It's either death or loss of integrity...
He doesn't like any of them.
If we stay any longer, we'll be like meat on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.
Without a second thought, she spurred the horse's flanks and charged past Gesang like an arrow.
Gesang wasn't a prophet, so he couldn't know in advance where she would run into the woods. He couldn't wait there beforehand; he could only follow her. Therefore, the direction he came from was the direction leading out of the woods.
With this thought in mind, Wushuang spurred her horse and galloped wildly, but after running for a long time, much longer than the time it took her to enter the forest, she still couldn't see the edge of the woods.
She reined in the horse, slowing Yunmo down.
After being in the dark for a long time, my eyes gradually adjusted, but I could only vaguely distinguish the shadows of the trees.
There were no ready-made paths in the woods, so she could only feel her way around. The trees were planted unevenly, making it very easy to lose her way—she had probably gotten lost again.
Wushuang was a little scared. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to get out of the forest in the end, afraid that Gesang would catch up with her, and afraid that he would really be able to manipulate her...
Her eyes stung with tears, so she wrinkled her nose to stop them from falling.
Now is not the time to cry. Wait until she goes out, then she can cry her heart out. Then she can hug her grandmother, her father, Wanwan, Chuyao, Brother Bo, and her second aunt, and act spoiled and unreasonable to each of them, crying to each one!
Behind them came the sound of iron hooves treading on fallen leaves, neither too loud nor too soft, neither too fast nor too slow.
You can see the firelight gradually brightening without even turning around.
Light should be a symbol of hope, but at this moment it sent chills down Wushuang's spine.
Gesang has caught up. Does she still have a chance to leave safely?
“Third Miss is truly amusing,” Gesang chuckled. “You even know the customs of our grasslands. Whenever a young man wants to woo a girl, he must accept her challenge, such as shooting down the alpha wolf alone, or a horse race between two people. I was just about to ask you to list the conditions when you spurred your horse on. We truly are of one mind.”
Screw your telepathic connection!
She was clearly running for her life, not racing horses!
Wushuang thought to herself, but dared not say it aloud, for fear that showing weakness would embolden Gesang.
“You arrived here later than me, which means I’m the winner.” She quickly came up with a plan. “Whether it’s the grasslands or the Central Plains, no girl wants to marry a man who is less skilled than herself.”
“Third Sister is right.” Gesang still smiled. “But you jumped the gun just now, so this match doesn’t count. We have to play again, according to the rules of the grassland, best two out of three.”
She's from the Central Plains, why should she abide by the rules of the grasslands!
So, should we continue running?
Of course I'll run!
Wushuang was self-aware. As a young girl, she couldn't even match the strength of a dull scholar who was weak and unable to lift a chicken, let alone a grassland prince who was skilled in riding and archery.
Furthermore, Gesang came prepared, and to achieve his goal, he might have many underhanded tricks up his sleeve.
She had no choice but to run.
Having lived two lives, her experiences have taught her that it doesn't matter if you run or escape, or how disheveled or lacking in ladylike manners you are, as long as you don't give up, you can always find a glimmer of hope to survive.
"Alright, Your Highness, let's begin the competition now. I'll give the commands," Wushuang said, his voice exceptionally loud to encourage himself, like a spirited little soldier, "One...two...three, begin!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she rushed out first.
Gesang didn't chase after her, but stayed where he was, smiling as he watched Wushuang's figure gradually disappear into the distance.
To say he admired Wushuang was a lie. He prided himself on having lofty ambitions, unlike his sister Fuya who was easily swayed by romance. The only reason he was willing to follow his sister and He Yao's plan was because he valued Wushuang's elder sister, Wuxia, who was the wife of the Third Prince, Chu Ye. It was common knowledge that the Crown Prince had fallen out of favor early in life, and as Emperor Deqing grew older, he became increasingly wary of him. For example, during this northern tour, although the Crown Prince accompanied the imperial entourage, he was not allowed to leave the palace. Even when the three of them (himself, his mother, and his brother) came to pay their respects, they were unable to see him. For a crown prince, this was extremely humiliating. To the court officials, a Crown Prince treated this way had already lost all authority, and even if he ascended the throne, he would find it difficult to command respect. Gesang believed the Crown Prince was merely a figurehead, only lacking an imperial edict or a small mistake to be deposed. He was willing to take the gamble and choose the younger sister of a prince who might inherit the throne as his wife. Even if you make the wrong choice, you can choose again in the future. Anyway, the marriage customs of the grasslands and the Central Plains are different. The wives are not distinguished by rank, and they are all the principal wives. So it is not unfair to anyone.
However, seeing Wushuang's stubbornness in fighting back despite knowing she was in a hopeless situation, he was genuinely intrigued and looked forward to the days after he abducted her back to the grasslands to be her queen.
Wushuang galloped wildly, initially like she was being chased by a pack of wolves, completely disregarding her surroundings and not daring to linger for even a moment. But gradually, she realized something was amiss. Apart from Yunmo's footsteps, there was no other sound from the woods—at least, she didn't hear any other horses.
With a sense of doubt, she reined in her horse, looked around, and listened intently.
At first, there was complete silence. Just as she was about to urge Yunmo to move again, the sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, followed by that despairing and suffocating light.
“I’ve been waiting for you here for a long time,” Gesang said. “Third Miss, you’ve lost this round.”
Of course, he wouldn't say that there was something strange about this grove; the trees were planted in a way that resembled an array, and if you didn't mark the spots beforehand and wandered around aimlessly, you would always end up back in the same place. Therefore, he hardly moved an inch, simply waiting for Wushuang to return on her own.
"Aren't there still two rounds left?" Wushuang's heart pounded, not quite understanding why he had overtaken her, but she still held her chin high, refusing to show any fear. "We'll see after the competition!"
Unexpectedly, their luck ran out this time. They hadn't gone far when Yunmo stumbled and fell, and Wushuang was also thrown off her horse.
Her horsemanship was considered good among noble ladies, but noble ladies usually only rode horses occasionally for hunting or recreation, accompanied by their fathers, brothers, or servants. How to protect themselves when they fell off their horses was not a lesson for them at all.
Therefore, Wushuang's fall was particularly solid.
While she was suspended in the air, she thought she was about to die. Before the thought could even fade, she crashed heavily to the ground.
Does it hurt?
Wushuang couldn't feel anything; it was as if her whole body had fallen apart. She couldn't feel her arms in her brain, nor her legs in her chest and abdomen. She was dizzy and disoriented, and for a moment, she couldn't even remember who she was.
The sound of horses' hooves rang out again, neither too loud nor too soft, calling her soul back.
In the warm yellow light, Gesang's face appeared with a forced smile: "Third Miss, be careful, there are traps everywhere in the woods. It will break my heart if you get hurt."
As strength gradually returned to her body, Wushuang tried to stand up, but as soon as she put her right foot down, she felt a piercing pain and fell back down with a thud.
"Are you really hurt? Let me take a look at your injuries." Gesang said as he jumped off his horse and walked towards Wushuang.