Rebirth and Rewriting Fate

Time flies, and the day to leave Beijing to deliver goods has arrived in the blink of an eye.

Four carriages were parked outside Qingfeng Courtyard, with the last three already piled high with goods.

Nan Rao and Xu Li were directing the people loading the goods. Some were working together to load boxes of silk onto the carriages, the silk shimmering softly in the sunlight like flowing clouds; others were carefully stacking porcelain, each piece wrapped tightly to prevent damage from the bumpy journey; still others were neatly stacking bundles of tea, the fresh aroma of which wafted in the wind. All three carriages were covered with waterproof tarpaulins to protect them from the wind and rain.

The six hired bodyguards were all around twenty or thirty years old, dressed in neat and tidy clothes. The leader was a man named Liu Da, who looked to be in his early thirties. He was leading the men to check the horses, skillfully putting on the reins, and seemed quite reliable.

Zhu Ling and Ping An were surrounding their young mistress, giving her countless instructions and advice, their eyes filled with reluctance.

Yun Chu smiled and said, "Ping An, you're the only man left in the family. You need to take good care of your sisters."

"Miss, I will. You and your brother should come back soon, and come back safely." Ping An nodded hurriedly.

The sound of horses' hooves came from the alley entrance, and a figure came galloping towards them.

"We finally made it." Luo Yan dismounted and stood in front of Yun Chu.

"Didn't you have something to do today?" Yun Chu asked, puzzled.

"I've taken care of it." He paused. "Yun Chu, please be careful."

Yun Chu nodded. "Thank you!"

"Master, it's getting late, we should set off," urged the bodyguard Liu Dalai.

"Then I'm leaving," Yun Chu said, walking to the carriage.

"Yun Chu," Luo Yan called out, taking a step forward.

Yun Chu turned around in surprise.

"By the time you return, I should be a true high-ranking official. I'll have something to say to you then." Luo Yan finally managed to restrain himself. "Have a safe journey."

Yun Chu smiled and said, "I'm leaving."

With a series of long shouts, the carriage slowly drove away, embarking on its journey north.

Inside the Prince's residence, Chiwu was reporting matters in the study.

Gu Ruoxiao has been extremely busy lately. With the Emperor unwell and keeping it a secret, the heavy responsibility of stabilizing the court and borders, as well as numerous other matters, has fallen on his shoulders.

He had just closed a document when he asked, "How is the matter in the Northern Region going?"

"Your Majesty, we have informed the Second Prince of the Northern Region, and our people have already set off. The situation within the Northern Region royal family is now relatively stable, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

"How's the treasure going?"

"Your Excellency, the treasure has been found, but the quantity is quite large, so it has been placed under strict guard. I will report back to you after planning the relocation route."

Gu Ruoxiao nodded.

"Master, something terrible has happened! Mo Han has run away!" Cheng Feng rushed in anxiously.

Gu Ruoxiao frowned. "What? Ran away?"

"Oh, no, no, Mo Han left a note and left." Cheng Feng hurriedly explained, handing over the note.

The note was very short, containing only a few words: "I'm going to chase after Yun Chu."

"Oh, back to Qingfeng Courtyard." Gu Ruoxiao read the note, made her judgment, and left it behind.

"No, she went north," Chengfeng quickly corrected.

"Heading north?" Gu Ruoxiao raised her head.

"Miss Yun Chu went to the Northern Region, and Mo Han went after her," Cheng Feng explained.

"She went to the Northern Region?" Gu Ruoxiao's face showed a hint of disbelief and shock.

Chiwu and Chengfeng correctly understood her meaning, and the two exchanged glances:

Chengfeng: Didn't you report to me that Miss Yun Chu went to the Northern Region?

Chiwu: Aren't you a big mouth? Didn't you say anything?

“Master, a few days ago, Nanrao came to Elder Wei and obtained more than ten portions of medicinal herbs,” Chiwu explained.

Chengfeng hurriedly replied, "The guards who went to Qingfeng Courtyard said that Miss Yun Chu has gone north to do business."

Gu Ruoxiao fell silent.

"Should Mo Han be brought back?" Chengfeng couldn't help but ask.

"Need not."

"Master, shall we proceed with our journey to the Northern Regions?" Chiwu asked.

"Proceed as usual," Gu Ruoxiao replied, his fingers slightly curling on the table. "Notify the guards along the route to keep an eye on things."

Although not explicitly stated, both Chengfeng and Chiwu understood their master's meaning.

Yun Chu's convoy traveled for several days, but fortunately, it did not encounter any major difficulties.

There were one or two minor robberies, but the bodyguards quickly dealt with them. Moreover, they were traveling on the official road and staying at the official post station at night, and they had the post station's travel permit, so they did receive some preferential treatment.

However, the further north they went, the fewer people there were, the fewer official post stations there were, and the roads became increasingly difficult to travel. In the past few days, the escort leader had been reminding everyone to be careful, as the border area was often deserted.

Unfortunately, before the man-made disaster struck, the natural disaster struck first.

The weather is not good today; large patches of dark clouds are gathering overhead, foreshadowing a long-awaited downpour.

"Master, we need to hurry and find lodging at the next post station before the heavy rain comes," Liu Da suggested.

Yun Chu nodded, and the horse ran even faster.

As darkness fell, the wind picked up, and finally, a torrential downpour began.

The raindrops first wove a fine, dense net, then intensified, transforming into countless silver threads that pounded the earth with a dense, rapid sound. The wind amplified the rain's force, and the rain, aided by the wind's power, seemed to shroud the entire world in a boundless curtain of water, obscuring everything in sight with a hazy, chaotic scene.

The rain intensified, and the roads quickly became muddy. The once firm loess soil became soft and muddy after being soaked by the rain. Deep ruts were left where the wheels rolled, and the soil was squeezed and scattered, mixing with the rainwater to form a murky mud soup.

"Oh no!" came a shout from behind, and Yun Chu hurriedly told Xu Li to stop the car.

It turned out that the rear wheel of the cargo wagon behind had gotten stuck in a bottomless pit of mud. The horse neighed in terror and struggled with all its might, but it could only make the wheel sink deeper and deeper.

The bodyguard gripped the reins tightly, his face pale. He kept whipping the horse's back, trying to get it to use its last bit of strength, but it was all in vain.

"Quick, everyone, let's push the wheels up! The post station is just ahead!" Liu shouted.

Yun Chu and Xu Li quickly got out of the car to help. Liu Da saw this and said, "Boss, you rest, we can do it."

"It would be faster if we helped each other," Yun Chu declined the other party's offer.

"One, two, one, two." One person pulled hard on the horse in front, while the others pushed the cart from behind. Perhaps the goods were too heavy, so the progress was slow.

Everyone's clothes were soaked through, but the rain showed no signs of letting up; on the contrary, it became even more torrential.

Suddenly, someone came up to Yun Chu and helped lift and push the carriage.

She turned her head and saw that although the heavy rain blurred her vision and the other person's features and outline were obscured by the rain, she still quickly recognized them.

"Mo Han?" she called out.