"Exchanging silver for cash, did we reach the city gate already?"
Feng Xiwu wore a "Do you expect me to believe that?" expression.
Lu Qingwan's little face fell, "Can Your Highness pretend not to see me today and let me off the hook?"
Seeing that acting dumb and admitting defeat wouldn't work, Lu Qingwan decisively changed her attitude and earnestly pleaded.
However, Feng Xiwu, that scoundrel, said without mercy, "No."
Before Lu Qingwan's angry gaze could shoot over, he added, "Marquis Lu is leading a hundred thousand troops on a campaign to the Western border. At this time, you, his only legitimate daughter, are leaving the capital in the dead of night with a fortune. What will His Majesty and the court officials think?"
Lu Qingwan: "..."
"So, my father is risking his life on the front lines, and I, his only legitimate daughter, not only haven't earned any merit for being a distinguished child, but I've become a hostage?"
Understanding Feng Xiwu's implied meaning, Lu Qingwan was utterly speechless.
She was now all show and no substance, a gilded cage. The titles of Regent King's fiancée and Marquis Zhaolie's legitimate daughter sounded good, but in reality, she was just a hostage.
Lu Zhenting was far away on the frontier. If his legitimate daughter left, Lu Zhenting would become a "naked official."
It wasn't that she couldn't understand, it just made her angry.
Feng Xiwu frowned, his gaze inscrutable as he said, "You can interpret it that way."
"I can interpret my foot!
Feng Xiwu, I don't care if you're the Regent King or whatever, I'll say this to you: if you let me leave the city today, you'll only lose a nominal fiancée, and nothing else.
But if you insist on keeping me in the capital, do you believe I won't tear a hole in the sky above this capital?!"
If she could leave today, so be it. If not, she was determined to settle scores with scoundrels like Feng Qingheng and Lu Siwan. At that point, she couldn't guarantee how things would develop.
Feng Xiwu hadn't been called by his name directly by anyone in almost ten years since he went to war. Hearing Lu Qingwan's words, his hidden guards changed color.
Even Yue'er was stunned. Feng Xiwu, however, said calmly, "Guards, escort Miss Lu back to her mansion."
Liyang stepped forward. Before his hand could even touch the reins, he felt a blur before his eyes and froze in place.
Immediately after, Lixin, Feng Xiwu, and two other hidden guards accompanying them were all immobilized in the distance.
Lu Qingwan stood on the carriage shaft, casually clapped her hands, and said, "The last person who threatened me, the grass on his grave is three feet high.
Seeing as you saved my life once, I'll spare yours too. Regent King, I wish you good fortune!"
Then, she grabbed the reins, flicked them, and the horse bolted away, charging erratically, which terrified Yue'er inside the carriage.
"Miss, slow down, I'm going to be crushed to death by these sacks!"
"I wish I could slow down, but this rickety carriage doesn't listen to me!"
Lu Qingwan was even more anxious than Yue'er. At that moment, she just wanted to escape Feng Xiwu's sight as quickly as possible and gave the horse a whip.
Good heavens, the horse ran like it was possessed. She herself was clinging tightly to the carriage basket to avoid being thrown off. With a bang, the carriage jolted violently and finally stopped.
Lu Qingwan's vision swam. Holding onto the basket with one hand, she lifted the curtain with the other and saw Yue'er grunting and pushing away the sacks pressing on her.
Even though she was struggling to breathe, Yue'er looked at her with concern, "Miss, are you alright?"
"A bit dizzy, but no serious injuries."
Lu Qingwan reached out to Yue'er, "Come out and see where we are?"
The horse had galloped wildly, and she didn't know where it had brought them. If they dallied any longer, Feng Xiwu's acupoint paralysis would wear off, and he might chase after them.
"Bitch, you're quite capable, aren't you? Come on, show me more of your arrogance!"
A fierce curse came from nearby. Lu Qingwan quickly covered Yue'er's mouth and heard the voice continue, "Stinking slut, for you, we lost more than a dozen brothers. Let's see where else you can run..."
With a bang, the carriage, having crashed into something, let out a crisp creak under the strain.
"Who's there?"
After a stern shout, two figures in black armor quickly rushed out from the corner.
Upon seeing Lu Qingwan and Yue'er, they exchanged glances. One of them said without hesitation, "We can't let them expose our matter. Kill them!"
The other black-clad man nodded, and the two of them charged forward with swords.
"Stay put!"
Lu Qingwan shoved Yue'er into the carriage and threw a handful of powder into the air.
While the two black-clad men dodged, she grabbed a silver ingot from a sack and hurled it at them.
With a "thump," one black-clad man fell to the ground. A single silver ingot had taken down a black-clad man. Lu Qingwan herself was taken aback.
Seeing this, the other black-clad man's attacks became more vicious and unforgiving. Lu Qingwan seized an opportunity and flicked her whip, striking the black-clad man's arm.
With just one whip, that black-clad man cried out in pain, staggered back several steps, and still couldn't regain his balance, collapsing awkwardly on the ground.
At the same time, Lu Qingwan heard screams from the corner and paused. She turned back towards the carriage.
She was in deep trouble herself right now and couldn't afford to meddle.
But before she could take two steps, Yue'er shrieked, "Miss, be careful!"
Her years of acute sense of danger prompted Lu Qingwan to instinctively bend down, raise her foot, and kick the black-clad man in the chest. The man immediately vomited blood and fell to the ground.
Lu Qingwan looked at her own fist in shock. When did her strength become so great?
There was no time for surprise. Two more black-clad men arrived. Lu Qingwan, with a sense of experimentation, kicked and punched to the left and right. Every black-clad man her fists and feet touched fell to the ground groaning, none able to get up and continue fighting.
"M-Miss, when did you become so strong?"
Yue'er trembled with fear but still managed to pick up the two silver ingots Lu Qingwan had used.
"Doesn't your miss have the strength of a divine being? Are you only finding out now?"
Lu Qingwan gave Yue'er a perfunctory reply, "This place is not safe. Let's leave quickly!"
Yue'er nodded repeatedly. After taking two small steps, she suddenly cried out, "Miss, there's a ghost, a ghost!"
"Shut up!"
Lu Qingwan quickly reprimanded her. Was she trying to attract attention?
"But Miss, it really is a ghost. The ghost is grabbing my ankle..."
Yue'er's voice trembled with fear, and she was on the verge of tears.
Lu Qingwan turned back and saw that it was indeed a ghost, crawling up slowly while holding Yue'er's ankle!
As she looked, their eyes met. "Help, help me!"
It turned out to be a woman. She crawled up along Yue'er's ankle, looked at Lu Qingwan unsteadily, and then collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Behind her, Yue'er stood trembling, holding a brick.