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

After saying that, he turned and went back, ignoring everyone else.

Let alone the guards, Xiao Wu himself is shivering with cold and just wants to go back to a warm place to stay and keep a close eye on the Princess and the others.

Inside Zhang Lizheng's house, Ji Yunshu distributed a flashlight to Xie Lin, Xie Mohuan, and the others, and put the remaining ones back into her sleeve.

She led the others onto the carriage first, while she went back into the house and carried Xie Moyao out of the room.

As she led Xie Moyao through the main room, everyone's eyes fell on the two of them. The villagers were surprised that Ji Yunshu had acted so quickly; she had already packed up so soon after they announced the evacuation.

Zhang Lizheng hadn't expected Ji Yunshu to act so quickly. He hurriedly went to the carriage and lifted the curtain for Ji Yunshu.

"Your Highness, um, are you leaving now? Wait a moment, let me pack some valuables and I'll go with you!"

He was the village head, and he had been trying to persuade everyone for a long time. Some who were willing to leave with him had already gone back to pack their belongings, while others who were unwilling to leave were still hesitating and even tried to persuade him to stay.

With hundreds of people in the village, he couldn't possibly influence the decisions of so many people.

But there are many people who want to leave, and he has to lead them out safely.

Just like the princess said, if the village is safe and sound, they can come back whenever they have time.

However, the princess also said that this village is already very dangerous, and even if it wasn't this time, there might be a next time...

Ji Yunshu carried Xie Moyao into the carriage, where thick quilts had already been laid out. She placed Xie Moyao on the carriage floor, then turned and stepped out, nodding to Zhang Lizheng in front of the carriage.

"Okay, Zhang Lizheng, tell Aunt Zhang to hurry up. We need to race against time. The rain is getting heavier, so we have to leave as soon as possible!"

By the way, have the villagers made a decision? I just had my husband draw a map, and the route should be correct. If you all follow the map, you should be able to reach a plain in a few days. If you are leaving, you can rest there temporarily and then discuss where to stay next.

However, the journey is extremely dangerous, so it's best to let everyone make their own decision.

Zhang Lizheng nodded. Old Mrs. Zhang was right next to him. He waved his hand, signaling Old Mrs. Zhang to go and prepare the things.

The elderly couple didn't have anything particularly important, except that since the weather was getting cold, they wanted to bring a few extra warm clothes for the journey.

"Your Highness, don't worry, I've already told them everything, but alas, everyone has their own ideas. They still feel that this village is very safe and say that we are worrying unnecessarily. No matter how I try to persuade them, they don't seem willing to leave."

Of course, there are also those who are willing to come with me; they all believe in the Princess and the Prince, just like me!

Ji Yunshu nodded. Everyone has their own destiny, and with hundreds of people, everyone's thoughts are bound to be different.

However, the thought that the remaining villagers might be completely buried by a mudslide at any moment still made her feel somewhat uneasy.

"Alright, Zhang Lizheng, then tell everyone to hurry up and pack their things. We're all ready, and we'll leave as soon as everyone's done."

As she spoke, Xie Lin, Xie Mohuan, and the others were already waiting in the carriage.

"Okay, I'll go right away. Tell everyone to speed things up."

After Zhang Lizheng left, Ji Yunshu began to observe the surrounding terrain. Although the rain had lessened a bit, the water level was rising faster and faster.

Ling Yun and the officials stood aside, having witnessed the actions of Ji Yunshu and her entourage. Ling Yun deliberately stood closer to Ji Yunshu and overheard the conversation between Zhang Lizheng and Ji Yunshu.

Unexpectedly, Ji Yunshu and the others are setting off so soon, and he is the leader of the group!

Why didn't the princess tell him before she set off?!

The officials looked at each other, urging Lingyun to go forward and ask what was going on.

If the princess doesn't speak to them, they can ask her themselves.

The officials now felt that it was more reliable to follow the princess. Although they were on official business for the court, as soon as they heard that they might be infected with the plague, the eldest prince surrounded them and did not give them any chance at all!

If they were indeed infected with the plague, it was clear that the eldest prince had no intention of letting them live.

Ling Yun was also anxious. From beginning to end, Ji Yunshu didn't say another word to them, nor did she ask them if they were leaving.

Is the princess not going to care whether they live or die?

Urged on by the crowd, Ling Yun took small steps to Ji Yunshu's side, looking at him cautiously.

"Your Highness, are you departing now? Has the situation become that serious? What about us? Should we leave? What should we do?"

Ji Yunshu was still thinking about how to talk to the Crown Prince to persuade him to let them leave, but when she saw Ling Yun come up to her and saw his eager eyes, she had an idea.

She looked at Ling Yun with a half-smile, her tone teasing.

"Commander Ling, aren't you the leader of the team? Isn't it your decision whether the team stays or leaves? Don't worry, even if I leave, our destination will be the place of exile, not anywhere else."

"The world is vast, and we have families to support. Even if we leave the ranks, we can't escape the court's grasp. Don't worry, I'll be waiting for you in exile."

"Oh dear, Your Highness, that's not what I meant. I didn't say you would run away too. I was just asking, if you leave, could you take us with you?"

It was the middle of the night, and it was pitch black all around. Even if she were allowed to leave, she wouldn't know which direction to go.

Ji Yunshu's confident demeanor clearly indicated that she was well-prepared.

He had just vaguely seen that Ji Yunshu and Xie Lin had even discussed their departure route!

"Should I take you with me?" Ji Yunshu feigned reluctance.

"Lingyun, it's not that I don't want to take you with me, it's just that our departure this time was too sudden, and the route we chose is very dangerous. If something happens to you along the way, and you blame me, I can't bear that responsibility."

Also, as you can see, we are now trapped here by the Crown Prince, and I haven't figured out a way to get out.

"If the Crown Prince refuses to let us out, we'll definitely clash with him. You're working for the court; if you talk to the Crown Prince, maybe he'll let us leave. Do you want to give it a try?"