Chapter 68 Returning to Xiao Mingzhang's Side
"...Does Azhi want to go to Liangzhou?"
Inside the room filled with a sweet fragrance, Yunzhu looked down in surprise to see her daughter's expression.
Mu Zhaozhi pursed her tender lips.
There were many people outside just now, and there were many things she hadn't told her mother. Although they had successfully rescued her last night, it was the most terrifying day in Mu Zhaozhi's life, who was not yet three years old. She was so frightened that she cried in Xiao Mingzhang's arms.
During her two days in Yong County, the man who claimed to be her eleventh imperial uncle treated her quite well. He fulfilled all her desires for food and drink, so Mu Zhaozhi wasn't too frightened. Even though she suspected his kidnapping was motivated by impure motives, she remained calm and composed, believing that her mother and Xiao Mingzhang would eventually come to pick her up. Her patience far surpassed that of her peers.
But last night, with all the swordplay and violence unfolding before her eyes, and as she watched Xiao Mingzhang embrace her while being struck by two arrows, Mu Zhaozhi finally lost her composure.
She was just a little girl of two years old and had never seen blood before. When she saw Xiao Mingzhang bleeding from a wound pierced by an arrow, she was so frightened that she burst into tears in Xiao Mingzhang's arms.
She was held in Xiao Mingzhang's arms with one hand, crying while not daring to move, afraid that she would disturb his actions.
Her crying was loud and annoying, and it only quieted down a little when they arrived safely in the carriage.
Because Xiao Mingzhang was injured, the carriage contained not only her and Xiao Mingzhang, but also many people who had come to take care of Xiao Mingzhang.
This was the first time Mu Zhaozhi had been so close to Xiao Mingzhang, because she didn't know anyone else in the carriage. Xiao Mingzhang, whom she usually disliked the most, had become the only person she could rely on at this moment.
She could only get closer and closer to Xiao Mingzhang.
She overheard people advising Xiao Mingzhang to go to Liangzhou. They said Liangzhou was the closest place to him, and since he was seriously injured, he had to go to Liangzhou for treatment first. As for Hanze Town, it wouldn't matter if he went back later.
Mu Zhaozhi's eyes were brimming with tears. When she first heard those words, she actually thought they made sense. Xiao Mingzhang was seriously injured and had lost so much blood. He was a patient, so naturally everything had to be done for the patient first.
But then she thought again that she had been away from home for two days, and her mother must be very worried about her. If she could not return to her mother soon, her mother would have to worry about her again.
She was at a loss for what to do.
Just as she hesitated, Xiao Mingzhang said, "...I can go to Liangzhou first, but you should send some men, led by Mr. Yan, to take Azhi home first."
His voice was weak, and every word he uttered carried a strong, bloody stench.
But in an instant, Mu Zhaozhi felt as if the sky had already brightened.
They sped along in the night light and shadow, the moonlight sweeping across the carriage and leaving a winding trail on the road trodden by its wheels.
"I will definitely come to Liangzhou to see you then!" Moved, Mu Zhaozhi made this promise to Xiao Mingzhang.
Xiao Mingzhang smiled at her, said "okay" to her, and then raised his relatively clean hand, picked up a handkerchief, and wiped her cheek twice.
He moved his pale lips and instructed, "Remember to wipe away your tears before you go home, so your mother won't worry."
...
With no outsiders present, Mu Zhaozhi recounted her entire conversation with Xiao Mingzhang from the previous night to Yunzhu and Ayan.
After hearing what she said, the two fell silent.
After a long while, Yunzhu smiled again and said gently to Mu Zhaozhi, "Alright, let your mother think about when it would be best to set off for Liangzhou. After all, your mother still has many things to take care of here... How about you rest first, and your mother will tell you the answer tonight, okay?"
Mu Zhaozhi nodded, and Yunzhu gently stroked her daughter's head again, hugging her even tighter.
Exhausted from the long journey, Mu Zhaozhi fell asleep very quickly.
After she fell asleep, Yunzhu went out. Ayan followed closely behind.
"Princess, were you serious with your answer just now? Are you really going to Liangzhou to visit Xiao Mingzhang?" As soon as they stepped out, Ayan asked.
"Yes," Yunzhu replied.
Ayan stamped her feet anxiously, "But I don't think going to Liangzhou is that simple, Princess. What if this is Xiao Mingzhang's scheme? A trick he's using to lure you in!"
“Ayan…”
When Yunzhu is with her daughter, she always needs to be mindful of the little girl's various emotions and restrain her temper to be as gentle as possible. However, when she is with Ayan, all her melancholy and worries are clearly revealed.
She said earnestly, "I may have to make a risky decision."
"What?" Ayan asked, puzzled.
Yunzhu let out a deep breath and began to recount everything from the beginning.
In fact, ever since Mu Zhaozhi was taken away by Prince Yi, Yunzhu had been thinking that Hanze Town was no longer safe. If Xiao Mingzhang could bring his daughter back safely, she would immediately start the process of moving.
She needs to take Mu Zhaozhi to find a completely safe place.
But in the vast Central Plains, is there any place as completely safe as Hanze Town?
The answer is no.
At least for Yunzhu and Mu Zhaozhi now, no.
Since Xiao Mingzhang appeared, countless eyes in the court have been watching the mother and daughter. Prince Yi was one group, and then there were those strategists who would abandon her at crucial moments... They kept monitoring them wave after wave, and no matter where they moved to now, it was all in vain.
So instead of looking for places outside that she couldn't trust, Yunzhu naturally came up with a seemingly difficult, but actually very appropriate, answer—
"Wait, wait, wait..." Upon hearing this, Ayan seemed to finally realize something. "Princess, you don't mean to take Azhi back to that Xiao man's side, do you?"
She instantly flew into a rage, screaming, "How can this be!"
"Shh!" Mu Zhaozhi had just fallen asleep, and Yunzhu was afraid that Ayan's voice would wake her up, so she quickly stopped her.
She held Ayan's hand and gently stroked her back, but did not deny Ayan's question.
In fact, Yunzhu had already made up her mind about returning to Xiao Mingzhang's side before Yan Qian brought Mu Zhaozhi back. However, Yan Qian had spoken so rudely a moment ago that she had responded with the most offensive and harsh words.
Yunzhu's original intention was to wait for Mu Zhaozhi to rest for two days and adjust before telling her the news and informing everyone around her. She never expected Mu Zhaozhi to bring it up on her own initiative, nor did she expect that she could so easily go with the flow and arrange everything.
“Now that the emperor’s days are numbered, the princes are fighting tooth and nail for the throne. It is indeed safest to be by Xiao Mingzhang’s side, isn’t it?” Yunzhu calmly asked Ayan.
"That's not how it's calculated!" Ayan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth.
Yes, Xiao Mingzhang is safe now because of his prominent status and numerous guards. But... but... Ayan can't accept that the person who swore to her just a few days ago that he would never return to Xiao Mingzhang's side is suddenly going to do so.
"Isn't there any other way?" Ayan felt heartbroken for Yunzhu.
She didn't know how Yunzhu was feeling, but just thinking about how she and her daughter were about to return to Xiao Mingzhang's side made Ayan feel a pang of heartache.
Having practiced martial arts for many years, she had never experienced such an indescribable feeling in her heart. Even when she learned that Xiao Mingzhang wanted to kill Yunzhu, all Ayan could feel was anger, not the unspeakable, heart-wrenching anguish she felt now.
"Princess……"
The memory of her arduous escape from the Prince Huan's mansion was still vivid in her mind. Ayan was confused, and for a moment, she seemed to have no idea what the meaning of her past experiences was.
"Everything I've been through is so that I can live with more peace of mind in the future."
The fog that Ayan couldn't escape was blown away by Yunzhu's light, casual remark.
"But who can guarantee that Xiao Mingzhang can really protect our safety? This time, didn't he almost fail to protect Azhi as well?" Ayan was really at her wit's end. Seeing that Yunzhu had made up her mind, she could only bring up the matter of Mu Zhaozhi this time and make one last effort.
"But at least he was willing to risk his life to save Azhi, right?" Yunzhu's simple question left Ayan speechless.
"Ayan, you know that we really have no other choice now, right?"
—But Ah Yan, we have no other choice now, do we?
This sentence finally stopped Ayan from questioning Yunzhu any further.
Feeling depressed, Ayan couldn't vent her frustration to Yunzhu, so she could only curse Xiao Mingzhang countless times in her heart.
If it weren't for his sudden arrival, she and the princess would have been living peacefully here, and they wouldn't have been forced into such a predicament.
They had no other choice.
They have no other choice now!
Although she still had a thousand words she wanted to say to Yunzhu, in the end, all Ayan could say was, "If the princess has made up her mind, just do it. I will always be with you!"
—
Yan Qian learned that Yunzhu was about to set off for Liangzhou early the next morning.
Yunzhu asked Ayan to tell him about the matter, but she did not speak to him herself.
After hearing this, Yan Qian stood in the hall for a long time before telling Ayan to tell Yunzhu that he would take care of all the arrangements for her trip to Liangzhou, and that she only needed to take the children and prepare to leave.
Since leaving the Prince Huan's mansion, Yunzhu had never experienced such a life where food was served to her, clothes were put on her back, and she didn't have to do any chores herself.
Yan Qian told her not to do anything, so she really did nothing. Every day, besides accompanying Mu Zhaozhi, she would go to say goodbye to a few neighbors she used to know.
In the past few days, the affairs of Xiao Mingzhang's mansion have caused quite a stir. Overnight, for some unknown reason, the news that Xiao Mingzhang was actually the heir of the famous Huan Prince's mansion, and that Yunzhu was actually his heir's wife and the original princess of the Western Regions, began to circulate in the town.
When the people in the town saw Yunzhu again, they were all very reserved and their expressions were quite strange. But when they heard the news that she was about to leave, everyone showed genuine reluctance.
Among them, the wives of scholars were the most numerous.
Yunzhu and she were the last people to meet.
After spending a month in the school, Yunzhu and the scholarly lady had become close friends despite their age difference. They had thought they would have many more opportunities to spend time together, but little did they know that a single month would be all it would ever be.
Before leaving, Yunzhu left all the flowers and plants she had grown in the house to the scholar's wife. Some of them were too inconvenient to transplant, so she let them grow freely, waiting for the arrival of their next owner.
The two talked for a long time face to face.
"Until we meet again." The scholar's wife sighed as she saw Yunzhu off at the school gate.
From the moment she first saw Yunzhu, she knew from Yunzhu's temperament and appearance that she was no ordinary person, but she never expected that her true identity was so noble.
But is returning to Prince Huan's residence really a good choice?
Even the scholarly lady didn't know whether Yunzhu's decision today was right or wrong.
She could only say to Yunzhu again, "I hope everything goes well for you in the future."
"The same goes for Madam."
This was Yunzhu's last day in Hanze Town. The next day, Yan Qian made all the necessary preparations and set off for Liangzhou with Yunzhu, Mu Zhaozhi, and the others.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
