Chapter 97 The horse is startled and out of control, its life hanging by a thread
Even a fool could tell that this prize wasn't so easy to win.
A wild beast that should theoretically require five strong men to hunt to have a chance of success is being hunted by a few weak women. Isn't this tantamount to lambs entering a tiger's den?
Princess Qingyun was still too confident. Ji Qingwu kindly said, "Your Highness, that beast should be nearby. We should be careful. Why don't we retreat for now? If Lord Li finds out, he will definitely worry about you."
She even specifically mentioned that person, hoping that Princess Qingyun would consider her own safety.
Princess Qingyun's expression became even more sullen upon hearing Li Chengxun's name: "Don't mention him to me, he has no interest in me."
The two had a fight? Ji Qingwu hadn't expected that Li Chengxun would dare to anger the princess.
The girl in the bright blue dress, named Huo Shaofang, came from a family of military officers. She said confidently, "What does the princess want to do? When did it become your place to lecture her? If you're timid and scared, then stay out of the way. I'll clear the way for the princess."
Huo Shaofang was the first to dive into the woods, and the others followed her deep into the forest in search of prey.
Ji Qingwu knew she couldn't dissuade them, and having already informed them of the danger, she decided to let them do as they pleased; the wild beast might have gone far away.
She mounted her horse and slowly made her way back.
Halfway there, she sighed, still feeling uneasy.
I heard from Madam Qiao that the reason why Princess Qingyun developed such an arrogant and willful personality was not only because the Empress Dowager doted on her too much, but also because the Emperor openly and secretly indulged this younger sister.
If Princess Qingyun really gets into trouble... after all, she is Emperor Wusu's younger sister.
While it's true that it's better to avoid trouble than to cause it, it's better to avoid trouble altogether than to have it happen in the first place.
Ji Qingwu suddenly had an idea: she could spread the word and ask people for help.
She abruptly reined in her horse halfway through the journey and called out to the deserted, overgrown landscape, "Sanchuan, are you there? I have something urgent to discuss with you. Could you please appear?"
She was met with silence.
Ji Qingwu looked up at the towering tree trunk above her head and tried calling out again, "Sanchuan?"
Suddenly, a person jumped down from the tree. He had been hiding in the leaves, and there was not a single flaw in his appearance.
Ji Qingwu asked in surprise, "How come it's you?"
Upon closer inspection, the person was not Sanchuan, but the younger Sihai.
Sihai said with a stern face, "Sanchuan has other matters to attend to. He's not here. If there's anything you need, just tell me."
Ji Qingwu nodded: "It's fine if you're here. Princess Qingyun has encountered a ferocious beast and may be in danger. Find someone to come and keep an eye on her, or ask someone to persuade her to go back."
What do you mean, "It's fine if he's here"? You seem so troubled. Si Hai said in an unfriendly tone, "Miss Ji, this matter was originally the princess's own will. Why are you interfering?"
He witnessed everything that had just happened in secret.
Ji Qingwu said, "I didn't intend to interfere; I was just fulfilling my responsibility to inform you."
Sihai knew very well who he was supposed to protect, and directly refused, saying, "I am only ordered to take care of your safety; I am not responsible for anyone else."
Ji Qingwu really didn't know what kind of order the emperor had given him, that he could disregard even the life and death of his own sister, and he was speechless for a moment.
She frowned and said, "Is this someone else? Princess Qingyun is His Majesty's own sister. Besides, this is an expedient measure. Since you were sent to protect me, will you obey my orders?"
"Furthermore, if Princess Qingyun were injured or eaten by wild animals during the hunt, who in Beili would have any face left if the news got out?"
Sihai looked troubled. Sanchuan had been sent to handle other matters, but before leaving, he specifically reiterated that an exception could be made for the matter of Miss Ji Wu.
A moment later, he vanished in a flash.
Seeing that Sihai obeyed orders and went to fetch reinforcements, Ji Qingwu felt relieved.
She rode her horse at a leisurely pace, not in a hurry to return to the camp; it would be nice to enjoy the breeze a little longer.
But not long after, Ji Qingwu heard women screaming through the woods, along with the dangerous growls of wild beasts.
She twitched her lips, and sure enough, the good ones came true, but the bad ones did.
The cries grew increasingly shrill. Ji Qingwu resigned himself to his fate, whipped his horse, turned it around, and rode a short distance in the direction from which the sound came.
Suddenly, someone rushed out from the alley. It was Huo Shaofang, dressed in bright blue. Among these people, she was the best at riding and archery.
But she escaped alone.
Ji Qingwu asked, "Where are Princess Qingyun and the others?"
Huo Shaofang's hand holding the reins trembled as he exclaimed in panic, "Your Highness, Your Highness's horse has been startled! She's still inside! Everyone has scattered and fled!"
Leaving Princess Qingyun alone inside? Ji Qingwu didn't know what to say.
She pressed further, "What kind of ferocious beast is it?"
She didn't want to go and risk her life if it turned out to be a large wild animal.
Huo Shaofang said, "I didn't see it clearly. As soon as the wild beast roared, we retreated. But His Highness's horse was frightened and couldn't be controlled, so it ran wildly in all directions."
Ji Qingwu breathed a sigh of relief. This result was alright. It was better that the horse was frightened and ran away than that it stayed in one place, unable to move, waiting for a wild beast to come and tear it to pieces.
She asked, "Did you see which direction the princess's horse ran off to?"
"It seems, it seems to be over there." Huo Shaofang pointed in a direction.
there......
Ji Qingwu had visited the area before when he wandered around; it was a desolate cliff, surrounded by railings, but a frightened horse could easily cross it.
If someone really runs over there like a madman, we can't afford to waste any time.
Ji Qingwu squeezed the horse's belly with both feet and galloped away, the whistling wind blowing across her cheeks.
The horse she was riding was a full-grown steed, faster than Princess Qingyun's pony, but it only caught up with her when it was almost at the edge of the hunting grounds and the shadow of the fence was barely visible.
The chestnut pony was still galloping.
Princess Qingyun's body was already close to the ground, almost throwing her off the horse.
The princess's face was splattered with mud, and her hair was disheveled. She was trying to straighten herself, but the horse was running too fast and its direction was unpredictable, making it difficult for her to move.
Seeing that the area ahead was more open, Ji Qingwu exerted force to control his horse, trying to keep the two horses running side by side.
Princess Qingyun caught sight of her out of the corner of her eye and cried out in fear, "Fifth Cousin, save me!"
She could tell from the sincerity of that "cousin" that time.
Ji Qingwu kept a straight face, hooked her left foot into the stirrup, flipped over to the side, seized the opportunity, grabbed Princess Qingyun's belt, and pulled her back onto the horse.
The horse was forced to slow down, its nostrils flaring with heavy breaths, and it became extremely agitated. Suddenly, it charged forward, widening the distance again.
Fearing she would be dragged off the horse, Ji Qingwu had no choice but to let go.
"Fifth cousin... Ahhh! Help me!"
The chestnut horse neighed and raised its front legs to stand up, just as Qingyun was about to be thrown backward again.
Ji Qingwu knew in his heart that something was wrong.
Without hesitation, she released the reins and leaped onto the chestnut pony.
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