Chapter 292: Sheltering from the Rain in the Wilderness
These civil servants are good at setting traps. If he dares to make a promise, it might get back to the emperor and become like He Qing has issued a military order.
The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice encountered a setback, but after all, He Qing was in a high position and he could not afford to offend him, so he still put on a smiling face and did not dare to neglect him at all.
"The journey to Fengcheng is long, so I won't delay the general. I wish you a safe journey."
He Qing responded indifferently, waved his hand, returned to the team and gave the order to set off.
The Minister of Justice watched the imperial guards gradually leave and spat at He Qing's back.
"Bah! Isn't it just because you're the Empress's brother that you're favored by the Emperor? What's there to be proud of?"
After grumbling, the Minister of Justice called over an accompanying official and said:
"You can send a letter to Lord Zhao now. Tell him that General Shen has left the Imperial Capital and that he can go to the palace to plead with His Majesty and take his daughter back."
The clerk responded with a delighted look on his face, "Sir, you've done Lord Zhao such a great favor this time. After you report on your work next month, you'll surely be promoted. When you're promoted, I hope you'll give me some support."
The Minister of Justice patted the clerk on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, we all came from humble backgrounds. We naturally need to help each other so that we can go further together."
*
The imperial guards were not allowed to leave the ten-mile radius of the imperial capital, so after leaving the territory, He Qing and a dozen of his close associates changed their clothes and disguised themselves as a group of people from a wealthy family visiting relatives in Fengcheng.
The further away from the imperial capital, the fewer and fewer inns there are along the way.
The team traveled for half a month, and their destination was often far from any village or shop.
On this day, a heavy rain fell. Although it was just after noon, the sky was as gloomy as if it was the end of the world.
The scout came back and said there was an inn a mile ahead.
The group quickly headed towards the inn.
In the dim light, a dim yellow lantern was hung at the entrance of the post station. Because it was raining, the candlelight could not penetrate the rain curtain, and it had a vague and eerie feeling.
As soon as the carriage stopped in front of the inn, a woman holding an umbrella came out and hung a wooden sign saying "Closed" on the door.
"Girl, we need to stay in a hotel."
The woman holding the umbrella pointed to the sign on the door and waved to the person who was speaking.
The man was soaked all over. He hesitated for a moment and turned back to report.
"Sir, the inn is closed and not doing business."
In the carriage, He Qing and Shen Yu sat opposite each other.
After hearing the man's report, He Qing opened the car door and glanced towards the entrance of the inn.
I saw a woman dressed as a peasant, with a patched apron tied around her waist. She looked pretty, especially her eyes, which were so bright that they were even brighter than the lanterns hanging on the door.
Shen Yu stared straight ahead, his eyes not even flickering from beginning to end.
His face looked calm, but his heart was in turmoil. God knows, when he suddenly saw Wen Wan appear in his sight just now, he almost couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes.
He pressed his fingers tucked into his sleeves against his knees, and only then did he calm himself down.
A quick glance is like ten thousand years.
I haven't seen her for more than half a month. She seems to have lost some weight, but her complexion is still pretty good.
However, why would she appear here when she is dressed as a woman?
Shen Yu was confused and pretended to stroke his cane, taking the opportunity to glance at her a few more times out of the corner of his eye.
He Qing didn't notice his abnormality and told his confidant:
"Tell the innkeeper that she has enough money and we can borrow a place to shelter from the rain."
The man walked back and stood at the bottom of the stairs to talk to Wen Wan.
Wen Wan just kept waving her hands, as if she didn't agree to let them stay in the inn.
Seeing that his men had not been able to handle the situation for a long time, He Qing simply took an umbrella from the side and got off the carriage.
When his men saw him coming, they said in embarrassment, "Sir, this woman is mute."
"Mute?" He Qing was surprised for a moment.
What a pity, it looks nice.
A hint of regret flashed across his face, and He Qing asked Wen Wan in a deep voice, "Could you have heard us talking?"
Wenwan nodded.
He Qing then asked, "We gave you more money, but you still don't want us to stay in your hotel. Could it be that you're afraid we might be bad guys?"
This question seems difficult for a mute to answer.
Wen Wan thought for a while, then raised her hand and gestured for a while.
He first gestured to pack his bags, then pointed to the distance, and finally gestured to close the gate.
He Qing frowned and guessed, "Are you saying that you're going to pack your bags and go on a long journey, so you're temporarily closing the shop?"
Wen Wan nodded repeatedly and gave him a thumbs up without hesitation, praising him for his successful guessing of the riddle with her actions.
Being praised by a mute with a thumbs up?
He Qing was stunned, as if surprised.
He asked calmly, "Are you the only one in this inn?"
Wen Wan shook her head, turned around and knocked hard on the gate.
The knock on the door startled the people in the inner room, and soon, a lame old man staggered out.
The old man was stunned when he saw the carriage and a group of young people at the door, then stepped forward and saluted.
"My dear guests, you have come at an unfortunate time. We are about to close the inn."
He Qing took out a banknote and asked, "You won't let me stay even if I pay you?"
When the old man saw the banknotes, his eyes lit up and he was obviously tempted by the money.
He looked at the banknote, then at Wen Wan, and shook his head with regret.
"It's not that I don't want to make money, it's just that my daughter-in-law has to go on a long trip, and I can't take good care of you gentlemen. I took the money, but I can't do the work of serving others. If things go wrong, I might not only not earn any money, but also lose myself."
He Qing added, "You don't need to wait on us. Let's find a place to shelter from the rain. We can do the rest ourselves."
Upon hearing this, the old man became even more excited.
The old man pretended to think for a moment and asked, "Where are you going, gentlemen?"
He Qing hesitated for a moment and said, "Fengcheng."
The old man's eyes lit up, "What a coincidence! My son is also doing business in Fengcheng, and my daughter-in-law is going to Fengcheng to find him."
After a pause, the old man said, "It's still more than ten days' journey from here to Fengcheng. I'm worried about my daughter-in-law walking alone. If you are willing to give her a ride, let alone shelter from the rain, I won't charge you for staying in my hotel."
"Oh?" He Qing's expression was indifferent. "What a coincidence?"
The old man laughed and said, "What a coincidence! My daughter-in-law is mute. If she hadn't heard from a fellow villager that my son had met with trouble in Fengcheng, she wouldn't have rushed to Fengcheng alone."
The old man's words revealed his worry for his son, and after he finished speaking, he deliberately made fun of Qiao.
Perhaps fearing that He Qing and the others would not agree, the old man said, "Forget it. If you don't want to bring a woman, I won't force you. We still have to go in and pack our things. You guys should hurry to the next house."
Next one?
There is only this one inn within a radius of dozens of miles.
Even if it didn't rain, if they missed this opportunity, they would have to sleep in the wilderness.
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