The journey from the Imperial City to Baijing Village takes more than half a day.
However, this time, they were not heading to Baijing Village first, but to Xinhua Village, which was closer to the Imperial City.
About two li from the village entrance, Chu Qianli waved her hand, ordering the procession to halt.
From the Blue Sail contingent, Chu Minghao immediately rode his horse forward, his face etched with displeasure. "Miss Chu..."
"Young Master Hao, mind your tone," Chu Lingyang's expression turned stern, his voice deepening.
Chu Minghao was inwardly resentful. Chu Qianli, at one point, had been his captive.
But with the Prince of Yu present, he dared not be presumptuous for the moment.
He could only coldly address her, "Your Highness!"
"The matter is extremely urgent. Mr. Lan will perform rituals to guide the spirits tomorrow morning. The sacrificial altar must be erected tonight. There is much to be done, and not a moment can be wasted!"
So, why the halt?
"Second Imperial Uncle sent people with supplies. Please wait a moment," Chu Qianli replied.
Chu Minghao was even more displeased. "We have brought all the necessary supplies. Food and clothing will be delivered later. We can rendezvous at Xinhua Village. Why must we wait here?"
"Some supplies must be delivered before entering the village. Everyone will need them."
"What supplies are so urgent?" Chu Minghao pressed, unwilling to compromise. "Could it be that Her Highness the Princess is too delicate and needs to rest here?"
"Young Master Hao!" Chu Lingyang realized then just how overbearing the Prince of Yu and his son were!
They showed no deference to Her Highness the Princess.
Their expressions were utterly disrespectful.
He said with displeasure, "Her Highness the Princess stated that after the flood, there will inevitably be..."
"Second Imperial Uncle, this matter," Chu Qianli raised her hand, signaling him to calm down.
Chu Lingyang was good in all aspects and honest, but his thoughts were a bit too straightforward.
Chu Lingyang pondered and realized he had made a mistake.
This time, ignoring Chu Minghao, he personally rode his horse to the front of the procession and announced in a booming voice, "The procession halts here. Rest for a moment before we proceed! All team captains, report here immediately!"
The temporary captains of all the teams behind, including the captain of the scouting team, rushed over.
This mode of travel, with each team led by a temporary captain, was proposed by Chu Qianli that morning.
Because the procession was too long, they could not supervise it from end to end at all times. For any minor issues, they could only let their respective captains resolve them temporarily.
Indeed, this method was quite effective, something Chu Lingyang had never considered before!
In short, any minor problems encountered along the way were handled by their respective captains, leaving the main procession unaffected.
The captains of the small teams arrived quickly.
Despite his displeasure, Chu Minghao conferred with Lan Fan before reluctantly coming forward.
"Your Highness," Chu Minghao reiterated in front of everyone, "the situation is urgent. We can rest, but the common people cannot wait. I implore Your Highness not to act for personal gain..."
"Second Imperial Uncle, have your people arrived?" Chu Qianli suddenly asked.
Chu Minghao froze, his face instantly turning the color of a pig's liver!
This wretch!
This wretch had actually interrupted him!
And in front of so many people, showing him no respect!
"Princess..."
"They have arrived!" Chu Lingyang, inexplicably excited, waved his hand and said, "Someone, please invite Deputy General Xi here."
It felt so good to pretend not to hear certain people.
Little Li'er was indeed clever. When she didn't want to hear someone, she just acted as if they were... well, civilized!
Just pretend they didn't exist!