Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!-Chapter 231: Surprise and Fright
"No way, how can I leave the two of you to take such a risk?"
"Don’t worry, we’ll adapt to the situation as it arises, we won’t keep everyone waiting for long."
"Then perhaps I should go with Xiao," Cheng Beiniu suggested.
Cheng Xiaoxiao shook her head, "Not this time, Uncle Beiniu. We still don’t know what lies ahead. You’re skilled in martial arts, and I’ll feel more at ease if you lead the large group."
Since it was Cheng Xiaoxiao’s decision, though worried, everyone knew they couldn’t argue against it.
"Alright! Everyone, pack up your things. There’s nothing to worry about on my end. You have to trust in my capabilities." Seeing the bright woman smiling calmly, the group felt a twinge of bitterness. No matter how capable, she was still just a young girl not yet of age, making the group of grown men feel quite inadequate.
Cheng Xiaoxiao awkwardly touched her nose, wondering why the group of grown men were being so fussy. Ignoring their worried or resentful gazes, she turned around and returned to her room.
When the moon had climbed high, the system reported, "That Mr. Ke plans to invite you for tea first thing in the morning."
Ugh! Seems like they were right. What you fear most always has a way of happening.
Fortunately, not everyone had to go together. As long as she could maintain control of the situation, she’d find a way to leave once everyone else had exited the city.
"Host, do you know who Miss Ke is marrying?"
"How would I know that?"
"I heard it’s a young pretty boy Miss Ke captured from outside. Mr. Ke specially allocated a luxurious estate in the northern part of the city for the couple to live in."
"Oh! Didn’t they say Miss Ke was to marry into? Isn’t the pretty boy joining her family, not staying in the Inspector Mansion?"
"That I don’t know."
"We’re in no position to meddle in the affairs of bigwigs. Try to delay as much as possible at the Inspector Mansion tomorrow. Once the team withdraws from Dingzhou, I’ll find a way to slip away. Tomorrow is a great opportunity."
With the system’s scan, the Inspector Mansion was like a fortress, full of skilled experts. To think she could escape with her amateur martial arts skills was a pipe dream.
So tomorrow is the best opportunity. If she can’t escape then, it would be a huge problem.
On the night river, the water was calm, and the insects and frogs sang by the shore. A faint flickering light broke the tranquility of the moonlit night.
Over a dozen warships, converted from merchant ships and led by two large vehicle-like ships, advanced quietly.
The vehicle-like ships were ancient large war vessels, equipped with battering booms to attack enemy ships. Their elongated hulls maneuvered downriver swiftly, overpowering ships of similar size in battle with ease.
On the deck of a warship, a figure stood facing the wind. In the darkness, his sharp eyes seemed to pierce through layers of gloom to reach the destination, the storm in his eyes stirring up slaughter and bloodshed.
By tomorrow noon, they would reach Dingzhou.
With ample provisions, his army could certainly head straight for the Capital City.
The foolish nephew, oblivious to the power of an emperor, would understand what true imperial authority is. How could one rule steadfastly with a throne acquired through deceit?
The next day, the dim sky had yet to welcome dawn.
Xiyuan Residence was already brightly lit.
Cheng Hao stared directly at the tray piled high with neatly arranged bright red wedding attire, his fists clenched tightly, the bruises on his hands looked even more menacing and ugly under the flickering lamps.
All the soreness and pain in his body could not surpass the resentment and despair in his heart. Remembering how he knocked out a servant boy yesterday, he almost managed to disguise himself and escape.
Thinking that there weren’t as many guards stationed at Xiyuan Residence, he thought the chance of success was high. And indeed, as he had expected, he deceived several layers of guards. But just as he was nearing the gate, that inexplicable Miss Ke suddenly showed up.
Disregarding the tradition of not seeing each other three days before the wedding, she happened to stumble upon him disguised as a servant, thwarting his plans.
As a result, the punished Hidden Guards secretly gave him a good thrashing.
Except for his face, which remained unscathed, his body was in so much pain that his skin twitched, yet there were no significant visible wounds, just some bruises.
Inside and outside the Inspector Mansion, red lanterns adorned with the character for "happiness" were hung high, and busy servants moved in and out, all amidst bustling and joyful celebrations.
In the elegantly decorated bridal chamber, a beautiful woman stood in front of a dimly lit copper mirror with gold edges, wearing a gold-red peony blouse and a long, sweeping skirt with a cloud-and-dragon pattern.
Her hair was styled high, adorned with a set of intricately carved orchid hairpins, her charming phoenix eyes dazzling within her expressive glance. A touch of pink blush highlighted her fair skin, and her lips were lightly tinted with pale red, making her entire face lively and alluring.
"Miss, you look so beautiful today! Particularly beautiful," E Dai, the maidservant, genuinely praised.
The woman in the mirror smiled gently, adding a dreamlike quality to her beauty.
Ke Mengyao slowly rose, with a ribbon of silk-like dark hair casually draping across her chest, her figure voluptuous, her slender waist fragile, fully displaying a young girl’s delicate charm.
"What time is it?"
"Reporting to Miss, it’s already past the first quarter of Si hour (9-11 AM)."
"It’s about time to leave."
"Yes, I’ll go notify everyone," E Dai replied.
A maid beside her hurried to draw the curtain adorned with pearls, partly shielding Ke Mengyao’s alluring face, while a gold and silver-threaded robe embroidered with colorful cherry blossoms was draped over her wedding dress.
Everyone followed behind the long train of her dress as it flowed out.
The grand wedding procession paraded through the streets and alleys, enlivening the entire Dingzhou City, and the beauty on the carriage, with her partially hidden face, appeared even more mysterious and stunning.
People all over were talking; this was indeed Mr. Ke’s beloved daughter, truly dazzling and peerless.
But her temperament had always been difficult to describe; wasn’t it supposed to be the groom coming to marry the bride? Yet, it was reversed with her. No one knew which poor young man caught Miss Ke’s eye, forcing him to marry into her family.
In the marketplaces and alleys, the women buying vegetables were chattering, counting the remarkable deeds of Miss Ke one by one.
Having listened to gossip the whole way, Cheng Xiaoxiao was led by a guard and a steward out of the alley, onto another side street, diverging from the main street’s wedding procession.
After winding through the streets, they finally arrived at the Inspector Mansion, but the steward led Cheng Xiaoxiao through a side door on the west side, far from the main entrance.
Qi Fei, who had followed Cheng Xiaoxiao the whole way, was so nervous his palms were sweaty.
The grandeur and luxury of the Inspector Mansion far surpassed anything seen among village gentry or wealthy households, with everything meticulously manicured and tastefully refined.
There wasn’t a corner that wasn’t exquisite, nor a place that didn’t exude grandeur.
It was Cheng Xiaoxiao’s first time entering such a magnificent estate that served both as a home and an office. As she discreetly observed her surroundings, she had the system conduct a detailed scan to see if there were any exploitable weaknesses.
Once the steward escorted them into a guest room, he left, instructing them to wait and not to leave.
The two didn’t dare to wander around. The lively commotion outside felt worlds apart from them, and they risked offending some god-like figure, making departure even harder.
Through the system’s description, the main hall was already bustling with guests, and Governor Ke was mingling amiably with the officials.
While Cheng Xiaoxiao waited impatiently, the system gave her a big surprise and a scare.
Why say it like that?
The surprise was finding Cheng Hao; the scare was realizing Cheng Hao was the pretty boy who had been captured.
