Before long, an antique carriage slowly rolled out of the back door of the embroidery workshop, followed by a team of escorts. At first glance, one might think they were escorting goods.
It wasn't until they passed through the city gate that the carriage picked up speed, taking a different small path towards the Yun family cemetery.
By the time the carriage from the prime minister's mansion drove out through the front gate, the carriage carrying Yun Xi and her entourage had already traveled a long way.
If they wanted to catch up, it would surely take a lot of time.
Yun Xi nestled in the soft blanket, on the verge of dozing off, while Yu Zhu was still in a state of unease because of what had just happened.
Feeling the temperature inside the carriage getting lower and lower, Yu Zhu rubbed her cold hands and wrapped the blanket more tightly around Yun Xi.
At this moment, the coachman's voice came from outside:
"Miss, the fog is getting thicker ahead, and snowflakes are already fluttering in the sky. Should we find a place to stay for the night?"
If it were just the cold and the weather was good, they might be able to continue their journey.
However, with the thick fog and snow, people often lose their way. The safest thing to do was to quickly find an inn to stay in and make other arrangements the next day.
Hearing this, Yun Xi slowly opened her eyes. As soon as she lifted the curtain, a gust of cold wind rushed in, making her shiver involuntarily.
"Okay, let's find a place to stay first. It'll also give the escorts a chance to rest."
"Yes, miss."
Upon receiving Yun Xi's instructions, the coachman immediately turned the carriage towards the main road.
It was difficult to find an inn on such a secluded path. Generally, inns were built along the main roads.
Seeing the change in the itinerary, Yu Zhu couldn't help but worry:
"Miss, if we stay, will those people catch up with us again?"
They had finally managed to shake off the pursuers. If the carriage stopped and they were caught up with, it would be a big problem!
Yun Xi yawned behind her hand and said helplessly:
"There's nothing we can do. The weather is bad. If we force ourselves to continue, we might encounter even greater troubles."
In short, they were between a rock and a hard place. The current situation didn't allow her to hesitate. She could only adapt to the circumstances!
Soon, they found an inn before nightfall. Wearing a veiled hat, Yun Xi shook the snow off her body and went upstairs with Yu Zhu.
Since the inn was a mixed - up place with few female guests, to avoid trouble, the mistress and maid didn't come downstairs after going up. The food was delivered to their door by the waiter.
Exhausted and cold, Yun Xi, who had hardly stopped eating in the carriage, went to bed early without having dinner.
No matter how much Yu Zhu tried to tempt her with food, she was determined to go to sleep. She didn't know how long she had slept when she was suddenly awakened by a series of knocks downstairs.
For some reason, a sense of unease welled up in her heart. Her intuition told her that danger was approaching.
"Yu Zhu, wake up."
Yun Xi gently pushed Yu Zhu beside her. Yu Zhu was sleeping soundly and didn't respond at all.
However, Yun Xi heard the sound of someone coming upstairs outside the door. Although the footsteps were deliberately light, they were extremely clear in the silent night.
Just then, there was a sudden clanging sound outside the corridor on the upper floor. It seemed that someone had fallen, accompanied by the crisp sound of a metal object hitting the ground.
"Watch your step, you bastard! You almost scared the shit out of me!"
A suppressed angry shout suddenly came from outside the door, and another man's voice replied:
"What are you afraid of? We put enough drugs in the food. Everyone is sleeping like a dead pig! Even if we kill everyone here, they'll all be at our mercy!"
Hearing this, Yun Xi's face turned pale. She desperately shook Yu Zhu beside her and pinched her waist hard, but Yu Zhu still showed no reaction.
At this moment, shadows were flickering on the window outside the door. The figures all held long knives in their hands.
Yun Xi was extremely anxious. She quickly put on her clothes and dragged Yu Zhu with all her might. Then, the voices of people outside the door rang out again:
"What do you mean by killing everyone? Do you think I'm a butcher? I won't kill anyone if I'm not paid!"
"Remember, just kill the little girl in this room. Don't touch anyone else! Otherwise, be careful of my knife!"
The man seemed to be the leader. After saying this, he was immediately echoed by the others.
Yun Xi analyzed the man's words. Looking at Yu Zhu, she directly pushed her under the bed and stuffed a quilt in.
Taking advantage of the time when the men were sawing at the door, she opened the window and climbed out.
Fortunately, they were on the second floor. There was a stack of straw outside the window. Without much thought, Yun Xi closed her eyes and jumped straight down.
There was a stable beside them. The horses were startled and neighed loudly, completely exposing Yun Xi's whereabouts.
"Damn it! Let that girl get away! Chase her for me!"
Several men pushed the door open. Seeing the empty bed and the wide - open window, they immediately looked downstairs and saw Yun Xi sliding down the haystack, leading a horse and running out of the inn.
With the heavy snow and thick fog, Yun Xi knew that she would never be able to outrun these people on foot. So she could only rely on the horse to escape.
However, she forgot that she wasn't very good at riding. It took her several attempts just to get on the horse's back, wasting a lot of time.
Seeing the men with long knives getting closer and closer, Yun Xi was desperate. She immediately clamped her legs hard on the horse's belly. The horse reared and galloped, almost throwing her off.
"Stop!"
Yun Xi fled blindly in the thick fog. The men behind her chased relentlessly. The howling wind was mixed with their scolding and threats. Yun Xi felt cold all over, and her heart was pounding painfully.
Looking at the boundless fog in front of her, Yun Xi couldn't tell the direction at all. She even couldn't help but wonder where she could escape to.
Was today really going to be her last day?
Yun Xi's mind was in a mess. Her heart ached terribly. Suppressing the feeling of fainting, she almost bit her lips until they bled.
For some reason, the cold and blood - thirsty face of Qi Rong suddenly flashed through her mind.
Once upon a time, he also seemed to be in such a desperate situation. How did he survive in such a helpless situation?
Presumably, he must have suffered a lot, which was why he had such a strange and cold personality today.
Before he left, he forcibly took the jade pendant she had worn since childhood. She wondered if it had helped him.
If she really died this time, would he regret having bullied and teased her?
Yun Xi had a series of questions in her mind, all about Qi Rong.
She even thought that she must be crazy or her end was near, because she had an illusion. She felt the horse stagger, and her waist was instantly tightened by a pair of iron arms, making her fall into a warm embrace.
Qi Rong's teasing voice suddenly rang out behind her:
"Are you guys useless or what? It's so hard to chase a weak little girl. You might as well just kill yourselves!"
"Why don't you give the money to this king? This king will handle it for you. It'll save you the shame of being men!"