Chapter 78 She eloped with another man
"Your Highness, the person... has escaped again!"
The courtyard was filled with kneeling guards, and even Jin Qing hunched over with her knees bent, not daring to look up at the man who stood upright but whose body was trembling slightly, Shen Jizhao.
Shen Jizhao refused to believe it, clenching his fists until they bled: "Say it again!"
The guards had no choice but to explain that they had followed them secretly when they came down from the bamboo grove, but they suddenly disappeared as if they had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
They also found it strange. One moment they were watching closely, and the next the person had disappeared. Yet, after careful observation and examination, they could clearly find nowhere to hide!
There's nowhere to hide!
Upon triggering the keyword, Shen Jizhao suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He immediately strode over and almost ran to smash open the dormitory door, haphazardly flipping through the paintings on the desk, especially the pastoral landscape painting.
That pastoral landscape painting, which she loved and longed for the most and which warmed his heart, was the one he wanted to present to her!
But... the man's hands gripped the two corners of the painting tightly, trembling and shuddering in shock. The emerald green bamboo leaves in the bamboo forest on the paper actually began to dance, rhythmically and powerfully, as if they were about to tear the painting apart and burst forth. But upon closer inspection, it was clearly his bulging veins!
This is clearly a route prepared for escape!
It turns out she had planned this all along!
She was planning to escape from him!
They were planning to lower his guard!
Ginger Water Puff!
Shen Jizhao chewed on the name over and over again!
He fell for her trick again!
Jinqing racked her brains and finally came up with an answer to stop him from going crazy: "Your Highness, could it be that they kidnapped her!"
The enemy kidnapped his woman! They're using that to threaten him!
Shen Jizhao raised his eyes, and a glimmer of light finally appeared in them.
That's not impossible.
She couldn't escape on her own; perhaps she wouldn't escape, but rather be kidnapped!
Jiang Shuifu certainly couldn't escape alone, so the man beside her reached out and said to her, "Jump down!"
They had been running for a long time, and the old woman had already revealed all the hidden paths in the woods to her. She thought the journey would be smooth sailing, but she overestimated herself.
The reason this path went undiscovered is because it was too difficult to traverse; its ups and downs were so complex and winding that it rivaled a cliff face.
Before her lay another deep pit where one wrong step could send her shattering to pieces. She could only offer her hand to He Beiqing, the man who had betrayed her time and again.
He caught the peaches using the same method.
He Beiqing fully accepted the scrutiny and questioning look from the woman beside him, reassuring her:
"Although this road is treacherous, it is a real shortcut. It won't be long before we reach the foot of the mountain. They haven't caught up with us yet. This time, I didn't leak the secret."
Having already boarded his pirate ship, Jiang Shuifu had no choice but to trust him; the worst that could happen was that she would be caught and locked up again.
She glanced at him again and asked, "Are you coming with us?"
He Beiqing was taken aback. Would she allow him to come along?
He shook his head. "Wouldn't that mean we'd elope?"
She first breathed a sigh of relief, then scoffed sarcastically at the word "elope":
"That's good! Indeed, we've almost become acquainted."
He Beiqing lowered his head, ignoring her sarcasm, and focused only on the large cobblestone path beneath his feet.
By the time of Xu (7-9 PM), they had already descended halfway down the mountain.
At that moment, a strong and majestic eagle with sharp eyes, looking as if it wanted to devour people, circled overhead and issued a warning sound.
"Bah! Bah! Bah!"
The eagle had been circling overhead, but stopped as it passed them. Then it narrowed its eyes, opened its mouth, and howled loudly, its wings flapping wildly and shedding feathers, one of which actually fell into her hair.
Jiang Shuifu looked up in fear, her steps faltering. He Beiqing stopped and plucked the frizzy, fishy-smelling hair from her head.
He said solemnly:
"You guessed right, it's him. These are intelligence hawks kept by his private army. They are most effective at night, but usually only he can personally mobilize them. Moreover, these hawks are only found in the capital."
It means he's back.
He knew she had run away and was going to catch her!
There was no time to delay any longer. He covered their hands and prepared to hurry and hide in the woods.
But then, a soaring arrow shot down, embedding itself in the slender bamboo, piercing it in two, and the bamboo collapsed with a crash.
But that wasn't all; the arrow continued straight through the next bamboo stalk!
Until the arrows ran out of power and a section of bamboo fell, the path became clear in an instant, no longer concealed, and it was no longer easy to hide.
The more one looked at the fallen bamboo, the more shocking and terrifying it became. It actually pieced together a single character: Nine! Shen Jizhao was the ninth child in his family, and this was his unique character!
Jiang Shuifu knew that Shen Jizhao had ordered her to stop, but she refused.
“This road is blocked, but I know another way. Eagles find their way by scent, and their hearing is even more sensitive. As long as we enter the water, they won’t be able to catch us!”
He Beiqing's eyes lit up. This was a good idea! He hadn't expected her to think things through so thoroughly and make such a decisive decision; she was truly intelligent.
His hope had barely begun when a long, drawn-out voice extinguished it:
"But I can't swim."
Of the three of them, Jiang Shuifu is the only one who can't swim, so this approach won't work.
The sounds of light footwork flying behind them grew louder and louder, and the rustling of tight-fitting clothes sweeping through the bamboo leaves suggested that there were at least twenty or thirty people approaching.
He Beiqing didn't have time to hesitate, so he pulled them along and ran until they reached the river she had mentioned. Then he grabbed Jiang Shuifu's waist, took the peach's hand, and jumped in together.
I'm sorry.
In an instant, several muffled sounds rang out from the water, creating a splash, but fortunately, it was completely invisible in the night.
When Shen Jizhao arrived, the person had already vanished without a trace, leaving only the guards staring at him blankly.
He was furious, his whole body seemed to be on fire, and he punched the bamboo.
The bamboo broke, and the bamboo slivers instantly pierced his wrists and palms, dripping blood in large drops, a bright red, but not as bloodshot as his eyes.
He tugged at what was hidden beneath his wide sleeves, his anger escalating, and roared furiously:
"A bunch of useless trash! Is it him?"
The guard knelt down, cupped his hands, and, under immense pressure, stammered, "I couldn't see clearly, but the martial arts and physique were similar."
Shen Jizhao's cheeks puffed out in anger, as if he had stuffed several candies into them, except that the candies were extremely bitter.
His head was filled with bitter acid, like a tidal wave crashing and breaking through every fragile string in his body.
He felt as if he was about to be torn apart and explode into pieces.
The hand inside his sleeve unconsciously tightened, making a "whooshing" sound as it struggled, barely pulling him back to his senses. He suddenly drew his sword, its arrogant and domineering aura cutting down all the bamboo.
With no obstacles in sight, the road ahead was bright and clear, stretching for miles, yet his eyes betrayed his dejection and despair.
"He's so good to me. Even though he's a spy I planted by your side, you trust him endlessly. Even though he hands you over to someone else, you forgive him. And for me, these are things I can only dream of! You've ruthlessly shut me out. No matter how hard I try, I can't reach out and touch him. Now, you're going to take away even my last bit of security!"
His gaze sharpened again, his eyes filled with a sinister and dangerous emotion.
"But I'll force you! I'll chase you! Even if I turn the whole mountain upside down, you won't escape my grasp!"
The water in the summer night was less icy and more warm. They couldn't stay in the water for too long. The eagles overhead had stopped tracking them, and they soon went ashore.
All three were soaked to the bone. The woman and the man were still separated by a great barrier, so He Beiqing immediately turned around to find dry leaves to start a fire for them.
This is already at the foot of the mountain, and it's even at the foot of the mountain in the neighboring town.
They won't be able to catch up in a short time.
Jiang Shuifu grabbed his sleeve and shook her head: "Keep going, don't stop."
She wasn't at ease until she had truly escaped Shen Jizhao.
The peach nodded in agreement, agreeing with whatever the young lady said.
He Beiqing had no choice but to continue seeing them off. He had internal energy and kept trying to dry their clothes by circulating his internal energy.
Jiang Shuifu kept running along the route without stopping, her body covered in sweat, which made her face flushed. Her thick black hair clung to her skin, making her look even more delicate. She even sneezed, showing a sense of relaxation after being satisfied. He Beiqing brought up the rear, protecting them.
As they walked further and further away, a woman who had come out to hang up laundry saw this scene and her eyes widened in disbelief:
"Oh my goodness, where did these two come from! In the middle of the night, they're all wet and clinging together, it's really indecent!"
"Pah! Trying to have a wild threesome, really! The path up the mountain is just ahead, are you planning a night of intense passion?"
Jiang Shuifu had tried her best to avoid encountering farmers, as the more people who knew their whereabouts, the greater the risk of being exposed.
She heard the woman's horrified and nauseating words in their entirety, unconcerned by her mockery and insults.
She turned around and met He Beiqing's gaze. They had no choice but to change their route. Their immediate priority was to get out of this mountain and out of Suyang.
He Beiqing's clothes were already dry, so he took off his outer robe and draped it over her shoulders. She was about to refuse when Pan Tao nodded.
"Put this on, miss. You don't have as much flesh as I do, so it won't keep you warm."
He Beiqing smiled and said, "You dare to come with me? It's just a piece of clothing, and you're scared?"
Only then did Jiang Shuifu accept it.
They ran ahead, but He Beiqing stopped and walked step by step toward the woman. The woman stood with her hands on her hips, sleeves rolled up, glaring at him with an imposing air.
"What, you want revenge for those two prostitutes? I'm not afraid!"
He Beiqing simply tossed her a bag of silver, then swiftly rode away on the horse she had bought with most of her savings, picking up the two women. They ran off at breakneck speed, the angry shouts behind them gradually fading away.
"You damned scoundrel! That horse was bought with three years' worth of vegetable scraps!"
The view became much wider, and then Jiang Shuifu realized that there were too many roads, and she didn't know which one would lead her out.
Most of the roads were lined with the lights of countless homes, but one small path was rather deserted, and they instinctively headed towards it.
But for some reason, Jiang Shuifu's heart kept pounding, a strange feeling washing over her. She stopped it.
"Change it!"
He Beiqing stopped, not because of her words, but because of the sound of horses' hooves approaching. His ears twitched as the sound grew closer.
"Chase!"
The pursuers are coming!
He immediately spurred his horse forward, leaping and bounding, and the horse headed straight for the path.
The two women on horseback embraced each other tightly, one holding the other, while Jiang Shuifu clung tightly to the man's waist.
But the horse seemed to be hungry, and it slowed down more and more as it ran. The guards behind them were getting closer and closer. When she looked back, there was a whole row of them!
At that moment, the guard threw out a rope and lassoed her. Then, with a whistle, the horse suddenly stopped. He Beiqing reacted easily and leaped forward.
But when he turned around to save them, he found that they were already in their hands.
He Beiqing immediately drew the Fire Lotus Sword, which was safely protected at his waist. The appearance of the Fire Lotus Sword signaled the start of the fight.
The head guard, not wanting to waste any more effort, warned him, "Don't resist. The outcome is already decided. Surrender, and we might even plead for you!"
They were brothers who had gone through thick and thin together, yet He Beiqing showed no mercy with his sword.
Because Jiang Shuifu was carried on the back of a guard's horse, and the guard ran away with her.
He stared intently at the woman being jostled about on horseback: "Put her down, and I will take my punishment!"
The guard who had just warned him scoffed:
"It seems you've lost your mind. Then come on! Use the sword His Highness bestowed upon you! The sword that symbolizes loyalty!"
He Beiqing tightened his grip on the sword. Today, he was destined to betray the prince who had firmly told him when he was in despair that he would one day become a general whose name would be remembered in history.
The narrow path was instantly filled with the tense atmosphere of battle; this was the battlefield, except the enemy was his own brother.
He Beiqing was able to climb to the position of general, so his martial prowess was naturally not to be underestimated. The guards, who valued speed and decisiveness, all rushed in at once!
In an instant, he was surrounded. Under these circumstances, he still had the strength to fight back.
The fight was fierce and evenly matched. Before long, he had many cuts on his body, and blood was gushing out.
On the other side, Jiang Shuifu, jostled about on horseback, felt like she was about to vomit. She grabbed the guard's robe, pinching his flesh, and yelled:
"Put me down! Do you think he'll make me bounce around to death? How will you explain this?"
The guards did not stop, like stiff, speechless, emotionless puppets.
Jiang Shuifu wished she could jump off; she was in so much pain. But he had tied her up and fastened her to the horse, and she was powerless to do anything about it.
She could only fake vomiting:
"Ugh! I'm going to die, I'm going to throw up my insides! This place is full of your people, I can't run away. How about this, put me down, and send a carriage to pick me up, and we can go back peacefully, okay?"
The guard still wouldn't listen until he heard a series of vomiting sounds behind him, sounds that seemed to be vomiting out his heart. He hesitated for a moment.
A moment later, his clothes came undone, and the woman behind him seemed to have stopped moving. He panicked, stopped immediately, and put her down.
Jiang Shuifu could finally catch her breath, her heart was churning, and she could only try to calm herself by touching her chest.
After resting for a while, she glared fiercely at the guard: "If I couldn't ride a horse, you would have really jolted me to death!"
The guard lowered his head, not daring to refute.
She rolled her eyes again: "Why don't you let me go? Otherwise, once he calms down, I'll definitely tell on you!"
The guard suddenly stepped forward, trying to grab her and put her back on the horse, but she immediately shrank back:
"Just kidding, why are you taking it so seriously? You're such a blockhead!"
Jiang Shuifu then noticed He Beiqing not far away. He had been completely outmatched, his body riddled with bloody skeletal remains from being stabbed by swords. His Fire Lotus Sword was embedded in the ground, deep into the mud, supporting his body.
The lead guard arrogantly uttered, "Still want to fight? Your sword is almost ruined!"
He Beiqing seemed to sense her gaze, looked up, and took in the worry and fear in her eyes.
Jiang Shuifu gave up: "Forget it, He Beiqing, I don't blame you."
He Beiqing forced a smile with all his might: "Are you afraid I'll die?"
She didn't nod, but her eyes betrayed her; she was afraid.
She couldn't bear the responsibility of losing a life.
The guard was exasperated:
"See? The Crown Princess has said so, so you should give up now. Some mistakes cannot be repeated!"
However, since He Beiqing had chosen to take her away, he had already disregarded life and death.
In an instant, he mustered the last of his strength and, taking advantage of their momentary lapse in concentration, unleashed a sword strike. The sword trembled, its momentum overwhelming, whipping up gusts of wind that blinded the guards.
"This time, I will not break my promise! Jiang Shuifu!"
This was the first time he had called her by her name. She had once said that he should call her by her full name, and he still remembered it to this day.
He Beiqing suddenly leaped into the air, slashing his sword at the guard beside her while simultaneously shoving her aside. She staggered, thrown back, and looked back to see the guard's sword broken in two.
"Run!"
Jiang Shuifu was stunned. At this moment, everyone was fighting, and Pan Tao took the opportunity to run over and pull her away.
She hesitated for a moment, her eyes fixed on him as he was surrounded.
The guard sneered viciously, "Overestimating yourself! If you won't show mercy, then you can just wait to die!"
She could walk even more slowly. He seemed to sense her worry and gave her a charming smile: "Don't worry, they won't dare kill me!"
She felt that he wasn't lying to her, and that Shen Jizhao probably wouldn't, so they mounted their horses.
Finally, we escaped the mountains and arrived in the town, which was decorated with colorful lanterns. The lanterns were painted with many Dragon Boat Festival features, such as horns, mugwort leaves, and green eggs.
Several huge ships were moored in the river in the distance.
It looks like they're celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival.
But when did such a small town come to have this kind of power?
She dismounted, and a strange feeling returned. The horse had deliberately led them down this path; there must be an ambush.
At that moment, she sensed a familiar and powerful aura of malevolence, and she turned around to look!
"I have been waiting for you for a long time. We meet again, Shui Fu. Just accept your fate. I will haunt you for the rest of my life."
The cold, detached voice echoed in the empty street, somewhat hoarse, as if the speaker had indeed been waiting for a long time and was full of anger, remaining silent for quite some time.
It is Shen Jizhao!
Her escape attempt failed!
In the end, she couldn't escape his grasp!
She looked up at the man sitting not far away in a round-backed chair, his legs spread apart, his hands lightly gripping the armrests. He appeared calm on the surface, but his palms were actually covered in blood and mud.
His hands gripped tightly, as if he were desperately trying to hold back something that was about to move, his eyes filled with surging resentment and indignation.
Soon, Jiang Shuifu was taken back to the farmhouse.
With a deafening bang, Shen Jizhao kicked open the door and threw her onto the bed.
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Author's Note: One more chapter to go
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