Chapter 306 Escape
Ren Shun stared intently at her, as if trying to see through what she was thinking.
"You don't believe me?!"
Qi Yuxuan did not answer: "I just think you are too young and don't understand what it means for you to like what you just said about getting married."
"Perhaps you don't care about arranged marriages or parental orders, but I want to tell you that if you truly love someone and want to spend the rest of your life with them, it shouldn't be like this."
"You may just be curious and excited about your first time meeting a woman. You may like me today, but you may like someone else tomorrow. This kind of liking is far from the point of marriage."
As soon as she finished speaking, the boy in front of her raised his eyes fiercely, his hands once again resting on her shoulders, gripping her coat as if he could tear it off with the slightest movement.
"Will you only believe what I say if I take you here tonight?"
Qi Yuxuan gazed at him calmly: "Whether I believe it or not is not important. If you are willing to take me back to Qi if we marry, then I agree."
Ren Shun let go of her hand in defeat. After saying so much, she still wouldn't even look at his feelings.
She longed to return to Qi.
Ultimately, she still felt that this was a transaction devoid of emotion.
The boy's head was lowered, his bangs covering most of his face, revealing only a sparse chin that was sharply defined due to his thinness.
"Qi Yuxuan, haven't you ever cared about me even a little bit?"
The young girl in front of him remained calm and composed, unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before her: "I do care, but only because you once protected me, did things for me, brought me here to cure the poison, and now you're sending me back to Qi."
"There's nothing more now, and there won't be any in the future."
She didn't seem to realize that she was saying anything cruel, so Ren Shun finally gave up: "Okay, I understand. After I take you back, let's get married."
Qi Yuxuan didn't react much: "Hmm."
Hearing her reply, Ren Shun took out an oil paper package from the bundle next to the fire and handed it to her: "I bought this when I left the city. The pheasant meat is tough, and I didn't bring any salt with me, so it tasted terrible, which is why I didn't leave any for you."
He was used to being rough and didn't care, but when he thought about how this girl used to live a life of luxury and privilege, and how even though she wasn't loved in the Xiao family, she was still waited on hand and foot, he didn't want to make her suffer.
The oil paper package was quite large. Qi Yuxuan took it, opened it silently, and found that it was actually divided into three oil paper packages inside.
Inside were rose cakes, exquisite peony pickled fish, and floating cakes, all of which were Qi-style dishes. Qi Yuxuan ate a little of each, and the familiar taste filled her mouth. She missed everything in Qi-style dishes even more.
The Yue Kingdom's royal palace at this time.
Upon hearing that Nangong Nian had taken the person away, Xuan Yuanze nearly smashed up his study.
Xuanyuan Ze stared at the palace servants kneeling on the ground, "Where did Nangong Nian take the person?!"
The palace servants were so frightened they didn't dare breathe, and the one in the lead could only tell the truth:
"Miss Nangong first heard from somewhere that Miss Ye lived here, and early this morning she declared that she wanted to come in. We were unable to stop her, and Miss Nangong then whipped and injured several people..."
"Later, Miss Nangong and Miss Ye had a very pleasant conversation. Despite our advice, Miss Nangong insisted on speaking with Miss Ye alone. After that, Miss Nangong left with Miss Ye, who was disguised as a maid. According to the guards at the palace gate, Miss Nangong did not allow them to search the carriage and went straight to the long street."
"Your Highness, please calm down!"
Xuan Yuanze's gaze swept over the room where she had lived for a month. Countless times, he had stayed by her bedside, watching her peaceful sleeping face through the long nights. But on her second day of sleep, she was so disobedient, running away from him without even saying goodbye.
Yesterday, she sat obediently in front of the dressing table and let him remove her hair accessories. There was nothing wrong with her at all. Why did she have to run away in such a hurry this morning?
"Send the Nangong family to the palace immediately, especially Nangong Nian."
He has never been a good person, neither in his past life nor in this one. That's why he can be so ruthless and, in just one year, slaughtered countless people and caused bloodshed throughout the Yue Kingdom.
The emperor, empress, and the eldest prince died one after another by his own hand, and he became an emperor in name only.
But why is it that he couldn't have the person he had in his past life, even though he has a second chance in this life?
What exactly went wrong?
The more unattainable something is, the more he desires it.
He disdained things that were easily obtained, such as the state of Yue, fear, and respect.
There was nothing or anyone else worth his painstaking efforts and elaborate schemes.
Xiao Ye is the first and only one.
The capital of the State of Qi.
For nearly two months, the eldest princess spent almost every day in tears, asking the Qilin Guard for any new information. Only when she was in front of the Empress Dowager could she maintain a brief moment of calm.
Today, the deputy commander of the Qilin Guard personally arrived at the East Palace with a letter from the front lines, only to be met by the haggard-looking Princess.
The deputy commander, having been away from the capital for so long, was almost startled by the princess's distraught appearance. He paused for a moment before reacting and immediately bowed, saying, "This humble servant greets the princess!"
The eldest princess squinted at him and saw that he looked travel-worn and was indeed wearing the uniform of the Qilin Guard. She subconsciously asked, "Is there any news of Chang Le?"
The deputy commander frowned: "Princess, please forgive me. I was ordered to go to the southwestern border to escort the Yue Kingdom's tokens into the capital. I have not been in charge of the matter concerning Princess Chang Le."
The implication was that he didn't know and dared not say.
The princess looked at him, and it took her a long time to understand the meaning of his words. She nodded somewhat numbly: "The southwestern border, the Yue Kingdom... Chang Le also disappeared there. Have you ever heard of her? Has anyone else seen her there?"
Deputy Commander: "Your Highness, I have urgent business to attend to. Please excuse me and take my leave first!"
He really didn't know how to deal with such a princess, and he was also worried about the letter he was supposed to send to the crown prince, so he was somewhat anxious.
Suddenly inspired, the princess stretched out her hand and said, "Give me the things, I'll give them to the Crown Prince."
Her tone left no room for argument, and the deputy commander was sweating profusely.
This matter concerns the war between the two countries, yet the eldest princess's heart is filled with thoughts of her missing adopted daughter. How could he possibly give her the letter?!
He carefully considered his words: "Your Highness, please do not make things difficult for this humble servant!"
The princess's hand was still outstretched in mid-air, as if she wouldn't leave until she received the token.
Unfortunately, the princess was all alone today, without either of her two female officials by her side. The deputy commander wanted to send someone to persuade her, but looking around, he couldn't find either of the two palace maids passing by.
He gritted his teeth, internally torn for a moment, before finally taking out a letter hidden in his chest and presenting it with both hands—
"Your Highness! The token is here. If Your Highness wishes to deliver it, please kill this humble servant first!"
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