Chapter 181: Shu region

The carriage sped out of the capital city.

Behind them, the massive city gates slowly closed in the golden-red sunset. As they moved further away from the city, the night gradually enveloped the sky, turning it black and silencing the once bustling sounds, leaving only the clear sound of horse hooves on the official road.

Jiang Xuening sat quietly inside the carriage for a long time.

Eventually, she couldn’t resist lifting the curtain by the window to look back. The bright lanterns on the city tower grew more distant and dim, resembling sparse stars in the night sky.

She had always thought that if there came a day when she finally left the capital, she would be as joyful as a bird escaping from its cage.

However, things did not go as she wished.

Xie Wei’s disappointed and resolute words at their parting were like a vicious curse, turning into a dark cloud and a gust of cold wind that constantly swirled in her mind, shrouding her heart, impossible to dispel.

There is no true freedom in this world.

Even if one escapes to the ends of the earth, as long as there are ties in the heart…

One will always be trapped in a cage!

What does he understand?

He was merely intimidating her, forcing her, not wanting her to leave the capital!

Jiang Xuening withdrew her gaze and slowly closed her eyes.

She forcibly cleared her chaotic thoughts, focusing only on the sound of the coachman wielding the whip, trying not to think about the unexpected events that had occurred at Xie Wei’s residence.

The journey from the capital to Shu was long, a full three thousand li.

Although court messages could travel three hundred li (li was roughly 500 meters), six hundred li, or even eight hundred li in a day, taking only a few days to reach their destination, Jiang Xuening’s journey, despite not carrying much luggage, included a carriage, two maids named Tang’er and Lian’er, and guards from the residence to ensure safety. Even with the best horses, they couldn’t compare to the court’s speed, so traveling over a hundred li in a day was already the best they could do in good weather.

Summer days were long and nights short, suitable for travel;

But summer also brought storms, and when the weather was bad, they had to stop at inns or guesthouses, or even seek shelter in villages. Jiang Xuening, accustomed to a life of luxury in the capital, was determined to reach Shu early, but the journey’s hardships had made her lose weight, leaving her looking gaunt.

When they reached the Yellow River, they encountered the aftermath of a flood.

Everywhere they looked, there were starving people and corpses along the road.

Out of nowhere, many members of the Tianjiao sect appeared, spreading rumors about the court’s incompetence and the emperor’s misrule, claiming that the emperor’s poor governance had brought about natural disasters. They also set up porridge stalls to provide relief, winning people’s hearts.

Jiang Xuening was not part of the court and held no official position. Although she couldn’t bear to see such tragic scenes, she was unable to help so many disaster victims. She clearly saw through Tianjiao’s schemes and was worried, but when she thought about it, the things Tianjiao spread were not really “rumors.” Xie Wei, who had wiped out Tianjiao in the previous life, must have insight into these matters and didn’t need anyone to remind him.

She hardened her heart and told the coachman to continue driving.

They crossed the Yellow River, passed through Luoyang, traversed the treacherous Shu Road, and finally reached Chengdu. The journey took them from early summer to early autumn, with the scenery changing from vast plains to the turbulent Wei River, the dangerous Shu Road, and finally the fertile land surrounded by mountains.

You Fangyin had received news of her coming to Shu early on and used her own money to buy two houses for her in Chengdu and Ziliujing, one for permanent residence and one for temporary stay. She calculated the time and arrived at the Chengdu post station half a month in advance to meet her.

When she saw Jiang Xuening get off the carriage, she almost didn’t recognize her.

Her delicate face was pale and covered in dust from the long journey, and the fatigue from the long days of travel made her look much thinner than before. She had an indescribable sense of loneliness and melancholy, which almost brought tears to You Fangyin’s eyes.

Ren Weizhi stood awkwardly and curiously in the distance, not approaching for a long time.

Jiang Xuening smiled and helped You Fangyin, who was bowing to her.

Looking around, everything was different from the capital. The people spoke the dialect of Shu, and except for You Fangyin, who came to meet her, everything felt unfamiliar, giving her a sense of being a wanderer in a foreign land.

For a fleeting moment, Xie Wei’s words echoed in her ears again.

But then came a sense of novelty and joy.

She ignored the strange melancholy and emptiness.

In the following two years, Jiang Xuening hid behind the Ren family’s salt business. To fulfill her promise to Shen Zhiyi, she expanded the business at all costs, involving herself in any profitable ventures. She quickly amassed wealth by issuing silver shares and gradually promoted this method in the commercial hubs along the Yangtze River.

In the second year, she secretly contacted Yan Lin.

Jiang Xuening kept herself busy, never skimping on her living standards. Her subordinates obeyed her, and no one above her could control her. She was free from the hypocritical and tedious social engagements.

But even so, she still didn’t dare to stop.

She feared that if she stopped and had a moment of quiet reflection, she would realize that even though coming to Shu was the right choice, the two years of rebellion only proved how right that person had been.

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