The city gate closes at the last moment of the hai hour at night.
There is still half an hour left until the Forbidden City time.
The carter Old Li opened his cloudy eyes, estimating the time. He has a son and a daughter, but unfortunately his son is not ambitious and hasn’t found a proper job, so the family relies on him for food.
Old Li’s carriage spot is five hundred meters from the city gate, next to the moat, with willows along the riverbank, swaying lightly as the breeze passes.
His colleagues have finished work and gone home. At night, he occasionally encounters people with urgent matters who need to travel through the night, offering generous pay.
Living days of exposure to the elements isn’t something many can endure.
The sky grows darker and darker; the time for the Forbidden City is fast approaching. Old Li stroked his coarse little goatee and murmured:
"Another day without business today."
With his rough hand, he smoothed the mane of his tall red horse while untying the thick rope from the willow tree.
Finished work, headed home.
"Carter, wait, I need to rent a carriage out of the city, wait, wait." Finally catching up, Lu He’s voice trembled: "I need to go out of the city, to Yandang Mountain, how much silver?"
She had just bought a sharp cleaver from the knife shop in the east of the city, along with some dry food, rope, a small knife, etc.
Eldest Young Master, wait for me.
Because she ran too fast, she ignored her thick eyebrows and mustache, her little face flushed and endearing.
Upon hearing Yandang Mountain, Old Li furrowed his brow; that’s no ordinary mountain.
For his livelihood, he stretched out ten fingers: "Ten taels of silver, only to the foot of the mountain. I’ll rush through the night to arrive by morning. If you agree, get on the carriage; if not, I’ll head home."
His cloudy eyes scrutinized the amusingly browed little youth in front; should anything happen there, it would be regrettable.
He calculated mentally: he’s just going to the foot of the mountain, and nothing else.
Upon hearing ten taels, Lu He took a deep breath. There’s no time to haggle; the city gate is about to close. "Let’s go," she responded, as she climbed onto the carriage with hands and feet.
You should know, in such a large household as the Zhao Mansion, where she worked hard for a month, she only earned two taels of silver.
And now, it took her five months’ wages.
Heartache.
Afraid that the person before her would back out, carter Old Li untied the saddle rope.
He began to drive the horse toward the direction of the city gate.
En route, Old Li educated Lu He about Yandang Mountain, and he couldn’t be blamed for charging high.
Yandang Mountain is located in the far east of Daqing Country, covering several hundred square kilometers, with bizarre rocks towering, perilous peaks and mysterious caves. Many fierce wild tigers and beasts reside in the mountain, and near the summit is a large pool surrounded by venomous snakes, where hundreds of hunters and locals have perished, buried in the jaws of beasts.
Without a professional guide, one couldn’t survive more than five days inside.
Finally, he kindly reminded Lu He: "Once you finish your business over there, quickly return. When I drop you at the mountain’s foot, I will return to Feng County."
In that place, Old Li wouldn’t dare delay a moment.
"Okay." Inside the carriage, Lu He clutched the cleaver’s handle with her slender hands, worry evident between her brows.
The master and madam all said that the Eldest Young Master was dead, but she didn’t believe them. She wouldn’t believe until she saw his corpse. Even if he was eaten by a tiger, something would be left behind.
She had set a period of ten days. If she didn’t find his whereabouts within ten days, she would give up hope, head towards the Capital City, and seek her maternal grandparents; her mother had given her a bracelet before she died.
Urging her to seek kin in the Capital City, but unfortunately, she was too young then and didn’t have any money for travel expenses.
Eldest Young Master, if I can’t find you within ten days, I’ll go to the Capital City.
Lu He’s delicate eyes quietly reddened.
The carter being an honest man, left the city gate directly heading down the main road toward the destination.