Some truths are useless no matter how much you hear them; you only understand them after experiencing them yourself.
Besides, was Wang Er's kindness wrong? Of course not.
It is wrong to do something right at the wrong time; the mistake is not in the event itself, but in the consequences.
Things are different now. They are in this environment now, so they must act with caution.
After a short rest, the group set off for Shangjun. They chose to travel along mountain paths to avoid crowds, but they inevitably encountered pedestrians.
It turns out that not only did they leave Yuyang early, but some people who had already sensed the danger had also taken the first step.
Inside the small inn, there were already several groups of travelers, all carrying their valuables.
"Boss, four guest rooms." Jiang Ming stepped forward.
"I'm sorry, sir, we only have two rooms left."
Qi Nuan and her group's arrival instantly attracted everyone's attention, noting that although they were young, they possessed extraordinary bearing.
A middle-aged man stepped forward and said, "I have an extra room that I can make room for these young men."
"Then thank you very much, brother."
Jiang Ming clasped his hands in a fist salute and laughed heartily.
The middle-aged man was a traveling merchant who frequented both the north and south. He was generous and loved making friends.
After the middle-aged man left, Zhang Liao said to Jiang Yu, "This man is Su San, one of the heads of the Su family of the Baiquan Trading Company in Fujian. He has a lot of influence in Baiquan and has traveled all over the country, making friends with all sorts of people. It would be very beneficial for us to build a good relationship with him."
Su San's real name is Su Beimu, but he is the third child in his family, so everyone calls him Su San.
Seeing that Jiang Yu's face was expressionless, Zhang Liao feared that Jiang Yu looked down on merchants, so he said to Jiang Yu, "Although merchants are of low status, their abilities, resources and information are enormous."
Jiang Yu nodded; he naturally had no prejudice against businessmen.
However, it's not an exaggeration to say that merchants are driven by profit, and Su San certainly wouldn't approach her without a reason; it was all about considerations of profit.
However, it is only human nature that people are driven by self-interest.
And they happen to have what he needs here.
Qi Nuan saw three horse-drawn carts carrying goods parked outside the inn. A flag was stuck on each cart, with the character "Su" written on it. It seemed that Su San and his group had made quite a haul on this trip.
Given the severe shortage of supplies here, the fact that he was able to collect so much demonstrates his considerable abilities.
As evening fell, another group of people arrived at the inn.
There were luxurious carriages, splendid clothes, and beautiful women.
"She's practically walking gold," Qi Nuan thought. "Isn't this a bit too ostentatious? Isn't she telling everyone that I'm very rich and they should come and rob me?"
But once you look at the rest, you'll understand: there are many servants and bodyguards.
I just don't know where this rich person came from.
At this moment, Zhang Liao looked at the group of people who had entered, and his expression became somewhat solemn.
Jiang Yu asked, "Sir, what's wrong?"
As soon as they stepped into the inn, Zhang Liao recognized them. The young man at the head of the group was the eldest son of the governor of Yuyang County, while the middle-aged man beside him was the governor's steward.
Clearly, these people were family members of the governor of Yuyang County.
"They are the family members of the governor of Yuyang County."
Upon hearing Zhang Liao's words, Jiang Yu understood what Zhang Liao was worried about.
Since the governor's family has already fled Yuyang County, it is clear that the situation there is already very bad.
Prefect Shi of Yuyang County was not a good official, but he was not a corrupt official either; he was just mediocre.
However, achieving mediocrity is extremely difficult.
Lord Shi was at least very politically astute; as early as when the drought struck and the county could not harvest grain, he had already prepared to have his family evacuate.
It should be noted that there was not a single grain of surplus in the government granaries. It is easy to imagine what would happen if a famine struck. Moreover, most of the people in Yuyang were prisoners exiled there, who had long harbored resentment towards the imperial court.
If given the chance, Yuyang would be hard to defend, and he was willing to die for his country, but not for his family to suffer such hardship.
He clearly forgot that the eldest son was not a thoughtful person.
It was clear that Young Master Shi and his steward also recognized Zhang Liao.
Young Master Shi looked at Zhang Liao with surprise and doubt, and was about to speak when the steward stopped him, saying, "Young Master, please settle down first and get to Yunzhong as soon as possible."
Zhang Liao remained expressionless and nodded slightly to the steward.
Meanwhile, Su San, sitting at another table, looked at the scene before him with a thoughtful expression.
In the middle of the night, Qi Nuan was awakened by a commotion.
She was very unhappy. "What happened?" She had finally managed to get a good night's sleep.
"It seems someone's things have been stolen," Ahua said softly.
The group got up. Everyone was downstairs except for a few women.
"A thief in the inn? Who stole our things? Step forward!" It was none other than Young Master Shi's voice.
The butler had just arrived and, seeing the displeasure on everyone's faces, quickly said, "I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest. We will cover your lodging expenses. However, the things my young master lost are very important to him. If any of you have seen them, please return them. We will reward you handsomely."
Hearing this, some people's expressions softened a little, but most people were still very dissatisfied.
"Who knows what you lost?"
"With so many people here, how would anyone know who took it?"
"It's not like we took it. Don't people want to get any sleep?"
...
Upon seeing the steward, Young Master Shi calmed down a bit, but his face was still very sour. "What I've lost is the bright moonlight that my father gave me."
Fortunately, while the moonlight is precious, it's not worth getting into trouble over material possessions when you're out and about.
The people in this inn are all extraordinary individuals, not to be trifled with.
After calming the man down, the butler apologized to everyone again.
The others didn't say anything; they just wanted to go back to sleep.
Nothing was said that night.
As soon as dawn broke, Jiang Yu and the others prepared to leave early.
"etc."
It was Su San's voice, "Young Master Yu, the journey is long, why don't we travel together?"
"I am very happy to have Brother Su by my side."
The journey was arduous, so having more people was naturally a good thing, and since both sides were willing to befriend each other, Jiang Yu readily agreed.
"Brother Amu, you are so skilled in martial arts at such a young age. May I ask who your master is?"
Su San had seen Amu practicing martial arts in the backyard last night, so he had a question about it. He was also curious because he saw that Jiang Yu and the others were also martial artists.
"I can't really call it martial arts; I just learned some health and fitness techniques from an old man."
Jiang Yu looked at the Su family's caravan. The men escorting the goods were all tall, strong, and skilled. "The brothers in the caravan seem to be quite adept at martial arts."
Su San knew, of course, that this was just him being modest. He himself had also studied martial arts and naturally knew that Amu's martial arts skills were not simple.
However, he was very proud of the martial arts skills of his own caravan. Other merchants would hire bodyguards from escort agencies, but the Su family did not have to.
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