Gu Moran pressed his fingertip against the mountain path on the south side of the map, about to have Zhen Daijin divide the scouts into three teams, when a semi-transparent light screen suddenly appeared in front of him.
[The newly Son of Destiny has been detected entering the territory of Yi Prefecture.]
[Name: Wang Batian ]
[Martial Arts: Fourth Rank ]
[Characteristics: Top-tier Jiahao, direct in actions, emotionally expressive, and prone to using money and force to resolve conflicts.]
[Current Mission: Escort Princess Meng Jiuning of Dali to Yi Prefecture to seek aid.]
[In the original book, this character will develop a strong emotional connection with Lin Qingdai in the future.]
Gu Moran removed her hand from the map and focused her gaze on the last line of text.
Lin Qingdai, that proud and arrogant girl, actually likes Jiahao?
Charcoal was burning in the warm chamber. Zhen Daijin waited a moment, and seeing that he didn't speak, asked, "Your Highness, are the scouts on the southern front still being deployed as planned?"
"As usual."
Zhen Daijin, rolled up the map, and led Pu Yunshan outside.
Pu Yunshan, carrying a wood saw, had just stepped over the threshold.
"Don't go yet."
Gu Moran looked up at him, a slight smile playing on her lips, "There might be work to do in the south of the city later."
Pu Yunshan, not understanding why, simply placed the saw against the wall.
Su Yao sat behind the desk, the account book in her hand still open, when she looked up and saw Gu Moran's expression.
She knows her man too well; someone's in for trouble.
"Who's come knocking on our door this time?"
"Two guests from Dali."
Gu Moran stood up and walked to her side, glancing down at the fine handwriting in the ledger. " Yao'er, how much sugar do we have left?"
Su Yao raised her eyes.
"What are you up to?"
"To entertain distinguished guests."
"Serve us with white sugar?"
"The money for entertaining them."
Gu Moran spoke frankly, flicking the abacus beside her. "Pick the cleanest jar and have it delivered to [ Listening to the Rain Tower ] in the south of the city. Also, prepare a set of price lists for the merchants, the more detailed the better."
Su Yao stared at him for a moment, then slowly closed the ledger.
"Are you treating them like lambs to the slaughter?"
"They might be willing."
"Your Highness, you don't seem like the kind of person who would entertain guests."
Gu Moran bent down and whispered in her ear, "I always treat my guests very well, especially those with gold in their pockets."
Su Yao pushed his face away, her ears burning, and turned to instruct Biyu to fetch the goods.
Murong Xue had just returned from practicing her swordsmanship in the outer courtyard; the scabbard was still covered in wet mud.
"From Dali?"
"Um."
"Things haven't been peaceful over there lately."
Half an hour later, a long queue formed outside the south gate of the city. Merchants, porters, and foreign traders crowded on both sides of the official road, and the soldiers guarding the city checked their travel permits one by one.
The newly painted wooden sign on the gate was very eye-catching, with the words "[ Yi Prefecture Public Security Management Regulations ]" written on it, and another line of smaller characters nailed at the bottom.
Those who cut in line can purchase special VIP tickets.
Xue Huan stood with his arms crossed in the shadows of the gate tower. After hearing the orders from his personal guards, his face twitched.
"The highest level of treatment for a fat sheep?"
The guard nodded solemnly.
"The prince said it himself."
Xue Huan looked out of the city and grinned.
"Okay, I'll arrange it."
He paused for a moment, then pretended nothing had happened and led two guards to the inspection table.
Before long, a cloud of dust rose from the distant official road.
A young man in a coarse cloth shirt led the way, his hair disheveled as if it had been blown by the mountain wind for three days, and he carried a heavy, dark sword on his back.
Behind him followed an inconspicuous blue-covered carriage.
The carriage curtain was lifted half an inch.
A pair of quiet eyes peeked out from under the straw hat.
Princess Meng Jiuning of Dali looked at the soldiers lined up neatly in front of the city gate, and then at the way each vehicle was being carefully inspected. Her fingers clenched tightly on her knees.
Dali is in chaos.
After the sudden death of their father, the princes gathered their own armies. Tubo envoys waded through blood to enter the palace to negotiate terms, and two supply routes outside the city were cut off.
Before his death, my father instructed me to contact Yi Prefecture first if anything happened.
She didn't want to come in the first place.
How could a prince, rumored to be sickly and idle, possibly hold off the Tubo?
But right now, there's no other way.
The carriage stopped in front of the city gate. Wang Batian strode forward, took out two gold ingots from his pocket, and slammed them heavily on the inspection table.
"Cough."
He cleared his throat and raised his voice. "My young master is in a hurry, so don't dawdle and make those cars in front move aside."
"And arrange the best inn in town for us; you'll be well paid for."
The soldier behind the table didn't even lift his eyelids.
He picked up the two gold ingots, put them aside, and then took out a red-inked stamp from the wooden box.
"Disrupting checkpoint order will result in a fine of one hundred coins."
Wang Batian frowned.
The soldier continued.
"Cutting in line for inspection requires purchasing a [Special VIP Ticket]."
Wang Batian looked at him. "How much?"
"Two ingots of gold plus one coin."
"What did you say?"
"VIP ticket, two ingots of gold plus one coin."
The soldier pushed the paper slip forward, his expression unchanged. "Including the fine, you're still short 101 coins. If you can't pay, go back to the back of the column and wait. There are still 17 carts ahead of us; at today's speed, it will take about an hour and a half to enter the city."
Wang Batian stared at the paper, his chubby face twitching.
Both ingots of gold have already been auctioned off, yet this lowly soldier only cares about the difference of a hundred or so coins.
He slammed his palm on the table, which made a dull thud, and the examination pen rolled to the edge.
Are you making fun of me?
The soldiers around them immediately turned around; their spears were not raised, but their positions had completely changed.
Two men guarded him, two blocked his retreat, and the rest stood in front of the archers, as if they had practiced this many times before.
Seeing this, Wang Batian was both angry and amused.
What kind of trash do you think you are, daring to challenge me?
Seeing that things were not going well, Meng Jiuning quickly got out of the car, her straw hat pulled low.
"Give me the money."
"Your Highness... Young Master, these people are clearly trying to drive up the price."
"Give."
Wang Batian took out a string of copper coins from his purse and placed them on the inspection table.
The soldier accepted the money, took out a light blue ticket, and handed it back with both hands.
"Thank you for your esteemed visit to Yi Prefecture."
Wang Batian glared at him. "You can speak human language?"
The soldier bowed to him and said, "It's my duty."
Meng Jiuning took the ticket; her palm was slightly cool.
At the checkpoints in Dali, the guards would give in at the sight of gold and bow their heads at the sight of power. Caravans could smuggle weapons and salt by giving them a little money.
This lowly gatekeeper in Yi Prefecture could disregard gold and only recognize the terms and tickets.
She suddenly realized that what was most unsettling about Yi Prefecture was perhaps not the large number of soldiers.
Rather, it's that everyone knows what they should do.