After Gan Lin relented, Gan Qiongying lay on the ground for a while to recover, then quickly got up and began to discuss with him how the two of them could escape.
However, even for an emperor and a princess, escaping from the vast capital of Yin would be a problem. Not to mention that all land under heaven belongs to the emperor, and Nanzhao's territory is very large, bordering the Posuo Sea to the east and the Anta Mountains to the south. They could run west to Jinchuan, but Jinchuan was not within Gan Qiongying's consideration.
If you're going to run, you should definitely go far away from the main characters. Jinchuan is Zhongli Zhengzhen's stronghold. Although Zhongli Zhengzhen isn't the only male protagonist, he has the most screen time in this book because he eventually conquers Nanzhao and becomes the emperor of both countries. He is the most powerful male protagonist in the book.
If the two of them were to run away, they certainly couldn't run into the protagonist's lair.
The only possible direction is eastward, but the countries to the east are severely divided and plagued by war for years. Because they are too far from Nanzhao, they have to cross endless red sands, where there is no water or oasis. Therefore, they have no intention of invading Nanzhao.
The local people are fierce and live by herding horses and sheep. They eat raw meat and drink blood, and they don't even understand the language very well. If the two siblings ran there, they might die on the way.
The map of Nanzhao was spread out on the table, and Gan Qiongying swept all the useless memorials and other miscellaneous items to the ground.
Gan Lin pointed to the east and said to Gan Qiongying, "We might be able to go here. Although it is desolate and cold, it is the most suitable place for us to hide."
Gan Lin was referring to a small country in the northwest that straddles the border between the Jinchuan and Anta mountain ranges.
Gan Qiongying covered the small country on the map and shook her head at Gan Lin, saying, "Your health is so poor. That old hag Kou Ning'an has been poisoning you for so long, it will be very difficult for you to recover. This place is too far from Nanzhao, and the harsh and barren land is not suitable for recuperation."
Gan Lin pursed her lips and carefully examined the map. The world was vast, yet it seemed there was nowhere for her and her brother to find refuge.
Gan Lin was so moved that he agreed to leave with Gan Qiongying and promised her that they would live a free and open life, with a different identity and a different way of living.
But it's not that easy.
Even if they manage to travel long distances and cross borders to escape to other countries, they may not be able to make it smoothly once they arrive in unfamiliar places and with different languages.
When it came to actually discussing the specifics of how to run the race, Gan Lin wasn't really optimistic.
Gan Qiongying saw the light in his eyes about to go out again, so she patted him hard on the back.
The slap made Gan Lin lean forward slightly, which did indeed dispel the pessimistic thoughts in his mind.
“Listen to me,” Gan Qiongying said. “The most dangerous place in the world is the safest place. Nanzhao has a good feng shui, so we won’t go to other countries. Just look towards the southern border of Nanzhao and find a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains.”
Gan Qiongying spoke too casually. Gan Lin didn't want to refute her, but the Empress Dowager and the Regent's influence extended throughout Nanzhao. Even if the two of them managed to escape to other places, they would be easily captured and brought back, or even killed.
Gan Qiongying knew that Gan Lin had been living within these four high walls since childhood. He might have longed for the outside world, but he was like a bird that had been caged for too long. If he were asked to spread his wings, he would not, and dared not, fly in the short term.
Gan Qiongying didn't think he was stupid at all, or that he was timid and cowardly by nature. On the contrary, she found his pursed lips and the way he looked conflicted, with the dimples showing at the corners of his mouth, rather cute.
Smiling, he held up three fingers to Gan Lin: "Three lines. We need to choose three lines to follow simultaneously."
Gan Qiongying looked at the map and pondered for a moment before saying, "Three routes might not be enough; we need to choose four."
"What you just mentioned was the best route. This route needs to be carefully disguised, and then we'll... cross the sea on one route and go into the mountains on another."
“You choose a small seaside town here, and we’ll settle down here.” Gan Qiongying gestured with her finger across a piece of land in the southern border of Nanzhao where spring reigns all year round.
He said to Gan Lin, "Don't worry, as long as we get here, even if the old hag comes to us in person, she will definitely not recognize us."
"I have a way to turn you and me into other people, and I'll show you in a moment."
"Where is Eunuch Li?!"
Gan Qiongying called out to the outside, and Eunuch Li immediately bowed and came in, head bowed, ready to obey her orders.
Gan Qiongying said to him, "By imperial decree, His Majesty summons the Imperial Son-in-Law Li Hua to an audience."
Eunuch Li didn't even glance at Gan Lin before accepting his orders and turning to leave.
Gan Qiongying looked at Gan Lin and teased, "You won't blame me for overstepping my bounds, will you?"
Gan Lin smiled, but the worry on his face didn't disappear much.
Gan Qiongying said, "Don't be too pessimistic. I have already made a lot of arrangements in secret. I have a human map in my hand called Ding Doudou. He has been wandering around the borders of various countries since he was a child. He is a child with mixed foreign blood. There is no place he has been that he can't remember."
"There are also more than two thousand private soldiers who have been secretly trained for several years. They usually disguise themselves as servants and stay in the princess's residence. Over the years, they have not aroused anyone's suspicion, nor have any of them rebelled."
"There are also a few very useful people, each with their own unique skills. I'll introduce them to you one by one when I have the chance later."
Gan Qiongying said, "The eighteen shadow guards you gave me are the most useful. You should have heard that I have repaired my relationship with my aunt when I attended the birthday banquet of the Grand Princess of Huian a while ago."
“I gave her a gyrfalcon that can travel a thousand miles a day and return to Qinzhou in a day and a night, so that my aunt and her youngest daughter Xiji could keep in touch.”
"Then I sent Shadow Eight, one of the Shadow Guards you sent to me, to my aunt's side."
"It's estimated that it won't be long before Yingba takes the gyrfalcon to Qinzhou Xiji's side, as arranged by his aunt. There are quite a few women and children in his aunt's household, so it's not suitable to keep such a bird of prey in the household. She also wants to communicate with her daughter, so naturally she will send the gyrfalcon to her daughter to raise."
“Xiji’s husband is the Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy. If we want to go to the Southern Border, Qinzhou will be the only way through.”
Upon hearing this, Gan Lin couldn't help but ask, "But how can you be sure that Xi Ji's husband will definitely help us?"
Although Princess Huian was their aunt, she also had a large family. Even with the protection of her relatives, it would be like throwing an egg against a rock when facing the Kou family and the Regent.
Moreover, concealing the emperor's whereabouts was a capital offense punishable by the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan. If implicated, it could result in the deaths of hundreds, or even thousands of people.
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