Zuo Baixuan suddenly stood up: "Cliff?"
“Yes, at the edge of the cliff, watching the sunrise.” Luan Yennan looked at Zuo Baixuan and saw the light in her eyes, but it didn’t seem like she was looking forward to the sunrise.
Zuo Baixuan smiled, pursing her lips: "This is the first time I've ever seen a sunrise over the mountains. When I was little, I was only taken out of the palace when my mother visited her family or when we went on an autumn hunt. But my maternal grandfather's house and the suburban villa where we stayed during the autumn hunt were all surrounded by high walls, so we couldn't see anything."
Luan Yenan didn't know why Zuo Baixuan's smile was so sad at this moment.
But she hugged Zuo Baixuan and said, "It's okay, I can watch the sunrise with you often in the future."
Zuo Baixuan thought Luan Yenan was just trying to comfort her, and replied, "Okay, it would be best to live in a place where you can see the sunrise forever."
Luan Yenan looked at Zuo Baixuan, but Zuo Baixuan lowered her eyes and avoided his gaze.
A strange feeling lingered in his heart until late at night when Luan Yenan finally learned the reason.
...
The marriage procession proceeded into the mountains as planned.
The guards searched the surrounding area and, after confirming that everything was alright, set up camp.
Luan Yenan was left on the phoenix carriage by Zuo Baixuan. After eating some dry rations together, he changed from his wedding clothes into casual clothes, covered himself with a thin blanket, and went to bed early.
By midnight, the horses were fast asleep, and the gentle swaying of the imperial carriage had completely disappeared as soon as they lay down.
Zuo Baixuan slowly opened her eyes.
Although she couldn't see Luan Yenan, she could hear her gentle breathing and steady heartbeat.
Zuo Baixuan lowered her head and took another deep breath of the scent she cherished.
She even gently poked Luan Yenan's chest with her finger, treasuring the soft touch as a final farewell gift.
Zuo Baixuan muttered in a low voice, "Sister Nan."
There was no response.
Sister Nan was indeed exhausted after several busy days.
Zuo Baixuan sighed, then slowly said, "Sister Nan, do you think it's strange for women to like each other? Then I really am a strange person. When I was little, I always clung to Sister Nan. I thought it was because I was lonely without any brothers or sisters, but later I realized it was because... I liked her. But..."
Zuo Baixuan suppressed her nasal voice, not wanting to cry at this moment. She took out the paper and pen she had asked for that afternoon under the pretense of wanting to paint some landscapes, wrote a letter, and slowly stuffed it into Luan Yenan's sleeve.
This was Zuo Baixuan's decision.
She chose to run away, heading towards the sunrise, and was buried forever in the morning sun.
She hoped that Sister Nan wouldn't be sad.
The guards and princes will definitely search desperately. Sister Nan must escape immediately before anyone can react.
With Nan's skills, escaping on her own shouldn't be a problem; this is the only gift she can give Nan.
Zuo Baixuan stared at Luan Yenan for a long time in the pitch black, resisting the urge to kiss her. She rubbed her wet eyes and could only keep her love in her heart.
Silently, she bid farewell to her beloved sister Nan, who had accompanied her through childhood, through the painful years of her mother's passing, and through the blossoming of her first love. She tiptoed to her feet and escaped from the imperial carriage.
But what she didn't know was that when she lifted the curtain, the moonlight illuminated Luan Yenan's face.
A glint flashed in Luan Yenan's narrow eyes.
Clutching the paper in her hand, her suppressed possessiveness finally erupted from within her.
...
Zuo Baixuan ran as fast as she could towards the cliff that Luan Yenan had pointed out that afternoon.
The guards did not set up camp in front of this natural barrier. As she had expected, this was the perfect opportunity for her to escape.
rustling sound—
"Princess, where are you going so late?"
A mocking voice came from the bushes nearby.
Zuo Baixuan was startled and turned around to see Prince Dan slowly walking towards her.
His already pale complexion looked even more eerie in the moonlight, coupled with his frivolous smile.
This terrified Zuo Baixuan.
Did this person already know that he would escape?
No, Prince Dan had only overheard from his servants that Lady Luan and Princess Penglai would be watching the sunrise early the next morning. Wanting to catch a glimpse of them, he waited here, never expecting to actually stumble upon such good fortune.
Seeing the little princess's beautiful but flustered appearance, he felt a surge of lust and wicked thoughts. He slowly walked towards her and said, "I couldn't sleep last night, so I came out to admire the moon. I never expected to have such a connection with Princess Penglai. Why don't we, husband and wife, go to my tent to admire the moon together? It would be a wonderful night."
Prince Dan approached step by step, but Zuo Baixuan stopped him, saying, "Prince Dan, please have some self-respect. If you come any closer, I will call for help."
Prince Dan deliberately laughed even louder: "Princess, oh no, I should say my beloved concubine. Your words are hilarious. Let alone at this hour, even in broad daylight, who would dare to ruin our good time?"
As he spoke, he reached out his hand to Zuo Baixuan.
Zuo Baixuan frantically grabbed a rough vine from a nearby tree.
She had learned a few tricks from Luan Yennan, and if she caught him off guard, she might have a chance to restrain him.
Snap—
Prince Dan's hand did not reach out to Zuo Baixuan.
A crisp sound rang out.
Prince Dan felt a sharp pain in his hand and stumbled back several steps before falling to the ground.
"Hiss—! Who is it! How dare you! Do you know who I am?" Prince Dan awkwardly raised his head from the ground.
“Prince Dan.” Luan Ye Nan, holding a whip, stepped into Prince Dan’s line of sight.
When Prince Dan looked up, he was so captivated by the beauty of Luan and Zuo that he forgot to speak for a moment.
Luan Yenan flicked his whip and tied it to Zuo Baixuan's hands without even glancing at her.
Zuo Baixuan was startled, feeling as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her: "Sister Nan, are you here to arrest me?"
Prince Dan suddenly realized: "Is the princess trying to run away?"
Zuo Baixuan turned her head away; she had no intention of speaking to this person.
Luan Yenan replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, as a maid who will accompany you in your marriage, I will keep a close eye on the princess and educate her."
"Excellent!" Prince Dan stood up with satisfaction, completely forgetting that he had just been injured by the whip.
However, Luan Yenan's eyes turned cold, and he warned, "But at the same time, I also ask Prince Dan to understand that if I see you disrespecting the princess in any way, don't blame me for being impolite."
Anger flared in Prince Dan's eyes: "You servant girl, you have quite the temper! Who do you think you are? You're just a maidservant who came with the princess as part of her dowry. Sooner or later, you'll have to follow me... Ouch! You!"
Luan Yenan shot a flying stone that directly grazed Prince Dan's cheek.
"I advise Prince Dan to seriously consider my words, otherwise, this stone might hit your eyes, mouth, or head." Luan Yenan said with a smirk.
These words sounded like a warning from a ghost messenger before taking a soul.
Prince Dan felt the pain on his cheek and swallowed with difficulty, but he was not frightened and still said, "Do you really think you can leave alive after hurting me?"
"What if I'm not afraid of death?" Luan Yenan asked calmly.
Zuo Baixuan looked at Luan Yenan in surprise.
Luan Yenan also looked at her: "I think the princess isn't afraid either."
"..." Zuo Baixuan pursed her lips and remained silent.
"Then let me ask you, Prince Dan, are you afraid of the marriage alliance failing?" Luan Yennan looked at Prince Dan.
Prince Dan fell silent.
He's a good-for-nothing, and he knows that better than anyone else.
But he was good at maneuvering and enjoying life.
So of all his brothers, only he reaped the benefits of the marriage alliance. Whether the Northern Emperor simply wanted to extort money from the Li Emperor, or whether he wanted to take advantage of the situation to join forces with the Dali Kingdom to strike a blow against the Southern Gao Kingdom, he didn't know.
He knew, however, that if the marriage alliance failed, he would certainly suffer the consequences.
Prince Dan gritted his teeth as he looked at the two beauties before him.
However, I just endured it until I returned to China.
A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan.
Once we get to the Northern Kingdom, won't he be able to do whatever he wants?
Prince Dan was used to being flexible and adaptable in the Northern Gao Kingdom. He wiped the blood from his cheek and resumed his smiling demeanor: "What are you saying, Lady Luan? I was just joking with you. It's getting late and not safe. I'll take you both back to rest."
"No need. My trusted men are all around. There's no danger in just a few steps," Luan Yennan said, and indeed, rustling sounds came from the surrounding bushes.
Prince Dan swallowed hard.
He thought to himself, "As expected, Emperor Li's disregard for Princess Penglai was just an act. He actually prepared secret guards for her. It was really close."
Without thinking further, he bowed and respectfully saw the two off.
Zuo Baixuan was still somewhat angry, but Luan Yenan forcefully pulled her back onto the phoenix carriage.
Once she was in the carriage, the last trace of sorrow in her heart vanished. All she wanted was the truth from Luan Yennan: "Luan Yennan, after all these years, haven't you had enough?"
"Yes." Luan Yenan gripped the riding whip in his hand and pulled Zuo Baixuan towards him.
Zuo Baixuan's delicate skin was reddened by the whip, and her hands ached, but she remained firm and unwavering, clenching her fists to prevent Luan Yenan from pulling her over.
In the dim light of the imperial carriage, he stared intently at Luan Yenan.
Is that really the case?
He himself was the shackle that bound Luan Ye Nan, and today Luan Ye Nan was no longer prepared to tolerate his own willfulness.
The horse was startled awake, causing the carriage to shake violently. Zuo Baixuan lost her balance and ran into Luan Yenan's arms.
Luan Yenan put his arm around her waist.
Zuo Baixuan felt a tightness in her body.
Luan Yenan's movement was both familiar and unfamiliar.
It felt familiar because she had been holding me like this for the past two days, but strange because all the formalities had disappeared, replaced by something rough and uncontrollable.
Like a horsewhip in one's own hand, it pulls tightly.