On the official road, Wei Dongling and Jingzhe rode their horses non - stop all the way northwest, from dawn until the sky was full of stars.
After two or three days, Jingzhe couldn't help but look at Wei Dongling with new eyes.
This girl was incredibly stubborn when she set her mind to something. She whipped the horses all the way, pushing them to their limits. By nightfall, the two fine horses were on the verge of foaming at the mouth. But Wei Dongling didn't stop for a moment. She immediately found someone in a small town to exchange for fresh horses, then got back on the well - rested steeds and galloped off into the night.
Along the way, except for brief stops when they needed to relieve themselves, they ate and slept in the carriage. When hungry, they grabbed some dry rations and took a bite. When tired, they took turns to sleep inside.
As soon as it dawned, when they reached the next town, they quickly found a horse dealer to get fresh and energetic horses, and then set off again.
The two of them rode day and night. On the fifth day, they felt the weather getting colder. Wei Dongling finally couldn't hold on any longer. Dragging her exhausted and dusty body, she rushed into an inn, rented two rooms, and collapsed into bed. It was not until the next morning that she woke up. She asked for some hot water to take a bath, then went downstairs for breakfast.
Early in the morning, there were not many people in the dining area on the first floor of the inn. Wei Dongling ordered two bowls of steaming mutton noodle soup and started to gobble it up with her chopsticks. Jingzhe got up and went to the kitchen to check the ingredients. He asked the cook to cut five catties of marinated beef, wrapped them in oil paper into two portions, and stuffed them into their bags.
Wei Dongling asked the innkeeper some questions and learned that it would take another three or four days to reach Hanzhong. So the two of them planned to go upstairs to pack their clothes and continue their journey.
When they were going up the stairs, a man who was about to go downstairs to check out walked towards them. The man was tall and had fair skin. He lowered his eyes slightly and glanced at Wei Dongling as he was about to pass by.
But Wei Dongling noticed a jade cicada pendant hanging from the man's belt, with a dzi bead on it. She couldn't help but freeze on the spot.
This jade cicada was extremely familiar! Wasn't it the accessory of Young Master Mingyang from Xuyang Winery in Liaocheng? The very same Xiliang prince she had met in the imperial garden!
Why was this Xiliang prince here at this moment?
Wei Dongling's face turned as white as a sheet, and cold sweat instantly trickled down her forehead.
The Xiliang prince, who was about to pass by, noticed that Wei Dongling looked a bit strange. Out of curiosity, he took a couple of glances at her. After this look, he couldn't help but stop in his tracks. After a moment of thought, the Xiliang prince asked, "This young lady looks very familiar. It seems I've met you somewhere before. May I ask, are you from the capital?"
This question made Wei Dongling panic. She tried her best to look calm and forced a smile, saying, "I have an ordinary face, which is why the young master feels like he knows me."
A look of confusion crossed the Xiliang prince's fair face. He frowned slightly and asked softly, "Really?"
"Exactly!" Wei Dongling curtsied and argued, "It's my first time meeting you today. I think the young master is very handsome. However, I'm already engaged, so it's not appropriate for me to chat with you too much. May the young master be well..."
Hearing this, the Xiliang prince stood there stunned. He looked at Wei Dongling in astonishment. After seeing her curtsy shyly and then run away, he couldn't come to his senses for a long time.
In the room, Wei Dongling packed her bag and then hid behind the window to peek out. She didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the Xiliang prince and his entourage were out of sight. Then she took Jingzhe and left through a back alley.
Was the Xiliang prince here to get involved in the northwest war? He had just gone to the capital to pay homage to the emperor not long ago, showing his goodwill. But now, was he secretly meddling in the war in the northwest?
Jingzhe didn't really care about this. He was happily playing with the small crossbow that Wei Dongling had confiscated all the way. He took it apart piece by piece and spent the whole day trying to put it back together.
The people from the Tingfeng Tower waited for several days but didn't receive any news from Wei Dongling. They couldn't help but feel anxious.
Cuihuan's injury was getting better. She started to throw a tantrum and demanded to go find Wei Dongling. No one could persuade her. Seeing that everyone refused, Cuihuan couldn't help but take out a letter and revealed the truth. Everyone's faces turned green with anger. They discussed what to do all night.
After a long and heated argument, Uncle Li finally sighed and said, "That naughty girl also said that making money was important. We can't close our business. At least three people have to stay in each shop to keep it running. The rest of you, Ruan Niang, Long Ge, and Cuihuan, you three go to the northwest and bring that girl back!"
Only then did everyone silently agree.
So, Luo Xunlong, Ruan Niang, and Cuihuan packed their things and set off that night.
Two days later, after riding day and night, Wei Dongling and Jingzhe arrived in Hanzhong. This city was the garrison of the 80,000 - strong northwest army.
The temperature in Hanzhong dropped sharply. Although it was only September, Wei Dongling, even with her thick clothes on, couldn't help but shiver. It was not until Jingzhe found an inn to stay in. After she took a hot bath, she gradually warmed up.
The wound on her left palm had scabbed over, but it itched so much that she couldn't help scratching it. Blood started to flow, so she had to obediently apply some medicine. Wei Dongling stared blankly at the dark night outside the window. She secretly made up her mind that even if she had to turn the whole city upside down, she would find Yu Zixi.
The next day, Wei Dongling and Jingzhe drove their carriage around Hanzhong, trying to find out some news about the northwest battlefield.
In the past two months, the war had been raging. The 100,000 - strong cavalry had repeatedly invaded, advancing irresistibly. The Xue family's army had been beaten back again and again, and their numbers had gradually dwindled from 80,000 to less than 50,000.
The war had brought great suffering to the people of Hanzhong.
Wei Dongling couldn't help but sigh. She needed to find Yu Zixi and Tian Qi as soon as possible.
Jingzhe whispered, "Miss Wei, it's not a good idea for us to look for them blindly like this. How about I sneak into the army to find out some information?"
Wei Dongling thought for a moment and said, "Let's set up a stall first!"
She wasted no time.
Wei Dongling immediately discussed with the innkeeper. She borrowed the kitchen and rented a small area in front of the inn to set up a milk tea stall.
After that, she quickly contacted a local bamboo craftsman to order a large number of bamboo cups.
Thanks to her hands - on experience in purchasing supplies for the branch in Lanshan Temple, Wei Dongling knew exactly what necessities she needed. She made a list and then separated from Jingzhe to buy all the items.
Jingzhe looked at Wei Dongling's busy figure in surprise. Were you really here to open a milk tea branch?
Early the next morning, the bustling passers - by saw a small stall set up in front of the inn. There were several characters on the signboard: Tingfeng Tower Milk Tea.
What was this? Everyone was stunned.
This time, Wei Dongling was very low - key. She didn't set off firecrackers or promote it vigorously. She just shouted at the top of her voice to attract customers.
The price of each cup was incredibly low. This made Jingzhe very confused. Considering all the miscellaneous costs, after a careful calculation, Miss Wei was losing money on every cup she sold!