After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 105 I hate people who bully others with their power.

Upon hearing this, Pei Yanzhi took the letter, lowered his eyes to read it, and his expression became increasingly solemn.

The letter said that when Wen Caifu accompanied Madam Wen to Xiangguo Temple to worship Buddha, they encountered bandits coming down the mountain to plunder on the way.

In order to protect Madam Wen as she left, Wen Caifu deliberately attracted the attention of the bandits, which is why she was kidnapped by them.

"Take your men and search the area. Once you find them, break their legs immediately."

Pei Yanzhi took a deep breath, raised his hand and gently rubbed his temples, his face full of exhaustion and helplessness.

He never expected that even after he brought the person back, they could still escape.

Cheng Hua bowed his head and agreed, but he didn't dare to actually find someone to break his leg.

If the master is angry, we should think carefully before doing anything.

"Does Master wish to return now?"

Chenghua asked, "No matter what, Miss Wen is already engaged to the master."

Miss Wen is in trouble, surely the master should go back and check on her.

"Suppressing bandits is the responsibility of the prefectural government and the Imperial City Guard, not the Court of Judicial Review."

Pei Yanzhi folded the letter in his hand and said in a low voice.

But he had no choice but to go back; only if he returned would Xiang Ning lower her guard.

Without his oppression, Chenghua was able to find people more easily.

No one has ever been able to escape from him.

"It's finally out."

The monkey collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, as if trying to release all the fatigue of the night with each breath.

As he was talking, he suddenly smiled, a smile filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.

“Last time we ran like this, let’s run back from the border.”

Upon hearing the monkey say this, Xiao Si nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes."

Xiao Ming stood to the side, leaning against a tree, and looked around warily. After confirming that there was no immediate danger, he said slowly, "Let's rest for a while and then get up. We'll take the waterway directly to Yangzhou."

Yangzhou is a real thousand miles away from the capital. He didn't believe that Pei Yanzhi, who was busy with affairs of state at the Dali Temple, would have time to look for them.

We must get away from here as soon as possible to be truly safe.

Xiang Ning naturally had no objections; the pain in her ankle had made her almost unable to perceive anything else.

Waves of excruciating pain came, but she endured it, not wanting to cause trouble for others.

She would feel terribly guilty if her delay caused her to miss her journey.

Xiao Si noticed that her face was somewhat pale and asked, "Miss Zhao, are you injured?"

Xiang Ning shook her head, trying to sound tough, and said, "I'm fine."

After saying that, Xiao Ming looked directly at her ankle and said, "I apologize for being so abrupt."

As he spoke, he squatted down, reached out and grasped Xiang Ning's ankle. He felt a large swelling, and his brows furrowed instantly. He said with a hint of reproach, "You didn't say anything when you were injured so badly."

Hearing the slightly reproachful tone in Xiao Ming's voice, Xiang Ning shook her head slightly: "It's alright, Brother Xiao, let's go quickly."

She didn't want to hold everyone back.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ming looked up at Xiang Ning. For some reason, the stubbornness he saw on her face made him both amused and exasperated.

He said helplessly, "If he catches up with us on this road, it will take him at least a whole day."

After thinking for a moment, he instructed the monkey, "Monkey, carry Miss Zhao to the dock."

After saying this, Xiao Ming said to Xiang Ning earnestly, "If you keep walking like this, your leg will be ruined. A proper young lady like you can't walk with a limp."

Xiang Ning knew that Xiao Ming cared about her, so she didn't refuse and let the monkey carry her away.

The four of them hurried towards the dock in town. After arriving at the dock, Xiao Ming bought boat tickets, and the four of them boarded the boat.

The journey to Yangzhou was not short; it would take more than half a month by land and water. So, he went to the market near the dock to buy a lot of dry food, water, and some essential daily necessities.

Most importantly, he didn't forget to buy Xiang Ning some medicine to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, hoping it would help her ankle injury heal as soon as possible.

Xiang Ning stood on the deck, watching the ship gradually sail away and the scenery on the shore becoming increasingly blurry, before finally letting out the breath she had been holding in.

"Feeling relieved?"

Xiao Ming walked over and handed her the medicine with a gentle smile on his face.

Xiang Ning lowered her eyes to look at the medicine Xiao Ming handed her, smiled and nodded: "I'm relieved, thank you, Brother Xiao."

If Xiao Ming hadn't helped her escape, she probably wouldn't have been able to get this far, and might have already fallen back into Pei Yanzhi's hands.

"We've known each other for so long, why are you still saying thank you? It's too formal."

Xiao Ming smiled, placed his hand on the railing, looked into the distance, and asked, "What are your plans now that you're in Yangzhou?"

Xiang Ning looked up into the distance. The morning mist shrouded the shimmering blue sea, and the still-shining moon seemed to divide the sky into two worlds. She shook her head slightly: "I haven't decided yet."

Pei Yanzhi's appearance truly disrupted all her thoughts.

The money she had prepared was also in Pei Yanzhi's hands.

She was even forced to sign a document to take a concubine, and the thought of that document filled her with helplessness and resentment.

The words he used to threaten her still echoed in her ears.

He knew what she cared about: Bitao, Mama Xu, and the slave status she valued most—all of which he held in his hands, leaving her powerless to resist.

"It's alright. If you really don't know where to go, why don't you go to the border?"

Xiao Ming thought for a moment and offered a suggestion: "Or you can stay in Yangzhou if you'd like."

He turned to Xiang Ning and said that, in his opinion, although the world was difficult, it was not so chaotic that people could not survive.

Moreover, he didn't think Xiang Ning was the kind of person who was lazy and unwilling to work, and he believed that she could make a living no matter where she was.

"Brother Xiao, there must be another reason why you helped me, right..."

Xiang Ning said softly that she always felt there must be another reason behind Xiao Ming's dedication to helping her.

Xiao Ming's body stiffened, then he looked away, remained silent for a moment, and slowly said, "When I was in the army, I met a girl just like you."

"same as me?"

Xiang Ning turned her head, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes, and she was curious about the girl Xiao Ming had mentioned.

"She was kidnapped because of her beauty. The man who kidnapped her killed her parents and forced her into prostitution."

Xiao Ming's voice carried a hint of pain and self-blame, as if that scene were replaying in his mind.

“The military camp is very close to that villa. She managed to escape and hide in the military camp, but because of my negligence, she was discovered.”

Xiao Ming sighed deeply, his self-blame growing stronger. If he hadn't been seen by someone when he was taking her out, perhaps she wouldn't have died.

A life was taken right before his eyes, and he was powerless to stop it.

The man who robbed her was the son of the prefect, and also the nephew of a concubine in the palace at the time.

Because of power, the principle of "a life for a life" no longer applies. The person dies, but the other party remains unscathed and continues to act tyrannically.

Therefore, Xiao Ming hates those who bully others by abusing their power the most in his life.

They hold wealth that ordinary people could never obtain in a lifetime, yet they use it to oppress the people, causing countless innocent people to suffer.

Furthermore, due to their struggle for power and profit, they caused the death of a loyal and virtuous general.

"It's not your fault, Brother Xiao."

"Look, you saved me."

After listening to Xiao Ming's words, Xiang Ning offered a word of comfort, as she could sense the guilt in Xiao Ming's heart.

She also understood that he had helped her so much because of this matter.

(End of this chapter)