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

Chapter 97 I'm Going to Get Caught

Mingxiang hurriedly pushed the door open and came in, the door slamming against the wall with a loud "bang".

Before he could catch his breath, he eagerly placed a letter in front of Pei Yanzhi, his movements hurried and urgent.

"Sir, please take a look."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yanzhi's gaze fell on the letter.

He glanced at it once and immediately stood up, his movements decisive and swift.

“The magistrate of Shuizhen County said that someone came to register their household today. The person did not want to reveal their name, but they were a young woman who had paid money to bypass many procedures.”

Pei Yanzhi had instructed Mingxiang to send a message to the towns around Ling'an, strictly ordering that any unidentified persons must be reported.

Otherwise, they would be punished for harboring criminals. This order made officials in the surrounding towns take it very seriously.

The magistrate of this water town happened to be a timid and cowardly man, and he was well aware of Pei Yanzhi's methods and authority.

He was terrified that he would be imprisoned and never get out, and even more afraid that Pei Yanzhi would pin this serious label on him and interrogate him in the Dali Temple prison.

So upon learning of this, he sent a letter that very night, not daring to delay in the slightest.

The letter was intercepted by Mingxiang and delivered directly to Pei Yanzhi.

"Go to Shuizhen."

Without the slightest hesitation, Pei Yanzhi placed the letter on the table with swift and decisive movements and a resolute tone.

"My lord, why don't you let me go first? It's dark and the road is long; I'm afraid I won't be able to get there until tomorrow."

Mingxiang looked worried and hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

"If it really is Miss Xiang Ning, I will detain her and wait for you to come."

The earliest I can get from Ling'an to Shuizhen is tomorrow afternoon.

Traveling between the two places via a small path involves traversing mountains and forests, and it's extremely dangerous to travel in the dark.

Wild animals roam the mountains and forests, and the terrain is unknown; a slight misstep could be fatal.

"This is an order."

Pei Yanzhi was not one to fear death, so after saying this, he walked past Mingxiang and left.

Chenghua, who was following behind, picked up his cloak and hurried after him.

As night deepened, inky darkness slowly enveloped the entire Ling'an.

In this town nestled between mountains and water, at night, mist rises slowly from all directions, like a mysterious veil, gradually enveloping the road ahead.

The wisps of mist permeated the air, making the surrounding scenery blurry.

Mingxiang carefully led the way with a lantern, its dim light barely illuminating a small area ahead in the fog.

Pei Yanzhi followed behind, his expression solemn and complicated.

He wished he could find her and break her legs so she could never escape again.

Or they could simply beat him to death with sticks and throw him into a mass grave to feed the dogs.

That's it, all is over, never to be seen again.

But when he thought of her lies and deception, Pei Yanzhi couldn't swallow his anger.

The lie was like a sharp thorn, deeply embedded in his heart; he hated being lied to more than anything in his life.

It would be such a waste if it died; I'd rather keep it by my side and torment it every day to feel better.

This thought kept swirling in his mind; he hated her deception and escape, yet he couldn't bring himself to actually kill her.

Why should he be the only one who has to endure this torment every day?

The next morning, sunlight shone through the thin mist onto the roof tiles of the inn.

Xiang Ning finished washing up early and had breakfast with Steward Lin. Then she saw Xiao Ming striding over.

"Brother Xiao?"

Xiang Ning's voice was clear and melodious, tinged with a hint of surprise.

"Brother, Miss Zhao, there's something I want to tell you."

Xiao Ming's expression was somewhat solemn. He looked around to make sure no one else was nearby before sitting down.

Lowering her voice, she said, "We probably won't be able to get the official residence permit. The county magistrate won't sign it. I only found out through subtle inquiries that it was an order from above." Hearing this, Xiang Ning frowned slightly. Who else could give orders to the county magistrate besides Pei Yanzhi?
He knew she didn't have a contract of indenture and would definitely find a way to do so.

I didn't expect to slip up here.

"I understand, thank you, Brother Xiao."

Xiang Ning thanked Xiao Ming aloud.

After hearing Xiao Ming's words, she made a quick decision: she had to leave now.

We can't stay here any longer, otherwise, if Pei Yanzhi finds us, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Are you leaving? In such a hurry?"

When Manager Lin saw Xiang Ning get up, he quickly asked her a question.

His face showed surprise and worry, clearly not expecting Xiang Ning to decide to leave so hastily.

"Thank you so much, Uncle Lin and Brother Xiao, for taking care of me these past two days. I'm leaving the city now. Hope we can meet again someday."

Xiang Ning's tone was sincere, and her eyes showed gratitude.

After saying that, he immediately turned around and went back to his room to get his things.

Time is of the essence, and there can be no delay.

If the county magistrate were to report this matter to Pei Yanzhi, given his suspicious and sensitive nature, he would surely come to investigate personally.

He would not allow a woman who had deceived and betrayed him to live unscathed.

Ling'an is not far from the water town; you can get there quickly by taking a side road.

She had to get out of the town before he arrived, or she'd be trapped.

Manager Lin and Xiao Ming exchanged a glance, understanding each other without saying anything more.

"I'll send someone to escort you out."

After Xiang Ning came out with the things, Manager Lin stood up and said something to Xiang Ning.

"No need, Uncle Lin. I'll be going now. Please give my regards to Young Master Lu when you see him."

The water town wasn't large, and the inn was very close to the town gate. Xiang Ning wore a veil, and the veil's gauze gently hung down, obscuring her face.

She clutched the package tightly in her hands, trying to blend in with the hurried pedestrians and remain inconspicuous.

Suddenly, the neighing of horses came from afar, loud and sharp.

The iron hooves kicked up clouds of dust, like a surging tide, rapidly approaching.

A familiar figure suddenly came into her view. The man's expression was cold, and his eyes were like torches, as if they were ice that had never melted for thousands of years, making people feel afraid.

Even through the sea of ​​people, Xiang Ning could see the extreme coldness pressing down in his eyes.

After a night of travel, his eyelashes were frosted white, like the morning frost, cold and lonely.

"close the door."

Mingxiang shouted something to the gatekeeper.

Upon seeing his badge, the man immediately complied, his movements swift and decisive.

Before Xiang Ning could get out, she saw the door slam shut with a heavy thud.

The sound of the door closing was like a blow to her heart, instantly plunging her into despair.

Pei Yanzhi arrived too quickly, so quickly that even if she reacted immediately, she didn't have time to react.

Her heart pounded like a drum, the violent throbbing seemed to echo in her ears, and her whole body trembled slightly as fear threatened to engulf her like a tidal wave.

Then, the man on horseback seemed to sense something, and he lowered his eyes slightly. In that instant, his gaze became even more profound and unfathomable.

Just as his gaze was about to fall upon her, Xiang Ning immediately turned and hid behind the wall.

"Master, what's wrong?"

Cheng Hua noticed Pei Yanzhi's gaze and asked a question.

Pei Yanzhi pointed to where Xiang Ning was hiding and said calmly, "Go and take a look."

Don't be fooled by Pei Yanzhi's tough talk now; in reality, he loves it very much.

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(End of this chapter)