CH 57

The coachman refused, “Miss, where would you find a boat to leave at this hour?”

Ming Zhu gritted her teeth, “Won’t that be fine if I give them more money?”

The coachman swung his whip and went on forward, he kindly said, “It’s not a matter of money, the tide has risen these days, it’s not safe to travel by boat at night, you’d better go to the dock tomorrow morning to take a boat.”

Ming Zhu was still determined to go there, “You take me over there to see.”

The coachman had never seen someone so stubborn as her, so he took her to the dock, and as expected, there wasn’t even a boatman in sight.

The coachman advised her out of kindness, “Miss, it’s late, you’d better go to the relay station to rest for the night and then leave tomorrow.”

Ming Zhu said “mmh”, and then went to an inn outside the city to stay the night.

Chapter 57

(20.3)

The innkeeper received his customer with a bright smile, fiddling with the small abacus in his hand, he said “Miss, we only have two rooms left in the inn today, the price will be a little expensive, you see, you ……”

Ming Zhu’s purse contained quite a lot of silver coins, she asked, “How much?”

“It’ll be two taels of silver.”

This was indeed a bit expensive, but Ming Zhu could not care less about that. She was about to pay the money when she heard the sound of horse hooves outside the door coming closer from a distance. There was a man dressed in dark clothes, his figure was tall and he was surrounded by a lingering murderous aura.

His subordinates behind him were all soldiers carrying swords. At first glance, one would know they were not to be messed with.

“Shizi, the horses have been settled down.”

“Hmm.” Sheng Wenlin took out an ingot of silver and put it in front of the innkeeper.

The innkeeper immediately understood, took a look at him and then at the attendant behind him, “You first, gongzi.”

After he finished this sentence, his eyes then fell on Ming Zhu, “Miss, you wait a moment.”

Ming Zhu nodded with a stiff neck. Her heart was now almost in her throat. Fortunately, she had put on a veil in advance.

Chengwang shizi had never seen her face and shouldn’t be able to recognize her.

Ming Zhu silently sidestepped and moved out of the way, trying her hardest to reduce her presence.

Sheng Wenlin had already walked up to the stairway, when he suddenly turned around. His dark eyes quietly stared at her for a long time, “You turn around.”

Ming Zhu’s feet felt as heavy as lead, her limbs were stiff, but she calmed down her heart and slowly turned around with lowered eyes, not daring to look up.

The young lady was dressed in plain clothes, a sharp contrast with the bright silk dress she was wearing the day before, but there was a faint fragrance on her body that couldn’t be hidden.

Sheng Wenlin suddenly recalled the sight he saw last night, that one side of a white and tender neck, that delicate good-looking chin, those glittering like water pair of eyes. She was so beautiful people couldn’t move away their eyes from her. He gulped down and directly started the conversation: “The crown prince is also here?”

Ming Zhu never thought he would actually recognized her. She almost had the impulse to turn around and start running, cold sweat formed on her forehead, her voice was a little shaky and so low it was almost inaudible, “Hmm.”

Sheng Wenlin looked at her graceful figure and forced himself to avert his eyes, before turning around and going upstairs.

Ming Zhu bit her lower lip almost to the point where it was bleeding and her back was soaked in cold sweat. She felt that her luck was really bad, how could she so coincidentally run into Sheng Wenlin?

Ming Zhu didn’t dare to stay any longer.

The innkeeper was confused, “Miss, you’re not staying the night?”

Ming Zhu nodded her head and responded randomly, “I forgot to bring money.”

She went to the backyard and woke up the coachman, asking him to ride through the night.

The coachman, being awoken from his sleep by her, had a belly full of complaints to voice, but Ming Zhu gave him ten more taels of silver to make him shut up.

The coachman, feeling better after receiving the silver, yawned to chase away the sleepiness, and then asked, “Miss, you’re not going to ride a boat anymore ?”

“It’s too late.”

“Okay then, it’s a little slower by land, but the journey is comfortable.”

Ming Zhu, who was not afraid of hardship, asked, “How long will it take to get to Jiangnan from here?”

The coachman thought carefully for a moment, “No matter what, it will take at least more than half a month.”

Ming Zhu was so worried that she couldn’t sleep even as she was leaning against a soft pillow.

Sheng Wenlin also couldn’t fall asleep. Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was the young girl’s eyes full of emotions, bright, glowing and captivating, and also that face which he only saw once but which was unforgettable.

Delicate, beautiful.

Sheng Wenlin now could understand the reason why even the crown prince had difficulties to restrain himself, she was truly a beauty.

A slender, pure little beauty.

She also looked obedient and well-behaved.

Sheng Wenlin felt it was regretful, being with the prince, she at most could only be an outside mistress, which could never see the light of the day. If the person she met was him, he would have been willing to make her his concubine.

Sheng Wenlin even began to think that, based on his friendship with the crown prince, it should not be too difficult to ask him to give her to him as a concubine in the future.

He tossed and turned without being able to sleep. Annoyed, he got up and opened the window to take a look, only to find out that it was almost dawn.

He was so angry that he ordered his subordinates to pack their luggage and proceeded to rush back to the capital.

The gates of the city was unusually being guarded by many people and the fact that Wei Liu was also there was even more unusual.

Seeing Wei Liu, Sheng Wenlin lightly frowned, “How come Lord Wei is at the city gates?”

Wei Liu said, “For an important matter, naturally.”

Sheng Wenlin felt it was strange inside his mind, “What matter? Tell me about it.”

Wei Liu didn’t intend to hide it from him, “The crown prince’s favorite concubine is missing.”

Sheng Wenlin froze for a moment, what did he mean by missing? Wasn’t the person out of the city together with the crown prince ?

He suddenly realized that he might have been tricked by her.

Sheng Wenlin’s gaze changed.

Wei Liu, looking at him strangely, then said: “She ran away in a carriage, but we don’t know whether or not she managed to get out of the capital.”

Sheng Wenlin remained silent for a while, but after thinking about it, he decided not to conceal it, “I’ve seen her.”