He started by killing his abusive father, and from then on, he embarked on the road to wealth.

Chapter 170 Entering the City to Rest

Seeing this, Yan He immediately stopped asking questions. Having been a swindler for so long, he knew that reading between the lines had become second nature to him, and he was well aware that the more you knew, the faster you would die.

Compared to what Yan He cared about, what Meng Ranran and Meng Ali cared about was very simple and unpretentious.

Meng Ali frowned and asked, "Big sister, we're staying in the city tonight, what about Little White and the others?"

“They are wild animals, born and raised in the forest; the city is not their home.”

Meng Ranran, however, was focused on her master. "Sister, Master likes sweets, and he asked me to bring him some snacks before he left."

"Buy it. Also, remind him to eat less sweets at his age, otherwise his teeth will fall out quickly."

Meng Ranran and Meng Ali believed their eldest sister's words without a doubt. Although they were conflicted, they nodded earnestly.

When the group arrived at the city gate, they found that the side gates on both sides of the city gate were open, and there were people queuing on both sides.

The queue was long, and Meng Fuqing peered out at the city gate. Suddenly, Xie Jin rode into her field of vision and said as he approached, "The left side is for refugees. Each refugee is charged one tael of silver to enter the city, and they can only enter after the doctor examines their pulse."

Before Meng Fuqing could speak, Shan Qiyu, who was driving, said gently, "Thank you for informing me, Young Master Xie."

Meng Fuqing shrank back into the carriage.

While they remained calm, the others were not so calm. "I just went to the front and saw that it only costs three coins to enter the city on the right, but it costs one or two taels of silver for us. That's too much of a difference."

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

Meng Bochang comforted him, "What can we do? We're just refugees. Alright, stop complaining. What if the officials hear us and won't let us in?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

After queuing for nearly 45 minutes, it was Meng Fuqing's family's turn.

Meng Fuqing and his three companions alighted from the carriage. Shan Qiyu handed over Yan He's household registration along with the documents. The soldiers checking their documents didn't look at the registration documents, but instead looked at the group with curiosity. "Why are you dressed like this? You look like bandits. Aren't you afraid of being arrested by the authorities?"

Upon hearing this, Shan Qiyu immediately said, "Sir, we were law-abiding citizens before, coming from Changping Prefecture. We are dressed like this only to keep warm."

She said this because she didn't want to mention the epidemic and cause panic among the officers and soldiers.

"Changping Prefecture City?" the soldier exclaimed in surprise. "You guys are lucky to have escaped all the way here."

As he spoke, he flipped through the household registration book in his hand, but did not make things too difficult. "After the doctor's examination, each person can go into the city by paying one tael of silver."

While they were taking each other's pulses, some soldiers overturned their carriages.

Those behind them were relieved to see that they hadn't brought their weapons, otherwise, given the way the carriage was being searched, they would surely have found them.

After paying the silver for the pulse diagnosis, the soldier reminded them, "Remember your status as refugees. If you dare to cause trouble in the city, you will be severely punished."

Shan Qiyu quickly replied, "Yes, yes, thank you, sir."

They, along with Yan He, entered the city smoothly, and the others also entered smoothly, but only one person from each family entered. Meng Linlang was handed over to Meng Bochang by Yuan Qianniang.

The group drove the carriage slowly into the city, with Xie Jin and his companions lagging behind.

The refugees outside the city had hopeless and numb eyes, while the people inside the city went about their business as usual, leisurely and composed. Separated by a city gate, it was as if they were from two different worlds.

As the carriages entered through the left gate, the people couldn't help but cast curious glances at them.

As they left the city gate, Meng Ranran and Meng Ali pressed their faces against the carriage window, exclaiming in amazement at the sights inside the city, perfectly embodying the image of country bumpkins entering the city.

Midway through the journey, Meng Bochang led the rest of the group to make purchases, parting ways with Meng Fuqing, Xie Jin, and others who were planning to stay at an inn.

"Please come in, sir!"

The carriage had just stopped in front of an inn called Fuyuan Inn when a quick-witted waiter came forward to greet it. Seeing that the area around the inn was quite lively, Meng Fuqing decided to stay there.

The last group of eight requested four standard rooms and one premium room.

The top-tier room naturally belonged to Xie Jin.

The waiter never expected that these few people would ask for five rooms, and some even wanted the top-class rooms. Seeing that some of them had an extraordinary air about them, he couldn't help but treat them differently. His face immediately lit up with smiles, and he served them with great attentiveness.

After opening the door to his inn room and asking for hot water to rest for a while, Meng Fuqing's door was knocked on.

Before Meng Fuqing could open the door, Yan He called out from outside, "Qingqing, hurry, hurry, the food here is pretty good, let's call your aunt and the others and go down to try it!"

When the group of five went downstairs, the dishes were already served on the table in front of Xie Jin and the other two.

As soon as they sat down, the waiter brought over a pot of tea, and after they ordered, the food was served one after another.

Having gotten used to eating dried meat cakes to keep up with the journey these past few days, the sight of a delicious and colorful meal laid out before them was enough to whet their appetites. Coupled with the fact that they hadn't eaten lunch yet, the group devoured the food with gusto.

Meng Fuqing, however, was eating absentmindedly, as she was paying attention to the conversations of the people at the table to her right.

"...No wonder the imperial court's disaster relief grain has been slow to arrive. After dealing with the barbarian refugees, they've become a force to be reckoned with again. When will this ever end?"

The person sitting opposite him sighed, "The serious thing is the epidemic. There's an epidemic in the north, and it's also broken out in the places next to us. The news that Jing'an Prefecture is taking in refugees has already spread, and the refugees who are in trouble are all running towards us. Isn't this harming people?"

"It's all because of that Lord Xu. And that guy who used to only care about eating, drinking, and having fun, I don't know what got into him, but he actually let him take in refugees..."

"Recently, it seems that Jing'an Prefecture has stopped resettling refugees. There are too many refugees, and they are a mixed bag. How can they be resettled? The imperial court has to step in."

The two exchanged a few more casual words before getting up and leaving.

Meng Fuqing pondered for a moment and realized that while they were busy traveling, the imperial court was also busy suppressing refugees.

That Lord Xu must be the good official that everyone praises in Niu Er's words. As for the vague "that person," she doesn't know if he has any power, but he must be a person in a high position.

Just as I finished eating, with the grease still on my lips, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly came from outside the inn.

Before they could go out to check, the shop assistant stepped forward with a beaming smile and said, "The patriarch of the Zheng family, a prominent family in our Qingzhou City, is celebrating his birthday. Coincidentally, the Lantern Festival is approaching, so he has invited people to perform dragon and lion dances."

Not only that, the Zheng family will also be providing relief to disaster victims in the city today, with everything from cotton-padded clothes and quilts to food and snacks. Gentlemen, if you have nothing else to do, you are welcome to join in the fun and wish for good fortune.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of gongs and drums rang out again outside the inn. Many people gathered on both sides of the street, and skilled dragon and lion dancers moved through the streets and alleys, creating a lively scene.

After Xie Jin and the other two finished their meal, they disappeared without a trace. Shan Qiyu wanted to take Meng Ranran and Meng Ali out to shop, while Yan He wanted to go with Meng Fuqing to watch the excitement.

So they parted ways.

As the two walked down the street, Meng Fuqing noticed someone following them and became wary.

As the person approached, before she could make a move, a familiar voice rang out: "Did you hear that? The conversation between those two."

Meng Fuqing lowered her guard and glanced at the elusive Xie Jin. "Did you hear that? Who is 'that person'?"

"The late emperor's sixth son, Prince Jing, was granted Jing'an Prefecture as his fief."