Chapter 73 73 "You're a bastard."
Shen Mi had previously entrusted Meng Tongfang to go to the imperial mausoleum to retrieve Consort Yang, and he was now sitting in the carriage.
Seeing the young woman beside her calmly issuing orders to Meng Tongfang, and Meng Tongfang treating her with utmost respect, Yang Meiren guessed that she was Shen Mi, even though the two had never met before.
She looked at Shen Mi and softly called out, "Zhi Niang?"
When Shen Mi heard the person beside her call her by her nickname, she was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening and turned to look at Yang Meiren.
It seemed like it had been a long time since anyone had called her by her childhood name so gently; the last time was when Gu Zhan was "alive."
She was completely unfamiliar with Yang Meiren. She had only known of her existence through Gu Zhan's words before, and now that she saw her in person, she was speechless.
Although Gu Zhan's features did not resemble Yang Meiren's at all, when she got close to see Yang Meiren's face, her heart still skipped a beat. Looking at Yang Meiren, she seemed to see Gu Zhan's outline.
After a long while, Shen Mi finally came to her senses, but only nodded to Consort Yang and said, "Your Highness Yang."
She didn't know if Consort Yang knew about Gu Zhan's demotion and death, and she dared not mention it to Consort Yang. Even if, as Gu Zhan said, Consort Yang had never raised him and he had never had the chance to show filial piety to Consort Yang, Gu Zhan was still Consort Yang's child, born after ten months of pregnancy. They were blood relatives, and Shen Mi understood the pain of losing her son better than anyone else.
Looking at her lowered eyes and hesitant expression, Yang Meiren sighed softly and said, "Good child, you don't need to worry. Actually, I know everything."
Shen Mi was slightly taken aback. She looked up at Yang Meiren and noticed that there was also a thick layer of dark circles under her eyes.
Consort Yang stroked Shen Mi's slender fingers and said, "Although I am in the imperial mausoleum, I am not completely isolated from the world. I also learned a few days ago that Zhan'er's position as crown prince had been abolished and that he had died."
Shen Mi clutched her sleeve and said, "I hope Lady Yang will take heart in her grief."
Chen Jun said that Gu Zhan was deposed because he interfered in the Shen family's case, so she was unable to face Gu Zhan's biological mother at this time.
Yang Meiren looked at the small white flower in her hair and sighed. The white-haired woman had to send off the black-haired man, and Yang Meiren's mood was very depressed. So she stopped talking about Gu Zhan.
The carriage slowly began to move, and the sound of horses' hooves filled the air. Yang Meiren looked at Shen Mi again and asked, "Where are we going?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Mi pulled herself out of her grief. There was no need to hide anything from Consort Yang any longer. She took out the tiger tally hidden in her sleeve, placed it in her palm, and said, "Take the three thousand Thousand Bull Guards that His Highness left us and go to Tongguan. There, His Highness has the forces he previously arranged." She paused, then added, "But I'm not sure how many changes might occur later. Bianjing isn't exactly close to Tongguan..."
As per the plan she had previously discussed with Meng Tongfang, Meng Tongfang, taking advantage of the troop rotation today and the fact that the Prince of Wei hadn't yet set his sights on the three thousand Thousand Bull Guards, found a pretext last night to transfer an elite force from the three thousand Thousand Bull Guards stationed on the outskirts of the city. That's why they were able to meet up outside the city today. She knew very well that although the Thousand Bull Guards were under the command of the Crown Prince's Tiger Tally, they were not Gu Zhan's private army. Even if their numbers were small, they would be caught up with soon.
Seeing her furrowed brows, Yang Meiren comforted her, "Since Zhan'er can entrust you with something as important as the Tiger Tally, he must trust you a lot. In that case, go ahead and do it."
Shen Mi slowly shook her head, took out a small scroll from her bundle, and opened it to reveal a map. She placed the map flat on her lap, pointed to a certain place, and said to Yang Meiren, "In about half an hour, when we reach this place, we will part ways."
Why?
Shen Mi explained calmly, “If we act together, we will be too conspicuous and will inevitably be targeted. I have already asked Commander Meng to select an elite force in advance. When we arrive here, you can change to an inconspicuous carriage and be escorted by them. We will travel south from Xuchang, bypass Shangzhou, and enter Tongguan. I will proceed according to the original route.”
She had planned to do this long ago, which is why she hadn't mentioned to Consort Yang that she was pregnant with Gu Zhan's posthumous child.
Yang Meiren immediately refused, “No, you are still young, while I am already halfway to my grave. How can I let you take such a risk? Besides, I know why Zhan’er was deposed. Back then, he did such a terrible thing to you in order to deal with the Prince of Wei. Not only did he not make it up to you, but he also ignored my words and left this mess to you. I have already failed in raising my son. How can I let you make such a sacrifice now?”
Shen Mi pursed her lips and said, "Listen to me. I've been in Bianjing for many years and know many people. But you've been in the imperial mausoleum. Apart from the Emperor, Empress and His Highness's confidants, very few people know about your relationship with His Highness. If you and Commander Meng are together, it will be difficult to achieve both goals. I have carefully considered both routes, and there will be no problems." To reassure Yang Meiren, she added, "Since I have made this decision, I will do my best to ensure that we all arrive at Tongguan safely and then take the route left by His Highness."
Seeing her resolute determination, Lady Yang could only sigh.
Soon they arrived at the place that Shen Mi and Meng Tongfang had agreed upon beforehand. Meng Tongfang knocked on the carriage wall from the outside and said, "Please get out of the carriage, Lady Yang, so we can change the carriage frame."
Shen Mi forced a smile at Yang Meiren: "Please believe me, we will definitely meet smoothly at Tongguan."
Although Yang Meiren was in a dilemma, she had no better solution to the situation. She could only follow Shen Mi's arrangements, get off the carriage, change the frame, and be escorted by a group of disguised guards towards the fork in the road.
After seeing Yang Meiren off, Shen Mi instructed Meng Tongfang to speed up and make sure to leave the capital region as soon as possible, even if it meant traveling day and night.
Shen Mi stroked her still flat belly. If it weren't for this child, she might have ridden a horse and taken a shortcut to Tongguan like these guards. But she was too far along in her pregnancy, and an accident could easily happen if she wasn't careful. So she could only choose a carriage. During the half month from Bianjing to Tongguan, she had to be extremely careful.
Even though they left discreetly, Chen Jun, who frequently visited the Shen residence, soon discovered that the gates were closed. At first, Chen Jun didn't think much of it, assuming that Shen Mi was angry and didn't want to see him. However, after being turned away for nearly ten days, he finally couldn't resist and forced his way into the Shen residence. Only then did he find that the residence was deserted. After some investigation, he learned that Shen Mi had already evacuated Bianjing under Meng Tongfang's cover, and that the fact that Shen Mi was pregnant with Gu Zhan's child when she left was also not a secret.
He reported this matter to the King of Wei, who, as expected, could not tolerate the existence of Gu Zhan's bloodline. He immediately issued an official document demanding the capture of the deposed Crown Princess Shen.
Meanwhile, Shen Mi and her entourage, who had been traveling smoothly and were about to leave Luoyang, were unaware of this and continued their nocturnal habits.
Tongguan.
Yang Qing handed the message from Bianjing that he had just received from Fan Nayan to Gu Zhan, saying, "Your Highness, this is a message from Commander Meng of Bianjing. It just arrived this morning."
When Gu Zhan heard Yang Qing say "Commander Meng," his heart skipped a beat, and the way he unfolded the scroll was not as composed as usual, but even showed a hint of panic.
The message from Meng Tongfang meant that Shen Mi had indeed opened the box. What danger had she encountered? Where was she now?
He felt no joy or relief that Shen Mi hadn't chosen the divorce papers; only worry for her.
Gu Zhan took a deep breath, quickly glanced at Meng Tongfang's handwriting on the note, and only told Yang Qing to go find Fan Nayan.
The note did not mention what kind of danger Shen Mi had encountered, but only that under Shen Mi's arrangement, they had left Bianjing and were heading towards Tongguan in two separate routes. It also included the route. If he set off from Tongguan now, he should be able to meet Shen Mi in Shanzhou. He would also send a trusted confidant to secretly meet Jianxing's mother.
However, he was still very worried, so he ordered Fan Nayan to give him a light cavalry force so that he could personally go and pick up Shen Mi.
Out of concern for Gu Zhan's safety, Fan Nayan advised, "It is not appropriate for Your Highness to appear in public at this time. If Your Highness is truly worried about the Crown Princess, I can send a trusted confidant to meet her and ensure her safety. Your Highness only needs to wait for news."
Gu Zhan made a decisive statement: "My mind is made up, so let's not delay."
Since he had said such a thing, his subordinates could no longer offer any advice.
Before long, Fan Nayan prepared a light cavalry force of several dozen men for him. In order to prevent his identity from being revealed, he also provided him with a mask to cover his face and prevent him from being recognized.
At first, the King of Wei did not care about Shen Mi's whereabouts. Even after he learned that Shen Mi had fled while pregnant with Gu Zhan's child, he did not know where she had gone and could only send official documents to various government offices.
When Shen Mi and his party arrived in Shanzhou, they also saw such an official document. After discussing it with Meng Tongfang, Shen Mi had no choice but to change their route and choose to take the less crowded mountain road to Tongguan.
Shanzhou is more than 100 li away from Tongguan. They have already overcome many difficulties and must not stop here.
Shanxian County is a strategically important location, and naturally there are bandits along the way. Unfortunately, they encountered this group of bandits.
Shen Mi knew that these people mainly robbed money, so she took out most of her gold, silver and valuables and signaled Meng Tongfang to bribe them with money. However, the bandits persisted in their pursuit and did not become greedy for money or pressurize her step by step.
With no way out, Meng Tongfang decided to fight to the death to carve out a way to survive.
However, they greatly underestimated the number of bandits, and since it was getting late and they were not familiar with the mountain terrain, they quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.
Meng Tongfang said from outside the car, "You go first, I'll cover the rear!"
The bandit leader saw two women sitting inside the carriage the moment the wind lifted the curtain, and he had no intention of letting them leave easily. "Want to leave? Not so easy! Let me tell you, today, you'd better leave both the money and the women in the stronghold!" he said, waving his hand at the bandits behind him, "Get them!"
Shen Mi sat in the car, hearing the sounds of fighting outside, and was both shocked and frightened.
Although her father and brothers had guarded the frontier, she was not skilled in martial arts and could not help with the impending battle outside. She could only instinctively touch her lower abdomen, hoping that Meng Tongfang and the Thousand Bull Guards he brought could defeat them.
Her heart was pounding. One after another, she heard the sounds of people falling to the ground outside, unable to tell whether they were bandits or guards.
Cuiwei sat beside her, casting a worried glance at her.
Shen Mi gripped a dagger tightly for self-defense, thinking that if someone were to break in, she would still have a chance to fight back.
Suddenly, the front of the carriage was pressed down heavily as someone climbed on.
Shen Mi subconsciously opened her eyes and saw a bandit lift the carriage curtain.
She reacted immediately, pulled a dagger from her sleeve, and with all her might, was about to stab the burly man. But just before she could strike, the man fell backward to the ground with a thud, and blood gushed out from beneath him.
The outside was a complete mess. Shen Mi was terrified and dared not let go of the dagger in her hand.
Seeing this, Cuiwei also picked up her dagger for self-defense, pursed her lips, and was too frightened to say a word.
Just as she was about to look away, her gaze met that of a man wearing a metal mask.
The person accompanying her was not wearing a mask, and Shen Mi subconsciously assumed that the person was not one of her own. She gripped the dagger with both hands and stabbed at the person.
The man caught the dagger in her hand with his bare hands, and blood flowed down his palm.
The man made no extra movements, but simply gazed at her intently without uttering a single word.
Through the mask, Shen Mi did not recognize the person in front of her, but when she saw the eyes hidden under the mask, the panic in her heart gradually subsided, replaced by a familiar bittersweet feeling.
She was lost in thought for a moment. Those eyes looked so much like Gu Zhan's that she forgot to breathe and move.
I could hardly hear the sounds of fighting; I could only hear my own heartbeat.
For some reason, she suddenly remembered that two months ago, before she left the East Palace, during the last time she was with Gu Zhan, Gu Zhan asked her out of the blue, "If I die one day, what will you do?"
She knew that recalling this memory was really inappropriate, but she didn't know why she would think of it at this moment.
She hadn't dreamed of Gu Zhan for a very, very long time.
But she quickly came to her senses.
Impossible. Even if it looks exactly like him, it can't be him.
Gu Zhan is dead; I must be hallucinating.
Shen Mi shook her head sharply, gathering her strength in her hands again, wanting to take advantage of the man's momentary lapse in concentration to continue her attack.
However, she couldn't muster any strength in her hands.
She couldn't tell if her legs went weak from fright or because she was distracted.
Just as her instinct to survive and protect the child in her womb pulled her back to her senses, the man released the dagger from her hand.
He didn't treat the wound on his hand, nor did he say a word to Shen Mi; he simply lowered the carriage curtain.
The sounds of fighting came from outside again. Shen Mi gripped the dagger tightly, not daring to relax.
After an unknown amount of time, the fighting outside finally subsided.
Meng Tongfang stood outside the carriage and said to her in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, we have dealt with these bandits."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mi dropped the dagger she was holding into the carriage with a clatter.
Her limbs were weak and her breathing was labored. She didn't even realize that her face was already covered in tears.
Cuiwei handed her a handkerchief from the side, "Why are you crying, my lady?"
Shen Mi seemed not to have heard Cuiwei's voice. She did not take the handkerchief Cuiwei offered, but just sat there blankly.
Shen Mi felt a tightness in her chest and wanted to lift the carriage curtain to let in some fresh air, but the mountain breeze brought not fresh air, but air with a fishy and pungent smell.
She is currently pregnant, and upon smelling that odor, she couldn't help but gag and had to lower the carriage curtain to breathe softly.
In this way, her gaze fell once again on the dagger in the carriage.
The image of the masked man holding the dagger with his bare hands reappeared before her eyes. She thought of the look in the man's eyes when he looked at her. She couldn't make it out clearly through the mask, but she was sure that it was an extremely complex emotion. However, she couldn't discern greed in it.
At that moment, a dull, piercing pain shot through her heart, spreading from her heart to every part of her body, down to her lower abdomen.
Perhaps due to the long journey through the night, when the pain struck, she could no longer hold on, her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.
Cuiwei watched as she slowly leaned against the carriage wall and exclaimed in surprise, "Madam, Madam!"
When she woke up again, Shen Mi only saw the dusty, gray curtains.
Her throat was a little dry and hoarse. After coughing twice, she propped herself up on the bed and sat up. She had to figure out where she was now, whether she had successfully reached Tongguan, or whether Meng Tongfang had been defeated by the bandits outside and she had been kidnapped by them.
She squinted, forcing herself to regain her strength, and carefully scanned the room.
The room was decorated simply and elegantly, without many bright colors. The overall color scheme was dark and somber, but it was spacious enough. The bed was a canopy bed, making it look more like an inn than a bandit's stronghold in the mountains.
Shen Mi dared not let her guard down, because she knew that besides the band of mountain bandits, there was also the masked man who had blocked her way.
The official document issued by the King of Wei stated that she would be captured alive. Could the masked man also be one of the King of Wei's men?
If that's the case, her situation will be even worse.
But when she saw Cuiwei hurriedly carrying a bowl of medicine in from outside, her heart calmed down a little.
If Cuiwei is safe and sound, then her situation should be relatively secure.
Seeing that she had sat up, Cuiwei quickened her pace and walked towards her.
Shen Mi wanted to ask Cuiwei what was going on, but her throat itched as she opened her mouth, and she coughed first.
Cuiwei quickly placed the medicine bowl on a small table to the side, poured a cup of hot water, and handed it to her first.
Shen Mi took the hot water, drank a couple of sips to moisten her throat, and then asked Cuiwei, "Where are we now? How long have I been unconscious?"
Cuiwei said, "Don't worry, my lady. We have arrived at Tongguan safely and are now at the post station there. You fainted yesterday evening and remained unconscious for two whole days. The doctor came to check on you and said it was due to overwork. He advised you to rest well."
Shen Mi breathed a sigh of relief. She raised her hand and touched her lower abdomen, which was still flat, so she couldn't feel the specific condition by touching it.
She asked Cuiwei with considerable concern, "How is the child? Is he alright?"
Cuiwei replied, "It's all good, but since you went through this while you were still so young, you'll need to take good care of yourself and avoid extreme joy or sorrow." She paused, her expression slightly hesitant, "There's one more thing..."
A faint unease crept into Shen Mi's heart, but she still said, "Please speak freely."
Just as Cuiwei was about to speak, Meng Tongfang's voice came from outside: "Miss Cuiwei, I need you to come out for a moment. It concerns the Crown Princess."
Cuiwei thought that her mistress would find out about this soon, so she stopped talking and said to Chen Mi, "This servant will go and see what Commander Meng has to say."
Shen Mi, holding her water glass, nodded and didn't stop her.
Cuiwei lifted the hem of her skirt and ran out, but saw that familiar face at the corner. She was about to greet Gu Zhan when Gu Zhan first gestured for her to be quiet.
She instantly understood Meng Tongfang's meaning. Perhaps it wasn't that His Highness needed her to do anything, but that His Highness wanted to speak with his wife alone.
She understood and obediently shut up.
Shen Mi was lost in thought, holding her teacup, when she suddenly heard a gentle and familiar voice: "Zhi Niang".
She froze for a moment, then blankly raised her head. When she saw that familiar figure, she lost her grip on the water glass and dropped it.
Her lips moved slightly, but after a long while, she couldn't utter a single word; only two lines of tears slid down her cheeks.
They looked at each other speechlessly, only tears streaming down their faces.
Shen Mi pinched her forearm suddenly. She subconsciously thought it was a hallucination caused by the child in her womb, so she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the figure was still in front of her, telling her that what she saw was not her imagination.
"Gu Zhan?" she called out uncertainly.
As soon as Gu Zhan entered the room, he took in the woman's bewilderment and vulnerability. When he saw Shen Mi wiping her sleeves and pinching herself, he took three steps at a time and walked towards Shen Mi. However, when he was just a step away from her bed, he did not dare to get any closer.
Then, I heard this soft call, carrying a faint hint of probing and hope.
Gu Zhan's throat bobbed, a bitter taste stuck there, neither rising nor falling, causing him a sharp pain in his heart. He could only manage to utter, "Zhi Niang, it's me, it's me."
Shen Mi's figure was as thin as ever, and her face was pale.
Gu Zhan looked at the woman sitting on the couch, and couldn't help but sit down beside her, gently holding Shen Mi's wrist, and said, "You've suffered a lot these past few days." He paused for a moment, and continued, "Yesterday evening, when we arrived at Tongguan, I called a doctor to examine you. The doctor said you were more than two months pregnant. Did you know about this?"
Shen Mi was not surprised by this and nodded.
But she still stared at Gu Zhan in disbelief. She couldn't believe that the person everyone said was dead and had no remains was now alive and well in Tongguan.
What about those nights when she couldn't sleep because of grief?
What does all her hard work these days amount to?
What does it matter if she plans so carefully?
So, she was the only one kept in the dark about this?
Is she the only one who's needlessly heartbroken?
Shen Mi stared at Gu Zhan for a long time before asking, "Are you really Gu Zhan?"
Gu Zhan didn't let go of her hand and said, "It was me. The situation was too urgent back then. I didn't have a chance to explain more to you, nor was I sure I could tell you more. I've been very worried about you during this time."
Shen Mi bit her lip and said, "You bastard, Gu Zhan, you're a bastard."
Gu Zhan did not refute this. "Yes, I am. Don't be angry anymore. Hmm? Your health is the most important thing. Drink your medicine first." As he spoke, he went to bring the bowl of medicine over.
Shen Mi didn't want to argue with her body, so she didn't let Gu Zhan feed her. Instead, she took the medicine bowl, tilted her head back, and drank it down.
Gu Zhan took out a clean handkerchief, intending to wipe away the medicine stains from the corner of her lips.
Shen Mi noticed the bandage on his hand. She remembered the masked man from yesterday, and a feeling of being fooled welled up inside her.
She pushed Gu Zhan away: "Gu Zhan, do you think it's fun to tease me?"
“Childhood sweetheart…”
Shen Mi stopped looking at him: "Get out. I don't want to talk to you or see you."
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Author's note: People always have to pay the price for their actions, right, Gu Gou? [emoji][emoji]
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