Chapter 217 Why did you come just now!
For a moment, everyone paused, their attention momentarily distracted by the sudden incident. Even more unexpectedly, the scream came from no one else but Shangguan Hong, the attendant who had earlier stabbed Zhong Min with his sword. His hand was covered in blood, as if something had pierced his arm.
Just as everyone was momentarily stunned, the sound of horse hooves grew increasingly clear from the northwest. Zhong Min and Shangguan Hong couldn't help but look in the opposite direction. A group of people were rushing towards them at top speed. The billowing smoke and dust in the distance indicated that there were quite a few people, and the one who had saved Xiaoliu at that critical moment must have been one of them.
Those people were getting closer and closer, and Zhong Min's heart instantly rose to her throat, because she could clearly see who was riding the horse in the front.
Suddenly, a myriad of emotions washed over her. She had never imagined that, at this very moment, Xiao Mingzheng would personally bring his men to rescue her. If what she knew was correct, this was the time when the imperial court's blockade of Muzhou was at its tightest, the siege at its most intense, and Xiao Mingzheng was in dire straits. Xiao Liu had said that his head was worth a fortune, and that promotion was a condition of the court's promise.
But now, he actually left behind such a huge mess in Muzhou and brought people here to save her. She was not a heartless person. After experiencing so many ups and downs, how could she not be moved by this scene.
Soon, the familiar face that she had not seen for a long time finally appeared clearly in front of her. Xiao Mingzheng turned over and dismounted. His tall body immediately stood between Zhong Min and Shangguan Hong, isolating her from all dangers like a barrier.
"Min'er, I'm here!" He looked deeply at Zhong Min, and a single sentence contained a thousand words. At this moment, he wanted to immediately embrace the person in front of him and comfort her, and at this moment, he wanted to tell her about the pain of separation, but Xiao Mingzheng knew better than anyone that there were more important things that had to be dealt with first.
Controlling the impulse in his heart, Xiao Mingzheng quickly adjusted his gaze and said to Shangguan Hong opposite him without any emotion: "If you want to kill her, you have to ask me for my consent!"
"I never expected that the dignified Prince Mu would show up at this place at this time!" Shangguan Hong sighed, "It seems that Zhong Min is truly extraordinary. So many people are so concerned about her. My silly brother must have lost his mind. Not only did Qin Ke die, but now even Prince Mu has come here in person for his beloved. Interesting, really interesting!"
Xiao Mingzheng ignored Shangguan Hong's ridicule and said bluntly, "Isn't it even more interesting that the Seventh Prince of Xirong is here? The Seventh Prince is overreaching. After all, it's easy to get to the Central Plains, but it's not so easy to get back!"
"Is this a threat to me, Your Highness? You should know that compared to mine, your court must want your head the most right now, right?" Shangguan Hong looked indifferent. Although the number of people Xiao Mingzheng brought was indeed much larger than theirs, it was not difficult for them to leave safely.
Xiao Mingzheng didn't hesitate at all and replied directly, "There are countless people who want my head, but for all these years, I have stayed where I belong! Seventh Prince, I am not threatening you, I am serious!"
After saying that, Xiao Mingzheng stopped talking nonsense and waved to the people behind him. Soon, those people attacked Shangguan Hong and others directly with a targeted attitude.
Shangguan Hong really didn't expect Xiao Mingzheng to be so domineering, and the ease on his face disappeared for a moment.
"Xiao Mingzheng, you are so cruel! In the future, I, Shangguan Hong, will let you know how powerful I am!" Shangguan Hong knew the opponent's strength, so he did not want to fight. With a command, he mounted his horse and evacuated with his men.
Seeing this, Xiao Mingzheng did not send anyone to chase them. Their purpose this time was just to pick up Zhong Min and the others. Although they brought a lot of people, there were still many things to deal with on the way back to Muzhou, so it was not appropriate to waste energy on these people.
"Min'er, are you okay?" Seeing that the danger was over, Xiao Mingzheng looked at Zhong Min without hesitation, pulling her up and down to check her. His nervousness was indescribable.
Zhong Min shook his head repeatedly. At this moment, his entire body seemed to have been unlocked, and a wave of annoyance surged out. "It's okay, I... I'm fine."
Seeing Zhong Min saying that she was fine but with a face full of sadness, Xiao Mingzheng felt indescribably distressed. He knew that this girl must have experienced a lot of pain that others could not imagine in these days, otherwise how could someone as strong as her easily reveal such despair and sadness.
He no longer hesitated, and embraced the person he had been thinking about day and night, repeatedly telling her that he was here and everything was over. Yes, he was here, but he regretted why he hadn't come earlier. When he saw the sword stabbing towards Zhong Min from afar, his heart almost stopped beating.
If he had not arrived in time today, he couldn't imagine what the outcome would be. That overwhelming fear was far more intense than losing everything.
“Why did you come so late? Why did you come so late?” Zhong Min cried like a child, completely exhausted. If Xiao Mingzheng hadn’t held her tightly, she would have collapsed to the ground. She kept talking, her voice low but sounding incredibly sad: “Why did you come so late? If you had come earlier, Qin Ke wouldn’t have died, and neither would the others…”
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I'm late..." Xiao Mingzheng let Zhong Min vent in his arms. He finally knew why Zhong Min was so sad. It turned out that Qin Ke was already dead.
He didn't know how Qin Ke died. In fact, he didn't even wait for Xiao Wu's second message. After receiving Qin Ke's first letter, he couldn't wait any longer. He knew their current situation must be very difficult, so he ran to find her regardless of everything. Fortunately, he didn't hesitate or waste any more time, otherwise, he would regret it for the rest of his life!
He didn't dare to ask about those things now, but just let Zhong Min vent her sadness. She must be feeling very sad these days, but he couldn't help her at all. He could only let her vent her emotions first.
After a while, Zhong Min's emotions gradually calmed down. Realizing that so many people were watching them, she quickly broke free from Xiao Mingzheng's arms, wiped away her tears, and said, "Well, Xiaowu, Xier, and about ten of them are still ahead..."
"Don't worry, I have sent people to pick them up." Xiao Mingzheng said as he cleared his cough towards the people beside him. Seeing this, those people finally reacted and quickly stepped back and looked away.
As they were talking, Xiaowu, Xier and the others really arrived. It turned out that the people who went to pick them up happened to meet them halfway. The reason why they were able to escape safely was that the two groups of people were holding each other back. Later, for some reason, Shangguan Hong suddenly appeared and took his people away. Seeing this, Asan's people immediately retreated.
At first they didn't understand what was going on, but when they rushed over here and met the people who were supposed to pick them up, they realized that it was the prince himself who had come, and they were all very excited.
"Your Highness, I pay my respects to you!" Xiao Wu and his men hurriedly bowed to Xiao Mingzheng and apologized, "I am incompetent. Not only did I fail to complete the mission, but I also nearly put Miss Min'er in danger. Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
"Get up, you've done a great job!" Xiao Mingzheng personally stepped forward to help Xiao Wu up, and then gestured for the others to stand up, saying there was no need for formalities. "This place is not suitable for staying long, and it's not a place to talk. We'll talk about everything later."
"Yes!" Everyone responded in unison. Soon, the person in charge reorganized the troops and prepared to depart. It wasn't safe here yet, and it was getting late. They had to first reach their own territory thirty miles away, which was safer and more suitable for rest and recuperation.
"Min'er, get on the horse!" Xiao Mingzheng led his BMW over and helped Zhong Min to sit on the horse. Then he also climbed on the horse and rode with Zhong Min and quickly left the place.
The group of people quickly disappeared, and only the flying dust was enough to prove that someone had been there.
The horse galloped at a breakneck pace, but Zhong Min no longer felt any tension or worry. Sitting on the horse, leaning against Xiao Mingzheng's arms, she felt an indescribable sense of contentment at the long-lost warmth and security she had felt. In truth, only she knew how much she had longed for this warmth for so long, but she had subconsciously resisted it.
And when everything inevitably happened again, her heart could no longer calm down. For so long, no matter where she went, no matter what happened, the only thing that remained unchanged was the most simple and unadorned jade hairpin she had always kept close to her. Now, she had to admit that although she had been away for so long, her heart had never truly left.
Well, let everything take its course. She didn't want to avoid anything anymore. After all she'd been through, how could she possibly be as carefree and relaxed as before? Perhaps sensing her sigh, Xiao Mingzheng couldn't help but tighten his grip around Zhong Min, tightening even tighter.
It was already very late when they arrived at their rest destination. Fortunately, it was a good moonlit night, so they went straight into a secluded house. There were no houses nearby, so it did not attract attention.
Except for the people who took turns to be on guard and defend, everyone else was taken to their respective resting places to eat and rest. Xiao Mingzheng also knew that Zhong Min had been wandering around in the mountains these days, so he asked someone to prepare hot water for Zhong Min and let her take a good wash, change into clean clothes and relax.
After making the arrangements, Xiao Mingzheng left first, leaving only Xier in the room to help.
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