On the official road leading to Shengjing, the sound of horses' hooves was urgent.
Chu Jiuqing rode his horse at breakneck speed, which was significantly faster than that of a carriage.
Horse riding is actually not difficult. In her previous life, Chen Qingqing often went to the horse farm in the suburbs to experience the joy of horse riding in her spare time.
Mount a fine horse and gallop freely across the vast grasslands, experiencing the feeling of freedom.
Chu Jiuqing didn't know she could ride a horse, so he kindly prepared a carriage for her.
The carriage was also lined with soft cushions, and Chen Qingqing naturally wouldn't refuse Chu Jiuqing's kind offer.
However, the road was bumpy and uneven, and before long she was dizzy, lightheaded, and had back pain.
If sitting in a car is this tiring, riding a horse for a long time will also cause chafing on the inner thighs, and there will be a lot of bumps along the way.
Compared to that, a sedan chair is definitely lighter and more agile.
I wonder how serious the Chu Emperor's illness is, the carriage was being driven so fast it was practically flying.
Although she was exhausted, she gritted her teeth and persevered.
Rumbling.....
A series of thunderclaps, one after another, followed by dark clouds that surged in as black as ink.
"Your Highness, a heavy rain is about to start. Should we continue on our way?" Zhui Feng hurriedly rode up to Chu Jiuqing.
Chu Jiuqing tightened the reins, looked up at the sky, and saw a sudden gust of wind. He quickly ordered, "Hurry up and go forward. When we find a place with houses, we'll take shelter from the rain before continuing our journey."
"Yes, sir!" Upon receiving the order, Zhui Feng shouted loudly to the guards in front, "Hurry up, everyone, move forward quickly, and find shelter from the rain at a house or inn."
The wind picked up and grew stronger, and the sky turned completely dark.
Accompanied by bursts of thunder, a torrential downpour began.
The guard was soaked to the bone and looked utterly disheveled.
Suddenly, the guards walking in front stopped, and Chu Jiuqing asked loudly, "Why did you stop?"
Zhui Feng rode up to them and said, "Your Highness, the road ahead is blocked by a huge rock. I am ordering men to clear it."
Chu Jiuqing frowned, his worry growing. He wondered if the Dragon Shadow Guards could hold out until Chu Jinxuan returned. If Chu Jinxuan colluded with the capital's garrison to launch a coup, even the Dragon Shadow Guards, though capable of fighting ten against one, would be no match for tens of thousands of city defense troops…
Suppressing his worries, Chu Jiuqing's expression turned stern. "Send someone ahead to scout out where there's shelter from the rain."
As soon as he finished speaking, he could vaguely see lights in the distance. "Zhuifeng, it looks like there are houses over there. Go and take a look."
Zhui Feng ran in the direction Chu Jiuqing pointed, but soon returned. "Your Highness, that place is a dilapidated little inn."
"That's good. Let's rest here today and continue our journey tomorrow."
As everyone approached, Chen Qingqing glanced out the window.
Just as Zhui Feng said, this inn is indeed very dilapidated.
The wooden door was dilapidated, and one end of the inn's signboard had long since come loose, hanging from the lintel.
If it weren't for the oil lamps lit inside, one might really think this was a long-abandoned inn.
Stepping into the inn, a damp, musty smell hit me.
Chen Qingqing frowned; this was worse than a prison.
At this moment, the shopkeeper was a thin, white-bearded old man. He stood in front of the counter, looking up at the door, as if waiting for the customers to arrive.
Seeing a customer arrive, he hurriedly came out from behind the counter, a fawning smile spreading across his wrinkled face.
"Gentlemen, please come in. Would you like a meal or a room?"
Chu Jiuqing glanced at the smiling innkeeper in front of him and said, "Stay here. Prepare some of the best rooms for us."
The innkeeper rubbed his hands together with a troubled expression. "I'm so sorry, sir. Our inn hasn't had a customer in a long time. We haven't even had time to clean the main rooms yet. We only have a few ordinary rooms. I wonder if you could make do with us for the night?"
Chu Jiuqing frowned slightly, about to speak, when Chen Qingqing interrupted, "It's alright, a regular room will do. We'll trouble the innkeeper to help prepare three tables of food and wine."
"Alright, gentlemen, please wait a moment, I'll have someone prepare it right away." After saying that, the shopkeeper called out to the inner room, "Hurry up and prepare three tables of top-quality food and wine."
As soon as he finished speaking, two men dressed as waiters quickly got to work.
Chen Qingqing looked around and found the inn too deserted, with not a single guest in sight.
The room's furnishings and layout looked as if it had just been cleaned, and something felt off. She chuckled self-deprecatingly, realizing that seeing the television in her past life had involuntarily brought up the image of Sun Erniang's shady inn.
Chu Jiuqing also looked around, glancing at the busy waiters and the shopkeeper, his eyes filled with coldness.
He instructed Zhui Feng Zhu Yue to lead the guards into the room to dry the clothes that had been soaked in the rain.
The inn suddenly became lively. The innkeeper ordered someone to make tea and pour water, and then called out to the inner room, "Meixiang, come out and greet the guests quickly."
"Here he comes." As soon as the words were spoken, a heavily made-up woman in revealing clothes walked out, swaying her serpentine waist. "Oh~~ This gentleman is quite handsome. Here, let me pour this gentleman a cup of tea. This is top-grade Sparrow Tongue tea, a royal tribute tea. Quickly try it and see how it tastes." As she spoke, she leaned against Chu Jiuqing.
Chu Jiuqing's eyes turned cold, and he warned sharply, "Stay away from me!"
"Oh dear~~ You're so clueless! If you don't want me to lean on you, just say so. Why are you staring at me like that? You scared me to death!" The woman pretended to be frightened and raised her hand to cover her chest.
Chu Jiuqing ignored her, picked up the teacup and took a sip, then frowned and spat it out. "Why is this tea so bitter? Quickly, make a fresh pot."
Chen Qingqing also took a small sip of tea. "It's such bitter tea. Could you please bring me some plain water instead?"
"So much trouble!" The woman reluctantly picked up the teapot from the table and turned to walk towards the kitchen.
Chen Qingqing felt that there was something strange about this place, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
I'm planning to ask Chu Jiuqing if we can find a different place to rest.
But when I looked up and looked outside, I saw that the heavy rain was still falling, showing no sign of stopping.
Oh well, if people don't want guests, fate will. Maybe I'm just overthinking it.
At this point, the food was gradually served.
The shopkeeper carried a jar of wine to the table where Zhui Feng and the others were sitting. "Gentlemen, this is aged wine. You can drink as much as you like, and we guarantee you won't get a headache."
After saying that, he carried a jar of wine to Chu Jiuqing and Chen Qingqing's table and said, "Esteemed guests, the weather is damp. Have some wine to warm yourselves up and avoid catching a cold."
Chu Jiuqing knew that drinking could lead to trouble, so he waved his hand and said, "Thank you for your kindness, shopkeeper, but we have to travel early tomorrow morning and can't drink."
"Sir, you're overthinking it. Look how heavy the rain is! Even if it stops, the roads will be slippery, and carriages won't be able to move tomorrow. Just have a little bit of wine, and I guarantee you'll sleep soundly tonight and have sweet dreams." The innkeeper said, pouring a bowl of wine and placing it in front of Chu Jiuqing...
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