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The official scolded loudly, expressing his disdain, but the remaining people laughed at what the Shen elders were saying.
Indeed, they were a group of ignorant people who could be astonished by a mere portrait.
It was said that the Crown Prince/Heir of Wuding, he was truly an extraordinarily handsome man, and the royal family members, who among them was not stronger than these mud-legs (commoners)?
The Shen elders forced an awkward smile, then quickly went inside.
They couldn’t stay here for even a second longer; their hearts were pounding as if they were about to burst out.
They walked into the city with weak legs and indeed saw another group of people sitting not far away.
There was also a long queue there, consisting of refugees who had come from outside the city, inquiring about settling down.
Grandma Shen was still supported by Fei Yanchen. Her legs were extremely weak, and if it weren’t for Fei Yanchen’s continuous support, she would have probably collapsed at the city gate long ago.
Song Shi, Zhao Shi, and the others were not in a good condition either. They supported each other and moved forward.
As they walked, they also had to pay attention to the commotion behind them, fearing that the officials holding the portraits would notice something amiss and arrest them.
Grandma Shen’s voice trembled as she said, “I can’t go on anymore. My legs are extremely weak. Ah Chen, quickly help Grandma get on the carriage.”
Fei Yanchen felt both amused and moved in his heart. He obediently helped Grandma Shen to the side of the ox cart and helped her sit down.
Once Grandma Shen settled herself, she said, “Why don’t we quickly leave through another city gate? I can’t shake off this feeling of unease.”
Everyone subconsciously glanced at Fei Yanchen.
Grandpa Shen also looked at Fei Yanchen and continued, “Let’s gather information in the city, and then we’ll leave.”
Everyone agreed in unison, but they couldn’t help but steal another glance at Fei Yanchen.
They had so many questions in their minds, but now was not the time to ask.
It was already late in the afternoon, so if they wanted to leave the city today, they had to hasten their actions.
Otherwise, once the city gates were closed, they would have to wait until tomorrow to leave.
However, after experiencing the incident at the city gate just now, they didn’t want to stay in this city any longer.
If they left the city, they might still see tomorrow’s sun, but in this city, it was uncertain whether the unexpected or tomorrow would come first.
Not far from the city gate, a row of beggars sat, and when they saw someone entering the city, they would approach and ask if they needed a guide.
Shen Yu’an and the others saw that a taller beggar pushed aside a young beggar and walked up to a person who had just entered the city, smiling and walking with that person.
The young beggar lowered his head in frustration but suddenly noticed them. He cautiously approached and asked, “Do you need a guide? I’m the most familiar with this city. Wherever you want to go, I can take you there. You just need to give me a steamed bun.”
Shen Yu’an looked at the raggedly dressed young beggar and calmly asked, “We want to gather some information. If you have any news to tell us, we will still give you a steamed bun.”
The young beggar’s eyes brightened upon hearing Shen Yu’an’s words. He spent his days guarding the city gate, so he knew the most news.
“I know. I can tell you the news.”
The young beggar eagerly shared all the information he knew, fearing that Shen Yu’an and the others would be dissatisfied.
After finishing, he anxiously looked at them. Shen Yu’an nodded in satisfaction and took out a small bunch of copper coins from his pocket, placing them in the young beggar’s hand.
The young beggar was startled by the weight in his hand. He looked down and discovered the copper coins, seemingly dozens of them.
He cautiously glanced at Shen Yu’an, and upon seeing that she hadn’t made a mistake, he quickly put the coins into his pocket and looked around.
The young beggar was surrounded by the Shen family members, so the people outside didn’t witness Shen Yu’an giving the copper coins to the young beggar.
Having obtained the informations she wanted, Shen Yu’an’s family dispersed from the vicinity of the young beggar.
The young beggar stood still, a bit dazed and unable to fully comprehend what had just happened. He had merely shared information that everyone already knew, yet he received so many rewards.
Shen Yu’an took a few steps forward and noticed that some people’s gaze was directed towards the young beggar.
Her voice was loud, intentionally sarcastic, as she said, “With the things you mentioned, you still want two steamed buns? I’m already being generous by giving you one.”
After saying that, she took a coarse grain steamed bun from the ox cart and disdainfully threw it to the young beggar.
The Shen family members didn’t understand why Shen Yu’an had just given the young beggar copper coins but was now speaking in such a manner.
However, they quickly realized as the prying gazes around them withdrew.
The young beggar glanced gratefully at Shen Yu’an, then held the steamed bun to his chest and hurriedly ran away.
Shen Yu’an withdrew her gaze and said, “Let’s go as well.”
The young beggar did not make up stories; the information he shared was enough for them to understand the situation in this area. Therefore, there was no need for them to stay in the city any longer.
The county town was only about a hundred miles away from the prefectural city, so they didn’t need to acquire any supplies.
However, it took them nearly an hour, causing the time to be close to the end of the Shen hour (7 PM), by the time they arrived at another city gate.
It was already October, and darkness was approaching. They managed to leave the city before the gates were closed.
The soldiers guarding the city gate were quite puzzled. Even if they weren’t settling here, there was no need to rush to leave right now.
However, the Shen family and their entourage were unaware of their thoughts, and once they left Huashan County, they didn’t dare to stop their footsteps.
Taking advantage of the faint light in the sky, they walked a few more miles before finding a place to stop.
Once they left the city, they didn’t come across any pedestrians. After all, the refugees who could make it here had already stopped at Huashan County.
Finding a sheltered spot, the Shen family and their entourage didn’t even have time to set up tents before they surrounded Fei Yanchen.