Expelled from the Duke's mansion, the fake heiress is richer than a country.

Yu was soft-hearted and, unable to resist the scholar's persistent pleas, finally relented: "Then I'll cook some more porridge for you. But you don't need to pay me. When traveling, it's fate that we travel together, and we should help each other out."

As he spoke, he took out the precious piece of cured meat, cut some more into the earthenware pot, added a small handful of radish and brown rice, and added water to continue cooking.

Yu Wanran was speechless for a moment.

She hadn't expected her father to be so kind-hearted and honest with outsiders! But Yu Man had made her decision, and she couldn't embarrass her father in front of outsiders. So she turned her head away, avoiding looking at the scholar she instinctively disliked.

The scholar kept thanking them and sat down next to the Yu family, warming himself by the fire while chatting with Yu Man and his son.

He kept asking questions, and Yu Man and his son answered passively. However, the Yu father and son were not talkative people. They kept quiet about what they were going to the capital for, only saying that they were visiting relatives.

The scholar introduced himself as Zhang Tang, a member of the Zhang family from Tongcheng, who was going to the capital to take the imperial examinations. He planned to go a few months early to find a quiet courtyard to study in, avoiding the situation where even inns were full due to the large number of people taking the exams.

He had a loud voice, and the bodyguards on night patrol could all hear him.

Upon hearing that the other person was a scholar, Yu Man's eyes lit up. She glanced at her daughter, her heart beginning to flutter. Following the other person's lead, she inquired about his family background.

Scholar Zhang explained with a smile that he was not yet married and only had an elderly mother at home.

However, the more Yu Wanran listened, the more something seemed off.

With the spring imperial examinations approaching, those preparing for the exams are all successful candidates from various regions who have passed the provincial examinations. Successful candidates, however, typically participate in the autumn imperial examinations in their registered prefecture. Only after passing the provincial examinations and obtaining the title of "successful candidate" can they travel to the capital to participate in the more advanced metropolitan examinations, also known as the spring imperial examinations.

In the capital, there was only one situation in which a scholar could participate in the autumn imperial examinations: that is, the scholar's place of origin was within the capital region.

But Zhang Tang clearly claims to be from Tongcheng?

What made Yu Wanran even more suspicious was that this person showed absolutely no scholarly air about him. His eyes harbored a fierce glint, and his smile contained a repulsive, sleazy air.

Yu Wanran paid close attention to his hands. His index and middle fingers didn't have calluses from holding a pen for a long time, but his palms and several finger joints had thick calluses.

These are the marks left from long-term martial arts practice and swordplay, just like her hands!

This person is most likely not a scholar, but rather hiding some shady true identity? Yu Wanran unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes. Seeing her father chatting happily with the other person, she felt a sense of powerlessness.

Her parents' eagerness to marry her off to the scholar and the wealthy landowner was now obvious!

Don't they realize that scholars always consider themselves superior? If this man is afraid of bodyguards, does he not look down on them, these country bumpkins?

Fortunately, Zhang Tang was indeed greedy and came following the smell. After eating the porridge that Yu Man had cooked for him, he obediently returned to his original parking spot, curled up, and went to sleep.

Yu Wanran observed Zhang Tang and the entire caravan without showing any emotion, mentally calculating the rest of the journey and urging herself to be extra vigilant.

Of course, she wouldn't be foolish enough to immediately tell Chief Escort Wu Jian an unverified judgment.

If Zhang Tang's identity wasn't fabricated, then she and the Yu family father and son would be in trouble. After all, the Zhenyuan Escort Agency personally issued the certificate for Zhang Tang, and Wu Jian even checked his luggage…

Is it possible that Zhang Tang was actually the hidden sling in this shipment?

The more I thought about it, the more confused I became, so I simply stopped thinking about it and snuggled up with my father and older brother in the small tent by the fire, slowly falling asleep.

For the next few days, the caravan traveled by day and rested by night.

Because the镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) were experienced, they primarily traveled along official roads. Their rest stops were either in towns or familiar inns along the route. Aside from Zhang Tang's shameless habit of mooching a bowl of porridge at every meal, nothing major happened.

The meat they had planned to eat until they reached the capital was all gone before they were even halfway through the journey. From then on, they could only drink vegetable porridge.

Without meat, Zhang Tang didn't bother joining the Yu family's party. Instead, he approached the young apprentice at Ruicaotang, and the two struck up a conversation and became acquainted.

Yu Man vaguely felt that she had made a fool of herself and been tricked. However, she couldn't possibly tell her children about this unpleasant experience.

On the ninth day of their journey, the caravan had left Tongcheng and entered the territory of Hezhou. Heading north through Hezhou, they would be able to reach the strategically important capital region.

Hezhou was much wealthier than remote places like Tongcheng. However, there was a desolate area bordering Hezhou and Tongcheng. This area consisted of deep forests and saline-alkali wastelands, unsuitable for population gathering.

Therefore, the most dangerous section of the journey for the caravan to enter the capital was actually here.

Unfortunately, Zhang Tang ate some dried meat given to him by the apprentice at Ruicaotang, and then suffered from vomiting and diarrhea. Because of this gluttonous boy, a group of people had to stop frequently to wait for him to relieve himself, thus missing their lodging.

It was obvious that Ruicaotang was a major client on this trip, so no one dared to complain about the dried meat the apprentice gave Zhang Tang. They could only watch with exasperation as Zhang Tang ran back and forth through the roadside bushes.

"Should!"

Yu Wenbin had been eating vegetable porridge for two days, looking pale and weak in the legs. He felt both relieved and gloating as he watched Zhang Tang's hurried departure.

"Serves him right for liking to freeload; he's learned his lesson now, hasn't he?"

He's just a scholar, isn't he ashamed?

Yu Man just wants to go back to the time before she met Zhang Tang, and beat up that naive version of herself!

Back then, what made him think that the other person was a good match for his daughter?

He glanced at Yu Wanran, who had no expression on her face, and felt relieved that his daughter was unaware of his and her mother's thoughts.

Yu Wanran always carried her sickle with her, sharpening its blade until it was gleaming. She figured that once she reached the capital, she needed to find a suitable weapon. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to travel long distances as a merchant without any fighting ability.

She kept an eye on Zhang Tang's every move out of the corner of her eye.

Although the culprit who forced the caravan to camp in the wilderness was the bewildered medicine boy, Yu Wanran sensed that Zhang Tang exuded an eerie aura.

If she were the merchant, she would definitely have this person arrested and interrogated.

But Zhenyuan Escort Agency wouldn't believe the words of an ordinary peasant girl like her. She could only anxiously observe the surrounding atmosphere, hoping it was all just her imagination.

At night, Yu Wanran closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, listening intently to the sounds coming from the camp.

After embarking on her journey, she changed her sleep schedule. She used her free time during the day to catch up on sleep and kept a clear head at night. Ever since Zhang Tang started causing trouble today, she has been secretly on high alert and keeping a close eye on him.

She was now almost certain that Zhang Tang was a traitor, an inside man. She just didn't know when he planned to make his move, or who was working with him from the inside.

Seeing Zhang Tang clutch his stomach and walk into the bushes again, Yu Wanran couldn't sit still any longer. She got up, quietly slipped out of the small tent, and headed towards the patrolling bodyguards.

The bodyguards walked in pairs, taking turns. They weren't surprised to see Yu Wanran get up. It wasn't until Yu Wanran walked straight towards them that they became a little more surprised.

Those who have spent years roaming the martial world have sharp eyes. Yu Wanran wasn't particularly disguised; if Zhang Tang could tell she was a girl, they certainly could too. Besides, the escort agency helped with the travel permit, which clearly stated Yu Wanran's identity!

"Miss Yu, is there anything I can help you with?"

Knowing full well that Yu Wanran was a former bodyguard, he offered a somewhat superficial politeness and took the initiative to inquire.