The prince stepped on me to get to the top, I angrily flirted with the enemy's hostage

Su Rou curled her lips, "You must have remembered it wrongly? It must have been mentioned in the letter you sent back home."

Su Feng's eyes were firm, "I can be sure that I didn't remember it wrongly."

It would have been better if he just let it go and stopped dwelling on this matter, but he had to keep holding on to her like this...

Su Rou said, "No, I can recite the contents of your letter. You remembered it wrongly!"

She pulled her hand away, untied his cloak, and then got out of the carriage in a dejected manner.

Su Chi's voice was filled with reproach, "Why are you messing around with her?"

Su Feng curled his lips and said, "I haven't seen her for a long time, so I have to tease her."

Su Feng was indeed injured, so Su Chi wrapped him so tightly.

Su Rou was carried down by Su Chi.

Su Chi lifted her up high and said, "Why haven't you gained any weight these past few days? Haven't you been eating well at home?"

Su Rou was stunned for a moment. The sunlight above their heads was dazzling. "Third brother, even if I eat well, I can't get that fat. Oh, by the way, I just happen to have something to tell you. If you can still bear it, come with me into the mansion."

Su Rou told Su Chi that she had sent Meng and her mother away.

I thought I would be scolded, but unexpectedly Su Chi said, "You did a good job. You were only trying to protect them. However, if the second brother knew that the second lady had run away and couldn't rest and recover for the time being, I would send someone to look for her as well."

Su Rou nodded, "Second brother has always been fond of Second Madam, and now that something like this has happened, he will probably blame me..."

A trace of sadness flashed across her brows. The Second Madam's condition was such that staying alone in that desolate wilderness would only lead to her facing grave danger...

Su Chi comforted her, "Father should be on his way back. I think he should be able to reach the capital in a few days. You should stay in the mansion for the time being and don't go out and run around."

Although it was just a lesson, Su Rou nodded in agreement.

Su Rou did not disturb Su Feng and Su Chi to rest. They were tired from the journey and should be resting in the yard by now.

The maid washed a fruit for her. Su Rou took a bite of the pear and the juice flowed down her chin.

Su Rou said, "I won't be having dinner at the mansion tonight. Just take care of my second brother, second brother, and third wife."

The maid was stunned for a moment, "Miss, are you going out?"

The maid asked cautiously, her tone sounding as if she was questioning her.

Su Rou raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong?"

The maid shook her head. "I just thought that since the Second Master and Third Brother have just returned, you might be able to have dinner with them tonight."

Su Rou ate the pear in her hand clean in a few bites and threw the core aside.

"I do have to go out tonight. If they ask, just answer truthfully."

The second and third brothers are back, so the old woman should be back too.

Su Rou lay in the rocking chair for a while, sniffed, and felt a little cold.

She rode to the outskirts of the city.

After not being here for a while, the old woman's cabin became a little desolate.

Su Rou walked up the stairs, opened the door and took a look inside.

The room was pitch black and I couldn't see anything.

Su Rou pushed the door open and walked in. "Old woman."

"Bang!" A gust of cold wind blew, and the door was blown closed by itself.

She shuddered with fright.

A dagger slipped from Su Rou's sleeve, and with the flash of swords and sabers, she stood straight in the darkness to block the opponent's attack.

She suddenly felt a pain in her arm and frowned slightly. It was dark in the place and she couldn't see anything.

Su Rou kicked the other person away in the dark, relying entirely on her feeling, and unexpectedly she actually hit the target.

Su Rou pulled open the door, letting the moonlight from outside pour in.

Seeing that the other person was leaning against the wall without moving, Su Rou wanted to bend down and pull the mask off his face.

But unexpectedly, he opened his eyes the next second, and the sharp blade stabbed towards Su Rou.

Su Rou turned her head to avoid the attack, and the dagger in her hand cut the opponent's neck.

Su Rou pulled off his mask, revealing an unfamiliar face...

Su Rou felt confused. Who is this person?

How come she had no impression of this and wanted to kill her right away?

Su Rou searched the masked man's body but did not find any useful objects to prove his identity.

"I've only been away for a short while, and you've already added a new piece of ornament to my room..."

Su Rou looked in the direction of the sound and found an old woman standing at the door holding a pair of dry twigs.

Su Rou said, "Where were you just now? Someone came here and wanted to kill me. He attacked my vital parts without saying a word. Without you, no one could protect me. I was so scared."

The old woman was speechless for a while, then she carried the dry branch into the house and lit it.

"What are you afraid of? Look, I killed him with one blow. Even I can't be so ruthless."

The fire was lit and the house was illuminated.

Su Rou glanced at the cold body leaning against the wall.

Su Rou took out a purse and threw it in front of the old woman. The purse hit the ground with a crisp sound.

Surprise flashed in the old woman's eyes. She was about to reach out to take it, but perhaps realizing that she was still there, she restrained herself a little.

Pretending to be reserved, he asked, "What is this?"

Su Rou said, "This time you brought people to help me go to the border to rescue my second brother, and also helped my third brother guard the city wall. This is your reward."

The old woman said, "We all owe you our lives to me, young lady. If it weren't for you, I'd have thought we'd have been chopped to pieces by the people from the North Country by now. This money... cannot be accepted."

Su Rou sat down cross-legged beside the old woman and said, "You are helpless and it's winter now. It's not easy to wander around outside. The money I give you can fill your stomach. This is all I can give you for now."

Tears welled up in the old woman's eyes. "Girl, you are so kind. You're worried that we will starve to death outside."

Before the old woman set off, Su Rou had already given her money for the journey.

She was responsible for feeding so many people alone, so there was no need for them to have trouble surviving.

After all, they are fugitives, and when they are desperate, they have no choice but to go back to their old ways.

"Gurgle..." The old woman's stomach made strange noises.

Su Rou took out two sweet potatoes from her arms and said, "I found them on the ground on the way here."

The old woman said, "Girl, I don't think you are like those rich and powerful ladies in the capital. You can even get along with us wanted criminals."

The flames crackled, and the blazing flames warmed Su Rou's face and body.

Su Rou said, "Look, if I become a wanderer someday in the future, I will have to build good relationships with you guys to prevent being bullied."

The old woman laughed.

They had known each other for such a long time that Su Rou considered the old woman a friend...

The sweet potatoes were baked, and Su Rou picked up a stick and pulled them out of the flames.

After peeling the hot sweet potato, Su Rou only ate a little and gave the rest to the old woman.

Su Rou stood up and dusted herself off. "Find a place to bury the body. Don't let anyone find it."

The old woman nodded, "Are you going back?"

Su Rou said, "My second brother would be worried if he saw that I didn't go back."

The old woman pulled out something wrapped in a lotus leaf from her bosom. "Take this back and give it to your second brother. Although the poison has been mostly cleared from his body, his injuries are probably still very serious. This will help him recover quickly. This little pill I made myself is more effective than the medicine prescribed by the imperial physicians in the palace."

Su Rou was startled. "Is the injury serious?"

When the second brother was still holding her hand before getting off the carriage today, the strength he used didn't seem like that of someone who was seriously injured.

The old woman said innocently, "Yes, young lady, don't you know? When your second brother was at the border, he single-handedly held off a vanguard battalion in the desert to buy time for the people in the city to evacuate. He was stabbed all over, but luckily he managed to hold on until your third brother's support arrived."

Su Rou frowned. "When the Great Desert sent troops, my third brother and father were the first to know. My third brother volunteered to lead the troops to support. The emperor would not send only my third brother. Why did my second brother have to resist alone?"

Su Rou suddenly became excited.

The old woman realized that she had said the wrong thing and twisted her lips. "This... I don't know..."

Although the border troops have always been strong, the side guarded by her second brother is the weakest.

This is also the reason why Da Mo only attacked the second brother.

If the emperor does not want the border to be breached, he can dispatch troops from the surrounding area.

An imperial edict, delivered by carrier pigeon over a thousand miles, is much faster than asking my third brother to rush over from the capital.

Before the third brother arrived, the second brother had already collapsed, so there was only one possibility.

The emperor did not order troops from nearby areas to rush over to provide support.

The emperor wanted his second brother to die at the hands of the desert people before the support from his third brother and father arrived!

The emperor deliberately prevented others from supporting the second brother!