The gray sky was gradually replaced by the white fish belly spreading from the horizon. The surrounding dark forest gradually turned white, and a thin layer of frost covered everything.
Ning Yujin and Qi Yue ran straight out of the small road and turned into the official road into Shengjing.
"We will reach the city gate in about a quarter of an hour." Qi Yue raised his eyes and looked at the road ahead, mentally appraising the distance, and said.
Ning Yujin had been blown by the cold wind all night, and was so cold that her nose was filled with snot and tears, and her face was red from the cold. When she heard this, she sniffed and breathed a sigh of relief: "We are finally here."
If she continued to struggle, she didn't know if she would be able to come back alive.
Seeing her like this, Qi Yue felt a little distressed and said, "You don't want to come closer to me. Isn't it nice to be in the front and feel the cold wind?"
"I have to bear it whether it's good or bad. This is a matter of principle." Ning Yujin is quite insistent on this. Even if she and Qi Yue ride on the same horse, the boundaries that should be drawn should still be drawn clearly.
What's more, after having Mo Jingxiao's thick, warm and solid embrace, it seems that no one else can compare to his.
Qi Yue lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes, and was silent for a moment. He did not ask for trouble anymore, but intentionally or unintentionally stretched out his hand to wrap his arms around Ning Yujin, fearing that she would accidentally fall off the horse.
A quarter of an hour is just a blink of an eye, but at first glance, it seems like a thousand years.
The hub of Daye, which has always been bustling with people, and the prosperous city of Shengjing, which has never been depressed for a day, today actually have its city gates closed and heavily guarded, keeping everything out!
When Ning Yujin saw this scene, her heart couldn't help but "thump", and she turned over anxiously and almost fell down.
"Be careful!" Qi Yue quickly reached out to catch her, immediately turned over and dismounted first, and then took Ning Yujin off the horse.
As soon as Ning Yujin's feet touched the ground, she hurried to the city gate and pushed it with her hand.
The tall vermilion city gate is majestic. Her small stature is only as high as two golden rivets, making her look so small.
Qi Yue didn't even bother to worry about his horse and ran directly behind her: "You don't have to waste your efforts. It seems that Shengjing City has been blocked."
Shengjing City is blocked, who knows what is going on inside? What if they rush back slowly and hurriedly? If the city gate is not open, it is not empty talk.
"The city gate is blocked, how can we enter the city?" Ning Yujin calmed down at this time, frowned slightly, and lowered his eyes in thought.
Qi Yue raised his head and glanced at the city gate, shrugged and said, "Even fifty or sixty people carrying wood may not be able to break this gate open. It is obviously unrealistic to enter from here."
"Then we can only find another way." Ning Yujin raised her eyes and glanced at Qi Yue. The moment their eyes met, they both seemed to understand each other's thoughts.
Shengjing City is the imperial capital of Daye, and there are too many dignitaries, royal relatives, and nobles living in it. Therefore, the stability and security of Shengjing have always been the top priority of the capital's defense.
Because of this, Shengjing City was very strict on population checks. Especially after Mo Jingxiao returned to the court, he vigorously rectified the situation and cracked down on violations of laws and disciplines.
but!
No matter how powerful something is, it has its loopholes. Just like Shengjing City, which has become as strict as it is, still has many shortcomings.
As mentioned before, there are too many royal relatives and nobles living in Shengjing City, and because of this, this is the place with the highest concentration of rich and powerful people in the entire Daye.
Most of the rich and powerful people have seen the world, like to pursue excitement, and have a lot of money to spend, so naturally they become the targets of some criminals.
Some women like unique tastes, some like to take some medicine to cheer up, some like exotic animals, some like calligraphy and painting on ancient tombs...
In short, you can't think of it, but I can't find it.
These items are all contraband. How were they transported into Shengjing City?
This is what Ning Yujin and Qi Yue call "creating a different path". They must have their own channels, otherwise it would be difficult to explain why the inspections are so strict and why there are still so many things circulating in the market.
"But even if we find a businessman who does this kind of business, it is impossible for him to tell us his way of making a living, not to mention that it is still an unstable time in Shengjing City."
Ning Yujin frowned slightly, feeling that this matter was a bit difficult to handle.
But compared to risking being exposed by asking the officers and soldiers on the tower to open the city gate, she would rather try this.
"Miss Third's eloquence has always been admired by Qi. I believe she can convince them." Qi Yue said this to Ning Yujin calmly. I don't know if he is really not nervous at all, or if he is pretending.
Not caring.
He didn't seem to be in any hurry at all. Even before Yin Changrong vaguely mentioned that something might happen to the prince, he just listened to it lightly.
Qi Yue...
Ning Yujin frowned, said nothing, and went to find someone with Qi Yue.
The group of people they are talking about are not easy to find. After all, they do not have any glorious profession. They usually act in an extremely low-key manner, and it is not obvious what they do. They hide it very well, and no one can say anything bad about it.
But that's it, in the end they found him - someone who didn't stand out at all, but who really needed skills.
Ning Yujin and Qi Yue blocked the door, only to realize that the store they were looking for sold various props to increase interest. For example, the Feiyan Pills in Yin Changrong's hands were also bought from people like them.
When the man saw Ning Yujin and Qi Yue coming in, he subconsciously rubbed oil on his feet and ran away. After all, he was caught as a veteran, and this became a subconscious reaction.
Qi Yue asked Ning Yujin to block the back door. He entered the house alone, and he didn't know what method he used. He made the man wait there obediently, not daring to run around any more.
Ning Yujin was surprised when she saw this: "Hey, you are a weak scholar, but you are quite good at controlling others."
Qi Yue pursed his lips and smiled, but did not answer. He only said, "He hangs out in Shengjing City every day. He knows the news best. If you want to ask anything, just ask him."
What to ask him? Of course it’s Mo Jingxiao!
Ning Yujin did not waste any time and asked quickly: "Brother, what is Shengjing City like now? His Highness Prince Ding...is everything okay?"
"Shengjing City is in chaos right now. I advise you not to go in for a walk if you have nothing to do. Soldiers are running all over the streets, and the shops have closed their doors. Now it is like a dead city." The man thought of the current state of Shengjing City.
He couldn't help but shook his head, "As for His Highness Prince Ding... something seems to have happened to him."