Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 101 An Encounter with Mountain Bandits
"OK then."

Seeing that he didn't seem tired at all, Song Yi finally felt at ease and leaned on his back, looked at the few stars in the sky, and then gently closed her eyes.

Jiang Lanye noticed that the person behind him seemed a little sleepy, like a cat sprawled out like a pancake, lazily lying on his back, without making any movement.

He smiled slightly and softened his breathing.

"Shhhh-"

Suddenly, the sharp sound of an arrow piercing the wind came from the woods.

Jiang Lanye's expression suddenly turned cold.

Two arrows shot from the same direction, heading straight for Jiang Lanye's face.

He carried Song Yi on his back, turned slightly to the side, and just managed to dodge it.

At the same time, a soldier nearby deflected it with his sword, and the arrow struck the tree trunk.

Song Yi suddenly opened her eyes and asked in horror, "What happened?!"

Before she could react, Jiang Lanye suddenly turned back, put her in the carriage, and said:
"Lie down, don't go out!"

After saying that, he directly drew the sword from a soldier's waist.

Song Yi was so frightened that her face turned pale instantly. Seeing Jiang Lanye standing guard by the carriage with a sword, she quickly reached out and grabbed him, saying, "Jiang Lanye, come in too!"

"Don't worry, nothing will happen."

Although arrows shot out from the darkness, the sound suggested that there were not many people approaching.

They must be some bandits from the mountains.

With so many soldiers along the way, their large and imposing procession was hard to ignore.

Several soldiers drew their swords and charged forward, quickly capturing the four men who had been shooting arrows from the shadows. They held swords to their necks and demanded:

"Say! Who sent you here!"

The four men stammered in response, "We don't know either! Someone said that as long as you hurt that guy, you can get money."

The person he was referring to was naturally Jiang Lanye.

"Your Majesty, what should be done?"

Jiang Lanye said calmly, "Kill him."

Before the four men could even beg for mercy, blood gushed from their throats, and they collapsed to the ground.

They then dragged the four bodies aside.

There was no one else around. The soldiers in front lit torches and shone them around to make sure they could continue.

Jiang Lanye hurriedly walked back, lifted the curtain, and saw Song Yi obediently listening to him, curled up in his seat with his hands covering his head, looking like a rabbit ball.

Jiang Lanye spoke in a low voice, as if afraid of startling her:
"It's okay now."

Song Yi suddenly looked up, her eyes shining brightly in the night. She looked at Jiang Lanye and asked, trembling:
"You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, as I said before, you would be unhappy if I were injured, but I won't make you unhappy."

Song Yi let out a heavy sigh.

The scene of Jiang Lanye being stabbed by the dagger was still vivid in my mind.

She came out and was carried away by Jiang Lanye. She couldn't help but say:
"Jiang Lanye, being an emperor is really dangerous. In this world, aren't there many people who want to kill you?"

Jiang Lanye raised his hand to tidy her messy hair and said gently, "Yes, but no one can kill me."

Song Yi was somewhat relieved.

Jiang Lanye asked, "Do you still want me to carry you?"

We're almost at the top. Song Yi shook her head: "You're too tired."

After saying that, she took Jiang Lanye's hand and they slowly walked uphill together. When they reached the top of the mountain, the wind suddenly picked up and howled, blowing Song Yi's dress tightly against her body, her hair flying wildly, and her eyes almost unable to open.

"Why is the wind so strong!"

She managed to say those words with difficulty, but then a gust of wind blew into her throat, and her voice drifted away. Jiang Lanye didn't hear what she said.

Jiang Lanye raised his hand to shield his eyes from the wind, noticing that Song Yi was almost blown over. He took off his cloak and wrapped it around her, then reached out to shield her from the wind and led her down.

Song Yi's vision went black, and she couldn't see anything. She felt like her feet weren't on solid ground, but Jiang Lanye supported her all the way, so she wasn't worried at all and followed him down the path with complete peace of mind.

After an unknown amount of time, the wind gradually subsided, and Song Yi reached out and pulled off his robe, revealing his head, which was now completely disheveled.

She looked quite disheveled, with several strands of her hair sticking up, but thankfully the beaded flower hadn't fallen off and was still firmly in place.

Jiang Lanye looked at her and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Song Yi immediately glared at him fiercely.

Jiang Lanye reached out and roughly smoothed her hair, saying, "Alright, let's go down the mountain first."

After descending the mountain, there was a small village, with only a few houses still lit up.

Everyone quieted down, and after they went downstairs, Song Yi couldn't help but whisper:
"After climbing the mountain once, I instantly wanted to go back to sitting in the carriage."

Her calves were a little sore and weak, and the hem of her skirt had turned grayish.

Jiang Lanye said softly, "Let's rest here tonight, and we'll have to keep going before dawn tomorrow."

Song Yi yawned and asked, "Can I take a bath here?"

"Let's hold off for now; this place isn't suitable tonight."

Song Yi pouted, "Fine, shall we rest in the carriage then?"

The soldiers had already begun preparations, casually plucking some dry grass from the blankets and clothes they had brought, spreading them on top, lighting a fire, and starting to eat.

Xichun took Song Yi's clothes and prepared to go to the stream in the village to wash them quickly.

Seeing her walk away, Song Yi felt a little uneasy.

Jiang Lanye then said, "I will have Eunuch Cao go along as well."

Song Yi then sat down, looking at the fire in front of him. The dry firewood crackled and popped as it burned, and sparks flew back and forth in the dark night before quickly going out.

She curled up with her knees drawn up to her chest, squinted her eyes, and still couldn't help but say, "Jiang Lanye, look what a wise decision it was to bring me here. Otherwise, tonight you would be sitting pitifully in front of this fire, looking at the stars and the moon."

She observed Jiang Lanye's expression, leaned closer, and said, "Besides, you must be wondering all alone what Song Yi is doing right now? Is he thinking of me?"

She kept chattering in Jiang Lanye's ear, and Jiang Lanye, exasperated, reached out and pinched the back of her neck.

Song Yi immediately struggled to get up.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew by, and the flames were blown over, almost burning Song Yi's skirt.

She quickly dodged, then let out a soft "ah".

Jiang Lanye immediately asked, "What's wrong?"

She rubbed her calf, on the verge of tears, and said, "It seems like I have a cramp."

She walked so far today, so it's no surprise that her legs are cramping.

Jiang Lanye first warmed his hands, then gently placed them on the flesh of her calves.

His large hands easily enveloped her calves, and then he kneaded them with remarkable skill.

Song Yi comfortably squinted her eyes again and said, "Jiang Lanye, do you think my frequent cramps mean I'm going to grow taller?"

Jiang Lanye: "."

Fantastic idea.

(End of this chapter)