In the thick fog before dawn, Lu Jingze's Xuanjia Guards had already sealed off all exits.
He himself stood at the highest point of the pass, his gaze sweeping over every passing carriage.
Three days without sleep or rest left his eyes bloodshot.
Just when the search team was exhausted, the most unexpected news arrived.
Someone saw Prince Jing leaving in a carriage with his concubine on the official road at Yunling Pass.
"Impossible!" Lu Jingze grabbed the messenger by the collar. "I've been here the whole time..."
He suddenly stopped, a chill running down his spine. That madman Zhou Yun'an dared to impersonate him!
——
On the official road through the Yunling Mountains before dawn, Lu Jingze's mount collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth.
He hadn't slept for days; his undergarment, soaked with sweat and then dried, was covered with a thin layer of salt frost.
"Your Highness!" Zhou Han, the commander of the personal guards, caught up from behind, holding a piece of blood-stained cloth in his hands. "It was found at the fork in the road!"
Lu Jingze grabbed the fabric and ran his fingertips over the dark brown bloodstains on it.
That was the handkerchief that Wang Xiuxiu often used.
"Which direction?" His voice was hoarse beyond recognition.
"East... East Mountain Road." Zhou Han hesitated, then continued, "But..."
\"explain!\"
"Some brothers also found deep wheel tracks in the northwest direction, as if the vehicle had carried a heavy load."
Lu Jingze punched an old tree by the roadside, causing the bark to crack.
Zhou Yun'an, that cunning scoundrel!
"We will split into two groups. You will lead one team northwest, while I will personally pursue Dongshan Road. If we find anything, send a signal immediately."
Three hundred iron cavalrymen charged out of the city gate like arrows released from a bow.
Unbeknownst to Lu Jingze, just half an hour earlier, an ordinary-looking carriage with a green canopy had quietly passed through the checkpoint...
The carriage curtain was slightly lifted, revealing the figures of the "loving couple"—a haggard-looking young woman leaning on her husband's shoulder, while her gentle and refined husband carefully wiped away her sweat.
Lu Jingze dispatched men to intercept people at various checkpoints and check their identities when leaving the city.
No one expected that after Zhou Yun'an left the pass, he changed his clothes and took Wang Xiuxiu back to Peizhou City dressed as an ordinary couple. When Lu Jingze led his men to Yunling Pass, they left the city again and headed south.
Inside the carriage, Zhou Yun'an removed the human skin mask, revealing his pale, ghostly true face.
Zhou Yun'an ran his fingertips across the throbbing veins on the side of Wang Xiuxiu's neck.
Wang Xiuxiu felt his movement, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.
The pills Zhou Yun'an fed her put her into a strange state—she could hear and see, but she couldn't move or speak.
The most terrifying thing was that she could clearly feel the toxins in her body undergoing some kind of change, like countless tiny insects crawling in her blood vessels.
"My lady, just bear with it a little longer." Zhou Yun'an's voice was gentle as water, but his fingers were secretly pinching Wang Xiuxiu's pulse. "We'll be in Mingzhou soon."
Wang Xiuxiu's eyes were unfocused, and her pale lips trembled slightly.
"Don't cry, my wife." Zhou Yun'an wiped away her tears with his thumb, the force almost tearing her skin. "It wouldn't be good if someone saw."
He leaned close to her ear, his voice so soft only she could hear: "Your good husband should be on his way to Yunling Pass right now. How disappointed he'll be when he finds it's just an empty carriage..."
When the carriage arrived at a teahouse, Zhou Yun'an helped his "beloved wife" out of the carriage for a short rest.
Wang Xiuxiu's legs gave way, and she hung limply in his arms.
The tea server quickly brought over a soft couch, his face full of respect: "Young master is so considerate to his wife!"
"A married couple should be like this," Zhou Yun'an sighed, his brows furrowed with worry. "I only regret that I cannot suffer this pain in her place."
Wang Xiuxiu felt a churning in her stomach.
If it weren't for the paralysis in her throat, she would have vomited on the spot.
Zhou Yun'an's hand was secretly applying pressure to a vital acupoint on her lower back, causing waves of sharp pain as if thousands of fine needles were crawling around her.
"I've heard that Physician Chen of Mingzhou possesses the ability to bring the dead back to life," the tea server said enthusiastically. "My cousin contracted a strange illness last year, and all the doctors in the area said they couldn't cure him. In the end, it was Physician Chen who delivered medicine."
"Thank you for your guidance. My husband and I were also planning to do the same."
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