Meng Xuesheng looked at the carriages and horses not far away. The plain-colored coarse cloth curtains were very unassuming. If he hadn't glanced at them by chance, he would never have thought about them. "I heard that General Song is very strict in disciplining his troops. I didn't expect that he would actually send elite troops to escort a woman. This won't sound good if word gets out!"
As soon as Meng Xuesheng spoke, Jiang Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and her initial anticipation quickly sank.
"Madam," Zhu Chuan was the first to notice Jiang Yuan's unusual behavior, and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
What's wrong? They're probably in big trouble! Jiang Yuan frowned, tugged at Li Qingping's sleeve, and asked in a low voice, "Did they see you just now?"
"I don't know." Seeing that she was serious and not joking, Li Qingpian also became a little anxious. "I didn't pay attention to these things at the time."
“I’ve seen them before.” Bi Fan was trained by Jiang Yuan, and her keen observation of details was almost instinctive. She remembered, “The bandits only appeared after the county princess showed her face.”
"Sister Jiang."
"Change your clothes." Jiang Yuan made a quick decision, regardless of the fact that the carriage was surrounded by men.
Li Qingping was somewhat bewildered by her sudden decision. "Now?"
Jiang Yuan nodded. She was certain that Meng Xuesheng dared to intervene because he was convinced of Qingping's extraordinary identity and was determined to succeed this time. She just hadn't expected that she would be dragged into this by Qingping. She and Meng Xuesheng had met in Lin'an years ago, and seeing them again in a place like this would definitely arouse Meng Xuesheng's suspicion.
Jiang Yuan's mind was racing with thoughts, but in the end, she decisively took off her clothes and handed them to Zhu Chuan, saying, "You wear mine, and Bi Fan can wear Qing Ping's."
Jiang Yuan could be arrested, but Madam Song could not! Memories of her past life made Jiang Yuan instinctively plan her escape route; this time, she would not allow any stain to appear on her path to becoming Empress. "When the time comes, Bi Fan will follow me, and Zhu Chuan will follow the County Princess."
“Madam,” Zhu Chuan glanced at Bi Fan, and seeing that Bi Fan nodded imperceptibly, he spoke, “I’ll go with you.”
In fact, they both knew in their hearts that it wasn't that they didn't trust her, but rather that Zhu Chuan was more suitable to stay by Jiang Yuan's side than Bi Fan.
“No.” Jiang Yuan gestured for Li Qingping to change his clothes quickly before turning to Zhu Chuan and whispering, “You are steady and considerate. If something goes wrong, my reputation will depend on you.”
"Madam." Zhu Chuan was taken aback by her words, and it took him a long time to understand. His eyes reddened and he lowered his head.
Jiang Yuan's hands kept moving, and her mind was also constantly calculating. She needed Zhu Chuan's help. If something really happened to her, someone else could take her place.
Having been given a second chance at life, Jiang Yuan always likes to plan for the worst. She knows all too well how to proceed. What she needs to hide is not Song Yanji, but the whole world.
As expected, Meng Xuesheng did not give them much time. He had followed Meng Xizhi since childhood and his temperament was the same as his. Once he identified a target, he would strike hard and would never leave empty-handed.
Between her and Li Qingping, only one of them could escape.
As the battle commenced and warhorses neighed, Jiang Yuan seized the opportunity to take Bi Fan to another maroon carriage. Before Feng Xiuyuan could even react, she stretched out her hand, and the carriage turned around. The strong horse pulled the carriage swiftly toward the back mountain, with only a few cavalrymen accompanying it.
"Boss, someone's escaped!" Tang De pointed his whip at the carriage running in the opposite direction, and that familiar green color made him shout, "It's that woman!"
"Wait a minute." Meng Xuesheng was taken aback. At this moment, he didn't think that the "golden cicada shedding its shell" was a good idea. Moreover, even the opposing general was somewhat surprised, which meant that the woman must still be in the plain-colored carriage in front of them.
However, Meng Xuesheng squinted as he watched the maroon-roofed carriage recede into the distance. The carriage was steady and fast. If the woman from before was still there, then who had run away?
"A person of high status will always leave room for maneuver during a crisis."
Meng Xuesheng's pupils suddenly dilated, and he suddenly remembered the words that Meng Xizhi had once said to him.
He asked: So, are you going to stay or leave?
He said: If the opportunity is right, I will take the initiative and remain passive. Of course, I will do it.
Chapter 32 Deceiving the Heavens
“There are always people more capable than you, and there’s always something beyond your understanding.” Meng Xuesheng tightened the reins. “Ade, this is yours.”
"Where are you going?" Tang De was taken aback.
"I'll go see who got away." With that, Meng Xuesheng cracked his whip. "You guys follow me."
The clatter of iron hooves echoed, raising clouds of dust along the way.
“Young…Madam…” Bi Fan leaned against the carriage, looking at Jiang Yuan in surprise.
She had been with Jiang Yuan for over a decade, growing up together since childhood. She never knew that Jiang Yuan could ride a horse, her movements so practiced as if she had done it a thousand times before.
"Don't talk, hold on tight." Jiang Yuan gripped the reins tightly, the lush foliage around them whizzing past the carriage walls.
Bi Fan stared blankly at Jiang Yuan's back. At this moment, she was backlit, casting a long shadow in the carriage. Her back was straight, her whip was waving, and her gestures were full of freedom.
Crack—the sound of porcelain hitting the ground.
"Who told you to let them go back?" Song Yansi had just woken up when he received news of Jiang Yuan's departure, and he was almost bursting with rage. "Don't you understand the situation? She doesn't understand!"
"It was my fault, please calm down." Mu Qing felt quite calm now and didn't understand why he had lost his temper so much.
"Have Xu An go and bring them back."
"Zhong Li." Xu An led Song Yanji's private troops, a hundred soldiers who were all handpicked. If Song Yanji hadn't been injured, they would never have been transferred back from the front to guard the camp.
Song Yansi waved his hand, giving Mu Qing almost no chance to refute, "Make sure to ensure the safety of A Yuan and the county princess."
Xu An had followed Song Yanji for so long that he didn't question his actions much. After receiving the order, he led his troops toward Chaisang. Their warhorses were strong and healthy, so their journey was naturally fast. On the way, they happened to meet soldiers who were rushing to the military camp for help.
"Commander Xu!" The young soldier saw Xu An's army in the distance and shouted, "Supervisor Feng has run into trouble at the front!"
Xu An was startled. Seeing that he was covered in dirt and had bloodstains on his body, he didn't ask any questions. At this time, every second counted. "You go and report back. I'll go ahead and help them."
By the time Xu An arrived, Feng Xiuyuan and his group had already been routed. He had two knife wounds and was protecting Li Qingping with one arm. The little county princess had never experienced anything like this before. She could only grit her teeth and not cry out. Her face was covered in dust and was no longer as fair as before.
Tang De sat astride his horse, sword in his right hand, the ancient beast and cloud patterns on the blade exuding a menacing aura. Suddenly, a flash of silver light appeared before his eyes, and he quickly raised his sword to block. The sound of metal clashing rang out, and the force of the arrow pulled his body sharply downwards.
In the distance, Xu An was drawing his bow and arrow. Tang De looked in the direction the arrow was shooting and saw Xu An slightly raise his chin, as if he had said something.
Without the obstruction of the refugees, Meng Xuesheng took another group of men with him. Tang De's men had previously lost their strength, and the group led by Xu An was the elite of the elite, extremely brave, and they were really struggling to cope.
Bang—the arrow grazed Tang De's cheek, which he swiftly blocked with his knife, but he was still a little too slow, leaving a bloody mark on his face.
Seeing that he could not hold them off, Tang De had no choice but to shout, "Retreat!" But he was filled with hatred. Shen Xing had died in the Liang army's camp. This should have been the best opportunity for him to claim credit, but it had all been lost.
Bloodstains covered the land. Xu An showed them no mercy. Tang De's retreat was not easy, and in the end, he abandoned everyone and fled alone.
"Xiuyuan! Xiuyuan! How are you?" Blood stained his entire clothes, and Feng Xiuyuan's lips were horribly pale. Li Qingping supported his arm, his eyes red and tears streaming down his face. He cried out to Xu An, "Please save him!"
"Hurry back to Chaisang." Xu An could tell from his condition that they couldn't delay any longer.
"No! We can't leave!" The voice was shrill and piercing. Zhu Chuan practically scrambled over and grabbed Xu An. "There are still people! There are still people!"
Zhu Chuan swallowed the words "Madam" hard, his fingertips trembling violently. "My maid helped lure away a group of people. Please save her, please save her!"
Xu An certainly recognized Zhu Chuan and his clothes. No wonder he felt that the Wei Kingdom had sent too few men this time. If the other side had more men, Feng Xiuyuan would not have been able to hold out until he arrived. Jiang Yuan led away a group of men, which gave him enough time.
Tang De was selfish by nature, and Meng Xizhi would never let him come alone. Moreover, he had not seen the other leaders, so... A chill gradually crept up his back. Xu An looked at the large number of wounded people in front of him and estimated that Jiang Yuan's side did not have many people.
Li Qingping was also brought back to her senses by Zhu Chuan's shout. Right, there was Jiang Yuan, and the bandit leader who disappeared halfway through! She looked at Xu An in horror.
His lips trembled for a long time before he finally said, "It's too late."
These two words became the last straw that broke the camel's back. Zhu Chuan's voice stopped abruptly, his eyes rolled back, and he fell straight down.
“Madam Zhu!” Xu An, quick-witted and agile, immediately reached out to support her.
The carriage clattered loudly. Li Qingping sat inside, his eyes swollen from crying. Feng Xiuyuan was seriously injured, Jiang Yuanbifan's fate was unknown, and even Zhu Chuan lay unconscious beside him.
It's all her fault. If she hadn't been so willful, such a huge blunder wouldn't have happened. If she hadn't come to the front lines, if she hadn't insisted on following Feng Xiuyuan, if she hadn't shown up to deliver supplies, none of this would have happened.
Li Qingping covered her mouth tightly, and soft sobs kept escaping from her lips.
"Princess," Zhu Chuan's voice rang out softly.
Li Qingping was stunned for a moment, then quickly crawled over and took her hand. When he met Zhu Chuan's teary eyes, he couldn't help but redden his own eyes and said with self-reproach, "I really didn't mean to. I didn't know things would turn out like this."
She cried so hard that Zhu Chuan also wanted to shed tears, but she still had things to do. She sniffed, bit her lip, and sat up.
As soon as Li Qingping helped her to her feet, she saw her turn around and kneel down in front of her with a flick of her wide sleeves.
“Zhu Chuan.” Li Qingping was somewhat flustered.
"Princess, please help her for the sake of Madam drawing away the thieves for you." Zhu Chuan kowtowed several times, grabbed her sleeve, and then burst into tears.
“I want to help her too, but I really don’t know how.” Li Qingping finally couldn’t hold back anymore and hugged Zhu Chuan, bursting into tears. No one wanted things to develop to this point. “It’s all my fault.”
"Princess, please don't cry. Listen to what I have to say first." Zhu Chuan knew that Qingping was not faking it, so he quickly helped her up. He didn't bother to comfort her and just said to her, word by word, "Now, apart from you, Commander Xu, Lord Feng and I, no one knows that it is the Madam who is missing."
Li Qingping's hand, which was wiping away tears, froze in mid-air as he stared blankly at Zhu Chuan, somewhat bewildered.
"If Madam is fortunate enough to return alive, whether she continues as Madam Song or proves her innocence with her death depends entirely on you." Zhu Chuan tugged at her sleeve, his face full of sorrow, and his words were half true and half false. "That's why Madam made me wear this outfit and left me with the county princess. Even if she dies, she doesn't want to tarnish General Song's reputation. She is determined to save you even at the cost of her life."
Li Qingping was so shocked by Zhu Chuan's words that she couldn't speak. She remembered what Jiang Yuan had told her before changing carriages: "You are safest with Supervisor Feng. I will also try my best to live."
Sister Jiang… Li Qingping’s tears kept falling onto the floor, splashing up water droplets. She sniffed, then grabbed Zhu Chuan’s hand in return, her palm burning hot. “Don’t worry, I will definitely not let your reputation be tarnished.”
"Where we adults are..."
"Leave it to me." Li Qingping patted the back of her hand and firmly assured her, "I want to see her alive or dead. Sister Jiang suffered this ordeal because of me, and I will never let her suffer any more injustice in this matter!"
Zhu Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and gratefully kowtowed, "This servant thanks the county princess on behalf of the madam."
"There's nothing to thank me for," Li Qingping said, biting her lip and wiping away her tears. Jiang Yuan had risked his life to save her; she had no way to repay this kindness.
It hurt… Jiang Yuan moved her neck, the pain still lingering in her shoulder and neck. Outside, it was already getting dark, and inside, a faint scent of spring incense wafted. She had changed into new clothes, a long, wide-sleeved emerald robe embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns, and a smoky-colored ribbon hanging from her chest—a style unique to the State of Wei.
She propped herself up, pressing her forehead with one hand. She had met Meng Xuesheng at the edge of a cliff; she had brought very few men, and the battle was over almost instantly. Her appearance with Bi Fan afterwards clearly surprised Meng Xuesheng. Then she was knocked unconscious, and when she woke up, she was here.
"Awake?" A pleasant male voice sounded, both familiar and unfamiliar.
Jiang Yuan paused, looking warily toward the corner from which the sound came.
Long, slender fingers lifted the gauze curtain, and a familiar figure gradually appeared, handsome with slightly upturned eyes and a hint of a smile.
This face is as beautiful as a painting, but beneath that skin lies the cruelest heart.
"Is this how Wei treats its guests?" Jiang Yuan got up from the bed, still feeling a little dizzy. She quickly grabbed the bedpost beside her. Even though she was feeling unwell, she couldn't lie on the bed and talk to him.
"Guests?" Meng Xizhi was puzzled and looked around. "Where are the guests?"
Seeing Jiang Yuan staring at him warily without saying a word, he deliberately took a few steps closer to her, forcing her to retreat repeatedly. "Don't tell me you consider yourself a guest? Heh, you're nothing but a prisoner. You're the fish on the chopping block, and I'm the butcher."
Jiang Yuan's eyes flickered slightly as memories of her past life resurfaced. She tried her best to suppress the fear in her heart and looked up at him directly. "Mr. Meng once promised that he would not kill me or hurt me."
She only wanted to leave herself a way out, but she never expected to actually use it in her lifetime.
As soon as Jiang Yuan finished speaking, Meng Xizhi's expression changed. His gentle demeanor was instantly replaced by coldness. His fingers quickly gripped her neck, and he forcefully pressed her onto the bed. The blood on his thumb ring was glaringly red. "You knew my identity all along?"
The same person, the same actions—Jiang Yuan felt a chill run down her spine, staring intently at him with wide eyes.
Chapter 33 Clear Moon and Gentle Breeze