The seventh Han Family way station was in Yunnan Prefecture.

The convoy still rested for one day.

At the last station, the small theater troupe of five who had traveled with the convoy bid farewell to Stronghold Master Han, inviting him to dine together that evening.

Stronghold Master Han nodded. “Xue Zhao.”

“I’m here.”

“See the Buddha to the West—you drive the cart and take them to the Muzi Inn.”

Xue Zhao looked confused.

This wasn’t part of the plan!

Where was the Muzi Inn?

“Follow this road straight ahead until it ends, turn right. Look for the building that’s tallest and most luxurious—that’s the Muzi Inn.”

Stronghold Master Han: “We’ve all been quite tired from the journey. Just eat casually at the inn, no need to trouble ourselves going to other restaurants.”

Xue Zhao scratched his head, a bit confused.

Li Buyan patted his shoulder: “It’s easy to find—that inn has the most lanterns.”

Pei Xiao was surprised: “How do you know?”

Li Buyan grinned. “I guessed.”

Even more improper.

Pei Xiao gave the troupe master-disguised Xie Zhifei an ingratiating smile: “Troupe Master, you make the decision.”

Xie Zhifei knew Han Xu was familiar with Yunnan Prefecture and made a decisive call: “Let’s go!”

—

Li Buyan had indeed guessed right.

The Muzi Inn—a three-story building, every level hung with bright red lanterns.

The wagon stopped. A thin innkeeper emerged, his gaze sweeping over the five people before accompanying them with a full smile:

“Five honored guests, please come in.”

Pei Xiao covertly nudged Xie Zhifei with his elbow: Brother, we’re dusty and dressed plainly—which eye did he use to see we’re honored guests?

Xie Zhifei: Can’t you tell it’s a polite phrase?

“Troupe Master, please go first!”

Li Buyan beckoned: “Xue Zhao, you come in too. The wagon can stay at the entrance—no one will dare steal it, right, Innkeeper?”

The innkeeper’s eyes immediately brightened, smiling until creases appeared on his face. “Yes, yes, yes, no one will dare steal it. Please, please, quickly please!”

The six entered the inn and were dumbfounded.

In the very center of the inn sat four large camphor wood chests.

“Aren’t these our chests?”

Pei Xiao walked over and touched them: “How did Han Xu send them here?”

Xie Zhifei also felt strange.

According to their prior agreement, these four large chests would be sent to the Han Family Escort Agency to attract Zhao Yishi’s attention, making him mistakenly believe they were returning to settle by the Angry River in Yunnan Prefecture.

In reality, the chests being sent to the Angry River was correct, but after they parted ways with Han Xu in Yunnan Prefecture, they would head straight to settle in Li Buyan’s hometown.

His gaze looked toward Yan Sanhe.

Yan Sanhe smiled apologetically: “Li Buyan said once we enter her hometown, even the Emperor himself couldn’t catch us, so the chests follow us.”

“That must be some incredibly deep mountain forest!”

Pei Xiao slapped his forehead and wailed: “Innkeeper, bring up everything good to eat and drink. I need to eat well before I have the courage to drill into those deep mountain forests.”

The innkeeper stared blankly at Li Buyan, seemingly not quite understanding what this person said.

Li Buyan waved her hand. “Just do as he says.”

“Yes!”

The innkeeper immediately untied six keys from his waist. “One room per person. Honored guests, first go upstairs to rest. Hot water will be sent up immediately.”

Six rooms?

Pei Xiao jumped up angrily. “Which spendthrift ordered the rooms? Return three rooms, keep three—that’s enough.”

The innkeeper again stared blankly at Li Buyan, as if not understanding what this person said.

Li Buyan coughed. “Also do as he says.”

The innkeeper turned his head toward Pei Xiao, his gaze sweeping from top to bottom, then bottom to top, back and forth several times, reluctantly taking back three keys.

Pei Xiao took one key and gave Xie Zhifei a meaningful look: Follow me, I have something to say.

Xie Zhifei glanced at Li Buyan from the corner of his eye, then lowered his gaze and asked Yan Sanhe quietly: “Are you hiding something from me?”

Yan Sanhe spread her hands: “You’ll know later!”

Always “later,” always “in the future”—there was definitely something fishy here. Xie Zhifei lost patience and was about to ask again when Pei Xiao grabbed him and pulled him away.

Pei Xiao dragged Xie Zhifei upstairs. Looking at the key in his hand for the third floor, he had no choice but to go up another level.

Take the key, open the door.

The two entered and were dumbfounded again.

Pei Xiao gasped. “Good thing we returned three rooms, otherwise, this young master would definitely have to sell himself to work at this Muzi Inn. Tell me, how much silver would such a room cost per night?”

Xie Zhifei couldn’t answer.

Over these years, he had traveled north and south with some experience, but he had never before seen a room furnished so exquisitely.

This was even three points better than the courtesan quarters at the Music Bureau.

“Xie Wushi, after we eat, we need to establish rules with Yan Sanhe and Li Buyan!”

“What rules?”

“Frugality, thrift—don’t be extravagant and wasteful all the time.”

Pei Xiao counted on his fingers: “Calculate—after Xue Zhao finishes this meal, he’ll return to Muli Mountain. We have four people plus Lu Da—five people, five mouths. Eating, drinking, relieving ourselves, sleeping—how much silver per day?

Xie Zhifei: “…”

“In half a year, Ding Yi and Huang Qi will bring Tangyuan and Lanchuan to find us—four more mouths. Our tens of thousands of taels of silver will be spent clean in just a few years.”

Pei Xiao: “Now isn’t like before. Before, I could secretly embezzle a bit, you had others give you tribute—silver came quickly. Now we have to earn it tael by tael.”

Xie Zhifei patted his shoulder: “First settle down, then think about how to earn silver.”

“Huh?”

Pei Xiao suddenly thought of something: “How is this inn so quiet? Just now, I didn’t seem to see a single guest.”

Brother, you only just noticed? I felt something was wrong the moment I entered.

Xie Zhifei said casually: “Probably all sleeping!”

Pei Xiao snorted: “The location’s remote, the people are strange—looks like we’ll be living hard days from now on!”

—

On this end, the six had just finished washing up, revealing their true faces, when Han Xu entered the inn.

The meal was set up in the main hall, at a square Eight Immortals table.

Two young servers brought up dishes. Before long, the dishes filled the entire large table.

Pei Xiao’s heart ached so much. He thought, how much silver is this one meal going to cost?

But thinking it was he who had said he wanted a big meal, he had no face to say to return the dishes. He regretted it until even his heart began to ache faintly.

At this moment, the thin innkeeper walked straight to Li Buyan’s side. “What else do you need?”

“Nothing else needed. Everyone withdraw.”

Li Buyan raised her delicate brow. “Without my orders, no one is allowed to enter.”

“Yes!”

Brother, brother.

Pei Xiao kicked Xie Zhifei.

Did you hear that just now? What does she mean “without her orders”?

Yan Sanhe hasn’t said anything, wait—this is Stronghold Master Han’s territory, and he hasn’t said anything!

No matter how slow, Xie Zhifei now understood some things. After glaring lightly at Yan Sanhe, he looked at Pei Xiao with some sympathy: Brother, stay steady.

Can’t stay steady!

Hasn’t our group always had Yan Sanhe making the decisions?

Looking at this situation, Big Hero Li is about to seize power and usurp the throne!

At this moment, Li Buyan picked up her cup, stood up, and cleared her throat.

“This first cup of wine is for Han Xu. No other words, just thanks. In the future, if there’s anywhere you can use me, Li Buyan, just say the word.”

“Remember what you said today!”

Han Xu’s eyes narrowed slightly. Tilting his head back, he drained the wine in one gulp.

Pei Xiao couldn’t bear to watch.

At least be low-key about seizing power and usurping the throne. Big Hero, being this high-profile—where does that leave Yan Sanhe’s face?

“This second cup of wine is for Xue Zhao. You’ve worked hard this journey. When you return, tell your Master Tang that one day, we’ll come to Muli Mountain to impose on him.”

Xue Zhao looked at Yan Sanhe. Seeing her eyes close slightly, he also drained his wine in one gulp.

“This third cup of wine…”

Li Buyan’s gaze turned toward Yan Sanhe and Xie Zhifei.

“Welcomes my two best friends. I won’t speak grand words, only the most practical—from now on, whatever I have, you have.”

Pei Xiao felt so embarrassed for her he wanted to crawl under the table.

Big Hero, what do you have?

You have deep mountain forests!

Xie Zhifei didn’t pick up his wine cup, looking up with a light smile.

“Li Buyan, having come this far, you should finally reveal your true identity!”