Chapter 312 How can you so easily believe a man's words?

Wen Quan could only suppress all his thoughts, gesturing for his men to hurry back and inform the Crown Prince, while focusing all his attention on fighting Xie Qi.

However, Xie Qi was a seasoned veteran and did not waste time with them. After repelling a wave of attacks, he climbed onto the carriage and led Jiang Zhi into the depths of the dense forest.

"Quickly, after them!" Wen Quan led everyone in hot pursuit.

If they lose track of Princess Qinghe, the Crown Prince will certainly not let them off easily.

However, although Xie Qi's carriage was ordinary, the horse was a rare and exceptional warhorse from the Northern Frontier, far superior to Wen Quan's horse.

In no time at all, they had left the others far behind.

In the end, Xie Qi found the carriage too troublesome, so he simply leaned over and scooped Jiang Zhi out of the carriage, letting her sit in front of him.

The sword flashed, the lasso shattered, and the warhorse, now freed from its restraints, darted away like lightning and disappeared without a trace.

Jiang Zhi was being jostled around on horseback and couldn't figure out what Xie Qi was trying to do.

She should be on her way back to the East Palace with Wen Quan right now.

However, knowing that Xie Qi wouldn't hurt her, she wasn't too panicked.

She tugged at his sleeve, which was holding the reins, and asked, "General Xie, what are you doing?"

Xie Qi's broad, warm chest pressed against her slender back as the horse bounced, and his voice trembled as he spoke, "Zhizhi, you've been helping the Crown Prince so wholeheartedly. What if he eventually ascends the throne and confines you to the harem?"

“So that’s what you were worried about,” Jiang Zhi smiled. “No, the Crown Prince is a man of his word. He promised me he wouldn’t force me to do anything.”

Xie Qi's voice was carried by the cold night wind, "Zhizhi, how can you easily believe a man's words?"

He has rivals now, and with the Emperor and Empress keeping him in check, he's naturally more restrained and won't act recklessly. But what will you do when he gains the greatest power in the world, and everyone grovels at his feet, daring not to rebel?

Jiang Zhi remained silent for a moment.

She had indeed thought about that.

But she has no choice in the matter now, so what can she do?

"If it really doesn't work, let's try to escape again like before," Jiang Zhi said.

"Zhizhi, how can you be so naive?" Xie Qi rested his chin on the top of her head. "All land under heaven belongs to the king. You have a husband now, and relatives far away in Xuzhou. Do you think you can take them with you?"

He sighed, looking worried. "If the Crown Prince threatens you with your most cherished family members, how will you escape?"

Jiang Zhi remained silent.

Because she knew that, given Xiao Xuanyou's past personality, he was indeed capable of doing such a thing.

Xie Qi continued, "So, Zhizhi, let's try this time and see if the Crown Prince is trustworthy."

The many marks on Zhizhi's body showed that the Crown Prince was determined to have her and would not give up easily; his usual magnanimity and indifference were all an act.

Wasn't the goal to make Xiao Yunheng see that he and the Crown Prince had become enemies?

That would just make things even bigger.

Jiang Zhi hesitated for a long time before asking, "Then what do I need to do?"

Xie Qi knew he had persuaded her, and his firm chin brushed against the top of her head. "Just come with me without worry."

“There is a villa in the suburbs of Beijing that is not under my name. The Crown Prince cannot find it for the time being. Let’s go there to rest first.”

He gripped the reins and gently squeezed the horse's belly, and the horse galloped away like lightning in the dark night.

The villa wasn't large, but it had everything you needed. However, it had been uninhabited for a long time and had a faint musty smell.

Xie Qi was unconcerned with formalities when he was on military campaigns, but he was afraid of upsetting Jiang Zhi.

So, in the middle of the night, they knocked on the doors of nearby farmers and bought new bedding, as well as clean clothes and utensils from them.

"My wife is spoiled and always wants the best of everything, so she doesn't care about money."

The farmer who answered the door was initially annoyed at being disturbed in the middle of the night, but when he saw the gold ingot Xie Qi threw over, he immediately beamed and woke up his wife. The two of them went down to prepare.

Jiang Zhi was tired after traveling all night. After returning to the villa, Xie Qi didn't let her lift a finger. He made up the bedding for her and let her lie down comfortably.

"Go to sleep, I'm here."

Fearing something might happen to Jiang Zhi, Xie Qi slept on a makeshift bed next to her bed.

When Jiang Zhi woke up early the next morning, she found that Xie Qi was no longer there.

She changed into the clothes she had exchanged with the farmer the day before, wrapped her long black hair in a cloth, and sat in front of the bronze mirror. She did indeed look somewhat like a peasant woman.

"Awake? Come and try the multigrain noodles I cooked." Xie Qi came in carrying a tray with two steaming bowls of noodles on it.

He was wearing a short jacket with a diagonal front and coarse linen trousers, but because he was so tall, the trouser legs looked a bit short, which made him look somewhat comical.

Jiang Zhi couldn't help but smile.

Xie Qi scratched his head somewhat shyly, "I don't have any more suitable clothes. Should I go out with Zhizhi later and buy a couple more outfits?"

"good."

After having breakfast, Jiang Zhi went out with Xie Qi.

It's the busy season for farming now, and busy figures can be seen everywhere in the fields.

As the weather gets warmer and the sun shines brightly, walking along the ridges of the fields brings a sense of peace and tranquility.

"The Crown Prince must be searching for you everywhere. Let's see how quickly he finds you," Xie Qi said, holding Jiang Zhi's hand.

“Don’t go too far,” Jiang Zhi said with some worry. “We can’t let this interfere with important matters. Whether or not the Crown Prince is found tomorrow, you must send me back to the East Palace.”

Xie Qi naturally wouldn't refuse, "Okay, Zhizhi, don't worry."

He led Jiang Zhi to knock on the door of a farmer's house.

"Brother Xie? Long time no see. What brings you here today?" The man who opened the door saw Xie Qi and his eyes lit up. He warmly welcomed him in.

Jiang Zhi looked at Xie Qi with a puzzled expression.

Xie Qi introduced her, "This is Brother Ning. When I came down the mountain from Puzhao Temple injured and exhausted, Brother Ning took me in."

Brother Ning chuckled, "It was just a bowl of tea and a steamed bun for you, nothing serious. This must be your wife, right? Please come in, please come in."

Xie Qi smiled and nodded, "My wife and I are passing through this area on business and would like to ask for a simple meal. I wonder if this would be too much of a bother?"

He then took out a gold ingot and placed it on the table.

Brother Ning immediately declined, saying, "It's just a meal, Brother Xie, you're being too polite. Please take it back quickly, or I'll get angry."

Seeing this, Xie Qi did not insist.

Brother Ning called to his wife, "Hurry up and stew the chicken, and also cook some braised pork with the fish I caught a couple of days ago. Go pick some vegetables from the field, because I'm going to drink with Brother Xie until we drop today."

Seeing that Brother Ning looked like he was about to go out, Xie Qi asked, "Brother Ning, are you going out?"

"Yes, these days are busy with farming, and we need to go to the fields to loosen the soil and apply fertilizer. But since Brother Xie is here, it's the same no matter how busy we are tomorrow."

"How can that be?" Xie Qi rolled up his sleeves. "I happen to have nothing to do today, so I'll go help Brother Ning. Consider it payment for my wife and me's meal today."

Meanwhile, the Northern Garrison Command.

Lu Yuan sat upright in his official chair, listening to Ye Qi's report from below. His brows furrowed, and his expression turned somewhat grim.

"You said that Princess Qinghe was taken away by General Xie? And her whereabouts are still unknown?"