Under the blazing sun, a carriage sped along the rugged mountain road, its wheels creaking and rattling, making both Wang and Shen Jia dizzy.

Wang clutched her chest and coughed again, her face as pale as paper.

Shen Jia, who was standing nearby, was starving and grabbed Wang Shi's sleeve, shaking it.

"Mother, Jia'er is so hungry. Jia'er wants to eat roast duck. Mother, Jia'er wants to eat..."

Wang was already coughing and struggling to breathe, and Shen Jia's antics only made her angrier.

"Eat, eat, eat! All you ever think about is eating! You're about to die, and you're still thinking about food. What a tragedy!"

After being reprimanded by Madam Wang, Shen Jia withdrew her hand, looking aggrieved, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

"Waaaah, Mother is bad! Mother scolded Jia'er! Bad mother!"

"Yes, I am bad. If I die, I will make Yun'er bury you with me, so that you won't have to live a miserable life."

Wang pointed at Shen Jia's nose and scolded her. As she scolded, she also started wiping away tears. Back then, she was the high and mighty mother of a general, a first-rank noblewoman whom everyone respected.

Every official's wife in the capital used to greet them with a smile, so how come they are now wanted criminals hiding from the imperial court?

At an age when she should be enjoying her retirement, she is now forced to live a life of wandering and hunger.

That's bad enough, but now that Jia'er is in this foolish state, where will any good family want her in the future?

Thinking of this, Madam Wang sighed deeply, then looked at Shen Yun lying on the ground. She reached out and checked his breath, confirming that her son was still alive, before she felt a little relieved.

The most pitiful one is her Yun'er. He went from being a general to a wanted criminal, not only losing his reputation but also being cut off from officialdom from then on.

In her early twenties, she had no children; her life was truly miserable.

She only hoped that once they reached a safe place, she could find a husband for Shen Jia, exchange some betrothal gifts, and then find a wife for Shen Yun.

Just as she was pondering this, Wang noticed that Shen Yun's eyelids twitched on the ground, and then the man slowly opened his eyes.

Shen Yun was unconscious for a full day and night and only woke up now. Wang Shi almost thought that Shen Yun would never wake up.

Fortunately, Lan Yue told her that she would wake up this evening.

Seeing that her son had finally regained consciousness, she clasped her hands together and prayed fervently to heaven. God bless her, her Yun'er was safe and sound.

After doing all this, she hurriedly bent down to help Shen Yun up. The first thing Shen Yun did upon waking up was to look around without asking anything else.

He didn't see Ning Yin. Inside the carriage were only Wang Shi and Shen Jia, while Lan Yue was outside driving the horse.

"Mother, didn't Ayin come with us?"

Shen Yun's eyes revealed despair and melancholy. He clenched his fists, and sweat soaked through his clothes.

"Yun'er, why are you asking her? She's gone back to the palace to be a concubine. She wouldn't look at our family anymore. Just stop worrying about her. Anyway, we've got the prescription now, so we don't need to ask her for anything."

As she spoke, Wang handed Shen Yun a water bottle, saying, "Have some water, child."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yun did not respond at all, his eyes were empty and lifeless. Wang Shi's hand was suspended in mid-air, but he remained unmoved, just sitting there with a blank look in his eyes.

How could his Ah Yin be so foolish? Going back this time is like a lamb entering a tiger's den, with no chance of survival whatsoever.

Xiao Xuan had long since abandoned her for his own ambition of building his empire; if she went back now, she would surely die.

The more Shen Yun thought about it, the more suffocated he felt.

Logically speaking, since Ning Yin had been so resolute, he could indeed let go. However, the thought of the sacrificial ceremony at Huguo Temple tomorrow made Shen Yun's heart pound.

He could almost see Ning Yin being consumed by the raging flames until nothing was left, until she turned to ashes and vanished. He would never see Ning Yin again, never be able to say a word to her again, and even just hiding in a corner to steal a glance at her would become a luxury.

He couldn't bear to part with her, nor could he do it. If Ning Yin really died, he thought he probably wouldn't live much longer either.

Shen Yun's mind was filled with surging waves, one after another, making him unable to sit still any longer.

He abruptly lifted the carriage curtain and anxiously ordered Lan Yue, "Stop the carriage!"

Lan Yue was riding her horse at full speed. They had been traveling for a day and a night and were about to reach their hometown when Shen Yun suddenly woke up.

He was already worried that his general would cause trouble if he woke up, so he added a sleeping potion to the person, but he didn't expect that the general would still wake up half a day earlier.

Lan Yue listened to Shen Yun's angry shouts, but showed no intention of stopping. She cracked the whip hard, again and again, and the horse ran very fast.

Seeing that Lan Yue was not listening to him at all, Shen Yun's eyes turned icy cold.

"I told you to stop the car, Lan Yue, you're not even listening to me anymore?"

"General, stopping the car is not safe. Xiao Xuan's men are still hot on our heels. We must reach Wei as soon as possible!"

"I'll say it again, stop the car!"

Shen Yun's face was extremely dark. Wang Shi, who was standing next to him, didn't know what Shen Yun wanted to do by stopping the car. She looked at Shen Yun with concern and comforted him, "Yun'er, what are you doing? It's not safe to stop the car. Let's talk about it when we get to a safe place, okay? Or do you want to go to the restroom?"

Wang tilted her head, her words trailing off hesitantly. She wasn't sure what was wrong with her son, but it seemed to be related to Ning Yin.

Shen Yun did not respond to Wang Shi, but instead pressed the long sword at his waist against Lan Yue's neck.

In a cold voice, he commanded, "Lanyue, stop the car. Don't force me to take action!"

"General, why are you doing this? She has already returned to the palace. Whether she lives or dies is no longer your concern. If I let you go back, I'm afraid you'll be in grave danger. Besides, what about the old lady and the young lady? You should think about them, shouldn't you?"

Lan Yue's voice was choked with sobs as she pleaded with Wang Shi, who then realized that Shen Yun really wanted to go back to find Ning Yin.

Her face stiffened, her expression contorted with rage. Did she think that she and Jia'er were less important than that woman who was pregnant with a bastard's child?

“Yun’er, if you want to go back, you’ll have to step over my dead body. Don’t be foolish again. She has nothing to do with you anymore, and she’s not your wife. When you get to Wei, I’ll find you a good marriage that will be a hundred times better than Ningyin’s. Forget about her, okay? I’m begging you.”

Wang Shi, with tears welling up in her eyes, wiped them away and was about to kneel down before Shen Yun, but Shen Yun quickly stopped her.

"Mother, what are you doing? Please don't force me. I just went back to check on the situation and make sure she's safe before I came back. Who is your son? He's the Protector General, the God of War. I can come and go freely in the palace, let alone deal with a few mere soldiers."

"But, but your mother is worried about you. Last time you were almost torn apart by five horses in Chu. Have you forgotten? If you die, your mother and Jia'er will go with you!"

In fact, Wang wanted to live and even more so, to hold her grandson. She was unwilling to die. Now she had to do everything she could to keep Shen Yun from doing anything foolish.

What's so good about that woman that makes Yun'er willing to risk his life for her?