♂?，，

  It was also unknown how long it took for the horse carriage to finally come to a stop.

  Ming Xuan saw the carriage curtain lifted, a masked black-clothed man with a sharp dagger pulled down Xiao Su. She saw that the man's movements were not light, and was afraid of hurting the child in her abdomen, so she quickly pretended to be calm and said, "Untie the rope on my hand, I'll get off myself!"

  She paused, seemingly noticing the black-clad man's hesitation and astonishment, and hastily added a sentence: "I'm heavily pregnant, I won't be able to run away, even if I tried. Heaven has its own way of doing things, my child is about to be born, and whether you like it or not, both my child and I are just pawns in your hands. Hurting us will bring no benefit to either of us. So let me go, I'll go down myself."

  At this point, she vaguely guessed that the person who kidnapped her should be Lin Nan Wang's son, who was on the run. Although she didn't know why he deliberately kidnapped a housewife like herself, since he went to great lengths to kidnap her and bring her here, he must have had his own intentions.

  The man looked at Ming Xuan with a hint of surprise, turned his head and asked a few questions in dialect to the outside of the car, seemingly got a affirmative reply, and actually loosened the rope that bound her hands, letting her get off the carriage by herself.

  Ming Xuan struggled to get down from the cart, supporting her belly with some difficulty. She found herself in a very ordinary farmhouse courtyard, with three short houses and two side rooms. The yard was empty, except for a pile of firewood. Looking around, she couldn't tell where she was or which direction they were heading, but one thing was certain: the other party wasn't too afraid of her remembering this place, because along the way, they hadn't covered her and Xiao Su's eyes with cloth strips.

  Either they are confident enough that no one will find this place, or they just don't care about these things anymore.

  As he walked, a man of extraordinary height came out of the house with his head bowed. His skin was dark and looked very strong and powerful. He stared at Ming Xuan with sharp eyes filled with complex hatred. After a long time, as if he had endured it for a long time, he finally spoke in a low voice, "Princess Anping, you're well."

  It was none other than Prince Zhou Yuan of Lin Nan.

  The conjecture in Ming Xuan's heart was confirmed, and various thoughts flashed through her mind. She thought to herself that the case of Lin Nan Wang's rebellion had long been settled, with the exception of Zhou Yuan escaping as a substitute. All other rebels were caught without any escape, and they were originally nameless and almost annihilated. Even the women and children on the street knew that this matter could not be turned around again. If she were Zhou Yuan, she would go to a remote mountain forest to hide, and would never think of revenge or hatred.

  Ke Zhou Yun didn't do that, instead he went all out to abduct her, apparently not planning to quietly tear up the ticket, but wanting to use her in exchange for something.

  What's in return?

  Ming Xuan caught a glimpse of the emotions suppressed in Zhou Yuan's eyes, and was surprised to see a hint of anxiety and worry. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought about Gu Yuanjing's letter mentioning that the people who would be escorting the Southern King back to the capital would be arriving soon. Calculating the days, she realized they must already be halfway there, perhaps even having reached Tongzhou by now. Yes, the only thing that could make Zhou Yuan so anxious and worried was probably his family.

  At first, Pei Jingchen was granted the title of Anping Wang. She had also read the genealogy of the Zhou Dynasty's imperial family and remembered that Lin Nan Wang had four sons. The eldest son, Zhou Yuan, was born to his first wife and married a daughter from the prominent family of Zeng in Lin Nan Prefecture. After several years of marriage, they only had one five-year-old daughter. During the previous emperor's reign, in order to win over Lin Nan Wang, he even broke the rules and issued an edict granting her the title of Fengyang Junzhu. Apart from this, there was no other known offspring of Lin Nan Wang's eldest son.

  So, Zhou Yun's purpose in holding himself hostage was for Fengyang?

  Ming Xuan's heart slightly relaxed, if that was indeed the case, then she wouldn't be in danger for the time being. She thought to herself and softly replied, "The young master is unharmed."

  She supported her heavy waist, lifted her arm and wiped the sweat with her sleeve, smiled and said: "The young master has gone to such great lengths to invite me here, I suppose there is something to discuss. As the saying goes, the guest is the host, my body is heavy and can't stand for long, and the sun outside is poisonous. Young master, won't you please ask me to go in and sit for a while? And also, please trouble the young master to have someone release my maid, I'm here, she won't run away."

  Zhou Yuan was slightly stunned, seemingly not expecting Ming Xuan to be so calm, but the stun only lasted for a moment. His face quickly returned to its gloomy state. He didn't say a word, made a welcoming gesture, and let Ming Xuan in. He also signaled the black-clothed masked man to untie Xiao Su.

  The farmhouse was low and oppressive, but it could avoid the sweltering heat of the day. Leaning against the wall and resting, it was much better than before. Ming Xuan supported her body, turned her head to see that Xiao Su was initially a little afraid, but later became calm, feeling relieved in her heart, she felt that there were more chances for survival. She imperceptibly pinched Xiao Su's palm, smiled reassuringly at her, and signaled her not to worry.

  She was well aware that as a hostage in Zhou Yuan's hands, although she was temporarily safe, this safety was not guaranteed. If it were usual times when only she and Xiao Su were present, thinking of a way to protect herself might not be so difficult. However, with her due date approaching and the baby in her womb possibly born at any moment, the fragile new life was vulnerable, and she had to think harder to ensure the child's safety.

  However, no matter what she wants to do, the premise is that she must be calm enough. It's probably more suitable for the current situation to plan slowly and carefully.

  Sometimes, when enemies negotiate, it's a test of endurance. Whoever can remain calm and composed will gain the upper hand.

  Indeed, Zhou Yunwu was a general by birth, with a broad chest and a heroic spirit. However, he was somewhat impatient because he was wary of Ming Xuan's calm demeanor. He saw that Ming Xuan was leaning against the wall, resting calmly, neither begging for mercy nor asking questions, which made him feel uneasy. Because he suspected that there was another reason behind Ming Xuan's calmness, his mood became anxious. Although he tried to cover it up, his tone still revealed a hint of it: "Isn't the Princess of Anping afraid of me?"

  His eyes sank, "My father died at the hands of Anping King, and his brave warriors were also annihilated by Anping King. I have such a deep hatred, does the queen really think that I invited you over just to chat? Don't you fear that I will take advantage of this opportunity to avenge my father?"

  Ming Xuan turned her face away, a faint smile on her lips. "Although I have never been to Nanjiang, the name of the young master has often reached my ears. The young master is benevolent, brave and powerful, a great general's talent. Even if he really wants to avenge the king of Lin'nan, he will surely kill his way into Anhe Gate with justice and righteousness. How could he possibly make things difficult for me, a mere woman in the inner courtyard who can't even truss up a chicken?"

  She changed the subject, "Besides, Prince Lin Nan's rebellion is a crime of treason. It's not a righteous act, it's a shame to heaven and earth and our ancestors, and it's disturbing the peace of the people. My husband is just upholding justice and protecting the king, that's all. Just because we have different stances on court politics, how can you say it's hatred? If we really talk about it, Prince Lin Nan and his son invaded the capital city from the south, they even broke into our home, are we not allowed to resist? What kind of logic is this? Since there's no deep grudge or great hatred, I suppose the prince's son doesn't necessarily want me dead."

  Ming Xuan's smile grew thicker on her face, "Besides, if something were to happen to me and the child in my belly, my husband would definitely not let it go. He has always believed in returning a tooth for a tooth. The wife of the prince is still being held in the prison of the Ministry of Justice in Shengjing City. My brother's temper isn't very good either. Although he was escorting the family members of Lin Nan Wang back to Beijing, from Nanzheng to Shengjing is a long way, and it's inevitable that there will be some accidents along the way. Adults might be fine, but younger children may not be able to withstand it..."

  She wasn't the kind of person who would casually use someone's family to threaten them, but at this moment, she was in Zhou Yuan's hands, and couldn't help but use this to intimidate him a bit. "So, I firmly believe that the young master won't let me or the child in my belly suffer even a little harm, otherwise, the young master's efforts to invite me here would be for nothing. Young master, am I right or not?"

  Zhou Yuan's face was gloomy, and after a long time, he spat out a sentence, "What a sharp-tongued woman, great, great."

  Ming Xuan was even more certain that her guess was correct. The Crown Prince's consort was being held in the Ministry of Justice prison, with three layers of guards inside and out, specifically to prevent Zhou Yuan from rescuing her. Even if Zhou Yuan had managed to abduct his own people from the Yongning Marquis' residence, the heavily guarded Ministry of Justice prison was not a place he could easily break into. That's why he changed his plan and brought himself here, just so that when he faced off against Gu Yuanshan, he would have a bargaining chip to exchange for Fengyang.

  So this should be Tongzhou territory!

  She couldn't help but gently stroke her abdomen, saying to herself, "Baby, you have to be strong for a little while longer, just hold on for two more days and Dad and Uncle will find us. Before that, don't make any noise, otherwise in this desolate wilderness... the two of us will..."

  Pei Jingchen should have discovered her disappearance by now, she trusted his ability and was certain that he could finally find her. And from Nanjiang, Gu Yuanjing would also arrive at the Tongzhou border, it's highly likely that he will pass through this place, with the journey calculated, it will take no more than two days. So as long as she can safely get through these two days, then her and BaoBao's lives will have a great turning point.

  Since it has been decided to adopt the "drag" strategy, the top priority at present is not to have any verbal conflicts with Zhou Yuan. She wants to minimize the hostility on Zhou Yuan's body as much as possible and avoid all possible conversations that may harm her and Bao Bao, quietly waiting for the dawn to come.

  Ming Xuan raised her head, her eyes sincere as she spoke, "Speaking of which, it's already past noon and neither I nor my maid have eaten for a long time, we're getting a bit hungry. Could the young master please help us find some food?"

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