Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Tao'er led Ayan and Dongkui for about half an hour before finally spotting the carriage parked by the roadside in the distance.

The man standing next to the carriage was Chen Ping'an. Upon seeing them, he visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Uncle Chen!" Tao'er and Ayan called out in unison, quickening their pace.

Chen Ping'an stepped forward, but frowned slightly when his gaze fell on Dong Kui.

The young man dressed in men's clothing and with delicate features aroused his suspicion. Where did this strange man come from?

How could he be with Tao'er and the young master?

They wouldn't lie to them about traveling together, and then sell out Miss Peach and the young master, would they?

"Miss Tao'er, who is this young master?"

Tao'er immediately noticed Chen Ping'an's confusion and hurriedly explained, "Uncle, don't misunderstand. This is not a young master, but a young lady. We call her Sister Dongkui."

We used to work together in the Prime Minister's residence.

She dressed like this to make it easier to leave the city.

Chen Ping'an suddenly realized and a relieved smile appeared on his face: "So that's how it is."

Since we're old acquaintances, that's good.

He secretly admired Dong Kui's skill in disguise, which was so convincing that it could fool the eye.

Tao looked around and asked with concern, "By the way, Uncle, why are those beggars so late today?"

Could something have gone wrong?

Tao'er still wanted to ask clearly.

Chen Ping'an sighed and lowered his voice, saying, "There were indeed some unexpected events, but fortunately, we escaped unharmed!"

It just took some time.

The beggar leader went out last night and hasn't returned, so no one dared to make any rash moves.

Fortunately, he finally returned just before dawn. Although he was injured, he was not seriously hurt.

It turned out he had been questioned by patrolling soldiers and had only managed to escape after a great deal of effort.

Tao'er frowned upon hearing this: "Are they alright?"

"Everything's alright now, everything's settled."

Chen Pingan shook his head. "The beggar profession may seem free, but it is actually governed by the rules of the underworld."

With the boss absent, no one dared to act without authorization.

Tao nodded thoughtfully.

What she was really worried about was the safety of the Chen family, which is why she asked.

She was relieved to hear from Chen Ping'an that there had been an accident at the beggar's place, and that it wasn't the Chen family that had suffered any mishap.

Without further ado, Tao'er got straight to the point: "Uncle Chen, has the carriage matter been settled?"

Is that coachman reliable?

Chen Pingan turned and pointed to the carriage a few meters away and the coachman feeding the horses: "Everything is arranged."

The driver's surname is Zhao. He has been driving in this area for more than ten years and is a very reliable person.

I told him that he was a distant relative of mine and that he was going back to his hometown after visiting relatives.

Tao'er nodded in satisfaction. Although Uncle Chen was honest and simple, he was quite reliable.

The three followed Chen Ping'an to the carriage.

This is a relatively new blue-canopied carriage, and a chestnut horse is grazing with its head down.

The driver, Uncle Zhao, was about fifty years old, his face etched with the marks of time. When he saw them, he gave them a simple, honest smile.

"Brother Zhao, I'm entrusting these three to you."

Make sure to deliver it to the place they specified.

Chen Ping'an solemnly explained.

Zhao, the coachman, patted his chest and assured him, "Brother Chen, don't worry. I, Zhao, have never made a mistake in all these years of driving the cart."

"We will make sure your relative is safely delivered."

Tao'er took out a small cloth bag from her bosom and handed it to Chen Ping'an: "Uncle Chen, this is the fare and a little something."

When you get back, please let Uncle Chen know that we have safely left the city.

"You all focus on running your wonton shop well, don't worry about us."

"Miss Peach, you have already given me so much, I can't take any more."

You'll definitely need money on your way back.

Chen Ping'an declined.

"Uncle Chen, here's some loose silver. Please don't be shy, just take it."

Otherwise we won't be happy.

Chen Ping'an had no choice but to take the cloth bag, his eyes slightly moist: "Take care on your journey."

If you ever settle down, send me a message.

Tao'er nodded vigorously, and Ayan and Dongkui also bowed deeply to Chen Ping'an.

Chen Ping'an walked into the city, turning back every few steps, until his figure gradually disappeared from sight.

The three boarded the carriage, and the driver, Zhao, cracked his whip and gave a light shout, causing the carriage to slowly start moving.

Inside the carriage, Tao'er leaned against the window, gazing at the gradually blurring scenery outside, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

This escape may not lead to anything, but at least we've taken the first step.

Ayan sat close to Tao'er and asked softly, "Sister, will we really arrive safely?"

Tao'er gently held his hand: "Don't be afraid, we've already left the city. We only need to walk for another half a month to reach a safe place."

Dongkui sat opposite, remaining silent.

She lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and cautiously observed the movements outside.

Years of living in the mansion instilled in her a cautious habit, and even after escaping that cage, her vigilance remained undiminished.

The carriage traveled smoothly on the official road for about half an hour, and was slowly about to enter the territory of Jingmeng Mountain.

The outlines of the distant mountains are faintly visible, hazy and indistinct, like a group of lurking giant beasts.

Zhao the coachman looked around warily, silently praying that he wouldn't encounter any bandits from Jingmeng Mountain.

He wouldn't have wanted to come if Chen Ping'an hadn't given him enough money for the ride.

Because he had a lot of money, he was willing to gamble on his luck.

But that's often how it is; what you fear most often comes to pass.

Suddenly, the horse let out a long, terrified neigh, the carriage jerked violently, and the three of them were caught off guard and tumbled forward.

Tao'er instinctively protected Ayan, but bumped into the carriage wall herself, feeling a dull pain in her shoulder.

"Uncle Zhao, what happened?" Tao'er steadied herself and called out to the outside.

There was no answer from outside, only the sound of hurried footsteps, followed by Zhao the coachman's terrified and trembling voice: "Miss... the bandits... are here..."

Tao'er's heart tightened. Could it be that she had really encountered bandits from Jingmeng Mountain?

She had heard that the Jingmeng Mountain area was densely forested and often frequented by bandits, so she had to be especially careful when traveling at night.

But it's broad daylight now; these bandits have really gone this far.

Were they so unlucky that they ran into each other as soon as they left the city?

Upon hearing the word "bandits," Dongkui and Ayan turned deathly pale.

Ah Yan gripped Tao'er's sleeve tightly and whispered, "Sister, the bandits are coming..."

What should we do?

Before he could finish speaking, the carriage curtain was violently flung open, and a sharp broadsword, gleaming with a cold light, was thrust inside.

Dongkui instinctively screamed, "Ah... a knife..."

Tao'er gasped and instinctively shielded Ayan behind her.

Through the opening in the carriage curtain, she saw a tall figure standing outside, his face covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of sharp and sinister eyes.

"Get down here, all of you!" The masked man's voice was hoarse and his tone left no room for argument.

Tao'er was trying to escape when the car door was suddenly flung open, and several burly men with large knives pointed at them.