The clatter of horse hooves and wooden wheels bouncing over the cobblestone road was the sweetest music to Qingyan's ears. Inside the spacious carriage, she sat against the soft cushions, grinning from ear to ear.
In one corner of the carriage sat two tightly locked, intricately carved wooden chests. They held all of her late mother's dowry—gold jewelry, gemstones, and land deeds—that she had managed to reclaim from Consort Yan's clutches.
"Miss... A-Man is still confused," A-Man blurted from across the carriage, looking from the chests to her master's delighted face. "Why did Miss choose to leave the capital? If Miss exiles herself outside the city, won't Consort Yan and her daughter only grow more powerful and take over the residence even more comfortably? Why didn't Miss stay by Madam's side?"
Qingyan chuckled softly as she stroked the golden carvings on her mother's dowry chest. "A-Man, listen carefully. Staying in the main residence right now would be the same as sticking out my neck to be slaughtered."
"What does Miss mean?"
"Even though Grandmother is protecting us, Consort Yan has powerful backing in the imperial palace. And me? I'm just a cast-off daughter who recently recovered from poisoning. If I insist on staying there and continue fighting her in the open, I could die like an idiot before I even get to enjoy life! For now, the most important thing is... staying alive. Giving way doesn't mean losing. It means making a plan."
Qingyan glanced out the carriage window to check the situation outside. "What about the order I gave you yesterday?"
"Don't worry, Miss. A-Man handled it exactly as instructed," A-Man replied in a whisper. "A-Man hired several of the toughest hunters and mercenaries in the borderlands to secretly escort our carriage from a distance."
"Good," Qingyan said with satisfaction.
She knew Consort Yan's personality from the novel all too well. That cunning woman would never let her go so easily, especially after Qingyan had drained away her late mother's entire dowry. Consort Yan would certainly send assassins to intercept her on the road. But with the shadow guards A-Man had hired, their safety was far more secure.
But this is only the first step, Qingyan thought. I need a much stronger refuge if I'm going to crush Consort Yan completely. Between that woman and me, one of us has to be destroyed.
"Marriage..." Qingyan suddenly murmured.
"What is it, Miss?" A-Man tilted her head.
"A-Man, are there any unmarried noblemen in the capital or these borderlands? Someone with immense power, a high position, and enough authority that the Prime Minister's family can't touch him?"
At the question, A-Man immediately smacked her forehead and began acting adorably flustered. "Oh my goodness, Miss! Why are you asking something like that?! You already have a fiancé!"
"Huh? A fiancé?" Qingyan stared at her in shock.
"Yes! Miss has had a marriage agreement since childhood with the prospective heir to a Marquis's title!" A-Man exclaimed.
THUD!
The novel's plot suddenly spun through Qingyan's mind like a flash of lightning. The Marquis's son?! Lu Cangfeng?! The male lead of this novel?!
"NO WAY!" Qingyan shrieked in panic, startling A-Man. "I have to cancel that engagement!"
"Why cancel it, Miss?! He's the son of a high-ranking noble!"
"You don't understand, A-Man!" Qingyan raked both hands through her hair in frustration.
In the novel's storyline, Lu Cangfeng was the male lead destined for the female protagonist. Meanwhile, her half-sister—the daughter of Consort Yan—was the main antagonist, destined to become obsessed with pursuing Lu Cangfeng and destroying everyone around him.
If I get involved with the Marquis's son, I'll lose my life ten times faster by becoming the target of my half-sister's jealousy! I don't want to interfere with the protagonists' love story! Qingyan screamed inwardly.
SCREECH! CRASH!
Suddenly, the carriage came to an abrupt stop, nearly sending Qingyan and A-Man tumbling forward.
"Ow! What's going on, Coachman?!" A-Man groaned, clutching her shoulder.
"M-Miss..." The coachman's trembling voice came from outside. "There's a man covered in blood lying in the road ahead. He's in terrible condition."
"Keep going! Don't pay any attention to him!" Qingyan quickly called from inside. "It could be an assassin's trap!"
But through the wooden walls of the carriage came a deep, faint groan and a pleading voice. "P-Please..."
The coachman grimaced hesitantly. "But, Miss... The road along this cliff is extremely narrow. If we force our way through, the carriage wheels will have to run over the man's body. I... I can't bring myself to do it."
Qingyan snorted in irritation. Exasperated, she swept aside the curtain and stepped out of the carriage. "Ugh, what a hassle!"
But the moment her eyes fell on the figure sprawled across the rocky ground, Qingyan's breath caught.
The man lay facedown. His all-black battle clothes were torn to shreds, soaked with fresh blood from dozens of sword slashes. His body trembled violently as he endured the cold and pain.
"Miss, what should we do? Are we helping him or not?" A-Man whispered nervously.
Qingyan found herself caught in a doctor's dilemma. Should I help him or not? If I do, he might be a wanted criminal or a dangerous enemy. But if I leave him to die... my doctor's conscience won't let me rest!
As Qingyan took one step forward to examine him more closely, the morning sunlight glinted off an object hanging from the leather belt around the man's waist.
A black jade pendant carved in the shape of a dragon's head, engraved with incredibly intricate ancient characters.
Qingyan's eyes widened. It was as if the stars were spinning around her head. The images and descriptions from the novel she'd read on her tablet suddenly came back to her with crystal clarity, down to the tiniest detail!
A black jade dragon pendant... Sword-slash wounds in the borderlands...
Oh, hell! Qingyan screamed inwardly, her face instantly turning deathly pale.
He was...