100 Crisis

◎Your elder sister will definitely come to save you! ◎

The sun was hidden behind thick clouds, no longer as bright as in the morning, and now appeared gloomy and oppressive.

The relaxed atmosphere on the carriage was gone. Suddenly, Qi Gu shouted, "Stop!"

Zhuang'er unconsciously tightened his grip on Qi Gu's hand, "Sister?"

Qi Gu gave Zhuang'er a reassuring look.

Ah Feng's rough, deep voice rang out from outside the carriage: "What is it, Princess?"

"Ah Feng, go back and help your husband now." Qi Gu's palms were sweaty, and she had a bad feeling.

Ah Feng didn't expect the eldest princess to say that. He did want to stay by his husband's side, but he dared not disobey his husband's orders. "Your Highness, my husband has ordered me to escort you back to the city."

“Ah Feng, you should know that the Yi King and the Guo family joined forces this time with the determination to kill your master. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare to take such a risk. Your master’s situation is more dangerous than mine!”

“But…” Ah Feng hesitated, but then felt that what the eldest princess said was really right.

Although the young master was well prepared, he was really worried about what would happen if something unexpected happened, given the aggressive approach of Prince Yi and the Guo family. He was concerned about how he would explain it to his mother.

"Don't hesitate any longer. Go back quickly. I will send someone to help you as soon as I get back to the city. I will also report today's events to Father and Mother truthfully. As for Sima Hong, if he wants to punish someone, just have him come to me."

After saying that, Qi Gu said to the coachman, "Let's go."

Since the princess had said all that, Ah Feng no longer hesitated. He knelt on one knee, sincerely bowed to the princess, and then rode away on his horse.

Zhuang'er asked Qi Gu with doubt, "Sister, are the Prince of Yi and the Guo family really so arrogant that they dare to carry out an assassination in broad daylight?"

"What is there to be afraid of? Not to mention that Father is still hesitant about the crown prince, even if Ayan is chosen as the crown prince, if the crown prince loses the Sima family's support, Mother will be like a person who has lost a powerful arm and will be greatly weakened. What does Prince Yi lack most right now?"

Zhuang'er shook her head. She didn't understand these things very well, only that her father was now very close to the Prince of Yi.

She had thought her mother must be heartbroken that her father had openly brought his mistress and two children home, but after the birthday banquet, her mother seemed to have calmed down and treated the four people like air.

Qi Gu said, "The Prince Yi needs time the most right now, while the Guo family is the most impatient. However, there is someone who can solve the problems of both the Prince Yi and the Guo family at the same time."

In his previous life, the reason why Prince Yi was able to launch a coup was because Sima Hong proposed the state monopoly of salt and iron three years later, and Prince Yi had obtained Chen Zhan's iron mine and iron casting method in his previous life.

He had money and weapons, and with the Great Jin Dynasty facing a famine, many people couldn't afford to eat, so many were willing to risk their lives to get food.

So the King Yi in his previous life wasn't in such a hurry. He had money, manpower, and weapons.

However, in this lifetime, Chen Zhan's iron mines and iron casting techniques fell into the hands of his mother, and Sima Hong proposed the state monopoly of salt and iron ahead of time, thus cutting off Prince Yi's source of income.

Prince Yi panicked. He knew that Sima Hong would be his biggest threat. If he could get rid of Sima Hong, the matter of the state monopoly on salt and iron would be dropped, and he would have more time to secretly accumulate strength.

As for the Guo family, the emperor is about to perform the Fengshan ceremony, and this ceremony is likely related to the Marquis of Xilin, who is skilled in physiognomy and divination.

The Guo family and the Marquis of Xilin have no personal relationship. They must be very anxious now, fearing that the Empress Dowager will use the Fengshan ceremony to do something and seize the position of Crown Prince.

If, at this moment, the person in charge of the Sima family suddenly disappears, the situation will instantly fall into chaos. The emperor is already hesitant, and it's hard to say whether he will use this as an excuse to delay the decision on the crown prince.

In short, Sima Hong is too important. Whether the assassination succeeds or not, Prince Yi and the Guo family will not suffer any losses. As long as the traces are cleared, they will at most be punished. It is a risk worth taking for them.

But that's only if Sima Hong can actually be dealt with by them.

"Speed ​​up, let's get back to the city quickly!" For some reason, Qi Gu still felt that there was something she hadn't thought of.

The carriage began to speed away, and Zhuang'er became very quiet for the rest of the journey. She knew the situation was urgent and simply leaned silently against Qi Gu's side.

She looked up at her cousin, who was frowning and deep in thought. Her cousin was easygoing and carefree, but in fact, she knew everything, yet her wisdom was hidden within. She was nothing like those who seemed hypocritical.

Zhuang'er thought that she wanted to be like her cousin, and walk side by side with her cousin when she grew up!

Outside the window, Qi Gu could see the tall and sturdy city gate in the distance. She only needed to pass through the woods ahead to reach the city gate.

Qi Gu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Those people were indeed only after Sima Hong. As long as Sima Hong dealt with them, Prince Yi and the Guo family would not be able to stir up any more trouble in the short term.

As for the Fengshan ceremony, she didn't know what arrangements her mother had made, but her mother was not someone who would flatter her father, nor was she someone who liked to do useless things.

This Fengshan ceremony will not be so simple, but the Empress Dowager should have her own arrangements for those matters, and Sima Hong will assist her from the side, so there is no need for her to worry.

"Sister, we're almost there."

Aunt Qi patted Zhuang'er's head. "Were you terrified?"

Zhuang'er obediently replied, "With my elder sister here, I'm not afraid at all."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qi Gu felt the carriage begin to sway from side to side because the horses were startled, and the sound of horses neighing came from outside!

With one hand holding Zhuang'er tightly and the other hand gripping the carriage wall, Qi Gu was violently shaken. Her head hit the carriage, but she still held onto Zhuang'er tightly.

Perhaps the horse had broken free of its reins, or perhaps it had already been killed, but the front of the carriage slammed heavily onto the ground, finally stopping the dizzying spin.

Qi Gu and Zhuang'er almost lost their balance and fell off the carriage.

Outside, Fu Lian's voice rang out: "Hongyan, take the princess away, I'll hold off these people."

Hongyan stretched out her hand from outside the carriage, "Princess, quick, there are assassins! We must leave here immediately!"

Qi Gu dared not delay. She helped Zhuang'er down from the carriage and then saw that Fu Lian was standing in front with more than a dozen guards, blocking a group of men in black.

She saw that these people carried bows and arrows on their backs. The bows and arrows were all the same style, very similar to the ones she had seen during the palace coup in her previous life.

These people are not ordinary assassins. Could they be Guo Ji and the Second Princess's men?

Qi Gu's heart sank. No matter how skilled Fu Lian was in martial arts, she couldn't withstand the countless arrows.

Hongyan looked at the dense woods on both sides of the road and said, "Let's run deeper into the woods."

Knowing that there was no point in staying, Qi Gu took Zhuang'er's hand, and the three of them went around the carriage, preparing to run behind it.

At this moment, Qi Gu saw the carriage behind her and suddenly remembered that Xu Jin was also there.

She went to Xu Jin's carriage at the back, pulled back the curtain, and called out, "Xu Jin, hurry up!"

Inside the carriage, Xu Jin had a bloody bump on his forehead. After his carriage was startled, he rolled to the ground and hit his head on a sharp piece of wood. He was now in a daze and didn't know what had happened.

Upon hearing Qi Gu's voice, he scrambled off the carriage. Qi Gu had Hong Yan help him, and the four of them used the carriage as cover as they ran towards the nearby woods.

Seeing them run away, the men in black became restless, but Fu Lian and her men blocked their way.

Qi Gu turned around and saw Fu Lian fighting with the men in black.

She quickly thought that they were not far from the capital. She realized that they were after her. She looked at Zhuang'er, whose face was pale and whose steps were heavy. The climb had taken a lot of energy, and her steps were heavy.

Xu Jin, on the other side, was injured and unable to return to the city quickly.

Hongyan's gaze fell upon the pools of blood at the woman's feet; she had just been injured.

“Hongyan, I’m giving you a task now,” said Qi Gu.

"Princess, please speak, and I will gladly die for you!"

Qi Gu led the three to a low-lying area with many dense bushes in front and half-height hills all around.

"Please protect Zhuang'er and Xu Jin for me."

Hongyan immediately understood what Qigu meant. The princess wanted to put herself in danger. No, the princess couldn't be harmed. She said, "Princess, let me change into your clothes to distract the pursuers. You, Zhuang'er, and Xu Langjun will stay here."

Qi Gu recalled that in her previous life, Hongyan was killed by the Second Prince's men on her way to fetch reinforcements. If she hadn't trusted Honghu back then, she could have stopped her, and Hongyan wouldn't have died so tragically.

“Hongyan, who said I was going to lure away the pursuers? I’m going to get reinforcements. The city gate is just ahead. As long as I get there and call the guards, we’ll be free.”

Hongyan refused, but Qigu pressed her down, saying, "Hongyan, listen to me, there's no time to waste."

“Princess, I should go instead,” Xu Jin said.

Seeing Xu Jin clutching his head, looking dizzy, Qi Gu could usually joke with him, saying that bad luck was contagious. But in this life-or-death situation, she remained calm. "Zhuang'er, Xu Langjun, and Hongyan, remember not to make a sound no matter what happens. Hide well until someone comes to rescue you."

Zhuang'er was terrified. This was her first time leaving the city and she had encountered such a thing. At this moment when she should have been most timid, she knew that she couldn't let her cousin worry. Her cousin was so capable that she would definitely bring people to rescue them.

"Sister, I'm here waiting for you to come and save me."

“Good boy, your elder sister will definitely come to save you.”

Qi Gu used grass to block the three people, and carefully cleaned up their footprints and bloodstains. Then she looked back at the three people she had hidden well, turned around, and ran wildly towards the city gate.

Countless thorns brushed against my face, as if I had returned to the day when my father threw me off the carriage and my mother let go of my hand.

Qi Gu looked at the majestic city gate, which was just ahead. All she had to do was run out of this grove and cross the moat to reach it.

"Whoosh!" It was the sound of an arrow piercing the sky, a sound that Qi Gu was all too familiar with.

When she heard the sound of arrows in the air, she turned around and saw a man in black carrying a bow and arrows, pointing them at her from a tree not far away!

She crouched down, rolled on the ground once, and dodged the arrow!

Just as they were about to leave the woods, Qi Gu lay on the ground, too afraid to move. Once they were out of the woods, there would be no cover, and anyone standing in the trees could shoot an arrow through her body.

No wonder that person wasn't in a hurry; he had been waiting here for a long time!

Qi Gu clenched her fists and lay prone without moving. As long as the archer couldn't see her, she still had a chance!

[Author's Note]

The bugs have been caught.