Xiang'er wiped away her tears, returned to her room, took off her flowerpot-soled shoes, and put on a pair of brocade flat shoes worn by Han women. She hurried towards the mansion gate. Since Fukang'an hadn't given her anything else, it meant he had already prepared everything, just waiting for her to put on a show for You Yuanzhi. Xiang'er walked along, lost in thought, unaware of Yan Ning approaching from the opposite direction.
"Xiang'er, where are you going?"
The voice coming from the other side startled Xiang'er, but she felt much relieved after seeing that it was Yan Ning. "I have to go out for a bit!" Xiang'er said calmly.
Yan Ning took her hand back from Zhu Xiang's, took a few quick steps, and grabbed Xiang'er's arm. "Your foot injury hasn't fully healed, and you're pregnant! If there's anything, I'll take care of it for you! Anyway, I have nothing to do in the manor. Where's Rong Xi? Why did you go out alone?" As she spoke, Yan Ning looked around but didn't see Rong Xi anywhere.
Xiang'er smiled and politely declined, saying, "I still have some chores to do in my courtyard for Rongxi, so I came out by myself. It's alright, I haven't been out in a long time anyway, so it's a good opportunity to stretch my muscles." As she spoke, Xiang'er pulled her arm away from Yan Ning's grasp.
With a clang.
A bunch of keys from Xiang'er's sleeve fell to the ground. Yan Ning recognized them at a glance; they were the keys to the important prison cells that Fukang'an had been carrying.
Pregnant Xiang'er was not as nimble as Yan Ning, so Yan Ning picked up the key before Xiang'er and asked with a frown, "You actually stole Fukang'an's key. Are you going to rescue You Yuanzhi?"
Xiang'er immediately covered Yan Ning's mouth. If others found out, Fukang'an's carefully planned scheme would fail. She whispered in Yan Ning's ear, "Listen to me, this is the general's scheme! But I don't know the specifics. Right now, I'm just going to act out a scene for the general. This matter must not be known to others!"
Yan Ning wasn't as strong as Xiang'er, so Xiang'er covered her mouth, and she listened with wide eyes as Xiang'er finished speaking.
After Xiang'er finished speaking, she released Yan Ning's mouth, snatched the key from her hand, and walked towards the gate of the mansion.
Yan Ning followed Xiang'er, saying as they walked, "Why should I believe you based on your own words alone? What if you're of dubious origin? Wouldn't that harm Fukang'an?" Yan Ning pointed to the key in Xiang'er's hand.
Xiang'er didn't stop, walking around the screen wall of the hanging flower gate, "You can go and ask the general!"
Zhu Xiang, who was following behind Yan Ning, whispered to her, "Madam, the General has gone to Fragrant Hills!"
Yan Ning stopped in her tracks, looking troubled. "What about Zhao Xing?" Zhao Xing was Fukang'an's trusted follower, and Yan Ning knew that Fukang'an often entrusted Zhao Xing with many tasks. So, Zhao Xing should know about this matter as well.
Zhu Xiang shook her head. "I didn't see him today. He should have gone to Fragrant Hills with the General."
While the mistress and servant were chatting, Xiang'er had already left the mansion. Yan Ning, wearing her flowerpot-soled shoes, ran after her. "I want to go with you! What if you lie to me?" Because of Fukang'an's prior instructions, the guards did not stop them.
Xiang'er stopped and looked at Yan Ning, thinking that with Yan Ning around, You Yuanzhi would be more likely to trust her. Xiang'er was also worried that after the previous feigned rescue, she didn't know if You Yuanzhi would still believe her. Moreover, now that she had fallen out of favor with Fukang'an, it was impossible for her to steal the key.
"Alright! Then you must do everything I say! Also, Zhuxiang must stay in the manor!" Xiang'er didn't take Yan Ning's status seriously at all. In her eyes, Yan Ning was just a simple and silly little girl.
Yan Ning, used to Xiang'er's coldness, drawled out a "okay," signaling Zhu Xiang to stay, and then followed Xiang'er through the alley. Xiang'er had a good foundation in martial arts and walked extremely fast; Yan Ning, wearing platform shoes, practically ran to keep up with her.
Yan Ning had never seen an ancient prison before, and everything here was new and exciting to her. Once inside the prison, Xiang'er was both planning what to say and trying to pull the restless Yan Ning along.
The jailer at the entrance to the serious offender's cell greeted Yan Ning and Zhu Xiang with a fist and palm salute. "Everything is ready inside! Please, Aunt Lian!"
Xiang'er handed the key from her sleeve to Yan Ning, then whispered something in her ear. Yan Ning pointed to herself, about to ask a question, when Xiang'er pushed her away.
She'd seen this kind of thing on TV so many times, but actually having to act it out made Yan Ning's heart pound. She patted her chest a few times to steady herself and started walking down the steps.
You Yuanzhi saw Yan Ning walking towards him with the key. After Yan Ning opened the cell door, she refused to come out. You Yuanzhi suspected that this was a scheme she and Fukang'an had devised. Escaping from prison was far more serious than trespassing on an official's residence. If he broke into the Fucha mansion, Fukang'an would at most imprison him for a few years. But if he escaped, Fukang'an would have a perfect excuse to behead him.
Yan Ning shouted to You Yuanzhi, who was still stunned in the cell, "Come out quickly! Once they wake up, you won't be able to leave!" Then Yan Ning pointed to a jailer beside her, "Change into his clothes, hurry up, Xiang'er is still waiting for you outside!"
Yan Ning turned her face away, both to avoid watching them change clothes and to hide her panic.
Upon hearing Xiang'er's name, You Yuanzhi no longer hesitated and nodded to Tie Mu beside him. Tie Mu quickly came out as well, grabbing a prison guard's uniform and putting it on.
The two followed Yan Ning out of the cell with their heads down, only to be stopped by the jailers guarding the door. Yan Ning raised her voice and said, "The general ordered me to take them back to the manor to question them about those two serious criminals!" The jailers exchanged glances and then let Yan Ning and the others out.
Once outside the cell and basking in the sunlight, You Yuanzhi reverted to his roguish demeanor, teasing Yan Ning, "General's wife, you're quite the sight!" This was a scheme, one that You Yuanzhi had seen through from the start. Last time, when Fukang'an had Xiang'er release him, more than half of the Mingqi Sect's members were wiped out. But this time, with Yan Ning as his life-saving elixir, You Yuanzhi wasn't afraid that Fukang'an would disregard Yan Ning's life and dare to harm him.
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