Huangfu Yue, rushing against time, finally returned to the inn.
Pushing open the inn's main door and stepping inside, Huangfu Yue noticed two of Feng Maoyuan's men guarding the entrance. Ying'er was also by the door, looking puzzled.
What was going on? Why were they guarding the door?
Had something happened after she left?
"Miss, you're back," Ying'er said, looking relieved as she smiled and stepped forward.
"Did something happen after I left?" Huangfu Yue asked Ying'er, pointing at the two guards.
Ying'er immediately recounted everything that had happened after Huangfu Yue's departure. Huangfu Yue's delicate brows furrowed.
This Xu Yuqing was truly relentless. She hadn't expected her to still be thinking of leaving after she was gone. Fortunately, Ying'er had stopped her in time, called for her grandmother, and sent Xu Yuqing back to her room, preventing her from going out.
Unaware that Xu Yuqing had already gone out with Jiang Shangyun's help, Huangfu Yue had only just returned, and Xu Yuqing was currently upstairs in her room, happily applying cosmetic balm.
Huangfu Yue took a deep breath, suppressing her anger towards Xu Yuqing. She told herself it wasn't the time to be angry with Xu Yuqing. The town was about to be sealed, and the most urgent matter was to quickly get everyone downstairs and leave the inn to get out of town.
"Ying'er, go and inform everyone immediately. I've bought carriages and returned. We're leaving the inn now and setting off on our journey. Tell them to gather quickly in the main hall on the first floor," Huangfu Yue ordered.
"Yes."
A short while later, everyone had gathered in the main hall on the first floor, except for Xu Yuqing and her household.
"What's wrong with the second branch's people? Why haven't they come down? Everyone else is here, only their household is missing." Huangfu Yue frowned.
If she had known that Xu Yuqing was currently in her room trying out newly purchased rouge and powder, she would have likely wanted to hit her.
"Zhuer, go to the Second Young Madam's room and hurry them up," Consort Zheng ordered her maid.
"Yes." Zhuer immediately went upstairs to urge them.
"All the carriage drivers and those who can drive carriages from the manor, come out. I want to see how many there are," Huangfu Yue looked at the male servants of the manor.
The carriage drivers came out first, followed by an elderly servant and two young attendants.
Huangfu Yue's gaze flickered. There were only four people; two were still missing.
She looked at Feng Maoyuan. "Master Feng, pick two people from your men who can drive carriages. I bought six carriages, and we need six drivers. We're still short two."
"Alright," Feng Maoyuan agreed immediately and looked at Jiang Shangyun and Lu Danian. "You two come out and help drive the carriages."
"Yes," Jiang Shangyun and Lu Danian replied in unison, stepping out together. Jiang Shangyun inwardly rejoiced.
He had just been about to volunteer to drive a carriage when his superior called for him.
"All six of you, follow me to the alley behind the inn and drive the carriages to the main entrance," Huangfu Yue commanded.
Upon hearing this, everyone looked puzzled, their eyes filled with confusion.
Why would the carriages be in the alley behind the inn? It was truly strange!
Shouldn't the County Princess have the carriages parked directly at the inn's main entrance?
Someone wanted to ask, but Huangfu Yue had already walked towards the main door. Jiang Shangyun and the others quickly followed Huangfu Yue, trailing behind her as she left the inn.
After exiting the inn, Huangfu Yue remained silent and walked briskly towards the alley behind the inn's back door.
Seeing this, Jiang Shangyun and the others wisely kept quiet, simply following Huangfu Yue closely.
Huangfu Yue soon led Jiang Shangyun and the others to the alley behind the inn's back door. Seeing that the alley was empty, she confidently brought out the six large carriages she had purchased and parked them in the alley.
Fortunately, although the alley wasn't as wide as the alleys in front of the carriage houses, it was still wide enough to accommodate the carriages.
The reason Huangfu Yue didn't park the carriages in front of the inn was that she couldn't magically produce a cluster of carriages in front of a crowd of onlookers on the street.
Therefore, she deliberately brought the drivers to a secluded back alley and parked the carriages there.
Jiang Shangyun and the others weren't foolish. Seeing Huangfu Yue suddenly produce carriages out of thin air, they were slightly surprised but quickly understood why she hadn't parked the carriages at the inn's main entrance and had instead brought them to the back alley to drive.
"You all get on the carriages and drive them to the inn's main entrance," Huangfu Yue instructed.
"Yes," Jiang Shangyun and the others quickly responded.
"I'm going back to the inn to fetch another carriage," Huangfu Yue said and walked towards the mouth of the alley.
After leaving the alley, Huangfu Yue quickly went to the inn's stables, pulled out the horses that had pulled their carriage yesterday, hitched them to the carriages that were parked nearby, jumped onto a carriage, and drove it to the main entrance.
A long row of carriages was already parked at the main entrance. Jiang Shangyun and the others had already brought out the carriages and parked them there.
Huangfu Yue parked the carriage she was driving at the very front, then got off and entered the inn. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw Consort Zheng angrily questioning Xu Yuqing...
"Where did the rouge and powder on your face come from? How do you suddenly have rouge and powder?"
Huangfu Yue looked at Xu Yuqing's face, which was clearly adorned with rouge and powder, and narrowed her beautiful eyes. A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes, and she felt the same question her grandmother had.
"This rouge and powder was something I quietly hid away when I was hiding money the night before last," Xu Yuqing said, not flustered at all, as she had already prepared her excuse.
Upon hearing her answer, Consort Zheng, Huangfu Yue, and many others, including Jiang Shangyun who had followed Huangfu Yue into the inn, frowned.
Jiang Shangyun frowned even more tightly. Why was this woman so impatient, using rouge and powder now? Wasn't she afraid of Consort Zheng and Huangfu Yue discovering that he had taken her out to buy rouge and powder?
He hoped that Consort Zheng and Huangfu Yue would believe her story, thinking that this rouge and powder was indeed something she had brought with her when she was hiding money during the raid on the Prince's mansion the night before last. Otherwise, it would be dire. He might be discovered and exposed!
"Xu Yuqing, what is going on in your head? In that situation, you were still thinking of hiding away rouge and powder...
Do you like to dress up that much? Haven't you forgotten that you recently lost your husband and are still in mourning!" Consort Zheng's face turned ashen, so angry she felt like spitting blood.
She would have easily believed Xu Yuqing's words because she didn't know Xu Yuqing had gone out. Not knowing Xu Yuqing had gone out, she hadn't considered that Xu Yuqing's rouge and powder might have been recently purchased.
She hadn't considered at all that Xu Yuqing might have sneaked out earlier because she had already sent people to guard the gate, and she thought Xu Yuqing couldn't possibly have gone out.
Huangfu Yue thought the same way, so she also believed Xu Yuqing's story and felt immense admiration for her!
She truly admired this woman. Facing a raid and exile, she was still thinking of secretly hiding rouge and powder on herself, wanting to use it on the journey of exile. This woman was truly remarkable!
Huangfu Yue was so amused she almost laughed, "Second sister-in-law, you are truly no ordinary person!"
Huangfu Yue's words were full of mockery. How could Xu Yuqing not detect it? She was unhappy and wanted to scold Huangfu Yue, but she held back. After all, it was indeed improper to wear makeup and use rouge and powder while in mourning, but she really couldn't resist.
Looking at the fine rouge and powder, having not put on makeup or used them for many days, she truly couldn't help but want to use them. So, she tried a little.
"Xu Yuqing, you..." Consort Zheng pointed a finger at her second granddaughter-in-law's nose, about to unleash a torrent of abuse, but Huangfu Yue stopped her.
"Grandmother, I heard on my way back that something seems to have happened in this town, and it's about to be sealed. We need to leave this town immediately, or it will be too late to leave."
Although Huangfu Yue also desperately wanted to scold Xu Yuqing, even wanting to beat her up, her reason had not been consumed by anger. She knew what the most important thing was right now.
"What?! The town is going to be sealed?!"
Everyone was greatly surprised.
"Yue'er, do you know what happened in this town to warrant such a serious measure as sealing it?" Zhong Liangshu asked.