Chapter 21: You Are Kidnapping an Imperial Official

That evening, Yan Ning was well-fed and content; she hugged that ginseng and fell asleep, not minding the hard floor outside in the slightest, sleeping soundly.

Early the next morning, Yan Ning pointed at the map and tapped on Jinfu City: "Since we are starting our journey early, let us whip the horses to go faster and rest in Jinfu City for two days."

Li Shun replied: "Very well."

Liu Bai and Zhao Xiaosi were both shocked; what kind of background did they have? Not only could they ride in a carriage while in exile, but they even dared to talk about resting in the city ahead for two days!

How could this be possible!

Liu Bai tactfully suggested: "Going to Jinfu City is a bit of a detour; we could rest in Songshi Town for one day and then take the shortest route."

Li Shun hurriedly said: "No rush, we have horses and a carriage; one day of ours is worth three of yours, let us go to Jinfu City."

Liu Bai indicated that he wanted to travel separately.

Yan Ning lifted the curtain: "That is fine, you may go on your own, Grandpa Chen will stay with us."

Liu Bai wanted to say something but hesitated.

This was not according to the rules!

Yan Ning threatened: "If you do not listen, I will have the guards kill you."

Liu Bai shrank back.

With Yan Ning's capabilities, their guards could easily subdue them, and since the two of them were headed to Lingnan—a place of great peril—no one would come to investigate if one or two bailiffs died.

Liu Bai's attitude did a complete about-face: "We will follow you, and we will not speak out of turn again."

Yan Ning gave a satisfied response and sat back in the carriage.

Last night, Yan Ning's family had been too gentle; although they did not know their status, Yan Ze's position was certainly very high, yet such a person had actually made barbecue for them.

This led Liu Bai to believe they were easy to talk to.

Who would have thought that Yan Ning was not even pretending now, and had directly said she would kill them.

They did not doubt for a moment that Yan Ning truly dared to kill them.

Just like that, they traveled all the way to Jinfu City, entering before dusk.

After the journey, the first thing Yan Ning and her family did was ask for hot water to bathe, waiting to go out later to see the night market here, which they heard was very interesting.

Yan Ning asked casually: "Father, is the official here easy to talk to?"

Yan Ze thought for a moment: "The Prefect in the city is Li Zhai; I hear he is impartial and incorruptible. We shall disguise ourselves when we go out to play later, and he certainly will not recognize us."

Yan Ning changed into a beautiful butterfly-patterned, hundred-flower, misty phoenix-tail skirt; the material was top-quality smoke-cloud gauze, and she was the most eye-catching person on the street.

Yan Ze also changed into a moon-white brocade robe, and Ji Lan changed into a cyan Soft Smoke Gauze skirt.

The family of three was very high-profile.

They wanted to avoid Li Zhai, so they simply wore the most magnificent clothes; after all, most of those in exile were like Grand Tutor Chen, exhausted and miserable.

As Yan Ning was leaving, she asked: "Grandpa Chen, would you like to come with me?"

Chen Yuan shook his head: "I will stay at the inn."

Yan Ning's family went to the night market.

The things sold here were strange and varied, basically everything was available, and Yan Ning could not help but buy, buy, buy.

The three of them bought a pile of things: hair ornaments, rouge and powder, and storybooks for entertainment; Yan Ning bought many volumes.

In ancient times, there was no way to use a Tablet, so she simply bought some storybooks to pass the time.

After buying things, they put them in the warehouse, which was very convenient.

After the shopping spree, the group prepared to return to the inn to rest well; since Li Zhai was here, they could not have fun, so they might as well go to the next city and stay for a few more days.

Just as they were thinking this, who would have thought that when they returned to their room, Li Zhai was waiting at their door with several guards.

Yan Ze smiled: "Magistrate Li, what brings you here?"

Li Zhai's face was cold: "How can you ride in a carriage while in exile, and even stay in the city!"

Yan Ning said with a smile: "My Great-Grandmother was afraid we would suffer on the road, so she prepared this carriage for us."

Li Zhai frowned: "Then why do you not hurry to Lingnan, dawdling here like this!"

At this moment, Zhuo Heng pushed the door open and came out, asking: "Shall we attack?"

Yan Ning nodded.

In no time at all, Zhuo Heng and the others had subdued Li Zhai and the guards he brought.

Li Zhai scolded angrily: "You are kidnapping an Imperial Official!"

Yan Ning said with a smile: "My family is already in exile, what does a few more charges matter?"

Li Zhai looked at Yan Ze and Ji Lan: "You just indulge her like this?"

Yan Ze and Ji Lan looked left and right, pretending they had not heard Li Zhai's words; if they wanted to indulge her, then so be it.

Li Zhai was infuriated.

It was also at this moment that Chen Yuan heard the commotion and came out of the room.

Chen Yuan asked: "What is happening here?"

The moment Li Zhai saw Chen Yuan, his eyes widened: "Teacher, why are you here too?"

Chen Yuan sighed: "I firmly opposed the Second Prince becoming the Crown Prince, and was subsequently exiled. Fortunately, I met His Highness the First Prince halfway; if I had not, I fear I would have died on the road."

Li Zhai frowned.

Currently, the Emperor was fine in every way, except for being blind enough to choose the useless Second Prince as Crown Prince.

Chen Yuan: "We are resting here for a moment before setting off for Lingnan."

The once upright and unyielding Li Zhai, upon facing his mentor, had his attitude do a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn: "Teacher, why don't you rest here for a few more days? You have become much more haggard from the journey."

Yan Ning immediately climbed up the pole: "We are fine, but it has been hard on Grandpa Chen; he walked all the way here, which was not easy. Why don't we rest for another two days."

Li Zhai said nothing more.

It must be that the Emperor is muddled to have exiled his teacher.

Li Zhai is a decent person; she said she wouldn't interfere, and she really didn't.

It's just unclear who was so bored that they actually found the Linzhou Regional Inspector and said the Grand Tutor had arrived and was staying at the Ruyi Inn.

The Linzhou Regional Inspector, Xu Xingzhi, is from the Crown Prince's faction, and seeing that the Grand Tutor had been exiled here, he couldn't wait to teach that old scoundrel a harsh lesson.

Who told that old scoundrel to cause him trouble in the Court every single day?

Xu Xingzhi was preparing to head over with his garrison troops when the bailiff behind him hurriedly said, "My Lord, My Lord, there is also..."

Xu Xingzhi was anxious to go cause trouble for the Grand Tutor and didn't care what the person behind him was saying, simply stating, "Unless the sky is falling, whatever it is can wait until I get back."

He took a troop of men and went to the Ruyi Inn.

Just after Li Zhai had left, Xu Xingzhi arrived at the Ruyi Inn, charged straight to Chen Yuan's room, and violently kicked the door open.

Xu Xingzhi saw Li Zhai.

He said to his subordinates, "Take him away. An exile actually dares to enter the city? Where are the bailiffs who escorted him?"

At this moment, the door to Yan Ning's room and the doors to several guards' rooms opened, and Yan Ning walked forward to ask, "What are you all trying to do?"

Upon seeing Yan Ning, Xu Xingzhi's heart skipped a beat.

It's over; this couldn't be Yan Ning, could it?

Xu Xingzhi had long since heard of Yan Ning's battle record, and he subconsciously touched his own money pouch.

Why didn't anyone say that Yan Ning was here too?!

Xu Xingzhi had already cursed the person who leaked the information to him a hundred times in his heart.

So, how much money would be best to pay in compensation later?