The waiter, as if not hearing, sped away.
Yun Xiao glanced at Jing Yun. "Don't tease him."
Jing Yun shrugged innocently. "I just wanted a cup of water, is that not allowed?"
As he finished speaking, there was a "poof" sound, and Wanwan giggled, pointing at Jing Yun with her slender fingers. "You brought this upon yourself. Serves you right."
"Image, image, you're a beauty now. This laugh is so ungraceful. And are you sure the Young Master would like it?"
Jing Yun did not yield, his gaze sharp and mocking towards Wanwan. In his dictionary, men and women were equal; there was no such thing as one yielding to the other.
Yun Xiao looked at the two of them, sighed, and became serious. "Alright, stop joking. After we eat, go up and rest. We'll head to Fengya Pass at Yinshi. Arriving in broad daylight will be perfect."
"Yes," the others responded in unison, now serious.
In truth, their banter was a way to alleviate fatigue, as they had been traveling for ten days without rest.
At their most exhausted, they had only managed half a night's sleep in the carriage. Therefore, everyone was extremely tired, with the urge to simply lie down and never get up. However, since their Prince was within Fengya Pass, they would push themselves to the limit.
Yun Xiao and Wanwan were slightly better off. Sitting in the carriage, they could snatch some sleep when truly tired, which was better than nothing.
But Liu Xing and Jing Yun had taken turns driving the carriage, pushing them to the absolute brink of exhaustion.
Precisely because she knew how tired they were, Yun Xiao decided to lodge at an inn tonight, wanting them to get some proper rest. For tomorrow, entering Fengya Pass, if it was indeed a plague, their bodies would be vulnerable to infection if they weren't in good condition.
As the group composed themselves and sat upright, the waiter brought over the food.
Three dishes and one soup, the best the establishment had to offer. Yun Xiao glanced at it; it was a good mix of meat and vegetables. When traveling, one couldn't be too picky. She was currently consumed by anxiety, eager to reach Fengya Pass and ascertain the safety of her father and brother.
"If you require anything, please call me."
"Alright, please prepare two rooms for us. We need to rest."
Yun Xiao spoke in a low voice. The waiter nodded repeatedly, his eyes scanning Liu Xing and Jing Yun. Seeing that these two were unusually quiet and not looking at him, he breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded, "Alright, I'll prepare them right away."
At the table, the group ate in silence. For days they had subsisted on dry rations, with the best meal being some takeout Jing Yun had procured from town, which they had all enjoyed heartily.
But several days had passed since then, and now, smelling the aroma of the freshly prepared food, they were ravenous, feeling as though they could devour a whole ox.
However, they still managed to maintain their table manners and refrain from wolfing down their food, as several people at the adjacent table were glancing over and murmuring softly.
In a place like this, it was rare to see individuals dressed so finely and with such an ethereal appearance. To see several of them at once – whether masters or subordinates – all exceptionally handsome and distinguished.
Yun Xiao paid no mind to the others, focusing on eating until she was full. Patting her stomach, she let out a satisfied belch. She then looked at the three individuals beside her, who had also finished their meals.
People were indeed strange. When hungry, they believed they could eat an ox, but when they actually ate, they only finished the dishes on the table and the rice in their bowls.
"Everyone's eaten. Let's go up and rest."
"Yes, Young Master," the three replied, rising together. Wanwan reached out to link her arm with Yun Xiao's, saying softly, "Young Master, let's go up."
This voice, soft to the bone and incredibly alluring, made the hearts of those who had been stealing glances flutter. Their thoughts became restless, and they kept glancing sideways at the departing figures.
Seeing that these individuals carried swords and wore swords, they knew they were not to be trifled with. Thus, they only harbored bold thoughts but lacked the courage to act upon them.
At the foot of the stairs, the waiter was waiting. Upon seeing them approach, he immediately bowed and said respectfully, "Honored guests, please follow me."
He then led the way, and the group followed him upstairs. The two rooms on the east side of the staircase were connected. Liu Xing and Jing Yun requested to sleep in the outer room.
Yun Xiao and Wanwan took the inner room. The waiter, observing their arrangement, still felt a touch of regret. This delicate beauty was indeed this young master's confidante.
They were sleeping in the same room; he had assumed three men in one room and one woman in another.
While the waiter was still lamenting and deliberating, he was suddenly pulled into the room by the beauty. The door immediately closed. The waiter swallowed nervously, watching the enchanting figure draw nearer. He tightly clutched his clothes, his mind filled with confused thoughts.
What did this beauty want? If she wanted to do something, she should have asked the people in the room to leave! It was too inappropriate; he didn't like being watched. Just as he was lost in a fantastical daydream,
the beauty smiled and asked, "Little brother waiter, can I ask you something?"
Ask something? So, she didn't want to do anything to him, or anything else. She just wanted to ask a question. The waiter's face instantly turned as red as a monkey's backside. As if on cue, the beauty said, "Little brother waiter, what did you think I wanted to do?"
"No, no," he said, waving his hands frantically and stepping back, pressing himself against the door. He stammered for a long time before managing to complete a sentence.
"Miss, please ask whatever you need. I will tell you everything I know."
Wanwan pursed her lips in a triumphant smile, glancing at her master, subtly gesturing. See? Beauty is truly effective. Then, her demeanor turned serious.
"A plague has broken out in Fengya Pass. Have you heard about this?"
"Plague?" The waiter was stunned, sensitive to the word. Meeting Wanwan's earnest gaze, he nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, I've heard that many people are infected with the plague, and some have died. The city gates are tightly shut, and no one is allowed to enter or leave.
There's a plague within the city, and the Xiliang army is attacking from outside. But I heard they haven't breached the defenses. The Prince commanding the troops, King Yun, is a formidable warrior. They say he used some kind of wheel formation.
The soldiers and generals not yet infected with the plague have piled large stones on the city walls, along with scalding oil, and wine. As soon as the Xiliang army approaches the city gate, they fight desperately to keep them away, so up to now, they haven't managed to take it."
Wanwan was stunned. She hadn't expected the situation to be so dire. Not only did they have to deal with the plague, but they also had to face the Xiliang army. The Prince must be extremely exhausted.
Having not heard her master's voice for a long time, Wanwan turned to look at her master, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. She saw that her face was grim, her previous sweet and adorable demeanor replaced by a heavy seriousness.
"Have people inside already died?"
"I heard they have," the waiter replied this time very quickly, not understanding why these people were asking about this.
But he would tell them everything he knew. This place was very close to Fengya Pass, and the diners were always discussing it. Some people who wanted to enter or leave the pass were trapped.
However, the plague wouldn't be overcome in just a day or two, so those people had taken up residence in the city.
Yun Xiao closed her eyes, feeling a pang of heartache for her father. He must be bearing a great burden at this moment.
"You can go."
Yun Xiao waved her hand. Wanwan opened the door and handed two taels of silver to the waiter. "Thank you, little brother waiter."
The waiter received it as if it were a hot potato, unsure whether to accept or refuse, standing at the doorway in a dilemma.
Suddenly, a pained groan echoed, like a thousand ants gnawing at the heart.
Wanwan raised an eyebrow in surprise, glancing at the waiter. "What's going on? Who is staying over there?" she asked, pointing towards the western side rooms.