It had been sunny for a few days, but unexpectedly it started to drizzle in the middle of the night, mixed with a sharp cold wind. The cold of winter was gradually approaching.
"Is it raining outside?" Awakened by the sound of raindrops, Yun Qianmeng supported herself with her right hand and sat up on the bed, and asked Mu Chunyingxia who was resting in the outer room in a soft voice.
"Princess, do you think it's too noisy?" Mu Chun put on a thin plain jacket, held a candlestick in her hand, and walked in quickly, lifting the curtain.
She quietly placed the candlestick on the table, poured Yun Qianmeng a cup of warm water, and then walked to the bedside, placing the teacup in Yun Qianmeng's hands. She then took the honey-colored jacket from the foot of the bed and draped it over Yun Qianmeng's shoulders.
Yun Qianmeng took a sip of hot water to moisten her dry throat, then asked, "Is the rain heavy outside?"
"The rain is just average, but a little heavier than at the beginning. It seems that it won't stop for a while. It's very cold at night, and it's raining now. Princess, you'd better lie down to avoid catching a cold." Mu Chun pulled Yun Qianmeng's jacket closer to her shoulders to prevent the cold air from entering her body.
This villa was unlike the palace; all food and drink had been pre-arranged. Being away from home, and now on the run, some negligence in service was inevitable. Just like this villa, the temperature was getting colder, but there was no charcoal burning, so even the inner rooms felt chilly. If the princess caught a cold, they would be unable to explain it to the prince.
Thinking of this, Mu Chun bent down again and tucked the corners of Yun Qianmeng's quilt to prevent the cold wind from blowing into the quilt.
Yun Qianmeng listened to Mu Chun's answer and pondered it carefully before speaking, "Have you memorized everything I taught you in the carriage these days?"
Seeing Yun Qianmeng testing her on whether she had learned her lesson, and remembering how the princess had insisted on teaching her and Yingxia how to shoot despite being physically and mentally exhausted, Mu Chun immediately nodded respectfully and whispered, "Don't worry, Princess. Yingxia and I have memorized it and will definitely not let you down."
Seeing Mu Chun's serious expression and flower-like pretty face, Yun Qianmeng nodded lightly, but her expression suddenly became serious. She ordered in a low voice, "In that case, for the next few days, you and Yingxia will ride in Concubine Yuande's carriage. As long as the musket doesn't come into contact with water, its power cannot be underestimated. But remember, never let the musket and gunpowder come into contact with water."
"Princess..." Mu Chun had never imagined that the princess, who had spent these days carefully teaching them how to use a musket, would actually ask them to protect Concubine Yuande. For a moment, Mu Chun was extremely reluctant, and shock and surprise appeared on her face and eyes. She clearly wanted to refuse this request.
They were Yun Qianmeng's maids, and their bond with her was unparalleled. They should be united in the face of such a disaster, protecting the princess. How could they turn around and protect the cunning Concubine Yuande at this moment?
"Princess, I don't want to!" At this time, Yingxia, who was originally guarding outside, lifted the curtain and walked in quickly. She was about to kneel down without saying a word, but was stopped by Yun Qianmeng's eyes.
"Don't worry, Qiao Ying is by my side. You two don't have any martial arts skills, so it would be more dangerous for you to follow me. This matter is settled. Qiao Ying and I have already arranged the next things. You can go down and rest, so as not to get tired on the way." Yun Qianmeng made such arrangements, but she also had her own reasons.
Now that she had determined who the enemy was, she couldn't let Yingxia and Muchun take any risks. They were both weak and beautiful, and the sight of them would surely arouse lustful thoughts in the thieves. She absolutely couldn't let them take that risk.
However, he couldn't tell them this directly, lest they refuse to leave him.
After he finished speaking, Yun Qianmeng slowly lay down and stopped talking.
Mu Chun and Ying Xia had no choice but to bow to Yun Qianmeng, and then they quietly walked out of the room.
When they woke up the next day, the rain outside was indeed getting heavier. They had a quick breakfast and got on the carriage and set off.
Along the way, it rained heavily, and the rain, accompanied by strong winds, hit the car body. From time to time, the strong wind blew up the car curtains, and the rain took advantage of the momentum to rush in...
When they reached the evening, they were supposed to rest at the last villa, but suddenly they heard the sound of horse hooves outside the carriage. The hooves stepped hard on the mud, splashing up countless mud, but no one paid any attention.
"Report to the Princess." The sound of horse hooves gradually stopped, and a low reporting voice sounded outside the carriage window.
"But something happened up ahead?" Yun Qianmeng glanced at the busy Qiao Ying and then asked in a low voice.
"Princess, I just went to explore the way, but found that the old lady's villa had already turned into a pile of ruins." The voice outside the carriage was a little lower, but the rigorous tone became more and more obvious.
Upon hearing this, a hint of coldness flashed across Yun Qianmeng's brows, but in the blink of an eye, he became calm and composed. He gently stroked his abdomen with both hands and asked calmly, "Have you conducted a thorough inspection? Is anyone injured? When did the villa become a ruin? Was it looted or burned down? Are there any clues left at the scene?"
The secret guards on horseback, riding alongside the carriage, heard the princess's detailed inquiries and her calm, steady voice. Their initial anxiety gradually subsided, and they reported their findings to Yun Qianmeng. "It was set on fire. When I arrived, the entire compound was in ruins, but black smoke was still billowing everywhere, and I could faintly smell kerosene. If it weren't for the increasing rain, the fire wouldn't have been so severe. Fortunately, the servants in the compound had already fled, and no one was injured. However, I'm afraid we can't rest here today. It's so far from any village or inn, and the rain is so heavy, the ground is muddy, and walking at night is too dangerous. There's only a long-abandoned temple not far from the compound where we can take shelter from the rain. Please give your instructions, Princess."
Seeing that the secret guard had learned so much, Yun Qianmeng's slightly cold eyes flashed with a sneer, and then he ordered, "Since that's the case, let's follow our pre-arranged actions. Although the temple is dilapidated, it can solve the immediate problem. Let's go there to take shelter from the rain for the night."
"Yes, I'll do it right away." As soon as the words fell, the sound of horse hooves rang out again, gradually fading away, leaving only the sound of rain.
"Princess, they are so bold that they dared to set fire in public." Qiao Ying put down the bronze mirror in her hand. Her calm eyes reflected a murderous aura. A murderous aura had already appeared on her body, and her expression under her furrowed brows was full of anger.
Yun Qianmeng smiled, but her smile lacked any warmth. She took the eyebrow pencil from Qiao Ying's hand and applied her makeup herself. "They were so impatient, but it really helped us a lot. It saved us from having to send more people to take care of everything. Although this little accident happened, the rest of the situation is still under control."
"But the old lady's villa was destroyed by these people." When Qiao Ying saw Yun Qianmeng putting makeup on her personally, she immediately sat up straight and didn't dare to shake at all. Her pretty face was even more tense, with a faint blush on her cheeks. She was a completely different person from her usual serious and solemn self.
Yun Qianmeng smiled softly, her eyelashes as thin as butterfly wings trembling slightly for a few times before she regained her composure. "They are all dead things, why bother with them? We are on the run now, so staying alive and not hindering the prince is the most important thing. Okay, the more I look at them, the more they look alike."
After finishing the last stroke, Yun Qianmeng leaned back, resting her waist on the soft pillow, carefully examining Qiao Ying with her eyes, and nodded with satisfaction.
Qiao Ying's expression was solemn, and his determination to protect the princess became even stronger.
"Princess, we have arrived at the temple." As she was speaking, a reminder came from the secret guard outside.
Yun Qianmeng and Qiao Ying looked at each other, put on their cloaks and gauze hats, and then Qiao Ying helped Yun Qianmeng get off the carriage.
Yingxia and Muchun were already waiting outside with umbrellas. When they saw Yun Qianmeng and Qiao Ying get out of the carriage, they immediately stepped forward to shield Yun Qianmeng from the heavy rain. The group of people quickly walked into the temple.
This scene was seen by a young man sitting on horseback in the distance. His eyes were cold as he watched the figure surrounded by the crowd entering the temple. His hands holding the reins were clenched into fists.
"Although we haven't seen the appearance of the Princess of Chu, the two girls beside her are really pretty. Brothers, you'll be convinced tonight!" The big man who was on good terms with the man opened his eyes wide, staring at the slender and graceful figures, with saliva marks on the corners of his mouth, and his image was so wretched that no one could match it.
"Such a good thing will naturally be won by Brother Liu. I dare not compete with Brother Liu for it, and I will even keep watch for you. Please rest assured and enjoy it." The young man's eyes showed cruelty, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a sneer, and his whole body was shrouded in a sinister atmosphere.
Upon hearing this, the big man immediately showed his joy, and his heart was itching even more. He busily discussed with the man various ways to torture the woman...
When everyone stepped into the temple, they saw that it was covered in dust and covered with layers of spider webs. The table that originally held candles was now sprinkled with incense ashes, indicating that it must have been abandoned for a long time.
"I'm sorry, Princess!" Qiao Ying frowned almost inaudibly when she saw the messy and dirty temple, and immediately her face showed guilt and shame.
"It's okay. How can you be so particular when you are out?" Yun Qianmeng said, fixing his eyes on Yingxia and Muchun.
The two of them originally wanted to serve Yun Qianmeng here, but seeing the determination in their master's eyes, they could only bow to Yun Qianmeng and follow the secret guard out of the temple from the back door.
"The guards who were guarding outside the carriage on the way will all be on guard outside the temple tonight. The rest of you will all be guarding in the dark." Seeing Mu Chun and Ying Xia leave, Yun Qianmeng's faint smile disappeared, and a sharp look appeared between his brows. He gave all the orders in a deep voice.
"yes."
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