Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard

The ever-prosperous Phoenix City had now become a bit desolate– perhaps because everyone knew that right now, one could only enter but not leave– so there were fewer people entering the city, and not a single person exiting the city.

Du Xiaoli and the others saw the wanted notices posted on the city wall outside the city, one for Han Mingyi, one for her, and even ones for the seven Lengs.

All the people entering the city were to be checked and the soldiers guarding the city would take the portraits and compare them. When they saw suspicious figures, they would also reach out and touch their faces to see if they were wearing human skin masks.

“Mistress, what now?” Ying Ge looked at Du Xiaoli and asked.

Du Xiaoli looked at the unfamiliar soldiers guarding the city, thought for a moment and then took them away. Not long after, a family in three carriages appeared at the city gates.

“Halt. Entering the city?” The soldier called out to them.

“Yes.” Mu Shan replied.

“What is your business in the city?” The soldier asked, “You have so many people; it wouldn’t happen to be something bad, right?”

“Don’t crack jokes, sir! We're just here to join our relatives in the capital. My elder brother said that he's doing well here, and wanted me to bring my parents here to join him, so that they can live more comfortably in their old age,” Mu Shan said.

“You’re joining relatives? It’s been known for quite some time that people in the capital can't come and go as they please; why would someone ask you to come and join them? And it's winter, why would you choose to travel at this time of the year, right? Who exactly are you people?” The soldier looked at the several people strangely.

“Sir, you don't know, my brother sent us a message two months ago, and we left early on, but who would have expected my father to get sick halfway here, and he was bedridden for half a month. Then the weather got cold, and we could only travel on warmer days, which is why we are only just arriving now,” Mu Shan explained.

“Really?”

“Of course!” Mu Shan said, “My parents are not in good health, and now it's so cold outside. Can you officials please let us enter?”

But the official didn't buy it. Looking at their carriages, he said, “You all look like you're rich and powerful– how come you're here to stay with someone else?”

“This official, you don’t know– of all the industries, our family is in trade. Although we are well off, our status– alas. It is all because we do not like to stick our heads out, so people look down on our parents and us. Now, my brother has become a butler for a high-ranking official. Although we ourselves aren’t in power, it is also better than letting my parents follow me to suffer!” Mu Shan exclaimed.

The officer took out the portraits and compared them one by one with Mu Shan, then said, “Have all your family members come out.”

“Okay, can we enter after the inspection?” Mu Shan said as he stepped forward and grasped the soldier's hand, saying, “I’m troubling this official to inspect us quickly. My parents are old and it's so cold outside. As their son, I don’t want them to freeze.”

The official discreetly tucked away the piece of silver into his bosom, and said, “If nobody is suspicious, it will be quick. But before that, come over here and let me inspect youfirst.”

After saying this, he placed his hand in front of Mu Shan's ear and felt around along the side of his cheek, Not finding a human skin mask, he gave up.

“Call the others down.”

“Yes.” Mu Shan nodded his head and said, then turned to the people on the carriage and shouted, “Father, mother, second brother and sister-in-law, you guys quickly come down and let the officials inspect you.”

The door of the carriage opened and a woman came down from the carriage. Seeing Mu Shan, she said, “What's going on, what's taking so long for us to pass through? Inspect, inspect, inspect what? If you continue to dilly-dally like this, have Elder Brother come down here and put them in their places!”

Du Xiaoli, aboard one of the carriages, couldn't help but laugh a little when she heard Ying Ge talk.

“Alright, calm down, this other person is also just following the rules. Otherwise, why would they make us stop?” Mu Shui pulled Ying Ge, and comforted her.

“Hmph, then hurry up. If dad and mom catch colds, I'll make sure to have Elder Brother come down here to get an explanation from them.” Ying Ge said unhappily.

“Okay, okay, okay.” Mu Shui patted her back, trying to smooth her ruffled feathers.

Leng Er, who had drawn her makeup, looked at the two of them pretending they were husband and wife, and suddenly felt they were a bit irritating to the eyes.

“Officer, Second Sister-in-law's temper isn't very good, please bear with us.” Mu Shan said, trying to appease the soldier.

The soldier saw Ying Ge's appearance and felt that what they said might be true. If they were really the family of some powerful person in the capital, he couldn’t afford to offend them.

“I'll continue inspecting.” After the soldier finished speaking, he brought out the portraits and compared them with Ying Ge and Mu Shan. When he found that none of them matched, he reached behind Mu Shan to feel their faces. Just when he was about to touch Ying Ge, she glared at him sharply.

“What, you even want to touch me? Do you not want to live or do you not want to live?”

The soldier couldn't reach out to touch Ying Ge anymore after being glared at like that, so he could only look with his eyes. Seeing that there was no sign of a human skin mask around her ears either, he let her off the hook.

“What's going on here?” The carriage in the back was opened, revealing an old couple and a maid inside.

“Mother, they want to inspect us. We’ll be done soon.” Mu Shan replied.

“Why is this capital city so troublesome.” The old woman sighed.

“Mother, you wait in the car, it'll be done soon.” Mu Shan soothed.

The officials guarding the city felt that these people seemed like they were really a family– the sense with which they talked was awkward and not at all uncomfortable.

“Since it's so cold, I'll hurry.” After the soldier finished speaking, he went to check the first carriage and touched their faces, finding no mask.

When he found several people in a row were not wearing human skin masks, the soldier relaxed a bit. He was about to head to the back when another carriage stopped at the city gates, and a man came down from it. Looking at the people stopped by the officials and soldiers, he said unhappily, “Why are you still here? You guys said you'd arrive this morning, but you haven’t come until now. Second Brother and Third Brother, how do you guys do things?”

“Eldest brother.” As soon as Mu Shan and Mu Shui heard these words, they knew that the person who had arrived was here to relieve them, and they answered obediently.

MoonWhisperer, skyrise's Thoughts

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