Chapter 69
You kneel down and beg me!
Lu Pan'an's words made Lu Qin and Hao Jingshi nervous.
The two held their breath and listened carefully. Sure enough, they heard the sound of horses' hooves splashing in the puddles in the distance.
The riders drew closer and closer, their imposing presence waking the bandits who were taking shelter from the rain in the dilapidated temple ahead.
Upon seeing the faint light of the lantern, the bandits realized something, panicked, and ran away, rushing to the carriage and pounding on the carriage wall.
"Big brother, big brother, it looks like someone's catching up with us over there. They're coming for us! Let's go!"
The three people in the car were startled upon hearing this. Hao Jingshi thought for a moment and held Lu Qin in his arms. He carefully opened the curtain a crack and looked out. He saw several cold lights flashing in the darkness, and he could vaguely see the figures of a group of masked assassins approaching.
Hao Jingshi glanced at Lu Qin, who was also looking at him, clearly having the same thought.
The constables probably wouldn't care too much about someone who died of illness. These assassins who caught up with them were most likely sent by Lu Ping to investigate the truth after hearing about Hao Jingshi's death.
“We can’t let them know you’re not dead, otherwise Lu Ping won’t let this go.” Lu Qin gripped Hao Jingshi’s hand tightly. “Husband, you go with Brother Lu first, and my brothers and I will buy you some time.”
Hao Jingshi frowned: "Nonsense, if we're going to leave, we'll leave together. You're pregnant, what if something happens to you?"
Lu Qin shoved the bundle into his hands: "Don't worry, Lu Ping wouldn't dare hurt me. Besides, I have my brothers with me, nothing will happen."
"No, how can I feel at ease if you do this?"
"Listen to me, hurry up and run! I finally managed to rescue you, we can't let it all go to waste!"
"What if Lu Ping—"
"Stop arguing, or none of us will be able to leave."
Seeing the two disagreeing at this moment, Lu Pan'an disregarded politeness and interrupted, "At this point, the safest thing to do is for everyone to go their separate ways. Young Master Hao, let's change our clothes. I'll take the carriage to distract them, and you can ride the horse and take Aqin away."
"As for the brothers, I'll trouble you to cooperate with me to cover the rear. Once I've drawn these people away, you can go your separate ways and we'll meet at the Lu residence."
His reasoning was clear and his arrangements were well-organized, so naturally no one had any objections.
The bandit leader led the horse to Hao Jingshi's side, gesturing for him to take Lu Qin with him. Hao Jingshi hesitated for a moment, then looked at Lu Pan'an and said, "This is too dangerous. You will be implicated too."
"There's no time to think about that now. I'm willing to take a gamble to repay the Lu family for their kindness over the years. Please take good care of my sister. Young Master Hao, please."
Lu Pan'an resolutely turned around, his righteous act moving everyone. Just as he was about to get into the carriage to change clothes, the bandit leader stepped forward and stopped him.
“I’ll go. Brother Lu has family; he shouldn’t risk his life,” the bandit leader said. “I harmed Madam Lu, and I owe my elder brother a life. Consider this my repayment. Please, for my sincere repentance, treat my brothers well, Master Lu.”
"Big brother..." The bandits' expressions turned tragic.
Lu Pan paused for a moment, and the bandit leader promptly shoved the reins into his hand: "What are you standing there for? If you don't leave now, it'll be too late!"
As he spoke, he rushed over and tackled Hao Jingshi to the ground, reaching out to tear off his clothes.
"..."
Hao Jingshi was stunned by the bandit leader's crude manner. When he came to his senses, his ochre robe had been taken off, leaving only a thin inner lining.
"..."
Everyone present turned away, unable to manage a laugh in the oppressive atmosphere. Lu Qin rubbed her forehead, and Lu Pan'an was also speechless, covering his eyes with his hands.
After changing into ochre clothes, the bandit leader tossed his own plain clothes to Hao Jingshi and resolutely got into the carriage.
"Gentlemen, take care! I'm taking my leave first!"
The carriage swayed and disappeared into the night. The bandits watched him go with tears in their eyes, while Lu Qin silently bowed in his direction.
...
After the bandit leader left, Hao Jingshi squatted down, grabbed a handful of damp soil, and smeared it on his cheeks.
Instead of wearing the bandit's clothes, he wrapped them around Lu Qin's head to shield her from the rain.
The two rode the same fast horse. Hao Jingshi protected Lu Qin from behind, grabbed the reins, and took the nearest shortcut.
The horses galloped, the surrounding scenery flashed by, turning into blurry double images in their peripheral vision. The cold rain slapped against their faces, and Lu Qin's makeup gradually smudged, revealing her true face.
She wiped her face, looked back, and saw that no one was chasing her for the time being.
The mountain road was muddy, and the horse's hooves slipped several times. Hao Jingshi struggled to control the direction by pulling on the reins with one hand. Seeing this, Lu Qin reached out and grabbed the other end of the reins to help him.
Fifteen minutes later, the rain subsided, and the sky began to lighten with a pale white hue.
Water droplets dripped from their hair. Lu Qin took off the clothes on her head, wrung them out, and tied them around Hao Jingshi's waist.
As the dim sky gradually brightened, the end of the mountain road came into view, and further into the distance, a few scattered lights could be faintly seen.
The two continued flying forward, but when they got close, they discovered that there was an unfathomable cliff separating them from the lights.
Seeing that the road was blocked, the two tacitly reined in their horses and stopped a few steps away from the cliff.
Unexpectedly, when turning around, the horse stepped on a loose patch of soil, which rolled down, and the horse's hoof slipped hard.
The horse neighed, overturned, and threw the two men and their bundle away, before galloping wildly into the distance.
"ah!"
Lu Qin cried out in surprise and instinctively hugged Hao Jingshi tightly. The two of them fell heavily and rolled straight towards the edge of the cliff.
In a life-or-death moment, Hao Jingshi protected Lu Qin's head and clung tightly to the trunk of a tree with his legs to prevent his body from rolling further down.
Lu Qin took the opportunity to brace herself against the ground, steady herself, and slowly moved Hao Jingshi to a safe position. The two successfully escaped danger and breathed heavily against each other.
After the initial shock, Lu Qin belatedly felt a sharp pain in her palm. Looking down, she discovered that her palm and forearm were scraped, and the red string on her wrist was worn through and almost broken.
"Are you hurt?" Hao Jingshi sat up and took her hand.
Seeing the blood-red palm of her hand, he instinctively reached for his bundle.
The bundle was less than a hand's breadth from the edge of the cliff when it collapsed into a pile. The dry food and medicine inside had all rolled off, leaving only a water bottle.
Hao Jingshi carefully grabbed a corner of the bundle and dragged it back. He tore off a corner of the bundle and wrapped the clean part around Lu Qin's arm.
"I'm fine." Seeing him pull off the red rope, Lu Qin said regretfully, "It's a pity the red rope broke, and the horse has run off somewhere..."
Hao Jingshi comforted him, saying, "It was originally prayed to protect you. Now that it has fulfilled its mission, it has naturally broken off."
Upon hearing this, Lu Qin felt a warmth in her heart and couldn't help but stroke the red rope. The red rope gradually unraveled into several strands, revealing a hint of black.
She paused for a moment, then noticed a strand of hair inside: "My husband actually braided some hair in there; I only discovered it today."
"The abbot said that weaving with black silk can protect one's beloved from disaster."
Hao Jingshi casually replied, reaching out to help her to her feet, "The horse went that way, let's go over there and see if we can find it."
Lu Qin looked at him, an indescribable emotion spreading through her. She never expected that he, a man who disdained fate, would be so superstitious about things related to her.
She carefully tucked the red string into her bosom, then took his hand and gripped it tightly.
The two followed the horse's hoofprints and finally spotted the horse in a flat, open area.
It seemed to have shed its fear and was no longer going berserk. Instead, it stood there quietly, chewing on something with relish.
"This guy, he abandoned the two of us and came here to eat grass."
Hao Jingshi led Lu Qin closer to the horse, reached out and touched the horse's neck and back to see if the horse disliked it.
The horse obediently stretched its neck, seemingly enjoying itself.
Lu Qin tilted her head and looked over, then heard a dull thumping sound coming from the horse's mouth. She sensed something was wrong. "It's not grass, what is it eating? Tree bark?"
Hao Jingshi: "Why eat tree bark when there's grass available?"
"..." Lu Qin turned her head and exchanged a glance with Hao Jingshi.
There's nothing but grass and trees all around, what else is there to eat?
The two fell silent for a moment, a chill running down their spines. Then, a sudden voice rang out, sending shivers down their spines even further.
"It's eating my apples."
A languid voice, a familiar tone… Lu Qin and Hao Jingshi both froze.
As soon as they finished speaking, they heard rustling footsteps all around them. The two turned their heads and saw a group of masked assassins approaching them, their bows and arrows aimed at them, ready to fire.
Without thinking, Hao Jingshi pulled on the reins, but before he could even take a step, the assassin fired several arrows at once, piercing the horse's throat.
The horse neighed and collapsed heavily to the ground, convulsing violently as crimson blood gushed from its throat. After a few moments of convulsions, it stiffened and remained motionless.
The assassins pressed closer, and seeing this, Hao Jingshi suddenly drew an arrow from his horse and held it in his hand, protecting Lu Qin as they retreated step by step.
They eventually retreated to a precipice, with nowhere left to go.
Hao Jingshi gripped the arrow in his hand tightly, standing in front of Lu Qin, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.
The lingering smell of horse blood in Lu Qin's nostrils made her gag, and a wave of discomfort washed over her lower abdomen. She instinctively protected her stomach, keeping an eye on the group of assassins behind Hao Jingshi.
Among a group of burly assassins dressed in black stood a woman with a graceful figure.
Seeing that the two had nowhere to escape, the woman, wearing a veil, walked forward gracefully and raised her hand leisurely.
The assassins stopped approaching and began to retreat a dozen steps, standing within range of their arrows, drawing their bows fully.
The woman continued walking forward, stopping just a few steps away from Hao Jingshi, and lifted her veil.
Her gaze swept behind Hao Jingshi, and a casual laugh escaped her lips.
"Elder sister, it's been a long time."
Lu Qin stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar face, her pupils trembling: "Lu Ping, it really is you..."
"Yes, your sister is still alive, aren't you happy?"
Lu Ping spread her hands and twirled in front of the two of them. Her demeanor was elegant and dignified, unlike her usual frivolous self. She truly looked like a favored concubine.
“I heard my brother-in-law died, so I came here out of kindness to collect his body. I never expected... there would be such an unexpected gain.” She narrowed her eyes. “Elder sister, you really have a way with people. To save a sinner, you are willing to take such a big risk to make him fake his death.”
"Lu Ping." Hao Jingshi stepped forward, blocking her view. "I was the one who sent people to kill your mother, not her."
"Oh." Lu Ping covered her mouth and chuckled wickedly, ignoring him, her sharp gaze lingering on Lu Qin's hands covering her lower abdomen.
She clicked her tongue and said knowingly, "Oh my, why are you being so careful, elder sister? You must be pregnant, right? Congratulations! This is my little nephew."
"However, it's a pity that the Hao family is no longer the Hao family it used to be. The Hao family's children are also the sons of disgraced officials, so they absolutely cannot be kept alive."
Lu Qin panicked for a moment, her fingers gradually gripping a piece of clothing: "Whether the Hao family is guilty or not, you know best in your heart. Now that your wish has been fulfilled, why come to kill them all?"
"Exterminate them all?" Lu Ping repeated the words, a fierce look appearing on her face. "Elder sister, you've got it wrong. I don't care whether you live or die. It was the Emperor who issued the decree to punish the Hao family, not me. I'm just here to settle scores—"
“Back then, you set up a trap at the banquet, causing my mother and me to be kicked out of the Lu family, and you kept saying it was for revenge.”
"What, you think it's righteous to avenge your mother, but it's evil for me to avenge my mother?"
Hearing her absurd argument, Lu Qin frowned in disgust: "What high-sounding nonsense! Has my mother ever harmed you in the slightest? How have I ever offended you and your mother? Your mother being kicked out of the house is the retribution she deserves! She deserves to die!"
"You deserve to die too!" Lu Ping was provoked by these words and suddenly stared intently at her, saying, "Lu Qin, I haven't stopped hating you for a single day. As long as you're around, I'll always be a cold-hearted illegitimate daughter. Why? I'm also Father's daughter! Why does Father only care about you! And Father, if he hadn't ruthlessly driven me and Mother away, my mother wouldn't have died... I hate you all so much! And you, Hao Jingshi!"
"Is it shameful to take me as a concubine? You humiliated me like that... You sent someone to kill my mother... You're so good to Lu Qin! I had such a perfect plan... It's all your fault, you had to divorce Lu Qin at this time... You should all be buried with my mother!"
As Lu Ping spoke, she burst into wild laughter, her face contorted with rage, like a mad beast ready to tear its prey apart.
As she laughed, she gradually calmed down and slowly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Elder sister, after all these years, you've finally fallen short of me. I'm now the Emperor's favorite concubine, and my husband is the most honored man in the world, while you've ended up in this miserable state, and even fallen into my hands, hahahaha..."
"Just imagine how agonizing it would be for Father if he knew his most precious daughter had been killed by the daughter he cared about the least! Hahahaha! Just thinking about him makes me feel so good..."
"Crazy." Lu Qin stared at her coldly, not wanting to say another word.
Lu Ping continued to laugh to herself, her hysterical state causing Hao Jingshi to clench his fists: "So what do you want in order for you to let her go?"
"how?"
Lu Ping took a few steps closer, sneered, and stared straight at him.
"You beg me."
"If you're willing to kneel down and beg me properly, I'll consider letting your beloved go, how about it?"
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