"Young Master Jia, please!" The two men bowed slightly to Yang Qing.
Bu Er instinctively stepped in front of Yang Qing. "Young master..."
The arrival of these two men was suspicious. He had to be on his guard.
Yang Qing, however, patted Bu Er's arm twice. "It's all right. Such gracious hospitality is hard to refuse, after all."
Hearing this, Bu Er knew Yang Qing already had a plan, and only then stepped aside.
"Sorry for the trouble. Please lead the way." Yang Qing nodded to the two men, then followed them out of the room, downstairs, and into the carriage.
Throughout the journey, Yang Qing sat upright in the carriage without saying a word.
The two men behaved themselves as well, sitting outside and attending only to driving the carriage onward.
Several times, Bu Er wanted to speak, but whenever he saw Yang Qing's gently closed eyes, he swallowed his words.
The young master must have made his preparations. I need only follow him.
With that thought, Bu Er quieted down too, no longer paying attention to the movements of the two men outside.
The carriage traveled swiftly. Before even half an incense stick had burned, Yang Qing felt it slowing.
Then someone lifted the carriage curtain from outside. "Young Master Jia, please step down."
Yang Qing rose and glanced outside, finding that the carriage had stopped before a small courtyard residence.
A ring of bamboo surrounded the courtyard, nestling it amid a sea of emerald green.
A little stream ran beside the house, its waters murmuring past.
"What an elegant, tranquil place." Yang Qing voiced his appreciation, then looked at the two men. "Your master must be a person of refined tastes."
Yet as far as he recalled, he had not met anyone like that in Northern Liang.