Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

"Whoa--" With the coachman's shout, the carriage slowly stopped at the city gate.

Before the carriage had completely stopped, a stern shout was heard from the front: "Who is in the carriage? Get off immediately and be inspected!"

Steward Shen Zheng quickly jumped off the carriage and walked quickly to the city gate guard. Pass in hand, he explained to the guard with a broad smile, "Sir, the people in the carriage are the family of Shandong Governor Shen."

As he spoke, he handed over the pass.

However, the guard didn't even bother to glance at the pass, and continued to repeat his previous words expressionlessly: "I said get off the bus and let me check to see if the people on the bus have any ulcers!"

After saying this, he pointed to the crowd of people entering the city who were being inspected nearby.

Shen Zheng looked in the direction he pointed, and sure enough, he saw that those people had all rolled up their sleeves and trouser legs, allowing the officers and soldiers to check them carefully.

Seeing this scene, Shen Chuning couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in her heart. She never imagined that the situation would become so serious.

Now even letters in the capital cannot be sent, let alone knowing the situation here in advance.

Shen Zheng frowned slightly, looked back at the carriage behind him, and said to the guards with some embarrassment, "Sir, look, these carriages are full of women. It's really against etiquette to check them in public."

After hearing this, the guard sneered, looked Shen Zheng up and down, then raised his hand and pointed towards the distance, saying coldly: "It's okay if you don't want to be inspected. See that row of shacks over there? You can stay there for ten days. As long as nothing unusual happens during these ten days, you will be allowed to enter the city. But I must remind you that while you are staying there, you are absolutely not allowed to have any contact with outsiders! Otherwise, you will bear the consequences!"

Shen Zheng took out his purse from his bosom and took out two taels of silver from it.

With a broad smile on his face, he handed the silver into the rough hands of the city guards and said in a low voice, "Sir, please give us a favor! We are from Shandong, which is not an epidemic area. Moreover, we have not had any close contact with other people during our journey."

After saying this, Shen Zheng seemed afraid that the other party would not believe him, so he quickly rolled up his sleeves, revealing a part of his arm, and continued, "Sir, please take a look. There is not even a trace of sore on my body. As for the men in this caravan, you are free to check them at will, but it is really inconvenient for you to check these women."

However, the thin soldier guarding the city remained unmoved. He maintained a stern expression and responded, "Hmph, just because you say you haven't had contact with the sick, does that mean it counts? If I let you in easily today, wouldn't that be extremely irresponsible to the millions of ordinary people here?"

Hearing this, Shen Zheng, who had been smiling all the time, suddenly became gloomy.

He was seen with a frown on his face and his eyes narrowed, revealing an air of majesty.

Then, he slowly reached into his bosom and pulled out another exquisitely carved jade plaque. He held it up before the guards and waved it before their eyes, saying sternly, "Go call your generals who are guarding the city. I want to see if we can get through this gate today!"

Seeing this, the guards were not frightened at all. Instead, they smiled lewdly at the carriage, "Hehe, it's okay to tell you. This South City Gate is currently under the charge of guarding by this humble official. Not to mention the women of your Shen family, even if the princess comes, if she refuses to submit to inspection, she won't be able to set foot here!"

Seeing this, Yun Shuxuan was about to ask Shen Zhengxian to go into the city to invite the housekeeper of the Shen Mansion, when he heard a clear female voice coming from a distance.

"Brother Li."

When the soldier guarding the city saw Shen Jingwan, his face immediately filled with smiles. He didn't even have time to say anything to Shen Zheng who was standing in front of him. He just walked past him and trotted all the way to Shen Jingwan.

He said flatteringly, "Miss Wan, you're back a little later than usual today! There are rioters everywhere outside the city now. It's not safe outside the city when it gets dark."

Shen Jingwan smiled faintly and said in a gentle voice, "With Brother Li and so many dedicated officers and soldiers guarding here, how could there be any unsafe situation? However, Brother Li, Wan'er does have a small request. Today, the family of Lord An, the Minister of Rites, returned to the capital, and I happened to run into them. I'm quite familiar with his youngest daughter, so I'd like to ask Brother Li for a favor and let them into the city."

After saying that, Shen Jingwan playfully blinked her big watery eyes at Li Da.

After hearing this, Li Da looked embarrassed and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Miss Wan, it's not that I don't want to help, but I don't know where Lord An's family came from. If I let them in without permission, and if the higher-ups find out, I can't bear the responsibility!"

Seeing this, Shen Jingwan chuckled and said comfortingly, "Wan'er naturally won't make things so difficult for Brother Li. As long as they can't produce a pass, they can just claim to have entered the city from a farm in the suburbs of Beijing. If anything goes wrong in the future, they can only blame themselves for deliberately concealing the truth. It has nothing to do with you, Brother Li!"

Li Da's eyes lit up instantly, and he said with a smile on his face, "Oh my! Miss Wan, you are so thoughtful! I will send someone to open the city gate right away."

Shen Jingwan bowed slightly, performing a standard etiquette gracefully, with a smile on her lips, and said softly, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Li. Wan'er will bring you some snacks from Tongfulou tomorrow."

As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her head and looked past Li Da to the long convoy in front.

The carriages were decorated extremely gorgeously, shining brightly under the sunlight, which made people look sideways.

Shen Jingwan thought to herself: With such a luxurious convoy, the people inside must be of extraordinary status.

It seems that there is a problem and cannot enter the city.

Thinking of this, her eyes rolled. If she could take this opportunity to make friends with the other party, it might come in handy in the future.

So, she turned to look at Li Da beside her and asked curiously, "Brother Li, may I ask whose convoy this is? Why is it stuck here?"

Upon hearing this, Li Da took a few steps forward, stretched his neck to peer at the convoy, then turned back to Shen Jingwan and said, "They say they're the family of the Shandong Governor. These nobles, they're not willing to get off the carriage for our routine inspection, nor are they willing to live peacefully outside the city for ten days or half a month. They're all so arrogant, it's really a headache, huh!"

When Shen Jingwan heard the words "Governor of Shandong", she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. The Governor of Shandong was Shen Qinghe.

It looks like Shen Chuning has returned to Beijing.

Thinking of this, she quickly walked towards the most conspicuous carriage, stopped, and raised her voice to ask, "Excuse me, is that my second aunt sitting inside?"