Chapter 50 Death Escape

The weather has been sunny for several days in a row, and it's gradually getting warmer.

It wasn't even dawn yet, but the sun was already blazing, making the bluestone slabs in the courtyard scorching hot, and even the occasional breeze that passed through the courtyard carried a sticky heat.

It's making people uneasy.

Mingwu sat quietly in front of her dressing table, looking at herself in the bronze mirror.

The fingers resting on her knees curled up involuntarily.

Today is the day she has been planning her escape for a long time.

The excuse is readily available.

She went to Lingyin Temple outside the city to offer incense and pray for her husband who was going to the border town.

This is the duty of a virtuous wife.

Even someone as shrewd as Granny Qin couldn't find fault with it. After several attempts to dissuade her, which still didn't deter Mingwu from her trip, she offered to go along.

Mingwu, of course, did not refuse.

To avoid arousing her suspicion, he feigned a perfectly measured expression of satisfaction: having his nanny by his side was the best thing ever.

Mingwu knew it very well.

Granny Qin was Lu Yuanming's spy, and no move she made could escape her shrewd eyes.

As for how many other eyes are watching from the shadows, Mingwu has no idea, but there must be some.

"Madam, it's time to depart."

Chunnan came in carrying a vermilion food box, inside which were neatly arranged seasonal fruits for offering to the Bodhisattva.

Mingwu nodded slightly, straightened her skirt, and got up to walk outside.

Granny Qin immediately followed behind her, step by step, like an ever-present shadow.

Mingwu glanced at it indifferently, without saying anything more.

Time was of the essence; she had to hurry.

She and Song Yan had already made plans.

Once the carriage reaches the remote mountain road in the North Mountain, a group of "robbers" will rush out to entangle the guards that Lu Yuan has planted in the shadows.

At that time, the carriage will be "unexpectedly" startled and rush straight up the steep slope.

The rushing river below the cliff would sweep away the wreckage of the vehicle.

To ensure safety, Song Yan had already prepared a female corpse with a similar figure to hers, which he would push into the rapids the moment the carriage plunged off the cliff.

And she, someone will take advantage of the chaos to get her and Chunnan off the carriage ahead of time.

This plan naturally harbors hidden dangers.

If the person providing backup is even a step too slow, if... any link in the chain goes wrong...

Mingwu's fingertips unconsciously tightened, and the soft fabric of her clothes creased deeply in her palms.

She had no way out.

The Kite Gu must be dispelled.

She did not want to spend her whole life as a bird kept in a gilded cage, controlled by others and deprived of her freedom.

There is no perfect solution to anything in this world.

It is precisely because of the hidden dangers that this fake death plan seems so real.

Although she still doesn't understand why the Zen master repeatedly instructed her to make it realistic and to make Lu Yuan completely believe it, there must be a deeper meaning behind his words.

Perhaps this is related to unraveling the mystery of the kite-shaped poison.

The carriage slowly passed through the hanging flower gate, then through a square, and finally reached the main gate of the Prime Minister's residence.

At this moment, a carriage that had come from outside the mansion rushed in without regard to the rules, heading straight for the inner courtyard.

The coachman couldn't dodge in time, and with a loud "bang," the two carriages collided.

Mingwu was jolted forward by the impact, her forehead nearly hitting the car wall.

Chunnan barely managed to catch her. She lifted the carriage curtain, intending to scold her, but she froze when she saw the person sitting in the carriage opposite her.

She turned her head and lowered her voice, her face full of confusion.

"Madam, it's Miss Qi Lan. The Prime Minister clearly ordered her to go to the estate in the suburbs to reflect on her mistakes, how long has it been? Why is she back?"

He paused, then guessed, "Could it be that, seeing the Prime Minister wasn't here, he secretly ran back?"

These words were overheard by Qi Lan's maid, Lan Ying, who immediately raised her eyebrows in anger.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you lowly servant?"

Blue Oriole's voice grew louder and louder, as if she were using this bluster to cover up her inner unease.

"The Prime Minister was concerned about my wife's health, so he specially sent her to the estate to recuperate. Now that she is much better, it is only natural that she should return home."

"Do I really need your approval, you mere servant?"

Her voice grew increasingly shrill as she spoke, and even her neck turned bright red.

When his gaze fell upon Mingwu, who was sitting upright in the carriage, he involuntarily shrank back, but then forced himself to straighten his back.

She was not lying; the lady had indeed been personally sent by the old lady to bring her back.

Mingwu, not wanting to linger, calmly instructed, "Chunnan, have the driver clear the way."

Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed against her cuffs.

Song Yan could only hold Xu Ming back for half an hour; every moment was precious.

A hint of doubt crossed Mingwu's mind as she recalled that Xu Ming had been left in the capital.

This guard commander, who was always inseparable from Lu Yuan, made an exception and stayed behind to guard the border this time...

Could it be that he really did it to keep an eye on her?

In another carriage, Qi Lan was staring intently at Ming Wu through the gap in the half-lifted curtain.

The sunlight slanted across Mingwu's profile, casting a soft glow on her delicate features.

Even though she was only wearing simple clothes and no makeup, her face was still breathtakingly beautiful.

Her porcelain-white skin was almost transparent, her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and her eyes were clear and bright, like black jade immersed in a cold pool.

Qi Lan's fingertips tightened suddenly, and the curtain crumpled in her palm.

That's the face.

This led the Prime Minister to break his rules time and time again, even at the cost of contradicting the old lady.

She remembered that rainy day when she lay in the mud, almost fainting from the pain. He didn't even glance at her.

He had only used some minor tricks, yet he showed such ruthlessness in front of so many servants.

On what grounds?!

Qi Lancai should be his wife, and she is the daughter-in-law the old lady prefers.

This suddenly appearing Ming woman is nothing more than a shameless merchant's daughter who uses her alluring face to seduce men.

She had never taken Ming seriously before, even after he married her.

Because she knew he wouldn't like a superficial woman who only had a pretty face. Even if Ming was the legal wife, so what?

We'll have to make room for her sooner or later.

Moreover, she can portray herself as a victim of oppression.

This will make everyone despise the Ming family.

They pitied themselves, were moved by their "true love," and spread the beautiful reputation of "unwavering affection."

The thought that her "love" with him would be the envy of women all over the world made her tremble with excitement.

But all of that was ruined.

He actually fell for that woman.

He ordered that no one spread the "love story" between him and her, saying that it was all baseless fabrication.

This is the entrance to the hanging flower gate. The road is not wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side.

Mingwu's carriage was carefully moving towards the flowerbed next to it, trying to make way.

Qi Lan's eyes flickered, and she suddenly lifted the car curtain, making a gesture as if to get out of the car, and looked at Ming Wu with a smile.

"I have met my husband..."

Before she could finish speaking, her carriage suddenly lurched forward, the shafts crashing heavily into Mingwu's carriage.

"ah!"

Qi Lan cried out in surprise and fell off the carriage, landing heavily on the bluestone slab.

She had specially worn a moon-white silk dress today, but now the hem of the dress was covered in dust, and her hair was disheveled.

Blue Oriole's expression changed drastically, and she screamed as she pounced on him.

"My wife! How are you? Are you hurt?"

She looked up and glared at Mingwu in the carriage, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Why did you instruct the coachman to ram our lady's carriage? Just because our lady wanted to pay her respects to you, you can't tolerate her?"

Qi Lan lay on the ground and let out a timely cry of pain.

"It hurts...my foot..."

Mingwu sat upright in the car, coldly watching this well-worn drama unfold.

Here we go again.

She's never tired of acting, even she's tired of watching herself. I don't know if she has masochistic tendencies, she's always falling off her wheelchair or carriage.

Can't you come up with something new?

"The Ming family!"

A sharp shout suddenly rang out.

The old lady, supported by her nanny, walked briskly through the hanging flower gate, her head full of jewels gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

"How dare you commit violence in broad daylight in front of the Prime Minister's residence?"

Chunnan turned pale with fright and instinctively tried to explain, but Mingwu gently held her down.

The sun rose higher and higher, and her fingertips tightened inside her sleeve.

If we delay any longer, it will really be too late.

Mingwu pressed her lips together anxiously, a desperate glint flashing in her almond-shaped eyes.

"Charge them!"

These three words were spoken with such force that they startled the driver, making him tremble.

He subconsciously glanced at Granny Qin, who was sitting silently in the corner, his hand holding the reins trembling slightly.

Granny Qin remained oblivious, seemingly not having heard anything.

She only remembered the Prime Minister's instructions before he left: "Keep an eye on the lady and make sure nothing happens to her." As for anything else, it was none of her concern.

Qi Lan, who was sobbing on the ground, was overjoyed to see the old lady arrive and no longer took Ming Wu's fright seriously.

In her view, Mingwu, despite bearing the title of the Prime Minister's wife, was inherently a submissive and submissive person.

Mingwu's forbearance and concessions over the past few days have convinced her that the other party would never dare to actually make a move in broad daylight.

What's more, the old lady has come.

She even secretly plotted how to make the scene more realistic, planning to "weakly" faint in the old lady's arms later.

Until the carriage came charging straight at them without slowing down.

The deafening roar of the wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs blinded her with the dust they kicked up.

Qi Lan, who had been calm and composed just moments before, was now terrified out of her wits.

Her survival instinct kicked in, and she sprang to her feet, scrambling and rolling to the side to dodge.

Her carefully styled hair came undone, her hairpins fell under the wheels and were crushed to pieces, and her knees were bruised and purple from hitting the stone slabs.

"Miss Qi, your leg..." Chun Nan exclaimed.

Qi Lan froze, her face deathly pale.

It was only then that she realized that in her haste, she had completely forgotten that she was "pretending to be lame."

An eerie silence fell over the surroundings.

Mingwu slowly curled the corners of her lips: "Miss Qi's leg ailment has healed quite quickly."

The old lady stood to one side with a livid face.

She felt sorry for this daughter of an old friend and had indeed considered making her her daughter-in-law.

But all of this is based on her being well-behaved and sensible.

Looking at Qi Lan's nimble legs and recalling how pitiful she used to look in her wheelchair, the old lady felt a surge of anger rising to her head.

"I had no idea you possessed such abilities."

Qi Lan frantically tried to cover it up: "Madam, I..."

"Shut up!" the old lady snapped.

Looking at Qi Lan, who was still slumped by the flowerbed, her skirt covered in dust, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Over the years, she had always thought Qi Lan was a good person.

After her eldest son passed away, Qi Lan stayed by her side to remember him.

I remember one cold winter, Qi Lan knelt in the snow to pray for her, which made her already weak legs even worse.

I remember on the night of Yuan'er's wedding, Qi Lan, with red eyes, forced a smile and said, "As long as the Prime Minister is happy, that's all that matters."

...

It was these little things that made her feel pity for the daughter of her deceased friend, and even caused her to argue with her own son many times.

We also need to give Qi Lan a proper title to fulfill this "devotion".

But now...

The old lady stared intently at Qi Lan: "What a foolish man! I was truly blind."

She turned to look at Mingwu, taking a serious look at this daughter-in-law she had never seen before.

But Mingwu did not take the opportunity to kick someone when they were down. She just quietly looked in the direction of the gate, her profile thin but straight under the scorching sun.

The old lady suddenly spoke up: "It's not safe outside the city. Take more people with you when you go out. Go and call Xu Ming here." Her tone was unusually gentle.

Mingwu was shocked and quickly said no need.

But for some reason, the old lady insisted on it.

During the argument, Xu Ming arrived with two squads of fully armed guards.

The sunlight reflected off their black armor, creating a blinding glare that almost burned her eyes.

Before she could speak, Xu Ming stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

“Madam, the Prime Minister specifically instructed me before leaving the manor that if you travel, I must lead the Xuanjia Guards to accompany and protect you.”

With Xu Ming escorting them, the original plan was naturally not feasible, so they had to put it aside for the time being and find another way.

-

Days passed like water within the high walls of the Prime Minister's residence, and Mingwu was unable to find a good opportunity to implement her plan.

With Lu Yuan's return date fast approaching, the entire household has begun preparations to welcome him.

Mingwu was extremely anxious.

That afternoon, Song Yuxuan came under the pretext of delivering embroidery patterns and secretly slipped a confidential letter into Mingwu's hand.

The letter was written by Song Yan.

The letter stated that Qi Lan had bribed a servant in charge of menial tasks and planned to do so in three days.

On the day Lu Yuan returned, while the entire household went to the city gate to welcome him, they poured flammable oil around her bedroom to create the illusion of a fire.

They intended to burn her alive inside.

Chunnan trembled with rage: "That Qi Lan is too vicious! How dare she try to harm Madam! Madam, we must immediately tell her about her plot..."

"No."

"We'll play along."

Mingwu gently interrupted her.

My gaze fell on the rose bush that was in full bloom outside the window.

Sunlight filtered through the flower branches, casting flickering shadows in her eyes.

She slowly brought the letter closer to the candlelight.

The flames licked the edge of the paper, spreading rapidly until the words were quickly swallowed up and turned to ashes.

"Since she wants a big fire..."

Mingwu raised her eyes, a cool smile curving her lips.

"Then I'll give her a performance."

Her voice was so soft that Chunnan couldn't help but shiver.

Mingwu extinguished the last spark at her fingertips: "Go tell Song Yan that in three days, I want this fire... to burn just right."

That night, Mingwu sat alone in front of the mirror, gazing at her own cool and aloof expression in the bronze mirror.

Qi Lan wanted her dead, but little did she know that this was exactly what she wanted.

A perfectly timed fire, a charred corpse—could there be a more perfect escape than this?

She gently stroked the exquisitely crafted vanity box and placed the explicit love letters she had written inside.

Lock the box and place it in the vase next to the bed.

A genuine smile finally appeared in his eyes.

Lu Yuan, when you return...

-

Three days later, banners fluttered outside the Xihua Gate, and officials came to welcome them.

Lu Yuan sat upright on his horse, his black cloak stained with the frost and snow of the border town. His gaze swept over the kneeling crowd and landed on the direction of the Prime Minister's family.

There stood the old lady, Granny Qin, and maids and servants standing with their heads bowed.

But the one who should have been there was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Madam?"

His voice was calm, but his knuckles, gripping the riding crop tightly, had turned white from the force.

Granny Qin stepped forward and respectfully replied, "Your Excellency, the Madam is unwell this morning and is resting in the courtyard."

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this, and they exchanged a knowing glance.

Everyone says that the Prime Minister and his wife have a distant relationship, but the fact that the Prime Minister is so eager to find her as soon as he returns to the city shows that he doesn't seem to care at all.

Lu Yuan lowered his eyes, about to spur his horse forward.

Suddenly, a tearing pain shot through my chest.

Lu Yuan's face turned ashen, and he swayed, nearly falling off his horse.

"Prime Minister!"

Xu Ming hurriedly stepped forward to help him up.

Lu Yuan gripped the reins tightly, suppressing the surging blood in his throat: "It's nothing."

Before leaving Lin'an, in order to avoid affecting the offspring Gu, he specially sought out a secret medicine from the Western Regions to suppress the mother Gu.

This situation is a backlash.

Report—

A guard, his face covered in soot, stumbled and fell to his knees.

"The madam's courtyard is on fire, the fire is too big... Madam..."

Lu Yuan suddenly gripped the reins tightly, and the horse reared up in pain.

"What's wrong with Madam?!" he demanded sharply, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

The guard lowered his head even further, his voice trembling with tears, and replied, "Madam, we couldn't escape..."

boom--

A thunderbolt struck down from the sky.

"puff--"

Lu Yuan's body trembled violently, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

He swayed, the reins slipped from his hand, and he fell straight off the horse.