The team stopped, and King Nanzhao sat in the carriage, opened the curtain on one side and looked out, and asked his attendant in a deep voice: "What's going on?"
The attendant replied that the government was arresting a suspect and needed to check their team.
The leader of the soldiers in charge of the inspection nervously gripped the sword at his waist, wondering in his mind what he should do if King Nanzhao did not allow the inspection.
After all, the other party is a prince. It is inevitable that he will be unhappy if he is investigated in public. If a conflict arises, he will definitely be the one who suffers.
Just when they were in a dilemma, King Nanzhao spoke up: "Then check it out, and tell them to be careful not to scare the women and not to damage anything."
The leader was startled, then he breathed a sigh of relief and took the initiative to say, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. We will be very careful."
"Yes." King Nanzhao nodded slightly and asked, "I don't need to get off the car, right?"
"No, no, no need for anything. We can do it ourselves." The leader didn't expect King Nanzhao to be so easy to talk to. He felt flattered.
King Nanzhao nodded again and lowered the curtain.
The chief then ordered his soldiers to go in groups of two with the portrait to check the carriage, and he took two soldiers with him to check the mounted and walking entourage.
There were a total of ten carriages in the Nanzhao Palace, one for the King of Nanzhao and the Queen, one for each of the three princes, one for the two princesses, and the remaining four were used to carry luggage.
The soldiers checked every carriage diligently, comparing the pictures with the servants in the carriages one by one, and risking the wrath of the nobles, they knocked on the upper, lower, left and right partitions of the carriages with sticks to check, but they found nothing, and no faces similar to Zhao Jingyu were found among the people accompanying outside.
The leader again apologized to King Nanzhao and ordered the soldiers guarding the city gate to let them pass.
King Nanzhao said goodbye to them politely and even waved to them before leaving.
Not only the soldiers, but even the common people passing by were amazed, and they all said that King Nanzhao was so approachable and had no airs at all, and was truly a kind and good prince.
"If everyone was as easy to talk to as King Nanzhao, our job would be much easier." The soldier in charge of the investigation sighed.
"I think he just doesn't want to get himself into trouble and just wants to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible." said another soldier.
"Even so, his attitude is impeccable." The soldier in front said, "You can tell whether a person is kind-hearted or not by looking at his face. The King of Nanzhao has a good face. He is handsome and kind."
"That's true. Although the King of Nanzhao is old, few people can compare to him in terms of appearance."
"That's because you haven't seen his sons. Every one of them is more handsome than him." Another soldier came over and said, "Especially the little prince Song Huai. I dare to guarantee that there is no one more handsome than him in the whole Great Zhou. Even the guard beside him is incredibly handsome."
"Yes, yes, yes. I've often heard people say that the little prince of Nanzhao has a heavenly appearance. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved. The girl who is massaging his legs is also very beautiful. She is simply a fairy who has descended to earth."
"Really? If I had known earlier, I would have gone to check the carriage. Those attendants outside are all rough men. They are not good-looking at all, and they all look fierce and ferocious..."
As the soldiers talked, the convoy of the Nanzhao Palace went farther and farther away and soon disappeared from everyone's sight.
In one of the carriages, the handsome guard took off his coat and said to the man who was sitting in the main seat, squinting his eyes and enjoying the maid's leg massage, "Okay, stop pretending and change your clothes quickly."
"Why are you in such a hurry? I'm feeling comfortable!" The man opened his eyes lazily, his eyes like peach blossoms by the water, full of charm.
The girl who was beating her legs stopped and pounded her waist with her backhand: "Zhao Jingyu, don't push your luck. The little prince is kind enough to help you, so what's your attitude?"
"Okay!" Zhao Jingyu smacked his lips, sat up, and spread his arms, "Help me take it off."
"..." Xie Nanjia couldn't help but roll her eyes at him, "You are on the run now, not here to enjoy life. You have to do your own things, understand?"
"But you are my wife. Isn't it your job to help me change clothes?" Zhao Jingyu said righteously, glancing at Song Huai, not knowing whether to show off or to give a reminder.
"It's his fiancée." Xie Nanjia emphasized unhappily, and suddenly regretted wasting two such strong favors to save him.
Originally, she planned to keep these two favors for her son in the future.
"A fiancée is also a wife." Zhao Jingyu argued, and nudged Song Huai with his elbow, smiling, "Don't you think so?"
"..." Song Huai smiled and didn't respond to him. He thought to himself, don't think I don't know what you mean. You just want to remind me that Xiu'er is already taken. Aren't you tired of going around in such a big circle
But then again, if Xiu'er was his fiancée, he would definitely be very nervous and concerned. After all, such a beautiful and intelligent girl is really rare.
Thinking back to the first time he met her, he was fleeing in panic, and it was she who appeared in time to save his life at the critical moment. If at that time he had not just left a jade pendant as a reward, but had directly revealed his identity and taken her with him, or had gone to Dingyuan Marquis Mansion to look for her in time afterwards, would there be another possibility between them now
Therefore, the fate between people is about being just right. It can’t be too early or too late. A slight difference in one’s thoughts will lead to a lifetime of missed opportunities.
"Little prince, put on your clothes quickly, be careful not to catch a cold." Xie Nanjia finally helped Zhao Jingyu take off his clothes. Seeing that Song Huai was distracted, she reminded him softly.
Song Huai came to his senses, took the clothes, and handed the guard uniform to Zhao Jingyu.
"At noon, if nothing unexpected happens, the convoy will rest and eat at the post station ahead. Then you two can find a chance to leave."
"Okay, thank you little prince for your help. I will repay you in the future." Xie Nanjia said.
"Forget about repaying the favor. I owe you a favor." Song Huai waved his hand and said, "If the carriage wasn't so small and easily exposed, I wouldn't mind giving you a ride. After you leave, find a place to stay first. Don't rush back to Beijing. Wait until the limelight is over before making plans. If you have any difficulties, you can come to Nanzhao to find me."
"Okay, I've made note of it. Thank you for your concern, little prince." Xie Nanjia thanked him again.
Zhao Jingyu said quietly beside him, "Don't worry, we won't cause you any trouble. You should be careful of the dangers around you at all times. You saved my life, and I don't want to never see you again from now on."
Song Huai was startled, and looked at him with a pair of clear eyes full of doubt and vigilance: "Why do you say that, Mr. Zhao?"
Zhao Jingyu said cryptically, "I heard from Xiu'er that you were once hunted by someone. I think you should pay more attention to the people around you. You know, sometimes the relationship between brothers and sisters is not reliable."
Song Huai was stunned again, and there was more complicated emotions in his eyes when he looked at Zhao Jingyu.
He thought Xiu'er was smart enough, but he didn't expect Zhao Jingyu to be even smarter and could guess the essence of the matter with just a few words.
Is it fair or unfair that God brings two smart people together
"Thank you for the reminder, Second Young Master. I will be careful." He nodded solemnly.
At noon, the convoy of the Nanzhao Palace stopped at the post station as expected.
When the postmaster received the news, he personally went to greet them outside the door. The masters got off the carriage and were welcomed into the hall by the postmaster. The coachmen, led by the servants, parked the carriage in the backyard, untied the horses and led them into the stable to feed them with hay, and then went to the front together to eat.
Song Huai's coachman had already received instructions and calmly parked the carriage at the edge. Xie Nanjia and Zhao Jingyu waited quietly in the carriage until everyone went to the front yard. Then they quietly slipped out of the carriage, took the water and dry food they had prepared in advance, and left the post station in a swagger.
After walking for a while and making sure it was safe, the two stopped, sat on the side of the road, drank water and ate dry food, and discussed where to go next.
"Anyway, no one knows me here. If I had known, we would have had a good meal in the inn before leaving." Zhao Jingyu said while chewing on the hard-to-swallow dry food in his hand.
"Be content, you have to eat this dry food sparingly!" Xie Nanjia said, "If we can't find a place to stay before dark, we will have to sleep in the wilderness tonight."
"So now you know why I don't want to elope with you?" Zhao Jingyu said, "Look, elopement is so painful."
Xie Nanjia: "… What's the difference between now and elopement?"
"That's true." Zhao Jingyu raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I read in the storybooks that talented people in trouble would spend the night in a dilapidated temple. Why don't we find a dilapidated temple to experience it, and kill a rabbit and roast it for dinner."
Xie Nanjia stood up suddenly.
Zhao Jingyu was startled, thinking she was going to object, but she threw her luggage on her shoulder and shouted, "Let's go, if you can't catch the rabbit, I'll roast you."
Zhao Jingyu laughed: "My meat is tender, so it tastes better when eaten raw."
"Smooth talk!"
The two of them walked forward, talking and laughing. Not long after they went, a carriage suddenly drove up from behind and stopped right next to them.
Zhao Jingyu reacted quickly, protecting Xie Nanjia behind him and looking at the carriage vigilantly.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Prince Nanzhao poked his head out: "Second Master, why did you leave without saying anything?"
When Zhao Jingyu saw him for the first time, his heart skipped a beat. He was not sure whether he was a friend or an enemy, so he just stood there quietly without saying anything.
"Why, are you afraid that I have bad intentions?" King Nanzhao said with a smile, "I already knew about it since Minister An contacted Song Huai privately last night. If I really wanted to harm you, would I still take the risk of taking you out of the city?"
"..." Zhao Jingyu and Xie Nanjia looked at each other, both of them were shocked.
No wonder King Nanzhao was so polite to that group of people at that time. It turned out that he had known that the two of them were hiding in Song Huai's carriage, so he pretended to be easy to talk to so that those people would let down their guard.
Seeing that he, a prince, was so polite, the other party naturally felt embarrassed to question him strictly and let him go very quickly.
It seems that the old ones are the wisest. King Nanzhao just performed a one-man show and easily fooled all of them.
"Since the prince let us go, why is he chasing us now? Could it be that he regrets it and wants to capture us and take credit for it?" Zhao Jingyu asked.
"I only brought a coachman with me, how can I catch you?" King Nanzhao laughed, "Second Master, relax and get in the carriage with Miss Xiu'er. I have something to say to you."
Zhao Jingyu looked at Xie Nanjia hesitantly, asking for her opinion with his eyes.
He himself didn't care, but if there was any danger in the car, he was worried that Xie Nanjia would be hurt.
Xie Nanjia thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness is right. If he wanted to harm us, he wouldn't risk bringing us out. We might as well listen to what he has to say."
The two of them got into the carriage hand in hand. To be on the safe side, Zhao Jingyu asked Xie Nanjia to sit on the side so that they could escape in time if the situation changed.
Prince Nanzhao looked them up and down with a smile, twirling his beard and said with a smile: "Not bad, not bad, the Second Young Master and Miss Xiu'er are indeed a match made in heaven."
He deliberately emphasized the word "dragon", and the nerves of the two people, who were about to relax, were instantly tense again.
"What does Your Majesty mean?" Zhao Jingyu asked.
King Nanzhao waved his hand to signal him not to be nervous, and took out a letter from his arms and handed it to him: "Your father was afraid that you wouldn't believe me, so he wrote you a letter. Do you understand after reading it?"
"My father? Which father?" Zhao Jingyu asked blurt out.
(End of this chapter)