As the setting sun cast its glow, a team of carriages and horses sped along the official road.
Su Li lifted the curtain and asked, "Mo Yun, how much longer?"
"Miss, at the earliest, it will still take two days," Mo Yun replied.
Mo Yu slowed his horse, turned back, and said, "Princess Consort, it's getting dark. We're about to reach the next town. Shall we enter the city and stay at an inn?"
Su Li looked at the sky. It was still dusk.
"Let's keep going. We have so much stuff; staying at an inn wouldn't be convenient. Let's not enter the city".
The more distance they covered, the better. So many soldiers were waiting for their lives to be saved; she couldn't delay.
"Yes!"
The group stopped when it was dark.
"Miss, there's a dilapidated temple ahead. Let's settle here for tonight," Mo Yun said, helping Su Li down from the carriage.
Su Li nodded.
The carriage was parked outside the temple, with people arranged to keep watch at all times.
Mo Yun tidied up the dilapidated temple and helped Su Li sit down.
"Miss, the environment is simple and crude. You're suffering an injustice by coming here," Mo Yun said.
Su Li smiled and responded, "When you're out, this is already very good".
Mo Yu carried in a few fish, having no idea where he caught them from. He saw that Mo Yun had already started a fire.
He looked around and saw that although it was still dilapidated, it was much cleaner than before. He smiled and said, "I've never seen such a virtuous Mo Yun before".
Mo Yun glanced at him and said coldly, "You get some food. Miss must be hungry".
After rushing for several days, Su Li had visibly lost weight. Mo Yun felt sorry for her.
Mo Yu roasted the fish over the fire and said, "Keep an eye on the fire, don't burn it. I'll go to the carriage to get some dry rations and water".
Because of the hot weather, the pastries Si Qin had prepared for them had long gone bad. They could only eat some dry steamed buns.
At this time, Lu Xiu came in with the caravan.
"Miss, I've made all the arrangements. We'll change shifts every two hours. The carriage is very safe," Lu Xiu said.
Su Li smiled and nodded. "Thank you for your hard work".
Lu Xiu sat by the temple gate and said, "We're used to traveling all over the country, but Miss is really impressive. After so many days in the carriage, you haven't complained once. Lu Xiu admires you".
Su Li smiled but didn't answer.
She had endured much greater suffering. What was this?
Moreover, she was anxious and wished she could travel day and night without rest.
At this moment, it became noisy outside the door. Lu Xiu was about to get up and check when a group of people came in from outside.
The leader was a middle-aged man with a face full of fat. In his hand, he held a thick hemp rope. Behind the rope was a string of young boys and girls with their hands tied and clothes ragged. The oldest looked no more than fifteen.
Behind them followed several men with whips.
The men came in cursing.
Mo Yun whispered, "They are slave traders".
Lu Li and the others quickly got up, sat closer to Su Li, and protected Su Li, who was dressed as a man, in the innermost part.
The strong man in front didn't expect so many people in a broken temple. He was stunned for a moment.
Without a word, he and Su Li's group each occupied half of the space.
Several burly men stuffed half a cornbread bun into each slave's hand and then took out a string of bells and tied it to the rope. Then they sat down and said loudly, "Be honest with me at night! If you get any funny ideas about running away, and I catch you, the whip in my hand won't be polite!"
After warning them, he saw that the slaves obediently lowered their heads and gnawed on the cornbread in their hands, and he laughed a few times in satisfaction.
Mo Yun turned the fish in her hand, and the fragrance spread throughout the temple, attracting frequent glances from the other side.
"Miss, you eat first," Mo Yun said, handing the grilled fish to Su Li.
Su Li took the fish and ate it in small bites.
Suddenly, she looked up and saw a young boy with a dirty face staring intently at the fish in her hand.
Seeing Su Li looking up, he quickly retracted his gaze and lowered his head.
Su Li lowered her head and continued eating the fish in her hand.
"Whoa! This broken temple is lively today!" A voice suddenly came from outside the temple.
Su Li's eyes lit up.
"Master!"
Ming Yang was stunned and said, "Girl, we meet again, but why do you call me master again? I told you I'm not taking any disciples".
Su Li pretended not to hear the second half of the sentence and smiled as she got up, saying, "Master, please come this way".
Su Li gave up her seat, and Ming Yang went over and sat down.
Su Li took another fish and personally started grilling it.
After grilling it, she handed it to Real Person Ming Yang and said, "Master, here you go".
Ming Yang also knew that he'd be gentle to those who give him food and be polite to those who offer him gifts, but he was very hungry at the moment, and the aroma of the grilled fish in front of him was really tempting.
Seeing him take the grilled fish, Su Li's lips slightly curved.
After everyone was full, they were tired from traveling all day. Everyone closed their eyes and fell asleep, either lying down or leaning against something.
Seeing Real Person Ming Yang fall asleep, Su Li got up and covered him with a thin blanket before leaning against the corner of the wall and closing her eyes.
As soon as she closed her eyes, Real Person Ming Yang instantly opened his eyes, looking at Su Li with some confusion.
In the middle of the night, seeing that everyone was sound asleep.
A young boy opened his eyes in the darkness. There was no sleepiness in those eyes, only a calmness and boundless coldness that did not match his age.
He slowly untied the rope on his hands, and the bells on the rope didn't make a sound.
Then he tiptoed up and quietly walked out.
This scene fell into the eyes of Mo Yun, Mo Yu, Real Person Ming Yang, and others, but no one made a sound, and they closed their eyes and continued to sleep as if they hadn't seen it.
The next morning, Su Li was awakened by a burst of whipping.
Su Li left the temple and saw a slave trader whipping a boy over and over again.
On the ground was a boy of about ten years old.
Su Li recognized him at a glance. It was the little boy who had been staring at her grilled fish, only because this boy had a pair of shockingly bright eyes.
She saw him curled up on the ground, biting his lip without saying a word. When he was whipped, he occasionally let out a muffled groan like a small animal.
Hearing someone come out, the boy's slightly opened eyes looked at Su Li.
Su Li only felt a tightening in her heart.
That kind of gaze that longed for survival in a desperate place was so shocking.
"I'll beat you to death, you little bastard! You dare to run away!"
"Today, I'll beat you to death! I'll let you run!"
"Run! Keep running! Why aren't you running anymore!"
"Stop!"
The slave trader stopped the whip, turned his head, and looked at Su Li.
"Who are you? I'm disciplining my slave. What business is it of yours?"
Su Li stepped forward, with Mo Yu and Mo Yun following her on the left and right.
"How much is this slave? I'll buy him".
Mo Yun was surprised and asked, "Young Master?"
The slave trader was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Young Master, you really want to buy him?"
This kid was a troublemaker. It would naturally be best to sell him off.
Su Li nodded and asked, "Say it, how much money?"
"Ten taels of silver, no, five taels, five taels of silver and this person is yours!"
Su Li nodded and said, "Mo Yun, get the money".
Mo Yun was helpless. They were going to the battlefield, and now they had to bring a half-grown child, but since Miss had spoken, she had to pay.
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