Chen Tang lowered his voice and said, "The brothers outside the estate have discovered some suspicious individuals."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Kesong immediately asked, "What kind of people are they?"
Chen Tang replied, "They watched for a while, they’re all young and strong men. In the past two days, several groups have passed by the main road outside the estate, and for the past few months, aside from our own people, no other young men have been seen here."
Jiang Kesong turned to Shang Ruyi: "Young Madam."
Shang Ruyi paused in thought for a moment, then smiled faintly and said, "Recently, many people have been leaving from the Luoyang area, it’s not surprising if some people pass through here."
Jiang Kesong said, "Then we—"
Shang Ruyi replied, "No need to mind them, let your men focus on their own tasks."
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Jiang Kesong immediately instructed Chen Tang and the others to continue patrolling around the estate, while he tidied up the map and took his leave.
Shang Ruyi sat for a while, finally sighing deeply as if relieved, then turned to Tushere and said, "Go pack the luggage, tomorrow, we return to Luoyang."
Chang Wan and Wo Xue immediately asked, "Young Madam, should we also help with the packing?"
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "Don’t you two think about slacking off, hurry and cook, I was worn out at the training ground just now, and I’m already hungry."
Hearing this, Wo Xue immediately laughed and pulled Chang Wan along to the kitchen.
Once they had all left, Shang Ruyi sighed again, looking up at the sky outside, which was dimly lit yet still dreary. She wondered when the light from up above would completely pierce through the gloom.
After a while, she murmured, "The weather is changing again..."
Her words seemed like an omen.
That night, the northern wind blew fiercely throughout the night, as if Liang Shide’s forces hadn’t arrived yet, but the stirring wind had already come. In her sleep, Shang Ruyi even heard the sound of the flagpole at the training ground being toppled by the wind. The next morning when she awoke, the sound of the wind had not ceased, and the sky began to fall with thick, heavy snowflakes.
By the time they finished breakfast, the snow on the road had accumulated to ankle depth, and the wind and snow continued relentlessly, making it hard for people to keep their eyes open. The oppressive clouds were like an unfeeling black hand, weighing down on these mentally fragile people, suffocating them.
This was the case for the people inside the estate, and even more so for those outside the estate who had to conceal their presence while keeping close watch on everything and everyone inside.
A few burly men took cover in a grove of dead wood not far from the foot of the mountain, the howling north wind cutting through their faces and bodies like a knife. Despite wearing heavy clothing, they couldn’t fend off the wild chill, each one shivering uncontrollably. Someone couldn’t help but grumble, "A General’s wife, must we suffer this much for her?"
Standing beside him was the small team leader of these men, who merely sneered at him and said, "If you want to grumble, go complain in front of Your Majesty."
The man gritted his teeth and could only remain silent.
One person, half-hiding behind him, rubbed his hands together near his mouth for warmth, then spoke, "This General’s wife is not a simple person, otherwise, why would we be assigned to monitor only her among the many officials’ kin accompanying Your Majesty to Jiangdu Palace?"
Another person whispered, "I heard from the brothers who went to Yanmen County that Your Majesty seems to have some connections with this lady..."
The words were not finished, as the small team leader shot a sharp look over, causing him to immediately fall silent.
"You all really don’t want to keep your heads, do you!"
Just then, the person at the front suddenly said in a low voice, "They’re coming out!"
Everyone immediately raised their heads to look ahead, and through the wind and snow, they saw a group of people emerging from the estate. Although everyone was dressed in thick garments and carried umbrellas, making it difficult to distinguish between people or even genders, they immediately recognized the figure in the middle clad in a luxurious, heavy sable coat with someone holding an umbrella for her was the wife of the Assistant General, Shang Ruyi.
They watched as she slowly led the group out of the estate, reaching a carriage that had been parked at the roadside since dawn.
She did not immediately board the carriage, but stood beside it, speaking a few words to the people around her, seemingly giving instructions. Listening to her naturally was the steward of this estate, Jiang Kesong, who nodded repeatedly and pointed his hand towards another side of the estate.