critical

Inside the carriage, Luo Zhiyan carefully looked at Luo's expression, but couldn't help asking, "Aunt, why do we have to live in a country farm?"

Luo came back to her senses, sighed, and said with a forced smile: "Yan'er, your uncle asked us to stay out of the spotlight for the time being."

"Get out of the spotlight?" Luo Zhiyan couldn't help but frown, her pretty features wrinkled together, as if she was thinking seriously: "Aunt, is there something wrong with Brother Huai?"

She saw her aunt secretly wiping away tears yesterday, and her uncle also looked worried. Today, he did not go to the farm with them in the carriage, but stayed in Shangjing instead.

Hearing Luo Zhiyan mention Gu Huaizhi, Luo's heart skipped a beat. She had never expected that her niece, who usually didn't think too much, could actually sense that something was wrong.

She pondered for a while, then smiled and patted Luo Zhiyan's hand, comforting her niece and herself: "It's nothing, don't think too much about it, little kid."

Seeing her aunt pretending to be fine, Luo Zhiyan couldn't help but well up in tears, but she suppressed the urge to cry and nodded seriously: "Aunt, Yan'er knows that Brother Huai will be fine."

No matter how stupid she is, she should understand that Beijing is different now than before.

I don’t know whether my parents and brother Huai can return safely.

As the sun sets, a soft red glow appears on the horizon.

About three hours later, the carriage finally arrived at the manor, and a group of guards helped the two people get off the carriage.

"Yan'er, the layout of this manor is roughly the same as that of the palace." Luo patted her aching waist and said softly as she walked, "Rest well these few days and don't think too much."

Although the woman told her niece not to think too much, she couldn't help but feel a little worried about the girl who was going to be her daughter-in-law.

Luo Zhiyan frowned, but soon nodded: "Don't worry, Auntie, Yan'er..."

She paused in the middle of her words, her eyes inadvertently falling on a manor not far away that was also guarded by guards.

In front of the door, there were two figures who seemed to be struggling.

That was... the half-sister of Tan Wenhuai and Mu Anning whose name she couldn't remember?

Why are they here too?!

"Yan'er, what's wrong?" Luo looked at her niece, who suddenly stopped and had a serious expression, in confusion.

Luo Zhiyan rubbed her eyes suddenly, and after making sure she was not seeing things, she blinked and said, "Aunt, Yan'er ran into two acquaintances."

"Aunt, Yan'er wants to go meet them." Luo Zhiyan pointed at Luo's waist and smiled, "You go in first, otherwise your waist will hurt again!"

Although she had an argument with Tan Wenhuai before, she felt that she still had to go and see what they were doing.

If Sister Mu's fiancé was snatched away by someone else, then after Brother Huai returns to Beijing, wouldn't he want to marry Sister Mu again?

She had to stop this!

Looking at her niece whose face was suddenly filled with indignation, Luo opened her mouth and was about to ask what was going on, but then she saw Luo Zhiyan walking away with her skirt lifted up.

*

Mu An Ning just opened her eyes from her sleep and saw Mu Wan'er, who was sitting opposite her, retracting her legs with a look of vigilance.

【What the hell is going on? 】

[Is it so unlucky that I ran into bandits? ]

Mu An Ning blinked, recalling the sharp shout that had just woken her up. It turned out that it was not an illusion.

When Mu Wan'er saw that Mu An Ning had woken up, her eyes lit up and she was about to say something, but then she saw Mu An Ning gently shook his head at her, signaling her to keep silent for the time being.

After all, they still didn't know whether the person outside the carriage was an enemy or a friend.

Mu Wan'er pursed her lips immediately, and made a circle with her right thumb and index finger, making a gesture that Mu An Ning couldn't understand.

[I don’t know what my daughter dreamed about just now, why is she sweating all over? ]

Recalling the strange dream just now, Mu An Ning was slightly stunned. He subconsciously reached out and touched his forehead. There were indeed some beads of sweat, but now was not the time to think about these things.

Mu An Ning cast his gaze towards the car curtain and listened carefully to the movements outside.

"Who is it!" The one who spoke in a loud voice was the guard who had been driving the car for them.

As far as Mu An Ning knew, the prince originally planned to set off with them, but for some unknown reason, the prince went to the border before them and only sent a secret guard to escort them along the side road.

The prince probably didn't expect that an uninvited guest would suddenly appear.

As soon as the guard finished speaking, bursts of laughter came from outside.

When Mu An Ning frowned and felt a little uncomfortable, a big thief laughed and said, "Smelly boy, let me see what good things are in your carriage? If you want to pass through here, leave money for the journey!"

The guard crossed his arms, narrowed his eyes in disdain, and said coldly: "Get lost!"

Hearing the guard's response, Mu An Ning's back stiffened unconsciously.

Judging from the voices coming from outside, there should be about a dozen big men, but there are only three of them, and two of them don't even know how to fight.

No matter how well-trained the prince's secret guards are, they should not be annoyed at this time.

"You are so cool, I admire you!" The big man couldn't help laughing when his companion made eye contact. Then he said maliciously, "This boy is so nervous, is there a beauty hidden in the carriage?"

[Hehe, I have to say this bandit is right...]

Mu An Ning, who was originally very worried, looked aside helplessly and his eyes swept across Mu Wan'er who had a calm face.

Only Mu Wan'er had the leisure to joke at this moment without feeling the slightest bit of fear.

"Brat, give me your money." The gangster suddenly changed the subject, and his greasy laughter was enough to make people shudder: "I'm in a good mood today, maybe I can consider just beating you up and sparing your life!"

As soon as the big man finished speaking, another round of sarcastic laughter came.

The guard didn't say anything for a long time, but Mu An Ning suddenly felt the carriage shake, as if the guard was going to drive away directly.

Through the curtain blown open by the wind, in the dark night, Mu An Ning looked into the eyes of a burly man holding a torch.

The girl's pupils suddenly shrank and she quickly pulled down the car curtain, but it was obviously too late.

"Brother, brother! There really are two beauties in this carriage!" The big man outside sucked his saliva and rubbed his hands mischievously.

[Help! We were discovered! ]

"You little brat, you don't want to drink my toast, so drink the punishment wine!" The man who was called the eldest brother was delighted when he heard his subordinate's words. He suddenly raised his knife and shouted, "Stop this ungrateful brat for me!"

Following his order, the carriage was forced to stop after only a few steps forward.

Mu An Ning's heart immediately tightened, and her eyes fell squarely on her and Mu Wan'er's luggage.

It seems that these bandits will never stop unless they get some benefits today.

But they had nothing except some clothes and a few coins.

Just as Mu An Ning was wondering whether she should give her limited money to them to buy them safety, the secret guard suddenly spoke up, interrupting her thoughts.

"How dare you!" The secret guard drew the sword he carried at his waist and shouted angrily, "Do you know whose carriage we have blocked?"

There was silence outside for a moment, and then there was a burst of laughter.

"Hahaha, this kid dares to say 'outrageous' in our territory?"

"Brother, please don't show mercy. You must teach this kid a lesson!"

"I don't care whose carriage this is. Even if it's the emperor, you have to leave some money for me today!" The bandit leader listened to his brothers' words, spat, and his greedy eyes fell on the plain but extraordinarily spacious carriage.

According to his previous experience of robbery, the people in this carriage were either rich or noble. They would definitely make a fortune today, just like robbing the rich to help the poor.

"You!" The guard was so angry that he couldn't speak. He tightened the reins and wanted to break through the encirclement.

"Men, search for me!" The bandit leader obviously didn't want to waste any more words, and laughed: "Don't let any of the money and beauties escape, I just need a wife to lead the group!"

The girl in the carriage felt uneasy and a little disgusted when she heard this.

She seemed to be able to see the hideous face of the person who was speaking.

Hearing such outrageous words, the secret guard suddenly jumped off the carriage and chopped off the head of a bandit at lightning speed.

Can they covet the future Crown Princess?

Everyone looked at each other with eyes wide open, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"Ergou!" The bandit leader touched the blood on his face and cried out in surprise as he looked at the human head rolling on the ground.

After a moment, he fixed his eyes full of anger on the black-clad guards: "Brothers, kill them for me! I must avenge Er Gou today, I will cut him into pieces!"

"Wow!" Hearing the clanging sounds of fighting outside, Mu Wan'er uttered a curse word unconsciously, and finally panicked: "Sister, sister, what should we do?"

[Help! This bandit is serious. I originally thought that the NPC wouldn't be too outrageous! ]

[The male protagonist's secret guard doesn't look very reliable. Can he defeat him? ]

Mu An Ning's back was soaked with cold sweat without him noticing. He secretly agreed with what Mu Wan'er said. It seemed that this secret guard was unable to adapt and kept on angering the gangsters.

And according to her observation just now, although the carriage was large, there was no place to hide inside.

The only option now is to abandon the car and run away.

Thinking of this, Mu An Ning calmly gave a packet of medicine powder he carried with him to Mu Wan'er, and then winked at his sister, indicating that they could escape through the window at the back of the carriage later.

Mu Wan'er raised her eyebrows, secretly gave Mu An Ning a thumbs up, and then made a gesture to open the back curtain.

[Tsk, come on, jumping out of a car is really exciting. ]

[Before, I was forced to experience it with that bastard man, this time I experience it with a woman! ]

[No, this is my second time experiencing this with my girl.]

Seeing that Mu Wan'er was about to jump off the carriage after thinking for a while, Mu An Ning suddenly stopped her and pointed at their two bags in front of the girl's confused gaze.

Now in this remote place, they might have to stay all night.

Fortunately, there was still some food and water in the bag, more than enough for the two of them.

Mu Wan'er grinned suddenly, then hurriedly put her bag on her back.

Meanwhile, the fight outside seemed to intensify.

"You bastard! You're about to die, but you're still protecting your master!" The bandit laughed cruelly, then swung his knife at the carriage without hesitation.

Mu An Ning's eyebrows twitched immediately when he felt the vibration of the carriage, but soon the secret guards seemed to have the upper hand again.

Accompanied by the wailing outside the carriage, Mu An Ning did not hesitate any longer. He quickly took out some food and put it in the carriage, while asking in a low voice: "Wan'er, do you really not know where the Crown Prince is waiting for us?"

It was indeed unfair for the two of them to abandon the prince's guards like this, but they had no choice due to the situation, and staying here would only become a burden.

The only thing she could do at this moment was to leave some food for him, hoping that he could survive the knife attacks of those bandits.

Mu Wan'er looked at her sister's strange behavior in confusion and shook her head honestly. The beads on her head made crisp sounds as she moved.

[My daughter has asked me this question several times, but she doesn’t believe me. I’m really sad! ]

[Although the dog male protagonist has a high favorability, he just didn't tell me...]

Seeing that Mu Wan'er was inexplicably depressed, Mu An Ning hurriedly nodded at her and mouthed, "Let's go."

It seems that Mu Wan'er really knows nothing. It's better to spend this night safely first.

Mu Wan'er regained her interest, and the two sisters turned their backs together and faced the rear window of the carriage.

Mu Wan'er was the first to lift the curtain and looked at the dark and boundless sky. After getting her sister's approval, she jumped down.

Mu An Ning was frightened by the noise she made and broke out in a cold sweat. He subconsciously looked behind him and saw that no one seemed to notice the movement in the car. He breathed a sigh of relief and got out of the car as well.

However, before the two sisters took a few steps, the guards who were dealing with the bandits seemed to notice the two people who jumped off the carriage, and suddenly shouted with full energy: "Miss Mu, go another six miles to the south, and someone will pick you up!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the bandits paused with their knives in their hands and all looked at the two sisters.

The two sisters, who were originally walking very cautiously and were still hesitating about which direction to run, first looked at each other, then without hesitation, they lifted their skirts and ran.

The scene was eerily similar to what happened a few months ago.

The two sharp-tongued bandits got the big brother's approval and rushed towards them: "Where are you two little beauties running to!"

[Help! The secret guards that the dog man ordered out are all pig teammates! ! ! ]

Mu An Ning sighed in his heart. Mu Wan'er's description was very apt. The secret guard was indeed a little stupid, but at least he provided them with clues.

The two sisters, who were being chased relentlessly by two people behind them, had never run so fast in their lives.

Just now, the secret guards told them that the prince's men were waiting for them in the south, but it was pitch dark and they couldn't tell east from south or north at all, so they could only run aimlessly.

But the two women who had lived in the house for a long time were ultimately no match for the strong bandits, and their unbearable conversation gradually became clearer.

"Little beauty, stop right there and obey me!"

"But brother..."

"It won't be too late to give it to Big Brother after we've finished enjoying it!"

[Men are just disgusting, don't dirty my woman's ears! ]

Mu Wan'er suddenly grabbed Mu An Ning who was about to stop running and said, "Sister, stay calm!"

Mu An Ning's face turned red from running. She had no time to respond to Mu Wan'er. She just tried to adjust her uneven breathing, but her legs and feet did not obey her commands at all, and her running speed became slower and slower.

"The girl runs quite fast, she must be very powerful!" The bandit who was chasing her relentlessly looked at the beauty who was so close to him and gave a wicked laugh.

Seeing that he was about to be caught up, Mu An Ning panted a few times, turned around and hurriedly said, "Wan'er, medicine powder."

The girl finished speaking, then took out the powder from her sleeve, turned around and sprinkled it all on the faces of the two men.

Mu Wan'er followed closely behind and suddenly scattered.

"What is that?" The bandit, whose face was covered with mud, coughed a few times and said in a sharp voice.

Looking at the two bandits who were still full of energy with their eyes closed, Mu An Ning was slightly surprised, but he didn't have time to think about it, so he said, "Run."

Why does this powder seem to have little effect on them?

Sure enough, the two men soon followed with torches in hand, cursing as they ran: "You bitch, how dare you drug me!"

Another bandit stumbled a few times: "Brother, I feel dizzy..."

"Useless thing!" The bandit who was called the second brother turned around and cursed his unconscious companion, but did not stop.

Mu Wan'er wanted to cry but had no tears: "Sister, why doesn't your medicine work on this person?"

Mu An Ning was speechless and could only sigh inwardly that this unprepossessing looking bandit had truly profound inner strength.

"Damn it!" The bandit cursed as he ran, but his steps were a little weak, and it was only the unwillingness in his heart that supported him.

Just when Mu An Ning's mind was a little relieved, he suddenly felt a force on his shoulder, and the same thing happened to Mu Wan'er beside him.

The two sisters were forced to stop, only to hear the bandit say ruthlessly: "How dare you drug me?"

"Big, big brother, let's talk nicely." Mu Wan'er laughed dryly and immediately prepared to beg for mercy: "You just want money, right? I'll give it all to you!"

Mu An Ning clutched his sleeves and said calmly, "If you want money, we can discuss it."

She had just sprinkled all the powder in her hand and kept the rest in her bag.

However, she still had a trick up her sleeve.

"Money? I want people!" The bandit laughed evilly and pushed the two of them to the ground with great force: "I will kill both of you sisters!"

"Woc!" Mu Wan'er screamed as she fell to the ground.

Mu An Ning's arm was scratched by the sharp stones and she pursed her lips to prevent herself from making any sound.

She raised her eyes, only to see that disgusting gaze constantly scanning the two of them.

"What are you doing?" Mu Wan'er, who was grimacing after falling, covered her chest and said arrogantly, "If you come over again, I'll call for help!"

“Shout, shout as hard as you can!” The bandit unbuttoned his shirt, but ignored Mu Wan’er and turned his gaze to Mu An Ning: “Master, let’s start with the beautiful one first!”

"Sister!" Mu Wan'er was startled and tried to get up with difficulty.

Mu An Ning, who was lying on the ground, frowned immediately and tried to step back subconsciously, but someone grabbed her skirt.

The bandit looked at the beauty with her skirt torn and swallowed his saliva: "I will love you well now!"

He said, and prepared to pounce directly on the girl.

Looking at the man who was getting closer and closer to her and emitting a foul smell, Mu An Ning's heart was beating wildly.

The girl did not hesitate any longer. She pulled out the silver needle she carried with her and stabbed it accurately into the back of the bandit's head.

At the moment she stabbed down, she saw a sword hit the bandit's neck with force.

Immediately afterwards, the fainted bandit was kicked away by someone.

Mu An Ning raised her eyes in surprise, and what she saw was a tall man wearing a battle robe.

What a coincidence?

However, when he saw the man's face, Mu An Ning was stunned.