So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

The prefect of Qingzhou City was promoted by the Xie family and has a very close relationship with Xie Yan. Yesterday, his superior rushed to report that the young master was coming to Qingzhou to escape the summer heat, so he sent people to wait for him at the post station.

Xie Yan disliked ostentation, so he didn't bring many guards with him this time, only a few close servants to accompany him, keeping his movements discreet.

The prefect of Qingzhou could not find out the person's whereabouts and did not want to miss the opportunity to curry favor with his superior, so he ordered his men to block the road downstream of the Yunlan River embankment and to check people in and out very strictly.

Xie Yan and his companion were delayed for a long time before they bypassed the Yunlan River and headed towards Qingzhou City via the official road in Mozhou. Due to the delays, they could only rest at the post station in Mozhou that night.

I heard there's a poetry and flower festival in Melbourne tonight, and the streets are bustling with people.

Xie Yan wasn't one to join in the fun, but since he had a woman with him, he couldn't just eat and sleep all the time when he took her out. So he dragged her out for a stroll.

Mozhou City is a small city, but the streets are incredibly crowded. Various food stalls line the long street, vendors hawk their wares, and even ladies who rarely leave their homes are out in sedan chairs picking flowers and composing poems, creating a lively scene.

Ning Yu rarely had the opportunity to go out and play, and had never seen this Poetry and Flower Festival before, so she had a great time.

Looking through the crowd, the rouge on her lips was still on, and she was casually eating a sugar figurine, chatting and laughing with the man next to her. Her charming and radiant appearance was something the Xie family had never seen before.

On the second floor of the teahouse, a tall figure stood by the window, looking down at the scene of the lovers, his eyes filled with a sinister aura.

"My lord, the governor of Ji Province has arrived."

"Let him in."

Xie Yan seemed to sense that someone was watching them, but when he turned around, all he saw were a crowd of heads. Having been in the military camp for so long, he was starting to feel a bit like a frightened bird.

"This humble official pays his respects to the Crown Prince."

Suddenly, a fawning voice came from the crowd. Ning Yu glanced over and saw several men in plain clothes approaching them. The middle-aged man in the lead had a goatee and smiled respectfully.

Xie Yan recognized the man as Guo Anhan, the prefect of Qingzhou.

"What brings Lord Guo here?"

"I was passing by when I saw the Crown Prince, so I came to pay my respects." Guo Anhan smiled and looked at Ning Yu beside her. "This must be the Crown Princess. It is truly an honor to meet the Crown Prince and his wife here in this humble land of Mozhou."

Although Xie Yan has been away from officialdom for the past few years, there are still many sycophants in the military camp. His eyes are cold and his smile does not reach his eyes.

"Lord Guo, please enjoy your tour. I shall take my leave now."

"Wait, Your Highness—" Guo Anhan hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, "I heard that Your Highness is going to Qingcheng. The official road ahead is crowded with people. Why not take the road through Mangshan? The scenery along the way is beautiful."

Mozhou is very close to Qingzhou; it only takes half a day to get there by horse. If you take the official road along Yunlan River, you will encounter many refugees. If you take the road along Mangshan Mountain, you can see the rolling mountains. In midsummer, the mountains are covered with dead trees and thousands of green velvet.

Moreover, they would enter the city through the south gate of Qingzhou City, which is very close to his residence, making it a good opportunity to invite the young master to his home for a chat.

He has already prepared a place to stay, a colorful garden, beautiful maids and singing girls, and a river of wine that smells sweet for miles around, guaranteed to keep him very comfortable.

Xie Yan wasn't from Qingzhou, so naturally he didn't know as many places to visit as they did. Hearing this, he asked, "I remember there's a Xiangzhi Temple on Mangshan Mountain, isn't there?"

"Yes, there are large areas of roses on the mountain at this time of year, and many tourists are playing there. After descending Mangshan Mountain, you will reach Qingzhou City, and it is a faster way to get there."

The official road along Yunlan River was full of refugees from the prefectural area. After thinking for a moment, Xie Yan also decided to travel via Mangshan.

The prefect was a shrewd man. Knowing that the man's mind was wavering, he immediately said, "I will not disturb the young master and his wife's enjoyment any longer. I will take my leave now."

The weather in Mozhou City was overcast with intermittent rain. The two of them guessed riddles on the street for a while before returning to the post station to rest.

The prefectural governor of Qingzhou was also in the post station. Perhaps knowing that Xie Yan was resting there, the originally rather simple post station was completely transformed, with all kinds of supplies prepared.

That night, the prefect of Qingzhou invited Xie Yan to have a casual meal in the hall, saying that the governor of Jizhou was out investigating the people's conditions and had heard that the crown prince was there, so he wanted to have a meal together.

Xie Yan happened to have something he wanted to ask the governor of Ji Province, so he went to accept the invitation.

Since it was mostly men drinking, Ning Yu naturally wouldn't go; she stayed in her room to wash up and go to sleep.

In the middle of the night, a thunderous sound suddenly came from afar. Ning Yu was startled awake by the sound, got up and looked out the window, where she saw figures with flashing swords and shadows.

"Qinghe, Qinghe!" She quickly put on her clothes, got out of bed, and called out as she walked out of the house.

The post station was in chaos. Bandits who roamed the area north of the prefecture rushed in. They didn't know where they got the news that the governor of Jizhou was at the post station, but they all gathered their broadswords and attacked.

Ning Yu, unsure if it was related to the rebels in Ji Province, dragged the sleepy Qing He along, wanting to find Xie Yan.

But just as the two ran out of the courtyard, they ran into the bandits who were charging in from the front.

Ning Yu turned and ran, but the bandits behind him roared and immediately gave chase.

Beyond the post station lay Mangshan Mountain. The bandits, who had been burning, killing, and looting, were pressing in too fiercely. The adults staying at the post station were all traveling in plain clothes and had not brought many soldiers. For a time, they were all in a state of chaos and disoriented, and hurriedly ran outside.

Xie Yan and the governor of Ji Province emerged from the government office to find the group comically fleeing. The cold wind and the stench of blood instantly sobered them up. "Where is the Crown Princess?"

The guards who rushed over, carrying knives and with their faces covered in blood, saw the man rushing into the inner courtyard and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort has already escaped. A-Zhou is with her, so she will be fine."

A-Zhou was Xie Yan's personal bodyguard. When Ning Yu was being chased, it was A-Zhou who protected her and helped her escape. However, Qing He didn't know martial arts and was injured in the leg by the bandits while running. She had no choice but to let A-Zhou protect Qing He and run in the opposite direction.

"No, the Crown Prince has instructed me to personally protect the Crown Princess's safety."

"She injured her leg, and the bloodshed along the way will attract all the bandits. I will lead them away, and you all go and meet up with the prince."

A-Zhou, his eyes bloodshot, tried to stop her, but she ran too fast, pinning them both down in the grass before disappearing in a flash towards Mangshan.

Outside the post station, on both sides were dense forests of towering mountains, and the official road in the middle was as white as snow. Many merchants and common people who were going to the city to buy and sell heard the commotion of burning, killing and looting in the post station and were also fleeing in panic, carrying their loads on shoulder poles and riding donkey carts.

The weather wasn't cooperating either; just then, a light drizzle began to fall.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Rapid, chaotic footsteps echoed from all directions as bandits, long knives in hand, chased after her. "That must be a relative of the corrupt governor! Seize her! Seize her quickly!"

The bandits' footsteps grew closer. Ning Yu looked at the few people running out of the post station and cursed under her breath. Why were they following her? They'd attracted the bandits.

If she guessed correctly, these bandits were definitely not just ordinary horse bandits or refugees, nor were they so audacious as to commit violence at the post station. They were most likely the rebel troops from Jizhou who had been incorporated into the army.

She tried her best to hide herself as she ran, but there were fewer and fewer people on the official road. Just then, a carriage came towards her.

A large blade slashed down from behind, and Ning Yu's mind went blank for a moment. Her vision blurred, and she couldn't even see who was driving the carriage. She quickly moved and kicked out, but her body crashed into the carriage behind her.

With a bang, the carriage door slammed shut. Her limp body, which had been lying in the carriage, suddenly stiffened. She looked up and stared intently at the well-dressed man sitting inside.