Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 340 Escape
Yan Ciwan was both amused and exasperated: "I know Grandpa is very handsome, but what about after we get married?"

That must have been the happiest time in Nie Xiayun's life; her face was radiant, and her eyes were overflowing with joy.

"Shortly after our marriage, I became pregnant, and the following autumn I gave birth to a daughter, your mother. When your mother turned one, your father passed away from illness. I was saddened for a long time, but thankfully my husband and daughter were by my side. Only when I was with them did I feel better. I had to observe three years of mourning, so our pig-slaughtering business had to be suspended. But we couldn't be without income. Fortunately, my husband was educated, so he worked as an accountant at a restaurant in town. In his spare time, he would copy books and paint for others. He didn't earn much, but it was barely enough for the three of us to live on."

When Nie Xiayun spoke of this, her expression was more tender than ever before.

Although she was initially attracted to Ning Wangchen because of his face, as they spent more and more time together, she gradually discovered his strengths and weaknesses beneath his appearance. His image in her heart gradually changed from that of a god to that of an ordinary person, but it was precisely because of this that she was able to get closer and closer to him.

They supported each other through difficulties and worked hard to build their shared home. Their feelings for each other deepened quietly and eventually became an inseparable part of each other.

Unfortunately, their peaceful life didn't last long. When Ning Qingyang was four years old, Nie Xiayun, who had finished her mourning period, went back to her pork business as usual. Someone came to her door to inquire about Ning Wangchen.

Knowing Ning Wangchen's past, Nie Xiayun immediately became wary. After luring him away, she immediately closed her shop and rushed home to tell Ning Wangchen about the incident.

Ning Wangchen suspected it was He Yinuo's group. Not wanting to implicate his wife and daughter, he decided to leave alone.

Nie Xiayun was naturally unwilling. After her parents passed away, Ning Wangchen and Ning Qingyang became the two most important people in her life, and she could not lose either of them.

That very night, she made a decision, packed her bags with her husband, and quietly left her hometown with her daughter overnight.

Thus began the family's long journey of escape.

“We had been hiding very well until one day, A-Yang got sick and had a fever. I took her to the clinic in town, and we were discovered. But I was so focused on taking care of A-Yang that I didn’t notice that someone was following us.” As Nie Xiayun said this, the light in her eyes completely disappeared, leaving only deep regret.

If she had been more careful, perhaps the tragedy that followed could have been avoided.

"He Yinuo led a group to chase us. We ran for our lives. There was no moon that night, and it was very dark. I couldn't see the road ahead. I only knew to run forward, because that was the only way for the three of us to survive. We ran to the riverbank, where we had prepared a small boat beforehand. We planned to cross the river by boat. Those people didn't want us to escape. They started shooting arrows at me. Anyway, their only target was Ning Wangchen. My life or death didn't matter. They planned to shoot me to force Ning Wangchen to stop. My husband was unfortunately shot by an arrow while protecting me."

Nie Xiayun tried her best to suppress her emotions, but her voice still trembled uncontrollably.

"The arrow pierced his heart, and he bled profusely. I tried to help him, but he untied the rope from the mooring post and forcefully pushed the small boat away. He told me to take my daughter and hurry. I wanted to jump off the boat to find him; I couldn't abandon him. But my daughter's cries kept reminding me that I could disregard my own life, but I couldn't abandon my daughter. She was so young; without her parents' protection, how would she survive in the future? I had to force myself to harden my heart. I slumped into the boat, holding my daughter, and watched helplessly as he receded into the distance..."

Nie Xiayun's eyes were already red, but this time she didn't cry.

"In the end, we were caught up by He Yinuo's men. With my husband dead, A Yang became their new target. A Yang had the blood of the former dynasty's royal family flowing through her veins. He Yinuo called her princess and tried every means to brainwash her, attempting to tame her into a puppet under his control. I hated them to the core, but to survive, I could only pretend to be crazy. What comforted me was that A Yang was not led astray by them. Although she pretended to be obedient on the surface, she secretly came to visit me. As she grew up, when she was fourteen, He Yinuo used some underhanded means to add her name to the list of candidates for female officials."

Yan Ciwan was quite surprised. It turned out that her mother's entry into the palace as a female official was actually He Yinuo's doing.

She pressed for an explanation.

Nie Xiayun sneered, "Do you still remember the Ning clan's Longevity Manual? After the fall of the Heng Dynasty, all the treasures in the palace were put into the imperial treasury of the Daye Dynasty, including that Longevity Manual. He Yinuo wants A Yang to enter the palace to retrieve that Longevity Manual. He wants to use the gimmick of the Longevity Manual to recruit more talents for himself. Who in this world doesn't want to live forever? Even He Yinuo himself has never had such a wish. In addition, He Yinuo also wants A Yang to use her youth and beauty to seduce Emperor Wen. As long as she can become Emperor Wen's woman, she can become an important pawn that He Yinuo has planted by Emperor Wen's side. When He Yinuo raises an army in the future, A Yang will cooperate with him from the inside and outside, and the possibility of success will be greatly increased."

Yan Ciwan suddenly realized that this was He Yinuo's plan!
"That scoundrel He Yinuo had a good plan, but unfortunately, A-Yang didn't want to listen to him. In the fifth year after A-Yang entered the palace, she found the Longevity Formula. She used the Longevity Formula to negotiate with He Yinuo, forcing him to release me. He Yinuo pretended to agree, first having someone release me, and then, after A-Yang handed him the Longevity Formula, he immediately had me arrested and brought back. However, he underestimated me. As soon as I was released, I robbed a passerby's purse. The man dragged me to the authorities, and I was imprisoned for theft. But because the amount stolen was small, I only needed to be flogged and pay a ransom to be released." "Go home. He Yinuo had people pretend to be my family, trying to take me away, but fortunately, Yan Hengyu, the heir apparent of Xizhou, arrived in time. He was entrusted by A Yang to get me out of prison. Given his status, the people in the county government naturally listened to him, and he successfully rescued me. That was the first time I met Yan Hengyu. Although he was the heir apparent, he had no airs at all and was very friendly to me. He personally took me out of the prison and settled me in his villa. His villa was heavily guarded, and as long as I didn't go out, He Yinuo couldn't do anything to me."