Wan Xueying heard an eagle cry and quickly stood up like Shen Yu. Hearing movement ahead, she used her mental power to check for a large crowd. She quickly called out to Aunt Chen, Nanny Wu, Qiu Shi, and the others, telling them to pack up their tents and take cover.
Their hasty and chaotic situation delayed them for a while, but the temporary camp where the exiles rested at night had been set on fire by several flaming arrows, and soon the fire was everywhere.
"Oh no! There's a fire!" I don't know who was the first to warn everyone, and then several people followed suit and shouted, "Wake up! There's a fire!"
"Run! If you don't run, you'll be burned to death!"
Everyone in the camp heard the shouts and woke up one after another. When they got up, flames were already rising high and thick smoke was billowing all around them.
Logically speaking, since they were sleeping in the wild, it wouldn't be difficult for them to escape if they just hid. However, due to the excessive panic, people kept falling down.
Some of these people fell down on their own, while others were knocked down. But before they could get up, the people behind them continued to move forward, and a stampede occurred. In an instant, the sound of crying and shouting shook the sky, and the place became a chaotic mess.
"Don't panic! Don't get confused! Walk one by one and gather in the front!" At this time, General Hao, who rarely came forward to preside over the overall situation, rode on his horse and calmly gave orders to everyone.
But out of their instinct to escape, coupled with the noise, clamor, crying, and shouting all around, few people listened to him. Even those who could, were restrained by others and had no way of doing what he said.
"Ma Xiaoqi, you take your men and watch over them. Anyone who disobeys will be whipped! Whip him hard!" The most taboo thing at this time is disobeying orders. The use of force to deter is much more effective than his verbal threats.
"I'll take people there right away!" Ma Xiaoqi no longer had any patience. He was the first to rush to the front and when he saw someone running around, he raised his whip and started whipping him.
"I told you not to obey! I told you not to obey!" He shouted angrily while whipping the men. The other escorts followed his example.
Needless to say, the prisoners had been so trained during this period that the sight of the whip became almost instinctive, instantly becoming docile. No one dared to shout, no one dared to yell, and no one dared to disobey the escort's orders. The chaotic situation was gradually brought under control.
The situation on the Third Prince's side looks even more serious.
Suddenly, a group of men in black with their faces covered appeared from the surroundings, waving long swords in their hands and heading straight for Ning Ze's carriage.
Kill anyone who stands in your way, and kill Buddha if he stands in your way!
I originally thought they were here to assassinate the Third Prince, but when the leader approached the carriage, he took off his veil and respectfully said to Ning Ze, who had lifted a corner of the curtain to observe the situation, "I am so late, my master!"
"Who told you to come?" Ning Ze angrily demanded. "Didn't I tell you to lie low and not act rashly?" Huo Ran was the captain of the guards at the Third Prince's residence, a former seventh-rank official. To preserve his strength, Ning Ze had sent him into hiding with over a hundred guards before the incident.
"But if my subordinates don't come soon, my master's life may be in danger!" Huo Ran said as he fought with the Yulin Guards who were attacking him.
"Why is this?" Ning Ze frowned slightly.
"In Fengyang Ridge, the Crown Prince's men have already laid rolling logs and rocks, waiting to take the master's life. Furthermore, Pei Xuanqing is on the Crown Prince's side, and his mission this time is to help them eliminate the master."
"Nonsense! If this prince dies, how will Pei Xuanqing report to his father?"
"But my master, didn't you notice that Pei Xuanqing didn't show up from beginning to end?" Huo Ran looked proud.
"Yes!" Ning Ze followed up, "Didn't you notice that Pei Xuanqing hasn't shown up?"
"What do you mean, Master?" Huo Ran was shocked.
"What do you mean? Are you really here to save this prince?"
"Of course!" Huo Ran looked a little flustered.
"But if you come to save me like this, it will only confirm my guilt. Then I will deserve to die!" "Ning Ze" suddenly lifted the car curtain and appeared, shouting at the Yulin Guards: "Kill them! Don't spare any one!" Then he drew his sword and rushed towards Huo Ran.
"You are not the third prince!" Huo Ran was shocked.
The other person curled his lips and said, "Although you are Huo Ran, the group of people you bring with you are not the guards of the Third Prince's Mansion." They are not from the Eastern Palace either. It's really interesting.
With the addition of the fake third prince and others, the situation was reversed in an instant.
What no one noticed was that Pei Xuanqing had already taken advantage of this opportunity to escort the Third Prince around to the back mountain with another group of people, separating early from the group of people exiled to the northern border.
Wan Xueying had no idea what was happening here. After waiting for a long time and seeing no one coming to attack them, she asked Qiu Shi to take people to protect Aunt Chen and Madam Wu, and she quietly moved forward.
From a distance, she saw Shen Yu talking to Ye Chengyun in the gathering exile team, and her heart was secretly relieved.
When she reached the Third Prince's side and saw a fierce battle between the two sides, but could not see Pei Xuanqing in the crowd, she felt that something big was happening. However, her mind had no clues, so she could only let it go and return to her own people.
By daybreak, the fighting on the Third Prince's side had ceased. Captain Hao ordered Ma Xiaoqi to lead the troops to confirm the number of casualties among the exile group last night.
The inventory found that a fire that was only started to create chaos resulted in the death of thirteen people and more than twenty people were injured in the stampede.
Because the Wan family was ostracized by the Third Prince's faction, they rarely got a good resting place. This time was no exception, and they luckily escaped this disaster. However, they were all covered in dust and still had lingering fears.
Captain Hao ordered a hasty burial of the thirteen dead, and temporarily placed the seriously injured on a carriage. Because there wasn't enough room, Wan Huqing was driven off the carriage, cursing. The exile group continued on its way, undeterred by this incident.
The Third Prince's group didn't seem to be affected either. The Imperial Guards, escorting Ning Ze, Xue Jiaying, and the others in their carriages, continued forward, following the group ahead.
However, Wan Xueying was absolutely certain that the escort for the Third Prince had been completely replaced, as so many of them were new faces to her. Even among the four people who had come to her for summer-heat soup early that morning, only one was familiar to her.
She didn't foolishly ask Pei Xuanqing where he had gone. Even if she did, he probably wouldn't tell the truth. She pretended nothing had happened and gave him the summer heat-relief soup that the Yulin Guards usually needed.
That morning, everyone in each group wore a somber expression, their hearts filled with sorrow. This was the highest death toll they had seen since the beginning of the exile. They finally realized how difficult it was to reach the exile alive. Little did they know, this was only the beginning; even more brutal things lay ahead.
The exiles' progress was exceptionally slow throughout the morning, despite repeated urgings from the escorts. Considering the unique circumstances, Captain Hao urged the escorts not to push them too hard, and it wasn't until after noon that they finally arrived at their previously planned rest stop.
Some people just sit down on the ground without caring about anything else when they arrive, while others quickly grab a favorable position under the shade of trees.
Although each person was given a dry or even moldy black bread before departure, most people either had no appetite or were reluctant to eat it at that time, and would often save it until noon and eat it with cold water.
Wan Xueying and her friends were much better off in this regard. They had a car, and Aunt Wu would prepare plenty of food in advance, so everyone could eat whenever they felt hungry. It would be quite torturous to wait until lunchtime to see everyone else eating without eating, so everyone would eat some more, or combine two meals into one and eat at that time.
Qiu Shi was still responsible for delivering meals to Shen Yu, but this time he came back with a request made by Shen Yu.
"Mr. Shen said he wanted something light tonight, the lighter the better. It would be best if it didn't have any spicy ingredients. He also hasn't been craving fish lately, so he wouldn't be able to eat it if I sent it to him."
Wan Xueying raised her eyebrows, "Did Shen Yu say that?" He became arrogant because they just reconciled yesterday?
"Yes, that's exactly what Master Shen said. And..." Qiu Shi didn't know whether he should say it or not. He was afraid that after they finally reconciled, Wan Xueying would unilaterally initiate a cold war again.
"Just say what you want to say. Why are you hesitating?" Wan Xueying glared at him.
"Then I say, please don't be angry." This time, without waiting for Wan Xueying to urge him, Qiu Shi said quickly, "Also, the food delivered to us at noon today, Mr. Shen said he had no appetite and asked Mr. Ye to eat it for him." This had never happened since Mr. Shen offended their young lady. Even though Mr. Ye had tried to snatch it from them many times, Mr. Shen had never let him succeed.
"Are there any other differences you feel?" Wan Xueying frowned slightly, and made a bold guess. "For example, what's the atmosphere like when the two of you are together?" she suggested.
"Miss, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would never have thought of it. Now that you mentioned it, I feel that Young Master Ye seems to be particularly respectful to Young Master Shen Er, and even uses honorifics when speaking." No wonder he found the atmosphere between the two people weird after he went there.
"Does that person really look exactly like Shen Yu?" Wan Xueying asked a more important question.
"Same! But his gestures seem different." Qiu Shi couldn't put his finger on how different it was. "Oh, right," his eyes lit up, "that man's voice is different from Second Master Shen's, and he coughs every now and then. I asked him about it, and he said he caught a cold last night, and then got fired up over the assassination attempt."
"Okay, I understand."
To confirm her suspicions, Wan Xueying personally went to see Shen Yu. Since they knew each other well, it didn't cost her much. Even Qiu Shi had done the same thing when he'd gone to Shen Yu to give him gifts.
Shen Yu was momentarily flustered when he saw her coming over. He looked at Ye Chengyun. Ye Chengyun shook his head, saying that he didn't know why Wan Xueying, who had never taken the initiative to come to Shen Yu since her exile, suddenly came over.
"Shen Yu" was still thinking about how to deal with Wan Xueying, but Wan Xueying nodded slightly at him as a greeting, then turned to look at Ye Chengyun.
"Mr. Ye, may I have a word with you?" she asked.
Ye Chengyun didn't dare to answer immediately. He looked at "Shen Yu". "Shen Yu" nodded slightly at him, indicating that it was okay.
"What should I say if she asks me about that?" Ye Chengyun asked in a low voice with a worried look on his face.
"Just tell the truth."
"Is it really okay?" Ye Chengyun was still worried.
"She has probably already guessed that thing." Otherwise, she wouldn't have bypassed him to find Ye Chengyun.
"Okay, you stay here for a while, I'll be back soon."
After finding a deserted spot, Wan Xueying used her mental power to check around. After confirming that everything was safe, she asked directly, "Where did Shen Yu go?"
The man also smelled of medicine, quite strongly, but it wasn't the scent of the medicinal fragrance beads she had given Shen Yu yesterday. Although the two of them were very similar in stature, and their faces were indistinguishable, perhaps due to the use of disguise potions, Wan Xueying's years of spiritual practice had given her an ability to discern differences unmatched by ordinary people.
Seeing her directness, Ye Chengyun, who had received the agreement, replied honestly: "He should be with Pei Xuanqing now."
"Where?" Wan Xueying frowned. "When did he leave?"
"I don't know where they are now. They probably went around to the back mountain and left when someone pretended to rescue the third prince last night." Ye Chengyun did not hide anything and told her everything he knew and guessed.
"I understand." Before leaving, Wan Xueying reminded, "Go back and tell that person that Shen Yu has never been picky about food. Tell him that it's good enough to have something to eat during his exile. Why is he so picky? The reason why he has always been in poor health is related to his picky eating. Let him eat more whole grains when he has nothing to do."
"Is it true?" Ye Chengyun was overjoyed.
"I'll tell you later if it's true." She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to come back for a while, and the man would make trouble for no reason.
"Yeah." Ye Chengyun nodded repeatedly. Then he asked, "Are you going to look for Shen Yu?"
"Yes." Wan Xueying had no intention of hiding it.
"But you might not be able to help." Shen Yu's journey was fraught with danger. He didn't think Wan Xueying was any more formidable than Pei Xuanqing. What he feared even more was that the Emperor's order to Shen Yu was...
Ye Chengyun was a little worried that Wan Xueying would not be able to accept the result and would make a scene, then everything everyone had done would be in vain.
"Just take care of yourself and that guy." Wan Xueying didn't give Ye Chengyun any face at all. She turned around and left after saying this.
Time was running out, so she called Qiu Shi over and told him roughly what she was going to do.
The reason she didn't hide it from Qiu Shi was because he would have to deliver food to that person later, and would have many other contacts with that person. She was afraid that Qiu Shi might offend that person without knowing it, so she made a special effort to explain it.
All signs indicate that the emperor's favoritism towards that person can no longer be described as partiality. It is clear that his heart is biased to the extreme and he has done everything he can and should not do.
"I'm a little nervous, afraid that I won't do well." Knowing the man's identity, Qiu Shi became even more nervous.
"Treat Shen Yu the same way you treated him before. If he finds fault with you, just say what Mr. Shen did." He reminded the other party to be professional when pretending to be Shen Yu and to get into the role.
"Is that okay?"
"There's no such thing as a yes or no. If you're really afraid of saying or doing something wrong, then try to say and do as little as possible."
"This subordinate thinks it's okay." Qiu Shi then asked worriedly, "Miss, can you go alone? Do you need to find a few people to accompany you?"
"No need!" Wan Xueying flatly refused, "I went there secretly, and I can't let too many people know." She also reminded: "After I leave, you must protect Aunt Lian and Nanny Wu, and don't force yourself to take the lead in everything. If you can't make up your mind, find Ye Chengyun, he will find a way to help you." She didn't trust Ye Chengyun's brain that much, she trusted that person.
"What if those people from the Wan family come to cause trouble?" Although those people haven't had any chance yet, given their character, nothing can be said.
"If scolding doesn't work, then hit me. Don't be polite!"
"Are you still selling the summer heat soup and bean sprouts?" Even if they wanted to sell them, they couldn't do so without Wan Xueying!
"Not for sale yet. Tell Captain Hao in advance that I have something urgent to attend to and won't be back for a while."
"I understand." Qiu Shi nodded.
"Tell Aunt Lian quietly later. I'm afraid she'll worry."
"yes."
"Oh, right," Wan Xueying said, almost forgetting the most important thing after talking for a long time. "You just need to follow the exile group as you are now. If I can't catch up in a short time, you can wait for me in Fengyang Ridge. I will meet up with you there later."
"Fengyang Ridge? I'll remember that."
As they talked, she pulled out two silver notes from her space, pretending to take them out of her bosom and handing them to Qiu Shi. "These are two silver notes, each worth one hundred taels. Keep one for Aunt Lian, and one for you to spend when you need it." To make spending easier, she asked Pei Xuanqing to exchange the two thousand taels for smaller notes.
There were actually many things she needed to explain, but her mind was a bit confused, so this was all she could think of. When she left, she hesitated for a moment between riding a horse or taking a carriage.
If they wanted to catch up with Shen Yu and the others, riding a horse would be faster. But if something happened to Shen Yu, a carriage would be more convenient.
Besides, what would happen to the carriage after she rode away with the horse?
No matter what, saving people is more important. She now has a strong feeling that Shen Yu is waiting for her, waiting for her to save him.
Finally, she asked the driver to unload the carriage, telling him to use another carriage to tow the empty one. She said goodbye to Aunt Chen, climbed onto the horse, squeezed her legs against the horse's belly, shouted "Gee!", and rode back the way she came.
Although she had asked Pei Xuanqing for a map of this section of the road and had memorized the general idea, some of the small roads were not drawn on the map.
She didn't dare change her route rashly, fearing it would backfire. When she returned to her starting point that morning, she headed around the back mountain.
Sure enough, I saw many horse hooves and two wheel tracks on the road, and then I followed the direction of the tracks.
Pei Xuanqing and his companions were really careful. Whenever they came to a fork in the road, they would ask people to cover up the situation, mixing true and false, which easily confused the other party into believing that they were escorting the Third Prince.
In other words, she was able to accurately judge their true route by relying on her mental power, so as not to get lost or lose them.
When crossing a mountain, Wan Xueying slowed down her horse. It wasn't intentional, but from halfway up the mountain, she saw corpses one after another.
There are masked men in black, and there are also... the Yulin Guards.
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