Chapter 146 Hero Saves the Beauty
After bidding farewell to Liu Liniang, Su Qingci left the Da Ci'en Temple.
Outside the temple, carriages and horses thronged the official road, and pedestrians came and went.
She nimbly mounted her horse and strolled down the mountain.
Ever since accompanying the Princess on the hunt, the feeling of freedom from constraints has been etched into my heart.
These days, she prefers to travel by horseback.
No need to look at the blurry street scene through the carriage curtain, no need to care about the probing gazes of passersby, just hold the reins tight and you can speed towards your destination, and even your mood will feel more open.
Nowadays, there are more and more women like her traveling on horseback on the streets of Beijing.
In the past, women usually traveled by horse-drawn carriage or sedan chair.
The carriage curtains were drawn low, the veils covered the face, and even revealing the wrists required caution, as if the slightest carelessness would invite gossip.
But ever since the arrival of the eldest princess, she has been leading troops in training while wearing armor, engaging in heated debates with court officials, and even outshining all the men in archery and horsemanship at the hunting grounds...
More and more women began to follow her example, no longer bound by the precept that "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent."
They no longer hid in enclosed carriages or confined themselves to secluded mansions. Instead, they rode horses or walked freely through the streets, going to school, practicing medicine at clinics, or managing businesses in shops.
Even the most traditionally "etiquette-conscious" women from aristocratic families now go out without the cover of veils and hats, and occasionally meet up with a few friends to ride horses outside the city for a spring outing.
As people have seen it more often, their initial criticism has turned into acceptance.
Some people might even praise a woman riding by as she goes, saying "She looks so dashing."
Su Qingci thought, this must be the scene the Princess wanted to see? To allow women to choose their own lives freely, just like men in the world, and to live out their own value through their own abilities.
The horse walked along the mountain path, and the number of pedestrians around gradually decreased.
In the end, only Su Qingci and her servant Xiao Si remained on the mountain path.
Su Qingci was still lost in thought, completely unaware of the unusual situation around her.
"Master, something's not right." Xiao Si suddenly spurred his horse closer, his voice low, his eyes scanning the dense forest on both sides of the mountain path warily.
Su Qingci then realized what was happening.
This road is the only way to the Great Ci'en Temple. Even if there were few people in the past, it shouldn't be this deserted, without even a woodcutter or a pilgrim.
Su Qingci felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively tightened the reins.
Sure enough, not long after, six or seven masked men in black suddenly sprang out from the dense forest on both sides of the mountain path.
The group moved swiftly and instantly blocked Su Qingci's horse.
Su Qingci's face darkened, and she thought to herself: Could it be that Prime Minister Cui's faction can no longer hold back and is finally about to make a move?
"Master, be careful!" Xiao Si reacted quickly, immediately spurring his horse to block Su Qingci's path, his long sword flashing as it was drawn from its sheath.
Su Qingci forced himself to remain calm and raised his voice, "I am an official appointed by the imperial court. Aren't you afraid of having your entire family implicated in the robbery and murder of an official in broad daylight?"
The masked leader sneered, "Enough nonsense! We're just following orders. If you know what's good for you, surrender obediently, or don't blame us for being ruthless with our swords!"
After saying that, he gave a wink to his accomplices behind him, and the two immediately drew their knives and flanked the two from the left and right.
Seeing this, Xiao Si lowered his voice and said, "Master, these people seem to be very skilled. I may not be able to hold them off for long. If I am no match for them, you should immediately ride down the mountain and run along the mountain path to the main road. Patrol soldiers often pass by there, and they will not dare to chase us! Don't worry about me."
Su Qingci watched as Xiao Si single-handedly held off four assassins, her heart tightening, but she knew this was not the time to hesitate.
She replied softly, "Be careful yourself too!"
As soon as he finished speaking, several assassins rushed straight towards the two of them, their long blades aimed directly at the horse's belly.
Xiao Si dared not be careless. He flipped his wrist and his longsword barely blocked the assassin's slash from the left. At the same time, he lightly touched the stirrup with his toes and leaned back slightly to avoid the assassin's sneak attack from the right.
The clanging sound of swords clashing echoed along the mountain path, startling the birds in the forest into scattering and fleeing.
He had served in the army for many years and was agile and nimble. Even when outnumbered, he remained calm and composed.
In a short while, two assassins fell dead under his sword, screaming in agony.
The group clearly hadn't expected that such an ordinary-looking guard would be so skilled in combat.
Seeing the heavy losses, the group hesitated to advance any further.
Su Qingci sat on his horse, calmly surveying the group of assassins.
Although they looked fierce, they hesitated to launch a full-scale attack.
The leader, in particular, seemed to be sweating profusely from his anxiety, yet he always left some room for maneuver in his moves.
It didn't seem like they wanted to take her life; rather, it seemed like they were deliberately stalling for time.
Without further hesitation, Su Qingci pulled hard on the reins, her eyes fixed on the exit below the mountain path, intending to break through on horseback.
Regardless of their motives, let's break through first!
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from above the mountain road, accompanied by a clear shout: "Stop! How dare you commit violence in broad daylight!"
Su Qingci looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man in white leading four attendants rushing towards them.
The man rode a pure black steed, his robes billowing in the wind, as if he were walking on clouds. From afar, he appeared somewhat ethereal and otherworldly.
As the person drew closer, she was taken aback.
She actually recognized this person; it was Lu Yuandao's son, Lu Lingfeng.
He wore a white brocade robe and a jade crown. His already handsome face appeared even more refined in the sunlight, making him truly elegant and extraordinary.
Upon seeing the situation, Lu Lingfeng drew his sword and joined the battle without saying a word.
His four attendants followed closely behind, quickly drawing their swords and joining the battle, engaging the assassins in fierce combat.
The assassins who were originally surrounding Xiao Si were instantly dispersed, and the pressure on the field was suddenly relieved.
Su Qingci sat on horseback, stunned for a moment by the sudden help.
Back then, Lu Yuandao took the initiative to confess to the crime of murdering Liu Jinzhang. Considering his past merits, His Majesty only exiled him and did not implicate the Lu family.
Later, Lu Yuandao died in exile after encountering bandits. To appease the Lu family, His Majesty exempted Lu Lingfeng from the mourning period and promoted him to Vice Minister of Rites.
The two had only met briefly in court and had no other interaction.
How did he happen to be here today?
The leader of the assassins, seeing reinforcements arrive suddenly, changed his expression and shouted "Retreat!" to his companions before turning and fleeing into the dense forest.
The mountain path finally returned to calm, leaving only the two assassins' corpses lying on the ground and the lingering smell of blood in the air.
Su Qingci looked at the scene before her and a mocking smile appeared on her lips.
What's there to not understand?
Someone staged a "hero saves the damsel in distress" scenario specifically for her.
It seems that these people believe their unwavering devotion to the princess stems from the fact that she saved their lives.
He thought that by doing this, he could repeat the "life-saving grace" and shake her resolve.
That's ridiculous.
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