Chapter 235

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Protagonist:

Yan Qianqian

Afterward, Qianqian mounted her horse again and rode slowly toward Yue Yi, who was off to the side. She called softly, "Brother Yue Yi, Father has something for you — go over for a moment." Hearing this, Yue Yi replied at once, "Right away, I'm going now." With that, he spurred his horse forward.

However, Qianqian still seemed uneasy and added in a low voice, "Brother Yue Yi, you must save him!" Yue Yi gave a soft "Mm" of acknowledgment to Qianqian, then without hesitation flicked his whip, driving his steed like an arrow loosed from a bow toward where An Wang was.

Meanwhile, Yan Si, sitting in the carriage, took in the entire scene. A thread of doubt rose in his mind: what exactly was going on? Yet he said nothing more, fearing it would worry his mother, the Princess Consort.

After a moment's thought, Yan Si decisively changed the subject and chatted idly with An Wangfei. Fortunately, An Wangfei was simple-minded and did not grow overly suspicious.

Thus the party continued along the road at a leisurely pace. Qianqian, however, could not concentrate, her mind constantly drifting to whether that man had been saved.

Finally, unable to bear the torment in her heart, she resolutely climbed into the carriage, hoping to distract herself by talking with her elder brother and mother.

On the other side, An Wang was busy in an orderly fashion. He took from his bosom a pitch-black medicinal pill and carefully placed it into the mouth of the seemingly lifeless body.

Then he stood quietly in place, patiently awaiting Yue Yi's arrival. Before long, urgent hoofbeats approached from afar, and Yue Yi's figure soon appeared. When he saw the scene before him, Yue Yi's heart gave a violent start, and he hurriedly dismounted.

He strode quickly to An Wang, cupped his fist in salute, and said, "Master!" An Wang gave a slight nod and spoke evenly, "This man has not yet breathed his last. I order you to take him to a nearby clinic for treatment. Whether he lives depends on his own fortune. Once this is done, you need not return — proceed straight to Dongying. We will head to Dongying first."

After An Wang finished speaking, Yue Yi gazed at the corpse before him, covered in horrific wounds, and understood the meaning Qianqian had conveyed. The body was riddled with ghastly injuries; especially the chest, where a shocking wound gaped, looking utterly fatal.

Facing such a state, Yue Yi knew that if he risked riding, the slightest jolt on the road would likely kill the man on the spot. So he decisively hoisted the corpse onto his back, drew a deep breath, and unleashed his peerless lightness skill, swift as a swallow, shooting toward the town like an arrow from a bow.

Meanwhile, An Wang nimbly vaulted onto his horse, whipped it, and raced back along the way they had come. Not long after, he successfully caught up with the slowly advancing carriage train.

When An Wang boarded the carriage, Qianqian inside was staring at him with wide, watery eyes and asked, "Father, have you finished talking with that man? (Is he saved?)" An Wang instantly grasped his daughter's meaning and hurriedly replied, "Mm, finished talking. (Saved, saved.)" After that, father and daughter spoke no more on the matter, turning instead to chat enthusiastically about trivial things.

Time flew; two days passed in a blink. At midday, the group happened to pass a remarkably lively inn. Hungry, they decided to stop for a hearty lunch.

During the meal, someone mentioned that only about an hour and a half of travel remained to reach Dongying. Hearing this, everyone's taut nerves relaxed slightly; they were no longer rushing as before.

At this, An Wangfei turned to Yan Si beside her and said softly, "Yan Si, quickly send someone to deliver a letter to Yu'er, so she can prepare to welcome us in advance."

Yan Si nodded at once and immediately asked, "Then, Madam, after we finish eating, do we continue on the road?" An Wangfei considered briefly and replied, "After these days of long travel, everyone is somewhat exhausted and covered in dust. How about this: this afternoon let everyone rest properly, bathe and freshen up, and conserve their strength. Tomorrow morning we'll set out for Dongying."

Hearing An Wangfei's arrangement, An Wang gave a slight nod, expressing agreement and support. He knew An Wangfei always handled matters thoroughly and meticulously, so he naturally had no objection to such an arrangement.

Yan Si, beside them, did not dare delay; he at once dispatched a capable subordinate to go ahead to Dongying and convey to Shangguan Xingyu the news that their party would arrive tomorrow morning.

After lunch, Qianqian stretched luxuriously, then walked back to her room with light steps. She flung herself onto the bed, enjoying the comfort of the soft mattress, and before long drifted into sweet dreams.

Like Qianqian, the other attendants had also been rushing nonstop these past days, their bodies utterly weary. Now they, too, fell into deep snores the moment they lay down, and the entire inn instantly became quiet and peaceful.

Time slipped by unnoticed until afternoon. When sunlight fell on Qianqian's face through the window, she slowly woke. Opening her bleary eyes, she saw Mantou standing by the bed with a smile.

Seeing Qianqian awake, Mantou hurriedly called softly, "Miss, you're finally awake!" Then she quickly turned and went out, ordering the inn waiter to bring hot water into the room so Qianqian could bathe.

Before long, steaming bath water was ready. Qianqian shed her clothes, stepped into the tub, and the warm water enveloped her delicate body, making her feel indescribably comfortable. After bathing, Qianqian used a clean white towel to gently dry her wet hair.

At this time, Mantou chatted idly with her at the side, and the topic naturally turned to the next day's attire.

"Mantou, which outfit do you think I should wear tomorrow to look best? And what hair ornament would make me stand out more?" Qianqian asked happily while drying her hair.

But before her hair was fully dry, unable to contain her excitement, Qianqian got up and went to the wardrobe, eagerly selecting the clothes she would wear for tomorrow's departure.

Early the next morning, just as dawn broke, the outside was still a gray haze. At that moment, a series of urgent knocks sounded — Mantou had come to wake the sleeping Qianqian.

Hearing the knocks, Qianqian sat up groggily, rubbed her eyes, and yawned, "So early..." Despite her complaints, she quickly finished washing up with Mantou's help.