The black horse galloped swiftly. White Cloud somehow caught up and ran not far behind Dark Cloud.
Further back, Huzi and the two attendants accompanying Pang Xiao could barely keep up, while the over thirty pursuing assassins also kept their eyes fixed on them relentlessly.
The mixed sounds of hoofbeats and shouts of battle were right behind them. Qin Yining didn’t know how Qin Huaiyuan was faring and nervously tried to look back, only to be completely blocked by Pang Xiao’s tall frame.
“Hold on tight, don’t be afraid!” Pang Xiao’s arm encircled her waist, his voice right by her ear.
Dark Cloud increased speed. Cold wind howled, whipping her long hair into disarray. The fierce wind stung her cheeks painfully, and sitting sideways with the limited space of the saddle made her extremely uncomfortable. Fearing she might fall from the horse’s back, she could only grasp Pang Xiao’s clothing tightly and bury her face in his chest.
Looking down at the person in his arms, Pang Xiao’s gaze could melt with tenderness. His iron arm encircled her like building a solid wall around her.
“No need to worry. From the looks of it, those people are after me. The officials seeing me off should be fine.”
Qin Yining was surprised he could read her concerns.
Pang Xiao continued: “But now you’ve been pulled onto my horse and implicated by me. Do you resent me?”
“At a time like this, you’re still asking such things.” Qin Yining looked up at him, then felt this position was too intimate. Her body stiffened as she quickly lowered her head: “Why would I resent you?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Yining heard his low, pleased laughter. She was so close to him that she could even hear the vibrations in his chest. Her face burned hot. She wanted to maintain distance, but the limited space on horseback left her uncertain what to do.
At this moment, Pang Xiao truly wished he could keep her by his side forever, riding away with her like this, leaving behind all worldly troubles and court disputes.
He had read many emotions in her eyes just now—embarrassment, nervousness, unease—but notably absent was the hatred he most feared seeing.
She wasn’t like those vulgar powder-faced women. She was intelligent and rational, cunning yet righteous. She could understand his good intentions and wouldn’t blame him even when endangered because of him.
Pang Xiao’s arm tightened around her.
Qin Yining could only resign herself to being held like this, but somehow a small flame ignited in her heart. The heat spread all the way to her cheeks, burning until her face was red as cloth. Qin Yining even scorned herself inwardly—they were being pursued and killed, yet at such a critical moment she still had idle thoughts about such things.
Pang Xiao led Qin Yining forward at full gallop. Dark Cloud ran with great enthusiasm on all four hooves. But the assassins pursued relentlessly, and Dark Cloud was carrying both of them. After running for an hour, he whistled to call White Cloud over and nimbly leaped with Qin Yining onto White Cloud’s back.
Though White Cloud appeared gentle, its stamina and endurance were no less than Dark Cloud’s. However, the horses of Huzi and the two elite Tiger Guards were already exhausted.
Pang Xiao turned back and made a gesture.
Huzi and the elite Tiger Guards immediately slowed their pace.
It was now near sunset. After seeing Pang Xiao make the gesture, Qin Yining watched White Cloud and Dark Cloud run even faster, the sounds of pursuit growing distant behind them. She became even more worried: “Your Highness! Are we just leaving like this? What about Huzi and the others?”
Pang Xiao chuckled with deep feeling: “At a time like this, you’re still worried about others? Don’t worry, they have their own ways to escape.”
Qin Yining frowned tightly: “But there are so many assassins…”
“Rest assured, I know what I’m doing.”
Hearing this, Qin Yining could only remain silent. At this moment, the only thing she could do was rely on Pang Xiao—there was no other option.
Day and night alternated. In the blink of an eye, it was already past midnight when the moon hung high in the sky.
The sounds of pursuing hoofbeats continued not far behind them, while Dark Cloud and White Cloud had already taken turns carrying them for nearly six hours. Even thoroughbred horses had limits to their stamina.
Qin Yining frowned with concern: “Your Highness, they’re pursuing so relentlessly. What should we do?”
Pang Xiao looked back thoughtfully.
By now, Qin Yining’s shoulder was numb with cold.
Spring nights were damp and cold. Sitting on a galloping horse, the wind that had been refreshingly cool in sunlight was now quite damp and cold in the deep night.
She heard Pang Xiao’s sigh by her ear and noticed the horse’s pace had slowed somewhat.
Qin Yining looked up anxiously: “What’s wrong?”
Pang Xiao’s large hand embraced her, stroking her cold shoulder and arm: “Are you cold?”
“This little bit of cold is nothing. At such a critical time, how can I have the mind to care about such things?”
She spoke calmly, but Pang Xiao felt very distressed.
The horse’s pace slowed further.
Qin Yining became even more anxious: “Are you injured?” If not injured, Pang Xiao wouldn’t slow down. The assassins pursuing closely behind were like a pack of hungry wolves biting their prey. How could Pang Xiao, with just two fists, fend off so many hands?
Pang Xiao laughed, his laughter low and pleased: “I’m not injured. Don’t worry.”
One hand held the reins while the other cupped the back of her head. Without warning, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.
She was completely unprepared for his invasion. Under the entanglement of lips and tongues, she was so frightened she forgot to breathe, yet where they touched, a tingling sensation spread throughout her body, making her forget the cold and the fear of being pursued.
Pang Xiao’s urgent and domineering demands made his body burn with heat. Watching her soften into a pool of spring water in his arms, he truly wished he could just take her away like this.
After a long while, their lips parted. Only then did Qin Yining begin breathing rapidly: “You, how could you…”
“This is for you.”
Something cool touched her wrist. Looking down in the bright moonlight, she saw Pang Xiao tying a string of red bean beads around her wrist.
“I made this myself. I’d never made one before, so it’s a bit rough. Don’t dislike it. This is… this is a token.”
Pang Xiao lowered his head again to kiss her forehead: “I will definitely find a way to marry you. No matter what obstacles lie between us, just rest assured—I will handle everything properly. Just remember one thing: you are my woman now.”
Qin Yining’s heart pounded chaotically, her mind barely functioning.
Pang Xiao’s forceful words still lingered in her ears: “No matter who it is, whether he takes a fancy to you or you take a fancy to someone else, as long as I discover it, I will kill him!”
“You…”
“Remember, you can only be mine.”
Pang Xiao placed another kiss on her trembling eyelashes.
The sounds of pursuing hoofbeats were right behind Pang Xiao.
Yet Pang Xiao reined in Dark Cloud to a stop.
Qin Yining forced herself to remain calm, but she was beginning to have some doubts.
Sure enough, in just a few breaths, she heard the pursuers’ hoofbeats stop in orderly fashion.
Huzi dismounted and came forward to bow: “Your Highness.”
“Mm, how far are the Great Yan farewell party from here?”
“They’ve been pursuing relentlessly, but Great Yan warhorses are different from ours. They’re at least one incense stick’s time away from here.”
Pang Xiao nodded and waved for them to withdraw. Then, embracing Qin Yining’s slender waist with both hands, he looked down at her tenderly, his voice gentle:
“Don’t be angry. I just wanted to spend a little more time with you. After today’s parting, who knows when we’ll meet again.”
Qin Yining pressed her red lips together without speaking.
Seeing her silence, Pang Xiao sighed and instructed: “In a moment, take White Cloud and find a secluded place to hide. Your father’s people will catch up soon, so your safety can be guaranteed. When the time comes, tell everyone that I was pursued by a group of Tatar assassins and, fearing to implicate you, found an opportunity to hide you midway. If anyone asks how you knew those assassins were Tatars, tell them that when the group was urgently pursuing, they spoke in Tatar language. Remember this, understood?”
Qin Yining looked at Pang Xiao with a complex expression: “From this morning when you said your poison flared up and needed treatment, everything was planned by you?”
Pang Xiao was speechless and nodded.
“Your Highness truly has unparalleled wisdom and strategy.” Thinking carefully, Qin Yining realized there were many flaws in today’s events. For instance, when those assassins appeared, why didn’t they kill even one of the Great Yan officials seeing him off, yet pursued Pang Xiao relentlessly? Throughout the journey, although Pang Xiao protected her well, he never showed signs of panic.
It was just that being in Pang Xiao’s arms, her heart was disturbed and rippling, making careful thought impossible. She had lost her usual composure and thus lost her ability to judge accurately.
These were clearly people he had arranged, yet he called them Tatars. What was his purpose?
How did he know about Tatars being in the capital?
If news spread that Tatars had taken the opportunity to assassinate Great Zhou’s Prince Zhongshun while Great Yan people were seeing him off from the capital, what consequences would that create?
Cao Yuqing should have already handed over the Tatars she captured to the emperor. The emperor should have heard their confessions too. The emperor wasn’t stupid—as long as those people revealed even a little, they could implicate National Uncle Cao.
Now Pang Xiao’s scheme was equivalent to adding fuel to the fire regarding National Uncle Cao’s collusion with the Tatars!
Calculating this way, Pang Xiao’s action was also to give her and her father a great gift…
“You really are…” Qin Yining sighed.
Pang Xiao watched her nervously, constantly observing her expression. She hadn’t been angry when he forcibly kissed her, nor when he threatened her not to fancy anyone else. Only after learning that today’s events were all his arrangement did she show some hesitation.
Now she looked like she had figured things out and was feeling emotional.
Pang Xiao’s anxious heart settled, and he couldn’t help laughing. By her ear, he said: “Sister Yining, you clearly fancy me too. Won’t you admit it?”
Warm breath on her ear made Qin Yining tremble all over as she pushed him away.
Pang Xiao felt like he’d been patted by a little rabbit’s fluffy paw.
Looking at the sky and listening to the sounds behind them, Pang Xiao sighed. With both hands gripping her slender waist, he lifted her down from the horse’s back, bent down to gently stroke her head: “Alright, go hide. Don’t worry about anything else. Remember what I just told you.”
Qin Yining led White Cloud back several steps.
Pang Xiao signaled to Huzi behind him, then raised his whip: “Being pursued by Tatars on your Great Yan territory makes this prince very dissatisfied. Let your emperor deal with it.” With that, he spurred his horse, and Dark Cloud shot out swiftly. Huzi and the attendants also followed.
Standing by the roadside, Qin Yining watched as the group of fake Tatars also pursued them like shadows. Only then did she sigh and lead Dark Cloud toward the nearby woods.
Mini Theater: Yining: The most treacherous path I’ve walked in this lifetime is His Highness’s schemes! Pang Xiao: Little bunny seems angry…
Author’s Note: The website was acting up. Starting at 9 o’clock, I tried opening the author backend to publish, but the page kept showing 502 errors, or sometimes 504 errors. When I finally managed to open the backend, the publish button wouldn’t appear. I kept refreshing until now when it finally worked. It worried me to death TAT