"Well, every family has its own scriptures that are difficult to recite. Although my sister is not originally from the imperial capital, she has lived in the imperial capital for a long time. Several generations of our ancestors have made a living by doing business. At present, the Taiping Army controls Longdong, and the countries in the Western Regions to the west It is said that there are constant conflicts with the northwest and northern Luzon. My father feels that this trade route is no longer safe and wants to come here to see what the situation is like. If the risk is too great, my father wants to switch to the southern trade route or transport it by water. Enter the sea and transport the goods to the west by ship. This was originally the responsibility of my brother, but before setting off, my brother accidentally broke his leg while riding out, so my sister had to shoulder the burden." After living in the imperial capital for several years She has experienced many ups and downs over the years, and has trained Sophia to have a sharp tongue that can deceive people even if they don't pay for their lives, and she is even better at making up stories one after another.
Both sides tried to find some loopholes or flaws in the other's words, hoping to see where the other was coming from. After all, it was such a coincidence, the same direction of travel, the same group of three people, one master, one maid, and one servant. The most critical thing is that both owners discovered that there are many unusual sides hidden behind each other.
"Oh? It seems that the elder sister and the younger sister are both the same. They came here to replace their father and brother." The girl in snow clothes smiled faintly. Maybe she also discovered that the other party was not willing to expose her purpose just like herself, and They all made up the reasons so fully and seamlessly.
"Well, we are all downgraded people at the end of the world, don't you think so, sister?" Sophia also smiled in return.
It was obvious that nothing could be said from the other's mouth. The two women both invariably brought up the customs and customs of their respective hometowns as topics in the hope of finding something from the other's words. However, the girl in snow clothes was indeed impeccable, and Sophia was there. He has lived in the Imperial City for a long time and has always been exposed to Situ Yushuang's house. He is already familiar with the customs and customs of the Imperial City. He is also eloquent. While both parties admire each other's eloquence, they are becoming more and more curious about the other's identity. Heart.
It wasn't until the lights fell off and the night was dark that the two women had a very congenial conversation. It wasn't until their maid reminded them that it was already late that the two women reluctantly ended their first meeting, each with the intention of guessing the identity of the other. The thoughts returned to their respective rooms and fell asleep. Speaking of the itinerary, the two women both invited each other to go together. Anyway, the long journey from Partridge Pass to Qingyang is the road that the two women must pass. Fortunately, the whole route is already in the northwest jurisdiction, and the public security situation is It has always been good, so there is no need to worry about any accidents.
Leaving the west gate of Partridge Pass is the road to the northwest. After the Northwest Army captured Partridge Pass, in view of the importance of the road from Bonan Yangmakou to Partridge Pass, the Northwest quickly transferred this section of the road to Repair and widening were given top priority. It only took three months to double the width of the sixty-mile road from Yangmakou to Partridge Pass. After smoothing, the road was in very good condition and could accommodate two vehicles. Parallel traffic for large carriages is still very relaxed.
The horse-drawn carriage galloped briskly on the wide road, with gusts of wind blowing. The wind chimes hanging on the carriage head were imported from the Western Continent. They were quite elegant and beautiful in shape. They swayed in the wind and emitted a series of fine and sweet ringing tones, which sounded heart-wrenching. Shu Naoming.
"Sister, do you think the scenery in the northwest is different from that in the Central Plains of the Empire?" The girl in snow clothes sitting on the left opened the curtains of the carriage and pointed at the farmers who were already busy in the field.
"Well, the northwest is vast and sparsely populated, but it seems that this area is still very peaceful. I can't see anything different from other places." Sophia also looked at the scenery outside the window, and the earth in early spring still couldn't get rid of some of it. It's cold, but the hard-working farmers can't wait any longer, and they start working non-stop, making various preparations for the next season's harvest.
"Well, it is said that this area has been taken over by Mr. Li Wufeng, the military and political envoy to the northwest of the empire and the governor of Northern Luzon. It now stretches from Partridge Pass in the east to Zijin Pass at the western end of Northern Luzon, stretching for more than two thousand miles. , are all the territory of our imperial hero." The tone of the girl in snow clothes was very calm, and no tendency could be heard.
"Hey, sister is very familiar with the situation in Luzon. She even knows the Bauhinia Pass in Northern Luzon?" Sophia asked pretending to be confused.
"Uh, um," the girl in snow clothes was shocked. She didn't expect that the other party's sense of touch was so keen. If she didn't pay attention, she would be noticed by the other party if she showed a slight flaw in her mouth. "Oh, my little sister doesn't go out much at home, but There are many relatives in the family who make a living by doing business, and they often travel to Northern Luzon and even India further west, so my little sister also knows about the customs and customs there."
"Oh, it seems that the girl is also thoughtful and knows the geographical situation thousands of miles away." Sophia didn't say anything more and just led him casually, but it already made the girl in snow clothes secretly wary.
"Sister is laughing, but she seems to be very familiar with the situation in the west of the empire." The girl in snow clothes took advantage of the grooming show to cover herself up, while counterattacking calmly.
"That's true. My sister has been fond of traveling since she was a child. When she was young, she spent two years traveling to the Nanyang Union, Milan, Mahad, and the southern countries of Andako, as well as the empire's Jiangnan, East China Sea, Five Lakes, and Heshuo... Sister Jun has also traveled to many places. Although she has not visited the west yet, she is very interested in this area, so she always likes to collect information in this area, so she can be considered familiar with it." Sophia answered quite proudly.
What she said was not a lie. She had been fond of traveling since she was a child. She had already visited most of the scenic spots in the Eastern Continent, and what she owed was a trip to the west. But before she could fulfill her wish, the disaster of national subjugation had come. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, it brought back memories of her past travel life, and also reminded her of her homeland that had become part of the Macchi Khanate, and a gloomy mood slowly emerged in her heart. .
The girl in snow clothes was also keenly aware of the changes in the other party's mood, first proud, then depressed, but of course she could not understand why the other party's mood changed so much.
"Oh, it seems that my sister has really traveled thousands of miles and read thousands of books." The girl in snow clothes agreed with a smile, "It's just that the situation in the west of the empire is not very stable now. If my sister wants to take this opportunity to travel, she really has to Just plan your trip carefully to avoid any surprises."
"Well, I didn't plan to travel at first, but I think even Longdong occupied by Taiping County doesn't seem to be in any chaos. It seems to be well managed. The girl came from Jiangchuan and should have passed it. Hanzhong and Xikang, these two places are also controlled by the Taiping Army. Are the situations the same?" Sophia's eyes were flowing, but she remained calm on the surface. She could already feel that the companion opposite was definitely not an ordinary person. She was definitely not the lady from a famous family as the other party said. Although she could not confirm her identity yet, after this conversation and observation, one thing she was sure of was that her identity was definitely not that of an ordinary wealthy lady. , this is an intuition. Although there is no exact basis yet, Sophia has always believed in her intuition.
"Well, it should be said that it's pretty good. At least I haven't encountered many troubles. Everything seems to be almost the same as under the original empire. Before setting off, my sister had heard comments from relatives who had visited these two places. Very good, that's why I dare to go together, and the situation is indeed what they said." The girl in snow clothes also quietly observed the other party's expression, and until now, she still couldn't hear what the other party's purpose was in asking these words. Although she rarely interacts with outsiders, she has delicate and rich emotions and can feel the unusual demeanor of the other person behind the veil. That kind of innate noble temperament is definitely not something that ordinary businessmen can cultivate. The smell of an emperor's family suddenly filled the girl in snow's heart with such a feeling that even she felt a little ridiculous.
"Well, this is true even for the territories managed by the Taiping Religion, which are feared by the dignitaries in the capital. Presumably, the territories under the jurisdiction of Li Wufeng, known as the King of the Northwest, should be better. It can be seen from Partridge Pass. This Mr. Li seems to be very unusual." The topic slowly turned to this veritable local emperor in the northwest, and the look of expectation in Sophia's eyes flashed away.
"Well, maybe, but I heard that Mr. Li seems to be in trouble with several countries in the Western Region. I heard that they were at war some time ago. I don't know if this is true?" Until the words came out, Only then did the girl in snow clothes realize that she had unknowingly revealed her intelligence. This seemed to be somewhat contradictory to her status as a lady who stayed at home. She quickly covered it up with a question, and secretly glanced at the other party for inspection. the other party's reaction.
Glancing at the other party lightly, Sophia smiled secretly in her heart, but pretended not to notice at all, "Well, it seems that there is a war going on, but it doesn't seem to be in the northwest, but in Northern Luzon, right? Mr. Li seems to He also serves as the governor of Northern Luzon. Naturally, the relationship between the Western Region countries and the northwest has become tense. I don’t know what the situation is now? But looking at the situation in front of me, it seems that there is nothing too tense. The atmosphere.”
"Well, maybe this place is far away from the western border, and it's in a deserted village, so the common people can't feel it yet. Maybe they can know a thing or two when they get to Bonan." The girl in snow clothes was also a little surprised at the other party's information, even though They are from a business family, and it may not be clear where the war broke out, but the other party can accurately say that it happened in Northern Luzon and not in the northwest. This cannot help but make people suspicious, but the girl in snow clothes did not Say anything more.
In fact, the two women were not spies to spy on intelligence. They had never experienced professional training in this area, and they just dealt with it based on their feelings. Not only are they unable to justify their respective identities, but the things they reveal in their gestures and words are full of loopholes. It’s just a novice versus a novice, both women thought their performances were perfect, and they were still noticing the other’s omissions. And proudly, if there were professional intelligence personnel sitting aside and watching, they might laugh their big teeth off at the two women's poor performance.