"Then what should Your Highness do?" Li Chao asked Xue Zi Ning.
"Wait for them to make the first move," Xue Zi Ning replied.
Li Chao was stunned. "But what if they call for backup? It's just you and me who can fight right now. Can we defeat them?"
"Whether we can win or not, we still have to fight," Xue Zi Ning said, her gaze cold as she looked at Li Chao.
Li Chao was silenced by her words and couldn't respond further.
After a sleepless night, early the next morning, someone knocked on the door. Xue Zi Ning opened it to find the wife of the couple. She held a bowl of porridge in her hands. "My home is humble, and we don't have much to eat. Please have some of this porridge!"
Li Chao took the bowl, but before drinking it herself, she offered it to Hua Yun Jin. "Brother, Brother..."
"Thank you. We'll leave after we've eaten," Xue Zi Ning said.
The woman nodded. "Alright."
After the woman left, Xue Zi Ning closed the door. Seeing Li Chao about to feed Hua Yun Jin the porridge, she stepped forward and whispered, "Don't drink it."
Li Chao was startled and looked up at her. "Your Highness, you..."
"The porridge is poisoned," Xue Zi Ning said, taking off the silver hairpin from her head and inserting it into the porridge. Soon, the silver hairpin turned black.
Li Chao was so scared she almost dropped the bowl. "Your Highness, this..."
"Pretend to faint," Xue Zi Ning instructed.
Li Chao understood her meaning, smashed the bowl on the ground, and collapsed.
A moment later, knocking was heard from outside the door. After several knocks, there was still no response, so the door was pushed open.
It was the couple.
The man said, "I knew it. With such a strong dose of medicine, how could they not fall? You were just being too cautious."
"It's not that I'm cautious. This... this is murder..." the wife said, still shaken.
"What are you afraid of? It's not us killing anyone," the man said indifferently.
Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves was heard from outside. The man said, "Quick, go and welcome our benefactor."
The woman nodded and followed the man outside.
Xue Zi Ning opened her eyes and glanced outside, seeing only dark figures on horseback.
"Young master, rest assured, all your escaped servants are here, not a single one is missing."
"Thank you."
"Young master, why are you being so polite?" The man looked at the gold ingots in his hand, his face beaming with joy.
"This is what you deserve. Let's go!"
The man nodded, thanked them again, and left with the woman.
"Your Highness, do you really intend to let them go?"
"Kill them!"
With those words, the man walked back into the room, only to find it empty. He looked around and realized the window was open.
"Chase," the man's expression turned grim.
"Your Highness, is that person Prince Jing?" Li Chao's face was very displeased.
Xue Zi Ning nodded. "Yes."
She hadn't expected Prince Jing to be the one trying to kill Hua Yun Jin.
"Your Highness, what should we do?" Li Chao was anxious. If her young master woke up, it would be fine, but if he continued to be unconscious, she feared she wouldn't be able to protect him.
"Let's get out of here first," Xue Zi Ning said.
Li Chao knew Xue Zi Ning was speaking the truth; getting out of this forest was the priority.
Before dusk, Li Chao, carrying Hua Yun Jin, and Xue Zi Ning exited the forest.
At this point, Hua Yun Jin showed signs of waking up. "Your Highness, should we find an inn next?"
Xue Zi Ning nodded. "Yes."
They found an inn and checked in. Li Chao and Hua Yun Jin shared a room, while Xue Zi Ning took a separate one.
Around midnight, Xue Zi Ning heard Li Chao knocking. She opened the door to find Li Chao looking very anxious. "Your Highness, my young master has woken up."
Xue Zi Ning said, "I'll go and see."
She went to Hua Yun Jin's room and saw him lying there, his figure extremely thin. If not for the candlelight, she would have thought there was no one on the bed at all.
Hua Yun Jin lay on his back, his gaze somewhat unfocused. "Young master, Your Highness is here."
He then slowly turned his head to look at Xue Zi Ning, his eyes clearer than ever. "Your Majesty..."
Xue Zi Ning trembled. Li Chao, standing beside her, was confused and quickly said, "Young master, you've mistaken her. This is Princess Chang Ning."
"You go out first," Hua Yun Jin said.
Li Chao replied with an "Yes" and retreated.
"Your Majesty, it is I."
Xue Zi Ning's gaze shifted slightly. "You..."
Hua Yun Jin gave a bitter smile. "I heard Your Majesty had disappeared in the imperial mausoleum, so I brought people to search there. But I don't know what I stepped on that brought me here."
"When did you arrive?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
"I came here as soon as I woke up," Hua Yun Jin replied.
Xue Zi Ning said, "I am currently trying to find a way back, but I haven't succeeded yet."
"Your Majesty, I know. It is with the Third Prince," Hua Yun Jin said.
Xue Zi Ning was slightly taken aback. "How do you know?"
"In the imperial mausoleum, I touched the sword that the Third Prince used in his life, and that's how I was brought here."
Xue Zi Ning lowered her gaze. "If we kill the Third Prince, we can leave."
Hua Yun Jin paused, then after a moment, said, "Your Majesty doesn't want to do that."
"Yes, I am still looking for other ways," Xue Zi Ning replied.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. I am here now, and I will help you."
Xue Zi Ning nodded and chatted with Hua Yun Jin about what had happened in the Chang Long Kingdom after her disappearance.
Hua Yun Jin said, "Only Wen Yu Xi knows that Your Majesty disappeared in the imperial mausoleum."
"Very good." Xue Zi Ning didn't want any unnecessary complications.
"Yan Zhao didn't come?" Hua Yun Jin asked.
Xue Zi Ning shook her head. "No."
Hua Yun Jin felt a subtle hint of joy. Did this mean he was the first to find His Majesty?
"Young master, Your Highness, someone has arrived outside," Li Chao said urgently.
Just as Hua Yun Jin was about to speak, Xue Zi Ning stopped him.
"Can you get up?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
Hua Yun Jin nodded and tried to get up, but his body was too weak. He tried several times but couldn't succeed.
Xue Zi Ning stepped forward to help him up. "Don't push yourself."
Hua Yun Jin lowered his head. "I thought I could help Your Majesty by coming here, but I didn't expect to become a burden instead."
"Don't say that. I'm very happy that you found me." At least she wasn't alone anymore.
As Xue Zi Ning helped Hua Yun Jin out of the room, Li Chao saw this scene and was somewhat surprised. No one had expected that Princess Chang Ning, who had always been so reserved around the young master, would now be so close. He found it somewhat unbelievable.
However, he quickly lost the mood to ponder these matters, as many people had already arrived outside.
"Young master, Your Highness..."
"You hide," Xue Zi Ning instructed.
"Your Highness, what about you?" Hua Yun Jin asked anxiously.
"Don't worry about me. I have my ways." With that, Xue Zi Ning walked towards the door.
Hua Yun Jin was about to follow but was pulled back by Li Chao. "Young master, you cannot be rash."