Though the beautiful woman was somewhat older, her facial features were unmistakably those of her mother.
Both shared the same gentle demeanor. Since Cui Shu Ruo had crossed over, aside from the life-and-death struggle at the gates of Suizhou, she had never felt such inner turmoil.
Was it a coincidence? Or was there some reason behind it?
For the first time, the jade-like beauty of Cui Shu Ruo’s face lost its smile. She looked sorrowful, dazed and distracted.
Her composure was shattered.
If not for Li Sanniang’s impatient muttering, annoyed that she was blocking the way and urging her to move, Cui Shu Ruo might not have snapped out of it.
She suppressed the inappropriate emotions on her face, once again becoming the composed and smiling young noblewoman Cui.
“My apologies, I just got some dust in my eyes and felt uncomfortable,” Cui Shu Ruo explained softly.
Li Sanniang had only been slightly displeased earlier, but Cui Shu Ruo’s words struck a chord with her. “This really is a wretched place, old and poorly maintained. Look, just walking around can make dust fall. I don’t know where a mere stationmaster gets the nerve to be so arrogant.”
Where did the nerve come from?
Of course, it was given by Zhao Zhiguang, the fourth son of Duke Qi. The stationmaster had fawned over and flattered Zhao Zhiguang to the extreme, successfully pleasing him. He had already promised to take him to Bingzhou to share in wealth and glory. Otherwise, as a low-ranking stationmaster, he would never dare to disrespect Zhong Xuanjie.
It was just unclear when his beautiful dream would be shattered.
Cui Shu Ruo thought of the 5 Merit Points deducted after she spoke earlier and felt genuinely pained.
Fortunately, she had retained the 10 Merit Points from Li Sanniang, preventing the total from decreasing further. But now, she only had 303 Merit Points left—no different from before she left. It was truly disheartening.
Merit Points were not easy to earn!
With such melancholy, the sorrow of suddenly encountering a noblewoman who looked exactly like her deceased mother dissipated somewhat. She tried to face the room assigned to them at the station with equanimity.
The room was at the end of the second floor. As soon as the door was pushed open, the latch fell to the ground. To put it plainly, this was no latch—it was just a rotten, worn-out piece of long wood. Several spiderwebs hung from the ceiling.
Not only that, the floor was made of planks pieced together. Not only was it old and poorly maintained, but it also creaked with every step. One plank was even fractured, and looking down through it, one could see piles of burlap sacks, meaning the space beneath the room was used for storing sundries.
At night, one might even see swarms of rats.
As for the bedding, it was even worse. The quilt cover, originally supposed to be dark blue, had turned gray from long wear and lack of washing. Lifting the quilt revealed a large, unidentifiable yellow stain on the mattress beneath. The bed curtains were even more repulsive, covered in a thick layer of dust.
The room was also sparsely furnished. Aside from a bed, there was only a small table, but the kettle placed on it had been sitting there for who knows how long. Forget hot tea—nothing came out when poured.
It was truly infuriating.
Earlier, there had been unpleasantness downstairs, and now this was an open display of disrespect.
Some things were simply intolerable.
Li Sanniang took the lead, pushing the door open to go out and argue. But as soon as she stepped out, she saw Zhong Xuanjie, who also looked displeased. It seemed the room they were assigned wasn’t much better either.
However, before they could find the stationmaster to vent their anger, they saw the nobleman in his forties, who had been laughing and chatting earlier, now unable to hide his fury as he whipped his son with a whip.
As for the stationmaster, his plump body trembled uncontrollably, and bean-sized beads of sweat covered his greasy, fair face. Judging by his expression, he was probably scared out of his wits.
While Zhong Xuanjie and his group were still unaware of what had happened, Cui Shu Ruo recalled her earlier Crow's Mouth remark about the stationmaster—it seemed to have come true. But why had the nobleman punished his own son instead? The stationmaster, though terrified, appeared completely unharmed.
With the nobleman's servants and retainers all around, it was difficult to ask questions. Fortunately, someone soon arrived to provide an explanation.
Earlier, when they had gone upstairs to rest, one of Zhong Xuanjie's men had been sent to the stables to tend to the horses, fearing that the station staff might neglect to feed them.
Unexpectedly, this delay allowed the man to witness the entire incident.
It turned out that the stationmaster, eager to curry favor with the nobleman, had taken over a servant's task and personally poured wine for him. Somehow, in the process, he ended up spilling it all over the nobleman's lap.
Had it been a beautiful woman or a singing girl, it might have been overlooked. But a portly, older man tumbling into the nobleman's arms—what a sight it must have been!
The scene was as awkward as could be.
The stationmaster immediately fell to his knees in fear, begging for mercy. The situation grew tense. Initially, the nobleman hadn't intended to make a fuss—he was known for his careful reputation and was about to laugh it off to smooth things over.
But then, perhaps out of sheer panic, the plump stationmaster clung to the young lord's leg while kneeling, muttering something about how the Fourth Lord had promised to take him to Bingzhou to share in prosperity…
The more the nobleman heard, the darker his expression grew.
Finally, he roared, "You wretch!"
And ordered his son to be beaten.
After hearing the whole story, Li Sanniang nearly burst out laughing. Though she restrained herself out of respect for the ongoing "discipline" below, her grin stretched from ear to ear, and she muttered, "Serves him right! Trying to flatter his way up only to bring himself down. Ha!"
The others remained silent, but their expressions betrayed their thoughts—almost all felt the stationmaster had gotten what he deserved.
As for the nobleman's fourth son, who had been so pleased by the flattery that he rashly promised to take the stationmaster to Bingzhou for a life of luxury, they mostly felt disdain. For someone of such noble birth, he lacked judgment and was recklessly arrogant to such an extent.
With these two individuals in mind, their regard for the nobleman grew considerably.
Cui Shu Ruo even overheard them whispering, "Duke Qi is fair and just, truly a man of honor."
"Long have I heard of Duke Qi's wisdom, and today, I see it is well-deserved."
But as Cui Shu Ruo watched Duke Qi sternly disciplining his son, she felt it wasn't quite so simple. What loyal minister would seek a reputation for virtue and integrity?
Moreover, the title "Duke Qi" sounded oddly familiar.
Though she couldn't pinpoint why it felt familiar, Cui Shu Ruo noticed the noblewoman watching her husband discipline their son. While her face showed a hint of heartache, she wasn't anxious nor did she rush out to intervene. Instead, she allowed the beating to proceed, merely instructing her maids to prepare medicine for the wounds.
This noblewoman's composure was likely no ordinary trait.
This time, she probably hadn't encountered just any ordinary noble family.
Cui Shu Ruo quietly reflected.
What followed proceeded smoothly, without the need for them to intervene further. The noblewoman's earlier beating of her own son had thoroughly shattered the courage of those in the relay station, leaving them with no desire to cling to the noble family's favor. Instead, they dutifully carried out their assigned tasks.
After their cleaning, although the rooms remained dilapidated—a result of long-term neglect that could hardly be blamed—the bedding had been replaced with clean sets, and the rooms were tidied up.
Li Sanniang was still quite displeased, but since she had insisted on following them to Youzhou, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure it.
Cui Shu Ruo, however, found it acceptable. Though it appeared crude, she had lived in dormitories in modern times. Her middle school dormitory had been far more cramped, with sixteen students squeezed into a small room and aisles so narrow they couldn’t even fit desks.
By comparison, at least the current room was spacious, with only her and Li Sanniang sharing it.
After a long and exhausting day, night finally fell. The chirping of cicadas filled the air, and the flickering yellow candlelight was extinguished. Most people had already fallen asleep, but Cui Shu Ruo lay flat on her bed, her eyes fixed on the wooden beams above, unable to sleep.
She had thought she could fall asleep, but she had underestimated the impact of seeing the noblewoman who looked exactly like her mother.
Cui Shu Ruo was wide awake. Just as she thought she would remain sleepless until dawn, she faintly heard the sound of hooves pounding against the ground.
At first, she thought she was mistaken, but the sound grew increasingly distinct. Realizing what it meant, she abruptly sat up, moved to the window, opened it a crack, and cautiously peered outside.
In the dim night, countless horses, carrying shadowy figures, galloped across the ground, drawing closer and closer to the relay station.
Cui Shu Ruo shook Li Sanniang awake. Groggy and on the verge of anger, Li Sanniang was silenced as Cui Shu Ruo covered her mouth.
Placing a finger to her lips in a gesture for silence, Cui Shu Ruo roused Li Sanniang from her muddled state. She then woke Yan Rong in the same manner.
Before they could do anything else, the night patrol also sensed something amiss, and the entire relay station erupted into chaos. With Yan Rong’s help, Sanniang and Cui Shu Ruo quickly dressed and packed their belongings. Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
The voice outside was hushed but belonged to Zhong Xuanjie. "Young noblewoman Cui, it’s me. Something has happened outside. Please come with me quickly."
To his surprise, the door opened immediately, revealing Cui Shu Ruo and Li Sanniang already fully dressed. Before he could express his astonishment, Cui Shu Ruo spoke the words he was about to say, "Someone is surrounding the relay station, aren’t they?"
Zhong Xuanjie nodded. "They say it’s bandits."
Having witnessed Cui Shu Ruo’s resilience on the journey, he felt inclined to explain further. "Duke Qi’s personal guards number fifty or sixty. Mere bandits shouldn’t pose a threat, but something feels off. Bandits are opportunistic and avoid danger—they wouldn’t dare attack Duke Qi with so many guards unless…"
Cui Shu Ruo finished his thought, "Unless they’re targeting Duke Qi himself."
They were merely innocent passersby, but if a fight broke out, they would likely be caught in the crossfire. If they didn’t leave now, they might never get another chance.
In the dimly lit corridor, under the moonlight, the two exchanged glances and nodded, reaching a silent agreement.
They must not get involved in inexplicable disputes—staying alive was paramount.
Once the decision was made, no further words were needed. They hurried downstairs to the stables to fetch their horses. The best course of action was to leave immediately, before the courier station was completely surrounded.
After galloping a considerable distance under the cover of night, they looked back and saw the station engulfed in flames, the sounds of fierce fighting echoing in the distance.
The bandits were nothing more than a disorganized rabble—how could they possibly stand a chance against Duke Qi’s well-disciplined and orderly guards? Even from afar, the scene made it clear that the situation was far from ordinary.
Zhong Xuanjie was about to continue onward when Cui Shu Ruo suddenly clutched her chest, gripping the carriage curtain, her face contorted in pain.
Her complexion turned deathly pale, and beads of sweat dotted her forehead—all from the agony.
Cui Shu Ruo stared intently in the direction of the fire. Why did her heart ache so fiercely? She questioned the System in her mind, but it repeatedly denied any involvement.
【Darling, it wasn’t me, I don’t know why either.】
Yet Cui Shu Ruo recalled the noblewoman’s face, identical to that of her modern-day mother, and a suspicion began to form in her heart. In the darkness, they were not the only ones present.
From a distance, a magnificent horse galloped toward them. The rider wore the ordinary uniform of a government officer, but he was tall and robust, with a broad forehead, bright skin, sharp eyebrows, and piercing eyes—clearly a man of exceptional skill.
Noticing Cui Shu Ruo and her companions, he reined in his horse and called out loudly, "I am Qi Pingyong, a constable from Jinzhou. May I ask what has happened ahead?"
Zhong Xuanjie answered him. Though he had no intention of getting involved in the matter, he saw no reason to conceal the truth from a passing hero. "Ahead is a courier station, attacked by bandits."
The tall man on horseback immediately grew indignant, snorting coldly. "Audacious bandits, daring to disturb official grounds. Please proceed ahead. I, Qi Pingyong, shall go and investigate. Farewell!"
Hearing the man’s name, a sudden realization struck Cui Shu Ruo. She finally understood why the title "Duke Qi" had sounded so familiar.
During history class, her teacher had mentioned that the founding emperor of Da Qi chose the name "Qi" for his dynasty precisely because, during the Jin Dynasty, he had been deeply favored by the emperor and was granted the title of Duke Qi.
In other words, the one trapped inside was the future emperor!
And the man now rushing to the rescue, Qi Pingyong, was one of the thirteen founding generals of the future dynasty. In time, he would become so trusted by Emperor Taizong that he would guard the palace gates day and night, eventually becoming immortalized in folklore as a door god.
Cui Shu Ruo knew that an immense opportunity for wealth and glory might be right before her.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her gaze was resolute and bright. Her decision was made. Clenching her teeth, she declared, "Turn back!"