Exile? A mad, wicked woman empties the national treasury to escape famine.

Oh shit!

The eldest prince, that tortoise, finally arrived. He crawled like a maggot for so long before finally getting here; even a maggot can move faster than him.

As the bandit leader's knife drew ever closer, Ji Yunshu roared into the air.

"Chu Jinsheng, haven't you seen enough? Aren't you coming out? Do you believe I'll drag your beloved Ji Yunyao to take the fall for you?"

Everyone was taken aback. Who was Chu Jinsheng?

The villagers didn't know, but the exiled prisoners and officials did.

Ji Yunyao, in particular, had recited this name she longed for day and night countless times.

Knowing that her beloved might be nearby, Ji Yunyao could no longer control her emotions.

"Your Highness, is that really you? Is it you? Have you come to save me? Eat quickly, come out quickly!"

These words caused an uproar among the crowd.

It's unbelievable, how could the eldest prince be here?

Chu Jinsheng, who was observing everything from the shadows, gritted his teeth. How could Ji Yunshu be so smart? How did she know that he was hiding nearby?

The bandits were also taken aback.

How could the eldest prince possibly come to this remote mountain forest?

These two women are crazy!

He waited a moment, and when there was no movement around him, he turned to look at Ji Yunyao and Ji Yunshu.

"You two bastards, shut up! Don't think I don't know you're trying to mislead me. Let me tell you, don't try anything funny. You're both going to die today. Prepare to die!"

A hint of impatience flashed in Ji Yunshu's eyes. This Chu Jinsheng was really patient. She had already called him by name, but he was still hiding it.

Since that's the case, then don't blame her.

Just as the bandit leader's knife was about to strike, Ji Yunshu suddenly pulled Ji Yunyao, who was standing beside her, to shield her.

"It's not that I want to shield you from harm, it's just that the man you like is too cowardly."

Ji Yunyao never expected that Ji Yunshu would actually use her as a shield!

By the time she realized what was happening, the bandit leader's knife was already at her head. She screamed and instinctively closed her eyes, trying to block it with her hands.

"Ahhhhh!"

Hiding in the shadows, the eldest prince witnessed this scene and his heart leaped into his throat. He cursed Ji Yunshu in his heart and then quickly shouted loudly,

"Help me out!"

At his command, the guards who were lying in ambush all picked up their knives and rushed in, hacking wildly at the bandits.

The guards surrounding the eldest prince are quite skilled in martial arts.

These mountain bandits were no match for them. Before long, the bandits were almost wiped out, leaving only a bandit leader and a few others.

Only after confirming that it was safe outside did the eldest prince emerge from the shadows, head held high, like a peacock with its bottle opened.

Ji Yunshu glanced at him, and in her heart cursed his ancestors again.

Damn it, they were already nearby, but they insisted on delaying until the very last minute before coming out.

What, are you trying to make him look capable?

She turned around and helped Aunt Wu up from the ground.

The moment Ji Yunyao saw Chu Jinsheng, her eyes quickly filled with tears, which streamed down her face, making her look aggrieved.

She was disheveled and looked dirty. Her pitiful appearance made Chu Jinsheng feel sorry for her. He quickly stepped forward and put Ji Yunyao in his arms.

"It's all my fault. I was late. It's alright, it's alright. Don't worry, I will definitely protect you well from now on and never let you get hurt again."

Ji Yunyao didn't say anything, but just nestled in Chu Jinsheng's arms and sobbed softly, as if she wanted to cry out all the grievances she had. The two of them hugged and cuddled for a long time, while everyone around watched for a long time.

Ji Yunshu felt like she was having a heart attack.

Does the eldest prince mean he's not planning to leave?

Are we going to have to follow them all the way?

Damn it, if she had known, she wouldn't have staged this hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress scene for the eldest prince!

There's Zhou Yanran in the group, she's always so affectionate with the officials, and then the First Prince and Ji Yunyao appear, who can stand this? They're showering us with dog food every single day.

She found it strange that the eldest prince would leave the capital and come here instead.

On the surface, he said he came to pursue Ji Yunyao, but Ji Yunshu always felt something was off.

"Alright, alright, you two have been lovey-dovey for so long, that's enough. Everyone's waiting for you. If you really want to hug, can't you find a secluded place to do it?"

As Ji Yunshu spoke, everyone's expressions became somewhat unnatural.

Even though Chu Jinsheng was a grown man, his face turned a little red. He gently pushed Ji Yunyao away from his arms and looked at Ji Yunshu standing not far away.

"Why are you still the same as before? I've told you before, I like Yao'er, not you. Your jealousy is useless. I haven't even held it against you. You better behave yourself for using Yao'er as a shield earlier."

Ji Yunshu...

dog man.

This was her first time meeting Chu Jinsheng since she transmigrated. No one had told her that this jerk was so narcissistic!

Is she jealous?

Has this bastard gone mad?

Where does this sense of superiority come from?

"Your Highness, are you some kind of peacock? Do you really think you're a silver coin, loved by everyone and admired by flowers? Let me tell you, I was blind before, but now, you're nothing to me. Don't flatter yourself in front of me."

I urged you on because I really wanted to rest. Can't you see that everyone here is exhausted? Making so many injured civilians wait here to watch you two show off your love—aren't you ashamed?"

"Since the Crown Prince doesn't have time, then leave the rest to me."

After she finished speaking, she walked to the side, took a knife from a guard, went up to the bandits, and stabbed the remaining bandits to death in a few strokes.

Finally, he walked up to the bandit leader and stabbed him in the heart.

A red knife goes in, a white knife comes out.

The moment the knife was pulled out, blood splattered everywhere, but it didn't land on Ji Yunshu.

She tossed the knife aside, clapped her hands, and said casually,

"Alright, everyone, from now on, there will be no more bandits on this mountain. You can go back to your own villages and live a good life. Don't think about the past anymore. You've suffered enough. Your lives will get sweeter and sweeter from now on."

Everyone was initially startled by Ji Yunshu's ferocious appearance, but upon hearing her words, the villagers felt warmth and comfort.

I'm not scared at all.

They were fortunate to have escaped today, thanks to the Queen.

The villagers all knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to Ji Yunshu.

"Thank you, Your Highness, thank you, Your Highness, thank you for saving my life."

The other exiled prisoners looked at each other, realizing that asking them to kneel before Ji Yunshu was simply too much to ask.