Chapter 388: Chapter 387: Dying for the Princess Is Your Honor 7

The journey to Bei Qi went relatively smoothly.

Due to prior incidents, both the people of Bei Qi and Nan Qi kept a close eye on Ah Chen, fearing she might play tricks again. Especially on the Nan Qi side, Song Chong had specifically arranged someone to watch her, determined to ensure she reached Bei Qi.

Ah Chen had no intention of escaping; after all, Bei Qi was where she intended to go.

That Song Chong and Consort Li hated her was understandable, considering she had sent Cui Jing to Bei Qi.

Now, how Cui Jing was faring over there, Ah Chen didn’t care. Whatever happened was the other side’s fate; in any case, the other party had to make the journey.

Whoever went to that place would probably not have an easy time.

Back then, the Commissioner returned from Bei Qi, driven mad by Cui Jing being regarded as an adopted daughter by the Emperor, coupled with her own experiences. People who were unaware thought she was too ruthless—after all, it wasn’t someone from Nan Qi, nor the Cui Family who hurt her, so why trouble the Cui Family? Everyone thought Cui Jing was innocent. Those who knew the truth still felt she was vicious, claiming it wasn’t Cui Jing who wronged her, and shouldn’t be blamed on Cui Jing.

In the end, when Cui Jing learned the truth, she told her that she had harmed her multiple times, and now didn’t owe her anything; it was utterly ridiculous.

The Commissioner no longer cared about who owed what; she felt they lived too comfortably, and it displeased and angered her.

She didn’t wish for them all to experience what she had, but she wouldn’t let them have it easy either.

“The rope is too tight. Why not pad the prince’s wrists with some silk? Going forward like this, when they reach Bei Qi, the prince’s hands might be useless.”

“With so many people watching, and the prince not knowing martial arts, there’s no way they could escape. Don’t be so rigid.”

Ah Chen was in the room, casually leaning on a chair.

She raised her wrist and glanced at it; indeed, there were deep marks, not expecting two little palace maids to notice. The two palace maids outside the room were accompanying her to Bei Qi. Since they would be enduring hardship together, they didn’t resent her but tried to make her feel a bit better.

On second thought, it made sense. Once someone entered the Imperial Palace, life and death were no longer within their control.

Since they were sent to Bei Qi, not knowing if there was a return journey, their families likely received benefits. If they refused, both they and their families would die. If they agreed to go, their families could benefit.

As for whether they were willing in their hearts, it was no longer up to them.

From their perspective, if even a Princess couldn’t choose, how could they?

Simply because it was the Emperor of Nan Qi, high above and wielding the power of life and death, who demanded their lives.

The two palace maids were named Hong Zhu and Lu Zhu. Hong Zhu had a fiery temper, while Lu Zhu was more gentle.

The two spoke at the door for quite a while before finally getting the caretaker to agree. As the door was pushed open, Ah Chen wrapped the discarded rope around her wrist.

To reach Bei Qi smoothly, she couldn’t reveal too much at this point. If issues arose, it would cause a lot of trouble.

After Hong Zhu and Lu Zhu came in, they wrapped a layer of silk around her wrist in front of those watching over her.

“Because of me, you have to follow to Bei Qi, not knowing if you can return, so why help me?” Ah Chen asked, now remembering them.

Hong Zhu and Lu Zhu didn’t expect Ah Chen to ask this, both being slightly stunned.

Lu Zhu said, “From birth, my life hasn’t been in my own control. Before entering the palace, it belonged to my parents; after entering, it belongs to Your Majesty.”

“Even if we don’t follow you to Bei Qi, we don’t necessarily live safely and soundly,” Hong Zhu added. “If this time we don’t follow the prince to Bei Qi, next time we might have to follow the tributes sent from Nan Qi to Bei Qi. The palace maids who went there never returned.”

Faced with Bei Qi, the Ninth Princess couldn’t struggle, just like them, stirring some sympathy.

Moreover, during this period of getting along, they truly didn’t find the Ninth Princess to be as rude, unreasonable, and arrogant as the rumors suggested. Listening to those rumors and interacting with her were two different things. Even though they were maids, the Ninth Princess neither scolded them nor vented her anger on them. When Lu Zhu caught a chill earlier, it was the Ninth Princess who arranged for treatment.

Perhaps it wasn’t right for the Ninth Princess to send Cui Jing to Bei Qi, but otherwise, they didn’t think she was bad.

Though the journey was tough, it wasn’t as nerve-wracking as life in the palace.

Ah Chen recalled that Nan Qi not only had to send princesses as hostages to Bei Qi, but also had to pay tribute every three years, and the palace maids returning from such missions were never seen again. It seemed that it was assumed the palace maids sent each time remained in Bei Qi.

It was unpredictable whether they were alive or dead in Bei Qi, but it certainly wasn’t pleasant.

Lu Zhu and Hong Zhu were among the more beautiful palace maids, making it easy for them to be selected.

The submission of Nan Qi was even greater than imagined.

Given Bei Qi’s character, if not for the threat of the Barbarian Tribe and rebel forces, Nan Qi would likely have ceased to exist long ago.

After that day, Lu Zhu and Hong Zhu became even closer to Ah Chen, chatting all along the way.

Since these people were going to Bei Qi because of her, as long as they remained loyal and willing to follow her, Ah Chen would naturally protect their lives.

Those with ulterior motives, however, would not be so fortunate.

Cui Chen found it intolerable, thinking that this Song Chen truly knew how to act demure. Throughout the journey, she even won over not a few people’s trust. It was useless though; what could a few people do? Many more were closely watching Song Chen, ensuring she couldn’t play any more tricks.

It was best she didn’t think about escaping; otherwise, life wouldn’t be pleasant for her.

To prevent her from truly escaping, and being unable to retrieve his sister later, Cui Chen kept a close watch, eyes wide open like an ox.

Ah Chen couldn’t be bothered with him.

On a rainy day, Ah Chen suddenly heard a sound outside while in her room, and opened the window to take a look. This was a mountain inn, and from the window, she could see the entrance clearly.

There stood two figures, holding oiled-paper umbrellas, their faces unseen, but their voices recognizable. This while, they’d been trailing far behind the convoy, seemingly heading to Bei Qi as well. Originally thinking about how to find them after completing affairs, she now realized she needn’t worry about those details.

Indeed, he was someone who required no anxiety.

“The woodshed will do; just somewhere to shelter from the rain.” Fan Shi said. The weather had been fine until today’s sudden rain. With no other shelter nearby, they came here. The rain showed no signs of stopping, getting heavier with time, and their two oil-paper umbrellas might not hold.

“Are there rooms available in the inn? If so, let them shelter from the rain here. If not, let them stay wherever, as long as they’re not outside in this downpour,” Ah Chen spoke, her voice reaching downstairs. People at the inn’s doorway looked up to see her standing by the window.

This time being so close, Fan Shi finally saw her face clearly before quickly averting his gaze.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep