The place was desolate and empty, as cold as an ice cellar. Even though Chen Shao carried a flint and steel with him, there wasn't a single dry branch he could light.
Yan Ning's body wasn't cold; instead, it felt hot. Ming Xin was startled when her icy hand touched Yan Ning's forehead. The three looked at each other, only able to see each other's bright eyes and wisps of white mist between their breaths.
After thinking for a while, Yan Ning felt that the three of them would be waiting to die if they stayed there. There were no valuables on the carriage, so Yan Ning had Chen Shao throw the carriage down, and the three of them slowly walked forward, leading the horses.
Without light, they could only grope their way forward. Yan Ning's body was growing weaker and weaker, and she needed Ming Xin's support to move forward. But if they didn't move, the risk of frostbite was minor; if they encountered villains or bandits, all three of them would be in danger.
The muddy road was frozen solid, and any noise could be heard from afar. The rapid sound of hooves approached, and Chen Shao, who had been a young horse driver, panicked. "Madam, judging from the noise, there must be at least eight horses!"
Yan Ning glanced at the three men's predicament, their situation utterly helpless and desperate. To them, she was their pillar of support. She moved her somewhat stiff lips, "First, lead the horses to the woods over there. The three of us mustn't separate; hide together and, under no circumstances, make a sound. Let's first determine whether those who come are officials or bandits!"
The three of them were exhausted by this time, and Yan Ning was afraid that if they separated, they would never be able to reunite.
Chen Shao led the horse to a nearby grove of trees, and, fearing it would freeze, tied it to a relatively dense thicket. When he returned to find Yan Ning, fortunately, her pearl-white cloak reflected the moonlight, making her easy to spot.
The sound of horses' hooves grew closer, somewhat eerie in the quiet countryside. Yan Ning and her two companions hid in the roadside bushes, cautiously watching the approaching procession.
A small group of ten people came rushing in from afar.
"drive!"
The man's deep shouts were mixed with the sound of cracking whips.
The night was too dark for Yan Ning to see who the newcomers were. However, the person in the lead was wearing a crown adorned with seven pearls, which Yan Ning, who had spent several months in the palace, immediately recognized as a prince's crown.
"Your Highness!"
With the help of Mingxin supporting her, Yan Ning stood up and blurted out a shout.
But the clanging of hooves quickly drowned out her delicate voice amidst the commotion of the ranks. Seeing that it was an official, Mingxin hurriedly called out to Yan Ning as well.
"Help!"
However, the procession quickly passed by the three of them.
The soldiers following behind seemed to have heard the two shouts. The procession slowed down a bit, and then some of them turned their horses around to look for the three.
Who are you?
A man dressed in military uniform rode on horseback, looking down at Yan Ning and Ming Xin. His official hat had only a red top, indicating that he did not hold a high rank.
“This is the wife of General Fukang’an of the Fucha Prefecture!” Mingxin raised her head and answered loudly.
The man was somewhat skeptical, so he immediately turned his horse around and went back to report. A moment later, the leading prince rode over.
Someone lit a tinderbox beside him, and Yan Ning saw his face clearly; it was Prince Yongyan, the Fifteenth Prince.
Yan Ning's legs were a little stiff, but she still helped Ming Xin kneel down to pay her respects. "This concubine, of the Fucha clan, greets the Fifteenth Prince!" Ming Xin and Chen Shao also knelt down following Yan Ning, "This servant greets the Fifteenth Prince!"
"Get up, why is my cousin here?" The Fifteenth Prince jumped off his horse as he spoke, walked up to Yan Ning, and put one hand behind his back.
Yan Ning's legs were already a bit stiff, and she immediately lost feeling after kneeling down. Now she wanted to get up, but she couldn't muster any strength at all.
She rose unsteadily, but could not stand, and was supported by the quick-thinking Fifteenth Prince. Upon seeing this, Mingxin immediately released her hand from Yan Ning, lowered her head, took a step back, and no longer looked at the two of them.
The other servants standing to the side all bowed their heads. Yan Ning felt hot all over, but she didn't know whether it was because she was ashamed of the scene or because she had caught a cold and had a fever.
She wanted to push away the Fifteenth Prince but lost her balance. However, the Fifteenth Prince only saw her fall to the ground and helped her up. If she got angry and pushed him away, wouldn't she be humiliating him?
In her embarrassment, Yan Ning looked up and saw the face of the Fifteenth Prince. At seventeen, he had a handsome appearance without a trace of childishness, and a natural masculine air, but he lacked the heroic spirit that Fukang'an possessed, which was similar to that of someone who could soar above the world.
After seeing that Yan Ning could move her legs again, the Fifteenth Prince released her. Yan Ning was unwilling to say much about her current predicament, and with the Fucha family affairs being so complicated, he had no authority to interfere.
Yan Ning couldn't ride a horse, so in order not to delay the journey, the Fifteenth Prince rode with her on a horse.
On the way, Yan Ning learned that Fukang'an had already returned to the capital with the Emperor. He had delayed his return to the capital so late because he had to deal with the trivial matters after the Emperor's departure.
Yan Ning was held in the arms of the Fifteenth Prince, surrounded by a masculine aura. She no longer regarded him as a child as she had in the Mulan Hunting Grounds.
Having married and taken concubines at the age of fourteen, Yongyan was already well-versed in matters of love and sex. A faint scent of lilies wafted from his arms, and his hand on the reins faltered slightly. He had once been captivated by Yan Ning's stunning beauty, but she was, after all, his cousin's wife. Moreover, Fukang'an held military power and was a pivotal figure in the court; he could not afford to offend him. If Fukang'an turned against him, he would surely lose both the beauty and the throne.
Yan Ning's head grew increasingly heavy and dizzy. She tried to keep her distance from Yong Yan, but she didn't even know how she fell into a deep sleep.
At first, she could still hear Yongyan calling her "cousin-in-law" urgently and with a hint of worry, then the clanging of iron hooves, and after that she could not remember anything.
When Fukang'an returned to the manor and learned that Yan Ning had gone out, he didn't think much of it. It was her first time managing the affairs of the manor, and she was unfamiliar with everything, so she wanted to do everything herself. He would let her go. Compared to her spending her days worrying in Jian Gong Zhai, Fukang'an would rather she be busy like this.
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