The night is thick as ink.
Yin Yao and Qing Luan walked along the official road to Xinzhou for a day. Seeing that it was getting late, they saw a dilapidated mountain temple in a sheltered valley ahead.
The two men hurriedly dismounted, hid inside, found some weeds to make a fire, drank water and ate some dry food.
After a while, the diligent Qingluan found firewood and started a bonfire.
The flames danced and crackled, reflecting Yin Yao's pale but still stubborn face.
"Princess, you've been walking all day, eat something quickly!" Qingluan handed over a piece of hard biscuit.
Yin Yao took it and ate it without any taste.
The fear of leaving home, the confusion about the future, and the resistance to her unknown husband all intertwined together, making her feel extremely confused.
Suddenly, a burst of rapid horse hoof sounds came from far away!
The sound was chaotic, there was more than one rider!
How could anyone who showed up in this desolate place at night be a decent person?
Yin Yao and Qing Luan turned pale instantly, put out the fire in panic, and hurriedly looked for a place to hide.
However, before they could put out the campfire and hide, several fast horses rushed into the valley like a whirlwind.
Six men dressed as traveling merchants tied up their horses and kicked open the door of the dilapidated temple.
Each of them has sharp eyes and a fierce air.
The leader was a burly man with a shallow scar on his face. He was obviously stunned when he saw the scattered firewood with sparks and the panicked Yin Yao and his servant.
"Are you two scholars going to Beijing to take the imperial examinations?"
A man spoke in a rough voice, his eyes sweeping across Yin Yao's pretty face.
He couldn't help but look at Yin Yao for a second longer. What a handsome young man! He looks like a woman!
Yin Yao's heart was in her throat and her body was trembling slightly.
Although she loved wielding swords and guns since she was a child, and even beat the guards of the palace to a pulp, she felt a little guilty when she met these tough men when she went out for the first time.
This kind of banditry is not possessed by the guards in the palace.
"We...we..." Yin Yao was vague.
The scarred man in the lead raised his hand to stop his companions, clasping his fists and saying, "Don't be afraid, we are merchants from Linzhou, traveling with some brothers to Jinyang to do some small business. The road is difficult at night, and seeing the fire here, we wanted to borrow a place to rest our feet. We mean no harm."
His tone was polite, but there was scrutiny in the depths of his eyes.
Yin Yao looked at him warily, not daring to relax.
Qingluan bravely said, "We arrived here first. You...you can do as you please. We will leave now."
As he said that, he was about to pull Yin Yao away.
"Alas, wait a minute, sir!"
The scarred man said hurriedly, "It's getting late. There are many wolves, insects, tigers, and leopards in the wild, as well as...unruly bandits and road thieves. It's really dangerous for the two of you to travel alone. Why don't you rest here? We brothers will build a fire on the other side. We won't disturb each other, and we can also keep an eye on each other. What do you think?"
He pointed to the open space outside the dilapidated temple.
Yin Yao hesitated.
She was indeed scared. Although these people in front of her did not look like good people, they did not seem to have any ill intentions for the time being.
If you reject them, what if you encounter someone more vicious?
"Okay!" Yin Yao nodded reluctantly, her hand still tightly gripping the dagger in her sleeve. "Thank you for your kindness. We won't bother each other."
"Don't worry, sir."
The man with the scar grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, but the scar looked even more hideous.
He called his companions to the other side to make a fire.
Yin Yao and Qing Luan huddled together, staring at each other vigilantly.
As expected, these people just made a fire, drank water, ate dry food, and occasionally talked in low voices. They didn't look over presumptuously again.
Yin Yao's tense nerves relaxed a little, but the doubts in her heart deepened.
These "traveling merchants" have a calm aura and quick movements, and they don't look like ordinary businessmen at all.
Did they... just happen to pass by? Or...
She didn't dare to think about it anymore, and felt that the road ahead was even more confusing.
The bonfire flickered, reflecting Yin Yao's uneasy face, and also reflecting the other side of the ruined temple, where the scarred man looked casual but was actually observing his surroundings vigilantly.
The two sides do not disturb each other.
Half an hour later, a light rain began to fall outside the dilapidated temple.
After two days of running around, Yin Yao felt sleepy and Qing Luan was also yawning.
They saw that the people outside were just eating and drinking quietly, so they relaxed.
The two leaned against each other and were about to fall asleep.
Suddenly, the temple door was pushed open with a creaky sound, and cold wind rushed in.
A young woman wearing a coarse dress and carrying a simple bag came in.
She had a pretty face and looked a bit tired from the journey. It was Bingbing in disguise.
Her eyes quickly swept across the two groups of people in the temple, finally landing on Yin Yao, with a hint of just the right amount of surprise and kindness: "Sir, can you let me hide with you for a while?"
Seeing that she was just a woman, Yin Yao immediately relaxed his guard, nodded, and said nothing.
However, for a woman to walk alone in the middle of the night, she must be very brave!
Bingbing naturally walked towards the campfire, added a few more firewood, and glanced at Yin Yao.
The royal noble is delicate and graceful. Although she is dressed as a man and wears ordinary clothes, her nobleness cannot be concealed between her eyebrows.
Even Bingbing, who came from a family of officials, felt inferior to him.
Lord Zhao must be very happy to receive such a woman in marriage.
Unexpectedly, Lord Zhao actually asked Bingbing to stop or guide her from entering Shuozhou.
Bingbing didn't want to know why.
She was only thinking about how to complete the task.
"Are you two in a hurry too? This weather is truly difficult to travel. Judging from the direction, you are heading north?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
