Chapter 2571: Go for a walk with me
As he was speaking, he heard the sound of wheels ahead. He looked up and saw that a team of carriages had turned from the main road and were coming along this path.
As the carriage moved forward, sporadic splashes of water fell from the side.
It did cover up the dust raised by the horse's hooves.
Nan Yan watched as the carriages drove over and stopped in front of the tea stall. The stall owner immediately came forward to greet them warmly. The coachmen, who were sweating profusely from the heat, all sat down and ordered a bowl of tea each.
For a moment, the small tea stall became lively.
When encountering this situation, several guards immediately stepped forward and surrounded the small table where Nan Yan was sitting. No matter who those driving the carriage were, they were all men after all, and touching the imperial concubine would be a capital crime.
Nan Yan just waved her hand and asked them to stand still.
Looking at these people who looked exhausted, they seemed to have come from far away. But looking at the carriage, it was not an ordinary carriage. There were huge wooden barrels on the back of the carriage, and clean water was constantly dripping out.
A rough count revealed that there were about ten such carriages.
Nan Yan asked, "What is a carriage like this used for?"
Her voice was neither loud nor soft, as if she were talking to herself, but also as if she were asking someone a question. A driver sitting at the table closest to her turned around to look at her, chuckled, and said, "This lady must be from outside, right?"
Nan Yan smiled gracefully and said, "My husband's family is in business. A few days ago, they encountered a sandstorm and their horse was injured. We just happened to come to Handongwei to rest for a few days."
"No wonder you didn't recognize our car."
"Excuse me, big brother, what is this truck carrying?"
"What else can we transport? Water?"
"water……?"
Nan Yan looked at the carriage again and saw that the wooden barrels at the back were indeed for water. She asked, "What are they carrying water for?"
The driver laughed and said, "Madam, that's funny. What else can we do with water? Our Handongwei is not like the capital. In big places like Jinling, water is used as it comes. Here, water can only be used to drink. If anyone uses water to flush the ground, they will be beaten with a stick if they see it."
"Oh? So, this water is transported to the city for everyone to drink?"
"Exactly."
"How long will this much water last?"
"So much? Not much at all. Our team has only enough water to last the entire city for half a day. There are several teams behind us, so even if we add them together, it won't be much."
"Then you guys have worked hard."
"That's nothing. After this trip, I'll go back and report back, and then I'll have to work non-stop."
"……oh."
Nan Yan smiled and said, "You must have worked hard."
The driver said, "Hey, isn't the purpose of life to earn some hard-earned money and eat a peaceful meal?"
As they spoke, they drank the tea in their bowls, paid the money, and then got up and drove away.
Nan Yan was sitting at the tea stall, and sure enough, she saw several teams of people behind her carrying water back to the city.
It is indeed tiring to go back and forth.
Nan Yan finished her tea, paid the money, and got back into the carriage. She drove around the city again, and as dusk fell, she turned the carriage around and headed back to the Duwei Mansion.
On the road, you can still see water stains left by water trucks, which have washed the road clean.
Nan Yan leaned against the car board and said to Ruo Shui with a half-smile, "Earn some hard-earned money and eat a peaceful meal... Tsk, look, people often say that ordinary people are dull, but I don't think so. That person's casual words just now really said a lot about life."
Ruoshui smiled innocently and said, "I don't understand."
Nan Yan smiled and said, "At your age, you naturally don't understand this."
Ruoshui said: "Your Majesty, you are not that old."
Nan Yan just smiled, lifted a corner of the curtain and looked outside, but not at the street outside, but at the horizon. The setting sun was slowly about to fall into the ground.
She murmured, "I wonder if the emperor and his men have reached the Yulian River yet."
When she said this, Zhu Feng was galloping on horseback with Chen Zixiao, Xue Yun, and several accompanying personal soldiers. In the blood-red light of the setting sun, the familiar birch forest appeared in the distance.
In the setting sun, the entire birch forest reflects dazzling light.
Several people galloped past on horseback. The thick fallen leaves on the ground were like a carpet, and the horses' hooves made a soft, rustling sound when they stepped on them.
Zhu Feng dismounted and, as before, threw the reins to the personal soldier following behind him and had the horse tied to a tree trunk.
Xue Yun had experienced this last time, so he didn’t feel so uncomfortable after another day of bumpy ride.
She got off the horse and only felt a little numbness in her thigh, but everything else was fine. She tied the horse herself and looked at Zhu Feng.
He put his hands behind his back and looked into the distance.
Then he said, "Xue Yun."
"I am here."
"Come walk over there with me."
"……yes."
Chen Zixiao stood aside. When he heard the emperor say this, he frowned slightly and said softly, "Your Majesty, please let me accompany you."
"Um?"
Zhu Feng turned around and looked at him.
Chen Zixiao said: "Although this place does not belong to the scope of Baihu City, after all, there are their secret sentries across the river. In the past few days, Baihu City has been mobilizing troops and making frequent moves. What if something -"
"It's fine."
Zhu Feng said calmly: "Don't worry, I won't cross the river."
"Can--"
"Okay,"
Although Zhu Feng was much easier to talk to than before, it didn't mean that he would allow others to obstruct his actions. Seeing that the emperor interrupted him, Chen Zixiao didn't dare to say more.
Zhu Feng said, "I know you brought food and water, so let's make a fire here and prepare something to eat. I'll take Lord Xue with me to see the scenery, and after we come back to eat something, we'll go back to the Commandant's Mansion."
"……yes."
Chen Zixiao had no choice but to stay in the birch forest with a few people.
Xue Yun followed Zhu Feng as before, and the two of them walked slowly towards the Yulian River.
One of the guards also looked at the two men's backs and whispered to Chen Zixiao, "Sir, we don't understand. If the emperor brought us here to inspect the border, it would be fine, but why does he always bring that woman with him?"
"Yes, she even reported today that a pill was stolen. In this dignified Duwei Mansion, is it possible that a thief could break in and risk the death penalty for his entire clan? Wouldn't that be a slap in your face, sir?"
"Besides, he stole a pill."
"Who knows what kind of medicine that is? This woman is so weird, and yet the emperor always brings her along."
"She looks so frail, what can she do? She'll just cause us trouble."
Everyone was complaining, but Chen Zixiao just stood there quietly.
He watched the two figures disappear in front of him, then said with a stern face and expressionless face: "Alright, the emperor's affairs do not allow you to interfere, get to work."
The crowd had no choice but to comply and obediently light a fire and get to work.
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