The Princess Cannot Escape: The Cunning Prince Is Not to Be Messed With

Chapter 295 Secret Escape

At daybreak, all the white-clad people who had rescued Yin Quan and Xiahou Ying gathered in the main hall of the secret chamber. Xiahou Ying changed into a pure white robe and stood in the center with his hands behind his back. Even though they were at their wits' end, he remained calm, like a pine tree that would never fall.

Yin Quan sat below Xiahou Ying. After last night's battle, everyone looked at Yin Quan with new respect. They hadn't expected that she, a woman, would silently persevere to the end without uttering a sound. Xiahou Ying glanced at everyone in the room and said in a slightly hoarse voice.

"All of you are elites secretly trained by me, Xiahou Ying. But as you all see, I have become an enemy of the court. If you continue to follow me, you will no longer have wealth and honor. I will not force those who wish to leave, and I will make sure your families are well taken care of."

For a moment, the people below were restless. A young man with a still somewhat childish look stood up and said loudly, "Your Highness Qin Ye's life was saved by you. Whether he lives or dies, we will follow you. Qin Ye will not leave. Your Highness is in danger now. How can we break our promise and abandon Your Highness?"

Qin Ye stood up, knelt down respectfully, and declared in a resounding voice, "Qin Ye is willing to follow Your Highness to the death!" Qin Ye's fervor instantly ignited the atmosphere in the secret chamber, and everyone echoed, "You are all willing to follow Your Highness to the death!"

Even Yin Quan was moved. Looking at the young faces, Yin Quan was somewhat shaken. What kind of faith could make these young people, who were only in their twenties, willing to risk their lives and shed blood to protect others?

Xiahou Ying nodded, “Indeed, you are all good men of the country. Now that treacherous officials are in power and the Crown Prince is immoral, I must put righteousness above family ties. Those who are willing to follow me are all good men with pure hearts. If we fail, I am willing to live and die with you. If we succeed, I will share the glory with you for life!”

Yin Quan had to admit that Xiahou Ying's grasp of human nature was simply terrifying.

A man rushed in from outside the secret chamber, “Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Imperial Advisor has led his men to search our chamber. He… he has discovered our secret chamber! Fortunately, the entrance is narrow and easy to defend, so we can hold out for a while. Your Highness and Your Highness, please evacuate immediately!”

Yin Quan's heart skipped a beat. If she thought Gu Lounan had some hidden reasons yesterday, today she had to believe that Gu Lounan had really betrayed them, or even approached them with the intention of betraying them. He had such a purpose in everything he did, and she felt guilty towards him.

"Where is the other exit of this secret chamber?" "It's at the back." Just as Yin Quan got up, another guard rushed in. "It's bad, Your Highness! The other exit has also been sealed off, and they... they're burning dry grass at the entrance. The outside of the secret chamber is now filled with smoky, choking smoke."

Yin Quan gritted her teeth, "That Gu Lounan! We should have left him on Tuoran Mountain back then!" Xiahou Ying frowned, "Is there no other way out?" The guard nodded. "Moreover, the entrance is very narrow. Although it is easy to defend and difficult to attack, it is also difficult to break out, especially since the prince and princess are too conspicuous."

Yin Quan pondered for a moment, then suddenly an idea flashed into her mind. "I have a way." Everyone looked at her, mostly with disbelief.

“Since our target is obvious, let’s blur it. With so many people here, are we afraid we can’t create several clones? However, being caught could be life-threatening, and we must grit our teeth and never reveal any of our secrets.” Although these men were young, they were all tough guys, and they immediately expressed their stance.

"Your Highness, rest assured, we are not cowards who fear death. If we are caught, you are willing to die to prove your innocence!" Yin Quan's heart stirred. She had only spoken casually, but she did not expect these people to be so unyielding.

Xiahou Ying shook his head, "You are all my hard work and dedication. I will never allow any of you to be harmed again. As long as you are alive, we can fight again. I will definitely rescue you. You just need to believe that!"

Wei Jun rushed in from outside, looking somewhat disheveled. "Your Highness, we can't delay any longer. We must evacuate immediately. The cave entrance is about to fall!" Xiahou Ying turned his gaze to Yin Quan, who said to him, "You should immediately change into the same clothes as them, and then everyone should cover their faces with a square scarf. Wetting the scarf will also prevent smoke and dust from entering their mouths and noses."

Xiahou Ying looked at Yin Quan with burning eyes, "Jinsheng, get me a few sets of your clothes too. I'll ask you to find some girls here to dress up as me and help them out. It would be best if they knew martial arts." Jinsheng nodded, "Your Highness, don't worry, just wait a moment, I'll be right back."

Due to the time constraints, everyone performed their duties, and soon more than ten pairs of clones dressed as identical to Xiahou Ying and Yin Quan emerged. The master had done his best to minimize the differences, and it was truly indistinguishable unless one looked closely.

Yin Quan and Xiahou Ying mingled among them. Before they even reached the exit, they heard the sound of clashing weapons. The cave entrance was also piled with corpses, indicating the ferocity of the battle that had just taken place. Xiahou Ying gripped Yin Quan's hand tightly and asked with some concern, "Is the wound on your arm alright?" Yin Quan shook her head, "Jinsheng's medical skills are superb; it doesn't hurt anymore."

Several pairs of fake clones rushed out first, and then they heard someone in front say, "Someone is coming out! It's Prince Duan and Princess Duan. The Emperor said that if they are captured alive, they will be immediately granted official titles and ranks!" This attracted a portion of the troops, and one clone after another kept pouring out, causing the people outside to panic.

Amidst the soft arrogance beside Gu Lou, a man dressed in tight black appeared beside him. The man was like a shadow in the night, exuding a mysterious aura.

"Your Highness, it looks like things are in complete chaos up ahead. Would you like to go take a look?" Gu Lounan lifted the curtain and peered out. "Oh? They're already trapped like turtles in a jar. What trouble could there possibly be? Make sure they capture them alive; don't harm either of them." Just then, a soldier rushed in to report, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! More than ten princes and princesses have emerged from that cave! We're not sure which one is who. Didn't His Majesty order that they be indiscriminate in their fate? Perhaps we should..."

"Since when have you dared to question the Imperial Advisor's words?" Gu Lounan stepped out of the Soft Prison and raised his hand to stop the man in black. "Qi An... His Majesty did say he would disregard life or death, but only if Prince Duan handed over the military tally. Did you get the tally?" The man shook his head. "This..."

Gu Lounan said with some dissatisfaction, "If this is all the state government can do, I'm afraid I'll have to submit a memorial to the Emperor about reducing the army when I get back to the palace."

The officer hurriedly waved his hand, "Don't worry, Grand Preceptor, we definitely have a way to capture the Prince and Princess alive."

"Besides, they are no longer princes and princesses, but traitors wanted by the court. It's not unacceptable to use some methods when necessary." The soldier nodded hurriedly and left in a hurry.

Qi An said softly, "Why does Master intend to let the two go?" Gu Lounan squinted at the sun, "The debt of saving their lives in the past is now considered even. The weather is nice today, a good day for escape. Qi An, it's time to make your move. Notify our people, the hunt begins."

A crack appeared in Qi An's eyes, and the light in his eyes became somewhat scorching. "Don't worry, Master."

Yin Quan and Xiahou Ying escaped when their forces were at their weakest. Their white clothes were stained yellow from the smoke, and they felt a sharp pain as they roared. After escaping into the woods, Xiahou Ying tore off his handkerchief, drew his soft sword from his waist, and instantly dealt with the pursuers behind him. Those men died with their eyes wide open.

Yin Quan turned her head away, unable to bear it. Jing Yu said to the two of them, "We have horses ahead. We can reach Chonglou Manor in a few days by heading west. However, the checkpoint at the entrance to Chonglou Town might be a bit difficult." Xiahou Ying nodded, and the three of them quickly left with their horses.

The three of them rushed towards Chonglou Manor without rest, fortunately, Xiahou Ying had left clues that the two had fled eastward, so there weren't many pursuers. However, before Chonglou Town, they had to stop, as the city's guards were carefully searching the area with portraits in hand.

Although the two wore human skin masks, the soldiers guarding the city would take away any young men and women traveling together. Yin Quan whispered, "What should we do? It might be difficult to pass by openly."

Xiahou Ying was also somewhat troubled. "The city gate of Chonglou Town is two meters high. It's unlikely that anyone would want to cross it."

Yin Quan scratched her head in frustration. She had been hiding from the pursuers all day and was starving. She hadn't slept for several days. She was about to reach her destination but couldn't get in.

Turning his head, Yin Quan saw an old farmer driving an oxcart towards them. He smiled, then grabbed some mud from the ground and smeared it all over the three men's faces. He stuffed the bundle into his stomach and said to Xiahou Ying, "Watch this!"

Yin Quan stopped the old farmer, "Uncle, I'm sorry, but I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Yin Quan stood with her hands on her hips, looking every bit the pregnant woman. The old farmer, seeing that she was pregnant, quickly stopped and asked, "Young lady, what's wrong?" "Uncle, I really have no other choice. I'm about to give birth, and the midwives in the countryside all say that my baby is breech and they don't dare to deliver it for me. I wanted to give birth in this town, but the guards in the town will question any young men or women they see. I really can't afford to delay any longer. Uncle, you have to help us!" She then tried to kneel down before the old man, but Xiahou Ying quickly pulled Yin Quan back. "You're not feeling well, let me do it. Uncle, please, you must have mercy on me."

Seeing that Xiahou Ying was about to kneel down, Jing Yu almost spoke up to stop him, but Yin Quan glared at him fiercely and stopped him.

Seeing their earnest expressions, the old farmer hurriedly said, "You don't look like country folk. How did you end up in such a sorry state?" "Uncle, we eloped. We can't let our families know. They all live in town. If they find out, we'll be beaten to death." Yin Quan said, tears streaming down her face. The old man quickly nodded, "Seeing that you've had a hard time, I'll help you out."