Three days passed like this, and we were about to arrive in the capital in four or five days. However, God was not kind to us, and heavy snow as heavy as goose feathers had already fallen from the sky.
Gu Chengyu sat in the room and watched the snowflakes falling into the river outside the window. His mind wandered. With such heavy snow, the ship would not be able to sail immediately and would have to stop.
"Sir! I didn't expect the snow to come so early this year. It's been snowing all day today. If it doesn't stop, we don't know if our ship will be able to reach the capital."
Ming Yan also looked out the window worriedly. If he took a carriage instead, it would be a lot of trouble. This time he came to the capital, and there were several more female relatives.
"It's going to snow. There's nothing we can do. Let's wait and see! There are still four or five days of journey. If we really can't get there, we can get there in seven or eight days by carriage."
It's useless to worry, it's better to calm down and practice calligraphy. Gu Chengyu laid out the paper and just dipped the brush into ink when someone knocked on the door.
Ming Mo, who was standing by the side, hurriedly knocked on the door, "Master! It's Mr. Ye who's here!"
"Chengyu!" Ye Zhiqiu said the wind and cold had gradually gotten better these past two days, and he could now walk out of the house.
"Brother Ye, why don't you rest in the room? It's very cold today." Gu Chengyu looked at Ye Zhiqiu's clothes and almost laughed.
I saw that he was wearing a long, azure collared coat. This coat was so thick that it turned Ye Zhiqiu's originally thin body into a round one, and he gained a lot of weight in an instant. He actually had to wear a thick coat outside the coat.
The thick sapphire blue muslin cloak wrapped the body tightly when he came in.
"There is a charcoal pot in the house. Take off your cloak quickly, lest you get cold again when you go out."
"It's really cold today." Ye Zhiqiu entered the room, the heat in the room hit his face, and he sneezed suddenly.
He rubbed his hands vigorously and took off his cloak. Ming Yan took it and hung it on the shelf.
Ye Zhiqiu looked at Gu Chengyu's thin clothes and said with envy: "You, a martial arts practitioner, have a different body. Look, you are wearing a quilted straight-front robe. I have worn so much that I can hardly move.
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Gu Chengyu smiled and shook his head, "Then I used to ask you to follow me on horseback, but you wouldn't do it! It's good to just practice hard kung fu and strengthen your body."
After hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu shook his head like a rattle, "Your horse steps are too tiring. Besides, even if I practice every day, I still can't train like you. I don't want to suffer!"
"Have you and Brother Sun decided which academy to apply for?" Gu Chengyu asked Ming Mo to wash away the pen and ink on the table. Anyway, he couldn't write at the moment.
"The first choice is of course Boshan Academy. All the teachers there have good backgrounds, and I heard there are also officials!" Ye Zhiqiu had already heard of the name of Boshan Academy when he took the last provincial examination.
"I heard that the entrance exam for Boshan Academy is very difficult, but you and Brother Sun have a solid foundation, so you shouldn't be afraid."
Gu Chengyu was not worried about whether the two of them could enter Boshan Academy. They were both talented and learned. Although Sun Xian was not as knowledgeable as Ye Zhiqiu, he was better because of his solid academic foundation.
"You'll have to take the exam to find out. Even if you can't pass, there are other good academies. Just pick one that's closer."
The family went to Beijing together, and Ye Zhiqiu let go of his worries. Although he couldn't bear to leave his eldest sister, after all, her eldest sister was married and had a husband who loved her. He went to the capital and often wrote letters back.
Then, Ye Zhiqiu explained the purpose of his visit, "It snowed so heavily today, and it is much colder than the past few days. If it continues to snow in the next two days tomorrow, the river will be covered with thick ice, and the boat will still be able to sail.
Is it done?"
"Let's see! If we can't leave, it's not far from the capital. We can find a nearby county town and hire a bodyguard to escort us."
There were so many people coming this time. Gu Chengyu planned to hire an escort, and Ming Mo and the others would definitely not be able to handle it with just a few of them.
"It gets cold early this year. In previous years, there are still a few days before it snows!"
One day later, everyone's worries came true, and the river froze.
"Mingmo, while the ice is not thick yet, the ship must dock at the dock, and we will stay here. Find a bodyguard in this county. With so many people and luggage, we must find a bodyguard to escort us."
The most troublesome thing is that there are several women in their group, which is very inconvenient.
Gu Chengyu packed his luggage. He didn't have many things. He could put valuable things in the space. He went to the capital to buy the rest. He only brought some clothes, some common toiletries and accessories, etc., two
A small box is enough. But Gu Wan has a lot of things, so he needs to rent more carriages.
"Chengyu! Our luggage is still on the boat behind us. We have to find someone to unload it." Sun Xian hurriedly came to Gu Chengyu's room. Everyone on the boat was getting ready to disembark, so there was a lot of chaos on the dock now.
"Then ask the people on the pier to carry the bags! We don't have enough manpower, so it only costs a few dollars."
The man who carried the bag just pointed out that he could make more money in such weather, otherwise the whole winter would be unbearable and he would be tired from moving. Sun Xian was used to saving, but he didn't want to tire his second sister.
Mingmo and the others worked very quickly. There were three escort agencies in the county, and they found one that had a good reputation.
The people who came to the pier to carry the baggage were called to carry all the luggage onto the carriage. Gu Chengyu and his party rented ten carriages in total, which was still crowded. The escort agency happened to have a bodyguard going to the capital, and Gu Chengyu and the others came with them. The escort money is not expensive.
It only cost more than eighty taels of silver.
"This must be Mr. Gu! We are going to set off tomorrow. Let's see if it can be done?"
The chief escort of the Wumen Escort Bureau is named Wu, and everyone in the escort agency calls him escort chief Wu. This time, he is the escort himself.
"You're welcome, Mr. Wu. We can leave at any time. We'll find an inn to stay at tonight. Please let Mr. Wu know before we leave tomorrow."
"It's natural, so I won't bother you."
Gu Chengyu looked at the head of the escort. He had a tall build, a square face, a beard, and eyes as big as copper bells. He looked like a straightforward man.
"Xiaobao! This escort agency should be reliable, right?" Gu Wan had never traveled far, so she was a little scared, but she also found it novel.
"I've asked around nearby, and the reputation is good. The name of the escort agency is very resounding. Second sister, don't worry, don't you still have me?"
Of course, Gu Chengyu would not really leave their personal safety in the hands of these people, so he still had to be vigilant.
The group of people found a clean inn to stay in the county town. The inn was not big, and all the rooms on the first floor were reserved for them. The yard behind them happened to be where their luggage could be stored.
"We still have to keep vigil tonight, so let's do what we did last time! You may have to work harder recently. Have you ever heard about the escorts from that escort agency this time?"
Ordinary escorts will only let the second-in-command of the escort agency or other escort chiefs go. If the chief escort officer is in charge of the escort agency, then this escort trip may be no small matter.
What Gu Chengyu is worried about is that the more valuable the escorts are, the more dangerous they will be. If they encounter someone who robs the escorts halfway, it will definitely be a bloody battle.