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She grinned, "There are plenty of ways to take me away, why resort to the most extreme one?"
Zhong Xue lightly pinched her cheek, correcting her crooked smile, perhaps thinking it looked unappealing.
He scoffed, "What I just did was already quite polite. If it weren't for the many people guarding Ju Mansion, I wouldn't have to resort to such measures."
Originally, he didn't want things to escalate so dramatically; this was all Dong Dong's fault. They had been sitting in the tavern watching the commotion, observing how grand the procession was as the bridal sedan passed by. Several groups had already been dispatched to various locations waiting for an opportunity to act, and his presence there was actually unnecessary.
But at that moment, as the bridal sedan arrived, Dong Dong suddenly pointed at it and shouted loudly, "Look how much King Yan is spending on his wedding! The procession is so grand; this isn't just picking up a bride; it's like King Yan is going on a journey!"
Zhong Xue frowned upon seeing this. He knew what Ji Qi meant; San Chun had once been Crown Prince Yan, and he naturally had to treat her with the respect due to a king. Although this procession wasn't that of a proper king, it had already surpassed the ceremonial standards of a queen.
He shot Dong Dong a cold glance. "Stop talking nonsense and think about how to intercept the bridal sedan."
Dong Dong smiled slightly. "Since Lord Jun has given orders, I will comply."
Suddenly, he raised his hand and threw a chopstick at the head of a horse on the left. It was unclear whether his aim was too precise or if San Chun was simply unlucky; the chopstick ended up piercing one of the horse's eyes. The horse neighed loudly and bolted away with another horse. In an instant, Main Street was thrown into chaos.
Zhong Xue was startled and hurried down to help. As for the tragic aftermath that followed, it was completely beyond his expectations. He hadn't anticipated that San Chun would fall out of the carriage so violently.
At this moment, when she asked him about it, he was still angry at being mistaken for Qing and didn't feel like explaining. He silently vowed that he would make sure she only had eyes for him.
San Chun peeked at him and after a while noticed his expression softening slightly before asking, "How do you plan to leave the city?"
Zhong Xue replied indifferently, "Just wait and see."
At the city gate of Daliang City, there were many people trying to leave the city. Recently, there had been an incident where a ceremonial carriage was overturned and the Queen was kidnapped, so the inspection at the city gate was particularly strict. Almost everyone passing through had to be thoroughly checked. At this moment, the order to seal the city had not yet been issued, allowing people to still exit, but soon it would likely be impossible to even leave through the city gate.
San Chun stared intently, determined to learn a trick from him. Just as it was about to be their turn, they suddenly heard a commotion coming from a nearby tavern, with someone shouting, "Over here! We've found the thieves who stole the bride!"
At this shout, the soldiers who were originally searching all rushed towards the sound, creating a large gap at the city gate. At that moment, Dong Dong shouted loudly and whipped the horse, causing the carriage to dash forward and break through the barricade.
In this era, horses were extremely scarce, and there were not many with the guards at the city. The horse pulling Zhong Xue's carriage was a rare Warhorse; once it galloped away, even if the guards had horses, it would be difficult for them to catch up. However, this meant that the palace guards would likely learn of their escape route and would soon pursue them.
The carriage sped for ten miles before they saw a fork in the road ahead. Zhong Xue suddenly shouted, "Stop the carriage!"
Dong Dong hurriedly pulled on the reins. "What does Lord Jun want to do?"
Zhong Xue grabbed San Chun and jumped down from the carriage. Caught off guard, San Chun flew out of the carriage but managed to land without falling flat on her face.
Once she steadied herself, she complained, "You could have said something before jumping out."
Zhong Xue ignored her and ordered Dong Dong, "You drive the carriage along the main road and don't let anyone catch up."
Dong Dong replied and then asked, "Where are you going?"
"We're taking a shortcut to meet at the border of Yan Kingdom."
Hearing this, he couldn't help but curl his lip; so they were using him as bait? As they say, one should never fully trust their master's words. Anyway, he wasn't particularly loyal; he could just abandon the carriage and escape ahead when they got further along.
Zhong Xue dragged San Chun along the road. After walking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and exclaimed, "Oh no, I forgot to bring that horse."
"Didn't you ask Dong Dong to distract the officials?"
Zhong Xue sighed, "I can trust Dong Dong; if there were no trustworthy people in this world, then it wouldn't exist. By now, he has probably already run away. It's just a pity that this Lord's horse is going to fall into the hands of these thieves."
San Chun was speechless. She knew very well that Dong Dong was unreliable, yet he entrusted such an important matter to him. She couldn't blame others for his unpredictable thoughts. Poor Dong Dong; he would definitely be outsmarted by him.
She asked, "How do you plan to go anywhere on just two legs?"
"You can go wherever you want," Zhong Xue said with a smile, lightly brushing her hand. "We are in sync; the place you want to go is exactly what I have in mind."
San Chun felt a shiver run through her body and wanted to punch him hard. If he were merely frivolous, that would be one thing, but this gesture was like holding onto her lifeline, making it impossible for her to escape.
She sighed and pitifully followed him forward, mumbling, "I want to go to Cape of the End of the Sea; are you coming with me?"
"As long as you marry me."
She rolled her eyes, truly not believing he wanted to marry her; it felt more like he was dragging an enemy back to torment. She muttered, "What if one day you don't like me anymore and sell me into a brothel?"
He cooperatively rolled his eyes back at her. "Don't worry; if I sold you into a brothel, they wouldn't know what to do with you either."
San Chun was greatly annoyed and knew in her heart that he wasn't mocking her appearance but rather her personality. However, he wasn't any better himself—both domineering and unpleasant.
The two walked along, bickering with each other, which made the journey feel less lonely. Before long, they had covered quite a distance.
In the distance, there seemed to be the sound of hooves, but the horses were far away, as if they could never get any closer. It was certain that they were being intercepted by the people he had brought along.
Zhong Xue was always well-prepared and would never put himself in danger. The reason he chose this path was probably because he knew it well and it was easier to set up an ambush.
After walking for a long time, his feet began to hurt. Ahead was a teahouse with a few scattered travelers sitting inside. It was already noon, and his stomach was growling.
San Chun squatted down to rub her feet and asked, "There shouldn't be any pursuers here, right?"
Zhong Xue took a breath and replied, "There shouldn't be." Ever since he became Chengyang Jun, he rarely walked this much, and his feet were indeed sore.
The aroma of food from the teahouse wafted over occasionally, making his already hungry stomach feel even more unbearable. She licked her lips and asked, "Shouldn't we eat something?"
He nodded, "We should."
"Then pay for it." A delicate white hand appeared in front of him.
Zhong Xue looked puzzled, "What money?"
She wanted to roll her eyes; did he really think one could eat anywhere without paying?
Reminded by her, Zhong Xue seriously patted himself down and suddenly realized that he had no money at all. Given his current identity, how could he possibly carry money when going out? Even if he had any, it should be with Dong Dong.
San Chun could tell from his expression that he didn't have it. She could only pity herself for the dazzling jewelry that had once adorned her head when she got into the ceremonial carriage, which was now nowhere to be found. Now, she wore a plain maid's outfit, with two flowers pinned in her hair, which seemed worthless.
She had asked Zhong Xue where that ceremonial dress had gone, and he lazily replied, "Lost."
Naturally, he wouldn't keep something that was bothersome, especially if it was prepared by Uncle Qi. It was a pity that his jealousy forced her to endure the hardships of fleeing thousands of miles while also suffering from hunger.
She sighed, "When will your subordinates arrive?"
"Let them wait at the border; they won't come anymore."
The little hope she had vanished. She swallowed a few times while looking at the steaming buns not far away, suddenly feeling even hungrier.
Zhong Xue didn't seem worried. He stepped forward and smiled at the girl in the Teahouse who was picking up buns.
"Are these buns good?"
The girl looked to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, with thick eyebrows and large almond-shaped eyes that sparkled. She had a big red silk flower in her hair, making her look quite adorable.
When she looked up and saw an extraordinary young man standing before her, her cheeks flushed. Then, she quickly wrapped one in oil paper and offered it to him. "Here, would you like to try one, sir?"
"Does trying it cost money?"
"Of course not."
Zhong Xue smiled as he took the steamed bun and walked over to San Chun, breaking it in half and handing it to her.
San Chun really didn't know whether to cry or laugh. To be able to exchange this for food was quite a skill, but did they really intend to rely on this method all the way to the border? When encountering men, she would step forward; when meeting women, he would take the lead. Even if she could put aside her pride, not everyone would be willing to help them, right?
She reached out, took the bun, and bit into it fiercely, as if she were biting his hand.
One bun was certainly not enough to fill two stomachs, and after just a few steps, it was gone. San Chun sighed heavily; following Qing meant going hungry, and now following Zhong Xue, the famously wealthy Lord Jun, she was still starving. Was she destined to live a life of poverty?
The path here was narrow like a sheep's intestine, so there was no chance of encountering any Dance Troupe passing by. They could only endure and hope to come across a vendor selling food or perhaps find a fruit tree by the roadside with ripe apples falling on their heads.
Of course, that was just wishful thinking. In this season and in this place, it would be strange to find apples.
She felt miserable from hunger and looked at him, who appeared indifferent. Curious, she asked if he had ever gone hungry.
Zhong Xue smiled faintly; he had indeed experienced hunger. Before being sent as a hostage to the State of Chu, no one cared about his meals. It was inevitable that he would go hungry sometimes. There were times when he couldn't even get a single bite to eat for an entire day, and over time he had grown accustomed to it. The reason he wasn't particularly tall also related to his childhood of enduring hunger. To borrow a phrase she often used before, this was called malnutrition.
After enduring for a while longer, they finally saw a village ahead. Wisping smoke rose into the air, and the enticing aroma wafting from every household was particularly tempting.
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