Chapter 9 009 Run Away
In Yong Kingdom, every year in early August, the rich aroma of newly brewed wine wafts from the porches of taverns, filling the streets and alleys. Every household is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and seasonal fruits and vegetables such as pomegranates and grapes are displayed in the courtyards, along with the indispensable crabs. When night falls, people buy wine, go boating, play the zither, admire the moon, and enjoy themselves all night long.
The celebrations at the imperial palace were even more elegant. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the emperor would hold a palace banquet at Mount Tian, inviting his ministers to attend. They would float wine cups on a winding stream, compose poems, and enjoy wine, which would continue until midnight.
On the fifteenth of August, at dawn, Lu Yuanyuan, who was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open, was dug out of bed by Yinping and several palace maids, taken to the bath, washed from head to toe, and then dragged to the dressing mirror to get dressed.
Having gotten up so early, Lu Yuanyuan couldn't help but yawn, a few tears welling up in her eyes.
Yinping held a small, spiral-patterned lacquer box in one hand and a slender paintbrush in the other, and nervously stopped her, saying, "Princess, please don't yawn or cry. I'm painting you with red slant!"
The so-called "slanted red" is a makeup technique that has recently become very popular among noble ladies in the royal city. A thin, bright red line is drawn at the outer corner of the eye and then slanted upwards along the curve of the eyelid, making the person look charming and delicate.
"..." She wasn't even allowed to yawn, so Lu Yuanyuan helplessly put her hand down: "No need for such a grand ceremony, just a simple makeover will do."
Yinping said seriously, "Princess, you are joking. Tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. Not only will the Emperor be attending, but also the officials will be there with their families. Of course, we should dress up nicely."
Helpless, Lu Yuanyuan closed her eyes and let her do as she pleased. By the time everything was finished, the sun had already moved into the afternoon, and it was almost time for the banquet.
As its name suggests, Dengtian Mountain is located on the banks of the Li River and has always been a royal spot for moon viewing.
The weather was cool after nightfall. The banquet was held in an open-air garden on the mountain, with the emperor, Consort Xie, and several concubines seated at the head of the table. Below them, from near to far, were the seats for the crown prince, princes and princesses arranged by age, ministers, and their families.
Since she hadn't yet performed the proper courtesies, Lu Yuanyuan wasn't seated next to the Crown Prince; instead, she was placed in the guest section. This corner was discreet enough that almost no one would notice her, which suited her perfectly.
After several rounds of drinks, everyone began to compose poems and couplets.
Lu Yuanyuan found the more literary parts rather boring and let them go in one ear and out the other. But she quite enjoyed the song and dance performance that followed.
A veiled dancer, holding wisteria blossoms, danced on a drum. Silver bells and ribbons adorned her wrists and ankles, fluttering with her spinning movements. Despite the small drum, she spun faster and faster, her waist as agile as a water snake, never missing a beat—a testament to her exquisite skill.
Lu Yuanyuan was thoroughly enjoying the performance when she caught a glimpse of a palace maid bringing over a mooncake. Without looking closely, she picked it up and took a bite, nearly spitting it out. Looking down, she realized the "mooncake" in her hand was nothing like a modern round mooncake. Judging by its shape, it seemed to be a small piece cut from a large flatbread the size of a washbasin. The white dough was filled with sesame seeds, salt and pepper, and walnuts—a truly bizarre version of a five-nut mooncake.
This was the first time in both her lives that she had ever eaten a mooncake from this world. One mooncake filled her stomach completely.
Just then, the singing and dancing ended. The Emperor, having drunk a bit too much, was helped up by his eunuchs and left the banquet early to rest in the back. Consort Xie followed him. But before leaving, the Emperor smiled and told everyone to continue enjoying the banquet.
Lu Yuanyuan had maintained a ladylike sitting posture all night, her calves aching and numb from the pressure. As soon as the emperor left, she was immediately freed, scrambling to her feet and intending to go for a walk to digest her food.
This palace occupies an entire hilltop and is far larger than imagined. After Lu Yuanyuan finished her walk in the garden, she couldn't find her way back and finally realized that she was lost.
Lu Yuanyuan frowned.
The original owner had also come here during the Mid-Autumn Festival two years ago, but she stayed at the banquet and did not wander around. Therefore, the original owner could not retrieve the map of this palace from her memory.
Under the eaves, palace lanterns swayed gently in the night breeze, like strings of glass beads, their light illuminating the sunset. Lu Yuanyuan, holding onto the corridor railing, took a few steps forward and suddenly noticed that the main gate of the palace was not far away, with two guards standing by the gate. She could ask them; they would surely know how to get back.
Her skirt was too long, so Lu Yuanyuan lifted it as she walked quickly. Lost in her thoughts, she bumped into a wall at the corner, groaning and taking a step back.
No, it wasn't a wall, but a person as tall as a wall.
She barely managed to steady herself when Yue Hong's lazy, irritating voice came from above her head: "What are you doing hiding here? Trying to run away?"
Is there an iron plate embedded in this guy's chest? How can it be so hard?
"..." Lu Yuanyuan rubbed her sore forehead and said helplessly, "No, I just got lost and wanted to go over there to ask how to get back."
As soon as I put my hand down, I saw, by the dim light of the palace lantern, that my palm was covered in red marks.
"Really? You seem a bit suspicious..." Yue Hong chuckled, then followed her gaze, his smile freezing instantly: "You got hurt and are bleeding?"
"No. It should be the floral decoration on my forehead. My maid painted it on me, but it got smudged by your clothes."
Lu Yuanyuan took out a handkerchief and wiped her forehead. Since there was no mirror, she couldn't see the condition of her forehead, and the more she wiped, the more the red stain seemed to spread. Yue Hong couldn't stand it anymore and snatched the handkerchief from her: "Alright, alright, the more you wipe, the dirtier it gets. I'll wipe it for you."
He snatched her handkerchief and began to wipe her face. After only a few strokes, Lu Yuanyuan gasped softly and complained, "It hurts, don't be so rough..."
"It hurts already? I haven't even used any force yet, are you made of paper?" The words were blunt, but as soon as he finished speaking, Yue Hong remembered that this guy's face would turn red if he used even a little force. Perhaps he really couldn't withstand the strength of his grip, so he paused and then softened his grip a bit.
The silk handkerchief swayed in front of her eyes, so Lu Yuanyuan simply closed her eyes and let him wipe them.
After a while, the handkerchief moved slower and slower, and Yue Hong remained silent. Feeling a little strange, she opened her eyes and asked, "Is it done?"
The glass lamp shone brightly. Yue Hong seemed to be staring at her, lost in thought. Unexpectedly, she suddenly opened her eyes, making him feel a little awkward. He tossed the handkerchief back to her, saying, "Alright!"
Lu Yuanyuan thanked him, bowed her head, and folded her handkerchief. Just then, Yue Hong's low voice came: "Hey, I'm asking you, why did you save me that day?"
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, Yue Hong seemed to regret asking the question and changed his mind somewhat irritably: "Never mind, I'll ask another question. You saved me, what do you want in return? I don't like owing favors to others."
Yue Hong was a potential male lead in "The Enchanting Fairy Tale," and a promise from him might prove very useful in the future. Lu Yuanyuan pondered for a moment and asked, "Anything is fine?"
"Yes, stop beating around the bush and get to the point."
However, before Lu Yuanyuan could make a request, the two of them simultaneously heard the neighing of horses coming from outside the two heavy, riveted wooden doors of the palace, followed by a dull thud as someone landed on the ground. Just from the sound, one could imagine someone frantically tumbling off their horse.
"Urgent! Urgent! Open the door quickly! I have an urgent report to deliver to the Emperor immediately!"
A roar pierced the silence of the night. The two imperial guards at the gate exchanged a glance and asked, "Who goes there? What urgent report is this?"
"I am a messenger, carrying extremely urgent intelligence from the border! The Yan Kingdom—the Yan Kingdom has torn up the truce agreement and suddenly launched an attack three days ago, already capturing one of my cities in Dayong!"
Like a thunderbolt striking, Lu Yuanyuan froze instantly, and Yue Hong also looked over.
Silence enveloped the chilly autumn night, and the conversation between the three people inside and outside the palace gates drifted clearly on the wind.
"What?! The Yan Kingdom has raised an army?!"
"Is this true?!"
"Even gold isn't this real! General Zhang specifically instructed me to send this urgent report to the capital as soon as possible, and to keep a close eye on the Princess of Yan, making sure she doesn't escape!"
"That's right. The Yan Kingdom is a despicable liar. We must not let the Yan princess off lightly. We must make an example of her to warn the rest of our soldiers!"
...
A chill crept up the back of Lu Yuanyuan's neck, and her face turned pale, but she felt as if she had found the starting point of a tangled mess!
Back then, the Yan Kingdom gave the Yong Kingdom not only a princess for a marriage alliance, but also several cities, which they were certainly resentful of. After several years of recuperation, they felt they were back to their old ways and launched another attack, all in an effort to reclaim their lost territory.
Doing so is tantamount to abandoning her as a princess and leaving her to die in Yong Kingdom.
In this world, princesses cannot inherit the throne; their lives are worthless compared to the real interests of the nation.
With the two countries turning against each other, the first one to be targeted will undoubtedly be her, who is in the hands of the Yong Kingdom.
Could this be the opportunity for the original owner to leave the mortal world and become a disciple of Mount Shu from a princess sent for a political marriage?
Chronologically, it is indeed around this time. However, from the moment Yan broke the truce treaty to the moment she was taken to Mount Shu, how many steps were involved in between?
Lu Yuanyuan clenched her fists, forcing herself to calm down.
When this news reaches the ears of the Emperor of Yong, how will she be treated?
Considering that she had been well-behaved for the past three years, and that she was a princess who had been abandoned by her family, had no support, and could not make any progress, her life was spared.
Absolutely not.
If the state of Yong is openly humiliated and its ruler does not execute her, it is not a sign of mercy, but of weakness. From then on, Yong will never again be able to maintain its authority among the other states.
If she were a prince, she might have a sliver of hope and be kept as a hostage by Dayong to threaten the Yan Kingdom.
But she was a princess. Therefore, she was doomed to die.
But this contradicts future developments—not even a fly could escape the death row in Yong Kingdom. If she were imprisoned there, how did she encounter the cultivators from Mount Shu?
Could someone have broken her out of prison? Or perhaps she wasn't imprisoned on death row?
Should she take advantage of the fact that no one has discovered she overheard the urgent report and escape from Dengtian Mountain?
But Yue Hong was right beside her, how could she escape?
What can she do to survive?
Lu Yuanyuan's thoughts raced as she slowly pressed her back against the wall. Suddenly, her wrist was gripped so tightly it hurt.
Yue Hong slowly turned his head, staring straight at her with eyes that seemed to burn with two strange flames.
Lu Yuanyuan endured the pain, tilted her head back, feeling uncertain but not showing it on her face. Her expression was one of sorrow and pitifulness, and she silently mouthed a few words to him.
Are you sending me to my death?
As soon as he finished speaking, Yue Hong suddenly increased the pressure on her wrist, making her want to scream in pain.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Guards had already opened the palace gates, taken the bamboo tube containing the battle report, and left only one person to continue guarding the gate while the other quickly went inside to deliver the message.
They were about to pass by the place where the two were.
Yue Hong's expression shifted several times, as if he had gone through a great struggle. Finally, he gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and pushed Lu Yuanyuan into the shadows. As the Imperial Guard passed in front of them, he delivered a swift chop, knocking the guard unconscious.
The Imperial Guard fainted without uttering a sound.
Yue Hong dragged the unconscious man to a dark place, bent down, and picked up the bamboo tube that had rolled to the side of his shoe.
Lu Yuanyuan was stunned.
Yue Hong strode up, grabbed her wrist, and without a word led her to another direction of the palace. He pulled a horse out of the stable and pushed her onto it.
The horses galloped down the mountain, the branches whipping their heads and faces like whips. Reaching the halfway point, Yue Hong abruptly reined in his horse and roughly pulled Lu Yuanyuan off.
Lu Yuanyuan staggered and sat down on the ground.
"The Princess of Yan overheard an urgent report from the border, knocked the messenger unconscious, and escaped alone. She heard that there was a secret passage behind Mount Dengtian that led down the mountain to the Li River ferry. There, a large number of ships belonging to foreign merchants were moored, and ships departed every day from dawn to dusk, traveling a thousand miles a day. She thought that although she had no identity documents, those merchants had traveled extensively on trade routes and had many connections. If she gave them gold and disguised herself as their servant, perhaps she would have a chance to escape to a place where no one knew her and survive." Yue Hong looked at her and said, word by word, "Before dawn, the Third Prince discovered the unconscious guard, picked up the urgent report from the border, and handed it to the Emperor."
What is he saying?
Her heart pounded erratically, like a drumbeat. Lu Yuanyuan grabbed the grass on the ground and met the gaze of the boy on horseback. Because he was backlit, she could only see his dark eyes. Suddenly, she understood the unspoken meaning in his words.
Yue Hong had been saved by her and didn't want to personally escort her to her death. He also knew that she was merely a victim of the war and would surely die if she stayed. However, as the third prince of Yong Kingdom, he could not help her escape, nor could he protect her, because that would be tantamount to treason and would also put his maternal clan in danger.
So he pretended not to see her, giving her one night to try to find a way out with an unknown outcome.
Whether she can evade the investigation and escape alive depends on her fate.
To be honest, Lu Yuanyuan originally only wanted to test Yue Hong to see if he could plead for her. This result has far exceeded her expectations.
Perhaps this is a chain reaction of being saved?
Not daring to think about it any longer, Lu Yuanyuan gritted her teeth, got up from the ground, and ran forward along the mountain path.
Run away!
After running a few dozen meters, Lu Yuanyuan glanced back and caught a glimpse of a cold glint. Looking closer, she saw that Yue Hong had taken the bow and arrow from beside his horse, drawn the bow, and aimed the arrow at her!
Lu Yuanyuan was terrified, thinking he had changed his mind, and her survival instinct made her lunge forward.
With a "whoosh," the arrow, carrying a cold wind, grazed her clothes.
Its tail feathers hummed, and dirt splashed everywhere.
Lu Yuanyuan braced herself with her palms, cutting open a wound, yet felt no pain from the arrow piercing her. Still shaken, she looked up and saw the arrow deeply embedded in the soil in front of her—where a large, dark, wriggling mass, resembling hair, was. Struck by the arrow, it jerked back, retreating into the dark jungle.
At the same time, a series of system notifications rang in Lu Yuanyuan's mind:
"Ding! The beginner-level dungeon [Collision] side quest has been triggered with a certain probability, and the story begins to unfold!"
"Ding! Please receive new data from the copy!"
"Ding! Please clear the area as soon as possible and do not harm innocent people, otherwise you will be punished!"
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
Has the system's jinx come true?
The dungeon boss whose progress bar was stuck at 99% has really come back to find her?
A gust of wind rose behind them, and a horse neighed. Yue Hong spurred his horse and galloped towards her, making a sharp turn to pull her onto the horse, shouting angrily, "What are you standing there for! Let's get out of here!"
The system made it clear that this danger was aimed at her. Lu Yuanyuan dodged Yue Hong's hand and looked up at him. This time, there was no pretense or feigned weakness or fear. She gave a brief, faint smile: "Yue Hong, thank you."
Taking advantage of Yue Hong's momentary daze, she yanked the hairpin from her hair and stabbed it hard into the horse's rump. The horse, in pain, disobeyed its master and galloped away with Yue Hong on its back.
Lu Yuanyuan held the blood-dripping hairpin in her hand, hearing a rustling sound behind her, rapidly approaching. In an instant, she felt as if she had been struck by something heavy, and lost consciousness.
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