inspire-indiana Chapter 222 The Prefect of Yunzhou Warmly Welcomes the Mu Family
Chapter 222 The Prefect of Yunzhou Warmly Welcomes the Mu Family
Xue Bufan had no opinion on where the prisoners lived, since the prefect would take responsibility if anything happened, so he might as well enjoy it.
“Okay.” Xue Bufan nodded.
Room number 'Tian' on the third floor of Lanyue Pavilion.
The rooms prepared by the prefect of Yunzhou for the Mu and Xie families were luxurious and thoughtfully designed.
Everything from the interior decorations to the gauze curtains and aromatherapy was meticulously chosen, as if afraid that the Mu and Xie families wouldn't be used to it.
"Your Highness, Madam Xie, please wash up and rest first. I have prepared a few tables of food, which will be delivered to your rooms by servants later."
"Lord Zhou, you are too kind. It is already very good to be able to rest in such a nice room. There is no need to go to such lengths."
Mu Hongqi felt that their actions were far too high-profile for prisoners.
If this gets back to the emperor, who knows how he will deal with them.
Zhou Hao, however, did not take it to heart: "Both the Prince and General Xie's families are extremely distinguished, but unfortunately, this is all I can do with my abilities."
"I won't bother you any longer. You all get some rest. I'll come back tonight to have some drinks with the Prince."
"Okay!" Mu Hongqi nodded in agreement.
Shen Shuli hadn't expected that the prefect of Yunzhou would arrange for the Mu and Xie families to stay in such a luxurious inn.
"It's clear that the prefect and the Mu family have an excellent relationship; otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths," Su Yunhai said.
Su Yunhai also brought the Su family and the Shen family to Lanyue Pavilion, where they spent a huge sum of money.
But the top-tier rooms are no longer available.
The two families could only stay in the rooms designated by the company name, and even then, not so many people were allowed to stay.
The bodyguards and the Silver Armor Guards lived in the large dormitory-style room in Building 1.
However, Lanyue Pavilion is the best inn in Yunzhou Prefecture, and even the worst room is decorated with great care.
We finally managed to get into town and stay at an inn to rest.
Both the Su and Shen families were relaxing, resting, and washing up in their respective rooms.
At 3:45 PM, an eight-immortal table was set up in the courtyard of Lanyue Pavilion.
Prefect Zhou Hao of Yunzhou poured wine from a jug: "This jar of pear blossom wine has been buried for five years. It was a gift from the Prince to me on the day I left the capital to take up my post in Yunzhou. I wanted to be able to drink with the Prince one day."
Upon hearing this, Mu Hongqi's fingertips trembled slightly.
On the eve of Zhou Hao's departure from Beijing, he did send Zhou Hao a carload of Pear Blossom White wine, but he never expected that Zhou Hao would bury the wine and be reluctant to drink it.
"Thank you for your kindness! Let's drink until we drop!" Mu Hongqi sighed and poured him a drink.
Inside Xie Chengyuan's room.
He was once again assigned to the same room as his four nephews.
The four brothers, Xie Jinxing, Xie Jinchen, Xie Jinhui, and Xie Jinyan, had just finished washing up and were chatting in their room.
"Wow, it's been so long since I've stayed in such a comfortable room. It feels like a dream."
The youngest, Xie Jinyan, lay loosely on the soft, silky quilt, wearing only his undergarments, and sighed comfortably.
The whip marks on his back, pressed into the brocade quilt, were particularly glaring.
"Yes, back when we were in the General's Mansion, everything we used was much more elaborate than this, but we never paid any attention to it. I never thought that now I could only reminisce about the glory of the past..." Xie Jinhui sighed as well.
Xie Chengyuan tore off the shroud-like bandages, revealing the numerous tiny scars on his body that had not yet fully healed.
These days.
Shen Shuli secretly gave him a lot of spiritual medicine, and Mu Wanjun also removed all the golden needles from his body. His body has almost fully recovered.
Moreover, this place is already outside the capital city's territory, and he no longer intends to hide it from his other family members.
Seeing that his four nephews had not noticed him, Xie Chengyuan had no choice but to speak up and remind them.
"You brats, now you know how good the General's Mansion is?" Xie Chengyuan suddenly interjected, "Who was it that complained about the pungent incense back then?"
His sudden words startled the four boys, causing them to tumble off the bed.
"Uncle Jiu, you're awake?"
The four boys, filled with excitement, rushed to Xie Chengyuan, surrounded him, and looked him up and down carefully, their eyes glistening with tears.
"Yes, actually I've been fully conscious the whole time, but I'm just unable to move around easily."
"Moreover, there have been people secretly monitoring the Xie family's every move, which is why I didn't dare tell you."
Xie Chengyuan gently patted the four boys on the shoulders and explained earnestly, hoping they could understand.
Xie Jinxing hugged Uncle Jiu's shoulder tightly, his body trembling, and he couldn't help but sob. The boy's helpless tears fell onto Xie Chengyuan's shoulder.
During this period, these four teenagers have been under immense pressure.
Because these four were the few remaining male members of the Xie family, the oldest being only eleven years old, they were still like tender new saplings, yet they provided a safe haven for the women of the family.
Their hearts were filled with fear, confusion, and unease, with no idea where tomorrow would lead.
End of Hai hour.
The inn was deathly silent.
The dim lanterns swayed gently in the breeze, casting flickering shadows.
Dressed in a black night outfit, Shen Shuli moved with the lightness of a ghost, silently traversing every corner of the inn.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and her eyes revealed an innate alertness and keenness.
From the moment she stepped into the inn, she sensed that Prefect Zhou Hao's behavior was strangely indescribable.
This intuition, like a sharp thorn, was deeply embedded in her heart, making it impossible for her to fall asleep peacefully. She decided to take advantage of the night to find out what was going on.
According to what she learned from various sources.
This inn is Zhou Hao's private property, and it is always bustling with guests, making it a very prosperous and thriving business.
Shen Shuli's gaze finally settled on the stables behind the inn.
She crouched low and cautiously approached, carefully examining the hay in the trough by the dim moonlight.
Among them were a few dark red tassels, their bright and eye-catching color and plump, round grains clearly the blood millet used only by military horses.
Shen Shuli was startled and subconsciously narrowed her eyes, muttering to herself, "The horses raised by the prefect are indeed very strong!"
However, apart from that, she searched almost the entire inn but found nothing else unusual.
Left with no other choice, we had to give up for the time being.
Fortunately, the night passed without incident.
Dawn the next day.
Xue Bufan then urged the two families to set off on their journey.
At this time, the prefect of Yunzhou was already waiting outside the inn with other exiled prisoners and yamen runners.
The Xie and Mu families slept very well last night and changed into clean, brand-new prison clothes. Everyone looked to be in good spirits.
The two families' prison uniforms still smelled pleasantly of incense, a stark contrast to the sour, putrid odor emanating from the prisoners in their cells.
This shows that the prefect treated them no differently from other prisoners and did not give them any special treatment.
"Your Highness, Madam Xie, did you rest well last night?"
"Very good. This old woman and the rest of the Xie family thank the Prefect for his hospitality."
Madam Xie stood ramrod straight, her white hair neatly combed, exuding both dignity and authority. She bowed slightly to express her gratitude.
Mu Hongqi also stepped forward with a smile on his face, his voice carrying a hint of ease and joy: "It's been a long time since I've had such a sound sleep, thanks to the Prefect's hospitality."