Encountering bandits
Xiling Mountain is located in the southwest of Shengjing. Cheng Yayin had heard earlier that the southwest has been unstable since the beginning of the year. Bandits have been causing chaos in many mountains and forests. The court has sent troops to encircle and suppress them many times, but those bandits have three burrows and can never be eliminated.
But Xiling Mountain has always been a royal enclosure, and the surrounding area should have been under the jurisdiction of peace. Could it be that she was so unlucky that she ran into these fearless and rampant bandits?
Cheng Yayin secretly thought it was not good. She looked at the group of people across from her, thinking about how to speak, when the leader of the group raised an eyebrow and said, "Blocking the road? Is this road owned by your family? My brothers and I got some good wine and needed some snacks to go with it. We wanted to hunt a rabbit to go with it, but you made such a big noise that you scared away my rabbit. How do you want compensation?"
The other party started to attack immediately. Cheng Yayin could sense Pei Songsheng's anxiety in the car, as if he wanted to come out to protect her. She held Pei Songsheng in the car with one hand and stopped Jian Zhu, who was about to retort with the other. She smiled and said, "Brothers, we are passing by here in a hurry and don't mean to disturb your peace. We are really busy and can't delay. It's fate that we met by chance. We shouldn't get angry over a rabbit. If you are willing to let me go, I will give you a huge reward."
Cheng Yayin had just roughly counted the enemy: about a dozen or so, each armed. Her own group had left in a hurry, traveling light and with a small entourage. While they were outnumbered, they were all servants from the mansion's security detail. Facing such an aggressive bandit, they might not be able to withstand it. The best solution was to pay them back. Bandits, after all, were willing to sacrifice their lives for their money. So, what was wrong with paying them?
Unexpectedly, the bandit leader across from them wasn't impressed at all. He sneered, "Madam, you're so generous, but we brothers don't need money today. We just need some food to go with the wine. Madam, you're a real beauty, so how about this? Come with us to the village and have a few drinks with us. Then we'll let you go and waive your toll. How about that?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone on Cheng Yayin's side changed, but the group of bandits on the opposite side burst into joyful laughter, and all pairs of eyes fell greedily on Cheng Yayin.
Cheng Yayin sensed Pei Songsheng's impatience behind her, almost reaching the point of losing control. She desperately pushed him back, trying to escape, and shouted at the group, "This is too much! To tell you the truth, I'm the wife of the Imperial Censor. How many lives do you have? How dare you rob an imperial official's carriage?"
The man opposite laughed heartily, then turned to his brothers and said, "Guys, we're lucky today! We ran into the wife of an imperial official. The imperial court has been suppressing us everywhere, and many of our brothers have been killed by them. Today we can finally get some revenge!"
Those people raised their weapons and cheered.
Cheng Yayin's expression became increasingly solemn, and at the same time, a strange feeling arose in her heart.
Any ordinary bandit, no matter how arrogant, would still be wary of his own life. Knowing she was an official's wife, he wouldn't dare act so recklessly. But this group showed no fear. Less than a hundred miles ahead lay the imperial enclosure, and they were brazenly robbing people there, as if they had set an ambush specifically for them.
Cheng Yayin instantly thought of the assassination of Xue Zhi in the dark market. The thieves were disguised as antique dealers, and it is still unclear who drove them.
Pei Songsheng was still sitting in the carriage. If the two of them unfortunately died here today, and the news got out that they were robbed and killed by bandits, it would be difficult to find out the truth.
The thought sent a chill down Cheng Yayin's spine. She'd come to see Doctor Wang today to treat Pei Songsheng, but instead, she'd fallen into a trap that had led him to his doom. No matter what, she'd risk her life to get him out.
The group of people opposite her looked at her as if they were looking at prey they were determined to catch. They clenched their weapons tightly, their knuckles creaking, and the atmosphere became tense, as if a fight was about to break out.
At the moment when the bandit leader's eyes turned fierce, Jian Zhu turned his horse's head, whipped the horse hard, and the carriage rushed towards a branching path on the side.
Cheng Yayin fell into the car and was caught by Pei Songsheng.
The path was rocky and jagged, and the carriage jolted relentlessly. Cheng Yayin was dazed and scrambled to her feet. She leaned out the window and looked back. She saw the Pei Mansion's guards had cornered the bandits halfway. The two sides were locked in a fierce battle, the clash of swords and spears piercing the silence of the forest. The bandits showed no interest in fighting, and the leader, along with two other bandits, broke through the guards' defenses and rode their horses in pursuit of Cheng Yayin and her companions.
The path was narrow, unsuitable for carriages, and the distance they had initially gained was quickly surpassed by the bandit leader on his lone horse. Cheng Yayin was in a state of panic, and Pei Songsheng saw it all and leaped from the carriage with her in his arms.
After jumping out of the car, Pei Songsheng used his body to protect Cheng Yayin and rolled on the ground for a few rounds. He pulled her up and pushed her back, saying resolutely: "Master, you go first. I will hold them back."
After seeing them jump out of the carriage, Jian Zhu pulled the carriage across the narrow road, blocking the pursuers. The bandit leader simply abandoned his horse and quickly chased after them, sword in hand.
Jian Zhu was busy fighting with the two people behind him and couldn't come to the rescue in time. Seeing that the thieves were about to catch up, Cheng Yayin pulled Pei Songsheng and ran away, "Fool, they are coming for you."
The two of them raced toward the steep, forested cliffs, using the complex terrain to distance themselves from the pursuing bandit leader. But the leader pursued them relentlessly, clearly determined to achieve his goal. The scene was remarkably similar to the incident at the Dark Market, but this time without the cover of night and the sudden arrival of Doctor Hu to save them, Cheng Yayin's strength was running out, and she gradually felt a wave of despair.
In a panic, a ravine suddenly appeared ahead. Cheng Yayin tripped over a protruding tree root and they both fell into the ravine. The ravine was sloped on both sides, and the impact separated Cheng Yayin and Pei Songsheng's hands, sending them tumbling in different directions.
Seeing this, the thief leader grinned grimly, jumped down and walked towards Cheng Yayin.
Cheng Yayin's head was covered with dead leaves and broken branches. She looked at the tall and strong bandit leader in embarrassment, but thought to herself: Why is he coming for me?
Before she could figure out the outcome, the thief leader had already stretched out his claws towards her.
But before he could touch Cheng Yayin, he was knocked aside by a powerful force from behind. Pei Songsheng shouted, "Go!"
Cheng Yayin took the opportunity to use her hands and feet to climb out. Pei Songsheng stayed below to hold back the bandit leader who was about to catch up. Seeing Cheng Yayin's skirt disappearing at the edge of the ditch, he became angry and raised his knife to chop Pei Songsheng.
Pei Songsheng narrowly avoided the attack, but the bandit leader spun around and hit him hard in the chest with the handle of the knife. He groaned in pain and half-knelt down.
The bandit leader immediately climbed up the broken ditch. Cheng Yayin, who was originally wandering nearby because she was worried about Pei Songsheng, turned around and ran away when she saw this. However, she was hit on the ankle by a stone. She didn't know where the stone hit her, but half of her body was numb and she staggered and fell to the ground.
The thief leader raised his knife and said fiercely: "I'll cut your tendons and see how you can run away!"
The sharp blade pierced her eyes. Cheng Yayin closed her eyes and could only hear Pei Songsheng's desperate cry: "A Zheng——"
Suddenly, a long arrow came through the air, piercing the bandit leader's knife-holding hand like a meteor, and sank into the tree trunk behind him, leaving a trembling sound at the tail of the arrow.
A large cut was made on the bandit leader's hand, and blood immediately gushed out. His long knife fell out of his hand, and he covered his hand and screamed in pain.
Cheng Yayin escaped the knife, but her heart was still beating wildly. The thief leader glanced behind her, probably sensing the situation was dire, and immediately disappeared into the dense forest.
As soon as he left, Cheng Yayin saw Pei Songsheng, who had just climbed out of the broken ditch. He was also looking behind her with a look of surprise.
She turned around and saw the direction from which the arrow had come. There stood a man in brocade robes. He was too far away to see his face. She only saw him holding a longbow, his fingers still in the posture of nodding the arrow, and standing tall and slender.
*
At the foot of Xiling Mountain, there is a tent in Weichang.
In just half a day, Cheng Yayin had a deep understanding of the mysteries of the world.
First, they were attacked by bandits and were rescued when their lives were hanging by a thread. The person who rescued them was not an ordinary person, but His Majesty's fourth son, a legitimate royal family member, the Prince of Jin'an, who was deeply favored by the emperor.
She originally came to detoxify Pei Songsheng. Perhaps he was too shocked when he was attacked, but he regained consciousness when he fell into the ditch. Otherwise, based on Cheng Yayin's appearance alone, she would not have recognized this famous and romantic prince.
Even Cheng Yayin, far from the court, had heard of Prince Jin'an's reputation for casual elegance. After rescuing the couple, he explained that he had been wandering in Western Shu and had returned specifically to participate in a hunting expedition in Xiling Mountain. He happened to be passing by the area where they were in distress and saw two gangs engaged in a fight. One of the gangs looked less friendly, so he led his men to rescue the men from the Pei residence. Upon learning that the bandit leader had entered the forest in pursuit of Pei Songsheng and his wife, he rushed over, arriving just in time to save them both.
After being rescued, he took the two back to the camp at the foot of Xiling Mountain. Cheng Yayin had been worrying about how to get close to the camp and find the whereabouts of Doctor Wang without being noticed, but she didn't expect that this difficult problem would be solved just like that.
Cheng Yayin and Pei Songsheng both looked embarrassed, and they went to Prince Jin'an's tent to wash their hands and faces and tidy up their appearance.
Cheng Yayin was still frightened. She stared at Pei Songsheng for a long time, confirming that he was indeed back. She felt puzzled and couldn't help but blame herself, "I'm sorry, it was me who insisted on bringing you here that put you in danger."
Pei Songsheng shook his head: "It was me who forced you to make this trip. Now it seems that there must be someone watching near the Pei Mansion, and our whereabouts are completely under that person's control."
"You still think that guy did it?" Cheng Yayin shuddered as she recalled the ferocious appearance of the gang. "They're so bold! They actually pretended to assassinate the emperor right under his feet. They're simply lawless."
"Or maybe he is simply fearless." Pei Songsheng said.
The two men were talking when the felt curtain of the tent was lifted and they immediately stopped talking.
It was none other than Jin'an Prince Meng Yu who entered. Before he even reached them, a hearty voice reached their ears, "Those thieves were very cunning. They took flight the moment they saw my men. My men searched the area thoroughly but couldn't find any trace of them. I think they're extremely familiar with the terrain and escaped along an obscure path. How despicable!"
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