Chapter 8: Angered to Shivers by Yan Ning

By the time the sky was nearly dark, the group was forced to stop.

Yan Ning frowned: "Are you saying you want us to sleep here for the night?"

Wang Liu gave a sheepish laugh: "This, this is also something that can't be helped..."

This place was completely desolate, and there was no telling if there were jackals, wolves, tigers, or leopards in the nearby woods; under the night sky, the woods always felt like an abyss.

Fortunately, Yan Ning had been prepared.

She gave two tents to Hou Jian's guards, "You all take turns keeping watch; the tents are quite large, so it shouldn't be a problem for four people to sleep in them."

She then said to her father and mother: "Mother and I will sleep inside this carriage; Father, you and Xiao Linzi can sleep together."

Afterward, she scattered the beast-repelling medicinal powder she had bought in Xiangcheng in a large circle around them, to prevent any wild beasts from actually coming over.

Once she had finished making all the arrangements, she met the expectant gazes of Wang Liu and Li Shun.

Seeing that he had no reaction, Wang Liu couldn't help but ask: "Then what about us?"

Yan Ning: "You have been escorting prisoners for years; surely you don't have any preparations?"

Both men fell silent.

In the past, conditions were harsh and they were used to sleeping on the streets, but now, looking at others sleeping in tents and on the soft couch inside the carriage, the disparity was too great.

Seeing that Yan Ning had no intention of paying them any mind, Wang Liu found a spot to lean against a tree and sleep.

It was just that, as it was already June, all kinds of insects and mosquitoes had come out; those with tents were fine, but Wang Liu, who had no tent, woke up the next morning with his face covered in mosquito bites, his face even swollen.

He went to the nearby river to check his condition and nearly tumbled into the river.

His face itched unbearably, and he had even scratched it open in one spot; returning to the group, he looked at Yan Ning with a resentful face: "Look at you not giving us a tent yesterday, my face..."

Yan Ning interrupted: "If it weren't for you taking the wrong path, we wouldn't even have to feed the mosquitoes outside."

Wang Liu stopped talking.

Li Shun asked cautiously: "Where are we going for our next stop?"

Yan Ning thought for a moment, "Let's go to Linfen City."

Li Shun found the direction of Linfen City on the map and changed course.

Yan Ning began watching various wilderness survival videos, planning to buy things according to the videos so that if they ever had to sleep outside again, these supplies would come in handy.

Once they arrived, Yan Ning demanded the best restaurant, where one could eat while watching beauties dance.

Wang Liu dared to be angry but dared not speak; for a moment, he suspected that he was the one being exiled.

Linfen City was prosperous, and Yan Ning, who had been away from the Capital for a long time, couldn't move her feet: "Let's play here for three to five days before we leave."

Wang Liu immediately said: "No, no, the original schedule for the journey is already very tight; if we go sightseeing in Linfen City, when will we ever reach Lingnan?"

Yan Ze, who was to the side, said: "Then let's rest for a bit, and continue on our way tomorrow after lunch."

Wang Liu agreed immediately, fearing they would go back on their word.

Yan Ning chuckled; she had originally only intended to stay for one night. If she had said that directly, Wang Liu would certainly have had all sorts of messy reasons to object, but if she started by saying three to five days, Wang Liu would certainly agree to staying one night.

They had been in the carriage for too long, and the journey had been so bumpy that their bones felt like they were falling apart; since they had come to Linfen City, they certainly had to have some fun.

Ji Lan was a bit carsick and rested in the room, while Yan Ze took Yan Ning out to play everywhere, with Li Shun following behind.

They bought three candied hawthorns, one for each member of the family, a portion of roasted chestnuts, and three sugar figurines, leaving Li Shun, who was watching, feeling a bit dazed.

He felt that he was not an official escorting officer, but a servant following behind.

As Yan Ning walked, she saw a crowd of people surrounding a spot; she hurriedly wrapped the things in her hands with oil paper and shoved them at Li Shun, "You take these to my mother."

Yan Ning then pulled her father along to go to the crowded place.

Before going, she thought it was some kind of circus performance, but after arriving, she realized it was a young lady throwing an embroidered ball to choose a husband. Whoever caught the ball could marry her.

As it turned out, they watched for a long time, but the embroidered ball just wouldn't fall.

After a good while, the embroidered ball flew straight toward Yan Ze's arms.

Yan Ning, who loved to watch the excitement, said: "Father, look, you are so handsome that the young lady is even willing to throw the embroidered ball to you."

Yan Ze's pupils shook; he hurriedly threw the ball back, and it landed steadily in the young lady's hands, after which he lifted Yan Ning up and said to the flower tower: "I already have a wife and daughter, so I will not accept this embroidered ball."

The woman on the flower tower had eyes full of disappointment.

After saying this, Yan Ze pulled Yan Ning away, fearing that more trouble would arise.

Yan Ning remembered the task set by the system and whispered a reminder, "Father, call Mother over in a while, and let's go to the blacksmith to buy some ironware; buy as much as we can."

She couldn't use the expanded ordinary warehouse for now, but she coveted the Cold Fresh Warehouse and the Sterile Warehouse; ancient times were lacking in supplies, and famine often occurred whenever there was a disaster, so having these two large warehouses gave Yan Ning confidence.

To unlock these special warehouses, she had to finish unlocking the preceding Warehouse No. 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Yan Ning began to sneak off to buy iron again.

It was just that the controls in Linfen City were relatively strict, and in one night, the father and daughter only bought eighty catties of iron, leaving more than a hundred catties to go before upgrading.

Yan Ning was not panicked; she would just buy some more when they reached the next city.

Early the next morning, the family of three all went out to shop.

As if the daily necessities had been stocked enough, Yan Ning bought some storybooks and other interesting things, preparing to pass the time on the road.

They also ordered a simple barbecue grill and iron skewers; Yan Ze exchanged various seasonings with the traders, as well as the seeds for these seasonings, so they could have a barbecue when the time came.

At noon, they went to the most luxurious Tianxiang Tower in Linfen City, and Yan Ning generously ordered two roasted suckling pigs to eat with the guards.

Before they had finished their meal, a small squad of soldiers surrounded them tightly; these guards all drew their blades, preparing to take action against them.

The leader was the Regional Inspector of Linzhou, Wei Huayuan.

Yan Ning looked over; the man was about forty years old, dressed in a black robe, and possessed a natural air of authority.

However, Yan Ning was not buying it.

Yan Ning took the initiative: "What are you doing? You surround us and delay our journey; is this defying the Imperial Decree?"

Wei Huayuan:???

Wasn't this line supposed to be his?

He bypassed Yan Ning and looked at Yan Ze: "His Majesty punished you to go to Lingnan, so what, have you now fled to our Linfen City?"

Yan Ning looked at him as if he were an idiot: "What do you mean fled to your Linfen City? We are just passing through to buy some supplies and stay the night. What is your true intention in sending people to surround us?"

As she spoke, Yan Ning looked at Li Shun: "Lord Li, if you return to the Capital, you must tell my Great-Grandmother and Grandfather Emperor properly that this Lord Wei is abusing his power to hijack us on our way to exile!"

"Lord Wei has brought so many guards with their blades drawn against us; have you eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard, and do you still wish to use private punishment?"

Wei Huayuan was trembling with rage because of Yan Ning.

He pointed at Yan Ning's nose and cursed: "Don't you go around slandering people!"