"Although she signed the contract, the madam didn't actually pay her for her body. So after the girl left, the boss regretted it for a while."
"But this doesn't seem to have anything to do with the person we're looking for."
Ah Da nodded, but still said, "I just feel it's strange. Perhaps, I think we can investigate this woman. After all, she was attacked around the same time as the bandits."
"You decide." Lu Anyuan said with a hint of disdain. His Yixing was so proud, how could he possibly be involved with a prostitute? The most likely scenario was that she was still hiding nearby. Yixing, Yixing, when I find you, I'll definitely give you a pair of golden shackles!
Unfortunately, the Imperial Guards had chased Xiaoxi Town and failed to find the person he was looking for. Lu Anyuan couldn't stay out for long. He had come with such confidence, but now he was leaving with gritted teeth, which really confirmed Ying Wu's initial concerns. The love in his heart gradually decomposed and deteriorated, turning into an emotion that he himself could not resolve or digest.
Xu Yixing had no idea what life was like in Xiaoxi Town half a month after she left. She simply rested in her coffin every day, pretending to be dead to fool the government troops. If Yingwu hadn't been a medical expert, she wouldn't even bother visiting the local doctor every ten days or half a month to check on her baby.
June and July were the most unbearable months. The bright sun was scorching enough to kill people. Although it would be cooler as they headed north, Xu Yixing was trapped in the coffin after all. Breathing through the tiny gap, coupled with morning sickness, was almost fatal.
She'd vomited several times while passing through crowded towns. The noises from the coffin had frightened passersby and gotten her into a lot of trouble. Fortunately, Yingwu was tactful and managed to get him out safely after a few arguments. After that, Yingwu rarely ventured out during the day, always leaving the city just before closing time and traveling all the way to Miaozhou at night.
The Imperial Guards, unable to find anyone in Xiaoxi Town or the nearby mountains, naturally earned a good deal of criticism. However, this made Lu Anyuan realize that Yixing might indeed have headed north, and he intensified his search northward. Ying Wu saw Imperial Guards speeding past on the official road several times, and he knew immediately that they must be pursuers sent by the Emperor.
In the middle of July, the two finally arrived at the city of Miaozhou. Miaozhou was a military and commercial prefecture, with countless people from the Central Plains and the Hu people coming to do business. There were soldiers stationed in the city, so the inspection of merchants coming and going was particularly strict.
It took Yingwu quite a while to pass the inspection and be let into the city. However, after turning a few alleys, the eye-catching coffin and the middle-aged man disappeared, and they transformed into a "loving couple". Although the husband did not have any intimate contact with his wife, his eyes kept scanning the passers-by, afraid that someone would bump into his pregnant wife.
"Oh my god, this is so hard!" Xu Yixing came out of the clinic and was pounding his waist in the alley on the back street and sighing. Finally arrived in Miaozhou!
Ying Wu still looked calm as he handed over the newly bought pancakes. "We don't have a place to stay yet. I see there are a lot of people patrolling Miaozhou City. It's best not to stay in an inn. It's better to go out of the city and find a safe village."
"It's all fine, but wouldn't it attract more attention if there were strangers in the village? Is this really possible?" Anyway, she went to the city mainly to see a doctor. Now that the doctor said that the fetus was fine, she was naturally relieved.
"I know a place. Miaozhou is different from other places. Families of criminals are often exiled here. Those families are despised and unable to gain a foothold in the city, so they all go to other places outside the city to open up new lands. That place is crowded and chaotic. Although it may not be a good place to raise a baby, it is the best place to hide your identity."
"Alright, I'll find a way to get a house after the baby is born." Xu Yixing choked on his food. He never thought that he would have to spend his subordinates' money to escape. He felt very guilty. He was eager to find a way to make money and become rich in the future.
"Let's go, that place is in the west of the city. We have to hurry, otherwise we won't be able to close the city gate in time."
The two of them made up their minds and headed for the west gate. Although their pace was slow, they finally left the city before the gate closed. When they arrived, Xu Yixing finally understood why Ying Wu said this place was suitable for hiding.
My goodness, what caught my eye was clearly a deformed and messy village, located on the wasteland west of Miaozhou City. One family was crowded together, and the houses were of different styles, including thatched houses, thatched huts, mud houses, and tiled houses. It was obvious that there was no unified planning and that each family built them themselves.
And these people were probably the families of the exiled people, mostly the elderly, children and women, but not many men. They were busy cooking and emptying slops, not caring at all whether there were new people or not.
"I... I suddenly don't want to live here..." Perhaps stimulated by the mess in front of her, she didn't expect to live in such a place after escaping. Xu Yixing suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in her stomach and suddenly arched her body in pain.
Before Ying Wu could support her, a pair of arms suddenly stretched out from the side and lifted her up steadily. "What's wrong with this lady?"
It was a female voice, very pleasant to the ear, and her accent sounded a bit like someone from Beijing.
Ying Wu recognized the man at first sight and was startled, but he calmly changed the subject: "It's nothing, my wife and I have been traveling for a long time today, I think he is not feeling well, he will be fine after a rest, it's nothing serious."
Xu Yixing was fine after just a brief moment of pain. Ting Yingwu didn't want anyone to interfere, so she naturally lowered her head. Who knew who these exiles were from? It would be better if she didn't run into anyone she knew...
"But the city gates are closed now. I don't think you two can enter the city today. My home is right here. Why don't you go to my house and rest for a night?"
Xu Yixing suddenly felt that the voice sounded familiar, and he looked up in a trance: "Wu... It's okay, it's really not necessary." Xu Yixing finally knew where this familiar feeling came from, this was Wu Xueyan!
Back then, her whole family was moved to Miaozhou because of me or because of the second prince. I don’t know if she still hates me now. It’s better not to stay with her.
Seeing that these two people were determined not to go with her, Wu Xueyan became suspicious. The city gate was closed, and these two people were clearly standing in front of the village just now, so they must have been going in. Why didn't they go in when she arrived? There must be something fishy!
So he smiled and said it was okay, but when he saw this, his face showed confusion, and he was ready to report to the police as soon as the two of them left.
Xu Yixing grabbed Ying Wu who was about to leave and put on a smile: "What's this lady's name?"
"My last name is Wu."
"Oh, Miss Wu, we came to Miaozhou to visit relatives, but we were a little slow and didn't make it to the time when the city gate was closed. It would be best if you could let us stay overnight..." After saying that, he glanced at Ying Wu, who immediately took out a few copper coins from his arms and handed them to Wu Xueyan with both hands.
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