In the cellar of the village house.
Su Xi-er sat on a pile of straw in her pale blue dress, a torn yet thick cotton blanket covering her.
Caressing her abdominal area, she softly mumbled as her face brightened with a motherly glow.
Thud thud! The sound of footsteps alerted Su Xi-er to grab her silver hairpin and put up her guard.
“Miss, it’s me.” The old woman who had been questioned by Yun Ruofeng’s men appeared with a basket woven from willow strips.
A faint smile appeared on Su Xi-er’s visage.
“Don’t worry, those people have already left. I brought you some fish soup. You should nourish your body!” The old woman set out the fish soup, some rice, and a plate of vegetables in front of Su Xi-er as she spoke.
Nodding her head, Su Xi-er smiled. “Thank you Auntie, I’ve troubled you!”
“There’s no need for thanks. Your complexion doesn’t seem too good, so I’ll prepare some dishes to nourish the body over the next few days.” The old woman’s sincerity could be discerned despite her wrinkles.
With a gentle expression, Su Xi-er smiled elegantly. “Auntie, thank you!”
Suddenly, a knocking sound interrupted their conversation.
Panic washed over the old woman as she quickly blocked Su Xi-er from sight with her body, not forgetting to reproach herself. Was I discovered?
In contrast, Su Xi-er’s expression was calm. ‘Make the best of whatever the situation is.’ Even if there’s really no escape, I will definitely not give in. Tightening her grip on the silver hairpin, resolve shone in her eyes.
“Miss, you hide; I’ll check who it is.” The old woman walked out briskly as she put on a composed facade.
Shortly after, she could hear people talking outside the door.
“Auntie, did you see a very pretty woman?”
“No…no, I didn’t…didn’t see…see her!” The old woman couldn’t help but stutter, which made it apparent to the other party that she was lying.
“Let me go in and take a look then.” The person was about to barge in when the old woman stopped them. Right before a scuffle could break out, Su Xi-er revealed herself.
The old woman immediately panicked. “Miss, run quickly! I’ll stop him!”
“Auntie, I know him.” Su Xi-er told the old woman as she smiled at the other party.
The old woman’s beating heart finally calmed down, and she closed the door before leaving the room to afford the two some privacy.
After she left, Yu Xiao immediately apologised. “Princess Consort, you’ve suffered.”
Su Xi-er was about to reply when a pain in her abdomen forced her to sit down.
“How’s the situation outside?” She made an inquiry as she set a hand over her stomach.
“Replying to the Princess Consort, Yun Ruofeng and Prince Hao’s subordinates are confronting each other with Wu Ling trying to restrain them. Prince Hao, the Western Region King, and Yun Ruofeng have entered Xiliu, but Prince Hao wanted me to first look for you.”
Su Xi-er’s face grew pale with the unceasing pain, though she understood that her child must be having a hard time after going through so much.
“Send a message to Prince Hao to make haste!” Su Xi-er instructed Yu Xiao, but decided not to tell him about her pregnancy yet.
Noticing that she wasn’t in an optimal condition, he swiftly left to carry out the order.
Su Xi-er headed back into the cellar, telling the old woman with a stern expression, “Those people will still come back. You have to be careful!”
The old woman nodded, and made sure to lock the door as a precautionary measure.
After leaving Xiang Village, Yu Xiao headed in the direction of the border, planning to reconvene with Wu Ling before heading back to Su Xi-er. When he arrived at the location where the two groups had been clashing, however, he found that both had disappeared.
