The night draped over the northern frontier grasslands, a cool evening breeze carrying the fragrance of grass and a hint of moisture, dampening the young man's cheeks...
Ahead, a faint mist appeared. Gazing intently, he could see specks of light flickering within the watery haze.
The young man pursed his lips and smiled, "Ha, we're finally here!~"
The one arriving was Yun Siman, who had rushed over from the northern frontier military camp...
The large city with lights ahead was Harlinla City.
Yun Siman's visit was on the orders of his uncle, to thoroughly investigate the matter of the Suizhi people heading to the Central Plains...
Upon reaching the city gate, he saw hundreds of soldiers guarding the entrance, so tightly that not even a fly could get through. Yun Siman had no choice but to make a makeshift bed and wait until dawn to enter the city.
Early the next morning, Yun Siman disguised himself as a merchant and entered the city, covering his face with a black cloth...
Because he had a face typical of the Central Plains, he was inevitably stopped and questioned by patrolling soldiers.
"Innkeeper, do you have any vacant rooms?" Yun Siman entered an inn, intending to find lodging.
Although Harlinla was not prosperous, with weapons and fully armed warriors visible everywhere, the city was vast, appearing capable of housing two imperial capitals of the Central Plains...
Moreover, it was densely populated and had a developed livestock industry. The streets and alleys were filled with donkeys, horses, cattle, sheep, and dairy products, with almost no silk, cloth, or specialties from the Central Plains.
The innkeeper sized up Yun Siman and said in surprise, "Why cover your face? Judging by your accent, you're from out of town, aren't you?"
Yun Siman: "..."
You're quite sharp.
"Innkeeper, to be frank, I'm from the Central Plains. I've brought a few carts of tea and plan to earn some money here!~" As Yun Siman spoke, he removed the black cloth from his face.
The innkeeper snorted upon hearing this, "Our people don't fancy drinking that stuff. It's bitter, not half as good as milk tea. You want a room, right? There's some internal trouble in the Royal Court right now, and merchants from out of town are strictly forbidden from staying. You should look elsewhere..."
Yun Siman narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.
It seemed there was indeed something going on within the Suizhi people, otherwise, they wouldn't have sent so many people to the Central Plains...
"I just arrived and don't know. What exactly happened in the Royal Court?" Yun Siman asked with a smile.
The innkeeper seemed unwilling to answer, frowning, "Why is a Central Plains person asking so much? Get out, get out. This inn is closed for business today..."
Anyone who dared to leak the secrets of the Royal Court would face the death penalty. As a commoner, he couldn't afford to anger the King of Harlinla.
Seeing his stubbornness, Yun Siman had a sudden idea. He took out a jade pendant from his怀, "Innkeeper, see this? This beautiful jade is top-grade merchandise in our Central Plains. I wouldn't sell it for any price. Feel it with your hand, the craftsmanship, the material..."
The innkeeper's eyes lit up. He held the jade pendant with both hands, utterly delighted.
Due to the weak light industry of the Suizhi people, handcrafted items were extremely rare. Exquisite jade pendants like this were only suitable for the King of Harlinla and royal nobles to wear. Ordinary people had hardly ever seen them...
"Oh, this is truly a good thing!~" The innkeeper caressed the jade pendant, finding it so precious he could barely bear to return it to Yun Siman.
Yun Siman smiled faintly and slowly leaned towards the innkeeper, "Innkeeper, as long as you tell me what's happening within the Royal Court, this jade pendant will be yours..."
Yun Siman had several more such jade pendants in his bag, specifically for tricking the grassland people.
The innkeeper bit his lip, his expression very conflicted.
Yun Siman didn't rush. He sat aside and waited slowly, "Innkeeper, you should think carefully. A jade pendant is rare; if you miss this village, you won't find this shop again..."
Upon hearing this, the innkeeper's eyes dimmed gradually. Greed overcame his reason, and he directly pulled Yun Siman into the inner room.
"You absolutely cannot tell anyone, otherwise, my family will suffer..." the innkeeper cautioned.
Yun Siman smiled and nodded, "Innkeeper, rest assured, I've always been a person of principle!~"
What principles? Yun Siman felt he was the one who broke principles.
The innkeeper closed the door tightly and lowered his voice, "I heard that King Harlinla's youngest daughter, Princess Xia Qing, is missing. Oh, you don't know, that little princess is King Harlinla's most beloved child. She mysteriously disappeared. When King Harlinla found out, he flew into a rage and dispatched his most elite cavalry to search everywhere..."
"Princess Xia Qing?" Yun Siman murmured to himself.
She's missing, what does that have to do with the Central Plains people?
"Yes, that little princess is only sixteen this year. She's smart and cute, but she suddenly disappeared. The common people suspect Queen Jila is involved..."
"Queen Jila?" Yun Siman looked puzzled and asked, "Isn't Princess Xia Qing Queen Jila's child?"
"Of course not!~" The innkeeper sighed, "I heard that Princess Xia Qing is the child of King Harlinla and a common woman. She was only recently brought into the royal palace. The moment Queen Jila saw her, she intensely disliked Princess Xia Qing, so the culprit behind this must be her..."
After speaking, the innkeeper quickly stood up, cracked open the door, and glanced outside. Confirming no one was eavesdropping, he relaxed.
Yun Siman leaned back against the chair, lost in thought.
It seemed that Nasongde's dispatch of cavalry into the Central Plains was not intended as an invasion. He was searching for Princess Xia Qing...
But this was just speculation. For a war-monger like Nasongde, who was ambitious, invading the Central Plains was only a matter of time.
Since he had figured out the reason behind the events, Yun Siman saw no need to linger in Harlinla City.
After bidding farewell to the innkeeper, he mounted his swift horse and galloped all the way towards the northern frontier military camp...
Three days later, on a main road leading to Dashui Village, a simple carriage arrived.
The coachman sat on the shafts, holding the whip in one hand and a wine gourd in the other, drinking as he drove.
"Oh, May, May, the moon shines on the flower terrace. Suddenly I hear someone calling my darling outside the door, it turns out to be my lover coming, my lover is coming..."
The coachman was in high spirits, even singing a folk song.
"Laifu, where are we?" a low voice came from inside the carriage.
The coachman, called Laifu, quickly put down his wine gourd and chuckled, "Scholar Jiang, we are almost at the border of Heyang County. If we hurry, we can reach Dashui Village tonight..."
That's right, the person inside the carriage was Scholar Jiang from the Hanlin Academy, who had come from the capital to teach the Crown Prince and Princess Dongping.
Upon hearing Laifu's words, Scholar Jiang lifted the curtain, and in an instant, a handsome and refined face was revealed.