The group packed up their cooking utensils and set off again. Chuanwen asked Marquis Changxing to speak to the emperor and ask him to let her ride in Xu Yan's carriage. The emperor agreed. He also needed some peace and quiet, otherwise he was afraid he would really kick Chuanwen off the carriage.
However, Chuanwen had only been quiet for a short while when she passed through that small village and stopped the carriage because she needed to use the villager's outhouse to urinate!
Out of a desire for revenge, the emperor really wanted Chuanwen to hold it in, preferably until she wet her pants, to see if she would still laugh at others.
However, he was also worried that he might bottling things up for Chuanwen, since she was only a fifteen-year-old girl. If something bad happened to her, he would regret it.
Moreover, besides the messenger, there were also many female relatives in the caravan. The men were shameless enough to go into the sorghum field, but the women didn't have that kind of thick skin. He also had to consider the women's feelings.
The emperor had found a reason for himself. Yes! He didn't stop the carriage because he was reluctant to send the message; he was thinking of the women in his household!
Moreover, he hadn't gone to the toilet for most of the day, and he really wanted to! He hadn't gone through the sorghum field before because of his imperial dignity, but now he could go. Although the toilet in the farmhouse was rather simple, it was still better than going through the sorghum field and getting on the news.
Although the emperor had many thoughts running through his mind, Chuanwen knew nothing about them.
The convoy stopped outside the village, and Chuanwen and a few others who needed to use the restroom went into the village to borrow a toilet.
After the emperor sent word and the other women away, he slowly walked into the village, accompanied by two guards, Yin Shuang and Wei Xiang.
Once the emperor left, the officials who had also been too proud to go into the sorghum field got up and went too. Marquis Changxing stopped Chuanrui, who also wanted to go to the village, and asked, "Didn't you just go there?"
Chuanrui chuckled, "I drank a bit too much water just now."
Marquis Changxing rolled his eyes at him and sneered, "Don't think I don't know what you're up to! Stay here and behave yourself!"
Although he did not raise this son from childhood, after more than a year of getting along, he understood the son's character. Chuanwen's unreliable personality was probably learned from him!
Chuanrui, having been seen through, scratched his head and could only watch the emperor enter the village with a sullen expression. Sigh! He was just curious about what the emperor's defecation looked like, and even such a small wish couldn't be fulfilled!
Marquis Changxing was also quite exhausted. He not only had to keep the younger Chuanwen from causing trouble, but he also had to keep an eye on the older one. She was really a handful!
However, Marquis Changxing kept an eye on Chuanrui to prevent him from sneaking over to peek at the emperor using the toilet, but he couldn't stop him from chatting with an old man sitting under a big tree nearby.
The old man was hard of hearing, and the two of them were talking so loudly that probably half the village could hear them. Marquis Changxing quickly pulled them back.
"Dad, what are you doing? I was just asking for directions!"
Chuanrui was pulled back by Marquis Changxing, and he was quite unconvinced, but he received a glare from Marquis Changxing, who said, "Is that how you ask for directions?"
Just as she was disciplining her son, the loud chatter started again.
"Grandpa! How far is it from here to the next town?"
The voice was no louder than Chuanrui's earlier. Changxing Hou and Chuanrui turned to look and saw Zhao Dajia asking the old man for directions. Chuanrui pointed to the old man and said, "Yes."
Marquis of Changxing: ......
The emperor and his entourage returned from the restroom, but Chuanwen and the others did not return for quite some time, which made them somewhat worried.
"I hope nothing bad has happened."
The Vice Minister of Revenue tiptoed and peered into the village, and the Emperor frowned.
Besides Wen Xue, two guards accompanied Chuan Wen and the others. If something happened, with Wen Xue and the two guards there, it was impossible for them to remain completely silent.
Xu Wuyou, who was in charge of the convoy's safety, had also finished taking a headcount. Apart from Chuanwen and the others, Yuan Xingyu, the newly appointed junior supervisor of the railway, had not returned.
"Master Huang, shall we go in and look for him?"
Xu Wuyou went before the emperor to ask for instructions, and the emperor immediately replied without hesitation: "Find him!"
Although the village seemed quiet and peaceful, he couldn't take anything for granted when it came to Chuanwen, and he couldn't afford to take any risks!
Having received the emperor's order, Xu Wuyou didn't waste a moment. Chuanyu had just gone with Chuanwen, and he was very worried!
However, before he and his group even entered the village, Chuanwen and his friends came out laughing and joking, each carrying a steaming sweet potato. Yuan Xingyu followed behind them, but Yuan Xingyu didn't look as good as them. Not only did she not have any sweet potatoes, but she also looked a bit disheveled!
If the steaming sweet potatoes weren't steamed and were clean, they would suspect that Chuanwen had led people to steal sweet potatoes to roast and eat, and then used Yuan Xingyu as a scapegoat.
Why did it take you so long to get back?
The emperor, with a long face, asked Chuanwen, who was happily holding a sweet potato, with displeasure. Chuanwen glanced at Xu Wuyou and the others who were about to go in to find them, and knowing that everyone was worried about them, he forgave the emperor's dark face and questioning, and explained why he was late.
She wasn't on a whim this time; she had a mission. When she passed through a place, she had to learn about the local and surrounding transportation conditions, customs, the local labor force, and people's opinions on road construction. Of course, she didn't go into details about what kind of roads to build.
Understanding the transportation situation is to determine the most suitable route for railway construction. Understanding local customs and traditions is to ensure that materials won't be stolen if tracks are built there. As for understanding the local labor force, it's crucial to have a sufficient supply of local workers if construction is planned.
As for the sweet potatoes, the auntie from that family was particularly hospitable. Seeing that the women were all fresh and pretty, and had pleasant voices, she insisted on giving each of them a sweet potato that she had cooked for lunch. Even Xu Yan, who had a loud voice, was given one.
After Chuanwen finished explaining, the emperor and the officials realized they had misunderstood her and felt somewhat ashamed. However, it wasn't entirely their fault; given Chuanwen's personality, it was truly difficult for them to associate her with such a serious matter!
So Yuan Xingyu went to learn about the people's conditions with Chuanwen and the others?
All eyes fell on Yuan Xingyu. Yuan Xingyu shrank his neck. He hadn't gone with Chuanwen and the others to learn about the local conditions. Instead, he had been entangled with a family, but he was too embarrassed to say it.
"Alright, alright," the emperor said, glancing at the sky. "Now that everyone's here, we need to hurry on our way. If we don't reach the next town before dark, we'll have to spend the night in the wilderness."
The group boarded the carriage and continued their journey. Zhao Dajia bid farewell to the old man who was cooling off at the village entrance in a loud voice. As the old man watched the caravan drive away around the village, he muttered to himself, "Who are these people? How come each of them looks more distinguished than the county magistrate?"
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