At this moment, the sky was gradually dimming, with only a few streaks of afterglow remaining. Through the fluttering carriage curtain, Yun Xi saw the men in blue robes rushing up from behind. Her heart tightened suddenly.
Judging from the situation, the other side was determined to kill them all!
Since they were doomed to die anyway, it would be better to take a gamble!
She took off her outer garment, quickly grabbed the lumbar pillow in the carriage, wrapped it with the clothes, and tied a tight knot. Then, under Qi Yu's surprised gaze, she took his clothes and stuffed another lumbar pillow into them.
Yun Xi quickly told him her plan. Qi Yu looked stunned for a moment but quickly nodded.
Then, Yun Xi grasped the arrow in Qi Yu's arm, gritted her teeth, and pulled it out forcefully. Fortunately, the wound was red and the arrow was not poisoned. Yun Xi tore a piece of her skirt and roughly bandaged the wound for him.
After that, Qi Yu drove the carriage towards the small path by the cliff. The two of them each picked up their wrapped outer garments and stared intently at the road ahead.
"One, two, three!"
As they said this, Qi Yu immediately raised his sword and cut the reins on the side where the horses were tied. Then, he stabbed hard at the horse's rump!
Immediately, the horses were startled, reared up and neighed, breaking the reins on the other side. The carriage also rolled to one side. At this very moment, the two of them quickly raised their outer garments wrapped with lumbar pillows and threw them forcefully off the cliff!!
Taking advantage of the moment when the carriage overturned, they rolled into the tall and dense bushes beside them...
"They've jumped off the cliff!"
Suddenly, an exclamation burst out from the crowd behind. Soon, the chaotic sound of horses' hooves stopped in front of the carriage.
The leading men in blue robes dismounted, looked at the rushing river below the cliff, and seeing the clothes gradually being submerged by the water, immediately gave the order:
"Shoot! Keep shooting!!"
A group of men in blue robes with arrows in their hands all shot in the direction where the clothes disappeared.
But unfortunately, it was out of their reach. They could only watch helplessly as the clothes drifted downstream with the river.
Seeing that the hard - won opportunity had slipped away like this, the leader couldn't help cursing loudly. But his deputy beside him said:
"They can't escape! As long as we wait downstream, they'll surely be captured without resistance!"
The leader's eyes lit up. He immediately nodded, kicked a subordinate who was squatting down to check the carriage, and scolded:
"Damn it! The carriage is empty. What's there to look at? Do you think they left you any silver?"
"Let's go! Follow me to capture them downstream!!"
So, a group of people who had come in a mighty way left in the same grand manner.
Yun Xi and Qi Yu, however, remained hidden in the nearby bushes, trying hard to hold their breath. Even though the pain in her body made her want to faint, Yun Xi still forced herself to stay alert and not relax for a single moment.
It was not until long after all the men in blue robes had left that the two of them stood up in the bushes.
"Are you injured?"
Seeing Yun Xi in a sorry state and pale - faced, Qi Yu quickly stepped forward to support her arm.
It seemed that they had successfully deceived the men in blue robes for the time being, but Yun Xi knew that the price she had paid this time was very heavy!
She felt a sharp pain in her right abdomen. It felt as if her internal organs were shifting. Just moving her body a little bit was like taking half of her life. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and she couldn't help gasping in pain!
"I'm fine. We have to leave here quickly!"
Yun Xi didn't refuse Qi Yu's support and forced herself to stand up.
The little trick she had designed on the spur of the moment, using the terrain she had seen during the day, was actually not very clever. It could be said to be full of loopholes. It was only because of the dim light that she had managed to deceive those men in blue robes for the time being.
Once the other side discovered the pillows floating downstream or saw the neatly cut traces on the carriage reins, they would surely realize the truth!
By then, they might come after them at any time!
Although Qi Yu also knew that it was not suitable to stay here for long, he couldn't help worrying when he saw Yun Xi's complexion.
"Maybe we should just hide nearby and wait for our people to join us?"
Since the men in blue robes had managed to catch up, their own people would surely arrive here soon. With more people taking care of her, Yun Xi would be able to relax a bit.
"No."
Yun Xi shook her head and made a decisive decision:
"Our itinerary was originally a secret. But we were caught up with less than a hundred miles out of the capital. There must be a leak within our group."
So, she suspected that there was someone within their group colluding with those men in blue robes.
Since the other side's target was the two of them, they would surely not stop until they achieved their goal! The most urgent thing was for them to hide their identities first and then make further plans!
Since Yun Xi could think of these things, Qi Yu naturally understood that they had to be cautious at the moment. However, seeing Yun Xi looking so haggard, he couldn't help feeling heart - ache.
"I'll carry you on my back."
As he said this, he was about to carry Yun Xi on his back, but Yun Xi let out a sharp cry of pain and curled up into a ball.
"Are your ribs injured?"
Qi Yu's eyes tightened suddenly. He quickly squatted down to check, but Yun Xi gritted her teeth and urged:
"Let's go quickly."
Otherwise, the opportunity she had obtained at such a great cost would be wasted.
Qi Yu was heart - broken. He wished that he was the one who was injured!
"I'll carry you in my arms."
Qi Yu knelt down beside Yun Xi and gently lifted her body with both arms, as if holding a glass lamp full of water. His movements were extremely careful.
He was afraid that any carelessness on his part would bring more pain to her.
Yun Xi bit her pale lips tightly, enduring the severe pain in her body. She leaned half on Qi Yu's shoulder. Her head felt dizzy, and soon she fell into darkness.
"Yun Xi, Yun Xi?"
Seeing Yun Xi who had already fainted, Qi Yu's face changed suddenly. He quickly felt her shallow breath at the tip of her nose and then felt a little relieved.
But when he looked around, he couldn't help feeling extremely anxious.
This was a desolate and remote area. It was difficult to find a single household. Moreover, there were still those men in blue robes eyeing them covetously. If Yun Xi didn't receive timely treatment, she might be in danger of losing her life!
All these difficulties were right in front of him, but he only had two legs and was helpless.
What annoyed him even more was that his years of traveling and studying had not been of any use at this moment!
He had always longed to express his love for Yun Xi openly like the Seventh Imperial Uncle and proclaim to the world that Yun Xi was his Crown Princess!
But if he couldn't even protect the life of the woman he loved, what kind of Crown Prince was he?
He didn't even deserve to be called a man!
Looking at the frail Yun Xi in his arms, a look of determination suddenly flashed in Qi Yu's eyes.
He tenderly kissed Yun Xi's forehead, his handsome face showing a gentle smile as he said:
"Yun Xi, I will never let you leave me."
For this, he was willing to stake everything!
In a daze, Yun Xi felt as if her body was being twisted into a ball like a piece of clothing. The pain was so intense that she couldn't breathe, but she just couldn't wake up.
She heard someone calling her in her ear, but in front of her eyes appeared a pair of dark, violent eyes like a wild beast. When she saw that gloomy and handsome face, she couldn't help crying and whining:
"Qi Rong..."