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墨書 Inktalez
After a brief conversation, Xu Mu Cong revealed everything she wanted to know. When she heard that Mu Junze had married a man, and that it was an imperial decree, she momentarily lost her composure and slammed her palm on the table with a loud thud.
After a moment, realizing her outburst, she hurriedly concocted a clumsy excuse to brush it off. However, her mind was elsewhere. Xu Mu secretly rejoiced; it seemed she could no longer maintain her facade.
He spoke cautiously.
"I recently heard that Duke Beiqin is leading troops to the border. I will be returning to the capital in a few days. I wonder when you plan to return, Miss. If you don’t mind, I could accompany you back to the capital; it would be good to have someone to look after you on the way."
The woman’s expression darkened slightly, but she forced a smile.
"That won’t be necessary. This Palace... I’m not sure when I will return. Thank you for your kind offer, but you should go ahead. Once I return to the capital, I will express my gratitude properly. I just remembered I have matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you any longer."
She gave a slight bow, signaling him to leave. Seeing this, Xu Mu Cong had no choice but to take his leave and plan for another opportunity upon his return to the capital.
Fortunately, he had managed to leave behind a handkerchief in an inconspicuous place as he bid farewell.
Once he left, the woman in the room erupted in fury, shedding her earlier gentle and gracious demeanor. She swept everything off the table in a rage, prompting the guards to rush in and inquire.
"Princess, did that man offend you? I can bring him here at once..."
This woman was none other than Wen Liang Princess, daughter of Liang Fei. Her grandfather was the renowned General Zheng Wenlong. Recently, Liang Fei had persuaded her to leave the capital for a while to broaden her horizons. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time.
She believed this would provide her with more topics of conversation with Mu Junze, who had traveled extensively and had rich experiences. Thus, she agreed without hesitation. Little did she know that once they left the capital and reached Jiangnan, she would learn of matters in the palace that required her to delay her return.
By the time she realized something was amiss, it was too late. Liang Fei and the emperor had sent people to keep her confined at Xia Jiang Lou in Jiangnan, stating they would take her back once things settled down. For days she had caused disturbances and attempted escapes but found herself unable to break free.
Now that she learned of Mu Junze's marriage, how could she possibly stay here any longer? In desperation, she quickly picked up a shard from the ground and pressed it against her neck. Instantly, a thin line of blood appeared on her fair skin as blood trickled down.
This action startled the guards; they dared not approach or move. Wen Liang shouted fiercely.
"Let This Palace go! This Palace demands to return to the capital immediately! Otherwise, I will die right here!"
The guards hesitated; if they returned without permission, their lives would be at stake. Sensing their indecision, Wen Liang spoke again.
"If you do not let This Palace return now, I will hang myself here in Jiangnan! Then you will all face death as well. If you accompany me back, I will speak favorably of you before my mother and father and ensure your safety. Hurry and prepare a carriage!"
Under duress, the guards had no choice but to comply, but just as Wen Liang was about to board the carriage, one of the guards knocked her unconscious. The guard glanced nervously at the leader beside him.
"My lord, this... knocking out the princess might cost us our heads. This..."
The man, with a cold expression and piercing eyes, bore a long scar across his face that commanded respect without anger. He crossed his arms and spoke in a chilling tone.
"Knocking out the princess will cost you at most your head, but if we let her go back... then it won't just be you who pays the price. Take her back!"
The guards had no choice but to carry the princess back again. The leader recalled that the princess had been acting strangely after meeting that man, so he decided to capture Xu Mu Cong for questioning. Xu Mu Cong found himself tied up in a woodshed, and as he contemplated his situation, he felt a sense of dread. After he left yesterday, he had heard some rumors; being captured now was likely related to those events.
He pondered how he might survive if the guards decided to execute him. Just then, a fierce-looking guard radiating an aura of menace entered the room—it was the Guard Captain.
"What did you say to my lady yesterday?!"
"I... I only spoke of ordinary matters and some recent events. I didn't say anything else, my lord... Is there a misunderstanding?"
The leader furrowed his brow, causing Xu Mu Cong to instinctively shrink back and shuffle away a few steps. Seeing Xu Mu Cong's frightened demeanor, which did not seem like that of a liar, the guard hesitated for a moment before preparing to ask again. At that moment, a young guard entered and whispered something in his ear.
After observing Xu Mu Cong for a while, he said, "Take him away! My lady wants to see you. Keep quiet; say what needs to be said, understood?"
Xu Mu Cong nodded repeatedly as he was led into another room. There he saw Wen Liang sitting on the bed in a daze, her neck wrapped in bandages that were faintly stained with blood. Upon seeing this, Xu Mu Cong began to piece together what had happened.
"Get out! I told you all to leave! What? Are you so powerful that you're afraid I'll escape?!"
Noticing Wen Liang's agitation, the leader cast one last deep glance at Xu Mu Cong before stepping back outside. Once they were alone, Wen Liang quickly stood up, tears streaming down her face; she looked pitiful and evoked a desire to protect her.
With a choked voice, she pleaded with Xu Mu Cong, "Please help me! If you are willing to save me and take me back to the capital, I will surely repay you well in the future."
Xu Mu Cong feigned ignorance and hesitated before recounting how he had been captured by the guards and expressing his confusion about Wen Liang's current predicament.
Wen Liang gritted her teeth and spoke.
“To be honest, I am the current princess of this dynasty. My grandfather is General Zheng Wenlong, a loyal protector of the nation, and my mother is Consort Liang. This is my jade pendant; you have spent time in the capital and should recognize items from the palace. If I speak even a half-truth, may I be punished…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Xu Mu Cong covered her mouth. His eyes were filled with tenderness as he looked at Wen Liang, speaking softly.
“I trust you, Princess. Please do not speak recklessly. It’s just that I have some concerns; it’s not that I am truly afraid of anything. It’s merely that we are strangers to each other, and I fear betraying your trust…”
“Sir, please do not say more. Just tell me if you are willing to take me away. I will explain everything in detail on the way; I will not hide anything from you.”
Xu Mu Cong felt a surge of joy in his heart. Indeed, those who are infatuated often lack reason. He hadn’t even figured out how to cover his lies yet, and she had already absolved him of that responsibility. In the future, he could simply deny it, claiming she had misremembered in her desperation; she would likely believe him.
After pondering for a moment, Xu Mu Cong thought this was fine. He could find an opportunity to use the items on the way, which would also help build trust between them. Thus, he agreed, and they began discussing their escape plan.
With Wen Liang's assistance, the guards did not trouble Xu Mu Cong any further but assigned a few people to watch him closely. However, Xu Mu Cong was well aware of this.
The private guards provided by Worthy Prince would not have the chance to meet the palace guards, but they were skilled enough. Therefore, Xu Mu Cong concocted a casual excuse to have them deal with those who were tailing him.
The two worked together seamlessly. On the third night, the busiest people at Xia Jiang Lou were not the waiters but that group of guards. The Guard Captain realized what was happening but found himself unable to act due to the excessive dosage of laxatives.
He could only watch helplessly as the princess escaped while he was still dealing with his own predicament.
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