Li Tiao dreamed of leaving.
Although Li Tiao knew before seeking Su Ma La Gu's help that it might implicate Su Ma La Gu, she thought that Su Ma La Gu had lived in the palace her whole life, and if she really wanted to help her, she would know how to clear herself of any wrongdoing.
However, at the last minute, Li Tiao didn't expect her to act so casually.
"Master, Master..."
Just as Li Tiao was struggling with her decision, Hongye rushed in anxiously: "I overheard Sumalagu and you talking just now. Please take me with you."
"you……"
“My lady, I know what you are worried about. I know you are kind, but I think that since Granny Su has done this, she must have thought of a solution.”
If you hesitate any longer now, it will be too late.
I know you don't really want to take me with you, but this time is different from the last time you went to Zhaoxi Mausoleum. Last time you didn't intend to leave and would come back, so there's nothing wrong with leaving me in the palace.
Moreover, the last time you went, it was by imperial decree that you were not allowed to bring any servants.
But things are different now. You went with Granny Su on your own initiative, so we can't let anyone suspect anything. If I didn't go with you, people would get suspicious.
Li Tiao was still a little worried. She recalled what she had heard the Fourth Prince and Consort De say: the Fourth Prince actually had the intention to kill her. So, she was still a little uneasy about Hongye.
“Master, if you really don’t want to take me with you, after we leave the palace, I will go with Granny Su and then return to the palace with her.”
Since Hongye spoke so sincerely, Li Tiao couldn't refuse any longer. After hesitating for a moment, she let Hongye come along.
The clothes from the palace were unwearable outside, and the key issue was travel expenses, but most of Li Tiao's money was with the Fourth Prince.
Seeing that all she had to do after all that tidying up was put her in her hands, Li Tiao felt even more depressed. She then picked up the hand warmer and the unremarkable snuff bottle that had been left aside.
She planned that if she couldn't earn money quickly after leaving, she would pawn the heater and snuff bottle for money.
After Li Tiao finished getting ready, she took Hongye to find Su Mala Gu. She thought Su Mala Gu would disagree with her when she saw Hongye, but Su Mala Gu only glanced at Hongye.
Let's go.
The three of them boarded the carriage together and swayed towards the palace gate.
When she arrived at the palace gate and was checked by the guards for her waist tag, Li Tiao was extremely nervous.
Who knew that, just as Su Mala Gu had said, leaving the palace was not that difficult, so easy that Li Tiao felt as if she were dreaming.
Only in dreams do things become as simple and easy as they are now.
"Take these." Just as Li Tiao was still in a rather surreal state, Su Mala Gu stuffed a bag of things into her hands.
Li Tiao stared blankly down at the bag in her hand, touched it, and instantly understood what was inside.
"Granny, this is unacceptable..."
"Take it. It's better to have money on the road than to be poor. You might run into trouble on your journey. You need some travel expenses."
The heavy bag was full of silver ingots and gold. Li Tiao was moved and also very impressed. This Su Ma La Gu was too rich.
"But Granny, we can't have Li Tiao..."
“This old servant has no need for it.” Su Mala Gu remained indifferent throughout: “You need to be careful about how you address yourself. Once you leave the palace, you generally won’t refer to yourself by your maid’s name or anything like that when you speak outside. Be careful not to let anyone find out.”
"Thank you for your guidance, Granny Su."
"Where are you getting off? In the capital or outside the capital?"
Because of Sumalagu's words, Li Tiao lifted the curtain and glanced outside. The carriage had already left the palace far away.
Thinking of Su Ma La Gu's words, Li Tiao finally felt the reality of leaving the palace.
Although it wasn't completely dark yet, it was winter, cold, and there were hardly any people on the road.
After quickly weighing her options, Li Tiao said, "Granny, I'll get off here."
Sumalagu stared at Li Tiao for a moment, then nodded.
She signaled to the servant to stop the carriage, and Hongye got off first, then she helped Li Tiao out of the carriage.
"master……"
Even though the red leaves looked pitiful, Li Tiao was still a little undecided.
"Let Hongye come with you. With someone to serve you, it will be easier for this old servant to explain when the palace discovers you're missing."
Su Mala Gu had helped her so much, Li Tiao really couldn't bring herself to ask Su Mala Gu to take care of Hongye again, so in the end she could only take Hongye with her.
Li Tiao watched Su Ma La Gu's carriage leave until it was out of sight before turning her gaze away.
"Master, if we don't leave the capital, what if we get discovered..."
"You know, the darkest place is under the lamp. When the palace discovered I was missing, their first instinct was to search outside the capital. Who would have thought I was still in the capital?"
"Perhaps I shouldn't say this, but my lady, does Granny Su know where you got off the carriage?"
Li Tiaomo: "So I only started thinking about where to go after I saw that her carriage was out of sight? She only knows where I got off, but she doesn't know where I'm going."
I figured since she brought me out like this, she wouldn't reveal where I was.
"Master, where should we go now?" Hongye looked around and said, "Let's find an inn to stay in first, and then we'll decide what to do after things calm down?"
"We won't go to the inn."
"That……"
Li Tiao hadn't actually decided where to go. Her intuition told her not to go to the inn, since the palace would likely search for her first after discovering she was missing.
Where else could she go but the inn? Li Tiao wrapped her cloak tighter around herself. The cold wind was howling, but Li Tiao felt as if she had been reborn, filled with fighting spirit.
Having chosen the dark capital, Li Tiao decided to stay "dark to the end" and find a place no one would expect: "Follow me."
After many twists and turns, we arrived at the front of an unfamiliar courtyard.
Li Tiao looked at the puzzled Hongye and said, "Can you find a way to break this lock?"
Hongye swallowed hard: "Master, this..."
The lock on the gate to the yard looked so sturdy, was it broken?
And it's getting late. What if we make a noise by throwing stones?
Li Tiao ignored the red leaves, looked around, picked up a stone to compare it with, felt it was a bit small, but decided to try it first.
Just as Li Tiao was about to smash it, Hongye quickly pressed down on Li Tiao's hand: "Master, we don't even know whose courtyard this is. Let alone whether we can break it open, if we make a commotion and attract the government officials, it will be troublesome."
“That’s true.” Li Tiao threw away the stone in her hand, and remembering the TV shows she watched before she transmigrated, she raised her hand to take off her hairpin and prepared to try to unlock it.
Hongye looked at Li Tiao nervously: "Master, you know this too? But whose courtyard is this? What if the owner of this courtyard comes looking for us? It will be troublesome if they report it to the authorities."
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