As Xiao Junbao hesitated, a shout suddenly came from the long street outside the palace.
"The Emperor is furious! Tonight, we must catch that little flying thief no matter what..."
"You few, search over there. Even if they escape the palace, they can't have gone far!~"
"The rest of you, follow me to the city gates. Not a single pedestrian can be let go!"
"......"
Xiao Junbao crouched by the corner of the wall and looked over. He saw a large group of imperial guards, holding torches, running towards him.
It seemed that dog emperor wasn't killed by the chaos and still knew to send people to catch him...
"Young Master Xiao, what should we do now?" Shangguan Fang'er was a little flustered.
She had finally escaped from Emperor Ming's clutches. If she were captured again, the consequences would be unimaginable...
Xiao Junbao curved his lips and said unhurriedly, "Don't be afraid. I am an invincible existence. Follow me!~"
If he could get past this street, he would be able to rendezvous with Murong Qing.
Shangguan Fang'er paused, then looked back at the woman in red, "What about her?"
If the woman were to shout now, none of them would be able to escape...
Xiao Junbao let out a long sigh and beckoned, "Let's all come together!~"
If he hadn't made thorough preparations, he wouldn't be so confident.
When Xiao Junbao arrived, he saw many artisans repairing the city walls, especially the west gate, where there was a large gap...
And there were mostly workers there, with few soldiers. Xiao Junbao planned to lead Shangguan Fang'er and Murong Qing out from there.
Now, bringing this woman along, although it would slow down their escape, Xiao Junbao had more than a hundred ways to return to Liang Country...
As dawn broke, Xiao Junbao picked up Murong Qing. The few of them disguised themselves slightly, changed into coarse cloth clothes, and smeared their faces black before arriving at the construction site.
"Stop, stop! What are you doing?" A soldier stepped forward to question them.
He was puzzled. These four women were clearly not ugly, but why did they make themselves so dirty?
Especially the most beautiful and endearing girl, her face was almost painted like Bao Gong.
"Officer, we are going out to dig for medicinal herbs. Please be kind and let us pass!~" Murong Qing said with a smile.
"Why don't you use the main gate to dig for medicinal herbs? Don't you see this place is under construction?" the soldier questioned.
He had received an imperial decree that morning, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving this area. These people looked hurried and flustered, and might be the suspects the Emperor was looking for...
Murong Qing said, "Officer, after going out from here, we can directly go up the mountain. If we leave the city from other gates, it will be a long detour. Look at us weak women, without horses, we can only walk up the mountain. If we take a detour, our strength will not be enough..."
Alas, even she didn't believe what she was saying.
The soldier sneered, "Who are you trying to fool here? You've heard about what happened in the palace last night, right? The Emperor said that until that little thief is caught, no one is allowed to enter or leave the capital..."
After speaking, he ordered his subordinates, "Someone, take them down and question them carefully. If necessary, send them to the palace for the Emperor to identify!"
Xiao Junbao: "......"
It seemed things were not as simple as he had imagined.
Xiao Junbao wasn't afraid of anything, as Emperor Ming had never seen him. But it would be difficult for Shangguan Fang'er, Murong Qing, and that woman...
"Officer, must you be so absolute?" Xiao Junbao stepped forward, took out a gold ingot from his怀, and stuffed it into the soldier's hand. "Take this for some wine!"
The soldier weighed the gold ingot and asked in surprise, "Didn't you say you were digging for medicinal herbs? Why do you have a gold ingot on you?"
Hmph, this was clearly a confession...
Xiao Junbao pouted, "Can't I be in the medicine business? Who says people digging for medicinal herbs can't carry gold ingots?"
The soldier: "......"
What a sharp-tongued girl.
"I'm too lazy to argue with you!" The soldier lost patience, waved his hand, and said, "Someone, take them down! Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!~"
"Yes!"
A group of soldiers swarmed over like flies, surrounding the four of them...
Seeing this, Xiao Junbao gasped. This was not what he had expected.
The woman stood beside Murong Qing, her head bowed low, afraid of being recognized by these soldiers.
She had tried her best to escape this time and absolutely could not be captured again.
Xiao Junbao suppressed his inner panic and was about to implement his backup plan when he suddenly heard a shout from behind...
"Stop everything!~"
Although the voice was young, like that of an undeveloped child, it carried an unchallengeable authority.
The soldiers were all stunned and turned their heads to look. They saw a young boy walking over, accompanied by an old man...
Murong Qing was stunned for a moment, thinking she was mistaken.
She rubbed her eyes and looked intently, only to feel her head buzz, as if in a dream. Everything seemed so unreal...
That's right, the visitors were none other than Murong Taotao and Eunuch Ruan, who had rushed over from Liang Country.
Based on the timing, he had arrived in Yan Country earlier than Xiao Junbao but hadn't rushed to the imperial palace to find his sister.
Because if he had, Emperor Ming would definitely have confined him and forced him to assist in governing the country...
Murong Taotao was shrewd and clear-headed. He knew that doing so would be like walking into a trap and seeking his own death. Not only would he be unable to rescue his sister, but he would also be caught.
So, after arriving in Yan Country, he had asked Eunuch Ruan to contact a few trusted individuals to investigate...
Upon learning that his sister had already escaped from the palace, he didn't rush to acknowledge Murong Qing but sent people to secretly follow her.
If he appeared too early, it would inevitably attract Emperor Ming's attention, and then neither of them would be able to escape.
"Tao..."
Murong Qing's heart ached. Just as she was about to call out Murong Taotao's name, he coughed lightly and gave her a meaningful look.
It was not yet time for them to acknowledge each other.
As the saying goes, siblings' hearts are connected. With just a glance from Murong Taotao, Murong Qing understood...
The leader of the soldiers stared blankly at Murong Taotao, exclaiming in surprise, "The State... the State Preceptor? What are you doing here?"
Murong Taotao's portrait and reputation had long spread throughout Yan Country.
Every citizen knew him.
His sudden appearance at the city gate was like a top celebrity suddenly visiting a rural area to offer warmth, making the soldiers' hearts pound with excitement...
Murong Taotao suppressed his complex emotions and walked forward at a leisurely pace.