RWNEFE -Chapter 219 Only Turning the Tide, Not Restoring Peace

Shen Lanxi sneered coldly: “Trying to intimidate me? I’ll make sure their carriages can’t stay upright!”

Earlier, when Zhou Yunyue left the palace, the palace maids had called her to greet the princess.

“Greet the princess”?

That was a privilege reserved for the royal family—only the emperor, empress, and a few highly favored royals could receive it.

Officials and commoners would kneel and kowtow repeatedly.

Have her kneel?

Zhou Yunyue didn’t have that ability!

If Emperor Renxiao hadn’t been watching from the city walls at that moment, Shen Lanxi would have taught Zhou Yunyue a lesson.

“General, did Princess Yunyue provoke you?” Xiao Fang asked cautiously.

Shen Lanxi scoffed: “If she falls into my hands, there’s only turning the tide, no restoring peace!”

Xiao Fang’s smile gradually widened.

“Move out…”

The group spurred their horses, and in the blink of an eye, the capital was far behind them.

The marriage envoy scrambled onto the carriages, but Shen Lanxi’s party quickly accelerated in hot pursuit.

At first, Zhou Yunyue could stay seated, but soon her elaborate hairstyle was undone by the jolting, and she tumbled into the carriage.

“Princess, are you alright?”

The palace maids fared no better, all swaying helplessly inside the carriage.

The carriage sped faster and faster. They tried to shout for the driver to slow down, but their voices were drowned out by the pounding hooves—they couldn’t be heard at all.

Zhou Yunyue banged her forehead against the seat, swelling a visible bump. The pain made her irritable and furious.

“Shen Lanxi, I will never forgive you! I will never forgive you!”

“Ouch…”

…

Meanwhile, Zhou Ruoyuan had also left the city.

Not long after, shouts came from behind.

“Your Highness, you must go see!” a guard galloped over to relay the message.

Zhou Ruoyuan slowed, turned his horse, and rode up to the supply carriage. He froze.

“Qingling, what are you doing here?”

Bai Qingling clenched her fists tightly, gritting her teeth through waves of abdominal pain. Every movement sent heat surging downward.

“Your Highness, before, I accompanied you on a campaign. Though the court never gave me a title, I’m still half a strategist. You’re heading to Yonglin Prefecture to suppress rebels—how could I be left out?”

Afraid Zhou Ruoyuan would order her back, she quickly added: “Even if you sent someone to return me, I would secretly follow behind you. I guarantee: when you arrive in Yonglin, I will arrive right after!”

Zhou Ruoyuan looked at her earnest face, hesitated, and then agreed.

“Fine. I’ll have the pace slowed a bit on the road. Once we reach a place with a river, we’ll travel by water.”

Bai Qingling smiled faintly at him, resting her hand gently on her abdomen.

Once her body healed, she would have another child. Child, don’t go far—you’ll soon return to your mother’s womb.

She glared coldly toward the capital, gnashing her teeth in fury.

“Shen Lanxi, the murder of my child, the theft of my husband—you just wait!”

…

“General, ahead is the relay station. Shall we stop and change horses?” Shen Yuanjing, who had memorized the route to the northwest, knew exactly how many stations, rivers, and mountains lay along the way.

“Good.”

Shen Lanxi also had questions for the station staff.

“Hey there, I have a question!” Cheng Zheng placed a silver ingot on the counter.

Liu Yanhui was absent, so he handled the money for now.

The shop boy glanced at the silver, then hurriedly tried to please Shen Lanxi.

“General, whatever you want to know, just ask. If I know it, I’ll tell you everything.”

Shen Lanxi: “Over three years ago, a convoy heading to the northwest passed through here.”

The boy squinted, trying to recall.

Over three years ago?

This was the first stop out of the capital. Truth be told, almost every convoy leaving the city passed through here.

More than three years had passed. Apart from those delivering supplies to the Wei family army, he couldn’t remember the others.

“General, I can’t clearly remember something from over three years ago. There are just too many convoys leaving the capital every year!”

Shen Yuanjing: “A reminder: over three years ago, supplies were sent to the Wei family army in the northwest.”

The shop boy immediately froze, as if seeing a ghost.

“I don’t know anything, generals! I’m just a shop boy—I really know nothing!” He retreated nervously.

Shen Yuanjing blocked his path.

“We’re only asking about what happened then, nothing else. I refuse to believe that no one from the court asked you!”

Cheng Zheng shoved the silver into the boy’s hands.

Shen Yuanjing: “Tell us what you remember. If we find useful information, we’ll give you more silver!”

Cheng Zheng placed several more silver ingots on the counter.

The boy hesitated, eyes flickering between greed and doubt.

Shen Lanxi: “I’ve been ordered to investigate the Wei family army case. I’m heading to the northwest. Along the way, I’ll ask every relay station, so there’s no need to worry!”

Shen Yuanjing took out the imperial edict: “We have the emperor’s orders. Speak freely!”

Seeing the edict, the shop boy immediately knelt in fear.

“Generals, I really can’t remember. Three years ago, I wasn’t even the shop boy here—I was helping with the horses at the back. I only heard about it from others.”

Shen Lanxi: “Who was the shop boy here three years ago?”

“The previous one? He fell seriously ill and died. The manager promoted me to shop boy at the front.”

Cheng Zheng handed him a silver ingot.

The boy’s eyes lit up: “I didn’t see it myself, but I heard that the people delivering supplies to the Wei army ate a meal here at the station and then left!”

Shen Yuanjing: “Anything else? Anything unusual?”

The boy shook his head, then remembered something.

“Well, there was one minor thing. The previous shop boy was curious and went to look, and the escort beat him up badly!”

Shen Lanxi’s eyes gleamed as she glanced at Cheng Zheng, who handed another silver ingot to the boy.

“Continue!”

The boy’s eyes sparkled at the silver.

“I also heard that they all had huge appetites, were strong and sturdy, and fierce—just a glare could make a child cry.”

“And… their fists were big, their feet strong. A punch could kill a man, a kick could kill a man, a slap could knock someone out.”

Shen Lanxi took a deep breath and stood up.

“I’ll go ask the manager. You keep questioning him!”

The information from the shop boy was mostly minor details, but every bit added up.

The manager confirmed similar details, though little was truly useful. Over three years had passed; if not for the Wei army supply theft, few would remember.

Shen Lanxi suddenly asked: “Manager, where was the previous shop boy from?”

The manager: “From a nearby village. Hardworking kid, but unlucky—his mother died when he was young, and his stepmother tried to sell him. His father had some conscience and managed to get him to me to work at the station… sigh, he’s gone now, so what’s the point of talking about it?”