Chapter 426 - Arriving at the Foreign Land
Chapter 426 Arriving at the Foreign Land
“Let’s better leave them be. Let’s wait until we arrive at the nation of Lintian to find a place to settle them. What do you think?”
Lin Mengya’s tone of negotiation softened the severe expression on Long Tianyu’s face.
He pondered for a moment and eventually nodded, but he did not even glance at the weeping girl.
“Alright, since my elder brother had agreed, you may follow us for the time being. Hongyu, you and sister may travel with us in the same horse carriage.”
Hongyu gazed at Yuan Lin with eyes filled with gratitude. If not for her, Yuan Mei might really have killed Sumei, who kept pestering him.
On the other hand, Sumei had stopped crying and broke into a smile as she thanked the two Masters Yuan profusely.
What Hongyu was most worried about was that her little sister might be harboring wrong intentions.
Alas, she could only wish that her little sister was just by fits and snatches.
The horse carriage which was not especially spacious to start with had three more people added to it. Apart from Xiu, who was welcomed in there, Hongyu and Sumei could only confine themselves to one corner.
Lin Mengya did not like the frail-looking Sumei who kept pestering them.
However, she did not want to express her dislike in the presence of Hongyu lest she should embarrass her.
Once the horse carriage exited Square Town, Lin Mengya used her wish to breathe fresh air as an excuse to get out of the horse carriage and found a horse to ride on instead.
“Stop looking like victim. The younger of the Yuan brothers may be taken in by you, but not other people. Elder Sister Hongyu, please discipline your younger sister, otherwise don’t blame me if I don’t spare her feelings.”
Xiu commented with an innocent smile on her adorable face.
“Miss Xiu, actually, I was just… terrified.”
Sumei smiled awkwardly as she tried to explain herself and drops of tears were seeping out of her watery eyes.
She looked so pitiful, curling up as a ball, as if Xiu had bullied her.
“Terrified? If you were terrified, why did you hang on so tightly to Elder Brother Yuan’s leg instead of other people’s leg? Even if I believe that you were terrified, we will soon cross the borders into the Nation of Lintian. You and your elder sister would be able to find your livelihood there. Rest assured that no one would know what your elder sister used to do. How about that?”
Xiu suggested cheekily, but her eyes were piercingly sharp as she spoke.
“That won’t do! Since Young Master Yuan said he would keep me, I belong to him now. Moreover, she is not my sister, but a filthy woman! If I lived with her, who knows if I might turn into the kind of woman she was…”
“Slap!” Xiu gave Sumei a tight slap without mercy.
The smile on Xiu’s face disappeared instantly and her piercing glare went right through Sumei’s heart like a sharpened dagger.
“Don’t forget what you did when we were locked up together! While you keep saying that she is a filthy woman. If it’s not for her, who knows if you would have been sold to a brothel by now!”
Sumei stared at Xiu in a daze. Her lips quivered but no words came out of her mouth.
Xiu looked at the pretentious girl with disdain. She did not want to be too direct otherwise it would make things difficult for Hongyu.
“You’d better behave wisely and sensibly if you don’t want me to expose you and tell everybody about those things.”
When Xiu was done talking, she turned her head to look out of the window.
Baishao and Hongyu did not know what exactly happened between the two of them, but Baishao could tell that Sumei was not as innocent as she appeared to be.
Lin Mengya rode the horse with ease, while Long Tianyu and Qiu Yu were riding one on her right and the other on her left.
The silence between the three of them was bizarre. No one was willing to be the first to break the awkward silence.
However, both Long Tianyu and Qiu Yu took turns peeking at Lin Mengya. Occasional, their eyes would meet and they would give each other a glare, as if they were challenging each other.
“There’s something I want to tell you both,” Lin Mengya decided to remind Long Tianyu and Qiu Yu after she calmed her thoughts.
“What is it?” The two men asked simultaneously, though not out of good rapport.
Nevertheless, when they realized that they had spoken at the same time, they childishly gave each other a hard glare.
“Someone is watching me. Last night, I met the owner of Huichun House. Initially, I thought I could keep my identity from him, but he already knew my real identity.”
In that instant, Long Tianyu and Qiu Yu’s expressions were frozen.
Both of them had fallen into the whirlpool of the power struggle for the throne. They could smell the crisis in Lin Mengya’s words.
“Could it be the Crown Prince’s men?” Qiu Yu asked softly as if he was facing an enemy after hesitating for a moment.
“It shouldn’t be. The Crown Prince does not have such capabilities. What else did you find out, Mengya?”
Long Tianyu stopped arguing with Qiu Yu at the mention of serious business.
Although the Crown Prince had created lots of trouble for them, Long Tianyu was aware of the capabilities of the Queen and the Crown Prince.
If the Crown Prince could reach them so far, the mother-and-son pair would not have done these things in the dark when the emperor was still ill.
“Perhaps this had something to do with White Dragon and Black Tiger. I believe they are not simply an organization that does human trading. Not to mention other things, but there was a secretly hidden courtyard in Huichun House which has a richly ornamented building in it. It’s not a place where commoners can afford to visit. Such kind of places is even rare in the Capital City. Furthermore, I heard that such courtyards could also be found elsewhere.”
The gentle spring breeze brushed on Lin Mengya’s face and the heat she was feeling a moment ago subsided.
Similarly, Qiu Yu and Long Tianyu had sunk into deep thoughts respectively. Like Lin Mengya, they each had his suspicion.
After pondering for a long time, both of them were determined to guard and protect Lin Mengya by staying by her side all the way until they return to the Capital City.
“Forget it, and let’s not allow our imagination to run wild. At least those people are not intent on taking my life. I’ll just be cautious. They must have plotted against me before they are fearful of something. Otherwise, they could well show themselves and capture me directly.”
How very much like Lin Mengya. Although the situation was going against her, she could still find reasons to believe that there was something advantageous.
Long Tianyu nodded as he shared Lin Mengya’s sentiments.
They were going to reach the Nation of Lintian soon. Perhaps they could take advantage of the fact that he and the Lin Family were both powerful forces in the Jin State.
However, their sensitive identity in a foreign country was not going to help them much.
“As soon as we get over the pass, we would not encounter greater danger than that.”
Qiu Yu, who appeared nervous along the way, had strangely regained his confidence at this moment.
Lin Mengya cocked her head as she looked at Qiu Yu with apparent suspicion.
Strangely, back in the Capital City, he did not even dare to offend the judge in the Imperial Hospital.
How was it that once they entered the Nation of Lintian, he seemed to gain confidence and vigor.
“Hey, don’t try to pry. All these should be kept secret. You’ll understand when the time is right.”
Psst, there he went, trying to be secretive.
Lin Mengya did not want to push it. Both Qiu Yu and Long Tianyu were similar in this way. If there was something they did not want to reveal, even if she were to put a knife at their necks, they would not say anything.
As the three of them continued chit-chatting, soon the group of businessmen had been traveling for almost half a day.
The Nation of Lintian was located towards the south and it was surrounded by the sea on three sides. Its climate was therefore much more humid than the Dajin.
For this reason, Lin Mengya had felt that the weather was like the beginning of spring at the start of the journey, but now they had been coming to the end of spring.
Although the relationship between the two nations was not especially intimate, there were no city gates whatsoever at the borders. However, there was an interlinking town filled with businessmen from both nations. If they wish to pass through to the neighboring nation, there were officials at either end of the town who would help with the application for permission.
The residents in the town, having lived harmoniously with each other over a long period of time, could not be told apart in any way.
“If there was no war and there’s harmony between nations like here, how blessed would all the people be.”
Lin Mengya, who was riding on the horse, sighed from her heart.
Having been raised in a general’s household, although she had not been on the battlefield, there was no lack of the violent stories of battles when she heard her father spoke other generals and army commanders.
She might not be able to experience the cruelty from the stories she heard, but there were those numerous uncles who after visiting the Lin’s Mansion never returned after going to battles.
Her father once brought her to attend a general’s funeral.
She witnessed the entire family, from young to old, weeping and crying their eyes out. She might still be an idiot at that time, but thereafter, she had refused to accompany her father to attend other funerals ever.
If there were no wars between nations, those uncles would still be with their wives and children.
Unfortunately, as long as there were selfish ambitions in the world, there was no stopping these unreasonable plundering and cruel wars.
“Perhaps her wishes might come true one day, but for now, such a peaceful situation won’t last long.”
Qiu Yu sighed regretfully, but immediately shut his mouth thereafter.
Lin Mengya, who was did not fully understand politics, turned to look at him with puzzlement.
However, Qiu Yu simply smiled at her and did not explain further.
Lin Mengya could not help but roll her eyes at Qiu Yu. She could not stand people who started saying something but did not complete what he wanted to say.
Master Guo was considered a frequenter in this interlinking town. On account of his face as well as the gifts, the officials from both nations soon gave their permission for their group of businessmen to pass through the town to enter the Nation of Lintian.
Turning back to look at Dajin, it still looked like it was just in spring, but the Nation of Lintian ahead of them, looked a sea of green.
“If we continue on further, there will be a forest of apricot trees. During this season, they would look like they are covered in snow and it will be a pretty sight.”
There was a hint of elation on Qiu Yu’s face.
In his eyes, one could see the joy he seldom displayed. He now did not look like a visitor but the returned people.
Lin Mengya seemed to have guessed something, but she merely shook her head and smiled instead of exposing him.
“However, we will arrive at the most dangerous place after passing through the forest of apricot trees. Bear in mind to be very careful.”