After dinner, Zheng An instructed several constables to separately inform the prisoners that they were going to purchase supplies. Anyone who needed anything could write a list, and the constables would help buy it for them—of course, with a markup added.
This time, anyone who had silver prepared a list, including the He family, Shi family, and Lü family.
When the messenger constable came to speak, Jun Wan smiled and said, “Sir, may I ask where Head Zheng is? I have something I’d like to discuss with him.”
“He’s in his room. You can go find him there,” the constable replied politely, since he had eaten the food Jun Wan had cooked before.
“Thank you.” Jun Wan walked toward Zheng An’s room.
When she found him, Fan Wei was also there. She smiled and said, “Head Zheng, I heard your men are going into town to buy supplies. May I go with them?”
“This…” Zheng An looked somewhat hesitant. Normally, prisoners were not allowed to leave the escort group freely, especially not to go into town alone.
Jun Wan noticed his hesitation. However, as they traveled further north, the weather would only get colder. She needed to get a larger carriage and properly insulate it so they could suffer less on the journey.
“Brother-in-law!” Fan Wei on the side anxiously spoke up. He originally wanted to call him “brother-in-law,” but after a glare from Zheng An, he quickly changed it to “Head.”
Seeing Zheng An still undecided, Jun Wan understood there wasn’t much time. Even if he allowed her to go to the market to buy a carriage, she still wouldn’t have enough time to modify it properly.
So, under the cover of her sleeve, she took out a five-hundred-tael silver note from her spatial storage and placed it on the table.
“This is for all the officers to have a drink,” she said with a smile. “I hope Head Zheng can make an exception. My body can’t endure the cold, and my child is still very young. I want to go to the horse market to change to a better carriage and modify it.”
“Brother-in-law, just agree already. Jun-shi once saved my life,” Fan Wei said again, ignoring Zheng An’s glare.
Zheng An thought for a moment, then looked at the silver note and said to Fan Wei, “Go call Yang Liu and the others over. If they agree, we’ll stay in town for a night.”
“Alright, I’ll go now.”
Fan Wei quickly ran out and soon returned with several constables.
Zheng An looked at them and said, “Jun-shi wants to change carriages and go to the market. She also needs time to modify it. If we go out this afternoon, we won’t make it. We’ll have to stay here overnight. Do you agree?”
He tapped the silver note on the table and added, “If you agree, this will be your drinking money.”
At first, the others were a little unhappy—after all, how could a prisoner act like she was giving them orders?
But once they saw the money, they immediately nodded in agreement.
It was just a half-day delay, yet each of them could still get a share of five hundred taels—about five taels per person. Of course they agreed.
Seeing this, Zheng An agreed and ordered Fan Wei to accompany Jun Wan to the horse market. He also told Yang Liu to inform the prisoners that they would stay overnight and collect lodging fees as usual.
Jun Wan still rented two rooms. After getting off the carriage, she prepared to set out with Fan Wei.
“Master, let this servant go with you,” Linglan said worriedly.
“Yes, let Linglan go with you. We’re not at ease if you go alone,” Empress Dowager Yi added.
“No need. Fan Wei is enough,” Jun Wan replied. “Besides, I’m more worried about you all taking care of Jingchen. With Linglan here, I’ll feel more at ease. I’ll go and return quickly.”
Even though she knew Night Shadow and the others were guarding them, she was still not at ease leaving little Jingchen behind. If not for the fear that the Empress Dowager might suddenly come in to see the child, she would have placed Jingchen directly into her spatial space.
After deciding, she had Linglan unload everything from the carriage, and she and Fan Wei drove off toward the horse market.
Meanwhile, in another inn, Mo Yan fainted due to an infected wound from not receiving proper medical treatment.
The blade that injured him had been poisoned. When conscious, he could suppress the poison with internal energy, but after fainting, only Ming Tian could help suppress it.
“Boss, is Master still unconscious?” Leng Ze asked worriedly after entering the room.
Ming Tian shook his head.
“What do we do? The Empress Dowager and the others have already reached Jia City. Should we act or not?”
“Go find a doctor first to examine him. Everything else will wait until Master wakes up,” Ming Tian said.
“Alright, I’ll go now.” Leng Ze left immediately.
At this time, Jun Wan had already arrived at the horse market. The carriage she was currently using was given by Mo Cheng—it was shabby, and the horse was old, thin, and weak.
A slightly overweight man at the horse market saw new customers and was initially pleased, but when he saw it was a constable and a woman who was beautiful but poorly dressed, he became somewhat disappointed. Still, he politely asked, “What would you like to buy?”
“Do you buy horses here?” Jun Wan asked.
Fan Wei beside her was puzzled. Wasn’t she here to buy a carriage? Why was she selling a horse instead?
“Yes,” the horse market owner replied lazily.
“Then take a look at this horse and carriage. How much will you offer?” Jun Wan asked, nodding toward the carriage Fan Wei was holding.
The owner walked around it and finally said, “Twenty taels in total. If you agree, leave it here. If not, take it away.”
Jun Wan frowned slightly. She wasn’t very familiar with horse prices. Since she had already spent five hundred taels, even if the price was low, she didn’t have time to go elsewhere.
Seeing her expression, Fan Wei knew she didn’t understand the market. Since she still needed to buy a better carriage, he said, “Let’s talk about this later. This lady still needs to buy horses and a carriage. Take us to see your horses first.”
The owner immediately became enthusiastic again. “Of course, please this way.”
He led them toward the stables, where there were also cattle and donkeys.
After passing through, he said with a smile, “We have horses of all price ranges here. What kind of price are you looking for?”
“No need for anything too good. Just something better than mine,” Jun Wan said with a smile.
The owner was momentarily speechless.
With the price already set for her old horse, he couldn’t raise prices now.
Fan Wei smiled helplessly. He thought she would suffer a loss, but she was clearly prepared.
With the earlier valuation already set, the owner could only point to a slightly thin chestnut horse and say, “This one is thirty taels if you want it.”
Jun Wan saw that it was stronger and younger than her current horse and looked at Fan Wei.
Fan Wei nodded—this was a fair price.
Then Jun Wan pointed to a white horse nearby and asked, “Is this one also thirty taels?”
The owner quickly replied, “That one cannot be sold for thirty. If you want it, it’s at least fifty taels. Not a single coin less.”