Chapter 382 Two Groups Meet
Min Qiao took the feather duster, and with a mix of amusement, exasperation, and gratitude, patted Zhen Huan's head. "Don't worry, I'm fine. You don't need to try so hard to distract me and make me vent my emotions."
Seeing that her thoughts had been exposed, she didn't feel embarrassed at all. Instead, she threw herself into Min Qiao's arms, wrapped her arms around Min Qiao's waist, and said in a muffled voice, "Grandmother, you still have me by your side. And Sister Weijia is waiting for you in Xijing. And Sister Ashuang is waiting for you to come back in Huizhou..."
"Whatever happens, we'll help you out!"
Min Qiao hugged Zhen Huan back, smiled slightly, and replied softly, "Okay."
She knew they were genuinely worried about her, and she knew the girls around her cared about her. However, there were some things they couldn't share for her.
***
The three members of the Min family were only a step away from Xijing.
However, Li Sanqi and Wen Xiu were still halfway there.
There was nothing they could do, so the two of them didn't even think about going to Xi'an. They just went wherever the checks were lax.
That evening, the two found an inn in a small town to stay at.
In truth, the fact that the two of them could still live a life of ease and comfort while wandering aimlessly these days is all thanks to Wenxiu's ability to hide money.
Having suffered hardships in her early years, Wenxiu's greatest hobby, besides yearning for a stable and peaceful life, is saving money.
She saved up her monthly allowance and every reward she received from Madam Min Qiao.
She didn't like banknotes; she only liked real gold and silver.
So she would save the silver, then exchange it for gold, and then exchange the gold for all sorts of gold pendants, which she would wear around her neck or hide in her clothes.
They survived the journey on the loose silver coins she carried and the gold pendant around her neck.
Unlike Aqi, who was stingy and didn't spend any money, Wenxiu liked to save money, but she also liked to spend it.
Therefore, Li Sanqi and himself were never deprived of anything in terms of food, clothing, shelter, or transportation along the way.
Of course, the premise of her extravagant spending was that Li Sanqi said that once they returned to Dayan, Li Sanqi would repay all her expenses tenfold.
Yeah, a fool wouldn't make money if he could!
These flowers must be blooming vigorously!
Well, we've gone off on a tangent.
After checking into the inn, the two booked a superior room on the second floor and ordered the inn's signature dishes to enjoy back in their room.
Just as Li Sanqi finished eating and, feeling bored, opened the window and peered out, he was suddenly startled and quickly pulled back, crouching down under the window with his head in his hands.
Being able to spend money doesn't mean you like to waste it. So, while Li Sanqi finished eating, Wenxiu was still slowly cleaning up the mess.
Seeing Li Sanqi's sudden reaction, she was startled and dropped her bowl and chopsticks, rushing to Li Sanqi's side in a few steps.
She peeked out and saw a large group of neatly dressed soldiers escorting three luxurious carriages as they passed by downstairs.
"Quickly squat down! Be careful someone sees you!" Li Sanqi tugged hard at Wen Xiu's clothes.
Upon hearing this, Wenxiu obediently squatted down and asked softly, "Haven't we seen enough Daqi soldiers? Why is the princess still so afraid?"
Li Sanqi glared at Wen Xiu with annoyance, "How did you manage to get close to the old lady with such rude words?"
Wen Xiu chuckled awkwardly but didn't answer.
She dared not say that she was not like this in front of Madam Min.
The main problem was that Li Sanqi was too easy to talk to and had no airs of a princess at all. Over time, she became a little too proud and arrogant.
If Madam Min knew about this, she would definitely tell her how arrogant and domineering Li Sanqi used to be, how cruel he was, and how many servants of the Duke of Jin's mansion had died or been injured.
However, Wenxiu is naturally unaware of these things at the moment.
She only felt that Li Sanqi was not pretentious, easy to serve, and generous!
Li Sanqi, of course, had no idea what Wen Xiu was thinking. She simply said with a serious expression, "I saw Min Pan'er!"
"who?"
Wen Xiu was stunned for a moment before she realized: "Princess Xihe?"
Where is she? I can't see her.
As she spoke, Wenxiu stood up again and looked down.
Li Sanqi quickly pulled the person back, "Be careful, don't let anyone see you."
Wenxiu squatted down again and asked in a low voice, "Princess, are you sure you're not mistaken? Only the Dahe people passed by just now, where was Princess Xihe?"
Li Sanqi said with a solemn expression, "I'm absolutely not mistaken! The one sitting in the third carriage is definitely her!"
She had just looked through the open car window and clearly seen that the person sitting inside was Min Pan'er!
Although it was just a fleeting glance, she was certain that her eyes could not have been mistaken!
I wonder if Min Pan'er saw her...
Seeing that Li Sanqi spoke with such conviction, Wenxiu also believed her.
But, "How did Princess Xihe end up in the hands of the Da Le people? Wasn't Ajiu supposed to be protecting her? Where did Ajiu go?"
Wen Xiu was full of doubts. "A-Jiu is much more capable than me! Otherwise, the old lady wouldn't have put her in charge of protecting Princess Xihe and Miss Jiang."
Li Sanqi speculated, "Could Ajiu and Jiang Hongling already be dead?"
"Impossible!" Wen Xiu retorted instinctively, "How could they possibly be dead? I think they probably escaped."
Li Sanqi didn't want to argue with Wen Xiu either, because arguing was pointless.
So she lowered her voice and said, "Now that Min Pan'er is in the hands of the Da Lu people, will our journey to the border be much easier from now on?"
"Shall we leave now?"
Wenxiu hesitated for a moment, "Aren't we going to save Princess Xihe?"
Li Sanqi raised his hand and flicked Wen Xiu on the forehead. "Are you stupid? How can the two of us save her? Come on, tell me, how can we save her?"
"Don't forget, the old lady entrusted you with the task of protecting me!"
"You won't just pretend to comply and abandon me to save Min Pan'er, will you?"
Wen Xiu gave an awkward laugh. "I was just saying it offhand."
"Hmph! You better not actually intend to rescue anyone! Otherwise, I'll get caught too, and when we get back to Dayan, you won't get a single penny!" Li Sanqi threatened.
Having her weakness exposed, Wenxiu quickly waved her hand and said, "Princess, rest assured, I will not be reckless and go to save people!"
After saying that, she looked at Li Sanqi with a fawning expression.
Li Sanqi curled his lip and said disdainfully, "Alright, I'll keep my promise of ten times the reward. I won't shortchange you a single penny."
"Hehe, thank you, Princess." Wen Xiu thanked her happily, then said, "Shall we leave now?"
"Let's go now."
The two had just checked in and hadn't even opened their bags yet, so there was no need to unpack.
The two of them carried their bags downstairs, paid the bill, and then hurriedly headed in the opposite direction from the Crown Prince's entourage.
However, the exit from the town entrance was blocked.
Outside the town, the open ground was filled with tents and bustling with people.
Only then did the two realize that the large contingent of soldiers they had seen earlier was only a small part. The real main force was still waiting outside the town.
The two were startled and quickly changed direction, heading towards another exit of the town.
Unfortunately, the two were too late; the other exit was already guarded by soldiers.
As for the other hidden exit...
They both tried, but they still couldn't get out; they couldn't get out anywhere.
The entire town was completely surrounded by the newly arrived horde of horde soldiers. Not even a mosquito could escape, let alone two grown men.
After struggling for a long time, the two had no choice but to return to the inn.
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