The legitimate daughter returns to the capital and embarks on a splendid life, tearing apart the fak

The rest of the journey went very smoothly. Perhaps the battle in the canyon had frightened the bandits, or perhaps they had heard that there was a ruthless archer in the caravan. They encountered no further obstacles along the way.

The closer we got to the capital, the colder it got. Fortunately, Yun Jin had prepared thick clothes in advance, so we didn't get too cold.

That afternoon, the towering city walls of Ningcheng finally came into view.

The gray brick walls bear the mottled marks of time, and the city gate is bustling with people and vehicles.

Before entering the city gate, Yun Jin took the money bag and went to find Chief Escort Wang: "Chief Escort Wang, you must be tired from your journey. It's time to settle the remaining bill." As she spoke, she handed over the agreed-upon seventy taels.

But Chief镖王 laughed and pushed her hand away: "Brother Xiaobai, I can't accept this money."

He patted Yun Jin's arm, a little harder than usual. "That day in the canyon, if it weren't for your help, more than twenty brothers from my Weiyuan Escort Agency would probably have perished there, and my reputation as Wang Huaisheng would have been ruined. The eighty taels you gave me earlier were already more than enough. If you accept this money again, it would be a slap in my face."

Yun Jin declined twice more, but seeing his sincere attitude, which was not just politeness, she took the money back and said, "Then I will accept it without hesitation."

She wasn't pretentious; when traveling, money is the foundation of confidence, and it's always good to save money.

Seeing that she had accepted the money, Chief Escort Wang breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "That's more like it." He paused, then asked, "Are you heading to the capital next?"

"Yes." Yun Jin nodded.

"That's perfect," Wang, the head镖师, said with a gleam in his eyes. "My Ningcheng branch often deals with merchant caravans in the capital. I can help you contact a reliable one. Traveling with a caravan is safer than traveling on your own."

Yun Jin thought for a moment and then agreed.

Although they had carriages, it was still several days' journey to the capital. Traveling with the caravan would not only avoid unnecessary trouble but also provide mutual support, making it a safer option.

Chief镖头 Wang was efficient and soon instructed his men to make arrangements. He then personally led Yun Jin and the other two to the Fu Lai Inn in the city: "This inn is clean and reasonably priced. You can stay here for now and wait for my news."

He escorted the person to the inn's entrance before leading his caravan to deliver the goods.

The three of them booked two rooms at the inn: Yun Jin and Chen Mengyao shared one room, while Huang Weixue had a separate room.

As soon as she put down her luggage, Chen Mengyao couldn't contain herself and tugged at Yun Jin with a pleading look on her face: "Xiaobai, let's go shopping, okay?"

Yun Jin glanced at her makeup and instructed, "You can go out, but speak as little as possible. If you give yourself away, you'll be in trouble. Just point out what you want to eat or buy."

"Okay!" Chen Mengyao nodded like a chick pecking at rice, her excitement barely concealed.

Yun Jin went to call Huang Weixue, and he didn't object. The three of them locked the door and walked out onto the street.

Ningcheng truly lived up to its reputation as an important town, with shops lining both sides of the street, including silk shops, jewelry stores, and pastry shops... The sounds of vendors hawking their wares rose and fell, making it far more lively than Yizhou City.

Chen Mengyao was dazzled by the sights, asking for food one moment and picking out toys the next.

Yun Jin patiently accompanied her shopping, while Huang Weixue followed along. Occasionally, when they saw a bookstore, they would go in and linger for a while.

Passing by a time-honored pastry shop, Chen Mengyao stared at the hibiscus cakes on the counter, swallowing hard. Seeing this, Yun Jin went in and bought two boxes, and also picked up some melon seeds and candied fruit before being pulled by Chen Mengyao to walk back.

When they returned to the inn, all three were exhausted. After dinner, they went to rest and the night passed uneventfully.

The next day, just as dawn broke, the innkeeper knocked on the door and said that Chief Escort Wang had arrived.

Yun Jin and the other two quickly got up and went to the front hall to meet.

"Everything's arranged." Chief镖头 Wang said with a smile. "I've found you the 'Heshun Merchant Caravan,' a silk business that travels between Ningcheng and the capital year-round. They're law-abiding and honest. I'll take you there now to introduce you and get acquainted."

Yun Jin told the two to stay at the inn, while she followed Chief Escort Wang to the trading company to see Manager Li.

Manager Li was a plump man in his fifties with a friendly face. When he saw Yun Jin, he smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "A friend of Chief Escort Wang is a friend of mine. Don't worry about the journey. With me here, I guarantee you'll have a smooth trip to the capital."

When Yun Jin asked about the fee, Manager Li glanced at Chief Escort Wang and replied, "Chief Escort Wang has already paid."

Yun Jin was taken aback, then bowed to Chief Escort Wang and said, "Thank you, Brother Wang."

When Chief Escort Wang saw that she didn't pull him away, he thought this "Little White Brother" was a straightforward person who didn't dawdle.

Yun Jin asked Manager Li for some details about what to prepare for the journey before bidding farewell to Chief Escort Wang.

After they came out, Chief Escort Wang insisted on treating Yun Jin to drinks, but she quickly declined, saying, "Brother Wang, I'm currently employed by Scholar Huang and need to hurry back to report. I'm afraid I might make a mistake if I drink too much. If we happen to meet again in the future, we'll definitely drink until we drop."

She was just being polite and never expected to actually meet Wang Biaotou again. Who knew that they would actually meet again someday? But that's another story.

Yun Jin returned to Fu Lai Inn and told Chen Mengyao and Huang Wei about the caravan. The two were already used to following her arrangements and had no objections.

Chen Mengyao was tired from shopping yesterday and didn't want to go out, so Yun Jin went to two money shops by herself and exchanged all the silver notes she had for cash. After all, these silver notes were collected from Chen Wencai, Yun Dahai and Liu Sanlaizi, so cash was more reliable.

After withdrawing the money, she went to the clothing store and picked out two sets of women's clothing for herself and Chen Mengyao: one was a plain white moon-white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) made of the finest Hangzhou silk, with a simple and elegant style; the other was a light green dress with delicate orchid patterns embroidered on the hem, with fine stitches, elegant and charming.

I also bought two thick cloaks for each of them to keep warm.

Once in the capital, Chen Mengyao would have to change back into women's clothing when returning to the Grand Tutor's mansion.

She also wanted to see if she could use the power of the Grand Tutor's Mansion to find her mother and maternal grandfather.

After leaving the clothing shop, she went to a secluded spot, put the clothes and cash into her spatial storage, and then headed towards the inn.

That evening, Chen Mengyao said to Yun Jin, "Xiao Bai, when we get to the capital, you and Huang Xiucai can stay at my maternal grandparents' house. You saved me, so my grandmother will definitely make proper arrangements for you. You can stay with me, and Huang Xiucai can go to the clan school at my maternal grandparents' house to prepare for the imperial examinations."

After a moment's thought, Yun Jin realized that if Huang Weixue could leverage the power of the Grand Tutor's Mansion, his future career might be smoother, and he might even become an asset to her.

As for himself, if the Grand Tutor's Mansion and the General's Mansion don't have any grudges, he might be able to use the power of the Grand Tutor's Mansion to help him recognize his mother and maternal grandparents.

It would be a real shame not to use such a powerful background.

Having figured out the key point, she readily agreed: "Okay, I'll listen to you while we're out here, but once we get to the capital, I'll listen to you."

Chen Mengyao was overjoyed, not only because she could repay Yun Jin for saving her life, but also because she had gained a formidable sister. She chattered on and on about the rules of the capital.

Yun Jin listened and couldn't help but gasp. She had no idea that there were so many intricacies in the lives of the wealthy families in the capital. It seemed that dealing with that fake heiress who was actually a mistress would not be an easy task.