Xin He smiled lightly and touched Ah Guai’s face, "Mother knows."
Mu Houchu stood to one side, his expression somber. Because his demeanor was too cold, bystanders hardly dared to speak.
The coachmen and attendants accompanying them were actually martial experts from Mu Houchu’s secret guard, who were currently in disguise. Noticing Mu Houchu’s gloomy presence, all of them intuitively understood that their master was in an exceptionally bad mood, so they tried their best to lay low.
Xin He handed Ah Guai over to Mu Houchu, saying, "Take good care of Ah Guai. If she misses me, try to comfort her and stop scowling."
Ah Guai looked up at Mu Houchu with red eyes and sniffled, "Mother, don’t worry. If Father is sad, Ah Guai will comfort him." As she spoke, she reached up with her tiny hand to touch Mu Houchu’s face in an attempt to soothe him.
Everyone was silent: your father isn’t just sad, he’s on the verge of fury.
Of course, Ah Guai didn’t see it that way. In her eyes, Daddy was the nicest man in the world; how could he possibly be angry? He was clearly just upset!
Looking at Mu Houchu’s dark expression, Xin He couldn’t help but feel amused, which eased her departure anxiety. She tugged at his sleeve, "Then let Ah Guai comfort you when you’re upset."
Mu Houchu gave her a chilly look, yet finally said, "Take good care of yourself, don’t act recklessly."
"I know." Xin He smiled lightly, pressing her lips together, then turned and hopped onto the carriage.
Mu Houchu watched her graceful back as she departed, holding his words in silence as he stood still, watching the carriage slowly move away.
Xin He opened the window curtain and stuck her head out, waving to Ah Guai and Mu Houchu, "Ah Guai, be a good girl. Wait for Mother to come back!"
Ah Guai tried hard to suppress her tears, shouting in a piteous voice, "Ah Guai will wait for Mother!"
Only when the carriage disappeared from sight did Ah Guai burst into tears.
"Are you scared, Ah Guai?" Mu Houchu asked as he wiped her tears.
Sniffling, Ah Guai nodded, "A little bit, just a little bit."
"What are you scared of? That your mother won’t come back this time?"
Ah Guai bit her lip and stayed silent, seemingly unwilling to admit it.
Mu Houchu softly reassured her, "Don’t be afraid. Daddy won’t let anything happen to her."
"Really?" Ah Guai stared blankly at Mu Houchu, her eyes still glimmering with tears.
Mu Houchu gave her a small smile, "Really."
Ah Guai thought for a while, finally grinning, "Mother said, what Daddy says is always true. If Daddy says mother will be okay, then she will definitely be okay. Ah Guai believes Daddy."
Mu Houchu chuckled lightly, patting Ah Guai’s head, "Did your mother really say that?"
Ah Guai nodded, "Mother also said, Daddy loves Ah Guai and her the most in this world. So, Ah Guai should also love Daddy a lot. When Mother’s gone, if Daddy’s sad, Ah Guai will comfort him well."
As she spoke, she mimicked the way Mu Houchu patted her head, patting him on his head in return.
Mu Houchu shook his head and chuckled, then looked towards the direction where Xin He had left. The gloom in his heart seemed to have dissipated.
——
"Madam, are you tired? Perhaps you should lie down to rest." Xiaoyu spoke in a soft voice.
As they were traveling disguised as a merchant’s wife, the carriage was fully equipped. For Xin He, who could stay in a military camp for a month without complaints, these conditions were already quite good.
But Xin He shook her head, "No need, I’m not tired."
"Madam, you’re exhausted from worrying about the Marquis. The journey to the capital is long; you really need to take care of yourself."
"I know my limits," Xin He rubbed her temples. But even though she was conscious of this, she couldn’t help but worry about her father who was now completely in the hands of the court.
"Madam, if you’re so worried, why don’t we intercept the convoy transporting the Marquis to the capital? Why wait till they reach the capital..." Shulan asked with confusion.
Xin He replied calmly, "I’ve discussed this with the prince. The court detained Le Yuanhou, not solely out of spite. The Emperor himself is in a crisis. He doesn’t have the luxury of time to focus on a person they resent. Ultimately, they hope Le Yuanhou can restrain Mu Houchu or me. The court must be prepared for us to rescue him during his transport to the capital. If we fall into their trap, the loss would outweigh the gains."
Xin He might be anxious, but she wouldn’t be foolish enough to walk into a trap. Given the current situation, going to the capital seems to be the best solution.
Although the court had detained Le Yuanhou, there was no reaction from Yu State. There were no accidents during the transport to the capital. Naturally, they relaxed their vigilance. It would be easier to make their move in the capital.
Shulan nodded, "Madam has considered everything."
——
The carriage swiftly moved along the road, with Xin He almost continually hurrying it on. She was not as delicate as those noble ladies, so she barely rested, sleeping in the carriage while on the move. Even the coachmen were rotated among their disguised attendants.
After less than half a month of such hurried journey, they reached the outskirts of the capital city.
Xin He looked at the imposing city gates, feeling a sense of awe. She had been away from this place for seven years.
The documents for entering the city had been prepared long ago, and a bribe of fifty taels of silver had been arranged for the guards at the city gate, who were then more than willing to let them through. After taking a glance at Xin He and her attendants inside the carriage, they waved them through.
As the carriage slowly entered the city, the soldier respectfully handed the bag of silver coins to the general of the city gate.
The general weighed the money bag in his hand and snorted, "The amount is not small. Which household is so generous?"
"Sir, it was the carriage that just entered the city. Although the carriage is exquisite, it does not display much grandeur. And the family name doesn’t seem to carry much reputation in the capital, just an ordinary merchant. But the carriage carried a woman, probably worried that a search might ruin her reputation, so she gave more in bribery."
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