Chapter 24: Prince Duan, let me see your strength. If you bow your head and beg me, I...
It was impossible to wait. It was rare that Prince Duan was distracted and careless, so Lou Wanqiao seized the opportunity and slipped away decisively.
It’s true, the method Li Huanian taught is really good and very useful when running away.
I guess Li Lie didn't even realize which word she disappeared from.
Cooperation? She wasn't stupid enough to believe that Li Lie really wanted to cooperate with her. If she still couldn't see through Li Lie's true character after fighting for so long, then she wouldn't have to sit in this position of Dali Temple Shaoqing.
While it was true that the man was sent by Li Lianhan, Li Lie definitely wasn't killing him to help her. They were already at odds, and Li Lie's rebellious nature had been lurking for a long time. Li Lianhan wouldn't tolerate anyone else threatening his authority. As someone with all the power in his hands, Li Lie would inevitably make a move, and Li Lianhan would find an opportunity to eliminate his enemies.
Lou Wanqiao had guessed this, but she hadn't expected Li Lie to find her... Perhaps it was just a coincidence, that he'd been chasing Li Lianhan's men and happened to find her. Either way, this wasn't good news. Her ideal partner was Li Su, a pleasant-looking man with limited power, perfect for her to legitimately "use."
However, if Lisu's wisdom cannot keep up or she dies prematurely on this path, she will have to make more efforts.
Lou Wanqiao was not afraid of trouble, she was just worried about wasting too much time and letting those people get away with it for too long.
I can’t wait for karma to come to fruition… I have to send them off myself.
Lou Wanqiao paused and looked back. The place was deserted, no one chasing her. She breathed a sigh of relief, not planning to return to the inn. She headed straight for Mingyue Tower to rest. These were her people, so any danger could be dealt with promptly, allowing her to rest assured for the night.
The next morning, Lou Wanqiao opened his eyes in the dim light and decided to go into the mountains.
This year seems to be colder than ever before. The wind blowing on my cheeks brings a biting chill.
"Sir, do we still need to wait for others?" A Yan asked.
She shook her head: "No need. If it's any later, the mountain will be covered with snow and it will be difficult to go out."
"yes."
It would be nice if we could just walk together till here.
Although Wen Xuechi also wanted to go to Youzhou, her surroundings were already unstable. Entering the mountains at this time was too risky, and she couldn't delay. However, Wen Xuechi didn't need to rush, and there was no need to insist on entering the mountains. It would be understandable if he took a little longer to take a detour.
Although she didn't consider herself a good person, she was still very caring towards her companions. Wen Xuechi had helped her so much, so she was considerate enough to save him some trouble for the time being.
Lou Wanqiao thought about it, left a letter for his men to deliver, and then set off.
The snow on the mountain hadn't melted yet, and the horses' hooves sank into the snow, leaving footprints. Lou Wanqiao rode slowly but steadily. She carried a map, and a few others followed her.
Fortunately, the temperature during the day was not that low. Lou Wanqiao rubbed his red, frozen fingers and took another careful look at the map.
"Sir," one of the group listened attentively, "...someone is following us."
She instantly became alert: "How far away is it from us?"
"About... within two hundred steps."
Lou Wanqiao's expression changed.
The snow covered up the sound of people hurrying on their way, preventing them from noticing in time.
At this moment, the person in front turned around and said, "Sir, there seems to be some movement on the road ahead."
Lou Wanqiao thought for a few seconds and then made a quick decision before dismounting: "Go hide behind that big rock."
They moved quickly, finding cover in the snow. Since they didn't know who was in front and behind them, they could just let them bump into each other.
Not long after, the faint sound of horse hooves could be heard. Lou Wanqiao peeked in, then glanced away.
Sure enough, it was Prince Duan.
He had heard about the events in Youzhou and wanted to get involved. However, Lou Wanqiao didn't quite understand why Li Lie, the Prince of Duan, would travel so far to this place.
His whereabouts have always been strange. He first appeared inexplicably in the prefectural mansion of Yan Ge City, then returned to the capital after some time, and then ran thousands of miles here.
...What a smart scholar.
Lou Wanqiao was speechless, but she held herself back and didn't move. Then, not far away, she saw several black dots appear. They grew larger and larger. They were men wearing tiger-skin cloaks, knives in hand, and lunging towards Prince Duan's men with a sly grin.
Li Lie sneered and drew his sword.
The result was no surprise, Prince Duan's men took care of the group of people.
There's no chance to run away.
Just as she was thinking about a countermeasure, she heard Li Lie sneer again: "Don't hide, this is not a good place to hide people."
Lou Wanqiao also knew that this was a bit self-deception. She winked at her men, stood up and slowly walked out.
Li Lie's expression was unpredictable. He seemed to be smiling, but there was also a hint of anger in his smile. Lou Wanqiao didn't bother to speculate and simply pointed out the problem directly: "You followed me all the way here? What do you want?"
Li Lie didn't know whether to agree or not: "I told you last night that I'm here to cooperate with you."
Seeing Lou Wanqiao's face full of disbelief, he didn't want to say more and waved his hand: "I will take you across this mountain."
Lou Wanqiao said disdainfully: "What are you so proud of? If you bow your head and beg me, I can also take you across this mountain."
Although she had always disliked Prince Duan, for some reason, she always felt particularly disliked him the last few times she saw him.
This person seemed strange, but she couldn't put her finger on what was wrong. Oh, could it be that Prince Duan hadn't noticed she had switched the military tokens?
There was no time for careful thought right now. The wind was blowing harder and harder, and Li Lie's face was unpredictable. Lou Wanqiao wrapped his coat tightly around him. "It's not certain who will win between us. Why not wait until we get out of the mountains and fight again?"
Li Lie scratched his head irritably. "Why can't I convince you? I already said I don't want to kill you..."
"But I want to kill you." Lou Wanqiao said lightly, and he mounted his horse. "We can't stay here for long. Please, Your Highness Prince Duan."
Li Lie paused, wanting to say something, but opened his mouth and said nothing.
There was a faint commotion in the distance. Lou Wanqiao turned around and rode slowly behind Li Lie: "It seems there are still bandits here, Prince Duan, let's see how strong they are."
He snorted softly, the sword in his hand reflecting the cold light on the snow: "No problem."
Li Lie was willing to contribute, so Lou Wanqiao was naturally happy to reap the benefits. She secretly gestured to her men, telling them to retreat first.
Prince Duan brought more people than her. Instead of letting his subordinates follow him secretly, it would be better to send a message back so that they can have support when the time comes.
However... there were unexpectedly many bandits here. They had only been in the mountains for half a day when they encountered two groups of them, and they were coming in with great force.
Just as Lou Wanqiao was thinking about it, he suddenly heard a buzzing sound from high above.
She looked up, her expression suddenly changed: "Go!"
There was an avalanche.
The shaking of the ground and the noise of the continuous fighting triggered a huge avalanche. Lou Wanqiao ran to the side desperately, trying to avoid the range of the avalanche, but he was too small in the face of natural disasters.
Li Lie followed her, and she had no intention of thinking about those intrigues. She grabbed Li Lie's wrist and ran up the hillside according to her memory to the huge rock where she had been hiding before.
Everything before her was white, and she suspected she was temporarily blinded by the light from the snow, but she didn't dare close her eyes. Her shoulders suddenly sank, and Lou Wanqiao couldn't turn her head, but she could feel Li Lie pressing down on her, barely shielding her.
Oh, it seems I've pulled the right person. I don't know what Li Lie's mindset is, but at least it gives me a little more hope of survival. Li Lie is no fool, and he wouldn't attack me at this moment.
Lou Wanqiao hadn't thought too much about it before, he just felt a sense of security with one more person, and two people here would have a greater chance of survival.
I didn’t realize it before, but Li Lie is quite a person who “gives thanks”?
My thoughts were a little confused, and I couldn't control myself from thinking about a lot of things. I just felt a sharp ringing sound in my ears, and then at some point it suddenly became very quiet.
She held her breath, not daring to move, silently counting the seconds in her heart for fear of losing consciousness. It felt like an eternity had passed. It was as if she was counting, but suddenly forgot what happened in the previous second.
I don’t know how long it took.
She shuddered all over and woke up in shock.
His body felt heavy, weighed down by the weight of snow. Lou Wanqiao reluctantly reached out and groped for it, one hand covering his mouth and nose while the other slowly pushed upwards.
"call……"
She held onto the stone support with one hand, exhaled a long breath, coughed a few times, and reached out to brush off the snow on her clothes. Then she turned around and looked at Li Lie, who had been turned to the side by her.
Lou Wanqiao squatted down and reached out to feel his pulse, then gently let go after a moment.
The person is still alive.
She couldn't quite put her finger on the emotion she was feeling, but it was a mixture of all sorts. Lou Wanqiao thought for a moment, then, after a moment's recuperation, pulled him up by the arm, carrying him on her back, treading lightly and deeply into the snow.
…
"Li Lie... is quite heavy."
She couldn't remember how long it had been since she last spoke. When she spoke again, her voice was hoarse and congested. Lou Wanqiao swallowed and put Li Lie on the ground.
She followed the map and found a cave where she could rest and hide. This way she wouldn't be exposed in the mountains and at least wouldn't be easily found by bandits.
His clothes were soaked by the snow, and the cold penetrated into his limbs. Lou Wanqiao sat down against the stone wall, cupped his hands to his mouth and blew out a few breaths of hot air.
It's too cold.
Perhaps because he had been staring at the snow for too long, he could no longer see anything in the cave and could only barely make out the outlines. Lou Wanqiao checked on Li Lie's condition and gave him some water.
Fortunately, I brought some dry food with me, so I should be able to get through today.
Lou Wanqiao folded his arms, tilted his head, closed his eyes and fell into a light sleep.
Physical strength is very important, and now we can take a short break.
When she opened her eyes, Li Lie was already awake. Lou Wanqiao looked up and met Li Lie's eyes. He was looking at her intently, leaning against her, not moving.
Feeling a little uneasy at his confusing look, Lou Wanqiao shifted his body to change his posture and took out some dry food to chew.
Li Lie still stared at her like that.
What's the meaning?
Lou Wanqiao was a little confused. He was usually very talkative, so why did he seem mute now?
This person...couldn't he...
She was silent for a moment, then whispered, "You didn't bring any food, did you?"
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