kicks us out.”
But this is actually impossible, because the British duke's status is not aloof. Unless he is completely unaware, once he does know, he cannot ignore it and let the situation worsen, which could eventually implicate the British ducal house.
"Mother, don't worry, everything will be alright," Xiao Xin said from the side.
Ms. Wei heard nothing else but that he had changed his mind, and tears immediately welled up in her eyes. She choked out a "sigh," and had no further objections, obediently following him on the road.
Being away from home is naturally different from being at home. None of the four people, including the master and servants, had any experience with long journeys. They suffered a lot along the way. The weather was freezing cold, and some sections of the Grand Canal were frozen, making it inconvenient to travel by water. They dared not travel by water, fearing that if Lord Xiao sent people to chase them, they would be captured on the water and would have nowhere to run.
Traveling by land, even if the journey is smooth, is still a hardship just from the bumpy ride. But experience is gained slowly. When they arrived in the big city, Xu Rong sold the mule cart and bought a larger horse-drawn carriage. He also laid out many blankets inside, bought a small stove, and prepared charcoal. This ensured that there was always hot water to drink and hot charcoal to put in the hand warmer. Xiao Xin also learned to drive the carriage from his brother Hongliu. Sometimes he would switch shifts with Hongliu and let him sit in the carriage to warm up for a while. At first, Hongliu was hesitant, but he went in under Xu Rong's orders. He was touched. He was still young and didn't know how to worry. Seeing that his master had a plan, he was no longer flustered and just worked hard.
Xiao Xin sat outside the carriage. The wind blew against his face like a knife, and even the earmuffs couldn't block it. But he could see the scenery along the way. They were traveling from north to south, crossing most of the territory. The markets were bustling, the mountains and forests were desolate, and the scenery changed all the way, gradually broadening one's mind.
He spends most of his time reading in the car.
He left in a hurry and didn't bring any of his books with him, but the ones he wanted to read were all exam preparation books. They weren't out of print and wouldn't be hard to find again. Besides, the science and education systems in the north and south are not the same, so he supplemented his reading along the way and broadened his horizons.
Seeing this, Xu Rong was completely relieved. He could still study, and his spirits returned. As long as a person can stand firm, there are as many possibilities as there are difficulties.
The worst-case scenario is that I won't be able to take the provincial examination next year, but there are still three years left, so I can try again.
In mid-November, they left Huguang and entered Guizhou.
At this point, we could say that dawn was in sight. We were far from the influence of the capital and close to Annam. Once we crossed Yunnan Province, we would be in Annam.
They had traveled with a caravan for a while, which was an experience gained from their journey. The four of them were still a bit weak to travel such a long distance alone, and the caravan made them much safer. In addition, Xiao Xin was a scholar, so the caravan would have fewer troubles and beggars when passing through cities. It was a win-win situation for everyone.
However, the caravan's destination was Guizhou. After entering the city, they would have to part ways with them. The caravan manager reminded them: "Sir, this place is different from the Central Plains. The further you go, the more local people there will be. They only listen to the orders of the chieftains. You should rest in the city and set off as soon as possible. Don't delay on the road. If you get into a conflict with any of the local people, even going to the government office might not be of any use."
Xiao Xin nodded and thanked him.
After Xu Rong strolled around the city, she realized that what he said was true. The local customs and culture had indeed changed. From time to time, there were pedestrians wearing ethnic minority costumes on the streets, including Miao people and other ethnic groups that she could not recognize. These people had similar skin color and appearance to Han people, but their fierce and tough aura was obviously stronger.
Even the girls are hotter.
Brother Hongliu stared curiously at a girl in a cloth tube skirt for a couple of seconds. The girl rolled her eyes at him and uttered a word in a clear voice.
I don't understand, so it's probably not something nice to hear.
Brother Hongliu felt wronged and startled, and dared not look anymore.
Xu Rong found it amusing. Seeing a neat and clean inn ahead, she turned to Xiao Xin and suggested, "Shall we stay here?"
Xiao Xin had no objections, so the group went inside.
This inn is the home of the Han people. Although there are many ethnic minorities in Yunnan and Guizhou, the city is still mainly inhabited by Han people. After staying for one night, Xu Rong did not feel any inconvenience. However, when he got up in the morning, he did not see Wei Shi. He asked Xiao Xin and learned that she had gone to the kitchen.
When Xu Rong found her, she was serving up a steaming bowl of noodles.
Xu Rong was puzzled when Madam Wei smiled gently and said, "Today is Erlang's birthday."
While at home, she never dared to celebrate Xiao Xin's birthday. The scene of the day she gave birth was always a source of heartache for her. She was afraid that it would remind others and make them discover something, so she tried her best to obscure the specific date. At the same time, she couldn't help but keep mentioning Xiao Xin's "premature birth" and trying to convince herself that it was true.
Her contradictory behavior stemmed from her inner fears.
Now that she can no longer hide it, and everything that needed to be exposed has been exposed, she no longer needs to hold back.
Xiao Xin didn't remember his own birthday either. He only found out after hearing her say it. He sat down and silently ate the whole bowl of hot soup noodles.
When it was time to set off, everyone was in a good mood.
Suffering is suffering, but so is freedom.
When Xu Rong noticed the fine snow falling, he even managed a wry smile: "Luckily, I made it this far."
The climate in the south is different, and heavy snow is rare. If this were still in the capital, a snowfall would have blocked them back into the city, and by the time the snow melted and the carriages could travel again, it would have delayed them for several more days.
Xiao Xin was reading a book, while Xu Rong used a small stick to pok at the charcoal ash under the stove. She had buried about ten chestnuts in there; since she had nothing better to do, she might as well have some snacks to sweeten her mouth.
Mr. Wei sat properly on the other side.
The unexpected happened at that moment.
The clatter of hooves came from behind, rapid and intense, like a drumbeat out of rhythm striking the heart, inexplicably stirring up a sense of foreboding.
Xu Rong paused for a moment, trying to figure out where this feeling came from, when suddenly—
Take it!
The carriage shook and tilted slightly. If Xiao Xin hadn't caught him in time, Xu Rong would have almost fallen into the stove.
Mrs. Wei was also startled: "What's wrong? What was that sound?"
Xiao Xin's expression turned cold and stern; only he recognized the sound immediately.
Arrow sound!
Someone fired an arrow from behind, and one of the arrows struck the carriage.
"Run!"
He lifted the curtain and shouted at Brother Hongliu before looking back.
Two riders, middle-aged men, dressed in dark blue clothes and trousers, with heads wrapped in the same color cloth, were dressed as natives. Both were carrying bows and arrows. Just as he was peeking out, two more arrows were shot. One fell to the ground, while the other was inserted diagonally into the side of the carriage curtain, almost hitting him.
Xiao Xin retreated into the carriage, and Xu Rong asked him, "What happened?"
Xiao Xin pursed his lips and shook his head. He didn't know, and could only tell Xu Rong what he had seen.
"We haven't offended the natives, have we?" Xu Rong was also confused. She tried to peek out, but Xiao Xin grabbed her wrist to stop her: "Danger."
The two riders didn't give any warning; they silently came up and started shooting arrows, clearly intending to kill.
"ah--!"
Brother Hongliu screamed in fright. No matter how much he had experienced on his journey, he had never seen anything like this. The two riders were getting closer and closer, separating to form an encirclement. Arrows were flying from both sides. He didn't dare to open his eyes and was whipping them wildly with his eyes closed.
"You stay inside, don't come out."
Xiao Xin gave a brief instruction, picked up his sword, and went out.
I bought the sword on the way, for self-defense.
When Brother Hongliu saw him come out, he dared to open his eyes. When he looked again, he saw that he could actually swat a sword to block an arrow that was shot at him. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!"
Having spent twenty years in a family of military merit, Xiao Xin was not a scholar who was truly powerless. However, he had no intention of joining the army, so his martial arts skills were actually mediocre, and his weapon was not handy. To deal with the two riders' killing moves, he soon found himself in a predicament.
Brother Hongliu couldn't help, but at Xu Rong's prompting in the carriage, he mustered up the courage to shout: "Hero, hero, let's talk this out! We have money, we'll give it to you, please have mercy!"
In return, they received one arrow after another.
Xu Rong composed herself, then opened her bundle and risked sticking her head out to throw down her gold and silver valuables. However, the two riders didn't even look at her; instead, they raised their bows and aimed at her.
Xu Rong: "..."
She quickly shrank back, her last shred of hope gone.
They came not for money, but to kill.
On this remote road, there's no way to ask for help; you can only leave it to fate.
"Whistle—!"
The horse pulling the carriage suddenly cried out in pain; it had been struck in the lower abdomen by an arrow. Startled, the horse bolted, throwing everyone in the carriage to the side. Xiao Xin leaned forward and grabbed Hongliu, who was nearly thrown off, but he only had one hand available—his other was holding a sword. He couldn't pull Hongliu back completely; he could only drag him with one hand while struggling to deflect the constantly flying arrows with the other. Soon, the taste of blood filled his mouth. Fine snow fell on his eyelashes, but he couldn't brush it away. His vision blurred in the snow; he could only hear Hongliu's screams of agony and the increasingly urgent, ever-growing, and intensifying sound of hooves, seemingly surrounding him from all sides, leaving him no escape.
Buzz!
The bowstring rang out, a particularly startling sound that seemed to break through the snow.
An arrow struck the wounded horse in the head. The poor horse thrashed weakly a few times before collapsing with a crash.
The train carriage then crashed to the ground with a loud bang.
Xiao Xin and his brother Hong Liu fell down together. He was half-dazed from the fall, his head buzzing, but when he heard the sharp sound of the bowstring, he subconsciously reached for his sword again.
Suddenly his wrist was twisted and his sword was taken away.
Xiao Xin couldn't see clearly. He was in a state of shock and struggled to his feet, but the man released his wrist and swiftly grabbed his neck, pulling him backward. Then he laughed above Xiao Xin's head: "Oh, kid, you're pretty fierce."
Xiao Xin: "..."
His boiling blood cooled down a little, and he finally realized something was wrong.
“General,” someone nearby shouted, “these two men say they are Miao people, that this is a matter for their tribe, and that we should not interfere.”
The man addressed as "General" replied, "Is that so?"
Then, seemingly speaking towards a distance, he said, "Speak a few words in Miao language for me to hear."
...
No one answered.
The general chuckled: "Trying to scare me? Tie them up, gag them, and take them back to camp. I'll play with them slowly."
Several voices responded simultaneously from not far away. Xiao Xin's throat was still being held. He wiped his eyes, turned his head with difficulty, and saw several soldiers who looked like soldiers enthusiastically tying the two knights up like two dumplings.
They were rescued.
It's safe now.
He suddenly felt a sense of relief.
Then, upon seeing the carriage, my nerves tensed up again, and I struggled to get there.
The general wouldn't let go: "Hey kid, have you no manners? Your savior is right in front of you, and you don't even know how to say 'thank you'?"
Xiao Xin glared at him. It wasn't that he didn't want to thank him, but he didn't know what had happened to Madam Wei and Xu Rong, so he couldn't think of that. Besides, with his throat being held, he couldn't speak.
The general's eyes met his.
He quickly became thoughtful.
"You look kind of familiar to me?" the general muttered.
The soldiers who had tied the two men up came over, looked them over, and laughed, "General, this kid's eyes look strangely like yours. Doesn't he look familiar?"
The general exclaimed in sudden realization, "Oh!"
People in the military camp are all loose-lipped. Another soldier, who wasn't so observant, didn't actually notice, but he still wanted to join in the fun, chuckling, "General, could it be some romantic entanglement you had in your younger days? The Duke wanted to arrange a marriage for you, but you always refused, tsk tsk."
"Go to hell, it's your mother and I who have a romantic entanglement."
"Oh, that's my honor."
The soldiers burst into laughter.
Xiao Xin was anxious and struggled again. This time the general let go, but then his eyes darted around and he said, "Hey, it's rare to find a lad who looks so kind and agreeable. Why don't you recognize me as your godfather? Don't worry, if you call me 'father,' I won't treat you badly."
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