When Chu Jinyao heard the news of the defeat, after the initial shock, she immediately thought of her own dangerous situation.

Changhe Garden was originally a small and scattered place, and if people's hearts collapsed, the consequences would be disastrous.

She couldn't help but put her hand on her lower abdomen. This was her soft spot, but also her strength. It is said that when the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. So now, Chu Jinyao must be the one to hold up the sky.

The palace maids were frightened and several timid maids had already covered their faces and cried. Chu Jinyao closed her eyes tightly and when she opened them again, her eyes were sharp, completely different from her previous gentle and sensible look: "Why are you crying? It's just a defeat on the front line. The emperor hasn't passed away yet and the prince is in the capital. You are crying now. Are you trying to curse the emperor or the prince?"

The palace maids were all frightened. They had never seen the crown princess look so stern. The years of teachings of the palace now prevailed. They all stood up quickly, with their hands hanging down, not daring to do anything rash again.

The palace servants were trembling with fear, and for a moment they seemed to be back in the palace with strict hierarchy. But it was also good this way, because hierarchy meant order. The palace servants seemed to have suddenly stepped on solid ground in a daze, and their hearts were no longer as lost and confused as before.

Seeing that these people were subdued, Chu Jinyao immediately ordered them to do things, such as closing the garden gate, checking the doors and windows, and paying attention to fire prevention. There were too many things to do. Being ordered at this moment made people feel at ease. The palace maids and eunuchs seemed to have found their backbone and went about their own business. Linglong and Chu Jinxian felt that the world was falling when they first heard the news, but seeing Chu Jinyao so calm, they could not help but follow Chu Jinyao's pace. After everyone else in the room had left, Linglong asked, "Crown Princess, what should we do now?"

Chu Jinyao turned around and saw the maid who had been with her for many years looking at her eagerly, while Chu Jinxian was also holding Lu Ge'er, her eyes full of expectation and trust.

Chu Jinyao felt an unspeakable pressure. In fact, she didn't know that it was the mistress's instinct to order the servants to check the garden just now, but what should she do next? Qin Yi would definitely not let her and the child stay in the dangerous western suburbs, but it was no secret that the pregnant Crown Princess prayed for blessings and worshiped Buddha in Changhe Garden. How could Chu Jinyao dare to guarantee that the first group of people to arrive would be Qin Yi?

The army was defeated more than a hundred miles away from the capital, and even the emperor was captured alive by the enemy. This kind of thing is almost devastating for a country. It is almost a precursor to the destruction of the country in history books. What kind of life did the women of the royal family live when the Jingkang Incident occurred? Chu Jinyao didn't dare to gamble. Ambitious people are most likely to appear after a chaos. If there are really brave generals who want to take a chance, then Chu Jinyao and the child in her belly will be the best targets.

Chu Jinyao gritted her teeth and said, "Changhe Garden is too conspicuous. We can't stay here. Let's hide outside for a while and wait for the court to send someone."

Chu Jinyao wondered at this time if she could change into the clothes of a palace maid, maybe she could escape the disaster? But she immediately thought of her appearance and gave up. It

was too risky. First, she would be recognized even if she changed into palace maid's clothes. Second, she couldn't be trapped in one place. That would be like trying to catch a turtle in a jar.

So she had to go outside.

Chu Jinxian looked at her hard-earned son in her arms, and without much hesitation, she said resolutely: "Okay, I'll go with you."

"No." Chu Jinyao flatly refused, "You and Lu Ge'er can't stand the wind, there is no need to accompany me to take risks. You take the guards and go in another direction. If someone really comes, they will most likely chase me. You hide quietly, and you should be able to hold on until someone from the capital comes."

"How can this be possible." Chu Jinxian shook her head with a determined look, "You don't have many guards around you, and it's easy to be careless if you divide the manpower. It's better for us to act together, so that at least we can take care of each other with more people."

Chu Jinyao also thought that there were not many people, and Chu Jinxian might be in danger if she went out alone. If something went wrong with Chu Jinxian and Lu Ge'er, it would be her fault. Chu Jinyao hesitated for a few moments, and seeing Chu Jinxian's determination, she also made up her mind: "Okay, let's go together."

Linglong and the others all showed a look of relief. She walked forward quickly and said, "Crown Princess, I will go back to pack my luggage now."

Today, Lu Ge'er cried for no reason, so Chu Jinyao is now in Chu Jinxian's yard. Chu Jinyao stopped Linglong and said, "You don't have to pack your luggage. You should quickly find a few inconspicuous clothes, preferably clothes for ordinary women, the sooner the better."

Linglong quickly understood that as long as the Crown Princess was fine, these treasures in Changhe Garden were nothing, and there was no need to pack the luggage at all. The most important thing was to hide the person out quickly. Now the people who stayed in the house were all confidants. Linglong took a few people to receive the order, and the remaining Dingxiang and Jiegeng quickly helped Chu Jinyao take off the hairpin. Chu Jinyao was now exposed to the public. If someone recognized her identity as the Crown Princess, it would be unimaginable.

Chu Jinxian and Chu Jinyao packed up quickly, and Linglong also brought back two sets of gray clothes. Chu Jinyao took the clothes and said, "I'll change them myself. You should also dress up a bit, so that you can look like you came from the palace."

Several maids took off their expensive jewelry with shaking hands. Chu Jinyao pointed out where the flaws were. After thinking that there were no obvious flaws, she asked someone to carefully wrap Lu Ge'er and quietly walked out.

The guards left by Qin Yi had already been ready outside. The chief guard also thought that at this time, the enemy was in the dark and we were in the light. The Crown Princess was an obvious target and it was not suitable to stay there. He was originally worried about how to persuade the Crown Princess and convince these noble women to endure hardships. It would be better to draw the sword and prepare for a decisive battle as soon as possible. However, unexpectedly, before the chief guard could take the initiative to persuade him, the Crown Princess sent someone to tell him to wait at the side door. The chief guard was very surprised, and when he saw the Crown Princess and her entourage hurriedly coming at the side door, he was even more surprised. The Crown

Princess actually changed into civilian clothes. Not only her, but also several senior palace maids around her had disguised themselves. After all, if they were still wearing palace clothes, it would be no different from walking at night with candles and running away with the sound of bells, which would be even more dangerous. The chief guard's surprise was fleeting. He lowered his head respectfully, not looking directly at the Crown Princess and these palace ladies, and cautiously and responsibly let them get on the car.

The carriage was also deliberately modified. It looked ordinary on the outside, but it was comfortable and warm inside. However, no matter how comfortable it was, it could not compare to the original one. After all, they were fleeing. For a while, the breathing could be heard in the whole carriage, and no one could speak.

At this moment, the sky was getting dark, and the whistling wind outside blew through the bare treetops, making a sobbing sound. This sound was completely different from what you heard when you were sitting in the warm palace. Even the maids in the carriage were half-ladies who were pampered in the marquis's family. They had never seen coarse cloth, let alone such a battle. Linglong's face was pale, and Chu Jinxian's knuckles were blue, and she held Lu Ge'er tightly in her arms. Chu Jinyao glanced at the sleeping Lu Ge'er, and sighed that he was a child after all, and could fall asleep even at this time.

People were in a panic, and Chu Jinyao couldn't let this anxiety continue. She lowered her voice and said, "Sister, it's okay. We are heading to the capital now. When we get near the capital and see people, everything will be fine."

Usually, it takes more than an hour to ride a horse from the capital to Changhe Garden. It takes a little longer to take a carriage, but it's only half a day. But the premise of these travel times is a peaceful and prosperous era. Now that the emperor has been captured alive, this is a national disaster and a national humiliation, no different from the Jingkang Shame of the year. The whole country was in an uproar, and the people's hearts collapsed. Some people couldn't help but take risks and make other plans.

Chu Jinyao suddenly heard a noise behind her. She opened the curtain a little and saw the scene she least wanted to see.

Behind them, the Changhe Garden was ablaze. Judging from their direction, it was obviously not from the capital.

The other people in the carriage also panicked when they heard the sound. They did not dare to lift the curtain to see, but just by looking at Chu Jinyao's face, they could guess that nothing good had happened outside.

Linglong asked fearfully, "Crown Princess, what's going on outside?"

"Changhe Garden has been surrounded."

Just this one sentence was enough to scare away the remaining half of the souls of the women. Linglong covered her chest and said with a lingering fear: "Fortunately, the Crown Princess was alert and came out in advance, otherwise..." Linglong did not dare to think further. Chu Jinyao was still pregnant with the only child of the Eastern Palace. At this time, an armed force that was not from the court surrounded Changhe Garden. What was the purpose? To rescue or to seize?

No one knew.

Chu Jinxian was a rich lady after all. Now she heard that something that could only be seen in history books really happened to her. She was already scared out of her wits, but she was barely able to maintain her composure due to her upbringing since childhood. Chu Jinyao looked back for a while, lowered the curtain, and knocked lightly on the carriage.

The voice of the guards immediately rang out from outside the car: "Crown Princess, what do you want me to do?"

"They found out that I'm not here, they will surely catch up with us soon. We can't stay on the road, we must find a place to hide."

There is only one direction to enter the capital, and the people who come don't need to think, they must know which direction they are fleeing. There are many women in their group, so there is no need to expect to compete with the fast horses, so the only plan now is to hide in the surroundings while it's dark, and just hold on until Qin Yi's people come to pick them up.

The captain of the guards had the same idea. He said, "What the Crown Princess said is very true, but there are no forests in the capital. I'm afraid you will have to go to a farm to make do."

"What do you mean by making do? Your life is the most important thing." Chu Jinyao was really impressed by this upright captain of the guards. She frowned and said, "Also, don't call me Crown Princess. I'm the fifth in my family. You all should change your name and call me the Fifth Miss later."

"Yes."

Chu Jinyao clearly felt that the carriage had changed direction. Naturally, the other people noticed it as well and were now silent. Chu Jinyao had no time to comfort them at this time. She reminded them again: "Remember, don't reveal your identity later. I am the fifth girl in the family, the daughter of an ordinary minor official in the capital. My father is a fifth-rank scholar. This time I am here to accompany my sister to relax on the farm. Do you understand?"

Linglong and the other two maids understood the pros and cons. They quickly repeated it in their hearts several times and nodded and said, "I understand."

The fifth-rank scholar is not too high or too low, not so high that it would make people wary, but the Hanlin is noble and not someone who can be bullied. Chu Jinyao and the others have already changed into civilian clothes. It would be best if they could fool people. If they are still discovered, they at least have an identity to smooth things over.

The western suburbs are mostly villas of the rich and powerful, so it is not surprising that a young lady from an official family appears here. Chu Jinyao was extremely grateful that her belly was not obvious yet, and she still had a chance to pretend to be a young lady.

The chief guard was a fussy person, but she was efficient. The carriage quickly stopped at a place. After a while, the chief guard came over to ask for help: "Miss, Miss Five, this family's surname is Zhuang, and they happen to have hot water. You two ladies, please rest here for a while."

Chu Jinyao knew that it was the chief guard who was delivering the message. Chu Jinyao gently held Chu Jinxian's arm: "Sister, let's go out."

Chu Jinxian's face was pale, she nodded, and slowly walked out with the child in her arms.

Because of her status as the eldest and fifth young ladies, Chu Jinyao could not be the first to go out. After Chu Jinxian stood up, several maids hurriedly came to help Chu Jinyao. Chu Jinyao shook her head secretly in her heart. She was still a little confused. How could the fifth young lady of a family be more ostentatious than the eldest young lady? Chu Jinyao could only hope that this family did not understand, and hoped that the pursuers would not find this place.

There were only the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and a seven-year-old child in this family. Mrs. Zhuang's husband was dead, and her son went to another place. There were only women and children in the family. This was why the chief guard chose this family. If there was no way to avoid it and there were no male heirs in this family, he could immediately control the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law of the Zhuang family stood in the yard, carefully looking at the newcomers. Today, they heard about the defeat at the front and were so scared that they closed the door early. But not long after they closed the door, they heard someone knocking on the door. A cold man gave them a small piece of silver and asked them to boil some hot water for their daughter. Farmers can't earn more than a few taels of silver throughout the year, so even though the manor lady thought that the person knocking on the door at this time was really strange, she still bravely accepted it. The

manor's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law looked at the two carriages with vigilance and curiosity. When they saw the people getting off the carriages, their eyes widened in surprise. They had lived for so long and had never seen such a person of good appearance, especially the one who got off the carriage at the end. Even though she was wearing ordinary clothes, she stood in the twilight yard, as if her whole body was emitting soft light, making people unconsciously look in her direction.

Although the chief guard had no expression, he was always guarding Chu Jinyao, his eyes alert, his hand even on the hilt of his knife. The other guards had already hidden in the surroundings, and they were also paying attention to the movements around them. Chu Jinyao looked around and whispered to the chief guard: "Brother guard, it's too troublesome for the carriage to enter the yard. Anyway, we can't stay for long, so why not let the carriage park outside."

The chief guard immediately understood. The farmer's wall could not block the carriage at all. What kind of farmer would have the money to keep a carriage? This is simply a glaring target. The captain of the guards immediately said, "Yes, Fifth Miss."

The captain of the guards turned around and pulled the carriage out. Chu Jinyao knew that she would need someone around her, so she followed the Zhuang family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law into the house without worry. The Zhuang family's daughter-in-law had just brought the water when she saw the captain of the guards coming back, and the carriage in his hand was nowhere to be seen. Her eyelids twitched, and she lowered her head and went into the house without saying a word.

The Zhuang family's daughter-in-law brought water to Chu Jinyao and Chu Jinxian. When Linglong saw it, she immediately took it over: "Thank you for your hard work, let me do it."

The daughter-in-law wanted to say that you look so delicate, how could you do these, but then she saw Linglong's skilled movements and gradually fell silent.

Mrs. Zhuang felt more and more that these people were not ordinary people. They lived at the foot of the imperial city. This area was mostly the villas of the rich and powerful. She had seen many young masters and young ladies coming and going. But no one was like these people in front of her. From their words and deeds to their appearance and conversation, they had created an invisible wall between themselves and the people around them.

Guang Linglong and the other two maids were rare fair-skinned people in the village, not to mention the sisters Chu Jinyao and Chu Jinxian. It was the first time that the wife of the Zhuang family knew that there were really fairies in the world. When she was in the same room with such a person, she didn't even know what to do with her hands and feet.

The head of the guard stood behind Chu Jinyao like a statue, his eyes so sharp that they could almost become reality. Chu Jinyao saw that since they came, the original owner of the house had been driven to the corner. She sighed in her heart and wanted to ask the head guard not to be so scary, but she was afraid of saying too much and making mistakes, so she could only hold it in. She turned her eyes and saw a child of seven or eight years old hiding behind the cabinet in the corner. Chu Jinyao was pregnant and naturally loved children. Seeing this, she couldn't help but smile and asked softly: "What's your name and why are you hiding behind?"

The child still hid in the corner timidly and didn't dare to come forward. Mrs. Zhuang hurriedly said: "This is the grandson of a common woman. He has never seen strangers and cannot be on stage. Please don't make fun of him, young lady."

Unconsciously, Mrs. Zhuang used the title "common woman".

Chu Jinyao thought that the boy was afraid of the captain of the guards, so he didn't dare to approach, but in fact, the child was afraid that his sister would break into pieces if he approached her because she was so beautiful, so he only dared to hide and peek from a distance.

Chu Jinyao sat in the farmer's house. Although the surrounding furnishings were completely different from those in the palace, it strangely gave her a sense of security. On the contrary, Chu Jinxian was a little bit unable to adapt, and at this time Lu Ge'er woke up and cried weakly. Chu Jinxian frowned, and anxiety appeared between her eyebrows.

The countryside became quiet at night, and the cry of a child at this time was not a good thing. Chu Jinyao also stood up and looked at Lu Ge'er with concern. Seeing the two young girls busy, Mrs. Zhuang couldn't help but say, "My two nobles, the child is crying like this probably because he is hungry. If you don't mind, I will make you some rice porridge?"

There were limited people to bring on the road, and Lu Ge'er's wet nurse was naturally left in Changhe Garden. Chu Jinxian had no choice if the child was hungry. There was nothing to be picky about at this time. She could only say "thank you" and let Mrs. Zhuang prepare food for the child. Mrs. Zhuang

also went out to help. The intermittent sounds in the kitchen were full of the breath of life, which made people feel at ease for some reason. Chu Jinyao gradually calmed down, and even the anxiety between Chu Jinxian's brows dissipated a lot. However, when Mrs. Zhuang brought in the hot rice porridge, the head guard who had been silent suddenly changed his face. Then, Chu Jinyao also heard the sound of horse hooves outside.

Linglong and Dingxiang almost subconsciously blocked in front of Chu Jinyao, and another maid of Chu Jinxian also approached Chu Jinxian tremblingly.

"Is there anyone in there? Our official has something to ask."