Mrs. Cooper and the others previously traveled through Xuzhou simply because the waterway from the capital to Xuzhou was convenient. Now, however, with the Yellow River’s water conditions unpredictable, the group changed their route to Yongcheng, passing through Suzhou, Fengyang, and Chuzhou on their way to the capital. This entire journey was overland, but fortunately, the weather had gradually cooled down. Riding in carriages, with bamboo blinds draped in gauze hanging at the front and back, Henry Clark and Emily Bolton could just about endure it. However, aside from staying at inns in the cities along the way, they could only lodge at post stations. When Mrs. Cooper and the others presented the credentials of the Marquis of Weining and the Marquis of Wuning, the postmasters and attendants all did their utmost to provide the best rooms for their hospitality.

That night, the group stayed at the Baishandao post station within Suzhou’s borders. Suzhou city was seventy li to the east, already within the jurisdiction of Zhili. However, Henry Clark learned from Mrs. Cooper that from last year to this year, some areas in Zhili had suffered floods, others droughts, and the harvests were poor. Although the authorities had provided relief by imperial order, many families still had to sell their sons and daughters to survive, and even more refugees had abandoned their fields and fled. Along the way, they had already encountered three groups of people blocking the road.

Fortunately, several household guards from the marquis’ mansions had accompanied Mrs. Cooper and the others to Guide Prefecture before, all of them highly skilled and battle-hardened. On the return journey, Charles Bolton had sent over all the guards who had previously accompanied Lady Gu as part of her dowry. With twenty or thirty people surrounding four or five carriages, the scattered refugees who had tried their luck a couple of times quickly gave up after suffering heavy losses. Now that they had arrived at the post station, everyone naturally felt much more at ease. It was well known that the current emperor had won the country on horseback, and apart from the strong armies still sweeping the Tartars in the north, many had been assigned to the hundreds of water and horse post stations. Even a post attendant might well be a battle-hardened soldier.

With the maids, all the bedding in the main room was changed. After sitting in the carriage for a whole day, Henry Clark was already aching all over, and though she hadn’t yet washed up, she couldn’t help but collapse onto the bed. As for the frail Emily Bolton, it was even worse—she was half-asleep even while being bathed by the maids, and as soon as she returned to the room, she fell into a daze and drifted off to sleep. After forcing herself to bathe and change clothes, Henry Clark loosely tied her hair into a bun. On her way back from the washroom, she suddenly heard a commotion outside.

“We’ve caught a thief!”

Hearing this, Henry Clark was startled, her drowsiness half gone. As the noise grew louder, she quickly instructed Fangcao to go find out what was happening. Before long, Fangcao returned, her face full of sympathy. “Miss, it’s a boy of about fourteen or fifteen, so thin from hunger. He was caught stealing beans meant for the horses—he must have been starving. Now he’s been tied to the hitching post on the postmaster’s orders, and several attendants are taking turns whipping him with wet whips. He looks like he’s barely hanging on.”

Fangcao herself had been sold by her parents after their family was struck by disaster and couldn’t survive. As she spoke, she shivered and her eyes reddened, clearly empathizing with the boy. Grace, though she hadn’t gone out, could imagine the scene and turned her head away. Listening to the sound of the whip striking flesh outside, and the muffled, suppressed cries, Henry Clark couldn’t help but think of the scene when Mrs. Carter was poisoned to death.

All wanderers in a strange land—if you can help, you should!

“Fangcao, go out and tell them that the young lady was already asleep but was awakened by the noise and feels uncomfortable. Tell them to show mercy if possible and stop beating him. If someone dies, it would be inauspicious for the young lady to stay here.”

Hearing this, Fangcao nodded happily, and when Grace shot her a look, she quickly curtsied and hurried out of the courtyard. Soon after, the noise outside stopped, followed by a few angry shouts. Only then did Henry Clark breathe a sigh of relief and turn back into the room. Seeing that Emily Bolton was already asleep, and Yingcao and Ningxiang were making up beds on the floor by the bed, she quietly returned to her own bed. Before she could lie down, Fangcao came back in.

“Miss, it’s a good thing you spoke up. Mrs. Cooper also went out to take a look, and the postmaster finally stopped. From what the attendants said, there have been thieves like this every few days lately, and they think it’s only right if a few die. Mrs. Cooper even questioned the boy, and the postmaster thought she wanted to take him back to the marquis’ mansion out of pity, so he tried to curry favor. But Mrs. Cooper said there are children in the family and she can’t bear to see such things, so she told them to follow the young lady’s instructions—tie him up for the night and let him go in the morning.”

Henry Clark had always liked how straightforward Fangcao was, and now, hearing her clear and organized report, she nodded in approval. However, once her head hit the pillow, though she was deeply tired, she couldn’t fall asleep. Vaguely, she heard the two maids whispering to each other.

“He’s covered in old and new wounds. If he’s tied up all night, he might not survive till morning.”

“We’ve already done what we could. It’s up to his luck now—if he makes it through the night, he’ll be free tomorrow.”