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

Is this person a human or a ghost?

Friend or foe?

If the bandits find out they're planning to escape tonight, they're doomed!

"Who are you!" Ji Yunshu was also startled and quickly went to the cage. She looked through the gap next to the cage to see who was speaking, but she couldn't find anything.

Just as everyone was wondering, a withered, thin hand reached out from a gap in the cage closest to them, waving incessantly.

"Here, here, I'm here."

"We were also captured and brought here by these heartless bastards. My wife and I were originally together, but these bandits are inhuman. They captured my wife separately, and we don't know if she is alive or dead now!"

I think I just heard you say you were going to run away. When you run away, could you please let me go too? Don't worry, I'll come out after you've gone far away. I still need to find my wife. I swear, if anyone finds me or catches me, I'd rather die than betray you.

I'm old and frail, my life is worthless, I'll just die and be done with it. But I can't bear to leave my wife behind. We've been through thick and thin together for so many years, and now these heartless bandits have captured us and brought us here! Oh, what a tragedy, what a tragedy!

The old man spoke at length, but perhaps due to exhaustion, his voice grew softer and softer, and Ji Yunshu wouldn't have been able to hear him at all if she hadn't been leaning on the fence the whole time.

She was furious; these bandits were truly inhuman!

Judging from the voice and the vague figure, she could roughly tell that the man was an old man in his sixties or seventies. Such an old man, with most of his body buried in the ground, had been captured by these bandits and imprisoned in the mountain stronghold.

The old man said that he and his wife depended on each other for survival, and his wife had been taken away by bandits, and it was feared that she was probably... in grave danger.

However, why did she feel that the people and things the old man was talking about seemed somewhat familiar?

Just as she was wondering, Ling Yun, who was standing behind her, suddenly took two steps forward and excitedly grabbed the railing in front of him.

"Uncle Wu, Uncle Wu, is that you?"

"I'm Ling Yun! Do you remember me? We arrived at your village yesterday, hoping to stay the night, but you had two bandits at your house. They impersonated your son, and we were tricked by them!"

The man called Uncle Wu paused, then suddenly grabbed the cage bars in front of him, struggling to sit up and peering through the gaps at Ji Yunshu and her group.

Sure enough, when he saw Ling Yun, Uncle Wu's eyes instantly reddened.

"Ling Yun, it's you! You, how did you get here too? Aren't you an official who works for the imperial court? How dare these people be so audacious as to openly arrest imperial officials!"

"Didn't you tell them your identities? If you had, maybe they would have let you go. These people are ruthless. They kidnapped us...it's just...sigh." Uncle Wu sighed helplessly.

Ling Yun felt somewhat ashamed. "Uncle Wu, to be honest, these bandits know my identity. It's no use whether I tell them or not. I'm wearing official robes. They did it on purpose. Besides, the court probably won't care if one or two officials die."

If he can't do something, someone else can; if he dies, someone else will take his place.

"Oh dear, how could this happen? How could this happen! These people are utterly depraved! Isn't the imperial court sending troops to wipe out their stronghold?!"

Ji Yunshu...

This old man is really bold. Now that he's in a bandit's den, he still says he'll wipe out the bandits' den. Isn't he afraid people will hear him?

However, she did have a plan.

She couldn't turn this bandit's den upside down, but someone else had the ability.

Since that person is already here, might as well make the most of it.

"Old man, how many people are there in total? Tell everyone to get ready and not make too much noise. Once the bandits relax their guard, we'll find a way to escape later. Just follow behind us then."

Those who can escape should do so, regardless of direction. As long as they can get out, they'll survive. It's better than being locked in this cage, tortured to death, and then slaughtered and cooked.

Everyone...

Uncle Wu gripped the railing with both hands and looked at Ji Yunshu again carefully.

Through the gap, he saw Ji Yunshu standing with Ling Yun, her expression calm and composed.

This girl is so calm and composed in this kind of environment; she's clearly not an ordinary person.

"Lingyun, who is this woman beside you? In this kind of environment, she can still maintain such composure and clear thinking. We are truly ashamed of ourselves," Uncle Wu asked.

Another person next to Uncle Wu chimed in, "Yes, Ling Yun, I've seen you twice before. When you were on official business, you were always accompanied by men. When did you start having a woman with you?"

Ji Yunshu didn't speak, but Ling Yun laughed a couple of times, looking a little embarrassed.

"Hehe, she's not with me. She's an exiled prisoner I'm responsible for escorting, the princess of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion."

"What?!" Uncle Wu and the others were shocked.

This woman was actually a prisoner being escorted?!

But no matter how they looked at the woman, her demeanor didn't seem like that of a prisoner at all; rather, she seemed like someone who was traveling and enjoying the scenery.

"How could this be? We've heard of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion. We've heard they've been loyal and virtuous for generations. The young prince of Zhenbei has already been seriously wounded in battle, and his father, brothers, and grandfather have long since died on the battlefield. How could the court exile such a good general?"

Especially this princess, she was already in this situation herself, yet she still wanted to take them with her. If she wasn't a bad person, how could she have been exiled?

Ling Yun scratched his head, feeling somewhat embarrassed. These matters were not something a lowly official like him could decide; he was merely following the orders of the imperial court.

"Uncle Wu, I don't know much about these things either. I'm just following orders from above. As for the reasons behind them, we don't know the reasons."

Wu Bo and the others sighed, muttering that the current emperor was muddle-headed.

Old Wu and the others' words stirred up painful memories for everyone in the Prince's Mansion, and everyone's mood became somewhat sour. Ji Yunshu quickly changed the subject.

"Uncle Wu, let's not talk about these things. I just asked you, please count how many people are on your side and tell everyone to conserve their energy. When it's time to leave, I will come and open the door for you. You can then quietly leave with us."

If a conflict breaks out, please be sure to prioritize your safety. Only by surviving can you have hope! No matter what your past was like, I guarantee that after you leave here, you will be reborn, and your lives will only get better and better!