As Chu Changning traveled, he was relentlessly pursued by assassins and suffered countless attempts to kill him.
In order to escape the assassins, she deliberately headed towards bustling towns.
Gu Xuanye was very unrestrained and flamboyant, with an eccentric personality and was quite difficult to deal with. He had been following her ever since she left Nanzhou, ostensibly as a companion.
"Hey, what are they talking about up there?"
Chu Changning followed his gaze and saw a crowd gathered in front of the notice board.
Gu Xuanye dragged her to see it, and she couldn't break free, so she could only let him pull her along.
Peach Blossom quickly followed.
"It's true, look at this notice. It says that the Empress suddenly fell ill with a serious disease, and His Majesty dug out the heart of one of his concubines to cure her."
"Is that so? That's a truly cruel method."
"Whose daughter is she?"
Chu Changning squeezed at the back of the crowd, looking at the notice posted, his expression paused slightly.
Tao Zhi seemed to have thought of something, and her eyes suddenly reddened.
"Miss--"
Chu Changning's hand, hidden in her sleeve, trembled slightly. She lowered her eyes and said nothing.
Suddenly, a cold hand landed on her shoulder, a familiar scent drew near, and a boy's teasing voice reached her ear.
"Tsk, how tragic. What sins did these concubines commit?"
Chu Changning snapped out of her daze, brushed him aside, and squeezed through the crowd.
Gu Xuanye raised an eyebrow and followed.
"Hey, don't forget, you owe me a favor."
Chu Changning paused slightly and turned around.
"What does Young Master Gu want?"
That day, she was assassinated, and he stood by and watched. In order to ask him for help, she agreed to do him a favor.
Gu Xuanye put one hand on her shoulder and pulled her forward by the neck.
"It's too late today, I didn't remember. Another day."
Chu Changning was held tightly by him and pushed him away in annoyance.
Gu Xuanye exerted force fiercely, "If you struggle again, I'll strangle you."
"---"
That night, the group ate dinner and settled down at an inn.
After returning to the house, Chu Changning stood by the window.
Taozhi stood behind her and said urgently, "Something must have happened to the little princess. When we left, the little princess was imprisoned and tortured. Now, His Majesty has even ripped out her heart for the sake of the empress."
“Princess, the little princess’s life is hanging in the balance. No one but you can save her.”
"Save her?" Chu Changning curled his lips in self-deprecation and murmured, "How can I save her?"
She was constantly on the move, barely able to protect herself, so how could she possibly save someone from the emperor?
Taozhi quickly grabbed her hand.
"Back then, the late emperor used 100,000 troops to exchange for the princess's marriage to a noble family, so that one day the princess could gain a foothold in the noble family, confront His Majesty, and rescue the little princess."
"As long as the princess is willing to ask the lord for help, the lord will surely find a way."
Chu Changning was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening.
There's no such thing as a coincidence. He did it on purpose, deliberately letting her know about Chu Chang Le's experiences in the palace, and plotting to make her go back and beg him.
Ah, so that's how it is.
But—she won't go back.
She didn't have the ability to make Yan Beimo fight against the new emperor for her; going back would only be like walking into a trap and being tortured.
"Taozhi, you should go back to sleep first."
Seeing her like this, Taozhi's shoulders slumped weakly, and she whispered with red eyes.
"Does the princess really want to watch her little princess die without ever finding peace?"
Chu Changning's hand tightened, and he murmured, "I can't save her."
Perhaps because he had seen the notice during the day, Chu Changning couldn't sleep well all night.
In her dream, the past events in the capital city flashed through her mind like a fleeting glimpse, as if she had personally experienced them, leaving her in a nightmare from which she could not wake up.
She saw that she had returned to the capital, where her father and mother were still alive, doting on her, her elder brother was pampered, and her younger sister was charming and lovely.
She had a bad temper and always bullied her younger sister, but her younger sister was gentle and always followed her around calling her "elder sister."
After leaving the palace, he would bring back any novel or interesting things and give them to her.
"Sister, Ayan is a good man. He took me to the horse race yesterday. It was so much fun and exciting."
"I don't want it, Your Highness, give it to me, give it to me, that's what Ayan bought for me."
The image of the two chasing and playing in the Imperial Garden was so clearly etched in her mind that it haunted her dreams, causing her to constantly recall everything from the past.
The scene shifts, and she sees the rebels entering the city.
"Changning, don't look back, run, run fast--"
"Go quickly, don't look back, don't look back."
On the blood-soaked city wall, the emperor's head was mercilessly thrown down. The emperor's younger sister, dressed in her wedding gown, ran out in a mad, hysterical state, and nearly fell off the city wall.
She was rescued by her father's bodyguards and ran for her life.
The water in the moat was so cold that she almost suffocated. She cried and cursed, going crazy like a madwoman.
The faint candlelight flickered, and the lamplight flashed by, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.
Chu Changning was awakened by the painful memories of his dream.
She sat bolt upright in shock, panting heavily, and stiffly looked around.
The inn is not a palace, but an inn.
She clutched her chest and leaned against the bedside, letting out a long sigh.
The candlelight cast long shadows on the wall.
Chu Changning lifted the curtain and glanced at the sky outside; it was already dawn.
After a quick thought, she washed up, packed her things, woke up Taozhi, and quietly left the house.
"Miss, are we really going to run like this?"
Taozhi led the horses out of the stable.
Chu Changning nodded, "I don't know where that Gu Xuanye came from, he's up to no good. We finally have a chance, let's get rid of him."
As she spoke, she glanced at Taozhi's red and swollen eyes and sighed inwardly.
"Let's go."
The two rode their horses out of the city and continued their journey.
Taozhi was favored by the late empress and had been by the side of the two princesses since childhood. After hearing about Chu Changle's affairs, she was often absent-minded.
Chu Changning was affected by her emotions and kept recalling the events in Kyoto in his dreams.
Those illusory past events lingered in her mind as if they were real experiences, making her feel suffocated.
But she knew in her heart that she couldn't save Chu Chang Le in this chaotic world.
"Miss, we're just ahead in Linshui County. Let's go into town and rest for a bit."
After they were far from Yandu, the two disguised themselves as women of the martial arts world, carrying swords and riding horses.
Chu Changning has been traveling for days and has lost a lot of weight.
She glanced at the empty forest and nodded.
Meanwhile, a large group of people stood on the edge of a cliff not far away.
A high priest holding a puppet cane carefully compared the portrait with the image before speaking.
“Young Master, this is indeed Princess Jinling of the Southern Dynasty.”
Gu Xuanye, dressed in a red robe, stood on the edge of the cliff, staring intently at the figure below.
Upon hearing the great wizard's words, a hint of wickedness appeared on his devilish face.
The high shaman said, "Now that wars are frequent in the north, if we can capture this woman and bring her back to the Western Regions, we can lure you into a trap."
Gu Xuanye chuckled evilly, "Yan Beimo sent out so many assassins to find her whereabouts. Doesn't that mean that this princess of a fallen kingdom is his weakness?"
Ever since they left Nanzhou, Dragon Army assassins have been searching for her, following her trail.
To prevent her from being taken back by the assassins, he covered her retreat, losing two thousand elite troops in the process.
This score needs to be settled properly with Yan Beimo.
"Young Master, if this woman is indeed the Marquis of Yan's weakness, our southward advance is just around the corner."
One of the rough generals also spoke up in a gruff voice, "We didn't bring many men with us to the Central Plains this time. Last time, our young master lost many strong generals in Qudu. Let's take this princess back to the Western Regions first. We're not afraid that that dog Yan Beimo won't go."
“Yes, young master, if we delay any longer, Yan Beimo’s assassins will catch up soon, and we will have lost an opportunity for nothing.”
Gu Xuanye raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."
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