Chapter 72 The Great Escape

The group of people returned to the mansion in a grand procession.

Guan Yu held the reins, his back straight, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade slung over his shoulder, his face expressionless.

That evening, Cao Cao hosted a banquet in his honor.

Having failed to escape, I returned to my room dejectedly. The moonlight was bright outside the window, and I listened to the boisterous drinking in the front yard. I sat cross-legged on the bed, feeling utterly depressed.

Tomorrow we will be returning to Xuchang in triumph, making my escape plan even more arduous.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking and I was still half asleep, a maidservant began to wash and dress me. Half-asleep, I let them fuss over me for a while, still dozing off. It's strange, really. I've always been an early riser; back in the orphanage, I usually got up at four or five to clean. But lately, I've become increasingly lazy and sleepy. It seems I've developed a lazy streak, which isn't a good sign. Even a domesticated tiger can turn into a kitten. I can't let this become second nature, or I'll degenerate into one of those beauties in the Prime Minister's mansion, spouting nothing but "virtuous and gentle" nonsense.

After they finished washing and dressing me, they put on a robe, and then a white velvet cloak over it. A maidservant helped me tidy up my belongings, and then, in a daze, I was helped out of the mansion.

As soon as I stepped out of the mansion gate, a cloud of mist hit me, and I flinched, instantly sobering up.

The early autumn morning was a bit chilly, and I unconsciously tucked myself into my robe and tightened my cloak. Looking up, I saw a dark mass of troops waiting in front of the mansion. The fog was thick, and as far as the eye could see, it was a vast expanse of white that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Several lieutenants stood beside the horse nearby, including Guan Yu.

What sets it apart is that two horse-drawn carriages are parked nearby, their chestnut horses majestic and adorned with beautiful tassels and bells.

"Sister!" Gou'er ran out too.

I turned around, pulled him to my side, and held his hand in my palm.

The dog shook its head, its red nose wrinkled slightly from the cold, "I'm not cold."

I laughed and pinched his red nose, finding him even more adorable.

"Thank you," I said softly, a smile curving my lips.

"What?" The dog looked at me, its clear black and white eyes filled with confusion.

"With the dog around, my sister feels much more at ease."

The dog's eyes lit up slightly, and then it raised its rather thin arm. "I've been eating well lately, sister. Just wait a little longer, I'll grow up soon."

I stared at him for a while, then burst out laughing, and nodded seriously, "Okay, I'll wait for you, sister."

"Mmm," the dog nodded repeatedly with a happy expression, as if it had received some treasure.

As they were talking, several maids helped two beautiful women out from the front, both with cloud-like hair and flower-like faces.

As I was wondering, I saw Guan Yu come forward early to greet them and respectfully invite them onto one of the carriages.

Now I understand, these two beauties must be Liu Bei's wives, Lady Gan and Lady Mi.

"Madam, please get into the carriage," the maid who was helping me said gently.

I looked at her suspiciously until I was sure that the "madam" she was referring to was me. I was too exhausted to correct them anymore. I had tried to correct them dozens of times a day, but they remained obstinate.

I glanced at the other carriage, which must have been prepared for me.

They stepped forward, lifted the carriage curtain, and helped me into the carriage. The carriage was spacious enough to accommodate at least four or five people, and it even had soft cushions.

I waved to the dog, signaling him to get in the car too.

"Cough cough..." After a soft cough, I jumped out of the car and looked at the man in the blue robe. His figure was somewhat blurry in the mist.

"Hey! Don't you know your own body? How can you be dressed so lightly in such thick fog!"

Guo Jia was coughing while covering his mouth. Hearing my voice, he looked up at me, a hint of a smile in his clear eyes. "I'm fine."

I rolled my eyes at him, then reached out and took off my cloak, draping it over him.

Guo Jia smiled with a hint of helplessness.

Looking back, I saw the strange donkey Xiao Mao trembling and cowering beside me. I couldn't help but shake my head and sigh. Then I went up and touched its long ears. "I'm taking your master with me," I said, and dragged Guo Jia into the carriage. Only then did I calmly lower the curtain and sit down comfortably.

After waiting for an unknown amount of time, they finally heard Cao Cao's voice: "Let's set off."

The axle began to creak and groan as the wheels slowly rolled forward.

I turned my head and quietly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, grinning to myself. The march was the perfect opportunity to escape.

Turning around, I saw Guo Jia resting with his eyes closed, clearly turning a blind eye to me. If I didn't escape now, when would I?

(One of Pei Xiao's escape strategies: During a rest stop, he and Gou'er would each take a break to urinate, then meet up outside Xiapi City. As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest place.)

Taking advantage of a break, I excused myself to relieve myself and hurriedly walked into the dense forest. After a few steps, I suddenly realized that two maids were following me like shadows. I quickly walked a few steps and finally shook them off. Just as I was feeling smug, I felt a slight chill on the back of my neck. I turned around and saw Cao squinting his fox-like eyes, looking completely at ease.

Round 1, GAME OVER.

(Pei Xiao's second escape strategy: Spend the night at an inn. The inn's security was not as tight as the Prime Minister's residence. Under the cover of darkness and while Cao was fast asleep, he climbed over the wall and escaped.)

Behind me, a pair of large hands held me tightly in their arms. I moved slightly and felt the even and steady breathing behind me, as if I had already fallen asleep.

"Cao Cao? Cao Cao? Aman?..." I whispered.

No reaction, good. I held my breath and carefully moved his long arm away from me. Suddenly, he turned over, and I was so startled I almost fainted. Looking at him again, he was still fast asleep. I breathed a sigh of relief and tiptoed out of the room.

The moonlight was bright, and I spotted the wall at a glance.

I climb! I climb! I climb, climb, climb!

I used all my strength to finally climb over the wall, but when I looked down, I tumbled down. Cao was outside the wall and caught me safely.

"You've worked hard, Madam." Cao smiled and gently wiped the sweat from my forehead with his sleeve.

I was panting with my tongue sticking out.

Second round, GAME OVER.

(Pei Xiao's third escape strategy: Learn from the lessons, defeat Cao Cao, and escape is assured!)

I begged Hua Yingxiong for some sleeping potion, and while we were drinking water at the teahouse, I secretly sprinkled it into Cao Cao's cup.

“Madam.” Turning his head, Cao Cao looked at me with a smile.

"What?" I was startled and quickly looked up at him. Then I quietly hid the small packet containing the sleeping pills in my sleeve to destroy the evidence.

"It's nothing." Cao Cao shook his head and lowered his head to drink water.

To dispel his suspicions, I quickly drank the water in my glass in one gulp.

"Madam, are you feeling unwell?" Suddenly, he looked up and asked me gently.

I shook my head instinctively.

"Oh, that's good. Actually, I'm quite curious about what you put in the tea, Madam." He smiled, staring at me with a curious expression.

I froze for a moment, then felt a dizzying spin, and lost consciousness. (Young man: This is called harming yourself and others; children, please don't imitate this!)

Round 3, GAME OVER.

It's the third day! It's the third day! We're getting closer and closer to Xuchang. That wretched Cao Cao seems to have eyes all over his body. How can we escape his grasp?

I gritted my teeth, sitting perfectly still inside the carriage, viciously munching on my snacks; the atmosphere inside the carriage was extremely tense.

Suddenly the carriage jolted, and I frowned slightly. I felt nauseous and quickly lifted the curtain, jumped off the carriage, and lay down by the roadside to dry heave.

Am I prone to motion sickness?