"Understood," said Xiao Hen.
Zhang Dequan smiled, "If there’s nothing else, I’ll return to the palace now."
Xiao Hen nodded.
After Zhang Dequan left, Xiao Hen lifted the curtain and looked towards Shangguan Yun who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, eating watermelon with a spoon, "Can Zhang Dequan be trusted?"
Shangguan Yun scooped another bite of watermelon, "Oh, he’s not a bad person."
Xiao Hen said, "So, can we keep those people outside?"
Shangguan Yun thought for a moment, "Let them stay for now. Zhang Dequan is the only one in the palace who won’t harm me."
...
Lingbo Academy.
A carriage was parked in the alley diagonally opposite it.
This alley was originally meant for the academy’s students to park their carriages, and this carriage, being the earliest to arrive, took the prime spot.
The coachman’s task ended here as the old wine-maker settled the fare.
The coachman left, satisfied with his payment.
The old wine-maker and the Dowager Empress remained in the carriage, waiting.
"Are you sure we’re waiting here?" asked the Dowager Empress.
The old wine-maker said, "Jingkong has classes at Lingbo Academy. He’ll be out soon, and Ahen will definitely come to pick him up. If Ahen doesn’t come, Jiaojiao surely will."
Yan Country’s summer is hotter than Zhan Country’s, and today was particularly stifling. Soon, the carriage turned into a steam box.
The Dowager Empress turned into a steamed shrimp, sweating profusely.
She leaned lifelessly against the carriage wall, "Didn’t it rain last night? Why did it get hot again so quickly?"
The old wine-maker fanned her; he too was drenched in sweat, "Yan Country is terribly hot. I wonder if the kids can handle it."
The Dowager Empress didn’t have the strength to speak; feeling heatstroke, she collapsed like a limp shrimp on her seat.
The old wine-maker couldn’t bear to see her suffer, "There’s a tea house right beside. Go have some tea, and I’ll wait here."
The Dowager Empress glared at him weakly, "Tea costs silver, doesn’t it?"
With Yan Country’s high prices, the children’s travel money must be tight; she had to save for Jiaojiao.
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