SWDnovel Chapter 505: The journey continues, and another woman joins the group.
Chapter 505: The journey continues, and another woman joins the group.
Chen Wanqing entered the room, her gaze sweeping over the figures standing or sitting, but she didn't look at them for long before walking straight to Qin Mu.
Her knees bent, and she knelt down again at Qin Mu's feet with a thud, her forehead touching the cold gold bricks, her long hair slipping from her shoulders and spreading on the ground, her posture respectful.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, looked down at her, and said calmly, "Get up."
Chen Wanqing slowly stood up, stood with her hands at her sides, and lowered her head, not daring to look at him.
Qin Mu's gaze fell on her face, his voice very soft.
"You have two choices. One is to continue escorting your caravan's goods, travel with me for a while, and then part ways. I will summon you back when I return to the palace. The second is to travel with me now and temporarily leave your caravan."
Chen Wanqing did not hesitate at all, not even for a moment.
She raised her head and met Qin Mu's gaze, her eyes filled with determination and resolve.
"Your Majesty, I choose the second option."
Her voice was clear and firm, without the slightest tremor.
It's crystal clear which is more important.
Of course, the best option is to travel with His Majesty right now.
We can simply ignore the goods from the caravan.
But if she becomes an imperial concubine in the future, what would the Chen family's business guild be compared to the entire Jiangnan business guild?
Qin Mu smiled and nodded, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. "Alright. In that case, go out and make the arrangements. We'll set off shortly."
Chen Wanqing gave a slight curtsy, her voice soft. "Yes, Your Majesty."
She turned around and quickly walked out of the room.
In the courtyard, the commander and his guards remained standing in place, their faces solemn, their eyes occasionally sweeping over the tightly closed door of Qin Mu's room.
Two maids stood beside the carriage, holding the horses' reins, their eyes slightly red, clearly already aware of their mistress's decision.
Chen Wanqing walked up to them and stopped.
Her gaze swept across the commander's face, then across the guards' faces, and finally landed on the two maids' faces, pausing for a moment.
"Commander, the caravan's goods are entrusted to you. Make sure they are delivered safely."
The commander clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, his voice steady and firm. "Rest assured, Miss, I will ensure the goods are delivered safely."
Chen Wanqing nodded, then looked at the two maids, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Alright, stop crying. Be careful on the road."
The maid in green finally couldn't hold back her tears any longer; they silently welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
The maid in blue bit her lip, trying desperately to hold back her tears, but they still welled up in her eyes.
"Miss, please be careful on the road..." The green-clad maid's voice was hoarse and trembling with tears.
Chen Wanqing reached out and gently patted her shoulder.
"Alright, don't worry. What could possibly go wrong by His Majesty's side? Is there anywhere in the world safer than by His Majesty's side?"
The two maids exchanged a glance, nodded, and the worry in their eyes lessened somewhat.
Chen Wanqing turned around and walked to the white horse.
The horse was the best in the caravan, pure white without a single stray hair, its mane neatly trimmed. It stood there quietly, snorting.
She reached out and stroked the horse's mane, then stepped into the stirrups and mounted the horse.
Her movements were clean and efficient, without a single unnecessary movement, like a graceful swallow.
As the daughter of a merchant guild, she traveled all over the country every day, so riding a horse was naturally no problem for her.
Although she had just gone through a fierce battle last night, her physical condition was still more than enough to handle it.
She sat on her horse, holding the reins, turned around, and nodded slightly to the commander and two maids. "I'm leaving. You should also get going soon."
The commander clasped his hands and bowed. "Take care, Miss."
The two maids bowed simultaneously, their voices choked with emotion. "Take care, Miss."
Chen Wanqing didn't say anything more. She gently spurred the horse's belly, and the white horse started moving towards the courtyard gate.
Qin Mu had already left the room, and the women followed behind him, mounting their horses.
One man, six women, and six horses lined up in the morning light.
Chen Wanqing rode her horse to Qin Mu's side, lowered her head slightly, not daring to look at him, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.
Qin Mu glanced at her, smiled, and said nothing, gently tugging at the horse's belly.
The horse neighed loudly, reared up, and galloped toward the official road.
The women followed behind him, the horse's hooves pounding the yellow earth, raising a fine cloud of dust.
The morning light shone on the seven men, casting their shadows on the ground, one long and six short, like seven birds blown by the wind, flying northward.
At the entrance of the post station, the commander and two maids stood in a row, watching the seven horses gradually disappear into the distance, watching the moon-white figure grow smaller and smaller in the morning light.
Finally, it became an almost invisible black dot, disappearing where the sky meets the earth.
Tears welled up in the green-clad maid's eyes again. She raised her sleeve to wipe them away, her voice hoarse. "Miss...will she be happy?"
The maid in blue didn't speak, but simply looked in that direction and nodded slightly.
The commander withdrew his gaze, turned to face the still-dazed guards, and said in a loud voice, "Pack your things, prepare to set off!"
The guards snapped out of their daze and immediately sprang into action, some moving goods, others lassoing horses, and the courtyard returned to its bustling activity.
The sunlight grew brighter and brighter, bathing the entire post station in a golden glow.
The row of crooked carriages, the horse still grazing, the large pot still steaming—everything was just as it had been when we arrived.
It's just that one person is missing, someone who will embark on a different path from now on.
.......
Qin Mu led the women northwards. For the rest of the journey, they hardly stopped, only stopping when they were hungry to set up camp and cook.
Chen Wanqing was initially quite nervous, after all, she was facing the Emperor of Qin, and His Majesty whose identity had already been revealed, so she was very careful in every move, for fear of making a mistake.
But after spending some time with him, she found that His Majesty was not scary at all. On the contrary, he was quite interesting. He often spoke with a lazy smile and would occasionally tell anecdotes from the martial arts world, making everyone smile.
What surprised her even more was that His Majesty would sometimes personally cook and roast meat, distributing the golden-brown, juicy meat to everyone.
Chen Wanqing even had a dazed feeling, as if the person beside her was not the emperor of Qin, but a young swordsman wandering the world, only with a few more confidantes by his side.
It was dusk when the group stopped by a stream. A campfire was lit, and orange flames licked at the branches propped up on it.
Qin Mu sat on a flat rock, turning the skewer of meat on a stick in his hand. The grease dripped onto the charcoal fire, making a sizzling sound and filling the air with a fragrant aroma.
The women sat around the campfire, waiting for the meat to cook.
Chen Wanqing sat next to Jiang Zhaoyue, secretly watching Qin Mu's skillful flipping and grilling, and the tension in her heart finally eased a little.
Jiang Zhaoyue turned her head and glanced at her, a faint smile on her lips, her voice very soft.
"You're very lucky. His Majesty's main purpose in coming here is to experience the life of a wandering knight-errant, which is why you're able to taste His Majesty's cooking. We've been following His Majesty for so long, and this is the first time we've ever had the chance to taste it."
Chen Wanqing's eyes flickered slightly, and she suddenly realized why His Majesty was so casual and why he personally grilled the meat. It turned out that all of this was part of his "travel".
She pursed her lips, turned her head to face Jiang Zhaoyue, her posture respectful and her voice soft.
"Could you introduce everyone to me, sister? I'm afraid I might accidentally offend one of you, and that would be bad."
Jiang Zhaoyue smiled at her cautious appearance and did not refuse.
She first pointed to herself, her voice soft and composed.
"My name is Jiang Zhaoyue, and I am His Majesty's concubine."
Chen Wanqing quickly bowed slightly, her voice respectful. "Greetings, Sister Jiang. Wanqing greets you."
Jiang Zhaoyue smiled, waved her hand, and pointed to Yun Luan, who was sitting not far from Qin Mu.
"That's Yunluan, the commander of His Majesty's personal guards. Don't let her cold demeanor fool you, she's actually a very kind person."
Chen Wanqing followed her finger and looked over. Yun Luan had her hand on the hilt of her sword, her back straight, her face cold and her eyes sharp as knives.
She quickly looked away, nodded slightly, and silently made a mental note.
Jiang Zhaoyue then pointed at Xu Fenghua, her voice even softer.
"That is Consort Hua, Xu Fenghua. You must know her."
Chen Wanqing nodded.
Of course she had heard of Consort Hua's name. She was the elder sister of Xu Longxiang from the Northern Border. The fact that the Emperor had forcibly taken her as a concubine caused a great uproar back then, and everyone in the city knew about it.
It was through Xu Fenghua that she recognized His Majesty.
Chen Wanqing remained expressionless, bowed slightly, and spoke respectfully.
"Wanqing greets Consort Hua."
Xu Fenghua glanced at her, nodded, and said nothing, then looked back at the campfire.
Jiang Zhaoyue pointed at Han Xin'er, the smile on her lips softening slightly.
"This is Han Xin'er, General Han Zhong's eldest daughter."
Chen Wanqing looked at the girl sitting next to Qin Mu, leaning against His Majesty, her face slightly flushed, with a hint of heroism between her brows.
She bowed slightly, her voice soft.
"Hello, Miss Han."
Han Xin'er raised her head, glanced at her, smiled slightly, nodded, and didn't say anything more.
Finally, Jiang Zhaoyue's gaze fell on Yun Suxin, the smile on her lips faded slightly, and her voice became even softer.
"You don't need to worry about her too much. You can treat her like a maid."
Chen Wanqing was slightly taken aback and followed her gaze.
Yun Suxin sat in the corner at the very edge of the campfire, her head down, her long hair covering half of her face, making it impossible to see her expression.
Her dress was simple and plain, without any unnecessary decorations, and she was quiet and unassuming, like a flower blooming in a corner, unnoticed by anyone.
Chen Wanqing had some doubts, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions. She just nodded, remembered Yun Suxin's appearance, and didn't say anything more.
Jiang Zhaoyue withdrew her gaze and focused it back on Chen Wanqing's face. Her voice was more serious than before, and her speech slowed down.
"His Majesty is on a tour this time, so you must be careful about how you address him in public. Don't call him 'Your Majesty,' just call him 'Young Master,' like we do. Remember, you can only speak like that when His Majesty reveals his identity; otherwise, you absolutely must not reveal a single word. Understand?"
Chen Wanqing's expression turned serious.
This is indeed a very important issue. If His Majesty's identity is exposed due to her momentary negligence, she will be guilty beyond redemption.
She nodded vigorously, her voice firm. "Understood, thank you for reminding me, sister."
Her eyes were full of gratitude, and these words came from the bottom of her heart, not just as a formality.
Jiang Zhaoyue smiled at her serious expression and said nothing more.
At that moment, Qin Mu's voice came from beside the campfire, carrying a hint of a smile.
"Alright, the meat is cooked."
He took the roasted meat off the fire and placed it on a clean lotus leaf. The golden pieces of meat glistened in the twilight and smelled delicious.
He tore off a piece of meat and handed it to Han Xin'er beside him. Then he tore off several pieces and distributed them to Jiang Zhaoyue, Yun Luan, Xu Fenghua, and Yun Suxin. Finally, he tore off a piece and handed it to Chen Wanqing.
Chen Wanqing took it with both hands. Her fingertips touched the scalding hot piece of meat, and she flinched slightly, but did not let go.
She lowered her head, took a small bite, and the juices burst on her tongue, filling the air with a delicious aroma.
"Thank you, young master."
Qin Mu smiled, said nothing, picked up his piece of meat, took a bite, chewed it, and nodded.
As dusk deepened, the campfire burned quietly in the valley, casting the shadows of several people on the ground, forming a circle and huddling together closely.
A night breeze swept by, carrying the aroma of roasted meat and the coolness of the stream, scattering the laughter and whispers into the night sky.
Of course, the laughter belonged to Jiang Zhaoyue and Qin Mu, while Yun Suxin couldn't laugh at all.
Although she had given up on escaping, she ultimately failed to fully integrate; the lively atmosphere with Qin Mu and Jiang Zhaoyue had nothing to do with her.
On the contrary, the atmosphere between Han Xin'er and Yun Suxin was somewhat subtle.
It was Han Xin'er's appearance that temporarily halted Yun Suxin's escape plan.
It was Han Xin'er's gentleness that made Yun Suxin feel a sense of warmth and comfort for the first time after she lost her cultivation.
Although Han Xin'er had always acted like a timid and dependent girl in front of Qin Mu during this time, Yun Suxin knew that this girl was actually very smart.
She knew what kind of woman Qin Mu liked, and she also knew how to use her looks to win a man's heart.
In this respect alone, she is far inferior to this girl.
Yun Suxin looked at Han Xin'er, sighed inwardly, and then silently moved closer to the girl.
Han Xin'er looked at Yun Suxin and smiled at her.
Chen Wanqing felt something was off as she watched this scene.
But she didn't say anything; she just remained silent.
After all, she only joined later and doesn't know anything, so it's best to wait and see and say as little as possible.
As dusk settled, the camp was pitched in the open field.
Smoke rose from the tents, dispersed by the evening breeze, and blended into the orange-red glow of the sunset on the horizon.
After setting up the tents, Yunluan dusted off her hands and turned to leave.
Chen Wanqing stood in front of the tent, staring at the half-open curtain, her heart pounding like a rabbit.
Her palms were sweaty, her fingertips were icy cold, and even her breathing became rapid.
It's pretty obvious what will happen tonight.
Although she had prepared well in advance, she still couldn't help feeling nervous when the moment came.
She had only just learned about relationships between men and women a few days ago, and was still quite clueless and confused. Now, she was suddenly faced with so much... She was really scared.