After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 947 - 932: Escaped

Empress Dowager Shan carefully examined him, only to realize he was a eunuch, and her expression turned somewhat peculiar and guarded, "Did my son send you?"

The eunuch was not very old, looking around fifteen or sixteen, but due to special reasons, eunuchs appeared older than average when old, yet younger when young.

So despite his youthful appearance, he was actually nineteen. He smiled gently at Empress Dowager Shan and said, "Don’t worry, Madam. The King of Beihai is now under General Zhao’s command. Though the Prince doesn’t know us, we remain loyal to him."

He continued, "We are under orders from the General to infiltrate the palace. If anything unexpected happens, we must ensure the safety of the Prince and Madam."

The eunuch quickly extinguished the candle, lowered his voice, and said, "Please trust me, Madam, and follow me. We will do our utmost to get you out of the city, leaving the Prince without any worries."

Empress Dowager Shan hesitated for a moment, then decided to trust him. After all, dying was the worst outcome, whether by hanging or by collision, though the latter would hurt.

Under the eunuch’s suggestion, she removed all the hair ornaments from her hair and used a single hairpin to style her hair simply. She also changed into the clothes of a palace maid.

The eunuch climbed out of the window first and then carried Empress Dowager Shan down. Without placing her down, he silently moved through the darkness with her on his back.

They had just moved into this garden, and Empress Dowager Shan was only familiar with the small courtyard she resided in. She hadn’t expected the eunuch to be as familiar with the garden, finding his way to a hole in the wall and leading Empress Dowager Shan through it...

Outside, a little eunuch and an old woman were waiting. They approached silently and draped a black cloak over Empress Dowager Shan, making the four of them less noticeable in the night.

Thus, the four of them quietly moved through the night. With many guards in the garden tonight, they had to pause every few steps, finally reaching the area with the densest guard presence.

The eunuch quickened his pace, but there was truly no light at all here, which made Empress Dowager Shan a bit frightened.

Noticing her fear, the eunuch whispered, "Don’t be afraid, Madam. We are on the western side of the garden now; this is where the staff resides, and goods enter and exit."

They reached a door. Previously, they had climbed over walls; this time, they walked through a door.

The old woman following them silently took out a key and opened the door.

Passing through one courtyard and then another, the confusion began, with servants running around with parcels or hiding. No one spared them a glance.

Seeing people, Empress Dowager Shan shrank onto the eunuch’s back, not daring to move, only daring to peek around after a while. She was quite familiar with this chaos, reminiscent of when they escaped to Anping Country with Liu He.

No one dared to run ahead, as encountering guards meant death.

They could only wait for the opportunity to climb over walls or escape through side doors. The Emperor’s forces were primarily stationed upfront and at important gates; it wasn’t feasible to have guards all along the walls.

This place differed from the actual Imperial Palace, which had towering walls, unlike this garden.

The eunuch led Empress Dowager Shan to a wall; an old man emerged from the darkness, handing him a soft ladder.

The little eunuch trailing them retreated, ran forward to kick off the wall, grabbed the top, passed the soft ladder up, and held it firmly in place.

The eunuch then pushed Empress Dowager Shan up. Once on the wall, the eunuch climbed down and helped Empress Dowager Shan down, followed by the little eunuch. They then pushed Empress Dowager Shan to move.

Empress Dowager Shan hurriedly asked, "What about the two of them?"

The eunuch replied, "They’re not leaving."

Empress Dowager Shan asked, "Why?"

The eunuch, surprised, glanced at Empress Dowager Shan and said gently, "They have their own arrangements."

Having said that, he was about to leave when they heard screams and cries for help from not far ahead. The Xiongnu soldiers had discovered palace attendants trying to escape over the wall and were forcing them to return, killing those who jumped down.

The eunuch immediately pulled Empress Dowager Shan, turning to run in the opposite direction.

They dodged and hid, with the eunuch not immediately taking Empress Dowager Shan out of the city, as the streets were rife with chaotic soldiers from both sides, jeopardizing their lives.

The eunuch found a house, knocked rhythmically on the door. After some time, someone inside opened it, quickly inspecting the eunuch before letting them in. He peeked outside, ensuring no one followed them before closing the door.

They didn’t light any lamps, feeling their way into a room. Someone lit a fire stick, sparing a glance over Empress Dowager Shan’s face before extinguishing it, confirming, "Is this the person we are to rescue?"

The eunuch responded affirmatively, "Even if we die, she must survive."

The other person replied, "It’s chaotic outside. We can’t go out for now; we must wait until dawn to see the situation."

"Will the city gates still be open then?"

"We don’t need to wait for the gates to open," the other person said in an enigmatic tone. "In Lu County, there’s a place without city walls. If we can reach it, we can safely exit, but once outside, safety isn’t guaranteed."

The eunuch replied, "We have people waiting outside." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Empress Dowager Shan remained quiet until they finished discussing the route and softly asked, "If I leave, what will happen to Yi’er?"

The eunuch whispered, "Don’t worry, Madam. Someone is protecting the Prince. Only by leaving can he be without worries."

Empress Dowager Shan expressed her gratitude tearfully, "Yi’er has grown; he thought of this."

The eunuch said nothing.

The little eunuch beside him, lacking the eunuch’s restraint, softly complained, "We’re following Mr. Ji’s orders..."

The eunuch nudged him with his finger, and he immediately fell silent.

Simple-minded Liu Yi naturally didn’t consider these arrangements, only wanting to rescue his mother when the time came. Hence, only when the fighting started did he think of saving her.

However, Mr. Ji, who always plans ten steps ahead, had already made these arrangements.

The pawns he painstakingly placed were not meant to bring back valuable information but rather to save a few key individuals when necessary.

Liu Yi and Empress Dowager Shan were always prioritized.

If either of them survived, it would significantly aid in consolidating the Xiongnu tribes, and apart from influencing the Xiongnu, Empress Dowager Shan also impacted the Di Clan.

She belonged to the Di people. This time, willing to surrender to the Zhao Family Army along with her brother, the Di Clan leader, bringing the entire Di Clan and influencing the Qiang Clan.

The Di and Qiang clans were originally one tribe before the Qin and Han dynasties and split afterward. However, the two clans maintained close relations, often intermarrying, though also frequently clashing.

Yet, under the pressure of the Xiongnu’s five tribes, the Di and Qiang clans formed a closer collaborative relationship.

Thus, the Di Clan’s allegiance to Zhao Hanzhang was bound to affect the Qiang Clan.

Therefore, Liu Yi, the young prince, was tied not only to Xiongnu interests but also to those of the Di and Qiang clans.

For this reason, Zhao Xin would also strive to ensure his survival.

The rebellion raged all night. Realizing the palace couldn’t be captured and with Liu Cong already reacting, albeit with heavy losses, he began a counterattack.

Recognizing defeat, Zhao Xin decisively chose to flee with Liu Yi, taking the troops they had convinced to defect with them.