Today, Emperor Guangwu had left several court officials, including Xiao Rencheng and Wen Zilong, to discuss state affairs. That was why Xiao Rencheng was just leaving the palace at this moment.
The moment Lan Jinqin saw Xiao Rencheng, she immediately jumped out of the carriage and shouted at the top of her voice across the street, "My Lord Xiao! My Lord Xiao!"
Xiao Rencheng reined in his horse and stopped. Seeing the woman lifting her skirt and rushing towards his tall horse, he quickly dismounted.
Lan Jinqin was running in a hurry. As she reached Xiao Rencheng, her foot gave way, and she threw herself straight forward.
The people who were attracted by Lan Jinqin's shouts let out a gasp.
It's over! Lan Jinqin gritted her teeth and closed her eyes.
Then, she fell into a solid embrace! The faint fragrance of agarwood on the man surrounded her.
Suddenly, there was a whistle from the crowd around. Lan Jinqin was so ashamed that she didn't dare to open her eyes.
Xiao Rencheng cast a cold glance around. Seeing that this man was wearing the official robe of the second rank in dark purple, the people around naturally didn't dare to act recklessly and stepped back a few steps.
The waist under his palm was slender, easily graspable, and felt really good.
Xiao Rencheng's expression softened. Looking down at Miss Lan's blushing cheeks and her long, fluttering eyelashes, he couldn't help but tighten his hand on her waist. "Madam Wen, what's the matter?"
Only then did Lan Jinqin remember the business. She grabbed Xiao Rencheng's sleeve and said, "I'd like My Lord Xiao to take me on your horse to chase someone."
Xiao Rencheng's eyes flashed. He casually glanced behind at the official sedan chair of the Wen family that was slowly following.
"Alright, I'll take you to chase." Xiao Rencheng nodded.
After he helped Lan Jinqin onto the horseback, he flipped onto the horse from behind and landed steadily behind Lan Jinqin.
His iron - like arms went under Lan Jinqin's armpits and grasped the reins. He clamped his legs on the horse's belly and shouted, "Giddy - up!"
The next moment, the horse galloped away.
The inertia of the gallop made Lan Jinqin uncontrollably fall backward and hit the man's muscular body heavily.
Lan Jinqin's cheeks flushed slightly. She stiffly straightened her back, and her whole body trembled slightly.
Xiao Rencheng's face also flushed a bit.
He hadn't thought too much. He just saw that Lan Jinqin was very anxious, so he spurred the horse according to his heart, but he had forgotten about the inertia.
As his Adam's apple rolled slightly, his iron - like arms still firmly held her under the armpits. He just quietly moved back a bit and led the horse to run wildly.
Under everyone's attention, Lord Xiao took a woman dressed as a wife through the busy market.
Then, Wen Zilong's official sedan chair was also blocked by the crowded people in Baiyun Tower.
When Wen Zilong lifted the curtain of the sedan chair to check what was going on outside, Lan Jinqin was just being helped onto the horse by Xiao Rencheng.
Wen Zilong's face immediately changed greatly. Just as he was about to stop them, Xiao Rencheng had already spurred the horse and left.
"My Lord Wen! Isn't that your wife?" Gong Qingliang, a great scholar, also had his sedan chair stopped beside. Seeing the two people on the horse leaving, his gossip spirit immediately burned. "I'm not mistaken, right... It's really your wife. She, she, she, how could she be with Lord Xiao?"
Gong Qingliang's eyes sparkled.
It seemed as if he saw a bright green light on Wen Zilong's head.
Wen Zilong's face looked ugly. He clenched his fists tightly and forced out a cold snort. "My Lord Gong, you're mistaken. My wife comes from a noble family. How could she come to such a mixed - up place as the Western Market?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the coachman, Lao Meng, drove the carriage closer to the Wen family's official sedan chair.
Lao Meng gasped and said in a panic, "My, My Lord Wen... Madam, Madam... ran away on the horse in front..."
"Oh..."
A sound of sudden realization came from Gong Qingliang's mouth. Several colleagues covered their mouths and laughed wildly.
Wen Zilong's face suddenly burned with shame.
"Giddy - up!"
Xiao Rencheng's black horse galloped all the way according to Lan Jinqin's directions.
Lan Jinqin sat stiffly in his arms, feeling the strong and steady heartbeat from the man's chest.
Her heart in her chest also vibrated and almost jumped out of her chest.
Suddenly seeing the person who came back from the dead, she was so anxious that she had forgotten the propriety between men and women.
The on - coming wind couldn't blow away the thin sweat on her back at this moment, and her face was even a bit hot.
She knew that she had bitten this man all over with wounds just the other day, but unexpectedly, he didn't say a word and was still willing to help her.
Xiao Rencheng didn't know that his identity as the fake bandit had been exposed that day, so he still maintained the serious face of the Chief Censor.
It was just that the wind blew Lan Jinqin's hair tips, which slapped on his face. The unique fragrance of the woman made his breathing suddenly heavy.
Especially when her soft earlobes rubbed against his face from time to time.
Every time their skins touched, the hand around her waist would suddenly tighten.
Lan Jinqin's heart also rose to her throat.
Fortunately, Xiao Rencheng broke the silence. "Madam Wen, where is the person you're following?"
As he was speaking, Lan Jinqin looked up and saw Song Yinghuai and the others.
She grabbed Xiao Rencheng's arm. "It's the white horse in front!"
Xiao Rencheng had better eyesight. He saw who was in front at a glance, and there was also a woman in front of the man.
Needless to say, it must be Miss Lan San.
Xiao Rencheng secretly thought it was bad.
He never expected that he would be the one to break this situation.
In front was the Prince Yan's Mansion. Xiao Rencheng reined in the horse and remained silent.
It was too late to stop Lan Jinqin from investigating now. He had no choice but to leave everything to Song Yinghuai to handle.
Song Yinghuai stopped the horse and picked Caiyu up.
The woman in his arms was tired today. She had half - closed her eyes on the horseback and was dozing off against his chest.
At this moment, she was even lazier and didn't want to open her eyes and get off the horse.
She just stretched out her arms and fell towards him. Her two red lips murmured coquettishly, "Your Highness, I don't want to walk. Carry me in."
Her delicate hand wrapped around his without hesitation, interlacing their fingers. She rolled off the horseback.
Qingqing and the others standing outside exclaimed in surprise, afraid that Caiyu would fall.
How could Song Yinghuai let her fall?
As soon as she rolled down, he had already firmly held her horizontally and wrapped her in his arms.
The woman's lazy face lay on Song Yinghuai's shoulder. Her eyelashes were half - closed, just facing Lan Jinqin.
Even after Song Yinghuai carried the woman in, Lan Jinqin still stood there like a wooden stake.
Motionless.
Xiao Rencheng also didn't say a word. He just stood behind her and silently watched her back.
He knew that Lan Jinqin must be very excited at this moment.
After a long time, Lan Jinqin's stiff body suddenly moved.
The cool breeze blew, and the lights of thousands of families were on.
She slowly turned around. Her pair of black pupils stared at Xiao Rencheng. "Do you recognize the woman that His Highness the Prince Yan just carried in?"
Xiao Rencheng nodded. "Miss Lan San."
Lan Jinqin took a deep breath.
Judging from his reaction, Xiao Rencheng must have known that her third sister was still alive and in the Prince Yan's Mansion.
She asked again, "I've heard that My Lord Xiao has always been on good terms with His Highness the Prince Yan?"
Normally, princes and court officials were not supposed to have a deep friendship in public.
The best thing for Xiao Rencheng to say at this moment would be to deny it, so as not to leave a handle for others and be accused of forming cliques for selfish ends.
But Xiao Rencheng knew what Lan Jinqin was worried about.
To relieve Lan Jinqin's worry, he calmly nodded. "I've always followed His Highness the Prince Yan and looked up to him."
Lan Jinqin let out a sigh of relief.
It was good that he was a die - hard follower of His Highness the Prince Yan.
Then he wouldn't expose the fact that her third sister was still alive and protected by the Prince Yan.
It wouldn't endanger her third sister's life.
However, the next moment, her expression turned solemn. She asked coldly, "What's my third sister's status in the Prince Yan's Mansion now?"
As a young lady from a noble family, she could tell that although the fabric on Lan Jinshu was of good quality, it was just the style of a maid's clothes!
Xiao Rencheng's expression darkened. He felt nervous for Song Yinghuai but had to be honest.
"Miss Lan San... She experienced a lot of things that year. Later, she sold herself into slavery and entered the Prince Yan's Mansion!"
Lan Jinqin staggered back a few steps. There was a dark undercurrent surging in her eyes.
She lost control and raised her voice, growling angrily, "My third sister... She became a concubine - in - waiting for someone else?!"
"That bastard Song Yinghuai!"
"I'll kill him!"