Chapter 442: Danger Descends
The old housekeeper quietly told him that tomorrow they were planning to hire a large boat, as they would be traveling by water.
As for so many horses and carriages, naturally, they would also be loaded onto the large boat.
This is why they were staying here, and why they needed to prepare even more food and water.
Ye Shiqi had previously asked Li Zhihao to prepare some things for her, and she had not yet used them; this secret, the old housekeeper did not know.
Of course, he wouldn't just blurt it out. If the housekeeper prepared, then prepare he would—there was a whole month to go!
So many people, carriages, and horses appearing in an inn attracted the attention of the guests, and some people secretly investigated.
The innkeeper, of course, was delighted and happily welcomed them to stay.
As for the innkeeper preparing a fine room for Ye Shiqi, this young master, he also prepared rooms for the others.
The old housekeeper arranged for people to guard the carriages and horses and then sent others out to make purchases.
The caravan that had set off from the estate had brought along fruits and vegetables, but they had not prepared meat; in this hot weather, meat wouldn't keep well even if they had brought some, but fruits and vegetables could last a day or two, and slightly older melons could last more than ten days.
Ye Shiqi rested in her room, eating and drinking there without leaving her room once she entered.
Though the city was bustling, she wouldn't recklessly go out in such unfamiliar surroundings and cause trouble for the old housekeeper.
In the Imperial Palace, after learning of the many dangers outside, she scarcely went out.
This place couldn't compare to the safety she felt in the county of her rural estate.
Could it be that something was about to happen? Ye Shiqi felt a vague premonition.
Ye Shiqi wondered if there might be something wrong with their food.
During this night, she could not sleep soundly.
She shared the room with four maids and couldn't rest in her space, and even bathing was just a cursory wash.
It felt almost impossible to take a bath in her space.
Ye Shiqi did not send the maids out, the inn was too crowded and even though this era likely didn't have cameras, she always felt watched.
There were people lurking around, perhaps on the rooftops or around the inn, inside the inn itself.
She knew that it might be the caravan's belongings that were drawing attention.
During this deep night, the inn's guests, the old housekeeper, and his team did not truly sleep.
Guards lay in ambush around the caravan and in the inn, the guests were vigilant and did not fully sleep.
Surprisingly, there were guests who had not yet slept, and neither had the innkeeper and the staff.
Even those hidden around them had not slept.
Countless eyes were watching the caravan and monitoring the guests staying in it.
Not only had the old housekeeper not slept, but in addition to arranging for the security of the caravan's goods, he also assigned people to secretly protect the young Lady.
Although Lady had maids by her side, their abilities were far inferior to those of a guard.
And much inferior to an assassin's.
The old housekeeper had his intelligence, aware that someone had hired assassins and that others coveted their grain.
Many wished to destroy the grain, and there were those who were not bandits, but disguised as bandits, who came for them.
Of course, there were also real bandits, eyeing them closely.
The old housekeeper was most worried in those years, that if their grain were to be robbed, it would affect their support outside the border.
But if those people came for the young lady, then they were even harder to defend against.
Ye Shiqi heard the night watchman's voice from outside, "Beware of fire hazards!"
After the night watchman's voice had passed, the inn, which had been quite calm, Ye Shiqi could hear faint footsteps. She was uncertain whether the footsteps were due to someone going to the toilet, or if someone could no longer resist making a move.
The maids by her side moved quietly to the door, some stood by the window, listening to the noises outside.
Ye Shiqi's ears could also tell that people were approaching their door and windows.
Listening to the footsteps, she knew they were not from their guard.
The innkeeper had their guard hidden in the rooms where the young masters slept as a precaution, which of course was risky. If the enemy used hypnotic smoke or released poisonous gas, they could potentially incapacitate everyone inside.
Those guarding the grain and watching from the rooftops would both protect the grain and the young master simultaneously.
When footsteps reached their door and windows, it was hard to tell if they were all in league, those stealing grain and those attempting to deploy hypnotic smoke to fulfill a mission, acting concurrently.
All night long, Ye Shiqi contemplated what she would do if she found herself in a complete ambush, or if the thieves kidnapped her and the housekeeper's team couldn't protect her.
When the people by her side could no longer protect her, would she immediately enter the "space"?
Doing so would reveal strange information to those around her, only she would enter the "space," leaving those around her, including the housekeeper's team, in danger of the grain being robbed.
Would she take the risk? Would she expose something she had never done before in order to save the team?
Or perhaps in saving the team, she would also expose herself.
At that moment, Ye Shiqi took a risky measure. As the enemy blew hypnotic smoke and the maids and guards were about to act,
and when the grain convoy and horses were set on fire, she used the storage function of her "space" with the greatest speed.
She made the old housekeeper's team and everyone in the room, along with the grain convoy and horses, disappear in a blink of an eye, vanishing into the air outside.
The people outside who had used hypnotic smoke thought there was no movement inside because they had inhaled the smoke and were waiting.
Those preparing to set the grain on fire, stealing horses, and ready for a big killing spree were astonished to find the horses and people gone.
There were only their assorted teams, all thinking the other was there to protect the housekeeper's team.
The sudden change brought stillness, those ready to assault the housekeeper's team, those setting fires and robbing, froze. They rubbed their eyes, not believing that the goods, animals, and people they'd just seen could suddenly disappear.
The assassins reacted fastest, for assassins believe anyone they encounter must be eliminated.
Though the horses, convoy, and some people disappeared, it did not hinder the assassins from killing.
With the General Team missing, and neither the grain nor the horses and convoy to be seen, the inn still echoed with the sounds of sword and gunfights in the night.
Outside, amidst the sounds of fighting, thieves who had used hypnotic smoke could no longer wait and began to force the doors and windows, entering to abduct their targets.
In the dark room, where they couldn't tell if anyone was present, they held onto their feelings and searched the bed, prepared in case someone inside attacked them.
Under the dim light from the open door, those who entered saw the bed empty, with no one in the room.
Those who entered the room froze, then immediately checked the ceiling, or perhaps under the bed, or inside cupboards, wondering if someone might be hiding there?