Upon hearing this, Zhu Sanniang was slightly startled, but quickly regained her composure. She gently shook her head, her eyes revealing a hint of helplessness and bitterness: "Miss, you may not know, but I am now just a rat that cannot see the light of day... The position of female official is far beyond my reach, I don't even dare to think about it."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhi immediately understood the other party's concerns. She didn't press the matter, but simply said that she would stay in Yunchao for a while, and if Zhu Sanniang had nowhere to go, she could stay by her side and help with whatever she could.
After a moment of silence, Zhu Sanniang finally spoke, "Alright then, I'm willing to stay."
Actually, when she once went to the Imperial Study to deliver minced meat soup to Zhao Yi, she overheard him discussing Zhao Zhi's background with Li An, learning that she was a princess of two kingdoms. Judging from the current situation, Zhao Zhi seemed to have developed suspicions about Zhao Yi and had decided to reside in Yun Dynasty long-term. Since the other party was so warmly invited and seemed easy to get along with, she might as well go along with it and follow Zhao Zhi, thus securing a safe haven for herself in the future.
"Don't worry, my brother is very discreet and reliable. He won't let anyone find out your information." After comforting her, Zhao Zhi waved her hand and said, "Alright, from now on you're one of my people. I'll protect you no matter what."
Hearing this, Zhu San Niang was touched and quickly nodded before tactfully leaving the room.
She went outside, looked at the sun slowly rising over the mountain, and took a deep breath, as if she wanted to inhale all the fresh morning air into her lungs.
After more than an hour, Cui Shenghe finally opened his eyes and regained consciousness after several acupuncture treatments by Zhao Zhi.
Zhao Zhi took his pulse again and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he had no other serious problems. Then, she relayed what Zhu Sanniang had told her to Cui Shenghe.
Cui Shenghe frowned and asked in confusion, "Does Zhizhi not trust her own husband?"
Zhao Zhi shook her head and explained, "Brother, it's not that I don't completely trust Shen Hanshan, it's just that our situation is too complicated right now. He is my consort, but he is also a prince of Da Xuan. Our positions are different after all. Therefore, we cannot be careless and must be cautious." Then, Zhao Zhi explained her speculations to Cui Shenghe in detail.
Finally, she said, "Brother, now that you're awake, let's leave here as soon as possible."
As the two were talking, Zhu San Niang knocked on the door.
“Miss, I’m all ready and can leave at any time.”
Cui Shenghe looked towards the door in confusion, silently asking Zhao Zhi what was going on.
“Zhu San Niang is an old friend of mine. However, due to other reasons, she changed her name and came to Yun Dynasty. Brother, if you want me to be the Empress, you have to give me some power, right? I want to abduct Zhu San Niang.” Zhao Zhi whispered her plan.
Cui Shenghe chuckled softly and said, "Of course, whatever you say." With that, he swallowed a pill to replenish his strength, then got out of bed and stretched his limbs. Thankfully, his body wasn't as weak as he had imagined.
Seeing that Cui Shenghe had recovered so quickly, Zhao Zhi felt relieved. She opened the door and was immediately taken aback by Zhu Sanniang's new attire. Zhu Sanniang was dressed as a maid, with a cloth bag slung over her shoulder, and her hair was styled in a simple bun. She looked very neat and tidy.
After Cui Shenghe left the house, Zhu Sanniang suddenly took a jar of tung oil from the kitchen, quickly walked to the yard, and poured the tung oil around the house. Zhao Zhi suddenly understood what she was going to do and couldn't help but widen her eyes.
Cui Shenghe also noticed this scene, and a slight, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips. This Zhu Sanniang is meticulous and methodical; she is indeed no ordinary woman.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Zhao Zhi, his half-sister. She usually seemed carefree and nonchalant, as if she didn't care about anything, but in reality, she possessed extraordinary insight and judgment. She could see Zhu San Niang's extraordinary qualities at a glance; her ability to judge people was first-rate.
After finishing these tasks, Zhu Sanniang returned to the house, tidied up the remaining food, packed it into a bundle, and then packed up the other important items. Finally, she went to the door, lit a torch, and threw it around the area around the house that was soaked in tung oil.
The fire quickly ignited, crackling and popping, and the raging flames instantly engulfed the entire house. Because it was daytime, the fire wasn't very noticeable, but thick smoke still rose and filled the air.
The three men, carrying the torchlight, carefully descended Chaoyu Mountain along a hidden mountain path. The path was rugged and uneven, overgrown with thorns on both sides, requiring them to tread carefully. They walked step by step, trying to make as little noise as possible to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.
After walking for a while, Zhu Sanniang looked back at the firelight on the mountain and silently prayed that everything would go well.
She knew that although the fire wasn't large, it was enough to attract the attention of those around them. She hoped it would conceal their movements and allow them to leave Chaoyu Mountain safely.
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