Chapter 15 A Big Fire
Su Muge started the carriage and continued her journey to Nancheng prefecture. She wanted to visit Zhang on behalf of Zhao since she had made the promise.
She took a whole day to travel along the official road and finally saw the lofty gate of Nancheng prefecture.
When she entered the prefecture, it was already dark and too late to continue the journey. She had to head for Zhao village till tomorrow.
Several days’ journey made Su Muge exhausted, so she found an inn to accommodate herself after buying some medicine she may need.
“Please arrange a first-cla.s.s room for me.”
The innkeeper took a look at her covered eye, freezing a bit, and said, “OK, lady. Please wait for a moment.”
“Where is the manager? Come here quickly.”
A yell burst out outside when the innkeeper just finished his words.
Su Muge turned back and saw two soldiers wearing military uniforms, followed by a man wearing dark red neat clothing.
“Sirs, how can I help you?”
“We want to book the whole inn. Here is the deposit. Drive others away quickly.”
With gold worth 10 liang placed on the counter, the innkeeper could help but gaze at it. He knew the gold deserved the whole inn for a month!
“OK. No problem. I will make them go out.”
Su Muge frowned. Before she found this inn, she had asked several others and there was no room left. Now it’s dark outside and she was unfamiliar with Nancheng. How could she find another inn?
“There is a saying goes, first come, first served. It’s so late but you drive the guests out. It’s so rude of you.”
Hearing that, three people who were about to leave all looked at her.
Su Muge straightened her back, not afraid of their stares at all.
“What an insolent girl. You dare to interrupt officers. Be tactful and go out, or I will punch you!”
The man wearing neat clothing behind the two soldiers took a look at Su Muge.
“I have paid the bill. Why should I leave?”
“Lady, I will refund your money and you’d better go to find another inn.” The innkeeper had no courage to offend the officials just because of Su Muge. Moreover, the soldiers had given him gold worth ten liang. What big bucks!
He had not expected that Su Muge was so stubborn. He said to Muge, “if you don’t mind, there is a small room that used to stores some junks and you can live in it. Ten copper coins are ok.”
Muge glanced at the two soldiers. There was a saying goes, common people have no ability to fight with officials. If she continued struggling, she would get some harm.
She found five coins and said to him, “Five. There is no more.”
The boss had received ten-liang gold and he was content. He just wanted to solve the current problem quickly. He took the coins and asked a waiter to lead the way for her.
The moment Su Muge walked to the back yard, the whole inn was surrounded by official soldiers.
Outside the inn, there came a dark red carriage behind the team of soldiers.
A slim girl with a gauze hat walked down the carriage, being incompatible with the inn with her gorgeous clothing.
“Your Highness, we’ve arrived at the inn.”
Huazheng, the princess, looked around expectantly but didn’t see the slender figure. She was disappointed.
“His Royal Highness sent me to tell you that the courier station was on fire last night, so we have to live in an inn.” The man wearing neat clothing bowed and said.
“Yes.”
The maids accompanied Hua Zheng to go to a first-cla.s.s room.
A waiter took Su Muge to the storage room.
The storage room was not big and less than ten square meters, full of rotten tables and chairs.
“Here is a board. I will bring you a quilt.”
It was dark and there was not a light in the room. Su Muge had to find her way in the dark and placed the wooden board. After the waiter brought the quilt, she gave him some coins to boil some medicines to dispel cold for her and asked him to get something to eat. Everything was OK and she washed her face simply with warm water, then she lay down to rest.
Maybe it was the effect of the medicine that made her fall asleep quickly.
“It’s on fire. Help, It’s on fire in the inn!”
“Run, run. If the fire becomes fiercer, we can’t go out!”
Su Muge, who was in a daze, was awakened by the noise outside. She rubbed her eyebrows. It really made one insensitive when he was ill.
She saw through the window that it’s full of fire in the inn.
“It’s on fire!”
She opened the door and was ready to run out of the inn.
However, the moment she just ran into the yard, a man in black jumped out of one room.
Su Muge sighed that she was so unlucky.
The man in black lifted his sword to stab Muge as soon as he saw her.
Muge staggered back and fell down.
Clank!
The man was to stab her again!