Xie Yun couldn’t help but laugh when he saw her pouting. She’s starting to retort and argue with me.
He reached out his hand to poke her nose. “Messing around.” He then stood up and properly tucked her in with the quilt. “Don’t torment yourself when you’re ill. Just obediently stay in the courtyard to convalesce and don’t think about anything else.”
He bent down and intimately patted her head, instructing the maidservant to take good care of Xie Liuli before he left.
Xie Yun found his sister’s ideas ridiculous. How is it possible for there to be love within the children of the Imperial Household and the ministers? Someone like Pei Qianhao is considered abnormal. Since time immemorial, those that value love over power have never amounted to much.
~~~
The next day, when the sky was just starting to brighten, Su Xi-er and Su Miao were already dressed and sitting in the horse carriage headed for Willow Village. Su Xi-er was clad in ordinary plain clothes today, and her hair bun was held together by the wooden hairpin given to her by Ning Lianchen.
There were a few strands of hair that fell down upon her cheeks and forehead, setting off her pair of pure and quick-witted eyes.
Su Miao couldn’t help but enter a trance as she stared at Su Xi-er, only returning to her senses a moment later as she started speaking. “Younger Cousin, you look better than before. When you were young, you were…” She stopped, afraid that she would remind Su Xi-er of certain traumatic memories.
Su Xi-er was naturally missing the memories of the original owner of the body. All she knew was that the original owner had been beautiful since she was young, and was thus the target of many. However, that was it. Su Xi-er had no way of knowing how tormented her original had felt, with her deepest impression of the original being from the three stones in the small pouch.
“Younger Cousin, what happened during our childhood is already in the past. If the people from Willow Village learn of how well you are doing now, they will definitely be very envious.” Su Miao chirped in her bubbly tone, her eyes lit up.
Prince Hao’s subordinates already went to the village yesterday; Mum must be over the moon.
Su Xi-er gazed at Su Miao’s pure smiling visage.
I have to come up with a way to divert her elsewhere when we go up the mountain later. Even if we’ve planned everything out, I can’t allow the least bit of harm to befall her.
The horse carriage soon left the capital gate and enjoyed a smooth trip on the even road. In less than four hours, they were already at the entrance of the mountain in front of Willow Village.
“Younger Cousin, after we pass this mountain, Willow Village will be right behind it.” Su Miao lifted the window curtain and pointed ahead.
Su Xi-er followed the direction of her finger and remarked, “Elder Cousin, I never expected that there would still be small yellow flowers in the mountain during the winter. They look really beautiful; why don’t you go and pick some to bring back?”
“I’ll go and pick them if you like them.” Su Miao giggled and alighted.
Su Xi-er immediately signalled to a guard with her eyes and softly ordered, “Follow her.”
The guard acknowledged the order and quickly followed Su Miao as they disappeared into the distance.
“Continue driving, but be more cautious.” Su Xi-er put down the curtain and settled back inside the carriage.
The other guard driving the carriage raised the horsewhip, and they soon continued on their way.
Hearing the sounds of the moving axles, Su Miao was surprised as she turned around.
Why did Younger Cousin leave first?
“Miss Su, please take your time and pick flowers the Princess Consort likes. I will bring you to Willow Village later.” The guard respectfully reassured her.
Su Miao didn’t think much of it and obediently replied with an affirmative, walking into the woods to pick the flowers.
Meanwhile, Su Xi-er’s carriage had travelled to the peak of the mountain, and was about to begin its descent. The guard turned and said, “Princes Consort, please make sure you are seated securely. We will be going down a slope now.”
The words had just left his mouth when some movements from trees on both sides of the road could be heard. Soon, a wave of sharp arrows came flying straight at them.
Sensing the danger, the guard swiftly pulled out the sword at his waist and swatted down the arrows that looked like they were closest to hitting the carriage. “Princess Consort, quickly come out of the horse carriage! It’s dangerous to stay inside!”
Even if my combat skills are decent, I won’t be able to hold on for very long.
However, the sudden appearance of a slender woman landing beside him immediately caused the guard’s eyes to widen.
The Princess Consort actually used her bare hands to catch the arrows!
Su Xi-er coldly sneered.
Doesn’t Xie Yun have many capable subordinates? Why are the combat skills of the people he sent so poor?
