The small courtyard was empty. Perhaps all the odd - job workers in the brothel had gone to serve in the main hall. Just as she was wondering where to run, a head popped out from a pile of firewood beside her.
It was clearly a little boy. He timidly asked, "Who are you?"
When Dongfang Yi saw him, it was as if she had seen a life - saving straw. She immediately ran over.
The boy was a bit frightened and kept dodging backward.
"Don't be afraid. I'm your sister..."
Then, thinking of her current outfit, she awkwardly changed her words, "I'm your brother..."
The little boy became even more vigilant and immediately hugged his legs and hid in the innermost part of the firewood pile.
He looked only seven or eight years old, but he was extremely thin, and his clothes were tattered.
Dongfang Yi immediately thought that he must have been sold here by his family because they were too poor. After all, this was a brothel, a place for low - class women. As a little boy, he was naturally not well - treated.
"I'd like to ask you. Do you know how to get out of here and onto the main road?" she asked.
The little boy showed a pair of eyes from between his knees, then raised his finger in a direction. There happened to be an arched gate in that direction.
Dongfang Yi was overjoyed when she saw this. After thanking him, she was about to run over when she heard a female voice from behind.
"Who are you?!"
She turned around and saw a heavily - made - up woman in a blue silk dress. She was no longer young, and it was obvious that she was no longer popular in this brothel.
"Aunt Yun!"
The little boy behind her shouted and rushed over, throwing himself into her arms.
Dongfang Yi immediately imagined a long - running drama in her mind. She thought of a poor woman in the brothel who had given birth to a child and was continuing her hard life to raise her child.
While thinking like this, she was brought back to her senses by another question.
"Who on earth are you? What are you doing here?!" the woman called Aunt Yun by the little boy asked.
"I'm just asking for directions. I'm trapped here," Dongfang Yi replied a bit awkwardly.
She was awkward because the woman was looking at her as if she were a person doing something despicable.
After hearing this, Aunt Yun still had a hint of suspicion in her eyes. She had seen this kind of person all too often. What good could the men in this brothel be? Even though the person in front of her looked gentle and weak, who knew what was going on in his mind.
While she was thinking like this, the little boy beside her tugged at her sleeve and said, "Aunt Yun, she really is just asking for directions."
The little boy's words reduced Aunt Yun's suspicion a bit. Just as she was about to say that she could let her go, she heard a noisy commotion outside.
Dongfang Yi immediately became vigilant. Presumably, the guards from the Southern Neighboring Country had caught up.
Aunt Yun also noticed the nervousness of the person in front of her and asked, "Are they here to catch you?"
Without having time to answer, Dongfang Yi hid in the innermost part of the firewood pile. She pulled some more firewood to completely block herself, and then shouted outside, "Please, don't reveal my hiding place. I will surely repay this great kindness!"
After saying that, she hid motionless.
Immediately afterwards, a large group of people rushed into the small courtyard. Dongfang Yi peeked through the gap and found that the one leading them was the strong man she had knocked unconscious this morning.
As soon as he rushed in, he started shouting at Aunt Yun, "Have you seen a suspicious - looking woman?!"
A woman? Aunt Yun was immediately shocked. Wasn't that a man just now? Could it be that she was dressed as a man? Thinking of this, there was a hint of hesitation in her heart.
The little boy beside her tugged at her sleeve, as if trying to say something with his eyes.
"Quickly say, have you seen her?!" the strong man roared again.
"No! This humble woman hasn't seen anyone. There are only this humble woman and Xiaobao here in this place," Aunt Yun said loudly.
Dongfang Yi, hiding in the firewood pile, let out a long sigh of relief after hearing her words.
But the strong man squinted his eyes and asked suspiciously again, "You bitch, if you dare to lie to me, I'll make you suffer!"
There was an obvious threatening look in his eyes.
But Aunt Yun remained unmoved. She still looked straight into his eyes and replied, "This humble woman hasn't seen anyone."
Seeing that she showed no sign of guilt, the strong man waved his hand, signaling the soldiers behind him to leave. He also walked through the arched gate.
After Aunt Yun saw that the figures of those people had completely disappeared from her sight, she let out a long sigh of relief. Then she said to the direction of the firewood pile, "Come out. They've left."
Dongfang Yi then crawled out from inside. After patting the dust off her body, she said to the woman in front of her, "I won't say too much about this great kindness. I will surely come back to repay you!"
These words came from the bottom of her heart. She also decided that after she was safe this time, she would surely come back to repay them. After all, they were just strangers here, but she was willing to risk her life to cover for her. How could she not repay this life - saving grace?
But Aunt Yun's expression was calm. Then she said to the woman in front of her, "We're all women. I just want to help other women."
Hearing her words, Dongfang Yi couldn't help but make some guesses in her heart. She always felt that although this woman was in such a place of debauchery, there was no trace of vulgarity on her, but there was an inexplicable sense of nobility.
It was just like the line in the poem, "Emerging from the mud without being defiled, washed in clear ripples without being flirtatious." This description should not be an overstatement for her.
Thinking of this, she felt even more grateful. Then she strode over, took out a jade pendant from her bosom. It was the one she had worn on her waist when she was kidnapped out of the palace.
She casually handed it to her and said, "If you're in trouble in the future, take this jade pendant and go to the capital to find me."
After seeing it, Aunt Yun's expression suddenly changed. She didn't expect that this woman had connections with the capital. A bad memory couldn't help but surface in her heart.
"Aunt Yun, do you know how to get to the imperial city quickly?" Dongfang Yi asked.
She didn't dare to run around casually anymore. The guards just now had already got ahead of her. If she was a little careless, she might be caught again.
Aunt Yun sighed helplessly. Then she replied to her, "After going out through this arched gate, turn right and you'll be out of the brothel. Then go straight ahead. After a few dozen feet, you'll see an abandoned path that turns to the right. Just follow that path. Although it's steep, it's the fastest way to the foot of the imperial city."
After hearing this, Dongfang Yi thanked her gratefully and then ran towards the arched gate.
She thought to herself that it was really lucky to have met Aunt Yun. Otherwise, even if she had four legs, she might not be able to escape their pursuit.