Walking and lost in her own thoughts, Yao Ying didn't notice that the person in front suddenly stopped and turned, bumping into her.
Caught off guard, she stumbled, but the other party stood firm like a wall, not moving an inch.
Yuan Jue beside her widened his eyes.
Yao Ying rubbed her forehead, lifted her face, and met Sultan Gu's deep azure eyes.
She smiled at him, her eyes twinkling, and her face was covered with a veil, so her expression could not be seen clearly, and her eyes looked particularly charming.
Yuan Jue's face looked peculiar.
After Yao Ying regained her balance, Sultan Gu spoke, "Three days from now, Yuchi Damo will visit the royal temple to make offerings."
Yao Ying understood and nodded. Three days later would be the day they would meet Yuchi Damo.
"General Su, I would like to visit the market these days," Yaoying thought for a while and added, "I want to get some information. This will give me a better chance of winning when negotiating with Yuchi Bodhidharma."
Sultan Gu nodded.
Yao Ying sighed with relief. Although Sultan Gu was fierce and evil, he was actually very easy to talk to. If she had anything to discuss with him along the way, as long as she gave her reasons, he would seriously consider it.
They first found a post house to stay, and the innkeeper welcomed them, saying, "Guests, you've traveled a long and tiring journey. Please have a seat in the hall first."
A stove was lit in the hall, everyone was tired and hungry, they sat around drinking soup to keep themeselves warm.
Yaoying was also exhausted, so she drank a bowl of hot soup, ate a few biscuits, and went back to her room to rest. The waiter brought a hot water bath, and she immediately felt refreshed. She took off her dusty clothes and soaked herself in the warm and fragrant water. She felt so comfortable that she didn't even want to move her fingers.
She was traveling with men, and she didn't want to be a burden. She gritted her teeth and hurried on, eating cold and hard dry rations when hungry, adding more layers of clothes when cold, and sleeping in her clothes like everyone else when tired. During this time, let alone taking a bath, even thinking of using hot water to cleanse herself was a luxury. Fortunately, it was winter now, so she could endure it.
After soaking in the hot water for a while, her stiff limbs gradually relaxed. Feeling sore and painful, Yao Ying became drowsy. Suddenly, there was a commotion downstairs, with loud voices scolding the waiter and the sound of horses neighing.
Footsteps could be heard on the stairs.
Yao Ying immediately got up, hastily wiped her wet hair, casually tied it up in a bun, and put on her clothes.
There was a knock on the door, and Xie Qing's voice sounded.
"Come in."
Xie Qing entered the room, with a furrowed brow, and whispered, "The young prince from Northern Rong has followed us here."
Yao Ying's heart skipped a beat. "He discovered us?"
Xie Qing shook his head. "They don't recognize us. They just happened to stay in this inn too. There are a total of eighteen of them, gathered in the courtyard downstairs. Yuan Jue consulted the Regent, and the Regent said to adapt to the situation."
Yao Ying furrowed her brows.
Encountering the same enemy again was already enough trouble. She thought she had shaken off the young prince from Northern Rong, but now they arrived right after she did. She pondered for a moment and said, "The Regent is right, adapt to the situation. We've just arrived, it would raise suspicion if we suddenly change accommodations for no reason. It's better to continue staying here. We know their identities, so it's a good opportunity to find out their purpose for coming to Gaochang."
This inn is a stronghold of the Royal court in Gaochang. Otherwise, Sultan Gu and the others wouldn't have stayed here. The young prince has good eyesight, picking the most dangerous place right away.
Xie Qing understood and went out to instruct Xie Chong and the others to be cautious and avoid going out if not necessary. They stood out too much as Han people.
The young prince and his group were arrogant and loud. They have been loudly bossing the staff around since they entered the hall, driving away other travelers, occupying the stove, and calling a group of singers to sing and dance in front of the hall to cheer them up, their pipa music alternately vibrant and lamenting, occasionally accompanied by the Hu girls' raucous or charming laughter.
The merchants in the inn, who have traveled far and wide, are accustomed to the ways of the world. They could tell from the attire of the young prince and his guards that they were either wealthy or noble and didn't dare to say anything even if they were angry.
Yao Ying and the others were exhausted and retired to their rooms early. They hadn't left their rooms.
The laughter and noise continued into the midnight without any signs of stopping.
The young prince's voice was loud and bright, disturbing Yao Ying's sleep. It wasn't until the second half of the night that the young prince finally quieted down. She fell into a drowsy sleep, but suddenly woke up in her dream. She stayed still for a moment, got up, and poured a bowl of cold water for herself.
A dark figure stood by the window, motionless, like a ghost.
Yao Ying was startled, and the bowl slipped from her hand, shattering on the ground.
The sound of breaking echoed, and the dark figure moved slightly, opened the window, and a face wearing a demon mask appeared in the darkness.
Goosebumps rose on Yao Ying's arm, her body stiffened, cold sweat pouring down. When her gaze met the pair of emerald eyes, she was stunned and couldn't help but laugh and cry, "General Su?"
Sultan Gu looked at her face, said nothing, and slowly lowered his gaze, scanning the broken bowl on the ground.
Yao Ying whispered, "I was thirsty and got up for water. I accidentally dropped the bowl."
Sultan Gu uttered a sound of agreement, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Yao Ying watched him walk away and found another bowl, poured herself some water, took a few sips, sat back on the bed, lost in thought for a while, and then lay down to continue sleeping.
Not long after, there were deliberately muffled footsteps outside the window.
Yao Ying immediately opened her eyes. In the darkness of the night, her eyes sparkled, her pupils swirled around, and she cautiously sat up, got out of bed, and quietly walked to the window. With a swoosh, she pushed it open.
A dark figure stood by the window, and underneath the mask, the emerald eyes calmly gazed at her.
Yao Ying couldn't help but feel embarrassed. It seemed that he knew she wasn't asleep.