Half a year later.
Daxuan Kingdom, Wenzhou, Changn County border.
A nearby inn.
A group of people gathered around a table, drinking tea and eating dry food.
"Mom." A soft voice, with a tone of complaint, said, "I want to eat at, not buns anymore. Look, I’ve starved to the point of becoming thin."
As she spoke, she touched her chubby little cheeks.
Looking very aggrieved.
An Ning glanced at An Youyou, indifferent.
Zhang Wenhe, who was beside her, hurriedly comforted, "Little Miss, we’re almost at Wenzhou City, and we can eat at once we’re in the city."
"How soon is ’almost’?" An Youyou asked seriously with her round eyes.
"Based on the journey, at most 2 days." Zhang Wenhe quickly replied.
An Youyou was sowhat unhappy.
She just couldn’t understand why they weren’t going back to Xuzhou and insisted on going to so Wenzhou City.
Traveling all over the place.
Since leaving the Imperial Palace, she had been wandering with her mother for half a year without a place to settle.
Although following her mother mostly ant enjoying good food and drinks, occasionally it led to places with nothing to eat!
An Youyou ate the buns without much taste, taking bites with a face full of lancholy.
"Uncle Zhang." An Ning called out to Zhang Wenhe, who was busy.
"Yes, Miss." Uncle Zhang replied respectfully.
"Didn’t they say Wenzhou City is a rather prosperous place? Yet along the way, it feels so barren?" An Ning frowned.
Since leaving the Imperial Palace.
An Ning had reunited with An Youyou, Zhang Wenhe, and Yan Jinyao, and after reuniting, they didn’t rush to settle in a fixed place but toured the majestic landscapes of Daxuan Kingdom, which made the journey quite pleasant. But ultimately, finances were limited, especially since most of their wealth had been given to the Gu Family; what she had left wasn’t much, and they couldn’t keep living off their savings indefinitely. So after half a year of leisure, she planned to return to her old profession of opening a store to do business.
Deciding on Wenzhou was also part of a prior route plan.
Wenzhou was their last stop on the tour, and once they reached there, they could settle down, avoiding constant moving.
And since they decided on Wenzhou, they naturally learned more about it, inquiring about many situations regarding Wenzhou during the journey.
Most people’s answers were that Wenzhou is a place blessed with talented people and favorable conditions, suitable for living.
However, looking at the desolate surroundings now, it doesn’t seem like the rumors at all.
This large inn, all morning long, only had them as travelers coming to rest and drink tea, without seeing anyone else.
"Should I go ask about the situation?" Zhang Wenhe seed to find it peculiar as well.
"Go ask the innkeeper." An Ning said.
"Okay."
Zhang Wenhe left.
An Ning looked at An Youyou, noticing that although she was frowning, she was eating quite a bit.
She never worried that An Youyou would truly go hungry.
A born little foodie.
"Jinyao, help keep an eye on Youyou. Don’t let her eat too much, I’m going for a walk outside." An Ning instructed.
"Okay." Yan Jinyao nodded.
An Ning stepped out of the inn.
Since the inn was in the suburbs, it wasn’t lively.
However, on such a road, not seeing a soul truly felt eerie.
An Ning’s eyes suddenly tightened.
As if she heard a rapid sound of horse hooves.
Following the direction of the sound, An Ning saw a group of soldiers riding fine horses, kicking up dust as they headed directly toward the inn from afar.
An Ning stood farther aside.
The soldiers reached the inn, dismounted from their horses, and loudly shouted to the keeper, "Two pots of tea, ten buns, hurry up!"
"Officers, please co in, please co in." The innkeeper quickly went forward to welco them.
Several soldiers walked into the inn.
At that mont, Zhang Wenhe ca out from inside, walked over to An Ning, and reported, "Just asked the innkeeper, he said he doesn’t know what’s happening either. Over the past month, there have been very few people coming to the inn for tea and rest. In the past, there were at least a dozen groups per day, but now there are sotis none in a day. He said his location is along the main road from Changn to Wenzhou, but he doesn’t know why people from Changn aren’t going to Wenzhou anymore. This morning, he sent the shop assistant to Changn to check the situation; the assistant hasn’t returned yet."
An Ning nodded.
She led Zhang Wenhe back inside the inn.
Several soldiers were drinking tea and eating buns, seeming quite urgent.
The innkeeper, in order to please the officers, sent up so wine. "Officers, a token of respect from ."
The officer looked at the innkeeper, and the leader said, "We’re on duty now, can’t drink alcohol, take it away, take it away!"
"Can’t drink alcohol now, once the mission’s done, then you can. Officers, please accept it, it’s just a gesture from ." The innkeeper flattered.
The leader did enjoy drinking.
After a formal refusal, he reluctantly accepted.
"By the way, officer, has sothing happened in Changn lately? Why aren’t people from Changn traveling? My little shop’s business is about to fail." The innkeeper casually said.
The officer, drinking tea, loudly said, "You plan to keep doing business; being able to hold onto your life is good enough!"
"What happened?" The innkeeper asked curiously.
"Orders ca from above not to talk about it. Anyway, just don’t go to Changn." The officer advised.
"Yes, yes, yes." The innkeeper nodded quickly.
A few officers drank their tea, ate their buns, and quickly left.
An Ning watched their figures, saying to Zhang Wenhe, "It seems sothing has happened in Changn!"
Zhang Wenhe nodded, then asked, "Are we continuing to Wenzhou then?"
An Ning thought for a mont, "Let’s wait for the shop assistant to return and ask what exactly happened."
"Alright."
By afternoon.
The shop assistant hadn’t returned.
The innkeeper began to get a little anxious.
Rembering the officer’s words not to go to Changn, he wondered if the shop assistant had encountered trouble in Changn?!
The shop assistant was his own nephew; if sothing happened to him, how would he explain it to his nephew’s family?
The innkeeper was anxious, almost jumping in place.
An Ning hesitated, then said to Zhang Wenhe, "Uncle Zhang, tonight we’ll stay at the inn, not going to Wenzhou yet. When the night falls, we’ll go see what has happened in Changn."
"But Miss..."
"It feels really suspicious." An Ning made up her mind.
Zhang Wenhe reluctantly agreed.
Since Miss left the Imperial Palace, she had no dealings with the court anymore.
These matters shouldn’t really involve them.
Oh well.
Miss’s temperant indeed couldn’t ignore the plight of the world.
Moreover, he felt.
Miss had left the Imperial Palace and traveled for half a year, claiming it was to see the beauty of Daxuan, to enjoy good food and fun, when in fact she was just relaxing her mood and adjusting her emotions.
He didn’t believe Miss truly lived as carefree as she claid.
After all.
Not to ntion whether she had lingering feelings for the Emperor.
Just the fact that the young lord was still in the Imperial Palace ant Miss was destined to have ties to the palace all her life.
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