Qi Muxiao: “……!!!”
Who am I, where am I? What have I encountered?!
Tie Ci smiled gracefully as she pulled him toward her. With her strength, Qi Muxiao immediately stumbled forward with a lurch.
However, Tie Ci had no intention of steadying him. Just as she was about to let go and let him fall flat on his face, she suddenly heard a commotion in the distance—torches flickering, hoofbeats thundering rapidly. It seemed many people were approaching, and she could faintly hear someone shouting: “Indeed here they are, everyone hurry!”
Tie Ci’s expression changed, and she urgently asked: “Qi Muxiao, when you came out, did anyone know?”
The Qi residence was also located in the Taiping Street area where high officials and nobles gathered. There, official mansions stretched endlessly, with eaves connecting to each other. The green peaches from the Grand Secretary’s garden would always be picked by the maids from the neighboring Supreme Court Minister’s house, while the earliest batch of elm seeds from the Supreme Court Minister’s house would end up in the cooking pot of the Minister of War’s residence next door.
If Qi Muxiao had come out ostentatiously, it would be impossible to hide from others.
Qi Muxiao replied in bewilderment: “…This… no one…”
“How many people did you bring when you came out?”
“Just seven or eight servants—those driving the carriage, attendants, footstools, and dressers…”
Tie Ci: “Hai!”
You should be the Crown Princess instead!
In just a few words, the crowd had already reached them. Indeed, they were dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited horses, with golden bridles and carved saddles. At first glance, one could tell they were the pampered sons from high official families in the capital.
They were also among the unlucky ones on this trial list.
Tie Ci took to her heels and ran.
Seeing that group charging too fast, she feared they might startle the horses and injure her delicate former fiancé, so she dragged Qi Muxiao along as she fled.
However, Qi Muxiao thought she was really going to drag him away to suffer through trials. Being pulled along stumbling and staggering, he cried out in alarm: “Your Highness! Your Highness!”
Tie Ci paid no attention, burying her head as she ran wildly.
She had come out secretly without bringing guards. At this moment, the ferry was full of noble young men who harbored resentment and anger toward her for being implicated by her. Taking advantage of the night when no one would know, they would most likely pretend it was a misunderstanding and gang up to beat her thoroughly. In the end, they could claim ignorance, and the law doesn’t punish the masses—she would have to swallow this loss herself.
Tie Ci loved eating everything, except losses.
As she ran wildly on that side, Qi Muxiao was gasping for breath: “Your Highness! Let me go! Let me go! I can’t leave with you like this! You… you…”
Tie Ci ignored him.
The deaf-mute guide had no martial arts skills and was carried along by Dan Shuang as they ran. When Dan Shuang asked him where the boat was, the deaf-mute pointed.
Tie Ci looked and saw it was still a full li away, while the hoofbeats behind them were practically at their heels.
Seeing that she wouldn’t let go, Qi Muxiao panicked and frantically tugged at her sleeve, crying: “Your Highness… Your Highness… I know you can’t bear to part with me… but we have no destiny together… Please… please let me go!”
Tie Ci: “…!!”
She turned her head and stared at Qi Muxiao. Under her gaze, Qi Muxiao shrank back and covered his face, sobbing: “Your Highness… please stop pestering me…”
Between his spread fingers, a white streak slowly trickled down.
Tie Ci: …Damn, he’s even wearing powder!
From now on, whenever she saw pale white men, they were all powder-wearing, and she’d beat them all to death.
She suddenly smiled.
Whispering in Qi Muxiao’s ear: “Young Master Qi is truly heartless.”
Qi Muxiao shuddered and dared not look at her.
Tie Ci smiled again: “I hope you won’t regret this in the future.”
She reached out and pushed Qi Muxiao backward. The two treacherous maids had a perfect understanding and pounced on Qi Muxiao together, crying in unison: “Your Highness!”
The crowd shouted: “Over there!” and the hoofbeats chased wildly after them.
Tie Ci turned around and ran at full speed with her long legs.
However, just as she was about to reach the boat, she saw someone jump into the water. A cold gleam flashed in their hand as they punctured the boat’s hull.
Tie Ci: “…”
A warning flashed through her mind.
The pampered young men were chasing together, and the direction they were chasing from was still behind her, but the person sabotaging the boat was in front of her—they were likely not the same group.
Someone wanted to trap her.
This made the situation extraordinarily dangerous.
It wasn’t just a simple matter of being beaten up by pampered young men anymore. There would be people with ulterior motives who would fish in troubled waters, taking advantage of the crowd to strike at her.
Tie Ci reacted extremely quickly, turned around, and plunged into the river with a splash.
In the river water, they couldn’t form a group beating, right?
The pampered young men on shore had already discovered that Qi Muxiao wasn’t Tie Ci. Now seeing Tie Ci fall into the water, they all let out cheers together.
We chased the Crown Princess like a homeless dog and even forced her to jump into the water!
Great celebration all around!
While the pampered young men on shore were celebrating, Tie Ci in the water saw cold gleams flashing continuously underwater. There were indeed assassins underwater, now all swimming over to surround her.