"Are you sure it’s a man?" Princess Xinyang asked.
"I heard his voice," Xiao Ji said.
Princess Xinyang was astonished: "You could hear it from so far away."
Xiao Ji smiled faintly: "Your man is quite formidable."
My man... Princess Xinyang felt a bit uneasy with the sudden label.
Xiao Ji seemed unaware that he’d said anything shocking; he looked in the direction of the group and said, "Those Dongyi soldiers are of high rank, they look like the personal guards of the Dongyi King."
When it came to serious matters, Princess Xinyang’s demeanor turned solemn: "Are they escorting the Dongyi King?"
Xiao Ji, that man, shook his head: "No, the Dongyi King is at least five or six years older. This is a young man."
Princess Xinyang pondered: "The son of the Dongyi King?"
Xiao Ji replied seriously: "We can’t rule out the possibility. But why is he covering himself so thoroughly?"
The two went to inquire with an old woman for information.
The old woman said she knew nothing about it; she was just a rural old woman whose farthest trip had been to a forest ten li away and the most esteemed person she’d ever met was the village chief.
After returning to the house, Princess Xinyang saw him deep in thought, knowing he had a plan in mind.
She asked, "Are you planning to do something? There are many of them, and you haven’t recovered from your injuries; you can’t match them."
Xiao Ji said, "I won’t fight them head-on."
Princess Xinyang’s expression changed slightly: "Are you thinking of... impersonating that person to meet the Dongyi King?"
Xiao Ji did not deny it.
Princess Xinyang clenched her fists: "Are you crazy? You’ve only been healing for three days! Your wounds haven’t even healed yet, and at this critical moment, you want to assassinate the Dongyi King? Isn’t that just courting death?"
Xiao Ji laughed easily: "As long as I can capture him, I won’t die."
Princess Xinyang frowned: "What if you fail to capture him?"
Xiao Ji’s smile faded: "Xiao En and Xiao Ze are still in the Dongyi King’s hands. I’ve been missing for three days. At that time, the Dongyi people saw me fall into the trap and were gravely injured when Chang Jing pulled me out. If I don’t show up for too long, the Dongyi might assume I died from my injuries."
How could someone as clever as Princess Xinyang not understand?
The Dongyi King captured Xiao En and Xiao Ze initially to threaten him; if he died, Xiao En and Xiao Ze would lose their value.
They would be killed or tortured to death.
She no longer tried to dissuade him but made a request: "I don’t oppose your plan, but you have to take me with you." Content orıginally comes from 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝗇𝖾𝗍
Xiao Ji sighed helplessly: "Qin Fengwan..."
Princess Xinyang interrupted him: "That person has a servant with him, sitting in the carriage together. Do you think that servant is just for show? He surely attends to him closely, taking off his hat and veil every night. If we replace the two of them together, it will be foolproof."
Actually, she had deeper considerations; the Marquis of Xuanping is a military general. If it really came to being captured, he would rather commit suicide with his two sons than fall into the Dongyi’s hands.
She didn’t want any of that to happen.
"No matter what, I won’t be harmed. I am a princess; if they capture me, they can exchange many things with His Majesty."
If she were a powerless princess, she might not have such a bold claim, but everyone knew she was favored by the emperor and was his most cherished princess.
Although she herself found this rumor unbelievable, as long as it could fool others, it was enough.
Seeing Xiao Ji still hesitant, she pointed outside the door: "Are you really at ease leaving me here alone? Believe it or not, the moment you leave, the old lady might sell me off?"
The old woman sweeping in the main room: "???."
What really convinced Xiao Ji to decide to take Qin Fengwan with him was what happened next.
That team of Dongyi soldiers discovered the bodies of two Dongyi soldiers killed by Xiao Ji near the canal at the rock cave exit.
The group immediately became vigilant and began a search in and around the village.
Xiao Ji quickly took up his sword and smashed the bed in the old woman’s house.
He also hid one of the two cups on the table and took one of the chairs outside, creating the illusion that only one person lived in the house.
The old woman was widowed, and the villagers would know this house was originally unoccupied, so Xiao Ji’s series of actions would lead others to think that the old woman’s bed broke, and she had no choice but to move to this small house.
Princess Xinyang secretly admired him; he seemed rough, but in reality, he was thoughtful and meticulous.