When Pang Xiao returned to the Prince's Mansion, his expression remained as if he was suppressing his anger. When he returned to his room and saw Qin Yining, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"What's wrong? Why are you so happy?" Qin Yining heard the noise and came out to welcome him. When he saw Pang Xiao standing alone at the door and laughing, he couldn't help but laugh as well.
Pang Xiao shook his head. He hugged Qin Yining and sat down beside the arhat bed.
"Nothing. I just thought of Zhong Yibo and felt that it was very interesting." He told Qin Yining about his conversation with Lu Heng just now. Pang Xiao shook his head and laughed. "He should be calling me a fool in his heart."
Qin Yining laughed and said, "Isn't that what we want him to do?"
Thinking about how Pang Xiao, who would rather fight openly when faced with a difficult problem, had gradually become proficient in acting and scheming, Qin Yining couldn't help but sigh. "In the eyes of outsiders, whether it's you or Zhong Yibo, you're both dragons and phoenixes among men. For example, we have great wealth and wealth, and our status is much higher than ordinary people. But only we know how much we've suffered under our glamorous appearances. Acting is the simplest. Going through fire and water and licking blood on the knife's edge is a common occurrence. "
Pang Xiao kissed Qin Yining's cheek and said indifferently, "It's not a big deal to act. We can get used to going through fire and water. One has to suffer as much as they can enjoy. We just have to face it with a peaceful mind. Anyway, the future will only be better than the present. "
Qin Yining couldn't help laughing.
She originally wanted to persuade and comfort Pang Xiao. She didn't expect him to be so open-minded and persuade her first.
"It's good that you're open-minded. Since that's the case, I'll order people to prepare. We'll set off tomorrow. "
Pang Xiao nodded. "I'll go outside to discuss with Mr. Xie and Mr. Xu."
Pang Xiao and Qin Yining each made preparations separately. The next day, they brought enough manpower and drove the carriage out of Huichuan County.
In addition to the carriage that the two of them were riding, there were also a number of carriages with green curtains and large carriages.
The accompanying guards looked relaxed, chatting and laughing. Qin Yining even pulled open the curtains to look out from time to time. Their leisurely appearance did not seem like they were on an errand, but more like they were going out to play.
Pang Xiao and Qin Yining went out of the city to make a big fuss. When Lu Heng heard the news, he and Lu Wenru stood at a street corner to watch from a distance to make sure that they had really left.
Through the open window, he saw Qin Yining obediently and tenderly leaning against Pang Xiao. The two of them were chatting and laughing intimately. Thinking that even if they arrived at Danfu County, even if the sky fell down, Qin Yining would still be by Pang Xiao's side to share honor and disgrace, Lu Heng's good mood decreased by half.
"Let's go." Lu Heng turned and left with a heavy expression.
Lu Wenru didn't dare to ask more and hurriedly followed. Inside, she somewhat understood Lu Heng's feelings. Compared to the Countess who often threw tantrums in the fu, the Zhong Shun Qinwang and Wang Fei were a pair to be envied.
%
Danfu County wasn't very far from Huichuan County. Afraid of delaying the official business, when the group arrived at the outskirts, Qin Yining and Pang Xiao discussed setting off first.
Pang Xiao had made the decision long ago, but when she saw Qin Yining wearing an ordinary long cotton dress and a white veil hat, she couldn't help but worry.
"Is it not good if I arrange for more Jinghu Wei to follow you? You only have Ji Yun, Jing Zhe, and the other three. I really can't be at ease. "
Qin Yining lifted the white veil on her veil hat and raised her head to look at Pang Xiao with a smile. "I'm just an ordinary businesswoman right now. It's already a big deal for me to have a maidservant and four servants by my side. If there are more people, people will suspect. When that time comes, won't we not be able to find anything? Also, the Jinghu Wei are all giants among men and have extraordinary appearances. If they go out, they will be too eye-catching. They aren't like Jing Zhe and the other three. They are skilled in spying and have experience in this area. They know how to blend into the crowd. "
Pang Xiao knew that Qin Yining was right. She said helplessly, "Alright, we will do as you say."
She turned and instructed Tang Xiu, "Take some people to see if anyone is following us."
"Yes." Tang Xiu responded and took the Jinghu Wei to investigate. Not long after, she came back and reported, "Replying to Wang Ye, there is nothing suspicious."
Pang Xiao helped Qin Yining into the carriage and turned to instruct Jing Zhe and the other three.
"Although spying is important, Wangfei's safety is more important. If anything happens, protecting Wangfei's safety is the first priority."
"Yes. Wang Ye, don't worry. We will not disappoint you. "Jing Zhe and the others bowed solemnly.
Qin Yining lifted the curtain and smiled at Pang Xiao. "Don't worry. I am going to scout for information. I won't cause trouble. Besides, I am dressed like this and wearing a veiled hat. No one will be able to tell who I am. How can there be any danger? "
"I know you are capable, but I am still worried." Pang Xiao said helplessly. "Go. If anything happens, immediately retreat. It doesn't matter if you don't get any information. I will follow closely behind. I don't believe that Cheng Weimin will really disobey the imperial edict."
"I know." Qin Yining smiled and said goodbye to Pang Xiao. Then he instructed Jing Zhe and the others to set off.
An ordinary carriage with blue curtains, followed by two large flatbed carriages filled with daily necessities, slowly moved onto the main road.
Seeing Qin Yining and the others walk away, Pang Xiao instructed his subordinates, "Let's set off too. We will take the official road slowly."
The journey to Danfu County was very smooth. Early in the morning on the 13th of July, the group of people directly drove the large carriages into the city gates with their travel permits.
The summer weather was hot. When the windows were opened, there was only a curtain between the outside and the outside. As they moved, the curtains curved like waves. Qin Yining and Ji Yun lifted the curtains from the left and right sides and looked out through a gap.
As a large county with fertile land and developed agriculture, Danfu County appeared to be much larger than Huichuan County. There were commoners walking on the streets. Judging from their clothes and expressions, it was obvious that these commoners were living very peacefully.
"Madam, the atmosphere here seems very good. It seems more comfortable than Huichuan County. The people here are smiling more. They seem to be kind people," Ji Yun said softly.
Qin Yining nodded. "Although there was a flood, Danfu County's foundation is still there. The commoners don't have to worry about whether they will starve to death. Naturally, they feel relaxed. Only when they are living peacefully and don't have to fight can they be kind people. "
Qin Yining thought of Liang City, which was located at the border between the two countries. When the war broke out, couples and fathers didn't even care about each other. It was just a mouthful of food. Whoever ate it would be able to live. Was it for themselves or their family? She saw the warm and selfless side of many people, but there were also many selfish and dark sides. There were many people like her who were forced to escape into the mountains. However, not many people survived. She was indeed very lucky.
Outside the carriage, Jing Zhe, Young Man, and the others had already begun to shake the bell and talk to the passers-by. They began to promote the goods on the carriage.
Since they were traveling merchants, they naturally had to act like one.
The two carriages moved very slowly. Qin Yining's carriage didn't get too close. He just followed them from a distance and carefully observed the surroundings.
The few silver-masked spies had no difficulty in disguising themselves as shop assistants. Each of them had a smile on their faces as they did business with people. Many of the goods they brought were daily items, such as women's headbands, rouge, face powder, and small jewelry that were not considered expensive. They immediately attracted the attention of many people.
Some people came up to ask about the price. Some felt that it wasn't appropriate and left. There were also some who stopped and hesitated. Jing Zhe and the others' purpose was to gather information. Naturally, the price of the goods was very flexible. They even accepted barter.
Soon, the news that a merchant had come to the city, and that he was carrying rare items spread.
Qin Yining didn't show up. He watched Jing Zhe and the others do business from a distance. At the same time, he discreetly inquired about the situation in the city. It took more than two hours for the carriage to turn the next corner.
Jing Zhe took some time to approach Qin Yining's carriage and whispered, "Master, the situation here is not right."
"What do you mean?"
"There are three big clans living in this county. They are the Liu clan, the Yuan clan, and the Yu clan. The combined population of these three clans accounts for 80% of the county's population. From the conversation, it can be seen that the people here are very united because of this. They are peaceful and have the sincerity of a villager. However, every time we chatted and mentioned that the Imperial Mausoleum was going to be built nearby, they all closed their mouths. There were a few people who were very enthusiastic about buying things, but they turned and left when they heard about the Imperial Mausoleum. "
Qin Yining frowned. "But from the register, when the Imperial Mausoleum was being built, most of the people at that time came to Danfu County. It doesn't make sense for them to be so cold when they heard that the Imperial Mausoleum was being built. Could it be that something happened to them at that time? "
"That might be the case." Jing Zhe said, "Based on our current speed, it seems that our group will need at least two days to travel through the entire county. Today, we will take the main road, which is east and west. What do you think? "
"Of course." Qin Yining said, "You don't have to be too deliberate. Just mention it when you meet someone who is kind."
"Yes, Master, don't worry."
After the two of them finished their simple conversation, Jing Zhe happily returned to the handcart like an ordinary worker.
The two handcarts took the lead, and Qin Yining's carriage followed behind. The group continued to move forward slowly.
Not long after, they arrived at the busiest part of Danfu County's main street.
Qin Yining looked out through the gap in the curtains. When his gaze fell on a large tree at the entrance of the alley, he couldn't help but frown.
At this time, a man in ragged clothes was lying under the tree. His body was as thin as a bamboo pole. The man's temples were white, and his hair looked like air-dried weeds. His face was dirty, making it impossible to see his actual appearance and age. One could only see that the bridge of his nose was very high. He hugged a bamboo stick that was as thick as an egg in his arms, as if it was his treasure. His bare feet were curled up.
Ji Yun saw that Qin Yining's expression was not right, so she asked in a low voice, "Madam, what's wrong?"
"Look over there, there's a child beggar." Qin Yining pointed at the man under the tree.
Ji Yun followed his words and looked over. She nodded and said, "Indeed."
"Don't you think it's strange?"
"How is it strange?"
Qin Yining frowned and said, "We haven't seen a single child beggar along the way. There's only one here. "
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
