The secret guards planned carefully, and even if they lured away the secret agents of the Hou Mansion, it was best for them to take only one person out at a time.
Neither Yuanyang nor Fang Rou knows martial arts. Apart from the two of them, they also have to arrange escort escorts, which is too big a target. The spies in the Hou Mansion are not all fools. They can all be deceived by coaxing them away, and there will always be some left to keep an eye on.
There can be no mistakes or risks in this matter.
As for whether to take Fang Rou out first or stay together, Shen Zhixi was really hard to decide.
One is the person who has grown up with her like a family member, the other is a good friend who is her closest confidant, and she also has a son waiting for her in Yanzhou.
But later, she still made a choice.
She asked the secret guard to take Fang Rou out. No matter how close the relationship is, the mandarin ducks always want to be closer. Since they are relatives, they should have the determination to resist the wind and rain together. Although the word "outsider" sounds unpleasant, it drags the outsider to die with her. It's always unkind. And if Yuanyang hadn't come to Yuejing City privately, there wouldn't be such a difficult choice today. This is what Yuanyang said herself. She has to be responsible for her own choice, and she also agreed to let Fang Rou go first.
But in the end, Fang Rou was the one left behind.
"Why don't you speak? Are you still angry?" Fang Rou looked at Shen Zhixi cautiously.
Just now she put a knife to her neck, forcing Shen Zhixi to make a choice and make her agree to send Yuanyang out of the city first. She knew that Shen Zhixi was unwilling in his heart.
"Axi, you don't have to feel burdened by this. This is my own choice and I can bear it myself."
"How can you bear it?" Shen Zhixi turned his head suddenly, his eyes red, "You came to Yuejing City to save me, but in the end you died... Of course, we may not die, just in case something happens. How do you want me to explain this matter to your son when I go back?"
Fang Rou smiled, looking unconcerned.
"Then I also believe that you will not treat my son badly in the future. You will definitely treat him well as your own child, right?"
"Fang Rou!"
"I understand, I really understand what you mean. Fang Yuan is the flesh that has fallen from my body. Of course I miss him, love him, and want to stay by his side for the rest of my life, but Axi, there are always some things in this world that are more important than myself. My selfish desires. Three years ago, I made a wrong choice..."
Speaking of this, the tears in Fang Rou's eyes suddenly burst out like a flood.
"I went astray and almost killed you. If you die, the people around you will naturally not be able to stay, like a mandarin duck, Mother Cui will... You don't know that when I often think about this in my dreams at midnight, I have something in my heart. It's so painful and tortured. You won't understand that feeling. I often feel in a daze when I see you and Yuanyang. Even if it takes a lifetime to atone, I don't think it's enough. So Axi, just give me someone who can A chance to gain peace of mind, okay?”
Fang Rou was crying so hard that she couldn't breathe. Shen Zhixi had never seen her cry like this.
Unconsciously, my heart started to feel sour.
She turned around and hugged Fang Rou, patting her back gently, "I didn't keep you in the Shen family to atone for your sins."
"I know, I know." Fang Rouyi hugged her back, tears still flowing, "I know you don't mind what happened before, and that's why I feel even more guilty and dare not forgive. Myself."
"But I don't like you like this. I feel burdened by you like this. If you are talking to me for the purpose of atonement, then I would rather not have such an impure friendship. After you return to Yan, you can take your son and leave. Come on, the Shen family, I have burned the deed of betrayal long ago, and you are already free."
"No!" Fang Rou stepped away and shook her head.
Shen Zhixi ignored her and stood up to leave.
"Then you..." Fang Rou hurriedly grabbed her, and said: "Then you just think that I am stabbing you for a friend. If you really treat me as a friend, how can I just leave without saying anything? She's younger than me and she's not even married yet, so I can't let a younger sister die on my behalf, right?"
"Bah, bah, bah, it's not about death. It's just that there are risks. No one can say that you will definitely die."
"Yes, yes, I made a mistake." Fang Rou pulled Shen Zhixi and said coquettishly, "Then come back and sit down. Don't be angry."
Shen Zhixi sighed deeply, turned around and sat down in front of the bed again.
"Now that the situation is like this, it is meaningless to talk about it anymore. Xie Muyun has been announced to the palace. When he comes back, we will probably not be able to live in peace at all."
*
The Xie family were close associates of the emperor, and the disappearance of Princess Zhaoheng was not announced to the public for fear of causing turmoil.
The emperor announced Xie Muyun to the palace and quietly told him and a few other trustworthy people about the matter, asking them to secretly search for the whereabouts of the princess.
After leaving the palace, Xie Muyun led his people to search the whole city together with the imperial guards.
The clues soon came to the Chang'an Pawn Shop. After careful investigation, they found out that the pawn shop owner had been robbed and even knocked unconscious. When he woke up, he saw the backyard door open, thinking that the person had escaped from the backyard, and the pawn shop owner The boss has already gone to the official to explain the situation.
Even so, the guardsmen still carefully searched the pawn shop.
A big stone was also dropped into the well in the backyard, and it sank so deep that there was no trace of it at the bottom.
After checking for a long time, nothing was found.
Xie Muyun and the imperial guards continued to search carefully near the pawn shop, going from house to house without leaving any behind.
But after searching all night, almost the entire city was searched, and nothing was found.
The soldiers and spies at the city gate all said that no suspicious person had left the city last night. If they hadn't made a mistake, there was only one possibility, that is, the person was still in the city, so they could only continue to investigate one by one in the city. .
*
outside the city.
In the barren mountains a hundred miles away from Yuejing City, Qi Yuan finally emerged from the tunnel with Zhao Yushu.
The entire night, the secret passage was stuffy and damp, and even Qi Yuan was about to collapse.
Zhao Yushu, who was carried on his back, was even more weak, as if she had died. Zhao Yushu was already weak due to frequent blood extractions. In the past few days, she was even more frail due to the excessive grief caused by her mother's death. She could not stand the closed tunnel at all. During the second half of the journey, Qi Yuan almost carried her out on his back or in his arms.
Now exhausted, after putting the person down, Qi Yuan couldn't hold on and fell down heavily.
He lay on the ground and looked at the sky, breathing heavily. He didn't know how long he lay there before he slowly recovered.
"Yushu, Zhao Yushu."
He turned over, knelt on one knee beside Zhao Yushu, and gently patted her cheek.
"Wake up, we're out, we've escaped."
"From now on, you are free."
Zhao Yushu frowned and opened her eyes in a daze. Before she could take a closer look at the scene in front of her, there was a strange noise coming from around her.
It was the sound of someone approaching, and there were many people.
Among them, there is also the sound of horse hooves.
Those people were all wearing military uniforms, and the one sitting on the horse...
"Prince Hui?" Qi Yuan couldn't take his eyes away. At least the one in the middle was His Highness Prince Hui, who shouldn't have come to Yuejing City so early.
However, King Hui is with them.
No, no one except the Shen family secret guards and the pawnshop owner knew about leaving through the secret passage last night.
King Hui should and should not know.
Before he had time to wonder, the man on the horse raised his finger high and pointed at Qi Yuan and ordered his subordinates: "Fire the arrow!"
