Chapter Fourteen: Young Master, Take Note
The wind howled like a mountain being uprooted, and the rain poured down like a river bursting its banks. Outside the tent, the rain fell incessantly, without ceasing for a moment. If this continued, even this high ground would become untenable. Ye Yiqing, having changed her clothes, watched the woman standing at the tent entrance observing the sky, and quietly walked over to her, standing beside her.
Hearing the noise, Mu Lian did not turn around, but said in a deep voice, "This rain will probably not stop for another two or three days..." If they cannot cross the river successfully, not only will the auspicious time for praying for blessings be delayed, but they may all perish at the bottom of the river.
"Yes..." Without turning around, Ye Yiqing gazed at the torrential rain outside the tent and replied naturally, "The large ship dispatched by the imperial court should have arrived by now, but it's probably stuck at the mouth of the gorge, about fifty miles from here. If we can reach the gorge by tomorrow, that large ship is sturdy and might withstand the wind and waves, so the delay won't be too long..."
“Good…” Mu Lian’s expression shifted slightly, and she nodded in agreement, “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” She hadn’t expected that this Lord Ye would actually be quite insightful, thinking the same thing as her. As she spoke, the woman tilted her head slightly upward.
Through the veil beneath the bamboo hat, Ye Yuqing could vaguely make out the woman's profile—a delicate and aloof face. Ye Yuqing had seen many women since childhood. Not to mention the grand palace of the noble Princess Danyang, where even the small Ye household had countless clever maids. And then there were the three Ye sisters, always among the most beautiful women in the capital: the eldest, Ye Zhenzhu, gentle and dignified; the second, Ye Mingzhu, fiery and alluring; and the youngest, Ye Meizhu, bright and beautiful. Their refusal to marry outside the family and their insistence on marrying into the family had tormented the hearts of countless nobles and royalty.
However, at this moment, as he smelled the woman's unique, faint fragrance and was suddenly amazed by her vaguely beautiful profile, the dignified Scholar Ye was momentarily distracted and began to have inappropriate thoughts.
As the eldest son of the Ye family, Ye Yuqing had always been protected and pampered since childhood. Although his older sisters occasionally quarreled with each other, they were all extremely good to their younger brother, as were his three brothers-in-law. In the imperial court, due to the prestige of Old Master Ye and his relationship with Imperial Censor Ye, Ye Yuqing was always invincible and fearless.
Just moments ago, the esteemed Ye Tanhua, showered with affection and favor, was being dragged around like a piece of merchandise. If it were anyone else, they would undoubtedly be punished for disrespect. But Mu Lian's actions reminded Ye Tanhua of a line from a storybook his third sister loved: "Woman, you have successfully caught my attention."
The man's gaze was slightly intense. Mu Lian seemed to sense this, lowering her head to pull her hat down further, her tone softening: "Lord Ye, then please..."
A clear, cold voice, like shattering jade, suddenly rang in her ears, seemingly even colder than usual. Ye Yuqing couldn't help but shiver. Her well-defined fingers rubbed against the arm of the woman closest to her, and she smiled as she replied, "Okay."
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the man's long, slender fingers brushed against Mu Lian's sleeve, carrying the scent of cedarwood that wafted along the arc of his fingertips, subtly entering the woman's nostrils and tantalizingly alluring. Mu Lian didn't turn around, but her delicate fingers, gripping the sword hilt, unconsciously opened and closed again.
The soldiers had just returned to their camp on the high ground and, after a brief rest, were about to embark on another trek. In one of the tents, some of the most exhausted Imperial Guards couldn't help but complain. The murmurs became quite noisy.
"Are you trying to kill us? Are we supposed to go or stay?"
"Was this decision made on a whim, without even giving anyone a chance to breathe?"
"I always said women can't do anything. When did our Imperial Guards come under the control of that woman from the Court of Judicial Review?"
...
Just outside the tent, a troop of soldiers from the Judicial Office, fully equipped and ready for battle, happened to pass by. Hearing this, the soldiers exchanged glances, their faces filled with anger. If it weren't for that Deputy Commander Sun's empty talk and incompetence, why would they, the Judicial Office, have to clean up the messes left by the Imperial Guards?
Things have to go back further. Originally, according to Mu Lian's plan, if he marched quickly, he could cross the Yellow River before the storm. But because the guards disobeyed orders and deliberately delayed their orders, Vice Commander Sun not only ignored them but let them go. As a result, everyone missed the best opportunity to avoid danger and was blocked here by the wind and rain. Now they actually have the nerve to complain. If the current situation wasn't urgent, all the pawns in the Magistrate's Court would really want to rush in and beat up these ignorant guys.
"The commander has ordered us to evacuate as soon as possible..." The captain shouted from his horse through the wind and rain.
"Consider yourselves lucky!" The magistrate's soldier closest to the tent angrily waved his fist and weapon toward the tent entrance before hurriedly chasing after the troops.
The torrential rain showed no signs of abating, and the sky grew increasingly dark. At this point, marching was certainly less comfortable than taking shelter in the tent.
Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Mu Lian glanced at the rain outside the tent again and said calmly, "Go and inform them again. If they still do not obey orders, then there is no need to say anything more..." It seems that our Judicial Office has done too many good deeds recently, so much so that these Imperial Guards have forgotten that the number one on the list of the most ruthless people in the capital is none other than our Judicial Office's head.
Tsk tsk, those guys are really in for a rough time this time. The subordinate who went to deliver the message was actually a little excited.
Ahead, Ye Yuqing was ready. As the envoy of the Imperial Cauldrons, the Empress had provided Ye Yuqing with a very fine carriage, which was not only windproof and rainproof, but also allowed her to traverse mud and water as if on flat ground.
Sitting in the carriage, Ye Yuqing glanced at the disheveled people and horses outside the window and turned to Ye Xun, saying, "Go and invite Chief Mu and Attendant Meng. Tell them that I have important matters to discuss with them."
"Yes." Grabbing his raincoat, Ye Xun got off the carriage.
After a difficult search, they finally found Mu Lian and Meng Yuan at the back of the group.
"The Chief of the Cauldrons requests your presence?" Meng Yuan glanced at Mu Lian, surprised.
Lifting the carriage curtain, Mu Lian looked up at the Imperial Envoy's private carriage and said in a calm tone, "Thank you, Imperial Envoy, but our master is unavailable at the moment. Let's talk about it later..."
Hmm? This time, Ye Xun was a little surprised. Rejected? Then, it was Meng, the attendant, who spoke, while Lord Mu, wearing a mask, remained silent. How strange.
However, Ye Xun dared not act presumptuously in front of Headmaster Mu; he valued his life more than anything. So he naturally replied, "Very well, then Lord Mu and Attendant Meng, please rest well. I shall take my leave..."
After Ye Xun left, Meng Yuan, bursting with curiosity, finally couldn't help but ask, "My lord, why?" The carriage they were riding in already showed signs of leakage, and if it were soaked in the rain, it would probably fall apart immediately.
Mu Lian tapped the silver mask on Meng Yuan's face and said calmly, "One cannot accept a reward without merit..."
Alright. Actually, Meng Yuan could understand. If she received favors from the Chief of the Cauldrons today, she was afraid that things would be difficult to handle next time. But Meng Yuan really wanted to try the Chief of the Cauldrons's exclusive carriage. Just by looking at the exterior, she knew that the interior must be incredibly comfortable.
What a pity.
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