Chapter 37-Part 1

After entering Han State, Jiang Xiurun and her group felt somewhat relieved. Jiang Xiurun continued to follow the previously planned route, avoiding main roads whenever possible.

During their journey, they did encounter some bandits, but fortunately, they were just small-time thieves. Qian’er, all by herself, managed to beat them soundly. They didn’t manage to steal anything, and they even lost several long knives and short sticks.

However, after a few close calls, Jiang Xiurun became more cautious and no longer dared to take risks by traveling on remote paths. If they were to encounter a well-organized group of bandits, Qian’er alone wouldn’t be able to fend off a whole pack of wolves.

Thus, they returned to the main road. From the day they entered Han, Jiang Xiurun swapped her travel permits for new ones. During the journey in the carriage, she forged trade permits for Qi merchants entering Han, allowing them to move freely.

As they were nearing the border of Liang State, Jiang Xiurun heard a commotion ahead from within the carriage.

She frowned slightly and signaled Qian’er to go investigate.

Before long, Qian’er returned and reported, “It seems that Liang and Han hold a border market every year, allowing merchants from both sides to trade. In a few days, the market will open, and a prince from Liang is here to inspect. They need to clear the road and lay new soil. All the merchants are hurrying to avoid running into the prince.”

Jiang Xiurun nodded.

This indeed matched Han’s style—navigating between major states with great skill in balancing relationships.

Even though the daughter of the Han emperor was soon to become the crown princess of Qi, it did not prevent him from maintaining a harmonious relationship with neighboring Liang.

In her previous life, Han even became a coveted ally for both Qi and Liang, holding a significant position.

Otherwise, why would the crown prince favor Tian Ying so much, overshadowing his official wife, Princess Cao Xi? There were hidden reasons behind this.

Regardless of which prince was coming to inspect the border market, Jiang Xiurun did not want any entanglement with them. She decided to take the water route to avoid the market.

Following the water route, they traveled smoothly and reached the Liang border in no time.

Stepping onto the dock, Jiang Xiurun finally felt a sense of relief.

The immediate task was to find lodging in the border area of Han. Jiang Xiuyun had already scouted that the guesthouse “Ke Yueju” was quite good, elegantly decorated, and suitable for a temporary stay.

Qian’er found a cart at the dock, helped the driver load their belongings, and assisted Jiang Xiurun onto the carriage. She and her sister sat at the front. The driver cracked his whip, and the carriage rumbled towards the village.

None of them noticed the greedy eyes watching them from the moment they stepped onto the dock.

As they moved away, a medium-sized, greasy-faced man turned to a tall, skinny companion and whispered, “We’ve got business. Time to call in the big brother.”

This greasy-faced man was a notorious local thug with a sharp eye for spotting easy targets. He noticed Jiang Xiurun’s bulging purse when she paid the boat fare without haggling, marking her as a prime target.

Soon, a red-curtained carriage sped past Jiang Xiuyun’s. The curtain lifted, revealing a fierce-looking man who glared at their driver before turning into a small path and stopping. Four or five fierce men, armed with short swords and daggers, jumped out.

The driver shrank back, trembling slightly, and hesitated before steering their carriage onto the same path.

Qian’er sensed something was wrong, kicked the driver out of the carriage, and told Jiang Xiurun, “Young Master, there are some bandits. I’ll deal with them.” She then turned to her sister and said, “Sister, hide inside the carriage.” She drew her long knife and jumped out.

The bandits, armed with short swords and daggers, charged at Qian’er and began fighting.

Jiang Xiuyun regretted not bringing her bow and arrows from Qi, which could have helped Qian’er. Jiang Zhi and Bai Ying sat pale inside the carriage, too scared to lift the curtain.

Although Qian’er was fierce, she couldn’t hold off all the bandits. One managed to reach their luggage and started searching. He excitedly exclaimed, “Big…Big brother, there’s gold here!”

The fierce man, panting heavily, shouted, “Get back here! This bitch is tough. Let’s kill her together and split the gold.”

Just then, someone shouted from a distance, “Who’s fighting here?”

Soon, dozens of Liang soldiers arrived.

The bandits, seeing they were outmatched, fled without taking the gold.