"A'wu wasn't at the Qin Manor? How could she be gone?"
Wei Qingge, feeling his fierceness, pouted in displeasure and accused him.
Li Qiongyu ignored her words and playfully pinched her.
"Your lips could hang an oil pot."
Wei Qingge was unhappy and twisted his waist.
"Ouch, you're trying to murder your husband."
His voice wasn't low, and people from all directions looked over.
Wei Qingge blushed and let him lead her out of the manor.
Li Qiongyu scooped her up onto his horse and galloped towards the Qin Manor.
As they reached an alley, they saw soldiers kneeling on both sides. Liu Rongruo, dressed in a red robe and holding a wedding dress, had a terrifyingly somber expression.
She ran, she ran again.
He fiercely threw the wedding dress in his hand, stomping on it. Golden feathers on the phoenix coronet trembled and fell, the coronet was crushed, and pearls and jade scattered across the ground.
"Chase her! Bring her back to me!"
"Yes."
The surrounding soldiers immediately drew their swords and pursued.
Wei Qingge sat on the horse, looking at the furious Elder Brother Liu. Astonishment flashed in her eyes, and she instinctively leaned into Li Qiongyu's embrace.
A'wu had really escaped marriage. Elder Brother Liu was so scary.
"Don't be afraid."
Li Qiongyu dismounted, still holding her.
Wei Qingge hesitated to approach that side, holding his hand tightly and refusing to move.
Li Qiongyu didn't speak. He put one arm around her waist and gently stroked her hair with the other.
At this moment, a hidden guard hurried back.
"Master, they've left the city. Our people were ambushed."
Those Gu masters were all skilled in martial arts. The bell sounds tormented them, preventing them from mustering their inner strength, making pursuit impossible.
Liu Rongruo's face was ferocious. "Who?"
"The seven great Gu masters from Southern Xinjiang and the Young Sacrificial Official have taken Madam."
Liu Rongruo's expression turned ruthless, and he quickly mounted his horse.
"Dispatch more men to pursue in the direction of Southern Xinjiang."
"Yes."
Li Qiongyu, seeing him about to leave, immediately asked, "Where are you going?"
"To the palace."
"Aren't you going to concern yourself with the many guests at the manor? What a huge embarrassment this is."
The veins on Liu Rongruo's hand, gripping the reins, bulged.
He didn't speak and rushed towards the palace.
Li Qiongyu raised an eyebrow, scooped up the stunned Wei Qingge onto his horse, and followed him to the palace.
The news of Miss Qin's escape from marriage instantly spread throughout the entire capital. The guests at the Liu manor were shocked, and the Liu family members were furious. The old madam fainted from anger.
This wedding had completely become a joke.
It was ultimately Madam Liu who appeased the guests, served the banquet, and saw them off properly.
However, the matter was widely discussed, and somehow, news spread that the bride was not Miss Qin at all, but a Saintess from Southern Xinjiang.
Some claimed to have witnessed the chaos at the city gate that day, with soldiers pursuing outside the city. The snake Gu from Southern Xinjiang blocked their path, and in the ensuing fight, the ambushing hidden guards were clearly from Southern Xinjiang.
This rumor immediately caused an uproar, and the court was in heated discussion.
Some began to guide public opinion, and countless memorials were submitted to Bei Gong, demanding that Liu Rongruo be punished.
The Saintess of Southern Xinjiang was not dead, and the Prime Minister of the Great Liang had secretly colluded with her, showing contempt for imperial authority and disregarding His Majesty.
However, Prime Minister Liu had publicly executed someone with a sword in court, terrifying the officials.
The censorial officials were furious at the public display of violence and knelt before Bei Gong daily, urging severe punishment to demonstrate imperial might.
Later, the King of Dingbei ordered that he be confined to his manor for contemplation.
This was clearly a cover-up. Prime Minister Liu could still mobilize troops from his manor and received no real punishment, causing discontent among officials.
But not long after, evidence of the Eighth Prince Li Yu's secret conspiracy to rebel was presented in court.
Overnight, members of the Eighth Prince's faction were killed. The King of Dingbei began to purge the court, and the political landscape changed drastically. With no crown prince, everyone behaved cautiously, daring not to speak further on political matters.
With no one intentionally causing trouble, the issue was suppressed.
However, the wedding still caused a tremendous stir.
This was because Liu Rongruo, without any regard for the Emperor, directly dispatched troops to pursue in the direction of Southern Xinjiang and ordered the blockade of mountain passes.
His actions instantly confirmed the rumors.
Everyone understood that the news was not groundless. That person must be from Southern Xinjiang, most likely the Saintess. Otherwise, why would the bride's escape lead to the blockade of the borders between two countries?
Chi You and her companions feared most the sealing of Longcheng and the inability to pass through Yueguan.
However, despite their haste, they were too late. The news of the blockade arrived too quickly. By the time they reached Longcheng, Yueguan was already sealed, and all trade between the two countries had ceased.
Xuan Qing had foreseen this.
Soon after, hostilities erupted. Southern Xinjiang, under the pretext of the Saintess's death in Great Liang, bypassed Ghost Gu Mountain and began attacking Longcheng.
The previously burned Anding Gate had not yet recovered in Longcheng. The turbulent waves of the Qu Nan River churned below, and the eastern rivers encircled the entire city. Southern Xinjiang's warships sailed across the Qu Nan River, crossing the border between the two countries.
Chi You and her group followed the Qu Nan River out of Longcheng, heading towards Ghost Gu Mountain.
Yueguan was filled with the chaos of war. The two countries were fighting, as if returning to that great snow of years past.
On her journey back from Great Liang, she was pursued.
To protect her return to Southern Xinjiang, the seven great Gu masters stayed behind in Great Liang to draw away the pursuers. She dared not enter any cities and traveled only along mountain and water routes to return.
Upon entering the territory of Ghost Gu Mountain, she immediately ordered someone to purchase a miscarriage-inducing soup.
However, Xuan Qing stopped her.
"The child is so old now. Inducing it could result in the death of both mother and child."
"But he is Liu Rongruo's seed, his blood flows through him."
Chi You's suppressed hatred surged forth. Her hollow heart seemed to fill with ice shards, raging and roaring within her body.
"You saw him. He's a lunatic. He's relentlessly hunting me and won't let me go."
Xuan Qing looked at her, consumed by pain and madness, and embraced her, patting her back in comfort.
Chi You clutched his clothes tightly, her eyes reddened, her voice hoarse.
"Xuan Qing, he won't let me go. I will bring utter disaster to Southern Xinjiang."
Xuan Qing's expression flickered slightly as he stroked her long hair.
"Let the doctor examine you first."
They had entered the domain of Ghost Gu Mountain, and the doctor was brought from a nearby city.
After the examination, the doctor said that the mother had been traveling constantly and was very weak. The child in her womb was also large, making a miscarriage extremely dangerous and potentially fatal.
Upon hearing this, Xuan Qing ordered the doctor to be sent away.
He entered the room and saw the dazed woman sitting on the bed. He slowly walked over.
"You'er, let's return to the palace and give birth to the child. If it's a daughter, she will be the next Saintess of Southern Xinjiang."
"You don't have to let Liu Rongruo know she's alive."
Hearing Xuan Qing's words, Chi You was stunned.
If he didn't know the child was alive, no one would come to snatch her away; she would be her child alone.
Her empty heart felt a slight filling. She pursed her lips and touched her bulging abdomen.
Despite the arduous journey, the child had been unusually well-behaved, not causing any trouble, as if sensing something.
Especially after entering Southern Xinjiang's territory, the child in her womb actually kicked her stomach in response, its limbs radiating joy.
Her eyes reddened as she touched her belly, no longer speaking.