The ground beneath their feet was unusually soft, covered with decayed leaves that rustled as they stepped on them.
As the mountain wind blew, it carried a pungent, long-lasting stench of rotten leaves. Landyuan continuously wielded the dagger he had taken, clearing the obstructing brambles and vines ahead. Branches from the trees in the depths of the forest brushed against their skin, causing a fiery sensation.
Listening to the sound of flying arrows behind her, Yen Ruoxu felt as though a taut string had snapped within her, and fine beads of sweat had already formed on her back, cooling under the wind.
"If they catch us, what will they do to us?" Yen Ruoxu asked, watching the ashen-black eyes of Landyuan, feeling a sinking feeling in her heart.
"Do you think they will kill us?" Yen Ruoxu discerned a hint of danger from Landyuan's cold gaze.
However, Landyuan suddenly chuckled, "Scared?" His words seemed to awaken Yen Ruoxu. She had insisted on joining him in this night's action, and showing fear in front of him would be a loss of dignity.
"Hmph." Yen Ruoxu felt a bit embarrassed, lifting her chin slightly and making a muffled sound from her nostrils to show that she was not panicking.
Landyuan's gaze swept over her, a trace of a smile appearing at the corner of his eyes. "No need to panic."
The two wandered through the forest and unexpectedly found an open space among the lush trees.
Amid the lush trees was a small bamboo house of less than ten square feet, looking abandoned for many years. Even the door had collapsed, and the steps leading inside were covered in decayed leaves and rotting wood. There were even scattered wild animal bones, indicating that it had been deserted for many years.
Landyuan was very agile, and he stepped forward to look inside the house. "Come in quickly," he beckoned to Yen Ruoxu.
"What place is this?" Yen Ruoxu hesitated somewhat but still approached, peering into the door frame that was already slightly swaying. "It's not safe to hide here; they will surely come after us."
Landyuan pursed his lips lightly, seeming to have everything under control. He lifted his foot and tapped the ground with his boot, and only then did Yen Ruoxu notice the thick layer of straw covering it.
"This is an abandoned ice cellar, and the straw is there for insulation. There must be an entrance to the well inside the house." Landyuan turned and began searching the house.
Soon, he discovered a hole big enough for one person to enter, hidden behind a pile of decaying wood in a corner.
"Go inside," Lu Yuanzhe said.
Yan Ruoxu stared at the pitch-black hole for a moment, then gritted her teeth and chose to trust him. She crouched and crawled into the narrow entrance, fingers scraping against the wet, rough stone wall. However, she couldn't feel the bottom under her feet, indicating that the well was quite deep. Yan Ruoxu hesitated, her arms losing strength and causing her to fall into the well, landing in a pile of mud.
Shortly after, Lu Yuanzhe also jumped down, landing next to Yan Ruoxu and splashing her with mud.
Suppressing her displeasure, Yan Ruoxu wiped the dirty mud off her face. She suddenly felt that hiding in this dark place might not be a good idea. Before she could speak, Lu Yuanzhe made a sound.
In the quiet, pitch-black well, their breaths were clearly audible. Yan Ruoxu noticed this movement, sensitive to the scent of blood in the air. "Where are you injured?" she asked.
Lu Yuanzhe wiped his palm on his robe and then felt a slight pain in his hand. "Injured when I grabbed the knife," he said. Although the wound across the center of his palm was not shallow, it didn't seem significant to Lu Yuanzhe. He sighed, seeming regretful. "I was too careless tonight. General Feng's matter is definitely related to the Xiao family. Judging from today's scene, their actions are probably more than this one event."
Sitting beside him, Yan Ruoxu was also pondering the matter. The wooden house in the dense forest seemed more like a secret stronghold. Since the Xiao family dared to directly kill someone here and had placed heavy guards, their knowledge and activities probably represented just the tip of the iceberg.
"When we get out, I will definitely report all this to the emperor," Yan Ruoxu said firmly. Determined not to let a loyal minister be wrongly accused again.
Lu Yuanzhe chuckled and looked at a space in the void. "Princess, why wade into these troubled waters? It's deep inside."
Looking in the direction where he was, Yan Ruoxu smiled and said, "What about Young Master Lu? If he knows this is a muddy situation, why did he willingly get involved?"
With this, Yan Ruoxu also felt a strong sense of curiosity. In her memory, Lu Yuanzhe was a proud and untamed person, at odds with his father and brothers, and distantly distant from the capital, seemingly wanting to avoid the turmoil of the court. It was unexpected to find him trapped with her; life was truly unpredictable.
In the pitch-black darkness, Lu Yuanzhe made a non-committal sound. Leaning against the well's wall, he remembered receiving a letter from Yan Ruoxu.
Rereading the elegant handwriting in the letter, he was initially surprised that a member of the royal family would proactively associate with him. However, after reading the contents, he couldn't help but feel a chill. The border city was the most important pass in the northwest of Dayan. Any changes there would have a significant impact on the overall situation. The fact that the princess had received such critical information and chose to inform him instead of seeking help from other powerful families showed her trust in him.
Yet trust was what he lacked the most. His father and brothers doubted his motives for coming to the capital, suspecting he sought power, revenge, or simply viewed him as an oddity. Others despised him for being a flawed man with good integrity, refusing to associate with him.
Having endured all this, he had learned to ignore it and not let the suspicions and fears affect him.
Seeing the frank and revealing letter from Yan Ruoxu, he felt a subtle sense of emotion. His actions today were naturally influenced by his desire not to betray that trust.
Interlocking his hands behind his head, Lu Yuanzhe diverted the topic. "Princess, if you're tired, take a rest. We can leave when it's bright, but by now, the young Marquis must have found out that you've left Xiao Longxiang."
Tonight, Yan Ruoxu had invited Yan Zhe to accompany her without informing him of the reason, only asking him to wait at a distant teahouse. With the rushing around just now, she hadn't had time to inform him. He must be in a state of anxiety right now.
Yan Ruoxu felt a sense of unease and a bad premonition. If Yan Zhe searched for them but couldn't find them, would he seek the emperor's help or inform their father?
Their horses were still tied under the locust tree at the foot of the mountain. If Yan Zhe and his men came looking for them, they might just run into the Xiao family, which would expose everything.
Seeming to sense Yan Ruoxu's anxiety, Lu Yuanzhe reassured her, "Princess, don't worry. We'll deal with it as it comes. It's cold and the air is thin in the well. It's better to rest and conserve energy."
After the upheaval of this long night, Yan Ruoxu was already very tired. At this point, there was little point in worrying too much. She sat down next to the well wall, gradually drifting into a light sleep.
In this deep, dark, and quiet well, signs of other creatures began to emerge.
A pair of faintly glowing, vertical-pupiled eyes gazed over, their forked tongues continually flicking in and out, the wet, scale-covered body twisting from side to side as it moved closer to them.
Author's note:
After the Double 11 shopping festival, the author, who is struggling to make ends meet, expressed sorrow, saying that the story would soon get into the main plot. This work is a slow burn.
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Yan Zhe's small grudge: You didn't tell me anything. Hmph, the Marquis is in a little mood.
Though this ice cellar had already been abandoned, due to its airtightness and the fact that it was buried deep underground, the temperature was much lower than room temperature, which made Yanruo feel extremely cold in her hands and feet.
She rubbed her hands, moving her joints and muscles. Her outer clothing had long been soaked by the well water underground, sticking wet to her body. Instead of keeping her warm, it made her use her body to warm the clothes.
Hearing the sound, Lu Yuanzhe turned his face in the direction of Yanruo, who was afraid of the cold. He had lived with his mother and sister since he was young, so he was very clear about this point.
"Catch!" Lu Yuanzhe swiftly took off his outer robe and threw it to Yanruo.
Yanruo pinched the black man's outer robe in her hands and was very surprised for a moment. She had never expected that Lu Yuanzhe would pay attention to such details. She was a little stunned at first, then let out a light laughter.
Lu Yuanzhe, who had been dozing against the stone wall, opened his eyes, his gaze sharp. "What's funny?"
Yanruo put the oversized robe on herself and couldn't help but think about the various rumors she had heard about Lu Yuanzhe. The servants in the palace had gossiped about it. This man who liked the masculine style often had a more refined mind than ordinary people. Now it seemed to be true.
She couldn't help but laugh. Finally, she said a complete sentence, "To be honest, I used to have some prejudice against Master Lu. It wasn't until today that I realized seeing is believing."
Lu Yuanzhe shook his head and a smile involuntarily tugged at the corner of his mouth. He knew exactly what kind of prejudice Yanruo was referring to. "I have never cared about others' evaluations of me."
What the children of prominent families cared most about was their external reputation. Lu Yuanzhe's words were quite surprising to Yanruo, but they were in line with his character.
But what he said was not unreasonable. It was indeed scary to be fear people's opinions, but living in the evaluation of others all the time was mentally and physically exhausting. She had already endured the hardship of compromising herself and pretended to be strong in front of others.
In any case, living with a clear conscience was the most important thing.
"Master Lu, I greatly admire your choice. I wouldn't have the courage like you. Your deep and firm affection is truly admirable," Yanruo thought of the "better half" that Yan Zhe mentioned, even blurted out.
However, after hearing it, Lu Yuanzhe looked bewildered. He understood the meaning behind Yanruo's words and nodded after a moment, feeling a bit helpless and wanting to laugh at the same time.
Yanruo must have heard the rumors about herself, and she firmly believed in them.
He couldn't be bothered to argue. Instead, he made a polite gesture, "In that case, I thank you for your understanding, Princess."
The silent and lonely well suddenly broke the silence and the two people who were unfamiliar with each other began to chat without any real conversation.
However, there was a different scene not far from the ground.
When Yanzhe found the dilapidated tavern in Xiaolong Alley, Yanruo and Lu Yuanzhe had already left for a long time.
The old man and the young man had already closed the door, preparing to close. Suddenly, a teenager of about ten years of age broke in with a shiny silver sword in his hand, startling the old man.
Yanzhe already didn't trust Lu Yuanzhe, so when he heard that he had taken a horse to follow Yanruo, he didn't know what scene he had imagined for a while.
He rushed back to his Marquis's mansion with his own entourage, wandering aimlessly in the imperial city for a few laps without finding any trace of them.
Yanzhe had always treated Yanruo as his own sister since he was a child, and the two of them had a close relationship. In addition, it was even more impossible to explain to the emperor and empress if anything happened that night, as he had accompanied Yanruo to sneak out.
"Go to the Marquis General's mansion!" Yanzhe's expression turned cold, and he led a group of armed soldiers to the Lu mansion gate.
Lu Ruqing was shocked after hearing Yanzhe's words, and didn't even know the whereabouts of Lu Yuanzhe tonight. He immediately organized a team of riders from the general's mansion to search for people in the direction of Xiaolong Alley.
Most of the soldiers who left the Marquis's mansion had fought in the war before and could discern the traces of the horse's hooves. They actually found the right direction and went towards the western suburbs of the imperial city.
The two teams of soldiers were mighty and imposing. Lu Yanzhe was also among them, feeling surprised at when his elder brother had a connection with the princess. The relationship between the two brothers was thin, and they had not talked to each other like ordinary siblings. Many times, they were not as close as outsiders were.
Lu Yanzhe sat on his horse with his sword and frowned, unable to help pondering why his brother and the princess had come to such a remote place.
The two teams of soldiers walked farther and farther along the footprints left by the horse's hooves. After turning around a mountain slope, they suddenly met the heir of the Xiao family, Xiao Yanchen, who led a group of people to meet them.
Xiao Yanchen bowed to Yanzhe and then looked at Lu Yanzhe, saying, "I don't know why the Marquis and the young general came to our Xiao family's garden in the middle of the night. Is there something important?"
Before finishing his words, Yanzhe dismounted and replied, "I didn't know this was your Xiao family's estate. We came here tonight to search for someone."
Searching for someone? Xiao Yanchen suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing, and then turned to signal his men behind him. "Since you're looking for someone, I'll help the Marquis."
After that, everyone merged into one team and continued along the winding mountain road.
The tranquil wilderness was suddenly enveloped in noisy voices, and the startled wild animals scattered in all directions.
Xiao Yanchen walked at the end of the team, muttering the names of Yanruo and Lu Yanzhe, wondering how these two unrelated people had come to his orchard.
Could the scouts found tonight be the two of them?
Xiao Yanchen gestured to the attendant beside him and whispered something, his face dark and inscrutable.
The attendant who received the master's order quietly left the large group, and Xiao Yanchen straightened his clothes before riding to catch up with Yanzhe and Lu Yanzhe, who were walking at the front of the team.
Author's notes:
Being coquettish and begging for collection~ 555~
Lu Yanzhan: It seems like I smell my wife's scent.
Lu Yuanzhe: Hehe, did you see the knife in my hand? Try talking nonsense again.
Yanruo: ... Ah, Ninth Brother, I'm here.
Yanzhe: Sister, there are two strange people fighting over there. Let's hurry.
Yanruo: Okay.
Lu's second son: Black question mark face, What?