Jiang Rao's body was jolted forward as the carriage suddenly stopped. She held onto the wall of the carriage, steadied herself, and immediately lifted the curtain. Ming Shao rushed in from outside and threw herself on Jiang Rao, protecting her and saying, "Girl, you've encountered bandits."

Jiang Rao pinched her palm and said coldly: "Don't panic."

"The bandits are robbing us. Tell them we are willing to give them everything of value."

After listening to Jiang Rao's instructions, Ming Shao nodded, rushed out of the carriage and shouted, "Madam said that she is willing to give you all the valuables! We will not report to the police, you can take the valuables and leave."

Inside the carriage, Jiang Rao raised her hand and grasped the hairpin on her head. She hardened her heart and took it off, but finally hid it in her sleeve instead of throwing it out.

The pendant she was wearing was also hidden in her sleeve.

She couldn't bear to do that.

These things may not be valuable in the eyes of outsiders, but it is different for her.

Outside the carriage, several tall and strong men with black scarves covering their faces were holding long swords and blocking the middle of the road.

Black turbans covered half of their faces, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed. Their looks were extremely fierce, and they were dressed like the bandits in the rumors.

But they did not stop because of Ming Shao's shouting. Instead, they raised their long swords and pressed forward towards the carriage.

Ming Shao panicked for a moment. When she turned back to look at Jiang Rao, tears came out of her eyes. "It's no use."

Jiang Rao's heart sank and her palms felt cold.

These people are not here for money, even if they are dressed like bandits, I'm afraid they are not here.

They were just using the name of bandits to commit crimes. She had seen this method when she was traveling with her parents. These people wanted something else.

She stuck her head out and counted nearly ten people on the opposite side. These were only the ones who showed up. There might be others hiding behind that she couldn't see. There were only two guards around her. Even with great martial arts skills, it was inevitable that they would be outnumbered.

The people who came had bad intentions and didn't say a word. She didn't even know what they wanted.

If there were bandits outside, she would have a way to deal with them, but she didn't know who they were or why they came, so she could only panic and worry here, unable to do anything.

Jiang Rao hated the current situation.

"They might be coming for me."

In a hurry, I dared not speak too slowly.

Her eyes were fixed on the outside, and she could hear rustling sounds in her ears.

When I turned my head, I saw Ming Shao crying with tears all over her face and her body shaking. She was obviously very scared. She was undressing herself with trembling hands.

"Since they are coming for you, please change your clothes with me and pretend to be me. Then you may be able to escape."

"You have already revealed your identity just now. If they have any brains, they will not be able to hide it!"

Jiang Rao's voice had never been as cold as it was today. It sounded like snow on a distant mountain top, sober and chilly.

She frowned, listening to the sound of the guards fighting with the people who blocked the road. She pulled Ming Shao's clothes tightly and buttoned her clothes again. She stretched out her fingers to wipe away the tears from Ming Shao's eyes. Her voice was cold but her movements were gentle. "Why are you crying?"

"If they want to take my life, or disgrace my reputation, you may not be able to escape."

"If you really want to help me, get off the carriage now and go around from behind it. Don't let anyone see you. Find a way to escape and tell someone."

She wiped away the tears from Ming Shao's eyes and softened her voice. Her cheeks still had some soft baby fat and her face looked innocent. Even though she was married, she still looked like a young girl waiting to be married. However, she used the tone of coaxing a child to coax the maid who was older than her, "Ming Shao, I'll be fine."

Ming Shao sobbed, holding her breath and not daring to make a sound. Finally, she curled up her body and tried to get out of the rear window of the carriage.

Jiang Rao watched her go out, but she didn't feel relieved at all.

She took off the purse hanging around her waist, took the dagger and the sleeping pills in her hands, not daring to breathe, and listened intently to the noise outside.

Jiang Rao clenched her fingers tightly, but her body curled up slightly, biting her lower lip tightly. She really had no other choice but to fight back.

She really regretted changing

She should have taken Rong Ting with her to show off in front of everyone.

She saved her husband with her own ability, but she didn't have the chance to show off enough. If she died today and could never show off again, she would be at a great loss.

Jiang Rao heard that the people outside were unable to approach the carriage, and could not help but lift the curtain to take a look. Seeing more than a dozen people fighting outside, her eyes lit up, but doubts inexplicably arose in her heart.

Most of the time when she went out, she was only accompanied by two guards.

But there were more than two people who stopped those ferocious-looking men wearing black scarves.

A few men in blue sneaked in.

Who are those people?

…

Outside the Golden Palace.

As soon as Rong Ting appeared, the Seventeenth Prince, who had been waiting for a long time, walked slowly towards him.

He did not hide the hatred for Rong Ting in his eyes at all, and shouted with gritted teeth, "Ninth Brother."

It was just a name, but I couldn't bear to hear him calling it out word by word.

But Rong Ting was wearing a dark official uniform with python patterns at the moment, standing with his hands behind his back, with a dull expression when he looked at him. His whole appearance and demeanor were full of nobility. It was obvious that he was born to be a superior person, so why should he bow down to the son of such a lowly person?

"How is father's health?" he asked arrogantly.

Rong Ting looked at him and said nothing.

He was only indifferent for a moment, but the Seventeenth Prince was enraged. He stepped forward and grabbed Rong Ting's collar, looking fierce, "Don't think that because Father only sees you and not me, I have no way of knowing what the Emperor's health condition is!"

There was not the slightest fluctuation in Rong Ting's eyes. He let the Seventeenth Prince grab his collar without arguing with him. When the Seventeenth Prince raised his foot to kick him, he finally tightened his grip, tightened the man's neck and pushed him to the ground.

His expression remained dull, and he clenched his knuckles, then released them.

He glanced down at the Seventeenth Prince, his narrow eyes half-narrowed, "Don't think... I don't know what you are planning."

Rong Ting let go of his hand and turned to leave.

The seventeenth prince looked at his back, with an expression of shame and anger at first, and then the corners of his lips slowly curled up in a sneer.

Although he failed to achieve his goal and anger Rong Ting, he instead asked him to stay in the palace for a while longer.

Calculating the time, the people who were waiting for Jiang Rao at the foot of Su Ming Mountain may have succeeded.

What did he say instead...did he know what he was planning? What does he know? !

He couldn't wait to see what his expression would be when he couldn't find his lady.

…

Rong Ting walked out for only twenty steps and turned the corner, his brows gradually furrowed.

He glanced at Huai Qing who was following him, and said with a hint of danger in his voice, "Rong Yuan was so out of control just now. What do you think was his reason?"

Huai Qing thought about the Seventeenth Prince's every move just now, shook his head and said: "Now the Emperor does not want to see the Seventeenth Prince, he wants to conflict with you, Your Highness, just to vent his anger, which is really reckless."

Rong Ting's face was cold, and he did not quite agree with Huai Qing's words.

Huai Qing asked tentatively, "Could it be that... His Highness the Seventeenth wants to be the first to file a complaint and cry before the Emperor that it was you, His Highness, who provoked him first?"

Rong Ting fell silent.

This method has been used by the previous queen.

At that time, he was too young and had no mother to protect him. When he was bullied, he couldn't help but switch hands to hit the person. He was dragged before Emperor Zhaowu, but he was no match for those eloquent concubines. He had no way to defend himself and was unjustly accused of being cruel and tyrannical.

Having been charged with so many crimes, he no longer cared about benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness. After all, all the sins are his, so he might as well be born a bad person.

But times have changed and the situation is different.

Now there is no one to protect him and the only one who can't defend himself is not him.

He knew this, and Rong Yuan might not be unaware of it.

Something is wrong.

He did not miss the excitement hidden in Rong Yuan's eyes. He thought he had concealed it well. He grabbed his collar angrily as if to provoke him to beat him up, but his eyes were clearly observing his expression. How could he really be so angry?

Even though the Seventeenth Prince often lived under the protection of Empress Jiahe and was a little timid and cowardly, he who underestimated the enemy would be defeated. Although Rong Ting was unwilling to look at his seventeenth brother straight in the eye, he never looked down on him and always took necessary precautions.

He had a bad premonition in his heart and quickened his pace to leave the palace. When he reached the outside of the imperial city and saw the blue-clothed secret guards waiting at the city gate, he finally realized what had happened.