Chapter 343: Caused a Flood Disaster

Raindrops wove diagonally between heaven and earth like silver lines, as the swift horse stepped through puddles on the bluestone road, splashing a string of crystal-clear water droplets.

The chestnut steed deftly circled around Tao Qing and his group, who were struggling to move forward, and the sound of hooves was especially crisp in the humid air.

The swift horse arrived at the door of the Drunken Immortal Brew and tightened its reins, raising its forehoof in front of Han Lei, splashing rainwater that wetted the hem of her skirt.

“Miss Han.” The rider nimbly dismounted, and beads of water slid down from his raincoat.

He removed his bamboo hat; it turned out to be a guard from Jingzhou Royal Mansion. He nodded briefly to Han Lei before striding swiftly into the hall.

The shop was filled with the aroma of five-spice beef.

Prince Jingzhou was bent over behind the counter, recording goods, leaving neat and powerful marks on the ledger with his ink-dipped brush.

Upon hearing hurried footsteps, he raised his head, his brows slightly furrowed.

“Report! Prince. It’s extremely urgent.”

The guard immediately knelt down on one knee upon seeing Prince Jingzhou and took out a delicate bamboo tube from his chest.

A strip of black feather glued to the outside of the bamboo tube had been soaked by rain, glistening eerily under the candlelight in the shop: “It’s a secret message sent by carrier pigeon from the Imperial Palace.”

Prince Jingzhou’s face turned solemn as he swiftly circled from behind the counter and took the bamboo tube. Han Lei noticed his fingers were trembling slightly.

Despite it being called a secret message, it was nothing but a slip of paper.

As the paper unfolded, Han Lei saw the Prince’s pupils abruptly contract, his complexion turning from red to white — clearly something significant had occurred.

He suddenly clutched the paper tightly, his knuckles paling.

“Prince…” Han Lei instinctively stepped forward half a pace, but then stopped abruptly. She knew palace secrets were not her place to inquire.

Prince Jingzhou took a deep breath, gazing across the shelves lined with oil-paper packages of snacks to accompany liquor.

He strode to Han Lei, his voice low: “Miss Han, I…”

The raindrops pattered against the tiles, and Han Lei caught the faint scent of ambergris mixed with a hint of cold sweat on him.

“Prince, feel free to speak.” She slightly bowed.

“I have urgent business and must head to the Capital City immediately.” His eyes flickered towards the door, where guards were already standing beside Ma Cheng in the rain veil. “The matter of the snack agency…”

Han Lei understood, smiling radiantly: “Don’t worry, Prince, your sincerity is kept in mind. When you return, you will certainly get a satisfactory answer.”

“Good! Good!”

Prince Jingzhou forced a smile and then boarded the carriage. As he turned, the wind lifted the hem of his robe, the jade pendant at his waist clinking with a crisp sound.

Han Lei stood under the eaves, watching the carriage disappear into the rain mist, water dripping from the eaves to her feet.

The strip of black feather glued to the bamboo tube somehow fell to the ground, darkening more in the rainwater. Han Lei silently guessed what might have happened in the Imperial Palace.

At this time, Tao Qing’s voice pulled back her thoughts: “Miss, the wine has arrived!”

A few brothers from the Jingzhou Big Character Team finally made it to the store, dragging carts with their coarse cloth garments mostly drenched in rainwater.

Han Lei returned to her senses, rolling up her sleeves: “Come on, bring all the wine inside.”

The group quickly busied themselves. When all the wine jars were neatly arranged, the daylight outside suddenly brightened, and the rain that lasted two or three days stopped unknowingly.

Tao Qing wiped his sweat and laughed, “The rain has stopped, tomorrow ought to be a good day.”

Han Lei stood at the door and glanced at the empty street, replying softly: “Yes, let’s hope so.”

The murky water on the street took an hour before it gradually seeped into the cracks of the bluestone paving and disappeared, the last droplets from the eaves tapping a final ding-dong on the stones.

After a while, the outside gradually became lively again, injecting vitality into the city freshly bathed by the storm.

Han Lei suddenly thought, with Prince Jingzhou gone to the Capital City, it wasn’t proper to continue staying in Jingzhou Royal Mansion.

Moreover, the two days of continuous heavy rain had made the patrolling soldiers and government officials in the city vanish; perhaps it was the perfect time to leave.

After a tiring day, everyone finally sat down to rest, and Han Lei bought some meals from the system, with the newly delivered Drunken Immortal Brew, eating and drinking lively together.

Han Lei raised her wine cup, the clear and transparent liquid slightly swaying in the porcelain cup.

“Tao Qing, thanks for your hard work these past days. Is everything going smoothly at the brewery?”

Tao Qing grinned, “Miss, don’t worry, now those injured soldiers of ours are all skilled hands. Though many are missing arms or legs, they never slack off at work.” He patted his chest, “Besides, having sold Drunken Immortal Brew for several months, many have now learned some business skills.”