71 The Rain Ritual - Part 1 (2/2)

Su Li would like to tell the aforementioned person that it would be too late by then because the news of her unintentional snub would have reached far and wide by then and any actions taken later would look like a guilty conscious and a cover-up on the part of The Imperial Family.

Even if Su Li wanted to make up for it, she still had to place importance on the Imperial family's face before everything else.

Anyways, now that the people had been decided, they packed a few essentials, the shadow guards followed their leige from the shadows - pun intended and left for their today trek through the pathways.

The first day Cheng Ru tried to talk with the rest of her companions but she was simply rebuffed with one-word answers. She was sought out by many in the capital and as such had a haughty temperament.

However, with these people, she felt like a country bumpkin since not one of them even bothered to give her - a delicate, beautiful young maiden any face.

She had thought that Zhou Sheng would be easier to crack since he was quite young for his age. He was just a no-name whole the monarch seemed to have taken pity on and wasn't even from a noble lineage. Nonetheless, his tongue was as poisonous as the monarch. Recalling her attempt to break the ice with him left her feeling angry and ashamed.

”Brother Zhou, if you don't mind me asking, what are your plans after we return to the capital?” She had spoken with such dulcet tones.

Zhou She had given her a scathing look for her efforts and replied, ”Hmm...I haven't decided on much but I'll stay as far away as possible from maidens. After all, I have always believed in the saying beware the pull on your heartstrings – it's often the purse strings that are being reached for.”

It was an intentional jab at her for trying to curry favour with the monarch.

That imp was clearly saying that she was interested in the monarch because it would bring her unimaginable riches and status.

His words had blocked any further avenues of talk and she hadn't been able to give him a similar scathing reply which left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Cheng Ru could also swear that she had heard a small snort from that military commander.

Humph!

Just a coarse military man and he still had the guts to laugh at her, she'll show him his place once she captures His Majesty's heart.

However, what left her feeling even more dejected was that even though His Majesty had chosen her, he never came to her rescue when she was at a disadvantage.

She had even seen a fleeting smile at the monarch's face when Zhou Sheng had said those words.

Cheng Ru felt exhausted and maudlin, body and spirit weary, as they climbed higher and higher up The Kumbh Mountains. She spent most of her first day cursing everyone present in her heart his and felt increasingly uncomfortable ad time passed.

As night fell, they made camp in a small dip of a valley along their way.