The Regent Keeps Flirting With Me - Chapter 21

However, Shen Lingyan said nothing. She just wanted to gather her things and jump out of the carriage. The flashing swords outside, with blood splashing onto the curtains, made her completely panic. This was exactly like a scene from a movie where disaster strikes, especially with those dark, ominous clouds…

Shen Lingyan was drained of energy. She collapsed onto the carriage seat, her hand tightly gripping the dagger hidden in her sleeve.

“Don’t be afraid…” Zhou Jin’s calm voice sounded next to Shen Lingyan’s ear. Zhou Jin, though, was composed. With one hand, she drew the silver-glowing sword from her waist, and with the other, she put her arm around Shen Lingyan’s waist. She continued, “There is a hillside right beside us. If we jump out, we might have a slim chance of survival. But if we stay in the carriage, though I can hold them off for a while, I won’t be able to withstand their numbers. We will surely die then.”

Shen Lingyan had to agree. She nodded almost instinctively. Before she could speak, Zhou Jin had already lifted the curtain and used her silver sword to smash the window, creating a large hole big enough for someone to jump out. Gritting their teeth, the three of them jumped out together. The black-clothed men were still fighting with the Royal Guards but ignored this area, only to see two beautifully dressed women and a maid tumble down the hillside and vanish.

“Boss… how do we report this?”

“Looking at how steep this hillside is, they probably won’t survive the fall. Forget it, let’s retreat…”

After the black-clothed men had killed all the guards, they squatted in front of the carriage and discussed for a long time. The leader didn’t hesitate and immediately declared a retreat. The black-clothed men moved swiftly, and in a moment, they were gone, leaving only the pitiful-looking carriage overturned in the middle of the road and the ground covered in corpses and blood.

Meanwhile, Shen Lingyan was well-protected in Zhou Jin’s arms. Yunzhu also covered her head with both hands, letting herself roll down.

By chance, there was a small lake at the bottom of the slope. Unsurprisingly, the three of them plopped into the water. The summer water was not cold, but it was enough for their wounds to be soaked, causing them pain.

Shen Lingyan, still in Zhou Jin’s embrace in the water, dared not move. Moving any of her injuries caused piercing pain. Yunzhu and Zhou Jin were in no better condition. Their beautiful, fancy clothes were stained dark with blood. Now, in the water, the blood spread out, making them look even more terrifying.

No matter how much pain Zhou Jin was in, she knew they shouldn’t remain soaking in the water. Ignoring her numerous injuries, she endured the intense pain and dragged both Shen Lingyan and Yunzhu ashore. Once they were truly out of the water, Zhou Jin was already somewhat exhausted from the pain and leaned against a large tree on the bank to rest.

The sky was still covered with dark clouds, and the wind blew in gusts toward them. The large tree was also shaking wildly in the wind. The three of them, already soaked, were now shivering from the cold.

“Shen Lingyan! Don’t sleep. We need to find a house to stay in for the night, or else we’ll eventually fall ill and die outside like this.” Zhou Jin already felt her forehead starting to feel slightly warm again. She knew clearly that if they continued to stay here, no one would be able to save them once she completely fell ill.

Shen Lingyan’s head was dizzy and heavy from the pain. She only managed to open her eyes and look at Zhou Jin after hearing her speak, noticing that Zhou Jin had tried her best to bandage her wounds. The herbs used for the wrapping were ones she carried with her, and they truly had a noticeable pain-relieving effect.

“Th-thank you…” Shen Lingyan sincerely thanked Zhou Jin, but Zhou Jin vaguely brushed it off, only urging Shen Lingyan to quickly get up and find a place to stay.

Yunzhu could walk now. All three of them had pale faces. Originally, Shen Lingyan was not in such a hurry to find shelter, but when she accidentally touched Zhou Jin’s forehead, she discovered that Zhou Jin had started to run a fever again.

“Let’s hurry and find out if there are any villages or houses around!!!” Shen Lingyan was extremely anxious. They were already very far from the Imperial City, and another day’s walk would take them to Liangzhou. Being nowhere near a village or an inn was driving Shen Lingyan frantic.

So, Shen Lingyan and Zhou Jin began to support each other as they walked. Yunzhu carried the few remaining clothes and accessories in her arms. The three of them walked along the path, searching for a place to stay.

Finally, they managed to walk out of the mountains before nightfall, but the nearest village was still a long distance away. Although they could see the smoke rising from the village, it felt as though it was separated by countless mountains and rivers, and Shen Lingyan felt like she could never reach it.

Just as she was utterly exhausted and in extreme pain, nearly collapsing to her knees, a bullock cart suddenly appeared by the roadside. An old man with dark skin was sitting on the cart. Seeing their dire state, he must have understood.

“We were robbed and fell into the mountain. I wonder if this kind person could take us in for a night…”

Shen Lingyan felt this was her last straw. Zhou Jin beside her had developed a high fever and was covered in injuries, leaning pitifully on Shen Lingyan. The faces of the three of them were covered in bloodstains and the soot from their journey, looking like three injured kittens.

The old man was kind and simple. He immediately helped them onto his bullock cart. With a crack of his whip, the old ox slowly began to move.

On the bullock cart, Shen Lingyan’s hanging heart finally settled down. She tested Zhou Jin’s forehead; it was still terrifyingly hot. Shen Lingyan tore off pieces of the damp fabric from her skirt and handed them one by one to Yunzhu, asking her to fold them.

The cool fabric was placed on Zhou Jin’s forehead and had to be cooled down nearby every so often. Her burning forehead finally cooled down a little.

However, the current scene was a bit strange. One was the highly respected, powerful Regent, now leaning against her, pale-faced; the other was the most noble Empress, whose status was above everyone else. These two prominent figures and the Empress’s personal maid became more gentle because they finally had a ride—even if it was just a bullock cart. The three of them huddled on the cart. Looking ahead, they were almost at the village, and the sky had completely darkened.

Yunzhu did not speak the whole time; she just quietly took care of Shen Lingyan, covering her with a cloak and constantly observing Shen Lingyan’s injuries. She even wished she could bring the entire Imperial Hospital right there.

The bullock cart slowly came to a stop. Shen Lingyan observed closely. It was a small village. Many old people and children were sitting under the large tree at the village entrance, cooling themselves. The dark clouds had just scattered, and the rain Shen Lingyan had expected never came. However, the stuffiness in the air did not lessen. Many villagers came out to get some fresh air. Everyone was dressed in clean and simple cloth clothes, which looked much better than the bloody, stained clothes of the three women.

A woman in the same simple, clean cloth clothes walked out of the old man’s house. Although her skin was rough and dull, one could still vaguely tell she was a beautiful woman.

“Lao Zhang, who are these three?” The woman asked the old man as soon as she spoke. It turned out the two were husband and wife. It was only because the man with the surname Zhang had been ravaged by labor, making him dark and appearing old, that Shen Lingyan had mistaken him for an old man.

Shen Lingyan briefly recounted her experience. The woman almost cried with sympathy. Seeing their wounds, she was both angry and sad, and quickly ushered them inside.

Though the house was simple, it was quite large. The three of them didn’t feel crowded inside, and there was even an extra room.

“I wonder if anyone else is in this room?” Shen Lingyan meant that she wanted to take Zhou Jin to that room to rest properly. Who knew that the woman burst into tears as soon as she was asked, and the man with the surname Zhang also looked troubled.

What… what was wrong?