ebookland Chapter 119 Escape
Chapter 119 Escape
Another day passed.
Wen Shuyao judges the time by looking at the sky outside the window.
Every day, she would carve a mark on the headboard of her bed.
The maid, still completely covered, strode in, carrying a lot of food in her hands.
She glanced at the untouched dishes on the table and felt a headache coming on.
These were all bought from a fancy restaurant, but Wen Shuyao was determined not to eat them. A whole day and night had passed, and she hadn't even had a drop of water.
If Wen Shuyao makes any mistakes because of this, she can forget about losing her head.
Wen Shuyao is a bargaining chip to threaten Prince Jing. Regardless of whether the goal is achieved or not, Wen Shuyao must be kept safe.
Her eyes darted around, and tears welled up in them: "Your Highness, please eat something! If you harm your health because of this, I might as well give up my life!"
Beneath the heavy veil, the maid's voice trembled.
She had assumed that a noblewoman like Wen Shuyao would be the most soft-hearted, but to her surprise, Wen Shuyao responded with a cold laugh after she said that.
"Stop pretending." Wen Shuyao said coldly, "There are only the two of us here. Tell your master for me that I will never allow myself to become a bargaining chip for others to threaten the prince!"
"There's no need to send any more food. I will not eat or drink until you let me leave."
Seeing that Wen Shuyao was unmoved by reason, the maid bit her lower lip hard.
But Wen Shuyao, who was right in front of him, was someone he couldn't hit or scold.
They invited Wen Shuyao to coerce King Jing, not to make an enemy of him.
After a long silence, the maid opened her mouth, about to speak, when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a sharp light out of the corner of her eye.
"There are assassins!"
The maid's shrill voice echoed throughout the inner quarters, but it was too late for her to notice. No matter how loudly she shouted, not a single guard came inside.
Seeing this, her heart sank completely.
Wen Shuyao sat on the edge of the bed, watching this scene in surprise.
These people were also masked, and there were more than a dozen of them. As soon as they entered, they subdued the maid.
The maid tried to struggle, but she was unable to move under the restraints of these men.
"Your Highness!" A man rushed to Wen Shuyao, hurriedly unlocking her shackles, and said urgently, "I am here to rescue you on the Prince's orders! Please come with me!"
His sincere expression, combined with his anxious tone, easily made people want to follow him.
But Wen Shuyao's gaze swept over the maid. If she really was someone sent by Xie Jinghan to rescue her, he probably wouldn't show any mercy to such a struggling maid. Moreover... after struggling for so long, they still hadn't lifted the maid's veil.
He was clearly still worried that he would remember the maid's appearance.
Furthermore...
If they were from the Prince Jing's mansion, they wouldn't be hiding their faces like that.
Wen Shuyao was certain that this group of people were not sent by Xie Jinghan to rescue her.
Even worse... it could be a scheme devised by the person who kidnapped them.
However, leaving with them wasn't entirely without its advantages.
Wen Shuyao's eyes flickered for a moment, and under the masked man's gaze, she slowly nodded.
"We must leave quickly." She looked just as anxious. "Where is the Prince?"
"The prince is waiting for us outside," he replied quickly, his eyes gleaming.
Wen Shuyao nodded, and even if they wanted to put the veil on her again, she would obediently agree.
Wen Shuyao's compliant behavior naturally made them lower their guard.
Wen Shuyao followed them away, while the maid was bound hand and foot and left in place, only able to watch their backs as they walked away.
The veil was so thick that it obscured the path ahead, and Wen Shuyao stumbled along the way, slowing her movements even further to avoid falling.
Seeing her like this, the men in black who came to "rescue" her were naturally dissatisfied.
However, they were guards of the Prince Jing's residence, so how could they urge Princess Wen Shuyao?
So they could only suppress their impatience and watch helplessly as Wen Shuyao strolled away from the mansion with them as if taking a leisurely walk.
Outside the courtyard, it was still deserted and quiet, with not a single person in sight.
Wen Shuyao stood in the middle of the group, her vision limited to the few inches of ground around her feet and the figures faintly visible through her veil.
There were at least twenty or thirty of these people.
Their steps were hurried, and their breathing was rapid; they clearly wanted to take her away from there.
But these people were indeed not guards of Prince Jing's mansion.
Wen Shuyao's eyes darted around, but in the end she chose to trust her intuition.
Suddenly, she took off her veil and threw it at several people nearby.
Then, to their astonishment, she took out the medicinal powder that had been hidden in her sleeve and sprinkled it into the wind.
The powder drifted in the wind, and as soon as these people saw it, their vision went black, and they collapsed limply.
Wen Shuyao covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief and walked quickly toward the alley entrance. Behind her were more than twenty men in black who had been drugged.
In such a critical moment, she didn't even bother to remove their masks and remember their faces.
The most urgent task now is to return to Prince Jing's residence.
It's easy to guess that there must be a lot of rumors circulating in the capital now, and her reputation is probably ruined.
It's uncertain whether Xie Jinghan can continue to hold the position of Princess Jing. Does he really still want a princess whose reputation is ruined?
Wen Shuyao mustered her spirits and walked out of the alley step by step.
Looking at the bustling streets, she was shocked to realize that the place where she was being held was actually Jinhua Lane.
Jinhua Ward and Chong'an Ward, where the Prince Jing's Mansion is located, are separated by an entire city, one to the east and the other to the west.
Moreover, Jinhua Lane was a melting pot of all sorts of people, making it arguably the most chaotic place in the capital.
These people actually imprisoned her here; no wonder the people from Prince Jing's mansion haven't been able to find her here.
Even if they knew they were being held in Jinhua Ward, it would probably take several days to investigate them all, even with the capabilities of the Prince Jing's mansion.
She thought to herself that this person was treacherous and cunning, but before leaving the alley, she used her wide sleeves to partially cover her face and, followed by many eyes, walked into a clothing store.
During her day and night of imprisonment, her clothes were never removed, which is why she was able to leave behind the packet of medicine powder.
In a place like Jinhua Lane, her clothes were too conspicuous and out of place.
In order to ensure her safe return to Prince Jing's residence, she had to put on a disguise.
After exchanging her dress, worth a hundred taels, for a set of coarse clothes and a few silver ingots, Wen Shuyao rented a carriage and went to Chong'an Ward.
The driver was somewhat stunned when he heard the words "Chong'anfang".
Is a place like Chong'anfang a place that people from Jinhuafang can go to?
But Wen Shuyao's tone was firm, and she had given him enough money, so he gritted his teeth and went to Chong'an Ward.