Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 456 - 454

Chapter 456: 454

"Miss, I was wrong. I once heard Butcher Zhang, who sells pork, say that whenever he made a mistake, his wife would punish him by forcing him to kneel on a washboard. Maybe you could also punish your master by making him kneel on a washboard! But please, don’t cut off my food supply! The Prince’s Mansion does not provide three meals a day, each with five bowls of white rice." Zhao Yong said with a face of agony.

Upon hearing this, Yang Liu and Jingrui both laughed.

"Decided!" Xiao’er ignored his wail, and walked downhill.

Zhao Yong somehow found a carriage. Xiao’er and Shangguan Xuanyi got into the carriage.

Yang Liu and Jingrui mounted their horses, and the group set off again.

Shangguan Xuanyi held Xiao’er close, his head buried in her neck. "Girl, thank you. You are not blaming me."

"Wrong! I do blame you, and that’s why you should treat me well in the future. Otherwise, I will definitely stab you with a sword in return!" Xiao’er admitted generously.

If she said she didn’t blame him at all, it would be impossible. But giving up a person who genuinely liked and cared for her just because of one attack isn’t something she was willing to do.

The future was long and uncertain. Pain was ephemeral, happiness lasted a lifetime. She wasn’t foolish enough to hold onto the issue forever, causing him a lifetime of guilt. A lifetime of him treating her well was enough.

Life was long, and she didn’t know how everyone will turn out. But at the moment, she saw him as someone trustworthy. Temporary trust and cherished moments would suffice.

Shangguan Xuanyi laughed and said, "Okay."

The carriage advanced.

Shangguan Xuanyi asked Zhao Yong about the situation with the assassins and Moon Canyon. After learning that the government had already sent people to rescue those trapped the day before, he felt relieved.

Regarding the assassins, there seemed to be two groups, one likely consisting of suicide attackers. Moreover, they had captured two black-clad men affected by snake venom. After game interrogations, the men admitted that they were sent by Deputy Lieutenant Zhaowu to assassinate their group.

The landslide was also caused by Zhaowu’s men.

The two captives were arranged to fake their deaths, and then secretly be transported to the Imperial City by Shangguan Xuanjun’s men.

Heading south resulted in encountering constant snowstorms.

They had another encounter with a group of assassins, but with the increase in their secret protection, all the suicide attackers were wiped out. Afterwards, their journey remained peaceful.

Under Xiao’er’s daily administration of Ashoka fruit leaf juice, Shangguan Xuanyi’s wound healed rapidly.

Spending each day inside the carriage was incredibly boring.

So Xiao’er started learning martial arts under the guidance of Shangguan Xuanyi.

With her transformed body, Xiao’er’s learning appeared to be divinely aided.

Jingrui started learning earlier than Xiao’er, but she surpassed him within a few days.

"Young Master, I thought you are talented, but Miss seems to possess an extraordinary genius!"

"My sister has always learned faster than others since she was young!" Jingrui declared proudly.

Zhao Yong: Young Master, are you really proud that you were beaten by a woman in martial arts? Doesn’t it hurt your dignity as a man?!

"Girl, why didn’t I know before that you’re a martial arts prodigy!" Shangguan Xuanyi looked at Xiao’er’s rapidly growing inner strength and exclaimed.

"I am also impressed with myself. Perhaps one day, Brother Shangguan, you will be defeated by me!" Xiao’er thought cunningly, imagining the day she could retaliate if he ever attacked her again.

Zhao Yong imagined a future where Xiao’er would defeat their master, and he found it oddly plausible. Silently, he lit a candle in his heart for his master.

On hearing this, Shangguan Xuanyi felt a surge of crisis awareness.

His wife was too capable. Being a husband was truly stressful!

If he kept being eclipsed, what was his role?!

So, he started to train more diligently and learn various kinds of knowledge.

The weather was cold, and the roads were icy. Hence, their journey was slow.

Shangguan Xuanyi was not in a hurry. If they reached the Imperial Capital before the New Year, that would suffice.

Along the way, whenever they passed through a county or state office, they would stay a few days to procure some property and supplies.

Today, as they passed through Yunshi County, known as a primary source of jade in the country, Xiao’er, whose family owned a jewelry shop, decided to stop for two days to purchase more jade.

As the primary source of jade in the country, Yunshi County was one of the wealthiest counties. Its city streets were paved with bluestone slabs. The width and grandeur of the streets rivaled that of the Imperial City.

The shops on both sides of the street were new and multistoried, with not a single single-story shop in sight.

Perhaps due to the high traffic of visitors, they saw several restaurants and inns along the streets.

Zhao Yong discovered that the best inn in the city was called the Jade Mansion.

Upon entering the Jade Mansion, they found that there were six adjoining sky rooms and one earth room available. All the other rooms were fully occupied.

"We’ll take the five sky rooms!" Shangguan Xuanyi casually suggested.

The innkeeper, with a smile, said, "Please pay a hundred taels as a deposit. Any extra amount will be refunded."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yong paused in the midst of pulling out his money bag. He thought he heard it wrong: "Innkeeper, what did you say the deposit amount was?"

"One hundred taels. You must be visiting Yunshi County for the first time. Our inn charges ten taels per night for a sky room. Each room requires a deposit of twenty taels. Since you’re renting five rooms, it’s one hundred taels."

Zhao Yong felt dizzy at this. Ten taels for a room per night! His monthly salary was only ten taels!

Xiao’er was also surprised at this price. The presidential suite at her hotel in the Imperial City only cost ten taels per night!

The innkeeper did not rush them, seeing the stunned looks on their faces. He feared that the six sky rooms wouldn’t be occupied since all other rooms in the inn were fully occupied.

Sure enough, before Zhao Yong could recover from his shock, two men and a woman, all elegantly dressed, walked in.

"Innkeeper, three sky rooms."

The innkeeper looked at Zhao Yong, "Sir, do you still want the five sky rooms?"

Yang Liu gave Zhao Yong a nudge.

Zhao Yong came back to his senses, nodded, then took a silver banknote from his pocket, "Yes, this is a hundred taels silver banknote."

The Innkeeper took the banknote, glanced at it to confirm its authenticity, then said to the three newcomers, "There is only one sky room and one earth room left."

After Zhao Yong handed over the banknote, an attentive waiter immediately led them to their rooms.

Zhao Yong stayed behind to check in, and the other four followed the waiter.

"Wait! Innkeeper, why do they have all five rooms and we only have three?" The woman who had just come in asked.

"Miss, we only had six sky rooms left in our inn. They booked five of them, so naturally there are none left." The innkeeper apologized before handing a book to Zhao Yong, "Sir, please register."

"There are two servants among them! Demand them to give up two sky rooms!" She said.

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