Unlimited Save System for Palace Intrigue

Chapter 18: Escape

Chapter 18: Escape Hearing Ruyi’s words, Xiaoyu’s heart stirred. Although her fate would indeed be grim if she were discovered and dragged back, if they could actually escape, she wouldn’t have to become a prostitute. She could marry someday, raise a family, and live a happy life. Convinced by Ruyi’s words, Xiao Yu was ready to take the risk. After all, Ruyi was different from the other girls. The others had hated being brought to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion from the very beginning, causing constant trouble. Even after being punished several times by Madam Feng, they hadn’t learned their lesson, so Madam Feng naturally kept a close watch on them. But Ruyi was different. She was very obedient, and now Madam Feng didn’t suspect for a moment that Ruyi would run away, so their chances of escaping were quite high. Once they’d escaped the city, no matter how powerful the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was, it wouldn’t be easy for them to track us down. So Xiaoyu decided to take the plunge—after all, no decent woman would willingly live as a lowly prostitute. So Xiaoyu said, “All right, Miss, I’ll run away with you. But if we escape like this, the Hundred Flowers Pavilion will find out as soon as they make inquiries, and they’ll be hot on our heels in no time.” “Don’t worry. I’ve already bought two sets of men’s clothing. I originally intended them as a change of clothes for myself, but now we’ll each take one. Once we’re dressed as men, we’ll hire a carriage to leave the city. That should throw the Hundred Flowers Pavilion off our trail for a while. By the time they realize we’ve escaped, we’ll be long gone,” Ruyi said. After secretly changing their clothes in a narrow alley, the two hurried to the carriage hire station. With silver in hand, it was easy for them to hire a carriage. As they sat inside and watched the carriage leave the city, they both breathed a huge sigh of relief. They had escaped—their hearts had been pounding in their throats just moments before. Xiaoyu could hardly believe it; she never thought the day would come when she could actually escape the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. In truth, Xiao Yu wasn’t without resentment. Although there had been a famine back then, and selling her was the only way to keep her family alive, she still resented her parents when she was sold to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Even as a child, Xiao Yu knew what kind of place the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was; the women who came out of there were looked down upon and despised by everyone. But she was just a little girl—what could she possibly do to resist? As a child, she had no strength to run away on her own. If not for Ruyi’s influence this time, Xiao Yu would never have escaped. Now that she was fleeing with Ruyi—the Fourth Young Lady of the Yong’an Marquis’s Manor—even serving as a lowly maid would be better than being a prostitute at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Besides, the Marquis of Yong’an’s mansion was a place of immense wealth and prestige. If she could truly gain entry there and catch the eye of one of the noblemen, she might even become a concubine. Having spent so much time at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, she had at least picked up some skills in serving others. Ruyi and her companions didn’t stop once along the way. Fearing they’d be caught by the people from the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, they traveled day and night and soon reached the capital. Madam Feng of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was furious when she discovered that Ruyi and her companions had fled. She immediately sent people to chase after them, but by then they had already traveled far, and even if they gave chase, they wouldn’t be able to catch up. Back in the capital, Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief. She wondered how the Marquis’s household would handle her disappearance. Returning to the capital didn’t mean she was safe; the people who wanted her dead were still within the Yong’an Marquis’s estate. She didn’t know who her enemies were—they were in the dark while she was in the open—so she had to stay alert. The carriage stopped at the entrance to the Marquis’s mansion. After paying the fare, Ruyi led Xiaoyu into the Yong’an Marquis’s estate. Dressed in men’s clothing, the gatekeeper did not recognize her at first and asked, “Who are you? This is the Yong’an Marquis’s estate. Unauthorized persons are not permitted to enter.” “Don’t you recognize me? I am the Fourth Young Lady of the Marquis’s Mansion. I was previously kidnapped by villains, but I have finally escaped and returned,” Ruyi said. “Miss, you’re finally back. I’ll go notify the Lord and Lady immediately,” the gatekeeper replied. When Ruyi was abducted, her father had issued a gag order, telling everyone that she had gone to stay at the estate for a while. Therefore, Ruyi’s return this time wasn’t as dire as one might have feared. After Ruyi’s return, her father was overjoyed. Though he had never paid Ruyi much attention—a measure intended to protect Ruyu—the fact that Ruyi had been abducted by villains was, to Ruyu’s father, an unforgivable offense. Fortunately, Ruyi had returned safely; otherwise, how could he have faced her mother? Upon hearing that Ruyi had returned, her stepmother appeared overjoyed and said, “Our fourth daughter has finally returned safely. I’ve been worried sick all this time. Those despicable villains—we cannot let them off lightly this time.” “Of course we cannot let them off. Let’s go see our fourth daughter; I’m sure she’s endured a great deal of hardship during this time.” Ruyi’s father said. “Your daughter greets Father and Mother,” Ruyi said. “No need for formalities. You’ve suffered so much these past few days. What exactly happened? When your maid returned earlier, she didn’t explain clearly what had occurred—she just found you were gone. We’ve sent people everywhere to investigate secretly, but we couldn’t find any trace of you,” her stepmother said with concern. “Father and Mother, someone framed me this time. They even hired thugs to try to kill me. But fortunately, those villains were thinking of selling me off to make a profit, which is how I escaped unharmed. They took me to another city and sold me to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. If I hadn’t found a way to escape, I probably would never have seen Mother and Father again in this lifetime,” Ruyi said. “This is utterly outrageous! How dare anyone treat my daughter this way? Rest assured, Father will see this through to the end. However, this matter cannot be discussed openly—it would be bad for your reputation. For now, you must stay at home,” Ruyi’s father said. “Thank you, Father. I will certainly stay home obediently,” Ruyi replied. Seeing her father like this, Ruyi realized that perhaps he wasn’t as indifferent to her as she had thought. Still, she didn’t tell him that she had overheard someone from the Yong’an Marquis’s mansion plotting to harm her. Regardless of whether her father would believe her, even if he did, without any leads or knowing who the culprit was, it would only tip them off. Ruyi planned to investigate on her own; sooner or later, the other party would slip up. The other party had caused her such terrible suffering this time; if she didn’t get proper revenge, Ruyi would never be satisfied. It wasn’t just this incident, but also her previous death—she intended to settle both old and new scores.