Chapter 121: An Assassin? Who’s the Target?

Holding a big pile of food the villagers had gifted her, tears welled up in Xiang Xinyao’s eyes, though she forced herself not to let them fall.

The villagers were so warm-hearted, and it was clear they didn’t want her to leave.

Under the villagers’ watchful eyes, Xiang Xinyao and her companions set off toward the county town.

Upon arriving at Fumanlou Inn in the county, Han Dongsheng and Wu Yinghai were already waiting for them in the backyard.

Xiang Xinyao handed over six months’ worth of chicken essence to Han Dongsheng.

“Xinyao,” Han Dongsheng suggested, “why don’t you have lunch with us before you leave? I’ll have the kitchen prepare something right away.”

Xiang Xinyao shook her head. “No need; I’d rather get on the road quickly. It’s still too early for lunch, and I don’t want to waste too much time on the way.”

“Then wait a moment—I’ve prepared some food for the journey. You’ll want to take it along.”

Before Xiang Xinyao could refuse, Han Dongsheng promptly instructed the server to bring out the food he had prepared in advance.

It was quite the sight—a mountain of supplies! Han Dongsheng and Wu Yinghai had stocked up on jerky, flatbreads, steamed buns, meat-filled buns, pastries, and several cuts of braised meat.

There was an especially large amount of jerky and braised meat.

Like a worried parent, Han Dongsheng advised her, “Xinyao, now that it’s cold, the braised meat, meat buns, steamed buns, and pastries should last for several days, but make sure to eat them sooner rather than later; they won’t keep forever. If it’s frozen too long, it won’t taste as good.”

“Thank you, Brother Han. But isn’t this a bit much?”

“Not at all! You have so many people with you; I’m worried I didn’t prepare enough. This might not even cover a few meals.”

Xiang Xinyao held back the urge to tear up, joking, “Brother Han, are you trying to fill up our carriage so much that we’ll have to walk back to Bianjing?”

Wu Yinghai joined in, “Xinyao, if your carriage is truly too full, I’ve got a few more you could borrow to make sure everyone’s comfortable.”

Touched, Xiang Xinyao smiled. “Alright, but I don’t plan on living off dried food three times a day. I still want to enjoy some hot meals. Let’s get going. We’ll have a proper gathering when I return.”

Han Dongsheng reminded her, “Travel safely, and if you need anything, just write back. Come back soon.”

“Safe travels, and return soon,” added Wu Yinghai.

Xiang Xinyao responded, “Thank you. I’ll be on my way. Take care, both of you.”

She boarded the carriage with her family and Mo Jinnan, and they left Fumanlou’s backyard under Han Dongsheng and Wu Yinghai’s watchful gaze.

Once outside the county, they picked up the pace.

It was a long way to Yuncheng, but they could barely make it before dinner.

They planned to stop in Shangxi County near Fulin for lunch.

Upon reaching Yuncheng, they booked an entire inn for their stay.

After dinner, Mo Jinnan gathered everyone together with a serious expression. “Master Xiang, for everyone’s safety and to ensure a faster return to Bianjing, I suggest we take a different route and avoid the main road.”

Xiang Taifu asked, “Which path are you suggesting, Your Highness?”

“The mountain path. It’s rough and we’re more likely to encounter bandits, but that’s preferable to being pursued by assassins.”

Xiang Xinyao frowned. “Assassins? Who are they after? Did you encounter assassins on your way here too?”

Mo Jinnan answered, “The assassins are after me. We ran into several waves of them on our way here, and we lost nearly half of our guards.”

Xiang Xinyao’s brow furrowed. “Can you tell me more?”

Mo Jinnan lowered his voice. “It’s the current emperor. He’s worried I might rebel and seize his throne. He also fears that I’ll stand in the way of the crown prince in the future, so he’s doing everything possible to prevent me from returning to the capital alive.”

“He wants me to fight his wars, yet he doesn’t want me alive,” Mo Jinnan continued.

Xiang Xinyao narrowed her eyes. Ever since the original host of her body had been sold to Dawai Village at the age of three, she’d been completely isolated from the outside world.

In the remote, closed-off village, villagers only cared about having enough to eat and stay warm. Who sat on the throne or served as the county magistrate hardly mattered to them.

So Xiang Xinyao knew little about the Emperor of Lingxiao Kingdom.

She asked, “Father, do you consider the current Emperor a wise ruler?”

Xiang Taifu hesitated, then lowered his voice. “Yao’er, be careful; this isn’t something to discuss publicly. In my view, the current Emperor isn’t a benevolent ruler, but he isn’t a tyrant either. Let’s just say his abilities are average, and he’s mostly focused on securing his position.”

Xiang Xinyao nodded. “Don’t worry, Father. I know what to say and what to keep to myself. I won’t go around blabbing. But tell me, is such an Emperor worthy of your dedication?”

Xiang Taifu smiled and shook his head. “Yao’er, I don’t serve for the Emperor’s sake—I serve for the people. If every official in the court did nothing, what would happen to the common folk? As an official, I have to do some real work for the people. Honestly, years ago, I wanted to resign to find you, but with your three brothers still establishing themselves, I couldn’t easily leave my position.”

Mo Jinnan nodded. “Exactly! If not for the people—and my mother—I would have left Bianjing long ago to wander the world.”

“For your mother?”

“Yes, the Emperor has kept my mother under house arrest, threatening her life to force me into fighting his wars. With my mother in his grasp, I can’t go anywhere.”

Xiang Xinyao frowned. “Tell me more about her situation.”

After a moment’s thought, Mo Jinnan shared the details of Concubine Helian’s situation.

Then he sighed, “The guards watching over her are highly skilled. Rescuing her would be as hard as reaching the heavens.”

Xiang Xinyao asked, “Can others visit your mother?”

“It’s difficult for most, but you shouldn’t have a problem. After all, you’re my fiancée.”

Xiang Xinyao’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s discuss this when we’re back in Bianjing—I might just have a way to help her escape.”

“Really?”

“Well, I can’t promise anything yet. We’ll know more when the time comes. Since assassins are after us on the main road, let’s switch to the mountain path. But we’ll need to leave the carriage behind and buy some horses instead.”

Mo Jinnan nodded. “Yes, we’ll have to let it go. But what about all the supplies in the carriage…?”

Before he could finish, Xiang Xinyao raised an eyebrow. “We can’t just throw those out! Let me think of a way.”

If only she could store everything in her spatial space—nothing would spoil that way. But with so many people around, taking things in and out would surely make her look like a demon.

Mo Jinnan reassured her, “We won’t throw anything away. With the mountain route, there’ll be no inns or restaurants to rely on. We’ll need every bit of food for the journey.”

Xiang Xinyao grinned. “Then let’s find a place to store it for now. It’s not like we won’t be back.”

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( what will gonna happen in the next few chaptersss? )