The black market gathered people from all walks of life, and it was bustling even at night.
Xia Yun was familiar with the area, having frequented it before entering the palace.
He took Chi You to get two fake travel permits. Afterwards, they went to a shop and changed into clothes from beyond the frontier.
Since the Great Desert split, trade between Daliang and Monan had become frequent. Merchants from that region often came to buy goods, and wearing these clothes made it easier to blend in and leave.
"A'wu, are you hungry?"
All the way, he could hear her stomach rumbling.
Chi You nodded with a blush. She had been too preoccupied waiting for her elder brother all day to think about eating.
Now, she was truly starving.
The streets lining the black market were filled with small vendors.
After Xia Yun pulled her to a stall for a bite to eat, they found an inn to rest.
"It's getting late. You can sleep a bit more. When dawn breaks, I'll wake you, and we'll leave the city."
As Chi You watched him head for the stairs, she quickly clutched the railing and asked, "Where are you going, Brother Yun?"
"I'm going out for a bit."
Chi You's heart fluttered with panic, fearing he would abandon her. She rushed over and tugged at his sleeve.
Xia Yun looked at her actions and explained.
"I'm going to the black market docks to see if there's another way out of the city."
He feared the city gates would be heavily searched tomorrow, so he wanted to prepare early. He also needed to check the situation outside regarding the search.
"You should go back and rest. Traveling will be very tiring."
Hearing this, Chi You could only nod.
Xia Yun pulled her upstairs, pushing her into the room. He stood outside the door, not entering, just poking his head in to instruct,
"Hurry up and sleep. I'll be back soon."
"Okay."
It was late at night, and Chi You was also sleepy. But just as she was about to drift off, a sharp pain suddenly struck her stomach, causing her to curl up instantly and cry out in agony.
She endured this torment for an unknown duration before fainting from the pain.
When dawn was faintly breaking, she awoke with a pale face.
By then, people were already beginning to move about inside the inn, and the place was filled with a rising din.
Xia Yun knocked on the door with a basket of steamed buns.
"What's wrong?"
Chi You washed her face and shook her head, "It's nothing."
Her body would inexplicably hurt, and she didn't want to tell Brother Yun, fearing he would worry.
Seeing this, Xia Yun didn't ask further. He handed her the buns and poured water.
"Eat quickly. After you've eaten, we'll depart."
After breakfast, the two packed their belongings and headed for the city gates.
As expected, the city gates were being strictly checked. The line was long, with guards holding wanted posters scrutinizing everyone.
Xia Yun listened carefully to the chatter around him and pulled Chi You behind him.
Ahead of them was a horse-drawn convoy, numbering over a hundred people, with a lot of cargo. The soldiers were searching slowly. Under the scorching sun, the queue was filled with murmurs.
Chi You, hot from the sun, covered her head with a straw hat and looked up at him.
"Brother Yun, what's wrong?"
"Look, isn't that a guard from the Prime Minister's retinue?"
Xia Yun hid behind the convoy and cautiously peeked.
Chi You's heart tightened. She quickly used the hay bales on a nearby cart to conceal herself and leaned out to look towards the city gate.
Bai Ze!
She quickly turned back, "It's Bai Ze, a master by my brother's side. He'll definitely recognize us."
Xia Yun immediately pulled her towards the residential buildings behind them. They cut through the alleys and hid in a secluded spot behind a wall before stopping.
"Brother Yun, Bai Ze is guarding the way out of the city. We can't leave."
Xia Yun leaned against the wall behind him, stroking his chin.
The search within the city was extremely strict, with patrols everywhere. He had gone out early that morning and found that all four city gates were being checked. They claimed a wanted criminal had escaped and anyone suspicious would be apprehended.
Such a display clearly meant they were trapped. Especially the west gate leading to the Southern Border, which was heavily guarded, and the person most familiar with A'wu had been dispatched. It seemed escaping through the city gates would be difficult.
Chi You bit her lip, peering out over the wall, constantly wary of patrolling soldiers, feeling jumpy at every rustle.
"Brother Yun, do they make such a fuss when someone escapes from the palace? Will we be killed if we're caught?"
Xia Yun looked at her timid expression and smiled, "That's why we absolutely cannot be caught."
"But will my brother really kill us?"
Chi You turned to look at him. She was wearing men's clothing and had applied rough makeup, but her beautiful eyes sparkled in the sunlight, astonishingly bright.
Xia Yun shook his head. "I'll definitely be killed. As for you, I'm not sure."
Chi You said, "My brother is a good person. He won't kill you."
Xia Yun: "----"
He smiled and said nothing, his mind rapidly working through the escape routes he had inquired about the previous night.
"Brother Yun, are you out of money?"
They had spent a lot of silver getting the fake travel permits last night. She saw that Brother Yun's once bulging purse had become quite flat.
"Here, this is from Qiuzhu."
Xia Yun came back to himself and looked at the pouch she handed him, surprise flashing in his eyes.
"You're so silly to still remember to grab money. I should have told you to take some from your brother. Even a small amount of gold from his Qu You Palace would be enough for us to travel leisurely."
Chi You tilted her head, saying nothing.
Xia Yun told her to put away the pouch and pulled her along to leave.
"Let's go. When the black market opens tonight, we'll leave the city from there."
"Can we leave the city through the black market?"
She quickly secured the pouch and followed him.
"Yes, there's a river passage. For a hefty sum, we can slip out."
When he had inquired last night, there were fewer than five spots left.
"However, it costs a hundred taels per person to sneak out from there. It's a total rip-off. We need to go to a casino to earn some money."
Those who smuggled themselves out from there were usually desperate outlaws or prisoners. The black market boss took such risks to send them out, so naturally, he charged a high price.
"Ah, that expensive."
Just as Xia Yun was about to speak, a group of soldiers suddenly rounded the corner ahead. He quickly pressed her down behind the residential building, held his breath, and dared not move.
After the patrol team passed, the two cautiously poked their heads out.
Chi You, startled, patted her chest. "Brother Yun, there are soldiers everywhere on this street. Can we really go to a casino?"
"That black market boss wants a hundred taels per person, so we need two hundred taels. If we don't go to the casino to gather the money, we can't leave the city."
Chi You thought for a moment and then handed him a jade ornament from her pocket. She looked at it with affection before pushing it into his hand.
"I took this from my brother's drawer. He has many, so I just took one as a souvenir. Is this enough?"
Xia Yun looked back at the jade ornament's quality and narrowed his eyes slightly. This ornament was worth several people's passage.
He looked up, about to speak, but seeing the sadness on her face, he paused and pushed the jade ornament back.
"It's not enough. Take it back. Besides, if we use this, it's likely to alert the Prime Minister's men that we've been to a pawnshop or the black market. It's not safe."
"Let's go. We're going to the casino."