Chapter 87: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 87: 

 

Mian Tang waited anxiously and, feeling that something was wrong with the timing, sent someone forward to investigate. Midway, she saw one of the guards who had gone with Fan Hu, visibly injured and appearing quite disheveled, riding back.

Mian Tang's heart tightened. She hid in the bushes, watching as he rode up and dismounted, anxiously pacing around the pavilion.

She watched his back cautiously and saw that there were no signs of pursuing enemies, so she felt relieved enough to come out from the bushes beside the Fengyu Pavilion and meet him.

“What happened? Didn’t Fan Hu manage to get the Old Princess Consort and the others?”

The guard wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and said urgently, “He did! The Princess Consort knew that Captain Fan was a trusted subordinate of the prince and, realizing the bandits were approaching, she didn't need Captain Fan to explain much. However, Madam Lian Chu happened to be summoned into the residence by the Old Princess Consort and heard about the danger. She insisted on taking her whole family with her, which delayed things a bit. By the time they just left the city, the bandits had already started attacking. Because of the large number of people and carriages leaving the city, they were spotted by a patrol of bandits and followed to the vicinity of Yishan near Zhenzhou. Fearing that these bandits would return and reveal the Old Princess Consort’s location, Captain Fan led the palace guards and used the terrain to defeat them.”

Mian Tang frowned, “What about the Old Princess Consort?”

The guard swallowed hard and said, “Zhenzhou has fallen. The bandits must have rushed to the prince’s residence and, finding the family missing, began sending out large groups to search. They’ve set up checkpoints on all the main and minor roads. Captain Fan, fearing that a large group of people would be too noticeable, had to hide in a concealed water cave in the mountains. He was worried you might be anxious, so he sent me to find an opportunity to come and inform you, so you would be aware of the situation.”

Hearing this, Mian Tang sighed inwardly. She should have guessed that, unless absolutely necessary, Fan Hu would not dare to use sleeping medicine on the Old Princess Consort. After all, she was the Old Princess Consort, and any respectable official under Prince Huaiyang’s command would not dare to act so recklessly.

However, Madam Lian Chu was indeed causing trouble. The Lian family had long been separated from the prince, so they could have abandoned their house and taken refuge in a cellar during the attack. The bandits, whether they were after money or searching for people, would not have found the Lian family. But since the Lian family insisted on coming along, the guards likely had a hard time stopping them.

This significantly increased the difficulty of their escape.

For now, they had not yet been discovered by the bandits, which was fortunate. Mian Tang ordered her people to bring out the horses from the forest, unload the carriage, and mount up, then headed towards Yishan.

Before even approaching Yishan, they could already hear the sounds of people and horses on the mountain road, bustling with activity.

It seemed the bandits had detected some clue and decided to seal off the mountain and conduct a search.

Mian Tang dismounted at a distance and had her guards hide the horses. She then took down the water-filled leather bags and inflated them with air.

A while ago, when she attended a spring outing tea party with the ladies, she had visited Yishan and knew there was a river that divided the mountain range, flowing directly into the interior of the mountain. The ladies had mentioned it as a good spot for summer swimming. Mian Tang planned to use the water bags to dive into the mountain.

The guards, upon hearing Mian Tang’s plan, felt it was too risky and were reluctant to let her proceed.

Liu Mian Tang, however, remained calm and said, “You have your concerns and respect for hierarchy, but no one can handle the Old Princess Consort now. In such an urgent situation, we cannot afford to worry about others. We must focus on getting the Old Princess Consort out safely. This will inevitably lead to criticism. It has to be me who goes and makes the decision, rather than letting the Old Princess Consort be captured and used to coerce the prince.”

Mian Tang understood Cui Xingzhou well. If his half-siblings fell into the hands of bandits, he would remain calm and show his ruthless side. But if his mother were captured by bandits, he would be deeply affected and vulnerable to their demands.

Therefore, Mian Tang was determined to go alone and bring only the Old Princess Consort out. In case of any mishaps along the way, she could adapt and act accordingly, which was better than waiting anxiously here.

The guards, unable to argue with Mian Tang, had no choice but to follow her orders and prepare for the water entry.

As soon as she entered the water, Mian Tang felt a sharp, piercing pain in her wrists.

Though her injuries had mostly healed, the cold water still brought discomfort. Moreover, the sound of water roaring in her ears triggered unpleasant memories in her mind.

She seemed to have been in this very situation before—cold, numbing, and with water rushing into her mouth and nose…

Mian Tang took a deep breath from the air-filled bag in her mouth, which temporarily steadied her emotions. With the air in the bag still sufficient, she swam forcefully through the water.

By the time she reached the water cave where Fan Hu and the others were hiding, the air in the bag was just about exhausted. They startled the people in the cave when they emerged from the water.

Madam Lian Chu and Lian Binglan screamed in fright. Liu Mian Tang quickly emerged from the water, approached them, and with lightning speed, silenced their screams with two hard slaps.

The normally delicate beauty was now clad in tight black nightwear, her hair tightly pinned up, and her body dripping wet. Her eyes were fierce and menacing, making her look genuinely terrifying.

The Lian mother and daughter were momentarily stunned by Mian Tang’s imposing presence, staring at her in silence.

Mian Tang briefly surveyed the men and women in the water cave, noting their various bundles and small boxes containing jewelry and gold. She was filled with frustration.

These people were truly obsessed with wealth over their lives. What kind of situation was this? Everyone had their hands full with valuables! It was unclear how much time they had wasted collecting these treasures.

When Fan Hu saw Liu Mian Tang and the others, he relaxed and quickly approached to seek instructions from the Princess. Mian Tang knew that if she insisted on taking only the Old Princess Consort and leaving the rest behind, it would certainly cause an uproar and attract the bandits' attention.

So she said nothing and simply instructed that they should not alarm the bandits and that the Old Princess Consort should enter the water and swim out first.

However, Madam Lian Chu, being cunning, objected, “Aren’t there enough water bags? We could take a few more people out too! I’m worried about my sister; perhaps some of us from the Lian family who are good swimmers should go with her.”

Mian Tang fixed her gaze on her and replied coldly, “Listen to me, and everyone will be saved. If you don’t, none of you will escape!”

Madam Lian Chu, still fuming from being slapped earlier, was enraged by Mian Tang’s rude tone and disregard for her status as the prince’s aunt. She glared and prepared to argue with Mian Tang.

But Mian Tang had no time to waste on this old woman. She swiftly drew her dagger, kicked Madam Lian Chu against the stone wall, and threw a throwing knife that pinned into the wall next to her ear.

The onlookers gasped, thinking the dagger was as sharp as iron, having embedded itself three inches into the stone right next to Madam Lian Chu’s head!

Madam Lian Chu was so frightened she couldn't make a sound, feeling a searing heat on her face, as if blood might be dripping out.

Liu Mian Tang, with a chilling demeanor, said, “If you keep talking, do you believe I’ll kill you?”

At that moment, Princess Huaisang seemed like a completely different person. The refined manners that Mama Li had carefully taught were nowhere to be seen. Instead, Mian Tang’s decisive actions and murderous aura made her resemble a female bandit.

Lian Binglan was also terrified. She had previously thought Liu Mian Tang was merely a seductress who charmed men with her looks.

But now, the woman who could aim a throwing knife at a moment's notice had a commanding presence that made everyone afraid to speak.

Lian Hanshan, sensing the situation, realized that the guards were solely following Liu Mian Tang's orders. He quickly went over to support his faltering wife and whispered, “Just say less and follow the Princess' instructions…”

After intimidating Madam Lian Chu, Liu Mian Tang turned to the Old Princess Consort and ordered, “Remove all the hairpins from your head, secure your hair with a net, then remove your outer clothes and enter the water with the bags!”

The Old Princess Consort was also intimidated by her. She found Liu Mian Tang’s tone reminiscent of how her son would speak when angry. Reluctantly, she set aside her airs as the elder and obediently followed her instructions. Her personal maid quickly helped her secure her hair.

Liu Mian Tang walked over, smoothly retrieved her dagger, and put it away. She then whispered to Fan Hu, “Outside the mountain, I have arranged for some local villagers who will drive your hidden carriages to the southwest. I’ll create some disturbances to make the surrounding soldiers withdraw. When the time comes, take advantage of the situation and bring the people from the cave down the mountain. Divide them up; it’s safer if the Lian family members are separated from the people of the prince's residence. It’s more dangerous if they stay together. Protect the two concubines and the Fifth Master and young lady, and take them to a remote village. Once you’ve established contact with the local leader, you don’t need to keep running. These impostor bandits won’t stay here long. If they can’t find the Old Princess Consort, they’ll eventually retreat.”

Fan Hu, who had been exasperated by the pampered noblewomen earlier, felt relieved to see Liu Mian Tang managing them. He quickly nodded in agreement and prepared to follow the Princess' instructions.

After instructing Fan Hu, Liu Mian Tang made sure the air sacs were properly refilled and began to dive back into the water.

However, exiting was more challenging than entering. The Old Princess Consort was not accustomed to water, and she panicked as soon as she entered. Liu Mian Tang held her firmly under the armpits and led her forward.

This was also why Liu Mian Tang had refused to use this method to bring everyone out. Any mishap by one person unfamiliar with water could expose everyone hiding in the river.

With great effort, Liu Mian Tang, accompanied by three guards, managed to bring the Old Princess Consort out of the river safely.

The guards stationed there, seeing their safe return, signaled the villagers they had found—dressed in fine clothes and driving four or five carriages—to head down the official road towards the southwest.

Liu Mian Tang, meanwhile, was driving a rickety donkey cart, using the time difference to head north.

The Old Princess Consort was now dressed in coarse cloth on the cart, her face smeared with mud and ash by Liu Mian Tang. At first glance, she appeared as an old, dusty countrywoman.

Looking back towards Zhenzhou, flames were shooting up into the sky. The Old Princess Consort couldn't help but feel a pang of fear and worry, wondering about her son Cui Xingzhou’s safety, her heart heavy with sorrow.

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