Chapter 94: The carriage suddenly changed and concealed murderous intentions, the young man in green clothes protected his beloved with a sword
The carriage sped along the bluestone road, its wheels jolting violently over potholes. Ziwei jolted out of her trance, the letter in her hand crumpled. The strokes of the character "Hong" seemed like claws, scratching her chest. "Bright yellow dragon robe... dragon pattern..." she muttered, her fingertips cold. "Could it be that the person mother is waiting for is really..."
"Don't let your imagination run wild!" Xiaoyanzi held her hand tightly, the temperature of her palm burning. "You can't guess without seeing it with your own eyes! Maybe it was a prince? Or... or an actor who wore the wrong clothes?" She was so anxious that she was incoherent, but she caught a glimpse of a black shadow flashing outside the car window - the two guards from the E Mansion had caught up with her!
Xiao Jian suddenly opened the front curtain of the carriage and said to the driver in a deep voice, "Go to Liu Hong's cloth shop! Take the back street!" His blue-gray robe rustled in the wind. His right hand quietly grasped the hilt of the soft sword at his waist, "Hold on tight!"
The driver understood and cracked his whip, sending the carriage careening into a narrow backstreet. The high walls on either side of the alley cast heavy shadows. Abandoned wooden boxes were piled in the corners, and the air was filled with a damp, musty smell. The footsteps and shouts of the pursuers came from behind, drawing closer.
"What on earth are they trying to do?" Ziwei clutched the edge of the car seat, her voice trembling. The jade hairpin on her temples trembled with the turbulence. She didn't understand why the government targeted her, a weak woman who had come to look for her father.
Xiaoyanzi quickly untied the brocade pouch at her waist, revealing her usual supplies of stones and a slingshot—defense skills she'd honed in her previous life in the slums. "Don't be afraid! My brother's here, as are Liu Qing and Liu Hong!" She poked her head out the window, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "We're almost there! The back door to the cloth shop is just ahead!"
Before he could finish his words, the carriage suddenly shook violently, and the rear wheel seemed to have run over something, making a sharp cracking sound. The driver exclaimed, "Oh no! The wheel has fallen off!" The carriage tilted, and the three people were caught off guard and tumbled into the carriage.
"Catch them!" The voices of the pursuers were very close, and the sound of their footsteps on the cobblestone road made people tremble with fear.
Xiao Jian acted decisively and kicked open the car door: "Ci'er, take Ziwei away! Go to Fang's house through the secret passage of Buzhuang! I'll cover your retreat!" He drew out his soft sword, and a cold light flashed on the sword in the dim alley. A blue-gray figure instantly blocked the carriage.
"Brother!" Xiaoyanzi's eyes welled up, but she knew she couldn't hesitate at this moment. She pulled the frightened Ziwei to her side and thrust the slingshot into her hand. "Take it! Hit anyone in the legs if you see them! Follow me!"
The two stumbled towards the back door of the cloth shop. Xiaoyanzi kicked the half-closed wooden door open and rushed into the yard with Ziwei. Liuhong was hanging cloth in the yard. Seeing their miserable state, she was so shocked that she dropped the wooden pole in her hand. "What's going on? Who is chasing us?"
"Don't ask! Open the secret passage!" Xiaoyanzi dragged Ziwei towards the warehouse where the cloth was piled. "Emin's people! Hurry!"
Although Liu Hong was filled with doubt, she immediately moved the wooden cabinet in the corner, revealing a dark hole. "Hurry in! It leads directly to the Fang family's back garden!" She plucked a pair of scissors from the wall and handed them to Ziwei. "Hold them for self-defense! I'll go help Brother Xiao Jian!"
The warehouse, dark and damp, smelled of cotton and dye. Xiaoyanzi lit the tinder she carried with her, the faint flame illuminating the narrow secret passage. "Follow me, don't be afraid." She squeezed Ziwei's hand, and the two of them trudged forward, taking one foot deep and one foot shallow. Behind them, they could hear the sounds of Liuhong fighting with her pursuers and the rustling of scattered cloth.
The secret passage was pitch dark, and all they could hear were the rapid breathing and footsteps of the other party. Ziwei clutched the half-opened letter tightly, nearly crumbling the corner. "Ci'er," she suddenly stopped, her voice tinged with tears, "Why are they arresting me? Is it because... because of that letter?"
The firelight danced on Xiaoyanzi's face. She looked into Ziwei's frightened eyes, her heart aching like a needle. Ziwei had been in the same situation in her previous life, driven to despair by the secret of her life and the court's pursuit. "It has nothing to do with the letter!" She lied through gritted teeth, tightly gripping Ziwei's hand. "It was Emin who wanted to cause trouble for the Fang family and used you as an excuse! Once this is over, my brother will get to the bottom of it!"
There was a faint light and footsteps coming from the front. Xiaoyanzi immediately extinguished the tinder and pressed herself against the wall cautiously. "Who?"
"It's me, Liu Qing!" a familiar voice came, panting. "Brother Xiao Jian and Liu Hong led the pursuers away, so I came to pick you up!"
The light grew closer, and Liu Qing's figure appeared at the end of the secret passage. His coarse cloth jacket was stained with blood, and there was a scratch on his face. "Hurry! It's safe outside. I'll take you back home!"
As the three emerged from the secret passage, they saw Madam Fang anxiously peering out from under the crabapple tree in the Fang family's back garden. Her personal nanny was supporting her, clutching a handkerchief tightly. "Ci'er! Miss Ziwei!" Seeing them safely emerge, Madam Fang's legs weakened, and she nearly lost her balance. "You're finally back! I was so scared!"
"Mom!" Xiaoyanzi threw herself into her arms. When she smelled the familiar orchid fragrance, her tense nerves finally relaxed. Tears fell uncontrollably. "We met Emin's people. My brother is still out there..."
"Don't worry, Xiao Jian will be fine." Madam Fang patted her back to comfort her. Her eyes fell on Ziwei's pale face, her eyes gentle but firm. "Go inside first. It's not safe here. If anything happens, we can discuss it carefully."
Ziwei, supported by Jinsuo, walked unsteadily into the inner courtyard. As she passed through the carved wooden corridor, she glanced back at the moon gate in the back garden. The entrance to the secret passage was now blocked by a rockery. The half-opened piece of letter paper in her hand had been soaked with sweat, the words smearing, but the blurred "Hong" (Hong) remained etched in her heart like a brand.
She didn't know that this sudden pursuit not only brought her one step closer to the truth, but also made the emperor in the Forbidden City, who also had memories of his past life, really angry for the first time in the court after learning the news - he would never let the tragedy of his previous life happen again in this life.
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