Sui Huan reported, “This subject found the drowning Princess Qingping and hurried here overnight to inform Princess Changluo.” He glanced at Yan Xuan, who was holding Ruan Ning in his arms, his voice laced with bitterness. “When I arrived at the palace, the head manager said the princess had gone out early to play, so I searched along the way, not expecting to find Your Majesty here.”
Yan Xuan, with his arm around Ruan Ning’s shoulder, casually replied, “The morning scenery is beautiful, so I brought the Imperial Consort out for a walk.”
Ruan Ning was bewildered, realizing she, the soon-to-be Imperial Consort, was inadvertently helping the Emperor escape. She felt despair, worrying that her fate would be reflected in history as Ruan Ning, the princess who angered the Emperor.
With Yan Xuan not telling Sui Huan to rise, he remained kneeling, secretly observing Ruan Ning.
She was wearing small internal attendant’s clothes, appearing both ridiculous and cute. Pale and held in Yan Xuan’s arms, she looked absent-minded. Sui Huan wondered if she was sad to see him or afraid of Yan Xuan.
He found it difficult to entrust her with such a dangerous task. Yan Xuan, enamored with the first beauty of Chen Kingdom, had long desired her, and she once loved him dearly. She seemed the most suitable person to enter the palace as an inside agent. Though survival in the palace was perilous, Sui Huan vowed to protect her. After all, once revenge was accomplished, Yan Xuan couldn’t consummate the marriage and would marry her as compensation.
After a while, Yan Xuan smiled and said, “General Sui, why are you still kneeling? Get up.” He embraced Ruan Ning, whispering playfully in her ear, “Are you done wandering, my beloved? If you’re done, let’s return together.”
Ruan Ning’s voice was weak: “Wandering… enough.”
“Let’s go.”
As Yan Xuan stepped forward, dozens of individuals in black clothing carrying swords emerged from the grass, silently following him. Ruan Ning realized these were hidden guards. Her movements had been under Yan Xuan’s control from the start. No wonder her earlier escape attempt had been so miserable—was it intentional?
Sui Huan led the carriage.
Yan Xuan leaped up and pulled Ruan Ning up, then lowered the curtain. He lay on her lap and closed his eyes.
