My elder sister forced me to become a concubine; I was reborn and remarried into the emperor's

Wei Nanxun lost her balance and stumbled, nearly knocking over the weapon rack again, causing the blanket on it to shake violently.

"You said he left? Where did he go?"

It wasn't that they didn't trust Wei Nanxun, but rather that the prince's whereabouts were not to be revealed to anyone, not even the emperor or empress dowager.

Not only Ji Feng, but many others in the camp had learned their lesson. For various reasons, they inadvertently revealed his whereabouts, which were overheard by spies, putting him in a dangerous situation.

Pei Ji was able to return alive entirely thanks to his skills and adaptability.

He appears bloodthirsty and ruthless towards his enemies, yet he is very lenient towards his subordinates, knowing they did not act intentionally and never blaming them excessively.

That's why they felt even more guilty and became even more loyal to him, their mouths harder to pry open than stone.

"Madam Wei, we cannot reveal the master's whereabouts, but you can rest assured and stay here. No one will dare to follow us, and no one will harm you. There are also the best doctors in the Great Yan in the camp. Before the master returns, we guarantee that you will not have a single scratch on your body..."

Given her previous escape, Ji Yun naturally assumed that she was worried about her own safety, which was why she cared so much about Pei Ji's whereabouts.

Wei Nanxun interrupted him directly, her expression grave, and said, "I'm asking you, where did he go?!"

Ji Yun had never seen her so serious before, and she could even see a hint of the prince in her expression.

I was actually taken aback by her, and even momentarily lost my senses.

But only for a moment, he came to his senses and, keeping his head down, said, "Your whereabouts are a military secret, and I cannot disclose them to you."

Those bloody and horrific images flashed before Wei Nanxun's eyes again; she absolutely could not gamble on even the slightest possibility.

“I did not flee here; I have something important to tell Pei Ji.”

No matter what she said, Ji Yun remained silent, as if no one could make a difference.

"The evidence against Pei Yuyan for plotting against the emperor is conclusive. Now, the Empress Dowager, the concubines, and even other princes and princesses are all under Pei Yuyan's control. Not only that, I also know that Pei Yuyan is colluding with the second son of the Northwest Prince's Mansion to plot against Pei Ji."

Upon hearing that Pei Ji was in danger, Ji Yun's expression finally softened slightly.

But that wasn't enough to change his mind.

Until Wei Nanxun said decisively, "Didn't Pei Ji take away five thousand soldiers? Didn't he go to rescue Man Xinghe?"

His expression suddenly changed. Apart from a few guards in the prince's tent, few people knew the real reason for leaving the capital: trouble had broken out in the northwest, the prince had gone missing, the princess had been ambushed, and the prince was rushing day and night to rescue the prince.

Such a secret could not possibly be guessed by anyone, especially since the prince did indeed personally select five thousand elite troops to accompany him when he left.

"How...how did you know?"

"Now is not the time to worry about this! Tell me right now where he went!"

Ji Yun hesitated for a few moments, but finally spoke honestly: "This morning, scouts discovered traces of the bandits a hundred miles to the west and north, and I personally led troops to wipe them out."

He wasn't worried at first, since the name Pei Ji meant invincible, but Wei Nanxun had predicted everything.

Furthermore, before leaving, the prince surprisingly instructed him on how to plan the upcoming battle.

In the past, he would never have entrusted these matters to others, unless he himself felt uneasy about leaving.

Only then would they blurt out and truthfully reveal their whereabouts.

"Do you have a feng shui map of the area? Are there any valleys in that direction?"

Yunye didn't hesitate; having chosen to believe, he was determined to believe to the end.

He led Wei Nanxun directly to the side, where a small space, similar to a study, was separated by a piece of sheepskin cloth. A huge geomantic map was hanging on the wall.

In Pei Ji's study, she studied many topographical maps and immediately spotted an unnamed valley not far away.

"Yes, it's a hundred miles away from the camp..."

Before Wei Nanxun could finish listening, she was about to rush out without a care in the world, but Ji Yun stopped her.

“Madam Wei, it’s too late for you to chase after him now. You’ve been unconscious for two hours, and I’ve been gone for more than half a day. You can’t catch up.”

Even if I can't catch up, I'll still go after them.

No one can stop her.

"But it won't do you any good if you go; you'll only put yourself in danger."

"Lieyang only listens to me. Is there any other horse in the camp that runs faster than it?"

Ji Yun slowly lowered his hand that was holding her, looking at her slightly unsteady but exceptionally determined back, and heard her nasal voice say, "Besides, if something happens to him, I won't survive either."

After saying that, he left without looking back.

The blazing sun was drinking water outside the tent. It looked very alert, and no one dared to approach. It would look up whenever it heard any noise from the tent.

Upon seeing Wei Nanxun, she obediently approached him.

The surrounding soldiers were dumbfounded, and they looked at Wei Nanxun as if he were a revered figure.

"Come on, take me to him again."

Pei Ji was right. The blazing sun was intelligent and could lead her to Ji Yun and the others, so it could lead her to him.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, he mounted the horse.

Without looking back, it sped off westward.

"Who is the commander? What's going on?"

He didn't say much, but simply raised his hand and waved: "Gather the troops and follow me to catch up with the prince."

No one uttered another word; a thunderous chorus roared, "Yes! We swear to follow Your Highness to the death!"

-

Wei Nanxun was unconscious for more than two hours, and the already overcast sky looked even more gloomy.

The further west she went, the stronger the wind became, and the surrounding scenery changed from mountains and forests to hills filled with sand and stones. Without the shelter of trees, the wind and sand raged, giving her the illusion that they would blow her off her horse.

She gripped the horse's flanks tightly with her legs, held the reins firmly, and rode against the wind.

From a distance, she seemed to blend into the blazing sun, like a flash of lightning amidst the rolling sandstorm, speeding swiftly.

Her mind was blank except for seeing him and stopping him.

Nothing is more important than this.

She only hoped that Pei Ji hadn't stepped into the valley yet, so that there was still room for maneuver.

No, please don't.

Since yesterday morning, the man and the horse have been running non-stop. While Wei Nanxun was still unconscious, Lieyang had hardly rested.

The wind was so strong that even it seemed to be struggling and slowed down noticeably.

In my dream, it seemed to be a similar overcast day, with boulders rolling down the valley, deafening cries echoing through the sky, blood flowing like rivers, and corpses strewn across the land—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a living hell.

"Liyang, hang in there a little longer, we'll be there soon..."

These words seemed to be spoken to Lieyang, but also to herself.

She ran for an unknown amount of time, and as the sky gradually darkened, two rugged mountain peaks appeared in the distance, right at the end of her vision, with a natural valley between them.

The fastest route to cross the mountain is through the valley, a route that merchants and travelers use daily without any problems.

In Wei Nanxun's eyes, however, it became the most terrifying sight in the world.

She didn't hear the scream she expected; she made it...

Before she could feel any joy, she felt a violent tremor from the ground. Even Lieyang was startled by the sudden tremor, and he and his horse shook violently.

If she hadn't reacted quickly and grabbed the horse's neck with both hands and feet, she would have been thrown off by now.

Before she could even process what was happening, she realized something was wrong.

Didn't catch up.

It was a boulder that rolled down from the mountaintop; their ambush was still successful.