imperial psychologist

Chapter 685
Li Yiru's prediction is obviously a bit too optimistic.

The next day, the thin drizzle fell intermittently, and the road was muddy. At first, the few people didn't realize the danger until the herd horse got stuck in a mud, and the more it struggled, the deeper it sank.

In late autumn, some muddy surfaces condense into hard and brittle mud surfaces in the freezing rain.

It looks like an ordinary road, but once a person rides on it, the horse's hooves immediately crush the ice, making people sink into the mud.

In the end, they had no choice but to abandon the fancy horse, and finally managed to rescue Mu Cheng.

Such a dangerous situation forced Mu Cheng, who was in a hurry, to temporarily give up his plan to go in the rain. Several people found an empty house nearby to take shelter from the rain and recuperate, and also changed Mu Cheng's clothes.When they set off again the next day, each of them picked up a convenient branch as a walking stick, and led the horse to go north.

The horse stuck in the mud yesterday was already dead. Its front body was deeply stuck in the mud, and only a small piece of the horse's back was still exposed. When several people passed by, they felt sorry for it and couldn't bear to look at it.

This large swamp flattened the tempers of the three of them, and it took them nearly three days just to cross here.

When the three of them discussed at night, they all agreed that this road should have been abandoned for many years, so there was no warning.Think about the group of caravans that were going back to Zhuozhou from Jiangzhou. They not only had horses and people, but also carts full of goods.

It is so difficult for three people to lead a horse through here, let alone a whole caravan.

Sure enough, after only half a day away from this swampy land, they saw a tea shop on the side of the road, and they all breathed a sigh of relief - the appearance of this kind of tea shop usually means that a big town is nearby, and travelers with hardships and adventures You can take a break here and inquire about some news inside and outside the city.

It's just that before a few people had time to jump for joy, they noticed something was wrong.

The leader of another cavalry team that also came from Jiangzhou originally had a good chat with Bo Ling who came to ask for directions, and even enthusiastically introduced to her which road his team of horses and horses took. When Cheng and Li Yiru approached with their horses, the man's expression suddenly changed, and then he led the horses and chariots away like a god of plague.

The three of them didn't know why, so they led the horse to the tea shop again.

As soon as he was seated, the people around him stopped talking, and the people who were a few tables away started whispering.

Both Mucheng and Bo Ling remained silent, just looking at Li Yiru quietly.

The more the boy listened, the more confused he became, he tilted his head slightly, and let out a "huh".

Xiao Er came over with a smile, asked them what they wanted to eat, and said enthusiastically that he would help them lead the three horses to feed some fodder.

"No need." Li Yiru said, "We'll tie the horse here."

Xiao Er didn't insist either, and after asking them what they wanted to order, he brought a pot of hot tea and left.

Bai Ling was about to pour tea, Li Yiru glanced at her, "Don't drink it yet, I'm afraid there is something wrong with this tea."

"What's wrong?" Mu Cheng asked softly.

"They...seem to regard us as criminals and fugitives," Li Yiru was puzzled, "...they said yes, the Zhuozhou government ordered yesterday to strictly investigate non-business travelers who bring their own horses. Once found, they will immediately notify the government and offer rewards Available."

Bai Ling's heart sank - just in this tea shop, she had already noticed that several people sneaked away after they took their seats.

Not only Bo Ling, Mu Cheng and Li Yiru also discovered this.

These people... I'm afraid they have already gone to report to the authorities.

"There must be some mistake." Li Yiru frowned, "Could it be that some murderer ran away on horseback along the way and was wanted by the government, so they mistook us as fugitives?"

"Riding horses is really eye-catching. Look at these convoys. Most of the carts are pulled by mules..." Bai Ling whispered.

Mu Cheng also glanced at the surrounding situation.

Indeed, as Berlin said, their horses are very conspicuous among these caravans. One horse is taller and stronger than the mule, and the other people's mules usually carry things or pull carts. Three free-spirited flower horses stand in the middle, and the style of painting is obviously inconsistent.

"We've just arrived at Tunlongpo, we can't just abandon our horses here." Mu Cheng said in a low voice, "Unless we can find a caravan that will leave for Zhuozhou in two days, and the other party is willing to give us a ride. "

Bai Ling said softly, "But holding on to the horse, I'm afraid no one would want to have anything to do with us now."

Li Yiru's ears moved slightly, his face changed, and then he got up immediately, "... let's go."

"Hey, two guest officers!" Xiao Er chased after him and grabbed Mu Cheng's arm, "You guys have just met, why are you leaving now!"

Seeing that the merchants around seemed to be ready to pounce, Bai Ling grabbed Li Yiru's purse, grabbed a handful of broken silver, and threw it into the air.

"We paid the money here," Bo Ling said loudly, "You let go!"

Before the words were finished, everyone rushed forward, bent over to snatch the broken silver that had fallen on the ground, almost overturning the tables outside the tea shop.

Without any hesitation, the three of them took advantage of the short gap to rush to the horse post outside the tea shop, untied the reins, and mounted the horse and galloped along the direction that the caravan leader had just pointed at.

After running back for a cup of tea, a few people got off the official road and walked along the forest path to a place where there are few people.

When they reached a tree hole, they all slowed down and dismounted to rest.

"Is no one chasing you?" Bo Ling asked.

"No." Li Yiru nodded affirmatively. He let go of the horse, panted and sat on the ground, grabbed the collar and fanned the wind gently, with a frustrated expression, "...what's the matter?"

"What did you hear just now?" Mu Cheng asked.

"Someone is riding a horse—or a mule, coming from the north," Li Yiru replied, still out of breath, wiping his sweat, "I'm afraid they reported to the government, and the government sent someone to arrest us."

Bai Ling was stunned for a moment, and then she was amused. She looked at the young man, "...Why did you run when the official came?"

Li Yiru didn't turn the corner, "Aren't they trying to catch the thief on horseback?"

"We're not real thieves." Bo Ling took out the document with Jiangzhou's seal from his arms, "We all carry the pass issued by Jiangzhou's government, okay. The official sent, isn't it just to return our innocence?"

Li Yiru just woke up like a dream, and said "Ah!" softly.

Mu Cheng raised his forehead, sighed, and sat beside Li Yiru a little tiredly.

"...It's even more unclear now."

Li Yiru blinked, and looked at the two with shame on his face, "Now we..."

"It's not good to delay any longer," Mu Cheng said with a frown, "Today we must enter Tun Long Po."

(End of this chapter)