At dawn, Cuiyi and Zilan had been by Qizi's side all night, and they were about to part ways. They were always in a melancholy mood, and Qizi could see that they were reluctant to part with them, but she could do something about it.
"Mother, everything is packed. You should quickly change your clothes and set off." Zilan said with tears in her eyes.
Qi Zi expressed her gratitude to her with a smile, and put on the palace clothes Cui Yi brought. She handed Qi Zi a bundle and said, "Mother, there are clothes and some belongings here, so I have to put them away."
Qi Zi took it and opened it. There were two sets of clothes and some gold and silver jewelry inside. Qi Zi took out all the gold and silver jewelry. These were all rewarded by Xuan Yi. She didn't want anything from him.
As soon as Qi Zi touched the precious pearl chain, Cui Yi came in from outside and said, "Zi Lan, are you okay? Hurry up, it's too late."
"Coming, coming." Zi Lan responded.
Qi Zi put the pearl chain into the baggage with a feeling of loss, tied it up, and then left the inner hall door with Zi Lan.
After leaving Qifeng Palace, the three of them were cautious along the way. Qi Zi was even more nervous and did not dare to raise his head. From time to time, guards patrolled by, and their hearts felt as if they were being held up by a hair.
Behind the imperial pharmacy is the imperial dining room. After successfully arriving, he happened to meet the vegetable farmer and the eunuch counting the numbers. It was this opportunity. Qi Zi held the hands of the two girls tightly and said tremblingly: "Thank you.
, take care.”
"Your Majesty, you are the one who should take good care of yourself?" Cuiyi cried in a low voice.
Zilan also echoed: "My dear, take care."
Qi Zi took advantage of the moment when the eunuch and the vegetable farmer turned around and hid in the vegetable basket. There was a pungent smell of rotten vegetable leaves in the vegetable basket. Qi Zi felt a little dizzy, so he immediately calmed himself down and thought
: Compared with staying in the palace for a long time, the short-term endurance is nothing at all.
Cuiyi and Zilan had been hiding in the dark, watching nervously.
"Li Laoliu, this is this month's vegetable money, take it." After counting the vegetables, the steward's father-in-law said to the vegetable farmer a bag of silver.
Li Laoliu took it with a big smile, opened the bag and took out a silver coin and handed it to the steward and said: "Eunuch Yuan, you see I have troubled you again this month. This is to thank you. Please accept it."
The father-in-law in charge took it and said: "You still have a conscience and know how to thank me, but don't relax your request for food just because of this. Thank you for the gift, and things still need to be done well."
"Don't worry, father-in-law, this little one knows."
"Okay, let's go."
"Yes, yes, then I'll leave first."
It's finally time to leave. The people in the vegetable basket are nervous, and the people in the dark are anxious. Whether they can get out depends on this time.
Since the sky was still slightly bright, there was only a lantern not far away, but the light could not shine so far. Li Laoliu walked past the vegetable basket where Qi Zi was hiding, and Qi Zi closed his eyes in fear.
.He put other vegetable baskets on the ground on the cart, stacking them one on top of another, so that the wolfberries would be safer.
"Drive." Li Laoliu shouted, and the horse started to move. He held the reins and walked in the last darkness of dawn.
Cuiyi and Zilan looked straight at the disappearing carriage and listened carefully to the sound. The sound suddenly stopped. They knew they had arrived at the palace gate, and their hearts began to lift again.
Hearing a "squeak", they both collapsed on the ground - Qi Zi finally left the palace.
A ray of red light appeared in the east. Zi Lan pulled Cui Yi up and said, "Go quickly, or you will be discovered."
"Oh, oh." The two of them left one after the other.
It's daybreak, and the light shines through the gaps in the vegetable baskets and shines warmly on Qizi's face. Qizi is excited when he sees the familiar streets. There are already many busy people on the streets. It's been a year.
, finally escaped from the palace, no longer need to see that cold face, no longer need to hear that chilling voice, no longer need to be frightened to guard against his temper, everything has become a thing of the past
A new life is waiting for him. Qi Zi can't wait to stop the cart, but Li Laoliu shows no sign of stopping.
In Qifeng Palace...
Zi Lan walked back and forth, while Cui Yi sat aside with a pale face. After returning, she dispersed the palace eunuchs who came to serve tea and water, and closed the palace door.
"Zi Lan, I'm sorry." Cui Yi whispered with apologetic look on her face.
Zi Lan stopped, walked up to Cui Yi and said, "Don't say that, Cui Yi, you don't need to apologize to me."
"But Zilan, this is a crime of decapitation. It's all my fault for dragging you into this." A little tear dropped on his hand, and water splashed everywhere.
"Cuiyi, I've decided. You can't escape anyway, so why don't you worry about it now. Maybe we will be dead in the next moment, so let's be happy now. The emperor may not come today." Zi Lan comforted.
She was looking at Cuiyi, but she didn't know what she was feeling. She just didn't want both of them to be depressed in the same way.
Cuiyi smiled and said, "Zilan, I really admire you for being so open-minded."
"Hehe, hehe." Hearing Cuiyi's words, Zilan smiled bitterly, but who knew the helplessness in her heart.
"Zilan, if the emperor comes to ask questions, I will bear all the charges. Maybe the emperor will be merciful and let you go." Cui Yi said with prayerful longing in her heart.
"No, Cuiyi, I am also involved in the matter. How could I let you bear all the charges alone?"
"But Zilan..."
"Stop talking, Cuiyi, maybe we both will be fine, so don't worry about it in vain."
Although she knew it was impossible, Cuiyi still nodded with difficulty when seeing Zilan's expectant eyes, taking it as comfort.
The trolley walked into an alley, and Li Laoliu finally stopped. Qi Zi watched him push open a door next to it, and then walked into a yard. She quickly pushed open the vegetable basket above, and walked out
When she walked out of the vegetable basket, she didn't expect that a bamboo stick of the vegetable basket got caught on the corner of her skirt. She hurriedly walked and pulled hard, and the whole vegetable basket rolled from the cart to the ground. Li Laoliu in the yard heard this
There was movement, and he shouted: "Who is it? Who is outside?"
Qi Zi was so frightened that he ran away and hurriedly hid at the corner of the alley. Li Laoliu came out and saw the vegetable basket lying messy on the ground. He picked it up and shouted angrily: "Whose child is so naughty? It's really
lack of manners."
It seemed that she didn't catch up. Qi Zi breathed a sigh of relief. When he was about to turn around and leave, he accidentally kicked a stone and fell to the ground. His whole face was covered by the dust on the ground. She stood up.
, rubbed his slightly twisted foot, patted the dust on his face gently, and ran towards the Liang family's cemetery.
On both sides of the street, all kinds of goods are placed on the shelves, and the sounds of hawkers can be heard endlessly. No one will pay attention to the dirty-faced woman striding towards her, and Qi Zi has no intention of paying attention to the busy people on both sides.
People were walking their own way, and all she wanted at this time was to see her mother for the last time.