Tuoba Mang, shouting loudly, was hanging two octagonal iron hammers, each the size of a watermelon, on the iron racks on either side of the horse's back.
The hammer slammed down on the frame, causing the warhorse's forelegs to lurch forward and it to exhale a large puff of white steam.
His attire today was extremely flamboyant.
Two thick bearskins were draped over his broad shoulders, and two large loops of purple garlic strung together with red hemp rope were conspicuously hanging around his neck.
The round garlic cloves hung down in front of the breastplate, swaying back and forth with the movement.
Behind him, a dozen or so neighborhood women who usually cleaned the streets and ran small businesses were wiping away tears as they surrounded him.
"Master Mang, there's an evil wind blowing at sea. I've heard the Japanese devils carry poisonous curses. You absolutely mustn't pick this garlic. Chew two cloves every day to ward off evil!"
The eldest sister-in-law of the Wang Family, who was in charge, stuffed a bag of golden-brown fried flatbread into his satchel.
"And this too!"
Another plump auntie selling braised meat squeezed up and stuffed two large bags of cooked beef wrapped in oil paper into his arms.
"How can you have the strength to swing a hammer if there's no oil or fat on the road?"
Eat as much as you want! If it's not enough, your aunt will make you braised pig's trotters every day when we get back to Yi Prefecture!
Tuoba Mang grinned widely, his face contorted with laughter, grabbed a piece of beef, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it until his mouth was greasy.
"Sisters-in-law, you can rest assured!"
He pounded his chest loudly, causing the garlic ring around his neck to bounce wildly.
"When I get to Qi and Lu, I'll smash a Japanese ship to pieces with one hammer blow!"
After the war is over, I'll bring back a box of giant coral and several bags of deep-sea pearls for each of you to grind into powder and use as face masks!
"Good sisters-in-law, don't cry. Time is precious. Let's go back inside and rest..."
His rambling remarks made the women in the courtyard laugh and cry at the same time, and the originally sad and heavy feeling of parting was dispelled by this boorish man.
The official road in Luoyang was shrouded in deep twilight.
The cold rain swept across the ground at an angle, pressing the weeds on both sides of the road down into the mud.
The bluestone path gleamed from the rain, reflecting the dark, inky sky.
Beside the official road stood an old two-story inn, its yellow cloth wine flag hanging under the eaves long faded, crackling loudly in the wind.
The wooden lattice window facing the street on the first floor of the inn was half open.
Gu Moli sat at a greasy, dark pine square table, wearing a slightly worn blue cloth merchant's robe.
The gold hairpins and pearls that once adorned her hair had long since faded, leaving only a yellowed bone hairpin loosely holding her long hair back, which made her small face appear even paler and more translucent.
She rested her chin on one hand, while her two slender fingers of her right hand rested on the rim of the rough porcelain teacup, turning it lightly and casually.
The tea soup had a cheap, bitter taste.
Behind her, Qingwu was bowing her head, wiping the rainwater off her straw hat with a dry cloth.
The bundle at his waist was wrapped very tightly, and the outline of a short blade could be faintly seen inside.
"Princess, Mengjin Ferry Crossing is just a few dozen miles ahead."
Qingwu lowered her voice, her tone tinged with anxiety.
Are we really going to wait here for His Prince Yi?
I noticed someone was tailing us. She looked like the Imperial Concubine Yang; she probably knows you've escaped.
Gu Moli didn't even lift her eyelids; her fingertips pressed against the rim of the teacup, and she gently curled her lips into a smile.
"Heh, we've already escaped, what's there to be afraid of?"
She only sent people to keep an eye on me, but didn't arrest me, which means she has tacitly approved of it.
A white mist rose up, obscuring the cold and eerie light deep within her eyes.
"Don't be so alarmed. Let's find a good inn and wait for Brother Ran in Luoyang."
If I'm not mistaken, my brother is going to Anyang, and his route will definitely be through Hanzhong, Tong Pass, and then to Luoyang..."
Her voice was extremely soft, as soft as raindrops falling into muddy water.
"It'll take about a month to get here."
"Let's just stay in Luoyang. My brother's cavalry is making a lot of noise by taking the official road. Those dirty hands reaching out from the shadows need to be chopped off one by one."
Before the words were finished, a dull, piercing metallic scraping sound suddenly erupted on the official road outside the door.
"Squeak--Squeak--"
The iron wheel rolled over the slippery bluestone slab, producing a heavy, slow, dull thud.
The innkeeper, who had been dozing behind the counter, was jolted awake by the sound and scrambled out from behind it.
The door was violently pushed open by two sheathed longswords.
The cold rain, mixed with the damp, muddy smell, rushed into the hall, making the oil lamps flicker wildly.
Four burly men, dressed in short black silk robes and carrying goose-feather sabers at their waists, guarded the front, pushing a large wheelchair across the threshold with grim faces.
The wheelchair was made entirely of thick rosewood, with gleaming wrought iron armor inlaid under the side panels, and sharp barbs hidden around the wheel hubs.
A young man was sitting in a wheelchair.
He was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a thin face, sunken cheeks, and a sickly-looking, pointed chin.
His lower body was wrapped in a heavy silver fox fur cloak, making him appear frail and sickly.
But in those slightly upturned, slender eyes, a glint of greed and malice flickered.
Mei Zhongjun, the second son of the Marquis of Luoyang's Residence.
He raised his hand, bent his index finger, and gently tapped twice on the rosewood armrest.
"Tap, tap."
The sound wasn't loud, but the guards behind him already understood.
The four burly men wielding knives quickly dispersed, leaving two long swords positioned directly across the center of the inn's main entrance.
The other two men, gripping their sword hilts, strode through the main room and kicked the wooden door leading to the stables in the backyard, completely blocking the inn's entrances and exits.
There were originally two tables of traveling merchants taking shelter from the rain in the inn, but they were so frightened that their chopsticks fell to the ground with a clatter, and they huddled in the corner, too scared to move.
Mei Zhongjun didn't look at those timid merchants.
Through the dim glow of the oil lamp, his eyes fell directly on the backyard of the inn.
The instant he stepped inside, he spotted the two fast horses tethered in the stable.
The Qinghai Cong has no stray hairs and a large frame.
That's the best footwork in the world.
Mei Zhongjun slowly folded his hands, which were draped over the fox fur, over each other, his nails trimmed sharp and neat.
"Shopkeeper."
He spoke softly, his voice like bamboo tracing the sound of tiles.
"I am acting on orders from the Luoyang Prefectural Government to hunt down the White Lotus Sect Rebellion bandits who have fled north."
The innkeeper fell to his knees with a thud, trembling all over.
"Second... Second Young Master, please understand!"
Our small shop is open for legitimate business; how could we dare harbor thugs!
Mei Zhongjun ignored the shopkeeper, his gaze slowly shifting until it finally, like a snake's tongue, lingered on the figure in blue cloth sitting by the window.
Whether it's a legitimate business or not can only be determined by checking the travel permit.
He sneered, his gaze sweeping over Gu Moli's slender back and long neck, a wicked smile spreading across his lips.
"The two Qinghai horses in the backyard are incredibly fast and powerful, unlike the kind of horses that ordinary merchants can afford to ride."
In my humble opinion, it's most likely stolen goods from the government treasury.
[Thanks to: Love you so much for the certification! And to Yitiaohe for the explosive update, 3Sy for the character summoning, Lychee, Pipi's Flower, Feilei, Luomu, Yong'an for the two likes, Bingyuan for the two update reminders, Fangxia for the update reminder, Hanchuan for the love letter, Chengshi, 4981 for the inspiration capsule, Ace for the five flowers, and everyone for their love and support!]
How many chapters are owed? ⊙᎔⊙