"Stop!" The black - clad man, it seemed, had a group of soldiers following him. They were hot on the pursuit.
Wei Dongling's wound on her shoulder throbbed painfully from the jolting. She groaned softly, "Maybe you should put me down."
The young man held her legs firmly with his arm and replied resolutely, "I won't leave you behind!"
Wei Dongling: ...
The young man carried Wei Dongling through the alleys and byways, and finally ducked into a narrow lane.
Wei Dongling was speechless. This kid didn't seem very smart.
The soldiers behind them were relentless. It seemed they were about to catch up. Wei Dongling looked back and tightened her grip on the iron hairpin in her hand.
Suddenly, someone dropped from the sky. With a single kick, he sent the leading black - clad man flying. Then he fought bare - handed against the soldiers.
Wei Dongling was stunned. It was actually Pin Hao?
Oh my god! She had never seen Pin Hao look so cool before. He fought without hesitation, taking down one opponent after another with a single punch.
The young man carrying her looked back at Pin Hao, then turned around and continued to run away.
Wei Dongling exclaimed in surprise, "Aren't we going to help him?"
The young man replied matter - of - factly, "Staying would only be a burden to him."
Come to think of it, he was right.
Wei Dongling twitched the corner of her mouth. Something bad was brewing in her heart. Since Pin Hao was in Xingshan, Crown Prince Shangguan Yun must be here too.
What a disaster!
After Pin Hao took care of the soldiers, he followed them.
The young man turned around just in time to see Pin Hao step forward, clasp his fists and bow, "I'm late, Your Highness. Please forgive me."
Wei Dongling trembled with fear on the young man's back.
Oh my god! Who was this young man carrying her? Pin Hao called him Your Highness? Could he be... a prince?
Just as the young man was about to reply, he saw a carriage parked not far in front of him. Someone lifted the curtain and called out to him, "Yuchen, over here."
The voice was cold and clear. Wei Dongling immediately recognized it as Shangguan Yun. She quickly lowered her head, afraid of being recognized.
Then she thought, she was dressed as a boy today, and her face was smeared with soot. Crown Prince Yun probably wouldn't recognize her, right?
Prince Nine, Murong Yuchen, still carried Wei Dongling on his back. He ran quickly to the carriage and called out cheerfully, "Brother Yun!"
Shangguan Yun turned his extremely handsome face. When he saw that Murong Yuchen was still carrying someone on his back, his eyes showed a moment of surprise.
Murong Yuchen quickly put Wei Dongling down and introduced her to Shangguan Yun, "This is a refugee friend I just met. His family is poor. He was queuing up for food with me when he got into a conflict with those soldiers and was chased. Fortunately, Pin Hao came in time."
Hearing this, Wei Dongling blushed like a monkey's bottom. Fortunately, the soot on her face hid it. She cautiously looked up and saw Shangguan Yun's gaze fall on her. She quickly lowered her head in fear.
Shangguan Yun seemed not to recognize her. He asked indifferently, "Where does this friend live?"
Wei Dongling quickly pinched her throat and replied, "The... north of the city."
Shangguan Yun nodded, "Get in the carriage. I'll take you back."
Wei Dongling was about to decline, but thinking of the pursuers and the throbbing pain in her shoulder, she hesitated for a moment and then lifted the curtain and climbed into the carriage.
Prince Nine, Murong Yuchen, was about to follow her into the carriage when he heard Shangguan Yun order, "Yuchen, drive the carriage. Let Pin Hao rest for a while."
Murong Yuchen hesitated slightly. Thinking that Pin Hao had just fought, he really should rest. He nodded and sat outside the carriage, picking up the whip.
Wei Dongling was fidgety after hearing this. Did Crown Prince Yun notice something and recognize her? That's why he deliberately made the prince sit outside?
The carriage headed straight for the north of the city. Wei Dongling felt that Shangguan Yun's gaze had been on her and never left. She lowered her head nervously and tightened her clothes.
Then she heard Shangguan Yun sigh softly. He reached out and grabbed her dirty left hand. Wei Dongling whispered urgently, "Maybe... I don't need your escort. I'd better walk back myself..."
Shangguan Yun didn't answer. With a gentle tug, her upper body fell across his lap. Wei Dongling was in a panic. She struggled to get up when she heard Shangguan Yun say softly, "Don't move. Your wound has split. I'll apply some medicine for you."
Then he rummaged through and found some ointment. He reached out to take off Wei Dongling's clothes. She quickly curled up in fear. Shangguan Yun sighed softly, "Don't worry. I'll just apply the medicine. I won't touch anything else."
Only then did Wei Dongling relax her body. Her dirty little hand grabbed his clean brocade robe. She let his slender fingers push aside her thick black hair and slowly lift the clothes on her right shoulder.
When Shangguan Yun untied the bandage and saw the wound, his hands trembled involuntarily. He was both angry and distressed. He asked anxiously, "How did you get hurt so badly?"
He had indeed recognized her. Wei Dongling replied helplessly in a low voice, "I'm used to it."
Shangguan Yun's face showed a faint anger. He said softly, "You're so badly hurt and you still run around!"
Wei Dongling buried her head and didn't say a word.
Shangguan Yun wiped the blood off her wound with a dark face. Then he applied the medicine. Everywhere his fingertips touched was cool, making the woman in his arms shiver.
Wei Dongling had mixed feelings in her heart. She blurted out, "With the disaster like this, you should be careful. Never drink unboiled water."
Shangguan Yun paused while applying the medicine. He replied softly, "Okay."
Wei Dongling continued, "Are you here in Xingshan to deliver food? We don't have enough food, grass, or medicine over there."
Shangguan Yun nodded, "I'll send some over later."
Wei Dongling lay on his lap and chattered on, "Some people are embezzling. They're taking the food, grass, and medicine meant for disaster relief from the court and selling them to the refugees at high prices. It's not just in the county town, but also in the villages below. The price of medicine is incredibly high."
Shangguan Yun said softly, "Prince Nine and I are here to investigate this matter. Don't worry."
"That's good." Her head was heavy. She felt sleepy from the jolting of the carriage. Wei Dongling stopped talking and closed her eyes to take a nap.
Shangguan Yun's slender and jade - like fingers gently applied the ointment on her wound, carefully bandaged it, then tidied up her clothes. He took a thin blanket and gently covered her with it, allowing Wei Dongling to rest for a while.
An hour later, the carriage wobbled to the north of the city. Shangguan Yun sent Pin Hao and Prince Nine away. He looked at Wei Dongling, who was lying on him with her eyes closed, in a daze, reluctant to part.
In a half - asleep and half - awake state, the face of the familiar middle - aged black - clad man in Wei Dongling's mind loomed large.
She tried to recall carefully where she had seen this man before. After thinking for a long time, she still had no clue.
Suddenly, her mind went back to that night in the dungeon of the horse - training ground. She was about to escape from prison by climbing onto the windowsill when Jingzhe, who was lying in the cell covered in blood, gasped weakly to her, "Go to the Dongmen Bank and find a Master Xu. Tell him that Jingzhe is now locked up here."
On the late night after she was rescued, Wei Dongling wore a hat with a veil to cover her face and knocked on the copper door of the Dongmen Bank. In a small room at the end, a middle - aged man sitting beside the table nodded, signaling her to take a seat.
It was him!
The black - clad man who attacked her today was none other than Master Xu, the leader of the Crown Prince's secret guards!