Best friends dressed up in ancient times to become mistresses? You run, I run too!

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan Yan raised his eyelids slightly.

"What time is it?"

"Your Highness, it's past midnight."

The man's brows furrowed. "Where is Shen Ningzhu?"

He thought she had made progress by bringing him food during the day, and that she would come to his study at night like last time, crying and begging to sleep with him.

At that time, considering her sincere repentance, he could let it go.

Who knew that time would come so quickly, and the person still hadn't arrived.

"My lady... has been asleep for a long time."

"Asleep? Where?"

"Your Highness, in your bedchamber."

Jiang Xuan Yan clenched his teeth tightly. What a wretched woman who usurped his place! She really doesn't treat herself like an outsider.

"Your Highness, would you like to go there now?"

Seeing the man's face turn extremely gloomy, Jiang instinctively shuddered and cautiously asked a question. As soon as he finished speaking, there was a clattering sound in the room.

The fine tea set on the table was now shattered on the floor.

"Get out of here, all of you."

"Go where? He's already lowered himself so much, and she's still acting all high and mighty. Her girlish thinking is really beneath her. Since that's the case, then he doesn't need to indulge her."

For the next two days, Jiang Xuan Yan did not return to his dormitory, but instead stayed in the study.

Shen Ningzhu assumed he was busy with official business and didn't pay much attention, which relieved her.

Ever since the prince got engaged, she really couldn't accept it at all; she couldn't pretend to be close to him anymore. It was fine as they went about their own business and didn't see each other.

Before we knew it, the day of departure arrived.

Shen Ningzhu was just thinking about how to feign illness when the Crown Prince's men came to call her to set off.

Liu Zhiyi stepped forward and told the man, "Oh dear, what bad luck! The young master suddenly feels unwell, and I was just about to go out to call a doctor. What do you think we should do?"

The man was stunned for a moment, then went back to report.

The two best friends were well-prepared, straining their ears to listen to the sounds outside, planning to start the acupuncture as soon as the doctor arrived.

To their surprise, the person who finally arrived was the same maid who had called them to set off.

“My…my lord, His Highness said that we should set off as soon as you are alive. There will be imperial physicians accompanying you along the way who can treat you.”

Shen Ningzhu's lips twitched slightly.

"But I can't get up now..."

"His Highness also said that if you are unable to go to the gate to sit in the carriage, we will have you carried there."

The two best friends looked like they'd seen a ghost.

That damned prince, is he even human? He won't let her go even if he's dead, right? Shen Ningzhu was furious, Liu Zhiyi ordered the maid to leave, then said with a serious expression,

"Zhuzhu, I have a very bad feeling. I suspect that Jiang Xuanyan has noticed something."

Shen Ningzhu panicked.

"What should I do?"

After discussing it, the two decided to hold back for now and follow the prince to the south of the Yangtze River.

So, he reluctantly picked up his luggage, which he had prepared in advance, and arrived at the gate of the Crown Prince's residence, just in time to see Jiang Qingyi coming to see Jiang Xuanyan off with tender affection.

Shen Ningzhu rolled her eyes.

He pretended not to see her and walked on.

As she passed by, she noticed Shen Ningzhu suddenly sticking out her foot to trip her. Shen Ningzhu's lips curled up, but instead of dodging, she was tripped up quite hard.

He then half-lay on the ground, groaning incessantly.

Jiang Xuan Yan gave her a cold look, ordered someone to send Jiang Qing Yi back, and then asked the imperial physician to take Shen Ning Zhu's pulse. To everyone's surprise, the imperial physician's eyes widened immediately upon taking her pulse.

"How about it?"

Jiang Xuan Yan asked in a cold voice.

The imperial physician composed himself, switched hands, held the objects for a moment, and then knelt down with a beaming smile. "Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations, Your Highness! The young lady is pregnant!"

The two best friends looked shocked.

"How could that be? Your Highness, believe me, I clearly took contraceptive medicine every time."

Several times, she complained that the contraceptive medicine prepared by Jiang Xuan Yan tasted too bitter and refused to drink it in a huff. He had to personally pinch her chin and force her to drink it!

Unexpectedly, the other person gave her a strange look and said nothing more.

"Yes, I understand. You may leave."

Even after having a child, the scoundrel's expression remained indifferent. He wasn't happy at all; in fact, he frowned and ultimately didn't agree to let her stay in the capital.

Shen Ningzhu had known all along that he didn't want their child, and that was fine, she didn't want one either.

But when the moment actually arrived, seeing his reaction, it felt like my heart had been suddenly squeezed, and I felt so uncomfortable that I couldn't breathe.

He had no choice but to bite the bullet and get into the carriage.

After leaving the capital and arriving at a nearby county town, the two men's carriage secretly broke away from the group and went to a village.

"My lord, please alight from the carriage."

The driver was Jiang Yi.

The two then realized that their carriage had not followed the procession, and they got off in a daze.

Jiang led them into the village.

"This elderly couple will be the ones to take care of you from now on. Just stay here at the manor and don't go anywhere. When His Highness returns from Jiangnan, he will personally come to pick you up and take you back to the manor."

Two honest and law-abiding middle-aged men stepped forward, knelt before Shen Ningzhu, and addressed her as "Master."

The two best friends remained outwardly calm, but inwardly they were overjoyed.

It's truly a case of "searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly." This not only allows them to stay in the capital, but also makes escape much easier.

Shen Ningzhu was still uneasy and tested her again.

"Just these two? Then who's responsible for our safety?"

Jiang Yi said, “Our master has made countless enemies in the capital. Having more people around will only make you a bigger target and easier to be watched. This is a signal flare. If anything happens, just pull the signal flare, and people will come to your rescue from all directions.”

Jiang Yi was in a hurry and left without stopping.

The two best friends appeared to have settled in at the estate, but as soon as it got dark, they tried to contact Song Hanchuan.

Just as Liu Zhiyi blew the bone whistle he had given her, Song Hanchuan arrived in front of them a short while later.

When do you plan to leave?

Shen Ningzhu's eyes sparkled as she spoke.

"Immediately, right now, the sooner the better."

Song Hanchuan paused, gave Liu Zhiyi a deep look, said "okay," and then arranged for people to set fire to the carriage. He personally watched them board the carriage he had prepared.

As for the elderly couple, he took them back with him.

This time, Shen Ningzhu made a meticulous plan. She left behind dozens of cheesy love letters, which the couple would then have to pass on to Jiang Xuan Yan from time to time!

Three days later, when Shen Ningzhu and her best friend arrived at a small town in the north, Jiang Xuanyan received a letter delivered from the estate.

[At dawn I gaze at the sky, at dusk I watch the clouds; whether walking or sitting, I think of you. Your Highness, have you missed me?]

The signature is: Yours truly, Zhuzhu.

Jiang Xuan Yan tossed it aside with disgust, muttering "outrageous" under his breath, and then ignored it.

Two more days passed, and Jiang Xuanyan and his party, riding at full speed, were already halfway to their destination.

On this day, they encountered their fifth assassination attempt since leaving the capital. Most of the people accompanying them were injured to varying degrees, including Jiang Xuan Yan.

So they had to stop their journey, find an inn to stay at, and recuperate before continuing their trip. (Image: The two best friends indulging in a life of luxury)