Favoring the concubine and killing the wife? She divorced the concubine and lived with her concubine

Xiao Lan had originally planned to leave the capital under cover of darkness. However, this wasn't South City after all, and the city gates were strictly controlled. How could they be so easily opened for the sake of one person? Under the veil of night, the capital was utterly silent, with only the occasional sound of the night watchman's drum.

Inside, candlelight flickered, casting shadows on the walls. Fang Qingqing lazily reclined on the couch, one hand casually tugging at the jagged ends of her hair, the other resting casually on the edge of the couch, legs crossed, a posture comfortable yet somewhat nonchalant.

She raised her eyes slightly and asked Xiao Lan casually, "Do you think Madam Xiao can defend that ship?"

Xiao Lan sat in a chair nearby, her hands clasped together, her brow furrowed, a look of confusion and worry in her eyes. She was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "I don't know either. The situation was urgent at the time, and I didn't fully realize how serious it had become. As for whether she would take my request seriously, I really had no idea."

Although Xiao Wu is Xiao Lan's mother, in Xiao Lan's view, since she traveled to this world, Xiao Wu has almost never fulfilled the responsibilities and obligations of a mother. The mother-daughter relationship between them is as weak as the faint moonlight outside the window.

Therefore, Xiao Lan found it difficult to trust Xiao Wu too much. She even often doubted whether Xiao Wu would really take what she said to heart.

Fang Qingqing looked so relaxed and contented, as if the tense atmosphere around her had nothing to do with her. Liu Hu couldn't help but squinted at her, his eyes filled with confusion and a hint of dissatisfaction. He asked, "Why do you look so nonchalant and indifferent? Are you really not afraid of death?"

Fang Qingqing's gaze was still fixed on the flickering light on the table, as if she was attracted by the swaying flame. After a moment, she whispered, "Oh, death...that hurts a lot." Her voice was very light, as if it came from a distant place, and as if she was just talking to herself.

Upon hearing this, Liu Hu sat up straight, raised his eyebrows and asked, "Have you died before?" As he spoke, he leaned back on the couch, reached out and picked up two peanuts from the small table next to him, casually threw them into his mouth, and bit them into pieces with a "crunch". Then he picked up the wine jug, tilted his head back and took a big gulp. The wine flowed down the corner of his mouth, and he casually wiped it with his sleeve.

At this moment, Fang Qingqing suddenly turned her head, her loose hair hanging in front of her eyes like a black waterfall, covering most of her face, leaving only a pair of deep eyes. She said softly, "Well, he died, and died miserably." Her voice was mysterious, which made people feel a chill down their spines.

Liu Hu was frightened by her sudden action and words, and trembled all over. The wine jug in his hand almost slipped. However, he quickly reacted, curled his lips, and rolled his eyes at Fang Qingqing, muttering, "You just want to scare people."

Su Ze, who was standing aside, just looked at Xiao Lan quietly from beginning to end, with his lips tightly pursed, without saying a word.

He felt the same way as Xiao Lan, completely unsure of the situation. He couldn't help but wonder, even if he went back and mobilized the yamen runners to guard the ship, if Liu Yu secretly resorted to forceful measures, could he really resist with his own strength?

After all, they not only have the support of the army defending the city, but also the help of masters that even Liu Hu had difficulty dealing with before.

Su Ze remembered what the old marquis had said. The third prince had always been meticulous and now held a high position of power. Whatever he wanted to accomplish must have been carefully considered, supported by many parties, and meticulously planned.

Would he really bet everything on that ship and wait for the man to be caught red-handed? There are too many variables to predict.

Looking at the Xiao family again, it is now in danger and may collapse at any time. Su Ze's eyes fell on Xiao Lan again, his eyes full of reluctance and worry.

A picture suddenly flashed through his mind. As soon as this picture appeared, he felt it was too terrifying, so terrifying that he didn't want to think about it too much. But it was as if he was being pulled by an invisible force and couldn't help thinking about it.

He muttered silently in his heart: If only I could take her away from all these disputes... Even if it's just to escape far away, find a quiet place, and keep her away from these dangers and conspiracies.

But he also knew that this was just an unrealistic fantasy. Faced with this complicated situation, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue on.

"Take a break. I'll go back to Su's house to get some things and meet up here early tomorrow morning."

When Su Ze left, he glanced at Liu Hu, and Liu Hu also glanced at him, showing no intention of leaving together.

"You sleep here too?"

"Protect them, a weak woman and a madman, it's not safe." Liu Hu pointed at Fang Qingqing, then continued to eat peanuts and drink wine.

Su Ze said no more, "Drink less, the capital is not safer than the south city."

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A faint light quietly peeked out from the horizon, tinting the sky slightly white. Xiao Lan was the first to wake up. She gently stood up and put some clothes in order. At this moment, there was a slight noise at the door. Xiao Lan walked over alertly and gently opened the door. She saw Su Ze standing outside the door with a straight posture and a look of fatigue.

Behind Su Ze, a few waiters followed. They swiftly arranged the hot water and toiletries, and thoughtfully prepared some simple porridge and dry food. Everyone knew that the situation was critical and there was no time to waste. Xiao Lan quickly washed up, neatly tied her hair into a simple bun, and followed Su Ze out of the room without hesitation.

Fang Qingqing did not hesitate at all. She quickly picked up a bowl of white porridge and drank it in a few mouthfuls. Then she wrapped a few steamed buns in cloth, skillfully slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked out of the house quickly.

Beside the carriage, Liu Hu was munching on a steamed bun, one hand still tightly gripping the reins. As he chewed, he alertly observed the surrounding forests, his eyes like a sharp cheetah, not missing a single movement.

This time, he acted more cautiously.

Since the speed of a carriage is not as fast as riding a horse, in order to speed up the journey, Su Ze specially prepared a carriage so that he could travel more quickly.

Just before getting on the bus, Su Ze informed everyone of the news that the prince had sent that morning. The gist of it was that the Pan family's incense delivery person had been found and followed all the way to a nondescript warehouse outside the city. There, not only was a large amount of divine incense stored, but also Cui You, who had disappeared the previous day.

Today, the capital city has become relatively stable, but the most critical and urgent task at present is to resolve the crisis facing the South City.

The sharp crack of a whip and the clatter of horse hooves shattered the tranquility of the forest. The birds along the road were startled by the sudden clamor and flew away, flapping their wings.

At this moment, Liu Hu's expression suddenly became stern, and he pulled the reins tightly with both hands. The horse, which was originally galloping, neighed loudly, raised its front hooves high, and then its speed dropped instantly, and it stopped steadily in place.

Seeing this, the carriage behind hurried to catch up. Su Ze quickly opened the curtain and stuck his head out, his eyes full of confusion and concern, and asked anxiously: "What's wrong?"

Liu Hu did not answer immediately. His eyes were like those of an eagle, looking around vigilantly with his brows tightly furrowed.

After a moment, he lowered his voice and said, "Someone!"