Dethroned the Crown Princess? Then she became your mother

Zhang Tianai whispered to the man beside her that she had untied Chunmei's ropes, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to get off the carriage. This operation took them a lot of time and energy, so much so that their arms were aching.

Upon hearing this, the man just waved his hand silently, indicating that they should handle it themselves.

Seeing this, Zhang Tianai hurriedly pulled Chunmei and tried to avoid the men to avoid attracting their attention.

If these two weak women encountered any mishaps in this unfamiliar environment, the consequences would be disastrous. Especially since those men reeked of alcohol, which often makes people lose their minds and act impulsively.

At this moment, one of the men suddenly spoke in a rough and low voice. He pointed in a direction and signaled them to go over.

Zhang Tianai looked in the direction of his finger and saw that the man's face was hidden in the shadows. It was the man who behaved rudely before.

Zhang Tianai and Chunmei exchanged a glance, their understanding tacit. Chunmei's gait was unsteady, as if she might fall at any moment. After all, she had been bound for so long, and having just been untied, the blood flow to her hands and feet was still not flowing smoothly. However, after a few steps, her condition seemed to improve.

The two walked in silence, carefully avoiding the man and heading to the other side of the carriage. They wanted to be away from the fire, because the other side of the fire was dark.

As they walked further, Zhang Tianai felt her legs grow weak and her body began to feel unwell. She felt the urge to retch. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, barely suppressing the nausea.

Seeing this, Chunmei hurriedly asked with concern: "Master, are you feeling better?"

Zhang Tianai shook her head slightly, indicating that she was still enduring it. She suppressed her discomfort and asked, "How about you? Are you feeling better?"

"Master, you'd better hurry up and don't waste time." The burly man spoke again, holding a dim lantern in his hand to illuminate the road ahead for them.

Zhang Tianai pulled Chunmei and quickened his pace.

Chunmei followed closely behind, feeling somewhat uneasy. She glanced around anxiously and asked Zhang Tianai again, "Master, are you still feeling unwell?"

Zhang Tianai forced a smile and said, "It was just that moment, and I'm fine now." However, her true feeling in her heart was that the urge to retch still appeared from time to time, making it difficult for her to let it go.

"Then Master, why don't you go first?" Chunmei suggested. She knew that Master was unwell and wanted her to relieve herself first.

Zhang Tianai stared at Chunmei, pondering to herself. She had originally intended to take advantage of the night to search for some potentially poisonous herbs. Places like these often harbored exotic flowers and plants, so perhaps they could find what they needed.

However, the night was too dark and her vision was obstructed, so she had no choice but to give up the idea.

"You should go first." Zhang Tianai finally decided to let Chunmei go first. She hoped Chunmei could keep watch for her and ensure their safety.

Upon hearing this, Chunmei quickly responded and began to serve Zhang Tianai. After Zhang Tianai was settled, she turned around and left, still worried about her master's safety.

Zhang Tianai put aside her worries and fears, and tried not to think about the frightening things. She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and finally mustered the courage to relieve herself.

Chunmei stood in front of her, blocking her view with her body, making her feel particularly at ease.

Even at this moment, Zhang Tianai couldn't completely let her guard down. She kept looking back, fearing something dangerous might dart out from the darkness. Although it was pitch black, she knew that dangerous creatures like snakes often lurked in such environments.

Finally, Zhang Tianai finished her urgent need for the toilet. She breathed a sigh of relief and called out to Chunmei. Chunmei turned around and asked with concern, "Master, are you okay?"

Zhang Tianai nodded, indicating she was fine. Chunmei saw this and quickly helped her to her feet. They both straightened their clothes again and prepared to leave this dark and damp place.

After spending so much time in the darkness, Zhang Tianai found her eyes gradually adapting to the light. While she still couldn't see distant objects clearly, she could already make out a vague escape route. However, they were too far from the previous town, and the next populated area was even further out.

Zhang Tianai pulled Chunmei aside and walked a few steps away from where they were just now. Chunmei didn't understand what he meant and asked in confusion, "Master, what are you doing?"

"The previous spot is dirty, let's change to another place." Zhang Tianai explained. Chunmei suddenly understood what was going on when she heard it.

After the two of them changed positions and stood at a distance, the burly man came over again, shining the lantern, obviously impatient with their procrastination.

Zhang Tianai knew that if they didn't go over, the person would probably come over and urge them to go. And those people obviously didn't worry about them being in any danger. Maybe it was because they were afraid too?

"Chunmei, hurry up," Zhang Tianai urged. She knew that if they showed any fear or hesitation, those people would likely bully them even more unscrupulously.

"Yes, Master," Chunmei replied, hastening her movements. She knew her Master was unwell, but at this moment she could only grit her teeth and persevere.

Finally, Chunmei finished her urgent need and quickly returned to Zhang Tianai's side. Zhang Tianai looked at her tired and dirty face and hands, and a wave of sadness welled up in her heart. They hadn't changed clothes or washed their faces for a whole day and night, and their bodies were covered in filth.

"Master, are we going to escape?" Chunmei asked in a low voice. She knew this was their only way out. If they escaped this place, they might find rescue and help.

"If we run now, we won't get far," Zhang Tianai analyzed calmly. She was well aware of the local geography and the sphere of influence of those people, and knew that escape would not be easy.

"Why? Do we have to wait until those people get drunk?" Chunmei asked unwillingly. She hoped her master had a better plan.

"I can't escape. I've already observed it this afternoon." Zhang Tianai shook her head helplessly and held Chunmei's hand tightly. She knew Chunmei was disappointed, but they had to face reality.

Finally, the two decided to return to the carriage. Halfway through, the burly man came over, took one look at them, and then drove them back to the carriage.

After returning to the carriage, Zhang Tianai and Chunmei sat side by side, looking out the window. They waited quietly, not knowing what fate would await them next.

Time passed, but no one came to tie Chunmei up again. Zhang Tianai secretly felt relieved. Perhaps these people had let down their guard? This was good. At least Chunmei could feel a little more comfortable.

Zhang Tianai and Chunmei exchanged a glance, a hint of relief between them. Outside the carriage, the men's conversation could be vaguely heard inside.

"Is the person back? Is he okay?" asked a slightly rough voice.

"No." Another voice responded briefly, and then fell silent.

Zhang Tianai tried hard to capture useful information from the conversations, but the men seemed to be keeping their mouths shut, which made her feel a little frustrated. She wished she could piece together some clues from these fragments.

Seeing this, Chunmei called Zhang Tianai softly, her eyes full of concern.

Zhang Tianai came back to her senses and softly ordered, "Close the carriage door." She had a premonition that they would spend a long night here.

Upon hearing this, Chunmei immediately stepped forward and carefully closed the carriage door. As the door closed, the interior of the carriage was plunged into darkness.

In this dark environment, although Zhang Tianai could not see the scenery outside, she felt an inexplicable sense of security. She noticed that Chunmei's tension had eased.

She gently told Chunmei to rest, and she herself fell into deep thought.

However, Chunmei didn't seem to be sleepy at all. She called out to Zhang Tianai softly, "Master, can't you sleep either?"

Zhang Tianai responded softly. She, too, couldn't fall asleep. In this quiet night, they relied on each other.

"This looks like an official road." Zhang Tianai suddenly broke the silence, her voice soft but firm. She lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked up at the night sky. She was searching for the stars, hoping to determine their direction by their observations.

Upon hearing this, Chunmei also poked her head out curiously. She looked in the direction her master pointed, a glimmer of hope welling up in her heart. Perhaps they could escape this way.

However, Zhang Tianai shook her head, interrupting her fantasy. She knew that the road to the hunting ground was not safe, and they were not sure where it led.

They listened quietly to the sound of firewood burning outside, which was particularly clear in the quiet night.

-

Meanwhile, in the garden, Nanny Li stood quietly, like a wooden sculpture.

After a whole day of searching and investigating, they finally discovered some clues. It turned out that everyone had been drugged the night their master was in trouble. Furthermore, the effects of this drug weren't immediate, but rather gradually intensified.

Even the secret guards and imperial guards were not spared. Nanny Li knew that drugging these people was no easy task. She wondered who had the ability to pull off such a plan so quietly.

However, she didn't have time to delve into this. She was more concerned about her master's safety. Although someone told her that finding these clues didn't mean her master had escaped, and that she might have been captured or met with an accident, she still firmly believed that her master was still alive.

In order to confirm her suspicions, she continued to send people to search for her master's whereabouts. At the same time, someone reported the news to the emperor.

However, the speed of information transmission is limited after all, and it is still unknown when the emperor will know the news.

Everyone in the garden also knew about the master's accident. They talked about it and speculated about various possible situations.

She looked at the burned ruins before her, and an indescribable grief and indignation welled up in her heart. "Master must be found quickly, must come back quickly!" she prayed silently, hoping that the heavens would hear her voice.

Yuan Shi did not return home either. Like Nanny Li, she decided to stay and wait for her master's return after hearing the news.

-

Inside the carriage, Zhang Tianai had a dream. It was both vivid and terrible. In the dream, she seemed to hear Matron Li and her grandmother calling her name, their voices filled with concern and anxiety.

She felt like she was dreaming, but the scene in her dream was so real. She could almost see Madam Li's red, swollen eyes and her grandmother's kind face. These people who cared about her were now anxiously searching for her.