Arrest
In this unfamiliar dynasty, where she knew no one, who could she rely on?
The Liu family? Definitely not. They'd rather be begging them to chop off her head than protect her.
Chen Run? He had always regarded her as his beloved Liu Ruyi. If she went to see him at this critical moment, would she even be human?
Therefore, she still has to find her own way to survive.
Huang Ying brought a cup of ginseng tea into the room, and Jiang Yan immediately said to her, "Huang Ying, let's pack our bags and escape tonight!"
Huang Ying paused for a moment, then asked in surprise, "Master, do you mean... we're going to leave the palace?"
Huang Ying showed no trace of lingering attachment to the Prince's mansion in her eyes, and then said, "That's right, let's leave this awful place and live somewhere new. Would you like to come with me?"
"Yes, yes, this servant is willing."
"Then quickly pack some easy-to-carry, valuable things, and we'll leave as soon as it gets light."
"Alright, this servant will go pack right away." Huang Ying was very excited and thrilled, as if she had wanted to leave this man-eating place for a long time.
Jiang Yan didn't want to do something so unethical, but she wasn't a saint and didn't have the ability to save others, so she had to save her own life first!
As for the others, including Shangguan Zeyu, she would burn more paper money for them and pray for them more.
Jiang Yan had nothing of value to take with her, and was also afraid of being stopped when leaving the mansion, so she only had Huang Ying pack some valuables. As soon as it was slightly light, they pretended to be going out on business as usual and left the Duan Prince's mansion.
Jiang Yan's departure from the Prince Duan's residence was known to Shangguan Zeyu almost immediately after she left.
Shangguan Zeyu was reading a book when Zhang Qin told him. He was heartbroken and saddened at the time, but he quickly came to his senses and thought highly of Jiang Yan, finding her clever and intelligent.
Zhang Qin said, "Your Highness, I have taken care of everything for the day after tomorrow."
Shangguan Zeyu said leisurely, "If Your Majesty spares my life out of consideration for me, I will repay Your Majesty's favor. But if Your Majesty does not care for our brotherhood and insists on killing me, then we will proceed according to plan."
"Yes, Your subordinate obeys."
"The letter has been handed to Xiao Yu?"
"I personally delivered it to Lord Xiao yesterday evening."
"Hmph, I'd like to see whether his lasting achievements are more important, or the life of his only daughter!"
Jiang Yan originally planned to leave the capital before dawn, but she forgot one thing: the curfew.
When she and Huang Ying rushed to the city tower, they saw the tightly closed city gate and realized they had forgotten about it.
Moreover, perhaps fearing that Shangguan Zeyu would "flee in fear of punishment," the city walls, both inside and outside, were filled with soldiers, each tall and imposing, wielding long spears, swords, and knives. Jiang Yan only glanced at them briefly before she was terrified and quickly pulled Huang Ying away to hide.
Huang Ying was both nervous and frightened. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Master, can we leave the city?"
Seeing her looking like a frightened puppy, with tears welling up in her eyes, Jiang Yan sighed, suppressing her own fear, and comforted her, "What are you afraid of? They don't know us. As soon as it's light, we'll go out with the pedestrians. Don't worry, with me here, everything will be fine."
Huang Ying felt a little relieved.
In the past, they didn't want dawn to break, because the sun would be high in the sky in the blink of an eye. Now, they begged heaven and earth to let the sky light up quickly, but the sky seemed to be deliberately working against them, refusing to light up no matter what they did. They waited until they were terrified and could barely stand up before the sky would kindly grant them a little light.
Jiang Yan did not lead Huang Ying out of the city first. Instead, she waited until six or seven people had left the city before pretending to be ordinary people and walking towards the city gate.
Fate was kind to them, and they left the city without any trouble.
"Wow, we're finally out!" Jiang Yan shouted to the sky as soon as he left the city, his excitement overflowing.
The oriole was rather shy and didn't display her joy as openly as she did. Instead, she smiled broadly and looked ahead expectantly.
"Oriole, from now on, the sky is high and the sea is wide, let us roam freely!"
Huang Ying was infected by her excitement and exhilaration, and rarely showed such strong excitement as well. She nodded her head vigorously and nodded in agreement.
However, in a short while, Jiang Yan's mood plummeted.
She looked at Huang Ying with embarrassment, hesitated for a long time, and then stammered, "Huang Ying, I'm sorry, I didn't fulfill my promise to you. But don't worry, as soon as this matter is over, I will bring you back, and we will work together to find a way to get justice for your young lady, Liu Ruyi."
Huang Ying was neither angry nor blamed Jiang Yan. Instead, she said softly, "Master, I don't blame you. I saw what you did for the young lady."
Jiang Yan was filled with shame: "It's all my fault for being useless."
"Master, I don't blame you, and my young mistress certainly won't blame you either. Please don't blame yourself."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Jiang Yan sighed deeply, looked at the sky in the distance where the sun was already rising, and lamented, "Life is unpredictable!" Then, she took Huang Ying's hand and walked north.
On this day, the capital city seemed no different from any other, and the people continued to live their lives in accordance with the rules. But at midnight, everything changed.
The curfew had long since ended, but the city gates suddenly swung open, and two squads of strong, burly soldiers clad in sturdy black armor, wielding swords that gleamed with a cold light, arrived at the Prince Duan's residence in the blink of an eye, like fish swimming in water.
A man riding a tall horse, wearing sturdy silver-white armor and a helmet adorned with black tassels, with a gleaming silver longsword in his right hand, galloped up from behind them.
He pointed his longsword directly at the gate of the Prince Duan's mansion and shouted without hesitation, "Why aren't you letting your master out?!"
The two guards did not react at all, but the heavy, vermilion six doors opened from the inside.
Shangguan Zeyu, dressed in pure white, stood behind the door with a faint smile.
The man in white armor called out to him, "Good brother, are you all ready?"
Shangguan Zeyu parted his lips slightly and said, "Prince Su, you've come at just the right time!"
"I dare not accept the title of 'elder brother'!"
Shangguan Zeyu stood quietly in place, looking at him with a slight smile.
He rode a tall horse, looking down at Shangguan Zeyu, his eyes subtly revealing arrogance and pride.
At this moment, another person slowly walked out from the right side of the gate of the Prince Duan's mansion.
He was dressed in dark-colored clothes, which were gently illuminated by the moonlight, making it impossible to see the exact color of his clothes, but his appearance was immediately recognizable.
His brow bones were high and prominent, his eyebrows like strokes of a brush. His eyes were deep-set and sharp, as if he were looking at a sworn enemy. His nose was high and straight, resolute, and his lips were tightly pressed together, as if every breath he exhaled was filled with anger.
If he doesn't say anything, it would be hard for people to guess who he is for a while.
"Shangguan Zeyu, do you know who I am?" Chen Run stared coldly at Shangguan Zeyu, giving him no chance to hesitate or waver.
Shangguan Zeyu couldn't help but sneer: "Who are you? What business is it of mine?"
"Then remember this: my name is Chen Run, the eldest daughter of the Liu family, and Liu Ruyi's sweetheart!!!"
Shangguan Zeyu didn't say anything more, but found it very funny and laughed out loud.
Prince Su shouted, "Guards, arrest Shangguan Zeyu and take him to the imperial prison!"
Shangguan Zeyu showed no fear whatsoever. He stood quietly, just as before, smiling slightly, letting the wind gently flutter his clothes.
After Shangguan Zeyu was captured, Prince Su also left, leaving only Chen Run and about a hundred soldiers.
At Chen Run's command, the soldiers rushed into the Prince Duan's mansion, and the mansion was soon in an uproar.
Chen Run glanced around at the terrified crowd standing before him, but couldn't find the person he was looking for. So he asked angrily, "Is there anyone else who hasn't arrived yet!"
"Reporting to Lord Chen, the Princess Consort has not yet arrived."
"...Your Highness?" Chen Run didn't think it could be Jiang Yan. Just as he was wondering, Xiao Yiqing, supported by Chunhua, walked over step by step with an arrogant air.
Chen Run didn't mince words, sarcastically remarking, "The princess is truly audacious; even at this point, she still puts on airs."
Ignoring his sarcasm, Xiao Yiqing slowly strolled up to him, casually glancing at the trembling others, and said, "My lord, isn't this action inappropriate?"
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