"This is what my mother said. As long as one holds the jade pendant in their palm, clasps their hands together, and prays silently, they will surely overcome disaster."
After Cai Qing finished explaining, she busied herself with praying, not daring to slacken in the slightest.
Feng Jin looked at Cai Qing's extremely devout prayer and felt that Cai Qing's method of praying was very familiar, as if she had seen it before, but she couldn't recall it for a moment.
After a long pause, Cai Qing finished her prayer. In truth, she wasn't sure if this kind of prayer would be effective. But in their current situation, it was a case of trying anything, even a dead horse, to see if it could be revived. Whether it worked or not, they had to try.
"Are you finished praying?" Feng Jin asked as she helped Cai Qing to her feet.
"All done. Your maid believes we will soon pass this safely. If we get through this safely, upon returning to the capital, I will properly re-sculpt its golden body..."
Cai Qing made a grand vow then and there. As long as they could pass safely, she would definitely fulfill her promise.
"Let's hope so," Feng Jin's tone held a hint of helplessness. The sounds of combat around them had never ceased, and as time passed, these sounds only grew clearer.
Could it be that those people had already approached their carriage? Realizing this, the atmosphere inside the carriage instantly became tense. Feng Jin couldn't help but place her hand on the crossbow bolt at her wrist.
"Young Madam... they... have they already attacked?"
This was Cai Qing's first time experiencing such a perilous situation, and she couldn't help but feel constant worry and fear. She tugged tightly on Feng Jin's clothes and moved closer to Feng Jin's side.
Sitting idly was not a solution. Feng Jin cautiously lifted a sliver of the carriage curtain and peeked outside.
Indeed, it was as she had guessed. Those people were rapidly closing in; they could no longer hold back.
Although she knew nothing about martial arts, she could still discern these basic facts. They were all well-trained, and their every strike was aimed at lethal points, cutting towards vital areas. Ordinary mountain bandits would never be like this.
Feng Jin couldn't help but speculate that these people might be elite assassins trained by someone. She was curious about the extent of the hatred that drove them to seek their deaths.
The ambush was laid on the necessary route back to the capital, indicating that the mastermind was very familiar with the surrounding terrain. Without much guesswork, the person behind this must be from Eastern Chu, though she couldn't immediately identify who had ordered it.
After an unknown period, the sounds of fighting outside began to fade. Feng Jin tentatively peered outside. The thick scent of blood immediately assailed her nostrils, choking her so much that she nearly vomited.
The ground was strewn with corpses, lying scattered about. Feng Jin carefully alighted from the carriage with Cai Qing's support, her gaze searching for the man's figure.
After a thorough search, she found nothing. She couldn't see Ling Mohan's trace.
Feng Jin decided to check on the two children first, quickening her pace as she ran towards the carriage behind.
The soldiers guarding the surroundings, upon seeing Feng Jin, parted in unison, allowing her to enter.
Feng Jin quickly leaped onto the carriage. As if by telepathy, the two little ones sensed Feng Jin's arrival, stopped sleeping, and opened their eyes together.
After personally witnessing that the two children were unharmed, Feng Jin's悬着的心 finally settled.
"Chu Qing, and the two governesses, thank you so much this time. Feng Jin will repay this great kindness."
If they hadn't looked after the children upon their return, she truly wouldn't have known what to do.
"Young Madam, you are too kind. This old servant is a domestic of the Ling family, and it is my duty to protect the two young masters. I dare not claim credit for it, nor do I ask for rewards from Young Madam. Doing so would only make this old servant uneasy."
Lin Momo refused to accept any reward, her attitude firm, leaving Feng Jin momentarily unsure of what to do.
She could only comply with Lin Momo's wishes for the moment. Feng Jin stayed in the carriage to settle the children first, and asked Chu Qing to go find Ling Mohan and inform him of the situation here.
By the time Ling Mohan arrived, it was already dusk.
Ling Mohan was covered in bloodstains, his appearance dusty and travel-worn.
"When you came in, didn't you think to wipe the blood off your face first? You'll scare the children."
Feng Jin looked at his somewhat disheveled appearance and spoke with a hint of reproof.
"My son is destined to lead armies in the future. How could he be frightened by such trivial matters?"
Just as Ling Mohan had said, Da Bao and Er Bao, upon seeing Ling Mohan like this, were not scared at all. Instead, they beamed with joy and opened their arms for him to hold.
Feng Jin was truly impressed by this unreliable father and son. Ling Mohan truly raised his children like wolves.
She wondered what Da Bao and Er Bao would be like when they grew up. With such an unreliable father guiding them, it was truly worrying.
"Have you found out who sent them?"
Feng Jin was naturally referring to the assassins of today. She desperately wanted to know who wanted to kill them.
They had chosen to act near the capital, as if they were so worried that they would be able to enter the capital alive, and couldn't wait any longer.
"They were all desperate criminals. We managed to capture a few alive, but before we could interrogate them, they committed suicide by poisoning themselves. Such unwavering loyalty suggests they were indeed trained assassins."
As for which family or faction sent them, there was no clue for now.
It seemed that upon returning to the capital, there would still be much intrigue and hidden struggle to contend with.
"So now there's no clue, and not even a shred of evidence has been left behind."
A hint of worry flickered across Feng Jin's brow. If it were like this, the situation in the capital would be even more difficult to handle.
Their journey was destined to be fraught with hardship. Feng Jin sighed helplessly, "We truly cannot have a single peaceful day. The constant troubles never cease."
As soon as one trouble subsided, another arose. They truly had no peaceful days.
She now truly missed the mundane days of the past. She really felt a bit tired. Living a life where one had to be vigilant at all times was truly exhausting.
"It will get better after this period. Then I will take you out for a stroll. You always wanted to go to West Lake, won't I take you there?"
Ling Mohan embraced Feng Jin, his voice gentle as he comforted her, a stark contrast to the general who had been killing his way through moments ago.
"Let's talk about it after things settle down. These matters are not urgent."
Knowing his difficulties, Feng Jin was even more unwilling to trouble him, suppressing her emotions.
"I'm sorry, I've wronged you."
The more she acted like this, the more Ling Mohan felt he owed Feng Jin, and a wave of self-blame washed over him.