Leng Changxi relaxed a little bit, but he still held the dagger. Qin Yunuan walked to him to grab his arm through her blurry vision and stroke it. She knew after being through all these things, Leng Changxi already became a bit overstressed, and he didn’t want to trust anyone else. But Qin Yunuan also knew they had to choose to trust Wanyan Su now.
“Let me explain.” Qin Yunuan began to explain slowly, “Originally, I asked Yuanyang to take the commander’s token to ask help from Qingzhou officials. But unexpectedly, Sima Ray already bribed seven prefectural governors, including the one in Qingzhou. So Qingzhou governor refused to send his army to help us and even put Yuanyang into prison. At the risk of death, Yuanyang escaped to Luguan which Prince Wanyan governs. He recognized that Yuanyang was my servant girl and learned from her about what happened these days in the Royal City.”
Leng Changxi gradually loosed his grip on the dagger but didn’t relax his vigilance. “It’s quite rare that North Di people didn’t take the chance to loot in the chaotic Qi but to offer help.”
Wanyan Su chuckled and said, “To be honest, General Leng, you now are not a general who can order thousands of soldiers anymore. So give you a piece of advice. Be nice to me. How would I spend so much energy digging the tunnel to save you if “my partner” hadn’t transferred the ownership of trade routes?”
Leng Changxi looked at Qin Yunuan with questions and asked, “What does he mean?”
“It’s not a big deal.” Qin Yunuan said lightly, “There used to be two trade routes from Qi to Luguan. Later on, the Golden Butterfly Embroidery House opened three new routes and used them for our own purpose. As a return of saving us, I agreed to give these three routes to Prince Wanyan.” Qin Yunuan turned her head slightly to Wanyan Su. She couldn’t see where he exactly was and just made an assumption based on his voice. “Your Highness, I only hope you can keep your word to escort Changxi and me to leave Qi.”
Wanyan Su laughed heartily and said, “We, North Di people, always keep our promise. But, it’s really chaotic in Qi now. I can promise I won’t meddle in, but I can’t guarantee my brother won’t. Besides, under such circumstances, business there will be affected, and the trade routes you gave to me are less valuable now.”
“Directly tell me what you want. Don’t waste time.” Qin Yunuan knew what he meant.
“The quality of ready-made clothes in the Golden Butterfly Embroidery House is fairly good, but, Infanta Ping, you are in the switch trade of crops delivered from the regions south of the River to North Di. Therefore, their cost goes up a lot. So I think…”
“That’s not a problem.” Qin Yunuan said without even blinking, “I give you all distribution channels of rice shops in Baling. From now on, you can directly buy crops from these shops and deliver them on those trade routes. I won’t meddle in.”
“Good, deal.” Wanyan Su saw some firelight on the mountain top in the distance. It might be people Sima Ray sent to search the mountain. He shouted to his big guys nearby in North Di language. Having traded with Wanyan Su for a long time, Qin Yunuan could recognize several words from what he said, such as “carriage” and “hurry up”.
Not long, a carriage arrived at the foot of the mountain. The dark curtain on it perfectly echoed with the darkness of the night. Wanyan Su pushed away the dagger Leng Changxi pointed to his neck with his index finger and said, “General Leng, please.”
Although Wanyan Su used a very polite gesture, for Leng Changxi who always was the winner and never had been a fugitive, that was rather ironic.
Even though Qin Yunuan couldn’t see, she could feel Leng Changxi’s unwillingness. She didn’t say it out but cleverly chose to put her hand on Leng Changxi’s arm. “Changxi, help me. I can’t see, and I can only rely on you now.”
Right. Leng Changxi looked at his wife, the woman who seemed weak but actually was tougher than any other women. Even just for Nuan, he had to put up with all these until he gained the upper hand again.
Four horses growing up in the North Di prairie were tied to the carriage. North Di was famous for its horses which were resilient and fast. On the fast-moving carriage, Qin Yunuan hugged Leng Changxi tightly. As a man who had achieved much, he was upset by what he had gone through, and all his past pride and honors were nothing now. He was betrayed by his most trusted fellow; he threw the Leng Army into an extremely dangerous situation and without him, the Rosefinch Gate would be broken in within three days. However, he became a fugitive for the so-called national interests. No, Leng Changxi shook his head. Imperial Concubine Rong was still in the palace, and with her, the rebels could break in less than three days. So even if he came back now, he couldn’t change the ending.
For the first time, Leng Changxi felt so desperate. He had no shadow guards who could show up right after an order and also lost Leng Wu and Leng Shuang who were in the palace now. No one knew whether they remained alive.
Sima Ray had sent skilled soldiers to chase after them. However, Wanyan Su seemed not panic and even deliberately slowed down a bit sometimes. This trick made soldiers chasing after them so tired.
“There is a cross ahead, and carriages the same as what we take now are waiting for us here. When we arrive, Da will make a turn quickly. You, hold tight.”
Da was a three-meter big guy who drove the carriage Qin Yunuan, and Leng Changxi took. But he was quite nimble. Before Qin Yunuan made any response, the carriage bumped suddenly, and it was turning nearly 90 degrees. Everything was as normal as before except the bump and the tilt. The whole carriage line, including the one Qin Yunuan was in, went to a wood where the layers of large leaves worked as a cover for them. On this road, a line of carriages the same as the previous one suddenly showed up. Even the tassels on the black carriage curtain were very alike.
Wanyan Su planned a perfect trick. Soon after the new line of carriages passed by, a troop of cavalries followed. The dust that flew in the air when they passed by was like a sandstorm. Every cavalry wore armor and held a spear, ready for a fight. It seemed that once they caught up with carriages ahead, they would inevitably start a fight.
The carriage line in the wood didn’t set off until everything quieted down outside. This time, the line moved slower. To prevent Qin Yunuan’s eyes from getting irritated by the strong light, Leng Changxi covered her eyes with a piece of white silk.
Leng Changxi helped Qin Yunuan tie the silk behind her, and she clearly felt his trembling fingers. She turned back to put her arms around his neck. Unable to see him, she could only feel the stubble on his chin with fingers. She could even feel how withered and worried he was.
Their servants and families were trapped in the Royal City. Prince Ning already lost his wife, mother, and now his most beloved and youngest son.
As for the Qin Family, Qin Yunuan didn’t have to worry about them. At the very beginning, Qin Zhi joined in Sima Ray’s camp, but later, to protect the whole family, he restrained himself. If Sima Ray could become the emperor this time, Qin Zhi might bring honor to the family and ancestors, or at least, wouldn’t make the whole family end up in death.
“Everything will be fine.” Qin Yunuan comforted Leng Changxi. “Father has followed the previous emperor to fight in many battlefields. He will protect the whole family. As for the palace, Leng Wu will take care of it. He can at least lead 5000 soldiers to escape there. And you, I’m together with you. Although I can’t see you clearly now, I still will wholeheartedly support you.”
Leng Changxi said nothing for a long time and then hugged her tightly. He put his chin on her balmy hair. “I’m just unwilling, unwilling to make you take all these with me. I think I’m useless. When I proposed to you, I said I would let you live in peace forever.”
Qin Yunuan wore a light smile and said, “Changxi, as long as I’m together with you and you don’t abandon me, I will feel peaceful. I love you not because you are the First General in Qi. I just love your eyes, your persistence and you. I won’t stop loving you because you are not the First General anymore. In the past when I didn’t respond to your love, you hoped I could understand your love. And now, I also hope you can understand mine. I beg you not to leave me to any other people for the so-called my sake. Only with you can I be intact and good.”
“For me, you left Baochuan who you deemed as precious as your life as well as many worries about him.”
“Baochuan will be fine.” Qin Yunuan rubbed his hair which became a bit messy with her finger. “I have pleased Yuanyang to take care of him. Xi’er, Ting Xue and Maner will also care about him. Vicious as Sima Ray is, he has no courage to kill all people in the Royal City. Moreover, the emperor is alive but just under control. He still has his majesty. So from now on, I only care about you.”
Leng Changxi cupped her face with hands. Although they couldn’t look into each other, he was so soulful. “In this life, I will never betray you. No, not only this life, but also my every life. No matter who you are in your next life, I will find you, marry you, love you and dote on you.”
Qin Yunuan tittered. “You are talking silly words.”
They didn’t know how long it had been. In their journey, Wanyan Su asked people to send water to them twice. To avoid unexpected trouble, Qin Yunuan and Leng Changxi didn’t get off once. There was no station along the road, and Qin Yunuan could only rely on Leng Changxi to massage her eyes to relieve the pain.
They claimed to be North Di people and also dressed like them, so no one had stopped them for investigation. Moreover, Qi and North Di were in peace. It wouldn’t be strange that there were North Di businessmen in Qi.
Someday, under the bright sunshine, Wanyan Su suddenly rode the horse to their carriage and reminded them in a low voice, “We’re in Qingzhou now, and there are wanted posters of you two everywhere.”
Qin Yunuan didn’t pull back the curtain and answered in a deep voice, “I see.”
