January 30th, two days until February 2nd, the day of execution.

Ming Yan got up early in the morning, listlessly prepared breakfast, left it in the pot ready to be scooped out by Miss when she woke up, and then cleaned both inside and outside the house.

Done with the chores.

The sun showed signs of emerging from the clouds, the sky gradually lightened, no longer the pitch-black of early dawn.

She didn’t wake Miss, but instead took a small bundle from the room, changed into a honey-colored buttoned jacket, dressed like a village woman, and went out, heading to the village entrance.

The ox cart to Taiping Town was only available at the village entrance, all handled by Coachman Chen.

At the village entrance, there was a large locust tree with dense branches and leaves. Coachman Chen was already waiting there, a delicate little girl sat on the cart with a bundle, but unfortunately, her face was covered with many black spots, freckles.

Ma Zi hunched on the cart napping, without speaking.

Coachman Chen didn’t disturb her either.

When Ming Yan reached the locust tree, she was both surprised and delighted, her eyes welled with tears of excitement: "Miss, Miss, why are you here?"

The morning sun rose as usual in the east, suffused with a light orange that shone through the branches and leaves, dappled sunlight landing on Ma Zi’s face; she opened her calm eyes: "It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Yangzhou City, I want to take a stroll, besides, I’m afraid some maid won’t come back, and no one will serve me!"

Ming Yan knew better, she detected Miss’s tough facade with a soft heart, immediately got on the ox cart and sat there, embracing Miss’s shoulders.

To escape from her husband, Miss fled a thousand miles to hide in Xinghua Village, claiming she wouldn’t come out for three to five years!

Yet now, to accompany her, she broke this rule and left Xinghua Village.

In Yangzhou City, there’s the once-wealthy husband, also the person Miss least wanted to see...

Ma Zi, with a tone of frustration, poked heavily on the maid’s forehead with her slender finger, huffing, "You, you, so pathetic for a man."

Poked, Ming Yan buried her head into Miss’s shoulder, muttering, "That’s not true."

Beside them, Coachman Chen couldn’t understand their cryptic conversation, so he kept silent.

After waiting for a long time without anyone else coming to ride the ox cart, when the time came, he urged the ox to step forward toward the town.

...

After arriving at the town, Ye Zhi led Ming Yan to start disguising themselves, gradually transforming into a freckled gentleman and a maid, rented a carriage, and rushed toward Yangzhou City at the fastest speed, finally arriving inside the city at the last moment of sunset, and checked into an inconspicuous little Bright Moon Inn.

Room number two in the sky block.

Ye Zhi layered herself in clothes, not minding the heat, leaving Ming Yan puzzled: "Miss, why are you wearing so many clothes?"

"Shh." Ye Zhi gestured for silence, paused to listen attentively with no unusual noises, then relaxed her expression and whispered: "Tonight I will stealthily inspect the prison, I’ll go and ask Master Zhi Chen if there was some hidden reason he attempted to assassinate the Emperor, if his reason is good enough, I will break him out, you stay here and wait for news."

Assassination of the Emperor doesn’t necessarily mark one as utterly evil or villainous.

In Daqing, officials wield power to suffocate people, not to mention the ruler of a nation.

Any slight offense led to the massacre of nine families, sparing neither elderly nor children; it wasn’t unusual for survivors to escape and attempt to assassinate the Emperor.

Or perhaps he’s a leftover from Prince An’s faction!

Or possibly a spy sent by Ling Country!

Everything will be clearer after meeting him tonight.

Ye Zhi believed, Master Zhi Chen was not a bad person.