"ah!"
A scream rang out, and the horse beneath Su Xiaoning suddenly reared up and neighed, then galloped off at full speed.
The incident happened suddenly, and no one expected that Su Xiaoning's horse would suddenly go crazy. The horse ran wildly through the caravan and finally rushed straight into the woods.
The entire caravan was affected. Meng Ruqiao couldn't dodge in time, and her own horse was also frightened and went berserk, kicking its hooves a few times in frustration.
Meng Ruqiao was, after all, a delicate young lady from a wealthy family. She couldn't hold onto the reins and was about to fall when she suddenly heard an anxious cry of "Ruqiao!" Then she was caught by a pair of hands around the waist and fell into a warm embrace.
That familiar voice...
Meng Ruqiao's eyes widened, and she suddenly looked up at the person who had saved her.
Shen Jun's resolute profile was reflected in her eyes, as if a god had descended to earth, igniting hope in her heart.
"Shen Jun... what did you just call me...?"
Meng Ruqiao's voice trembled. She forgot that this was in front of everyone and couldn't help but reach out and touch Shen Jun's face.
A soft touch came over my face, a feeling I hadn't experienced in a long time, so warm it brought tears to my eyes.
Surprised glances came from all directions, and Shen Jun, who was lost in thought, suddenly snapped out of it. He shoved Meng Ruqiao away, concealing the anxiety and concern in his eyes, and said coldly, "Miss Meng, please have some self-respect."
Meng Ruqiao stared at Shen Jun, hesitant to speak, utterly disappointed: "How could you..."
"If Miss Meng has nothing else, I will take my leave." Shen Jun avoided her gaze, turned and walked towards the imperial carriage without even turning his head back.
Meng Ruqiao clenched her fists, her expression returning to normal, but a bitter feeling slowly welled up inside her.
On one side, she was rescued by Shen Jun, while on the other side, Su Qingcai, like an arrow released from a bow, rode his horse towards the out-of-control Su Xiaoning.
"Su Qingcai!!"
Su Xiaoning was terrified. She gripped the reins tightly, afraid to let go, lest she be thrown out and smashed to pieces. The wind howled in her ears, stinging her face. In this life-or-death moment, she instinctively called out Su Qingcai's name, placing all her hopes on him.
Hearing Su Xiaoning's call, Su Qingcai's heart tightened, and his expression became even more solemn.
He followed Su Xiaoning into the woods. Su Xiaoning's horse charged wildly, startling a flock of birds.
Not far away, a group of men in black were equally panicked.
One of the men stared intently at Su Xiaoning, who was rushing through the woods, and stepped forward to ask, "Brother, what do we do now? If we don't leave now, we'll definitely be discovered!"
The leader gritted his teeth and waved his hand.
"Let's go! As long as we're alive, we can always rebuild. If we're discovered, all of the Prince's plans will be for nothing!"
The men in black hurriedly retreated, and right after they left, horses from not far away also galloped towards the scene, leaving a mess behind.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Qingcai threw his sword, striking the mad horse in the leg. The horse collapsed to the ground, and the powerless Su Xiaoning was thrown off balance.
"Xiao Ning!"
Su Qingcai's pupils contracted slightly, and he leaped off his horse to catch Su Xiaoning.
The two fell to the ground together, with Su Qingcai taking the brunt of the injury on his back. Su Xiaoning was covered in dust, huddled in Su Qingcai's arms, shivering and unable to speak.
"It's alright, it's nothing..." Su Qingcai endured the pain in his back and gently patted Su Xiaoning's back to comfort her.
"Thank goodness you're here..." Su Xiaoning trembled all over, and tears streamed down her face involuntarily.
She cried for a while before finally getting up from Su Qingcai's arms. Just as she helped him slowly stand up, the convoy behind them arrived.
Su Qinghe looked closely at the deployment site and immediately realized that his deployment had been disrupted and his plan had failed. He was furious and pointed at Su Xiaoning, cursing:
"You jinx! This is all your fault! His Majesty's hunting trips have always been fine, so why have things gone wrong the whole way since you were brought along? An ominous person should no longer remain before His Majesty!"
Su Qingcai frowned, about to retort, but accidentally aggravated the wound on his back. He hissed and couldn't speak at all.
Su Xiaoning noticed Su Qingcai's unusual behavior. She helped him up and carefully handed him over to Ding Yi. After instructing them to find the imperial physician, she turned to Su Qinghe and said, "Was it something I could have foreseen that my horse would be frightened? The previous withered grass and dead birds were caused by human intervention, and it's hard to say what will happen this time!"
"Then tell me, who could possibly attack your horse in broad daylight?" Su Qinghe sneered, not believing the claim.
"I'll know once I check it out." Su Xiaoning pursed her lips and ran to the horse lying on the ground to examine it.
The horse's leg had been cut off; it was breathing heavily in pain and looked extremely unwell.
After a careful examination, Su Xiaoning said in disbelief, "How could this happen at this time... this horse is in heat!"
As she spoke, she ran to the logistics officer in charge of feeding the horses: "A stallion can't be in heat at this time of year. I need to check the feed for the horses!"
The logistics team was very cooperative; as soon as they heard that an inspection was needed, they handed over the supplies they had brought to Su Xiaoning.
Su Xiaoning checked again carefully and was shocked to find that there was nothing wrong with the grain and fodder!
The investigation reached a stalemate. Su Qinghe sneered and said sarcastically, "This whole thing was clearly orchestrated by you. You're trying to cover it up with something else after it all happened. You're dreaming! Stirring up trouble at the Emperor's hunting trip, I think you have ulterior motives. You should be locked up!"
"Who said that! I just can't find it right now!"
Su Xiaoning retorted anxiously, kneeling directly in front of the emperor's carriage, "This humble woman has been framed. Please, Your Majesty, give me more time. I will definitely find out the truth!"
The matter was shrouded in mystery, and even the emperor was unsure what had happened. Just as he was hesitating, the civil and military officials around him spoke up in unison.
"Your Majesty, this witch is an ominous sign. We must not leave her here any longer. The Seventh Prince is absolutely right!"
All the officials said that Su Xiaoning was a witch and agreed with Su Qinghe's suggestion. Under these circumstances, the emperor had no choice but to say, "Then let's temporarily lock her up in the Inner Affairs Pavilion."
The Inner Affairs Pavilion is a place within the nearby imperial palace, specifically used to confine powerful officials who have made mistakes. It seems the emperor intends to place Su Xiaoning under house arrest.
Upon receiving the order, the guards immediately stepped forward, grabbed Su Xiaoning's arm, and prepared to take her to the palace first.
Su Qingcai, who was applying medicine, saw this scene and was immediately shocked. Ignoring the pain in his back, he rushed over to stop Su Xiaoning.
Knowing that the matter was settled, Su Xiaoning gave a bitter smile and silently shook her head at Su Qingcai.
Su Qingcai knew that Su Xiaoning was telling him not to confront the civil and military officials and the emperor in person. His heart was breaking, and he could only watch helplessly as the guards took Su Xiaoning away.
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