Chapter 45. He personally brought her back to Bianjing.
Shen Mi tried to dodge Gu Zhan's movements, but her struggles were futile. The man held her head tightly, leaving her no chance to escape, his warm breath brushing against her exposed neck.
Shen Mi was terrified.
She dared not meet Gu Zhan's gaze, dared not see what emotions were written in his eyes, but she thought of the days and nights she had spent in the Eastern Palace, and how helpless she felt whenever Gu Zhan suppressed her.
After a long silence, she pursed her dry lips and asked Gu Zhan, "Are you threatening me?"
Gu Zhan slowly straightened up, looking down at her. "So what if it is? Unless you can be completely indifferent to the lives of Su Xingjian and that child."
How could she not care?
Four years ago, she and Cuiwei came to Runyang and relied on each other for survival. If it weren't for Su Xingjian's constant care, she probably wouldn't be where she is today.
Yao Jie'er was still so young. She was the only daughter of Madam Xu and her husband. Madam Xu was worried that she would grow old alone. She always thought of her own child that she had miscarried when she saw Yao Jie'er, so she adopted Yao Jie'er as her goddaughter.
But Gu Zhan is now actually going to take action against these two most innocent people. This man is truly ruthless to the extreme.
The woman's almond-shaped eyes widened in disbelief: "How could you be so heartless? Ziyou has been your companion since childhood, while Yao'er is so young, not even three years old yet."
Gu Zhan's anger intensified when he heard Shen Mi call Su Xingjian "Ziyou" in front of him.
He looked at the woman trapped in his arms and thought of how she used to call him "Your Highness" when they were in the Eastern Palace, and later called him "Gu Zhan" with her full name. But now she called Su Xingjian "Ziyou" without any restraint.
Clearly, he was her husband.
He sneered, "Shen Mi, do I need to remind you that Su Xingjian is a subject, and I am the ruler? A subject who covets the possessions of his ruler is guilty of a capital offense."
Upon hearing the words "ownership," Shen Mi frowned deeply. "Gu Zhan, I never imagined that after four years, you would still be such a cold-hearted monster."
Gu Zhan's thoughts drifted for a moment.
It seems like a long time ago, Shen Mi said the same thing to him.
It was on the Mid-Autumn Festival four years ago. Shen Mi tried to drug him to escape his grasp, but he discovered it. On that day, the tenderness between him and Shen Mi ended.
Shen Mi said he was cold-hearted and indifferent, that he didn't understand what love was, and that he didn't care about the position of Crown Princess. So he imprisoned her in Qingluan Palace.
Then, the moment the woman smashed the bowl and held the broken porcelain shards to her wrist, the moment she was pulled from the bottom of the well almost dying, and the moment the Qingluan Palace was burned to ashes in a great fire, all played out in his mind.
A sudden pain shot through his heart.
Shen Mi noticed that Gu Zhan's movements had loosened slightly, and immediately tried to take the opportunity to break free from his grasp, but she did not expect that she would be restrained again as soon as she had such a thought.
"Still thinking of running away while I'm in your arms?"
Along with the angry shout that landed beside Shen Mi's ear, came a sharp pain in her side.
Her soft flesh around her waist was gripped tightly, bringing tears to her eyes. She gasped, but Gu Zhan didn't loosen his grip even slightly.
Despite the pain, Shen Mi looked up at Gu Zhan and asked, "Gu Zhan, do you hate me that much? Hate me so much that you chased me from Bianjing to Runyang for four years, hate me so much that you used the people I care about to threaten and coerce me?"
Does he hate her?
Gu Zhan found it laughable, but as long as he could achieve his goal, he would consider it hatred.
Therefore, he frankly admitted, "So, Shen Mi, if you want to save their lives, you should obediently return to Bianjing with me and stop thinking about rebelling against me."
Shen Mi lowered her eyelashes, barely managing to regain a fraction of her consciousness.
Having shared a bed with him for two years, she knew all too well that someone as stubborn as Gu Zhan wouldn't give up easily because of her few words, and he really might take action against Su Xingjian and Yao Jie'er. All she could do was stall for time as much as possible, handle other matters, and prevent her feud with Gu Zhan from involving other people.
She took a deep breath and said, "I can agree to that, but you have to agree to one condition."
Gu Zhan didn't speak, but looked at her with a leisurely air.
After carefully considering her words, Shen Mi said, "Give me some time to clean up the mess."
Gu Zhan smiled slightly, "Okay, three days."
Shen Mi was surprised that he agreed so easily. She bit her lip and pondered how to make good use of these three days to get away as soon as possible.
Gu Zhan saw her eyes flicker, leaned down, and gently bit her neck, leaving a small red mark on her fair skin.
"I'm warning you, you'd better not try to outsmart me under my nose. Otherwise, I'll deal with your lover and that bastard right in front of you, and then drag you back to Bianjing."
After saying this, he released Shen Mi, leaving her leaning against the cabinet in a daze, and then turned and left.
Shen Mi had no idea how long she stayed in the teahouse, nor how she got back to her home in Huaxi Lane.
As soon as she pushed open the wooden door, Cuiwei came to greet her, helped her into her arms, and raised her hand to tidy her disheveled hair.
Shen Mi let her do as she pleased, without moving much.
Four years have passed, but she is still very afraid of Gu Zhan. Even now, in her own home, she still feels a lingering fear.
Cuiwei caught a glimpse of the teeth marks on Shen Mi's neck out of the corner of her eye, her breath hitched, and she asked cautiously, "My lady, he... he forced himself on you?"
Shen Mi shook her head, ignoring her question, and instead asked, "Where is Yao-jie? Has she been sent back to Sister Xu's house?"
Cuiwei nodded. "They've been safely returned."
When Shen Mi saw the small courtyard she had carefully managed over the past four years, her eyes welled up with tears.
In her first year after arriving, she cultivated a small vegetable garden in the courtyard. Xu Niangzi's husband helped her cut down a fence to surround the garden. She had never lifted a finger before, and even though she had deliberately learned to cook in the Eastern Palace, she was still unfamiliar with planting. Xu Niangzi taught her how to plant, how to plant different vegetables, and that some vegetables like sunlight, some like water, and some like shade. She taught her the most basic survival skills.
There was a ceramic jar in the courtyard, which originally belonged to her mother's old house. At first, she didn't know how to modify it, so she didn't touch it. In the summer, Su Xingjian came to help her clean the mud and moss from the jar and transplanted lotus flowers into it to decorate the courtyard.
The cured meat hanging under the eaves of the kitchen was brought by a neighbor from Huaxi Lane. A few days ago, I heard she was sick, so I brought it to visit her, but she hadn't had time to cook it yet. There was a small kennel in the corner of the wall where she had taken in a tabby cat last winter. The tabby cat always liked to run into the yard, so she and Cuiwei built a small kennel for the kitten in the yard. When they went out this morning, the little tabby cat was still in the yard, but now they don't know where it has gone.
She lived in Runzhou for four years, during which time she received kindness from countless people. She was very reluctant to leave this place. She knew very well that she did not want to return to the magnificent yet cold cage of the Eastern Palace, nor did she want to live under Gu Zhan's thumb every day. She did not want Gu Zhan to turn against those who had shown her kindness, nor did she want to allow Gu Zhan to take advantage of her at will.
On her way back, she thought of countless ways to deal with the situation, all of which were about how to escape Gu Zhan's clutches. Not one of them was about resigning herself to going back with Gu Zhan.
Three days is enough time for her to handle everything.
Shen Mi refocused her gaze and turned to Cui Wei, "Go back first and help me tidy up my appearance."
She was going to see Madam Xu.
As soon as Madam Xu opened the door, she saw Shen Mi and her voice was full of worry. She grabbed Shen Mi's hands and said, "Sister Shen, as soon as Yao came back, she cried and told me that you were harassed by a very scary stranger at the teahouse. Did he do anything to you? It's okay. As long as you're willing, I'll go with you to report it to the authorities."
Shen Mi was moved by Madam Xu's kindness.
But reporting it to the authorities would be useless. Gu Zhan is the current crown prince and the future emperor. Who would dare to offend him?
She didn't respond to Madam Xu's words, but walked inside with her, saying, "Sister Xu, to be honest, I've offended someone none of us can afford to offend. This person is ruthless and unscrupulous, so for the time being, it's best to tell Yao'er not to come here anymore. If possible, I'll pay for a carriage for you to go back to your hometown in Hangzhou for a while. I'm afraid he'll implicate you, especially Yao'er."
Madam Xu was shocked, then furious. "Who dares to be so arrogant? In broad daylight, under the clear sky, how can he be allowed to act so recklessly!"
Shen Mi grasped Madam Xu's hand in return, "Sister Xu, listen to my advice, leave Runzhou first, go out and hide for a while, just for Yao'er's sake."
"Then what will you do?"
Shen Mi forced a smile: "Don't worry, Sister Xu, I certainly won't stay here and be slaughtered. After you leave safely, I will take care of everything and leave Runzhou for a while."
As the crown prince, Gu Zhan cannot leave Bianjing for too long. As long as she leaves Runzhou first, she can simply keep moving around. She doesn't believe that Gu Zhan can stay in Runzhou openly and make a big show of looking for her.
Seeing that she was unwilling to talk, Madam Xu did not ask any further questions, but agreed to her request and only told her to be careful in everything.
Shen Mi agreed, but fearing that Gu Zhan would keep an eye on her, she didn't dare to stay at Madam Xu's house for too long. She asked Cuiwei to leave some money and was about to leave when Madam Xu firmly refused to accept it, saying that they were all neighbors and there was no need to be so polite. She then stuffed the money back into Cuiwei's hand.
Cuiwei roughly guessed Shen Mi's plan, so after returning home, she asked her, "Madam, are you still going to keep it a secret from Prefect Su?"
Shen Mi was in a dilemma. Logically and emotionally, she shouldn't have dragged the innocent Su Xingjian into this mess. Moreover, Gu Zhan had intended to make things difficult for Su Xingjian. But if she just left so hastily, she would be letting Su Xingjian down.
After much thought, she decided to have Cuiwei grind ink.
Shen Mi wrote a simple note on the paper: Gu Zhan somehow managed to catch up with her in Runzhou, and she had temporarily left Runzhou to avoid him. She was safe and sound, and told Su Xingjian not to worry.
Cuiwei saw her blow dry the ink on the Xuan paper. "Madam, is this letter to Prefect Su?"
Shen Mi simply put it away and placed it under the teapot. "No need. If he comes later, he will see it. If we tell Brother Ziyou now, he will definitely rush from Yangzhou to Runzhou. At that time, Gu Zhan will not let it go."
Seeing that Cuiwei was still hesitating, she guessed that she had something to say, so she asked, "What do you want to say?"
Cuiwei said, "Since His Highness is here to take you back to Bianjing, as long as you get engaged to someone else during this time, he cannot act like this. As the Crown Prince, he cannot forcibly take a woman from the common people."
Seeing that Cuiwei was simple-minded, Shen Mi was overwhelmed with a deep sorrow.
She sighed softly, "It's no use, Cuiwei. If I do this, I'll only implicate others. The only thing we can do now is to clear ourselves of anyone who might be implicated by me, and then find a new place to hide. We can hide for as long as we can."
Hearing the firmness in her tone, Cuiwei felt a glimmer of hope in her heart. "Does my lady have a plan?"
"The day after tomorrow, there will be a temple fair outside Runzhou City. To celebrate, the city gates will not be closed at night. On the contrary, the streets will be crowded with people. With so many people around, it will be a good time to escape. We just need to sneak out through the back door and blend into the crowd. By the next morning, when Gu Zhan comes to our house to arrest us, we will have already escaped his sight." Shen Mi tried her best to keep her tone calm in order to calm Cuiwei down.
In reality, she herself didn't know how much of an escape was possible, but she had no choice but to take a desperate gamble.
This is her last chance.
After arranging everything, Shen Mi's task was to get through these two days and avoid letting Gu Zhan notice anything amiss.
Gu Zhan stood by the window, his back to Yang Qing as he listened to his report.
Yang Qing said, "There has been no unusual activity from Madam Shen's side. Apart from visiting her neighbor's house for a while after returning from the teahouse, she hasn't been anywhere else. The teahouse has been closed, and the door to her house hasn't been opened either."
Gu Zhan turned the jade thumb ring on his thumb. "Su Xingjian didn't come?"
Yang Qing seemed to recall for a moment, then said, "This subordinate did not see it."
“You said you wouldn’t tell Su Xingjian, but you really didn’t. Shen Mi, how come I never realized you were so deeply in love with him before?” Gu Zhan raised an eyebrow. “Go, subtly reveal my whereabouts in Runzhou to Su Xingjian. I want to see if he will come.”
He needed to see for himself whether he was innocent or not before he could feel at ease.
Or perhaps, he was also curious to see what Su Xingjian would think when he saw the marks he had left on Shen Mi's neck.
Yang Qing never dared to interfere in Shen Mi's affairs. After agreeing, he withdrew.
Shen Mi was completely unaware of this.
After Madam Xu and Yao'er hired a carriage and left Runzhou, she waited anxiously at home for the day of the temple fair.
The turning point came at dusk when she planned to flee.
She thought it was Gu Zhan who had come to her door ahead of time, and opened the door with a pounding heart, only to find that the person outside was Su Xingjian, and the kitchen knife in his hand fell to the ground.
Su Xingjian entered and immediately closed the door. "Why didn't Xiao Mi tell me about what happened?"
Shen Mi lowered her eyes gently and said, "Brother Ziyou, your future is bright. I don't want to implicate you because of my affairs. I originally planned to communicate with you after everything was settled. How did you find out?"
Su Xingjian only said that he had been paying attention to Gu Zhan's movements and came to Runzhou immediately after noticing something was wrong. Fortunately, he was able to see her.
"You don't need to worry about me. I am an official of the imperial court, and my father is the prime minister. He can't really do anything to me. On the contrary, you are all alone. If you don't talk to me, it means you don't consider me a friend."
As he spoke, he noticed the marks on Shen Mi's neck, his expression stiffened for a moment, and then he asked, "This is..."
Shen Mi quickly covered herself with her hand. She didn't want to show any embarrassment in front of Su Xingjian, nor did she want to recall the day Gu Zhan pinned her against the teahouse.
"It's nothing, probably just a mosquito bite, it's nothing serious."
She had actually looked at the spot in the mirror and it was a very obvious teeth mark, not a mosquito bite.
Su Xingjian caught the fleeting unease on her face, but didn't ask any further questions. He gently smiled at her and said, "It's okay. Whatever happens, I'll face it with you."
Shen Mi felt a lump in her throat. Trusting Su Xingjian, she told him about her plan to escape Runzhou while the temple fair was crowded and hide in the surrounding area.
Su Xingjian pondered for a moment and affirmed her plan, "Xiao Mi is very smart. He came to Huizhou to quell the rebellion and has been staying in the Runyang area for many days. He will have to return to Bianjing soon. If there is anything I can help you with, just let me know."
By this time, it was completely dark.
Shen Mi bid farewell to Su Xingjian, saying, "Brother Ziyou, there's no need to see me off. Cuiwei and I are two women, so it won't be obvious. Let's part ways here. After this period is over, I will definitely return to Yangzhou to find you."
Su Xingjian smiled gently at her: "Okay, don't worry, I will take good care of the family for you."
Shen Mi turned back to look at Su Xingjian one last time before heading towards the back door.
The back gate leads directly to another street, and turning off that street leads to a densely populated area. You won't have to walk more than a few steps to reach the city gate.
With a creak, the wooden door opened, and Shen Mi looked up, only to be enveloped by a rather oppressive figure.
The bundle on her shoulder fell to the ground.
Gu Zhan strolled inside slowly, his cold gaze sweeping over Su Xingjian. "What a show, all lovey-dovey."
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Author's Note: Sorry, I had to reschedule my classes this afternoon, and it was already past 5 PM when I finished. I could only write 4500 words so far [pity][pity]. I'll randomly send out some small red envelopes~
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