Jiang Wang didn't climb into just anyone's carriage. Li Youjiu's lesson was still fresh in his mind.
But someone like Xiu Yuan, commander of the Lightning Jailer Army, wouldn't do anything disgraceful after waiting for him openly outside Changsheng Palace. So Jiang Wang had nothing to worry about.
The carriage Xiu Yuan was riding in wasn't the imperial carriage made for court occasions.
It was probably meant for ordinary travel, but it still put the carriage rented by the steward of Jiang Mansion to shame.
The spacious interior, the soft cushions, the imposing decorations—all went without saying... The patterns on the carriage walls were actually the natural grain of the wood! They looked like flowers and trees, dragons and tigers, their fantastical forms seemingly born of the wood itself.
The wood alone was worth a fortune.
Jiang Wang stepped into the carriage as if onto a cloud, his feet light and weightless.
The coachman was clearly from the military. His bearing was stern, his back straight as iron. With the slightest flick of his hand, the reins cracked sharply through the air, and the two tall black horses raised their hooves in unison.
Their hooves struck the ground in a single beat.
The carriage glided forward, not a tremor stirring the cabin.
Click!
The carriage door closed.
A warm light promptly came on overhead, not cast by any object, but formed by array patterns. It was bright and clear without being harsh.
Lord Jiang had seen the world. He sat down across from Xiu Yuan with easy composure. "May I ask why Marshal Xiu invited me to ride with him?"
Xiu Yuan didn't answer. He only asked, "Do you usually drink?"
A partition quietly lowered between Xiu Yuan and Jiang Wang, and a low table slowly rose into place. On