The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 40

“Why did those men in black want to kill us?” Chen Yu asked, still shaken, tears welling in her eyes. “We’re just ordinary villagers, why would we encounter something like this?” Her heart was with Jiang Wanrou. “Will Auntie and the others be okay?” She stared intently at Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu wasn’t sure herself, but she couldn’t panic now. She had to stay calm. “Maybe they got the wrong people,” she said, trying to reassure her. “Once they realize it, they’ll leave.” She didn’t quite believe her own words.

Chen Yu sniffled and murmured, “Okay.” Her gaze shifted to Song Luoning, who was sitting with a slight frown on her calm face. This sight brought her some small comfort.

Thankfully, Chen Yu seemed to believe her.

Xiao Yu let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t worry for now. Let’s go a bit further and see.”

Song Luoning pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. “Thank you for your trouble, husband.”

“Alright, everyone, sit tight. We’re going to get moving now.” Xiao Yu turned the carriage, flicked the horsewhip, and the horse took off at a gallop. Tree shadows flew past as the carriage kicked up a cloud of dust.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was heavy and silent, with both women lost in their own thoughts. Song Luoning sat upright, her back against the carriage wall, watching the flickering light spots through the window. Chen Yu’s heart was in her throat, and she kept glancing at Song Luoning. “Sister-in-law, do you think Auntie and the others will be okay?”

Not seeing Auntie and the little girl safe still left her with a knot of unease. Her aunt had raised her since childhood and was no different from a birth mother. If it weren’t for her…

Chen Yu clenched her fists, unable to forgive herself.

“Mother-in-law is a good person; she’ll certainly be fine,” Song Luoning said softly, her eyes lowered.

“Yes, sister-in-law is right.” Song Luoning’s words were like a last straw of hope, which she clutched tightly.

Song Luoning pursed her lips, her face betraying nothing, though her heart was in turmoil. She looked at Chen Yu, who had closed her eyes, her hands clasped in front of her chest, muttering to herself. After a long moment, she heard Chen Yu whisper, “They’ll be fine,” as if to comfort her as much as herself.

The carriage sped on for an unknown length of time before stopping outside a post station. Xiao Yu pushed open the flap, and the two women inside looked up. “Wife, there’s a post station here. I’ll go inside and ask for directions. You two stay put.”

“Okay,” Song Luoning nodded, a hint of worry in her eyes. “Be careful, husband.”

Xiao Yu jumped down from the carriage and walked into the post station. The place was remote, and the courtyard was quiet with no one else around. Thinking back on what had just happened, her heart pounded. She slowly approached and pushed open the door.

The interior was just as quiet, completely empty.

Xiao Yu let out a breath and tiptoed inside.

Just then, a man dressed as a waiter lifted his head from behind the counter. Xiao Yu’s heart jumped, but she relaxed when she got a better look. Her palms were slick with sweat.

The waiter, awakened by the sound, looked annoyed. He stretched and came out from behind the counter, sizing her up. “If you’re looking for a room or a meal, go somewhere else. Can’t you see this is a post station? It’s only for officials.”

Xiao Yu knew what a post station was—an ancient place for transmitting letters and providing rest for government officials.

Xiao Yu smiled. “You’ve misunderstood, sir. I’m just here to ask for directions.” As she spoke, she took a silver tael from her purse and handed it to him.

The waiter’s eyes lit up. He bit the silver, and a moment later, a smile was plastered on his face. “Where are you heading, milady?”

“I came from Linyang County and am planning to go to the capital to find some relatives,” Xiao Yu said. “I got lost on the way. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction? I’d be very grateful.”

“The capital?” The waiter’s voice rose as he looked her over.

Xiao Yu immediately felt a bad premonition. Her heart tightened, but she pretended to be calm. “Is there a problem?” Her tone was shaky.

The waiter looked away. “There’s no problem, but if you’ve come from Linyang County, you’ve gone in the wrong direction. You’re already at the border of Baisheng and further on is the Southern Ling Kingdom.”

“…”

The wrong direction?

Xiao Yu felt like crying and laughing at the same time. So all the hard traveling she did was in the completely wrong direction?

The waiter continued, “But don’t be discouraged. If you go around two mountains over there, you’ll reach the capital. It’s ten days faster than taking the official road. The only downside is that the mountain path is difficult and you might encounter bandits. If you’re not in a hurry, it’s safer to take the official road.”

A difficult path and bandits—either one could be life-threatening. Xiao Yu wasn’t a fool; she decided to turn back.

“Sir, could I possibly buy some rations here…?” Xiao Yu asked.

In the middle of nowhere, it was hard to say how long it would take to reach the next town, and they hadn’t eaten all day.

The waiter didn’t say anything and went to the kitchen to get a few steamed buns for Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu thanked him and got back into the carriage. “Wife…” she began, then hesitated, a bit ashamed. How could this happen?

What would the missus think when she found out they had been going in the opposite direction? She would definitely think she was incompetent.

“Did you get clear directions, husband?” Song Luoning’s clear voice came from inside the carriage.

Xiao Yu looked at the sky and gave a sound of “Hmm.” She took a moment, pushed open the flap, and handed the buns to them. “I did. It’s just…”

Xiao Yu rubbed her nose, feeling a little guilty, and looked away.

Song Luoning frowned, and Chen Yu’s heart also tightened as she strained to listen.

“It’s just…” Xiao Yu took a deep breath. “We seem to have gone the wrong way. The waiter just said if we go any further, we’ll reach the Southern Ling Kingdom.”

Xiao Yu’s face flushed slightly. “Should we turn back or take another route?”

Song Luoning’s breathing hitched. She looked up at Xiao Yu. “What do you mean by another route, husband?”

Xiao Yu then told her what the waiter had said.

“Wife, I think it would be safer to turn back. The mountain path is not only difficult but also has bandits. While the official road is longer, it’s much safer,” Xiao Yu said.

Song Luoning fell silent. Since those people had set an ambush on the official road, they probably wouldn’t let the mountain path go unguarded. Besides, the mountain path had other unknown dangers. The people her father had sent to protect them were also on the official road.

Song Luoning nodded. “You decide, husband.”

Xiao Yu said, “Alright. You two eat something to tide you over. We should be safe once we reach the next county.”

Back on the road, the carriage traveled on the wide, official path. When they passed Linyang County again, Xiao Yu didn’t enter the city. Instead, she followed a merchant caravan’s wagons and went directly to Qingzhou.

Compared to Linyang County, Qingzhou was much more prosperous. Xiao Yu chose to stay at the city’s largest restaurant, Mingpin Tower.

The main reason was that Mingpin Tower wasn’t only the biggest restaurant in Baisheng, but the owner’s wife was the daughter of a former chancellor. With such a strong background, staying there felt much safer.

Xiao Yu jumped down from the carriage. “Wife, it’s getting late. Let’s rest here for the night before we continue our journey.”

Song Luoning pushed open the carriage flap and looked up to see the three words, Mingpin Tower. She smiled to herself. It seemed this scoundrel wasn’t a complete idiot after all.

Xiao Yu asked for two premium rooms, and the three of them went to their respective rooms to rest.

“Wife, do you want to bathe?” Xiao Yu put down her bags and poured herself a cup of tea. After the day’s events, she finally felt like she could breathe again.

“Yes, thank you, husband.” Song Luoning replied faintly. She went to the bed and sat on the edge, her mind elsewhere.

She had to find the people her father had sent, but she had no one she could use right now, and they hadn’t exchanged any way of contact when they parted. It seemed like they had escaped danger for the moment, but Qingzhou was Prince Chang’s fiefdom. If they found out they were here, it would be difficult to leave.

A short while later, the waiter brought hot water with some help. Xiao Yu grabbed a clean set of clothes. “Wife, I’ll go to the public bathhouse. You can bathe in the room.” With that, she took the clothes and left.

Song Luoning looked at the closed door, sighed softly, and began to bathe.

When Xiao Yu returned, the two ordered food to eat in their room. Chen Yu was likely exhausted, as she didn’t come out for dinner.

That night, after the lights were out, Xiao Yu lay in bed and carefully went over the day’s events.

She didn’t belong in this world. She was wrongly accused, and then inexplicably attacked. If she wasn’t mistaken, the men in black were clearly targeting her.

They had been fighting a losing battle, but when they saw her, they all turned and charged at her. If she hadn’t dodged so quickly, she would have been mincemeat by now.

There was no such thing as a coincidence. From the original owner’s memories, the furthest she had ever been was to the next town. She had never even been to a county seat. So why did those people want to kill her?

Unless the original owner held some secret. Xiao Yu racked her brain, but the memories offered no clues.

Since she was sure the men in black were after her, then her mother and the others should be fine. On the other hand, going to the capital would be like walking into a trap.

She didn’t want to die. Was it too late to run away now?

If she ran, she had to take the missus with her. But she couldn’t take Chen Yu. To run, they would have to sneak away.

Xiao Yu thought for a long time, then turned to face Song Luoning. In the dark, she could only see a blurry silhouette. She lowered her voice and whispered, “Wife, wife.”

Song Luoning frowned. Why was she being called in the middle of the night? Her heart tightened, but she pretended to be calm and turned to face her. “What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?”

Who could sleep at a time like this?

Xiao Yu thought for a moment, then cautiously said, “Wife, let’s run away. I saw today that even though those men in black were malicious, their skills were no match for Captain Liang. My mother and the others should be fine. I’m worried we’ll be in danger if we go to the capital. Why don’t we just run away?”

Run away?

Song Luoning’s heart jolted. She hadn’t expected this scoundrel to already be planning to flee. If she let her run, how would she explain it to her father? In his letter, her father had instructed her to bring Xiao Yu to the capital no matter what and had warned her of the dangers they would face.

She didn’t understand why her father insisted on bringing Xiao Yu to the capital, though it was likely related to the rice-hulling tool. But why did Prince Chang’s men want to kill Xiao Yu? Was it simply because they were enemies of her father? This was a matter that would benefit the country and its people, yet Song Luoning felt a deep sadness.

After a long silence, as Xiao Yu waited anxiously, Song Luoning said simply, “Have you thought about what we would do after we escape? You’re a fugitive now. Under heaven, every inch of land belongs to the King. Unless you leave the country of Baisheng, you’ll be a fugitive no matter where you go. Without identity papers, you can’t enter a city, stay at an inn, or even in the future…”

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