Transmigrated into the Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Prime Minister - Chapter 97

After the White Dew solar term, the autumn colors gradually deepened.

After busying herself with putting the last batch of finished large qu into the fermentation room as qu bricks, Lu Sheng emerged from the winery as the sun was setting.

Dusk was beginning to settle, the light faint and yellow.

Lu Sheng rubbed her aching shoulders and walked leisurely along the small path in the village.

Suddenly, a sharp eagle cry rang out in the air. Lu Sheng quickly reversed her grip, turned her body, and clamped down on the wrist of the person who had approached her.

“Sister Sheng, it’s me.”

With a gasp, Lu Sheng saw clearly who was behind her.

It was Lu Yu, who had escaped a few days ago.

“Then why are you here?” Lu Sheng was genuinely surprised that Lu Yu had hidden in Lu’er Village.

Lu Yu was wearing a coarse cloth garment and a floral cloth scarf wrapped around her head, half-covering her face, looking no different from a farmwoman working in the fields.

“Sister Sheng, please trouble you to give this letter to Yun’er for me.” Lu Yu didn’t answer Lu Sheng’s question, but only pulled out a letter from her bosom and handed it to Lu Sheng before turning to leave.

The day she jumped into the river to escape, she immediately left Binhe County. When she tried to sneak back to find Liu Yun the next day, she found that wanted posters for her and Ah Kun had already been put up at the city gate.

Lu Yu had watched Lu Sheng in Lu’er Village for several days, only daring to show herself after confirming that no one was following her.

“Xiao Yu.” Lu Sheng called out to her, “Sister Yun asked me to pass a message to you, hoping you would turn yourself in soon.”

Hearing her words, Lu Yu stumbled, took a step back, her face full of disbelief and resistance.

“Think carefully about it yourself.” Lu Sheng didn’t offer any more words of persuasion, only handing Lu Yu the bamboo token that Princess Changning had given her a few days ago.

Lu Yu looked at her hand but didn’t take it. Lu Sheng directly pressed the token into her hand, “If you’ve thought it through, take this token and go to the Lin Manor on Liuli Street. Princess Changning has promised you can atone for your crimes by rendering meritorious service.”

Upon returning home, Lu Sheng gave the letter from Lu Yu to Liu Yun. After reading it, Liu Yun sighed deeply and said to Lu Sheng, “Xiao Sheng, my body has mostly recovered now. Let me go back to the shop to work tomorrow.”

“Mmm.” Lu Sheng nodded, “Let Xiao Qiu handle the wine selling; you just oversee things.”

Xiao Qiu was originally a helper in the winery, only fifteen this year. When Lu Sheng went to Qingzhou last time, Lu Hualin had arranged for him to work in the wine shop.

Lu Sheng found him quick-witted and efficient, so she kept him working in the shop, thinking that if she ever left Binhe County, Liu Yun would have a helper.

Liu Yun had mentioned returning to work several times these past few days. Lu Sheng had specifically invited a doctor to examine her today and only agreed after confirming her recovery.

Another two days passed.

After lunch, Lu Sheng went to the winery. When she returned, Qi Nan, who had to attend a banquet early the next morning, came with her to pull the wine scheduled for delivery to the wine shop the next day.

Back at the wine shop, Xiao Qiu walked out from behind the counter to help.

Lu Sheng didn’t see Liu Yun in the shop. She vaguely felt something was amiss and asked, “Xiao Qiu, where’s Sister Yun?”

Liu Yun’s expression when she said she was going out was very ordinary, and Xiao Qiu hadn’t noticed anything wrong. He moved the wine jar against the wall, looked up, and replied to Lu Sheng, “She just said she had something to go out for.”

Lu Sheng’s brow twitched. She quickly asked, “How long has she been out?”

“About half an hour.” Xiao Qiu noticed the change in her expression. He quickly walked to the door and pointed south, “I saw her head in that direction.”

The direction Xiao Qiu pointed to was not the small alley where Lu Yu lived, but the road leading to the house Lu Yu and the others had originally rented.

“Is something wrong?” Hearing their conversation, Qi Nan also stopped what he was doing and asked.

“I just feel a little uneasy.” Lu Sheng said as she walked out. She tried to recall Liu Yun’s state in the shop these past few days but hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

She tried to convince herself that maybe Liu Yun just had an errand to run and she was overthinking it.

“No, I should still go check.” Lu Sheng frowned and walked out.

Seeing this, Qi Nan also quickened his pace.

Lu Sheng jogged to the house Liu Yun had originally rented but didn’t find anyone, so she quickly headed back.

Just as she reached the intersection of North Street, Lu Sheng saw Yu Ling flying over from the south in the distance. When it saw Lu Sheng, it quickly landed on her shoulder, chirping loudly.

‘Sister, Sister, this is bad! Sister Yun was captured by Lu Yu!’

“Captured?!” Lu Sheng asked quietly, startled.

‘Yes, yes, captured!’ Yu Ling chirped towards the city gate, ‘Put into a carriage and went that way!’

Lu Sheng’s heart sank. Just as she was thinking about how to handle the situation, she saw Qi Nan following her.

Lu Sheng briefly explained the situation to him. The two rushed to the intersection, rented a carriage, and headed out of the city.

Outside the city gate, Lu Sheng spotted the Gyrfalcon in the sky from afar and said to Qi Nan, “Qi Nan, follow Little White. It’s guiding us.”

Qi Nan cracked the whip sharply in the air, and the horse sped up briskly.

Following the eagle for nearly fifteen minutes, just as Lu Sheng felt like she was about to be shaken to pieces, the carriage finally stopped.

Lu Sheng looked up and saw that they had left the main road and were now on a mountain path. Right in front of their carriage was a team of constables in official uniforms.

“Qi Nan? Xiao Sheng?” Zhuo Yu looked at the people on the carriage, surprised.

A moment ago, her subordinates reported seeing Lu Yu and followed her, but she hadn’t expected to see Lu Sheng here.

“Sister Yu.” Lu Sheng, seeing it was Zhuo Yu, quickly jumped off the carriage and walked up to her.

Zhuo Yu also saw the Gyrfalcon in the sky and asked, “Are you also chasing Lu Yu?”

She had seen that Gyrfalcon at Lu Sheng’s house and recognized it immediately.

“Mmm.” Lu Sheng nodded and looked at the carriage behind Zhuo Yu, “Is that their carriage?”

“Can it find out where they are?” Zhuo Yu pointed at the Gyrfalcon and asked.

They were currently at a three-way intersection. Lu Yu and her group must have noticed they were being followed and abandoned the carriage.

Meanwhile.

There was no actual path in the woods on the mountain. Lu Yu pulled Liu Yun deeper into the mountain, occasionally glancing back the way they came.

In the last letter Lu Sheng brought back, Lu Yu had written asking to meet Liu Yun at the old rented house in three days. Liu Yun originally intended to persuade Lu Yu to surrender, but unexpectedly, before she could even speak, Lu Yu had pulled her onto a carriage.

By the time she reacted, the carriage was already speeding away.

Mindful that Lu Yu was a fugitive, Liu Yun didn’t dare to shout loudly until Lu Yu, holding the bamboo token given by Princess Changning, left the county gate.

Liu Yun kept asking her what she was planning to do, but Lu Yu didn’t explain anything, only saying things would be fine in a little while.

Liu Yun tugged at her arm, but Lu Yu held her tightly.

“Yu’er.” Liu Yun stopped, lowered her brows, and called softly.

“Yun’er, stop being difficult.” Lu Yu’s face darkened, but she still tried to pull Liu Yun forward.

Liu Yun didn’t look up at her, her eyes welling up with moisture, her voice even softer, “I can’t walk anymore.”

“Good Yun’er.” Lu Yu glanced behind her, then softened her voice, “Just bear with it for a bit; we’ll be there soon.”

“Yu’er, please surrender.” Liu Yun lifted her head, her eyes red, persuading her, “Please surrender, Yu’er. I will wait for you to come out.”

Lu Yu’s expression turned grim again. She looked at Liu Yun with a hint of wariness, “Do you know that if I surrender, I’ll be walking straight to my death?”

“No, you won’t!” Liu Yun’s eyes were filled with tears, which she fought to hold back, explaining to her, “Xiao Sheng told me that as long as you can atone for your crimes by rendering meritorious service, the Princess…”

“Stop talking!” Lu Yu yelled angrily.

Lu Yu’s exposed anger made Liu Yun feel estranged. She stared at Lu Yu in surprise, tears streaming down her face.

Liu Yun had to admit again that the person in front of her was no longer the simple-minded Yu’er who only smiled foolishly at her.

Seeing Liu Yun’s tear-streaked face, Lu Yu felt both distressed and annoyed.

“I won’t surrender.” Lu Yu said coldly and pulled Liu Yun deeper into the mountains.

She had already taken Liu Yun out of the county, but unexpectedly, officers were chasing them. To shake them off, Lu Yu abandoned the carriage and took Liu Yun into the mountain forest.

This part of the forest connected to the back of Lu’er Village. Lu Yu used to often go into the mountains to chop firewood and was very familiar with the area.

Liu Yun lowered her head and followed Lu Yu listlessly, the tears on her face already dried by the mountain wind.

In an instant, the sky also gradually darkened.

Coo, coo, coo.

Hearing the bird call, Lu Yu looked up nervously, glanced back the way they came, and slightly relaxed her brows when she saw no one.

Coo, coo, coo.

And with three bird calls, a circle of torches lit up around the forest, surrounding the two of them.

Lu Yu’s body tensed. She reached out and shielded Liu Yun behind her, looking fearfully at the torches surrounding them.

Guided by the Gyrfalcon, Zhuo Yu confirmed Lu Sheng’s travel trajectory and quickly took another mountain path to bypass and get ahead of her.

“Lu Yu!” Zhuo Yu stood on a protruding rock and called out to her, “The road ahead has been blocked by us.”

The constables on the outer perimeter of the forest slowly closed in. Lu Yu backed away with Liu Yun until they reached the edge of the forest.

Behind them was a steep slope, and below it was a thicket of strangely shaped rocks.

Lu Yu looked back, a struggling look appearing on her face.

Guessing her intention, Lu Sheng quickly spoke to stop her, “Lu Yu, don’t do anything foolish!”

“Sister Sheng.” Lu Yu looked at Lu Sheng, a ripple appearing in her eyes. She pulled the beside her to the front.

Liu Yun turned her head to look at her, the listlessness on her face replaced by shock.

A bad feeling rose in Lu Sheng’s heart. She quickly spoke to dissuade her, “Lu Yu, be careful, don’t back up any further.”

“Sister Sheng.” Lu Yu spoke again, showing a rare genuine smile, “Thank you for always helping me.”

Since her brother and mother died, apart from Liu Yun, the only people who sincerely helped her were Lu Sheng and Ah Kun.

“Lu Yu.” Lu Sheng exchanged a look with Qi Nan, took a step forward, and said softly to Lu Yu, “Things aren’t as bad as you think. You’re only nineteen this year; you still have a long way to go.”

“I can’t turn back now.” Lu Yu shook her head, her voice trembling.

“You can.” Lu Sheng said, moving another step forward, “When we get back to the county, I’ll go with you to see Princess Changning.”

“It’s no use.” Lu Yu shook her head.

As soon as she ran out of Binhe County, Ah Kun had found her, given her five hundred taels, and told her to take Liu Yun and leave Binhe County to start a new life far away.

But if she didn’t obey, even he couldn’t guarantee Liu Yun and Lu Yu’s safety.

Compared to Princess Changning’s verbal promise, Lu Yu unhesitatingly chose the five hundred taels.

With the five hundred taels, she and Liu Yun could go somewhere else to start anew and live the life Liu Yun wanted.

But things had turned out this way.

For Liu Yun’s safety, she couldn’t betray Peng Wanchun, so she had no way to turn back.

“Please take care of Yun’er for me in the future, Sister Sheng.”

The moment Lu Yu finished speaking, Liu Yun also snapped out of her daze.

Lu Yu’s words sounded exactly like she was settling her ‘final affairs.’

After her miscarriage, it was the first time Liu Yun had actively tried to hold Lu Yu’s hand, but her movement was still a moment too slow.

Lu Yu pushed her toward Lu Sheng.

Liu Yun’s fingertips brushed past Lu Yu’s sleeve, grabbing at empty air. The whole person also stumbled forward.

By the time she regained her senses, she was already in Qi Nan’s embrace. With no time to think, Liu Yun turned around anxiously and only saw Lu Sheng lying prone on the edge of the slope.

“Lu Yu!” Lu Sheng was holding onto a tree trunk with one hand and desperately clutching Lu Yu’s wrist with the other.

“Sister Sheng, let go.” Lu Yu forced a smile.

Lu Sheng’s eyes twitched; she could no longer suppress her anger. “Lu Yu, you coward!”

“Damn it! You’re not even afraid of death, yet you’re afraid of not being able to turn back!” Lu Sheng used all her strength to grip her wrist, “You’ve caused this pile of messes, and you think you can just kill yourself and be done with it.”

“You die and feel relieved, but doesn’t Sister Yun still have to clean up your mess!”

“You f***ing get back up here! Pay for the sins you committed yourself; don’t ruin others!”

Lu Yu, who was about to let go, was completely stunned by the scolding. Zhuo Yu and the others, seeing the opportunity, also rushed forward and pulled Lu Yu back.

Three days later, Qingzhou.

Qi Zhenshu looked at the large and small figures with their arms in slings in front of him. A hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes, but he still refrained from scolding them, only sighing softly.

“In the future, don’t act so impulsively.”

Lu Yu was much taller and larger than Lu Sheng. If Lu Sheng hadn’t gripped firmly, her entire body would have followed Lu Yu down the mountain.

Lu Sheng scooted closer to him, smiling ingratiatingly, “Don’t you want to know why Ah Kun would help Lu Yu?”

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