At this time, several scholars wearing long robes and scarves on their heads were talking animatedly at the next table. One of them sighed heavily and said helplessly, "Alas, ever since this little emperor ascended the throne, the princes under him can't hold back anymore, and each of them has revealed their ambitions.
A while ago, Prince Ming openly rebelled, causing quite a stir. But before things had settled down, Prince Kang also rebelled a few days ago. The world is becoming increasingly chaotic!
Upon hearing this, another person hurried over and echoed in a low voice, unable to conceal his excitement, "That's right. I heard that this little emperor is just a puppet, with no real power at all. Now it's Prime Minister Fu who is holding the emperor hostage and controlling the princes. In this court, the various forces are intertwined and complicated, fighting for supremacy. How can there be any peace?"
An old man nearby also shook his head slowly, his face filled with worry as he sighed, "Right now, there's chaos and war everywhere. The people are displaced and suffering terribly. I don't know who will ultimately rule the world, and whether our lives will ever return to the peace we once had."
After hearing this, everyone fell silent for a moment. After a moment, someone sighed with regret, "Alas, what a pity for the Crown Prince. He was such a promising candidate to be the heir to the throne. If those misfortunes hadn't happened, perhaps the world wouldn't be in such chaos right now."
Lu Youan listened quietly to them discussing the prince. He was startled at first, and then a trace of sadness flashed across his eyes. The pain seemed to spread from the depths of his heart and instantly enveloped his eyes.
Uncle Hu saw the change in Lu Youan's expression and his face instantly turned bad. His originally calm face was now covered with gloom, his brows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes were full of complex emotions, including worry about Lu Youan and his own feelings about the past.
At this time, one of them seemed to want to break the oppressive atmosphere. He cleared his throat and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. I heard that a while ago, another courtesan came to Cuihonglou."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's attention was instantly drawn to them, and their brows, which had been furrowed just a moment ago, gradually relaxed.
The other person immediately perked up, his eyes brightening as he quickly chimed in, "Yes, this courtesan is incredible! She's both beautiful and charming. Her appearance is like a fairy from heaven. Her every frown and smile is filled with captivating charm. She's simply the most beautiful woman in the world!"
As he spoke, he couldn't help smacking his lips, as if the graceful figure of the courtesan had already appeared before his eyes.
After hearing this, the people around also showed curiosity and yearning, and started discussing it one after another.
At this time, a younger man laughed heartily, a mischievous smile on his face, and said loudly: "Haha, I'll go and take a look when I get a chance. I heard that Cuihonglou is usually very lively, and now that such a courtesan has come, I'm afraid the door will be trampled down by people."
Everyone burst into laughter after hearing this, and the originally solemn atmosphere in the teahouse suddenly became relaxed and a little ambiguous.
The two of them sat in the teahouse silently for a while, listening carefully to the conversations of the people around them, but after waiting for a long time, they didn't hear any useful information except some trivial matters that were of no importance.
Lu Youan sighed lightly, put down the teacup in his hand, winked at Uncle Hu, and the two of them stood up to pay the bill, and then slowly walked out of the teahouse.
Uncle Hu's eyes were fixed on the lonely figure in front of him, and a wave of heartache could not help but well up in his heart. He took two quick steps and asked softly, "Master, are you okay?"
Lu Yongan paused slightly, quickly concealed the complicated look in his eyes, turned his head, showed a faint smile to Uncle Hu, and said casually: "Uncle Hu, I'm fine."
After that, he quickened his pace and said, "Let's go buy supplies quickly, don't delay any longer."
By the time they had purchased all the necessary supplies and hurried back to the camp, all the people in Sujia Village had already returned.
The village chief saw them returning from afar, breathed a sigh of relief, nodded slightly at them, and seemed to be completely relieved after confirming that they were safe. He turned around and slowly went home.
In the following days, the sky was always covered with dark clouds, and the sun seemed to be hidden, with no trace left.
The lead-gray clouds weighed heavily overhead, as if within reach. The whole world was dominated by this gloomy tone, appearing depressing and silent.
The cold wind blew through the woods, making a slight whistling sound, making the branches tremble. The few dead leaves remaining on the branches were ruthlessly torn off and swirled to the ground.
Fortunately, however, the road surface on the official road had dried up and was no longer as muddy and difficult to walk on as before, which made the journey much smoother for everyone.
Everyone was walking on the official road, their steps were no longer as cautious as before, but became much lighter, and the team's speed of travel also increased.
That day, after dinner, Yao Qingshuang came to the fire.
At this time, the charcoal fire in the pile was still crackling and burning, with sparks occasionally jumping up and then slowly going out, turning into wisps of green smoke floating in the air.
Yao Qingshuang squatted down, gently used a branch to push away the ashes of the fire, and carefully dug out the sweet potatoes buried in them one by one.
The sweet potato was baked by charcoal fire until its skin was slightly charred, emitting an enticing aroma, which formed a sharp contrast with the cold environment.
She stood up and distributed the sweet potatoes to the children.
As soon as the children saw the sweet potatoes, their eyes lit up instantly, as if they had seen the brightest light in this dark world.
They quickly stretched out their little hands to take it, holding the warm sweet potato. The warmth spread through their palms to their whole bodies, dispelling the chill of the night and warming their young hearts.
The children couldn't wait to start peeling the potatoes. Their slender fingers deftly peeled off the slightly charred skin, revealing the golden sweet potato flesh inside.
They ate and talked incoherently, their faces filled with happy and satisfied smiles, which were like the twinkling stars in the night sky, appearing particularly bright and moving in this gloomy night, as if this simple sweet potato was the most delicious delicacy in the world, enough to make them forget all the fatigue and hardships of the journey.
As dusk deepened, a cold wind blew quietly through the camp, causing the flames of the campfire to sway slightly.
At this moment, a well-dressed maid walked towards the Sujia Village camp with light but slightly anxious steps.
She was wearing an elegant pink silk dress, the hem of which swayed gently with her steps. A delicate ribbon was tied around her waist, which made her figure more graceful.
There was an exquisite jade hairpin in her hair, and a few strands of black hair fell around her fair neck, adding a touch of gentleness and charm to her temperament.
Not long after, the village chief brought the maid to the Su family's location.
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