Mian Tang had no time to be a gentle daughter-in-law. At that moment, they were still fleeing from pursuit.
At the checkpoint they had just passed, her guard returned from a reconnaissance with news that wealthy families fleeing with their households were being detained. The bandits were meticulously examining older women and young, beautiful girls.
Reportedly, these men carried portraits, arresting anyone who bore even a slight resemblance.
This confirmed Mian Tang’s suspicion that those posing as peasant rebels were indeed targeting the Huaiyang Prince’s mother and fiancée.
She had instructed Fan Hu to escort the remaining people, advising them not to rush through checkpoints but to find a place to stay. Therefore, she wouldn’t risk taking the Imperial Consort through either.
Due to her previous experiences searching for craftsmen and pottery workshops in the countryside, Mian Tang was familiar with the surrounding counties and villages. She relied on her memory to locate a small thatched shop where she had once rested.
This place, backed by a mountain ridge, was not far from the main road yet remained hidden. If troops approached, they would hear the horses’ hooves, giving them time to escape into the deep mountains along the ridge.
Fearing that a large group would draw attention, Mian Tang brought only two personal maids and four guards.
After arranging for the guards to take shifts for the first and second half of the night, she invited the Imperial Consort to warm up by the fire in the dilapidated grass hut and prepare some thin porridge.
The Chu Imperial Consort, despite years of neglect from her husband, had never felt so panicked and desperate. Seeing that Mian Tang seemed in no hurry to escape the troubled area, she asked, “Why aren’t we leaving? What if the bandits catch up with us?”
Mian Tang handed a bowl of hot porridge to the Imperial Consort and said, “The bandits surely expect us to try breaking through their lines, so they’ve tightened inspections at checkpoints. If we rush now, we’d be walking right into their trap. It’s better to wait here and let them tire themselves out.”
The Imperial Consort, still uneasy, murmured about finding her son.
Mian Tang, no longer in a hurry, resumed the demeanor of a proper young lady. She smiled and reassured the Imperial Consort that the prince was likely safe.
Mian Tang wasn’t merely comforting her. She had initially thought the blocked road to Dongzhou was to prevent the Huaiyang Prince from seeking reinforcements. Now, it seemed more like an attempt to cut off Zhenzhou’s chances of requesting aid.
If all went as expected, Zhenzhou was now isolated, like a lonely island.
However, Zhenzhou’s fall couldn’t be hidden for long as refugees fled. The surrounding prefectures and counties would have to send aid, even if just for show.
When that happened, the fake peasant rebels wouldn’t engage these reinforcements in battle and would naturally disperse.
Mian Tang calculated that this process would take about four days.
If they could endure for four days, they would see the light at the end of the tunnel!
With this thought, Mian Tang’s smile became more genuine, inexplicably reassuring to those who saw it.
After feeding the Imperial Consort the porridge, she prepared a bed of dry hay for her. As she was about to cover her with a blanket, the Imperial Consort grasped her hand tightly, saying timidly, “Mian Tang, sleep next to me. Otherwise, I’m afraid…”
Mian Tang found it amusing to see the woman who had always maintained a stern mother-in-law facade now clinging to her like a three-year-old child.
However, out of respect for her future mother-in-law’s dignity, she held back her laughter and said gently, “Alright, I’ll sleep next to you. The mountains are full of red berries this season, which make a sweet drink when boiled. I’ll pick some for you tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll love it…”
The Imperial Consort’s mind was put at ease by her sweet words. Suddenly, a strong wind and heavy rain began outside, but next to this young woman, nothing seemed too daunting.
Only now did the Chu Imperial Consort slowly begin to understand why her son, who had always looked down on women, had chosen this girl of humble origins.
She was like a wildflower beaten by sudden rain, possessing a resilience and wildness that distinguished her from cultivated blossoms. Once one truly appreciated her qualities, it was hard to look away…
Meanwhile, in the study of the Sui Prince’s mansion, a murderous atmosphere prevailed.
“Wasn’t the operation supposed to be covert, without any slip-ups? Why have all the masters of the Zhenzhou Prince’s mansion disappeared?”
For two consecutive days, the troops he had sent disguised as Dongzhou bandits had been transporting people back. However, among the carriages full of old women and young ladies, neither the Chu Imperial Consort nor the Huisang County Princess could be found.
The Sui Prince had planned for so long, taking advantage of the Huaiyang Prince’s trip to the island, bribing his subordinates, and sinking the island boat to trap him there. Then he cut off the postal road and sent troops disguised as rebels to kidnap the Huaiyang Prince’s family.
The Huaiyang Prince was known for his filial piety. If he could get his hands on Cui Xingzhou’s mother and that little female bandit, Cui Xingzhou would surely comply, writing a memorial to resign as commander-in-chief and transfer military power to Liu Pei’s hands.
However, the meticulously planned strategy had gone awry during execution. The Chu Imperial Consort, who should have been a sitting duck, had vanished without a trace, disappearing overnight to an unknown location.
With Cui Xingzhou already having escaped from the island, this golden opportunity was slipping away. How could the Sui Prince not be anxious?
Just then, someone entered the study to report: “Your Highness, news has arrived from Zhenzhou. They’ve captured the family of Lian Hanshan, the Huaiyang Prince’s uncle-in-law.”
The Sui Prince’s eyes lit up. He stood up from his desk and asked, “Is this the Lian family that escaped with the Chu Imperial Consort? Have they been interrogated about whether they fled together with the Imperial Consort? And where they escape to?”
The messenger quickly replied, “They were interrogated immediately upon capture. It didn’t take long for the masters and servants to confess. They said it was the Huisang County Princess who sent people to escort the Chu Imperial Consort out of Zhenzhou city.”
The messenger then recounted in detail how Liu Mian Tang had left the mansion early, discovered the disguised troops at Lingquan Town, personally dived into a mountain cave to rescue the Imperial Consort, and used a diversionary tactic to trick the search party in the mountains.
The Sui Prince’s fox-like eyes narrowed as he listened, and he finally couldn’t help but laugh coldly: “What a cunning Lu Wen. I truly underestimated you before.”
Although he had long known that Liu Mian Tang was the amnesiac, Lu Wen, after seeing her delicate and beautiful appearance in person, he had still underestimated her. He had always thought her previous reputation for brilliant strategies and deceptive tactics was merely to catch people’s attention.
Who didn’t know that there were many former Eastern Palace officials in Yangshan? Each one was a battle-hardened military general. He assumed she had simply collected their strengths and claimed them as her military achievements to curry favor with Liu Yu.
After all, his adopted daughter Sun Yunniang had told him the same thing, saying this woman was merely skilled in martial arts and fond of taking credit, often stealing others’ military achievements. That’s why the troops on the mountain didn’t respect her.
From the beginning until now, this woman he had consistently underestimated and disregarded had been lurking right under his nose, shattering the plans he had so carefully cultivated.
The Sui Prince’s heart was momentarily filled with regret. If only he had valued her more in the past, she wouldn’t have slipped from his grasp and gone to the northwest to become Cui Xingzhou’s capable wife… But it was too late for regrets now. He slowly sat down and asked, “If she’s so formidable, how did the Lian family get captured?”
The messenger replied, “It was heaven’s aid to Your Highness. Liu Mian Tang had instructed the Lian family to find a remote village to stay in after separating from the Cui family, and not to rashly attempt to pass through checkpoints. However, Lian Hanshan’s wife couldn’t tolerate the fleas in the rural house. After just one night, she insisted on seeking refuge with distant relatives in Linzhou. As a result, their entire family, along with several carriages of valuables, were detained at the checkpoint.”
The Sui Prince smiled slightly upon hearing this: “Fortunately, the Huaiyang Prince has such a delicate aunt-in-law. Otherwise, all of the Prince’s efforts would have been in vain this time!”
Since Liu Mian Tang had given such instructions to the Lian family, it meant she wasn’t in a hurry to pass through the checkpoints either…
Two days after Zhenzhou was sealed off, the number of bandits guarding the checkpoints suddenly decreased. Large groups of troops began to spread out to search the villages and countryside around Zhenzhou.
The surrounding rural areas were combed day and night as if being sifted through a sieve.
However, the thatched shop near the official road that Liu Mian Tang had chosen became a “blind spot.” Although they constantly heard the sound of horse hooves passing by, they were never searched.
But the Chu Imperial Consort felt her heart was about to jump out of her chest from the incessant hoof beats day and night. After darting through the woods several times, she was already haggard. She caught a chill at night and fell ill with a high fever.
Mian Tang felt her burning forehead and knew this fever couldn’t continue. Fortunately, as a half-trained doctor, she managed to gather fever-reducing herbs in the mountains and brewed them for the Imperial Consort, barely bringing down her temperature.
However, Mian Tang knew that the sudden change in the bandits’ strategy meant they must have found some clues. Perhaps it was the Lian family, or maybe those two concubines had been found by the bandits.
If they couldn’t find anything in the countryside, they would surely expand their search area.
This blind spot wouldn’t remain safe for much longer.
Mian Tang was also growing anxious. Why hadn’t reinforcements arrived yet? And what had happened to Cui Xingzhou? Had he met with some misfortune?
Just as Mian Tang was hesitating, the guard on the lookout suddenly rushed in to report: “County Princess, a suspicious group is heading this way!”
Hearing this, Mian Tang’s heart skipped a beat. She hurried out to take a look.
Indeed, not far away, about a dozen men in tattered clothes were carrying a stretcher, hurriedly approaching the direction of the thatched shop.
It seemed they had also set their sights on this resting place.
Mian Tang told the two guards not to panic. Since the group was in rags and didn’t resemble the bandit troops, they would pretend to be fleeing peasants and leave the thatched shop to them.
However, as Mian Tang was supporting the Imperial Consort and passing by them with lowered heads, the wiry young man leading the group fixed his gaze intently on Mian Tang’s profile.