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  Chapter 202

  Because of her worries, Ming Xuan couldn't sleep soundly for the whole night, and she could only place her hopes on waiting.

  Just as she was dozing off, a sudden commotion startled her awake. Outside the thin door, a low voice called out to them with some urgency, and her heart skipped a beat before filling with joy. Zhou Yuan was normally calm and composed, so whatever had caused him to become flustered must be significant. If it wasn't Gu Yuancheng leading the people from Lin Nan Wang Fu who were about to pass by, then it must be Pei Jingxuan who had arrived. Either way, it was an opportunity for her to escape safely.

  She hastily agreed and, with Xiaosu's support, lowered her head and left the boudoir.

  The sky had not yet fully brightened, the morning mist was lightly suspended, and the fields were a pale blue color. In this ordinary farmhouse courtyard, it was unclear when a group of people wearing black clothes with black cloth covering their faces appeared. Ming Xuan saw that they all carried weapons, which made her feel even more certain about her conjecture. A glimmer of hope ignited in her heart, but at the same time, she became even more cautious, unwilling to let any emotions show on her face.

  Zhou Yuan saw that after just one night, the calm and composed face of Anping Wangfei, who had been so nonchalant yesterday, was now filled with a look of despair. Her dark eye circles were deep, clearly showing that she hadn't slept well last night. It could be seen that she wasn't as fearless and daring as she seemed, but just slightly bolder than ordinary women.

  He thought to himself, and then felt that the opportunity to exchange Fengyang had increased a bit. With a calm face and a low voice, he scolded Mingxuan, "In another moment, Gu Yuanshan will pass by here with the people of Lin Nan Wangfu. I don't care about the life or death of others, as long as Fengyang returns to my side safely. As I said yesterday, if my lifelong wish is fulfilled and the child in my belly is safe, then... His eyes flashed with a resolute ferocity, his tone seemed to carry a knife edge, "It's just one word 'death', but being able to be buried with Anping Wangfei by Fengyang's side before we die isn't too bad."

  Ming Xuan's eyes widened slightly in surprise, thinking that it seemed that Lin Nan Wang Shizi was really going to risk his own life to save Feng Yang.

  To be honest, Zhou Yuan was deeply moved by Fengyang's love for him. In fact, he had already escaped from the whirlpool and if he was willing to live a humble life under an assumed name, there would always be a place for him in the vast Zhou Dynasty, as long as he didn't try to reconnect with his old subordinates or attempt to make a comeback. Even if the imperial court were to search every inch of the land, they might not necessarily be able to find him.

  But this time, he spared no expense to capture himself and made a big fuss about exchanging his own daughter. Neither Pei Jingxuan nor Gu Yuanjing would let him go, not even the Yongning Hou. He had planted a pawn in the Yongning Hou's mansion, which was exposed, and this was the clue. Following the thread, one could get more information, and the more news they got, the more impossible it became for him to hide his identity.

  If he were a heartless and ruthless father, he would not have taken such great risks.

  But in her heart, she still harbored resentment towards Zhou Xuan. No one could truly forgive someone who threatened their own life and that of their unborn child. She pitied the father-daughter relationship between Zhou Xuan and Fengyang, but only as a mother herself could empathize with them; this didn't mean she was willing to forgive him.

  She lowered her eyes and replied in a low voice, "I also wish for the reunion of the prince's father and daughter."

  Although her words were ambiguous, Zhou Yuan didn't have such a meticulous mind and didn't carefully ponder the meaning behind them. He said in a deep voice, "Knowing when to stop is good."

  Just then, someone came to report, "The convoy escorting the Wang family's relatives has arrived, only three or four miles away. The Princess of Fengyang is in the fifth carriage from the middle. The princess is safe and sound, except for being a bit thinner, she hasn't been harmed. Young Master, our people have already surrounded the foot of the mountain, what to do next, please give your orders!

  Zhou Yuan turned his head and glanced at Ming Xuan, asking in a low voice, "How many men did Gu Yuanjing bring?"

  "That man hastily replied, 'Apart from the people escorting the prisoner's cart, there are about 500 elite soldiers. But those men all have some injuries and have come a long way from the southern border, their bodies and minds are both extremely exhausted. Although our side is somewhat outnumbered, it's not necessarily impossible to make a desperate fight!'"

  He paused for a moment, "The enemy is bright and we are dark, but with the card of Princess Anping in our hands, I think we can safely bring back the county master!"

  Zhou Yuan couldn't help but smile wryly in his heart. He had escaped from Shengjing with only 70 or 80 men, a far cry from the 500 elite soldiers he once had. Compared to them, his current forces were like fireflies compared to the stars and moon. The soldiers under Gu Yuanjing's command had been marching day and night, exhausted and weary. Could his own 70 or 80 men really be as fierce and powerful as dragons and tigers? Having suffered defeat and barely escaped with their lives, they would soon face endless fleeing, and their morale was actually far inferior to that of Gu Yuanjing's troops.

  But even so, he had to grit his teeth and fight on. His Fengyang could never enter the capital to suffer those hardships and injustices, no matter how long she followed him on the run, he would never let her become a plaything in someone else's hands!

  His eyes turned cold, and he ordered his men to gag Ming Xuan and Xiao Su's mouths, then bound their hands. He was afraid of hurting Ming Xuan and causing her to go into labor suddenly, so he didn't dare tie them too tightly, just loosely hanging them down. He instructed in a deep voice, "The situation is critical, there must be a showdown. Take Princess Anping hostage, before we exchange her for Fengyang, take good care of her, don't let her get hurt. Gu Yuanjing, I want to meet him!"

  Without warning, Ming Xuan and Xiao Su were pushed onto a cart by two men in black, and before long, they stopped at a slope. Although there was no one around, Ming Xuan knew that Zhou Yuan's people might be hiding everywhere. She was pushed to sit beside a pile of firewood, and the man warned her in a cold tone, "The young master only said not to hurt you before exchanging you for the county princess, but if you don't cooperate and get hurt somewhere, it has nothing to do with us."

  This is the threat of Chi Guo Guo.

  Ming Xuan couldn't help but smile wryly, thinking to herself that she was now bound and unable to move, with something stuffed in her mouth so she couldn't make a sound. How could she not cooperate?

  It wasn't long before the sound of horseshoes echoed, and a considerable commotion arose not far away, with murmurs of people's voices. Unfortunately, she was not close enough to hear what they were saying, but only for a moment, when suddenly the piercing sound of clashing weapons rang in her ears. First, there was a prolonged and intense battle, with the sound of swords clanging, making one's heart feel anxious. She was wondering why Zhou Yuan didn't immediately push her out as a bargaining chip, but instead wanted to fight a battle with Gu Yuancheng first - this was truly strange.

  At this moment, she suddenly felt her whole body being lifted up violently, and she only felt a severe contraction in her abdomen, followed by a deep pain and trembling, as if it were labor pains. Her heart couldn't help but panic, and she thought to herself with extreme fear, "The child in my belly won't come out at such an inopportune moment, will it?"

  Zhou Yuan sneered and pulled down the cloth from Ming Xuan's mouth, saying, "Gu Yuanjing, take a look at who she is?"

  Ming Xuan only felt a sharp pain on her back, knowing that the black-clad man was forcing her to speak. The pain in her abdomen was so severe that it seemed to be tearing apart her entire skeletal frame. At this unbearable moment, thinking that she would have to make things difficult for Gu Yuanchao anyway, she no longer controlled her emotions and called out in extreme distress, "Brother, I think...I think I'm going into labor!"

  Her voice was tinged with grievance and even a hint of despair.

  The pain in her abdomen was like it was going to tear her bones apart, each wave making her grit her teeth. She even felt a wetness down below, but didn't know if it was amniotic fluid or blood. Her belly was so big, and the child inside was already overdue by several days, probably quite large. In this desolate mountain wilderness, there wasn't even any hot water available, and yet they were facing such an urgent situation. If the child insisted on being born at this moment, it would likely be a disaster!

  Gu Yuanjing, clad in heavy armor and covered in dust, saw Ming Xuan being lifted by Zhou Yuan's guards like a small chicken. He became enraged, "Zhou Yuan, if you dare to harm my sister even a single hair, I will make sure you die without a burial place! Let her go!"

  He had sworn to his mother before her death that he would protect his sister Zhou for this lifetime, but he never thought that Zhou Yuan would take Mingyuan, who was pregnant with six months and about to give birth, as a hostage to threaten him to release the person. His sharp eyes saw that there were water stains on Mingyuan's orange-red dress, and her face turned pale gradually, and his heart rose with fear, he hurriedly said, "Let her go quickly!"

  Gu Yuanjing was anxious, while Zhou Yuan was even more calm than before. He glanced at Ming Xuan, and although he was somewhat stunned in his heart, his face remained calm and unruffled. Instead, he let out a cold snort and took advantage of the situation to threaten, "I want Fengyang, I want Princess Anping, this is a fair deal. Princess Anping is about to give birth, if General Gu does not immediately release Fengyang, something happens to the princess, it will not be my fault. Even if Prince Anping comes, he will probably blame General Gu for hesitating and being indecisive."

  The young lady of Fengyang County was just a young girl, letting her go wouldn't affect the overall situation. Compared to Mingxuan's life, which one was more important? Gu Yuanjing's heart was clear as a mirror. He couldn't bear to see Mingxuan suffer, so he didn't want to argue with Zhou Yuan. He hastily ordered his men to bring the young lady of Fengyang County forward, "Take away the young lady of Fengyang County!"

  Zhou Yuan took Feng Yang's hand with a sense of relief, but still refused to let go of Ming Xuan. He glared at Gu Yuan Jing and said, "How can you guarantee that you won't release us now, only to send people to surround and kill us later? I know my military strength is inferior, if we're ambushed in a dead-end situation, I'm not your match."

  Just as Gu Yuanjing was about to speak, he suddenly heard a woman's voice behind him, "I will leave Princess Anping here, I will go with you and be the hostage."

  A woman dressed in the attire of a noble lady from the Zhou dynasty, with a slightly bulging belly, got down from the horse carriage behind her and slowly walked up to Zhou Yuan. She said timidly, "I am carrying General's child, I will be his hostage, General will not dare to come after us recklessly, once we reach a safe place, you can let me go."

  Zhou Yuan knew that Gu Yuanshan had married the younger daughter of a Miao village chief, but the woman in front of him was dressed as a Zhou Dynasty lady, gentle and elegant, with refined manners and movements that were characteristic of a noblewoman from a prestigious family. This made him wonder if this woman might be Gu Yuanshan's concubine.

  He thought that although she was just a concubine, now that she was pregnant, her status would be somewhat different. As the saying goes, "a tiger's poison won't kill its own son." It seemed that Gu Yuanchao wouldn't be too harsh on her either, so he nodded and said, "This is also good."

  The woman turned around and winked at Gu Yuanjing, ignoring the worry and tension on his face, before turning and leaving.

  Ming Xuan looked at Zhou Yuan's departing figure, enduring the pain to ask, "Brother, where is Huang Yi? Why hasn't she come back? What was going on with that woman just now... did we do something wrong to Huang Yi?"

  Gu Yuan Jing sighed, and quickly picked up Ming Xuan and put her into the carriage. He said in a low voice, "The one who followed Zhou Yuan just now was Sister Huang Yi."

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