When we arrived at our destination, even the way we were addressed changed.
Liang Qingqing stared at the coachman's face for a while, then said coldly.
"In this life, if you do too many things like kicking someone when they're down, be careful you don't suffer the consequences."
The coachman listened with a helpless expression.
How could he be kicking someone when they're down? He's shown her all the respect due to her, and he's been driving her horse with utmost deference the whole way. He can't possibly be expected to kneel before her like he would before an empress, can he?
Now everyone in the palace knows she's been deposed, but she hasn't even seen the person who truly took advantage of her misfortune yet.
The coachman had no desire to have anything more to do with her. Having delivered the person and completed his mission, he couldn't wait to mount his horse and return to the palace.
The capital city had warmed up in early spring, but it was still a bit chilly in the mornings and evenings. Liang Qingqing was only wearing one piece of clothing; she had taken off everything else in a fit of pique. She hadn't even had time to bring the countless jewels and jades from the palace. Now, standing here alone, she felt somewhat lost and disoriented.
"What's there to be afraid of? Let's take it one step at a time. In this day and age, are we afraid of starving to death?"
With her modern knowledge, what couldn't she do? Why does she have to rely on a mere Huangfu Rong to survive?
Thinking of this, Liang Qingqing walked straight into a clinic. The clinic had just opened, and the servant hadn't even had time to hang up the lanterns yet when Liang Qingqing went inside.
"Where is your boss? Call him out; I have some valuable medical prescriptions to show him."
After a while, the boss came out, took the order written by Liang Qingqing, glanced at it casually, and then threw it aside.
"We have all these prescriptions of yours. Go away, go away, don't cause trouble here, get out of here."
"You have it?! How is that possible! Do you even know what this prescription can cure?"
"Hahaha, do you run a pharmacy or do I run a pharmacy? You're asking me for a hundred taels of gold for some prescriptions for treating colds, asthma, night sweats, and foot pain?"
Do you think gold grows from the ground? A hundred taels? Your stuff isn't even worth a copper coin! Hurry up and leave, don't delay our business!"
Liang Qingqing was pushed out, and all the prescriptions she had treasured for so long were thrown out.
"That stubborn old fool who doesn't know what's good for him!"
She gritted her teeth and endured it. If she were still the empress, these lowly people wouldn't even have the right to look her in the eye. If they dared to push her like this, she would exterminate their entire families!
Suppressing her anger, she went to several other pharmacies.
The result was the same; they only glanced at her before kicking her out.
Looking at the prescription in her hand, Liang Qingqing still couldn't believe it. These were modern prescriptions she had learned from watching short videos. How could they have existed in ancient times? Were ancient people smarter than modern people? How could they have invented so many prescriptions so early?
Liang Qingqing's plan to quickly make a fortune and open a shop was thwarted.
She stood on the street, watching people come and go, each one dressed in coarse linen, their faces pale and thin, as if they were refugees.
This is clearly the most prosperous capital city, where gold is everywhere and everyone is well-fed, clothed, and living a happy life. How could it possibly have such a mental state?
An old man selling steamed buns by the roadside saw her wandering around all morning and, feeling sorry for her, gave her a steamed bun.
Liang Qingqing was indeed hungry, so she said thank you and took the steamed bun.
"I will definitely bring you a large sum of money to thank you in a few days."
"It's just a steamed bun, no need to thank me. After you've eaten your fill, you should leave here as soon as possible. No one in the capital will take you in."
Liang Qingqing found it laughable.
What kind of person do you think I am?
“Aren’t you a refugee who fled from the south? I see several like you every day. If you trust me, go straight to the north now. If you can get into a city there, you can live a peaceful life.”
"Go to the Northern Kingdom? Ha, wouldn't you die even faster there?"
The steamed bun vendor shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this.
"What are you saying! Many people in the capital have gone to the North. We're leaving soon too. This area will be deserted. There's no good life for us if we stay."
"You're not going to stay in the capital of the Great Zhou? What remote, impoverished place in the North are you going to go to? Who knows, the North might already be destroyed before you even get there!"
The steamed bun vendor's expression changed drastically; his smiling face turned cold just moments before.
"You frog in a well, still spouting nonsense! We can see for ourselves which country is better than the capital! You should go to the North and see for yourself, then let's see if you'll still say such things!"
Zhou Yinghuai also said something similar.
"Go then, I want to see what kind of bewitching potion the Northern Kingdom has given you, that makes you all want to become traitors!"
"I knew it! He's an idiot! Go away, what a waste of my steamed bun!"
Liang Qingqing silently endured it all. There was nothing she could do now but wait for Huangfu Rong to come and pick her up so she could settle both old and new scores.
Next, she went to a restaurant, hoping to exchange her poems for money, but the owner didn't even look at her and just coldly said something.
"You can't even afford to eat, yet you want to exchange poetry for money! Get lost!"
At this moment, Liang Qingqing felt that the outside world was completely different from what she had imagined.
Everyone in the capital was cunning and treacherous, lacking even a trace of the simple and warm-hearted nature of the ancients.
The shop owners were heartless and not at all like the kind and hospitable people portrayed on TV.
Most importantly, she possessed a wealth of skills. She thought that once she arrived in the countryside, she could make a name for herself. However, in the end, the things she had treasured were either things that already existed in ancient times or things that were too advanced for these old-fashioned people to care about.
She was exhausted by the end of the day, and the seeds of regret had already taken root in her heart.
She regretted it. The outside world was cold and hard, and everyone's face was indifferent, unlike in the palace, where everything she could touch was smooth, warm, and soft, and everyone she met was gentle, humble, and polite.
But it would be too embarrassing to go back now, and she didn't want Huangfu Rong to think of her as a woman who would easily bow her head.
Therefore, Liang Qingqing decided to try a different approach to make a big splash.
She understands history, knows all the important milestones in the development of this era, and knows what changes the Great Zhou will face next. Therefore, she decided to go to the Northern Kingdom first to conduct on-site research before finding a truly capable person who can help her.
What Jin Shu can do, she can do too.
Building a skyscraper from scratch—is she really not as good at this as an ancient person?
Having no way to make money outside the palace, Liang Qingqing had no choice but to pawn her only valuable set of clothes in order to raise enough money for her journey to the North. She exchanged them for three taels of silver and a set of coarse cotton clothes, and then joined a group that was preparing to move to the North.
She endured all the hardships along the way, and finally arrived in the Northern Kingdom after half a month. (End of Chapter)
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