The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 43

Liang Chengqiu’s gaze swept over Song Luoning, then moved to the courtyard entrance. After a moment of thought, he said, “I have some connections with the owner here. Tomorrow morning, we’ll follow the restaurant’s ox carts, which are heading out of the city to get supplies.”

So, a plan was already in place. Who could have arranged everything so meticulously in such a short time after entering the city? The level of careful planning was not only chilling but also warranted caution.

After regaining her composure, Xiao Yu’s attitude became more relaxed. “Then we’ll have to trouble you, Officer Liang.”

The most important thing was to leave this place first.

Liang Chengqiu briefly explained the plan. The group stayed in the room in the backyard, and the atmosphere grew silent. Song Luoning sat upright on a stool, her expression tense, while Liang Chengqiu stood with his back to them, gazing at the sky. Neither of them knew what the other was thinking.

Xiao Yu pursed her lips and glanced at Chen Yu, who was bored and playing with a cup, looking as innocent as an idiot. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. It seemed that the most naive person here was this fool. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to trust her young lady, but…

Thinking of these things, Xiao Yu felt a bit lost.

She felt isolated and helpless. Why did Prince Chang want to capture the original owner? The novel didn’t explain the original owner’s situation, and there was no mention of this part in the male lead’s journey to becoming emperor.

Or had her arrival changed the plot, causing a series of butterfly effects? The female lead’s story alone had deviated from the original plot. She had inexplicably married her, severing her original connection with the male lead. Moreover, the young lady seemed to have a strange hostility toward the male lead.

And now, it seemed the young lady was also hiding secrets she didn’t know about. She believed Song Luoning wouldn’t harm her, but she felt a strange mix of emotions—a little angry and a little wronged.

The four of them stayed in the backyard, with food only being delivered at mealtime. The rest of the time, no one else disturbed them. At night, with the exception of Chen Yu, who was sleeping on the round table, the other three barely slept all night.

The next day, it was the Hour of the Dragon (7-9 a.m.). The shopkeeper arrived with two restaurant employees dressed in gray short jackets. Besides Xiao Yu, everyone else had changed into the same coarse cloth jackets and were disguised as workers.

The shopkeeper had two ox carts brought from by the wall. To carry more goods, the carts were wider than normal.

The six of them, three to a cart, left the Mingpin Restaurant and headed directly for the city gates. The streets were almost empty today. The chaos of yesterday’s arrests had people on edge. Ordinary citizens didn’t dare to challenge officials and stayed hidden. There was no need to watch this kind of commotion.

At the city gates, there were even more soldiers than yesterday. Upon closer inspection, the male lead, Xiao Chengze, was also among them. Of the common folk at the gates, only people were entering the city, not leaving.

Xiao Yu’s heart tightened. She felt uncertain, fearing the city might be completely sealed off, making it impossible to leave.

Just then, the ox carts stopped at a corner near the city gate. Liang Chengqiu jumped down from the cart.

“…”

He stood straight and tall against the light. “You wait here, find the right time to go. I need to handle something first. Madam Xiao is at the Fengyu Pavilion, about five li from the city gate. You’ll find it if you follow the northwest direction.”

“You’re not coming with us?” Xiao Yu didn’t understand. Why was he suddenly not traveling with them?

A flicker of emotion crossed Liang Chengqiu’s expressionless face. He glanced at the city gate, his voice resolute. “If I don’t do something, we probably won’t be able to leave for a while.”

Xiao Yu paused, then nodded as if she half-understood.

Liang Chengqiu turned and ran toward the opposite alley, his movements agile, and his figure quickly disappeared at the end of the lane.

Xiao Yu stared silently at the alley where Liang Chengqiu had vanished for a moment. She thought to herself that it was a good thing—she could get out of a difficult situation, and there would be one less unpredictable person by her side.

After thinking it through, she habitually touched her nose. “Mom…” The word changed in her mouth. “Young lady, what do you think Officer Liang went to do?”

She was trying to make small talk. She felt nervous and couldn’t help but rub her hands together, needing to find something to relieve the tension.

Song Luoning turned her head. Her fair cheeks had a healthy blush, like a hint of red infused in white jade under the sun. Her sickly pale appearance was gone, replaced by a radiant beauty.

Song Luoning said coolly, “Are you very curious?”

Xiao Yu fell silent, sitting obediently. Her peripheral vision occasionally darted around. Chen Yu in the other cart also seemed restless, looking around from time to time. “I wonder if we can get out?”

Song Luoning said, “Just wait a little longer.”

The three fell into silence again. Xiao Yu secretly held Song Luoning’s hand.

After about a second, a group of soldiers suddenly ran past them. Xiao Yu deliberately lowered her head. After they passed, it wasn’t long before she saw Xiao Chengze leading people away in a hurry.

Xiao Yu and Song Luoning exchanged a look of mutual understanding. “Now’s the time!”

The two workers driving the carts guided them to the city gate.

Soldier A: “What are you doing?”

Worker: “The Mingpin Restaurant is leaving the city to get supplies.”

Soldier A: “Show me your identification.”

The worker took out his papers from his chest pocket. Soldier A glanced at them, then at the others behind him. “What about yours? Everyone, show them.”

Xiao Yu’s heart jumped. If she took them out, wouldn’t her identity be revealed? Soldier A was approaching, and her heart was pounding in her throat. She subconsciously gripped her sleeve.

There were ten soldiers at the city gate and five people on her side. The soldiers all had weapons, and they had nothing.

Even if she, with her athletic physique, could run, what about the young lady? She would surely be caught.

Soldier A was still getting closer. Xiao Yu pretended to reach for her identification. Her palm was sweating as she calculated her options.

She touched the rope on the cart board with her other hand, slowly holding it. Before he could find out, she might be able to use the rope to strangle him, taking one out.

Soldier A: “What about yours?”

Xiao Yu’s hand tightened. She was ready to move at the right moment.

Just then, the leading soldier walked over. “These people are indeed from the Mingpin Restaurant.”

Soldier A stopped. “Then go.”

Xiao Yu breathed a long sigh of relief, leaning on her other hand and propping herself up on the cart board.

The leading soldier was the same one who had been sent to search the Mingpin Restaurant yesterday. It was supposed to be a nice assignment, but who would have thought the owner of the restaurant would be there? The owner had even sent the shopkeeper to Prince Chang’s residence to demand compensation and extorted a hefty sum from the prince. As a result, the soldier was assigned to guard the city gate the next day.

So, when he saw people from the Mingpin Restaurant, he just wanted to avoid them. After all, even the prince suffered a loss when dealing with that owner, so how could a small fry like him afford to provoke them? Besides, the person driving the cart was indeed a worker from the Mingpin Restaurant; he had seen him yesterday.

The ox carts left the city and galloped toward the northwest.

They found Jiang Wanrou and the young maid at the Fengyu Pavilion.

Following the sound of the wheels, Jiang Wanrou’s eyes immediately landed on Xiao Yu, who was dressed in women’s clothes. Her heart skipped a beat, and her first thought was that this troublesome child’s identity had been discovered.

When people feel guilty, they are often afraid of knowing the truth yet are also desperate to find out. In short, Jiang Wanrou was feeling very conflicted.

Chen Yu was the first to jump off the cart and rush into Jiang Wanrou’s arms, crying. Her tears touched Jiang Wanrou, and the anger she had felt a moment ago dissipated.

The young maid stood to the side, secretly wiping away her tears. Xiao Yu stepped back and held Song Luoning’s hand, winking at her.

Her hand was suddenly held, and a blush crept onto Song Luoning’s fair face. She wanted to pull her hand away but finally pursed her lips and allowed the gesture.

The two workers from the Mingpin Restaurant dropped them off, turned the ox carts around, and went in another direction, presumably to get supplies.

Xiao Yu cleared her throat, trying to interrupt the two who were crying in each other’s arms. “Um… we should go first. What if they come after us?”

Chen Yu looked up from Jiang Wanrou’s embrace, sniffing. “Aunt, Cousin is right. We should go.”

She was still a little startled by what had happened in the past two days.

They had left with two carriages, but one had been left at the Mingpin Restaurant. Now there was only one, so five people had to fit into one carriage.

Just as they were about to get in, the young maid asked, “What about Officer Liang? Aren’t we waiting for her?”

Jiang Wanrou rubbed her head. “We should leave this place first. Officer Liang is skilled in martial arts, so we shouldn’t worry about her. If we stay, we’ll only cause her trouble.”

Actually, she didn’t know if they would be a bother. What she was most concerned about was Xiao Yu’s identity and why Prince Chang wanted to capture that person.

She knew they had no dealings with that so-called Prince Chang. If there was a connection, it would have to be traced back to the time of the First Emperor. Although they were descendants of the First Emperor, their family had fallen into decline. In short, they were now just commoners and couldn’t be compared to the powerful Prince Chang.

They posed no threat to anyone.

The young maid nodded, looking bewildered.

Jiang Wanrou said with a serious expression, “Chen Yu and the young maid will drive the carriage. Ayu and Luoning, get inside. I have something to tell you.”

The group got into the carriage. Chen Yu and the young maid drove it, heading in the direction of the capital.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was tense. Jiang Wanrou’s expression was unreadable. Her gaze fell on her daughter’s and Song Luoning’s tightly clasped hands, further confirming her previous suspicions.

She had heard of same-sex affections before. Looking at her daughter’s cheap smile, she thought it might not be a bad thing. Given her daughter’s identity, marriage was out of the question, and she couldn’t bear the thought of her growing old alone. If this young lady was willing, even though the two of them wouldn’t have children in the future, it would be good for them to grow old together.

Jiang Wanrou considered her words and said to Song Luoning, “You must have already known about Ayu’s identity. I’m very relieved to see that you haven’t despised her because of it. From now on, I’ll have to entrust Ayu to you. But you also know that Ayu’s ancestors were direct descendants of the First Emperor. Even though she has no title, she must be entered into the family genealogy. When Ayu’s father died young, she was still in the womb. At that time, her uncles and relatives coveted our family property, so I had no choice but to raise her as a boy from a young age. Once her identity is exposed, it’s an act of deception against the emperor. What you two did today was truly reckless.”

Song Luoning frowned, pondering for a moment. She lowered her eyes. “Mother-in-law is right. I was indeed not careful enough about today’s matters.”

Why was she blaming her young lady?

Listening to her cheap mother’s words, Xiao Yu, who was sitting beside her, couldn’t sit still. Why was she saying this to the young lady? All her words were a subtle accusation. She herself couldn’t bear to scold her.

Xiao Yu said, “I was the one who wanted to wear women’s clothes. It has nothing to do with my wife.”

Song Luoning’s heart suddenly raced. She turned to look at her, and Xiao Yu smiled at her like a fool. The dappled sunlight from the carriage roof fell on her face, a little dazzling. Song Luoning couldn’t help but narrow her eyes and looked away.

Seeing this scene, Jiang Wanrou couldn’t stand it anymore. She twitched the corners of her mouth and forced herself to put on a stern face. “There are no clothes for you two here. You should swap clothes first.”

What a mess.

So, Xiao Yu was wearing women’s clothes, and Song Luoning was wearing the worker’s clothes.

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