Chapter 3 Escape: "Does Ah Heng no longer want her husband?"
Upon hearing the news of the deaths of their two daughters, Ruan Xishan and his wife fainted on the spot. The doctor treated them for three days and kept them alive with ginseng soup before the elderly couple finally regained consciousness.
Now everyone in the court knows that Ruan's plan to offer a beauty to the Crown Prince to protect Shu Prefecture has not only failed, but has also made matters worse. Instead of winning over Ning Xian, she has offended this handsome but ruthless man.
The messenger hurriedly dismounted and rushed to Ruan Xishan's window. He saw that the once vigorous and powerful Lord Ruan had grown a few strands of white hair at his temples in just a few days, and he hesitated to speak.
The messenger presented the letter: "My lord, a letter has arrived from the Crown Prince's Palace."
"Nian, I want to see what other bad news you can come up with!"
"His Highness the Crown Prince wrote that he heard that the Crown Princess was tragically murdered by villains on her way to the marriage alliance, but after searching for many days, no body was found. He then speculated that the Crown Prince wanted to break off the engagement and deliberately created this fabricated accident. In reality, he secretly hid his Crown Princess in Bashu."
Ruan Xishan angrily said, "This is utterly absurd! I haven't even asked him for my Axi yet, and he's already convicting me?!"
Seeing that the historical record was still stammering, he recalled his past grievances with the Ji family, closed his eyes and said, "What else did they say? Did they intend to send their maternal clan to lead troops to invade?"
"If you don't hand over the young lady, you will be disobeying the imperial decree and... you will be accused of kidnapping a member of the royal family. Don't blame us for turning Sichuan upside down."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Xishan coughed violently a few times, snatched the Xuan paper, and found that the characters on it were indeed written by Ning Xian himself, with strong and vigorous strokes and bold, silvery lines.
He threw the letter on the ground and said to the attendant beside him, "Since he insists on fighting, my 50,000 elite troops from Bashu are not just for show!"
"Temporarily withdraw the troops from Shuobei. Tell Wenjin to ride back as quickly as possible in the next few days!"
...
Since that late-night roasted chicken incident, Ning Xian has never summoned Ruan Yang again, and for several days in a row, Ruan Yang has not even seen her husband.
The thrushes chirped a few times under the eaves. Ruan Yang was awakened by the cold while lying on the soft quilt. A few days ago, Ning Xian suddenly came back and, for some reason, insisted on sleeping in the same bed and sharing the same quilt with her.
Unable to refuse, Ruan Yang turned her back, wiping away her tears as she agreed.
But unexpectedly, Ning Xian didn't lay a hand on her; he just tortured her.
Ning Xian is a restless sleeper. She kicks off the covers when she's hot in the first half of the night, and then snatches them back in when she's cold in the second half. Looking down, she sees that the poor blankets are almost torn apart from the last few nights.
Unable to curse or leave, Ruan Yang hadn't slept well for several days, and dark circles appeared under her fair eyes.
Ruan Yang glanced at the sleeping man. He was handsome and elegant, with a delicate face, red lips, and a square mouth. He was beautiful but not effeminate. No wonder he was willing to be his mistress before he lost his memory.
"You're awake?"
When Ruan Yang saw that the man had opened his eyes, she ran to the small table, took out a set of clothes from the bamboo basket, and said obediently, "Let me dress my husband."
Ning Xian frowned. He had deliberately tormented her for several days, yet this woman was not angry at all and was even willing to coax him.
Seeing the little girl happily present him with the clothes she had sewn, he didn't want to hurt her feelings, so he let Ruan Yang touch his waist.
Although the clothes were not as exquisite as those made by the Imperial Styling Bureau in the palace, they were comfortable and close-fitting.
Ning Xian couldn't help but sneer, "Aheng is so skilled; it seems she used to dress men often."
Ruan Yang was taken aback: "Lan Rong told me that I've been serving you for a year now...."
Ning Xian realized she had let something slip and quickly added, "Because Aheng used to dislike me."
Ruan Yang paused, then buried her head in Ning Xian's chest. The dark down on the man's black and gold shawl was covered by Ruan Yang's hand. She said sweetly, "Then I was wrong. I will never make my husband angry again."
Ning Xian wasn't used to others being so affectionate with him. He tilted his head back, frowned, and said, "Alright, alright, I'm leaving. You stay home and wait for me to come back."
When will I be able to return home this time?
"It will take as little as five days, or as long as half a month."
Five days is enough.
Ruan Yang felt relieved; she had a chance to escape.
She reasoned that since she wasn't a concubine and didn't have a contract of indenture, if she went to the market and found the local government, even if Ning Xian discovered that she had run away, there would be nothing he could do about it.
As for that Lu Wenjin, she didn't know who he was, but the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Perhaps with his protection, she could finally get rid of Ning Xian, this devil who disregards human life!
Ruan Yang felt that this was probably the last time she would see him in this life. When Ning Xian was about to mount his horse, she rushed over and hugged the man's neck.
"My husband, please come back safe and sound. I'll make your favorite sweet pastries and wait for you at home!"
Ning Xian smiled disdainfully. As expected of the little vixen raised by the Ruan family, she actually used some seductive tricks.
It's a pity that her surname is Ruan, and she's a woman Lu Wenjin has been with. Otherwise, it wouldn't be bad to keep Ruan Yang by my side and let him have some fun with her.
...
The next morning, Lan Rong personally arranged for the coachman to carefully check the carriage for any problems.
She hadn't wanted to let Ruan Yang go out, but seeing how depressed the girl was all day, she felt sorry for her and softened her heart, agreeing to accompany Ruan Yang home to see her elderly mother.
To avoid any mishaps, she sent a letter to Ning Xian beforehand and instructed several people to guard Ruan Yang.
She glanced at Ruan Yang, who was still tailoring clothes for Ning Xian inside the room, and leaned down to whisper, "You guys, secretly follow behind Madam, and be careful not to lose her."
"Don't worry, even if this woman Ruan uses a trick, with so many of us watching, she won't be able to escape."
Dujiazhuang is not too far from Ning Xian's private residence. After crossing a small hill and walking for half an hour, you will arrive. Looking around, the fields are crisscrossed and the houses are neatly arranged. Since the establishment of local governments, it has been a rare peaceful place.
As soon as Ruan Yang stepped off the carriage, a woman dressed in coarse linen clothes, but very clean and tidy, ran towards her while wiping away tears.
"Oh, my dear Hengniang, you finally have time to come and see us."
Ruan Yang followed her "mother" to the house. She looked around at the wooden house, which she had no recollection of, but it was much brighter and more impressive than the houses of other villagers.
This perfectly aligns with the preferential treatment a daughter would receive as a mistress in a wealthy family.
The surrounding villagers were not surprised at all by her return home, as if she really was the Du family's daughter.
Everything seemed flawless, which put Ruan Yang in a bit of a predicament.
Seeing her frowning, Lan Rong smiled and said, "Madam, my young master really didn't lie to you. All these people around here have watched you grow up!"
Ruan Yang clutched her chest and shook her head, saying, "That's not what I meant. Young Master always grants my requests, how could he lie to me? It's just that I'm feeling a bit unwell from the long journey. Lan Rong, could you go and get some medicine from the carriage for me?"
Seeing that Lan Rong had left with peace of mind, but the guards outside were still there, she went to the kitchen and saw the woman she called her mother still busy working, so she helped her.
"Mother, what happened to your leg?"
The woman's eyes darted around: "Years ago, I was working in the fields and accidentally broke my leg. I didn't have time to take care of it, which is why it's in this state. Fortunately, Ah Heng was taken in by the ninth son of the Ji family, and things have gotten better for her."
Seeing the woman's grateful expression, Ruan Yang felt somewhat helpless. It seemed that the woman didn't care about Ruan Yang's feelings at all. Did Ruan Yang really want to stay with that man?
Ruan Yang felt inexplicably anxious, and she clenched the handkerchief in her hand.
No matter how much Du Heng loved Ji Jiulang in the past, that was all in the past. Now, she not only felt no attraction to Ji Jiulang, but also felt that he was not a good person.
Even if she is criticized as a heartless woman who abandoned her husband in the future, she will still leave this place.
She said, "Now that my daughter is here, let's take her to the market to see a doctor today."
"this...."
Knowing that this mother was frugal, Ruan Yang secretly took out a rose gold hairpin the size of a baby's palm from her sleeve and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Mother, the young master gave me a lot of money, so it won't be a waste. By the way, the young master and I are also preparing to buy a house for you at the market. Would you like to go with me to pick one out later?"
The woman's eyes lit up. She was glad she had been a mother; the adopted daughter was more filial than her own. In just a few days, she had already remembered how good her mother was and had gone to plead with the young master.
Although she agreed to play the role of the girl's mother and received a lot of benefits, people never have too much money, let alone a house.
The woman was somewhat suspicious: "Are you trying to trick me?"
Ruan Yang came prepared, taking out a piece of paper stamped with a red seal: "How could that be? It's clearly written on here."
The woman looked at it again and again in the light. She couldn't read and couldn't figure it out, but she figured that the red mark must be real.
Seeing her moved, Ruan Yang whispered, "By the way, Mother also knows that wealth should not be flaunted. You must not tell the neighbors about this, not even the maids outside, otherwise people will be greedy and will do anything..."
"Then we should go and take a look."
Ruan Yang nodded: "Mother, do you have a way?"
The woman pondered for a while and said, "Yes, your brother goes to the market every day to sell seasonal fruits and vegetables. He gets up early and works late, leaving at dawn and returning before dawn. We can hide in the basket late at night and he shouldn't be discovered."
The mother and daughter hadn't seen each other for a long time, and they talked until midnight. The noise outside gradually subsided, and the lamplight flickered inside the small wooden house.
Seeing that Lan Rong and the others were still waiting outside, the woman smiled and said, "This old lady, I would like to sleep with my young lady for the night. You must be tired, so you should go and rest first."
Lan Rong was indeed extremely tired. She gave the woman a warning look and then went to rest in the room on the side of the courtyard.
In the dead of night, with neighbors snoring loudly all around, it was the height of sleep. Ruan Yang fastened her belt and nudged the woman, saying, "Mother, it's almost time..."
The woman yawned, walked barefoot on the stone slabs, and carefully led Ruan Yang to the backyard, hiding him in the cart.
After an unknown amount of time, Ruan Yang's calves began to feel numb. Only when she felt the wheels beneath her body start to turn did she become fully alert.
Once outside the village, Ruan Yang poked his head out to breathe in the fresh air. It was just getting light around him, and there were hardly any people. The carriage was heading into the woods, while a woman sat on a donkey, sucking on a blade of grass and humming a little tune.
"Hengniang, if you become successful in the future, don't forget your mother. Remember to help out the family. It would be best if you could try harder to give the young master a son or daughter. Maybe then he can marry you as his principal wife..."
Ruan Yang knelt on the cart, responding with a few words here and there. She stared at the back of the woman's head, but her heart was pounding like a drum.
If we went to a crowded market, it would be difficult to move around under her watchful eye. Here, with no one around, it's a good opportunity to make a move.
She straightened up, silently prayed to the heavens with her eyes closed, then gripped the wooden carrying pole left in the corner and, trembling, struck the woman on the back of the neck.
The donkey brayed in fright, startling the flock of birds into flight. Ruan Yang checked her "mother's" breath and felt warm air emanating from her nose, which gradually put her at ease.
She immediately jumped out of the car and ran towards the market ahead, as if the dawn of victory was just around the corner.
"stop!"
Suddenly, a person descended from the branches above. This person was masked, dressed in night clothes, and carrying a lantern, constantly scrutinizing her.
".....Who are you?"
Ruan Yang was taken aback, but after regaining her senses, she realized that this person should not be Ning Xian's subordinate.
The man finally saw Ruan Yang's appearance clearly and was overjoyed: "Second Miss!?"
"Don't you remember me? I'm Zhou Ming, one of General Lu's men. We even drank together before."
Zhou Ming is Lu Wenjin's subordinate. These days, he has been following Lu Wenjin's orders to investigate this place by following the clues. He sent many secret guards in to investigate, but the final news was that Shi Shen Dahai was dead.
Unexpectedly, after several days of no news, I found the person while wandering around today.
"Come with me quickly, General Lu is waiting for us at the inn."
Although Ruan Yang was skeptical, she couldn't care less about that, as she felt an invisible force behind her was trying to pull her back.
Forget it, I'll just escape from Ning Xian first and then make other plans.
She glanced at the dark woods behind her, a chill running down her spine, and gritted her teeth as she grabbed Zhou Ming's wrist.
However, as the lights behind him gradually came on, a voice came from the depths of the jungle, making Ruan Yang feel uneasy.
"What is Ah Heng doing? Is she planning to elope with her lover?"
A note from the author:
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