The Double-Chapter 656 - 202 Protection

On the second morning, Jih Heng planned to depart.

Wen Renyao’s luggage was the most substantial, while Lu Jiu and Jiang Li had little, not to mention Lin Yao.

The horse cart was sent by the Military Defense General. Knowing that Jih Heng was in Huangzhou, he specifically found a large horse cart for them and even asked if they needed soldiers and horses to ensure their safety along the way, which Lu Jiu politely declined.

The horse cart was spacious, with Jiang Li and Wen Renyao sitting inside, Wen Renyao still holding Lin Yao. Lu Jiu and Jih Heng were outside, not knowing what they had said to the Military Defense General, and when Wen Renyao lifted the curtain of the cart, the Military Defense General curiously glanced inside, probably knowing a woman was inside but unaware of her identity or her relationship with Jih Heng, simply curious.

Wen Renyao lowered the curtain, and soon after, Jih Heng and Lu Jiu also boarded the cart, with Zhao Ke and Wen Ji acting as coachmen, the horse cart headed out of Huangzhou City.

After Wen Renyao lulled Lin Yao to sleep, he lifted the curtain, and Jiang Li also looked outside following suit. She remembered when they first arrived at Huangzhou City, the area outside was lively and clean, with many people entering and leaving the city. Now, however, there was not a soul to be seen, and even the ground seemed scorched black. The ground was littered with arrows and swords, as well as corpses carelessly piled up on one side, not knowing whether they were from the City Defense Army or Prince Cheng’s men.

The stench of blood lingered, filling the air with a heart-pounding odor. Through the scene before them, they could almost see the horrific night attack by Prince Cheng’s troops. Although Huangzhou City ultimately held, it was anything but easy.

The atmosphere became somewhat heavy, and Wen Renyao let down the curtain, seemingly looking for a more cheerful topic. He turned to Jiang Li and said, "Eh? Miss Jiang the Second, your face seems to have improved a lot."

Jiang Li touched her face and replied, "It seems so."

The medicine given by that couple had been taken so long ago, and the red patches on her face had gradually faded. Apart from a close look revealing faint red traces, from a distance, it was hardly noticeable, almost invisible.

Hearing this, Jih Heng also looked at Jiang Li. He smiled brightly but made Jiang Li quite uncomfortable. He sat opposite Jiang Li, as if seeing through everything, so Jiang Li avoided his gaze and pretended to lower her head casually.

"That’s wonderful," Wen Renyao said with animated eyebrows, "Seeing the Second Miss back to her radiant and beautiful self, my heart is truly happy for Miss Jiang the Second."

Such slick and smooth-talking words may have sounded offensive if they came from another man’s mouth, likely earning him the label of a scoundrel. However, knowing Wen Renyao, they were aware he only liked to chatter, speaking without thinking sometimes, yet his heart wasn’t bad. Jiang Li couldn’t help but feel a mix of laughter and tears.

"However," Wen Renyao started looking outside again, "we shouldn’t encounter Prince Cheng’s troops on our journey, should we?"

Jiang Li asked, "Haven’t they already left?"

"Not necessarily in a group. We might run into scattered soldiers." Lu Jiu said, "Zhao Ke and Wen Ji are taking the back roads, so the likelihood is small."

"Anyway," Wen Renyao said, "you were the ones who let me join you, so you’re responsible for my safety... as well as Miss Jiang the Second’s, right?"

Lu Jiu gave him a look, "I got it."

Afterward, the four of them fell silent. Jiang Li could feel Jih Heng’s gaze on her, filled with scrutiny, which made her extremely uncomfortable. But there was only one horse cart, with no way to avoid it. She regretted not insisting on having two carts, for it would have been better to be with anyone but Jih Heng. His eyes were too perceptive, and he saw things too clearly. Whatever Jiang Li tried to hide, it likely wouldn’t last long before he found out. How he’d react once he did, she could not predict.

Moreover, when it comes to feelings, they are like the scent of a flower that a butterfly rests upon, impossible to suppress. Passersby can immediately detect the fragrance, making concealment futile.

Fortunately, Jih Heng was an intelligent man, and it was not easy for others to know what he was thinking. As long as he didn’t say it, Jiang Li pretended not to notice. Wen Renyao was carefree, after a while, he started talking about other things. Lu Jiu turned out to be more talkative than Jiang Li expected, witty and engaging, even the later awakened Lin Yao was captivated by his words.

The journey back to Yanjing went smoother than expected.

Zhao Ke said that if they traveled by day without hurry, they could arrive by the seventh day. The first two days passed without incident, and on the third day, the cart continued on, no different from before.