Qingqiu rode her horse at a slower pace, and the carriage soon caught up with her.
A horse and a carriage traveled one after the other.
The journey was calm and uneventful, with few pedestrians. Only when they approached the city wall of Jingzhou did the number of people gradually increase.
Jing Zhe leaned out of the car window and saw that although the city wall of Jingzhou was blurry, it had finally come into view.
Curious, he asked, "That Qiu Qianqian shouldn't be around anymore, right?"
Qingqiu seemed to be thinking about something, and subconsciously replied, "She used to be stationed in Jingzhou. I heard that Tongtianque has encountered some problems recently. She should have just passed by that Taoist temple last night. She is probably in a hurry to get to Jinxi now. Why would she waste time going back to Jingzhou?"
Jing Zhe was stunned for a moment, then became angry.
This Taoist nun knew perfectly well that Qiu Qianqian wouldn't come after her, yet she deliberately tricked him into helping her transport the silver under the guise of protecting him!
Taoist nuns these days are so annoying!
"Fairy, isn't this a bit unfair?"
"Cough cough."
Qingqiu then realized she had let something slip, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she coughed twice to try to remain calm: "I was just guessing. People in Tongtianque like to do things unpredictably. Who knows if she will come along?"
Qingqiu, dressed in a Taoist robe, made a helpless shrug, looking incredibly cute.
But Jing Zhe remained unmoved, clutching the sack of silver, and said with a strained voice, "I don't care, I dug this silver out, I put it in the sack, I dragged it onto the cart—even one of the sacks is mine! I only want one sack, is that too much to ask?"
"That's excessive."
Qingqiu looked at him and said calmly.
What if I insist?
"My Azure Sky Sword probably won't agree."
As she spoke, she pulled out the long sword called "Azure Sky" from her waist; its cold light flashed, hurting his eyes.
"Hehe, I was just kidding."
Jing Zhe chuckled twice.
"I was just kidding."
After saying that, Qingqiu put the sword back and smiled.
...
After traveling for another fifteen minutes, they heard Hanhan outside the carriage shout, "Young Master, we've arrived!"
After leaving Pengzhou, I headed straight for Jingzhou, but I was captured and taken to Mangshan for more than a month. After leaving Mangshan, I traveled for more than ten days and finally arrived outside Jingzhou.
He thought he would be very excited, but when Jingzhou City was in sight, Jing Zhe was surprisingly calm.
Stepping down from the carriage, Jing Zhe stood in the wind, his gaze sharp as he looked at the two characters "Jingzhou" carved on the tall, imposing city wall.
"Jingzhou, I've arrived."
Outside the city wall was a moat four or five meters wide, with the water flowing gently but not rapidly, suggesting that the water was not too shallow.
The city gates were wide open, and pedestrians came and went. Looking through the city gates, one could see a main street that was more than twice as wide as the main street of Yongzhou, bustling with activity.
Qingqiu dismounted, and Zhang Xiaoyu also got off the carriage. The four of them walked into the city gate.
The streets were bustling with pedestrians, the shops were thriving, and street vendors were calling out their wares loudly. The sounds of bargaining rose and fell, making it far more prosperous than Yongzhou.
Zhang Xiaoyu glanced at Qingqiu, somewhat intimidated by this beautiful woman who would draw her sword at the slightest provocation. She tugged at Jing Zhe and whispered, "Shall we go to my house first?"
Even though she knew he was there to help at her house, she still felt very shy saying those words, and her pretty face turned slightly red.
Jing Zhe asked, "Fairy Maiden, now that we've entered the city, shouldn't we part ways—or rather, go our separate ways?"
Qingqiu turned around, glancing at Zhang Xiaoyu's hand that was still clutching the hem of his robe, and said coldly, "You expect me to carry these two large sacks by myself?"
"I can't keep following you around, can I? My schedule is really tight, you know."
Jing Zhe said with dissatisfaction.
"There's a money exchange not far ahead. Take the silver there and exchange it for banknotes."
Alright!
Then he looked at Zhang Xiaoyu and asked, "Miss Zhang, is your home far from here?"
"Fortunately, just two streets to the west, behind Zhang's Winery, is the largest house, which is easy to find."
"In that case, Miss Zhang, you should go home first. After all, you've been out all day, and your family must be worried. I'll come find you when I'm done with my work!"
"Alright...then Xiaoyu will wait for you at home, young master!"
After saying that, Zhang Xiaoyu walked westward, looking back every few steps.
"The people have already left, why are you still looking?"
Qingqiu muttered something ahead, and Jingzhe turned around, ignoring her, and called Hanhan to follow.
Before long, the signboard of "Xinglong Money Shop" appeared before our eyes.
There weren't many people in the money exchange, so when Hanhan threw the two sacks on the ground, it immediately attracted the attention of the money exchange clerk.
The guy didn't know what was in the sack, but he knew that the simpleton was just a follower and the real boss was Jing Zhe behind him.
"Young master, what kind of business are you interested in?"
"Exchange this silver for banknotes!"
Jing Zhe pointed to the sack.
"Is all of this... silver?"
Seeing Jing Zhe nod, the shop assistant went over and opened the sack. Sure enough, it was full of silver, but the silver coins were of different sizes, and there were even some copper coins mixed in.
"How much are there in total?"
The waiter asked again.
"How would I know?"
Seeing the strange look in the shopkeeper's eyes, as if he were a thief, Jing Zhe quickly added, "What I mean is, even if I tell you, you still have to count it yourself, right?"
The waiter nodded and then said, "This is too much silver; I can't make that decision myself. Please wait a moment, young master, while I go and fetch our manager!"
A short while later, a middle-aged man with a capable appearance appeared in the hall. He glanced at the sacks on the ground and said to Jing Zhe, "I heard that this young master wants to exchange his silver for banknotes?"
"Exactly."
"Then I must explain the rules to you, young master. Xinglong Money Shop is the largest money shop in Jingzhou City. We do all legitimate business. In addition to charging a 1% handling fee for exchanging silver notes, we also pay close attention to the source of the silver."
"Oh? Is the shopkeeper worried that our money is ill-gotten?"
"Hehe, that's hard to say."
To be able to expand the money exchange business in Jingzhou, this manager not only has a powerful background, but is also a seasoned veteran.
He knew all the prominent figures in Jingzhou City, and even if he didn't know them personally, he had seen them at least a few times. The handsome young man in front of him was a complete stranger, so he was definitely not a local of Jingzhou.
The doors of money shops are wide open; anyone with money can enter. When has it ever mattered whether the money came from legitimate sources?
He said that just to charge more money.
How could someone as shrewd as Jing Zhe not have noticed?
The money wasn't his, and whether he got a lot or a little in return was none of his business, but he felt uncomfortable being blatantly extorted.
So he called out to the door, "Fairy, someone said your money is ill-gotten. Will you do anything about it?"
Fairy Maiden?
Upon hearing this strange title, both the shopkeeper and the shop assistant looked towards the door.
————
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
