Chapter 202: The long-planned escape

It was still early, so Qin Xiaoning packed up and left the inner room. Song Zhi, who was busy outside, saw her and said in surprise, "The sun really rose from the west. How come you got up so early?"

On weekdays I sleep until noon.

He is sleepy, playful and gluttonous.

The prince has spoiled me with many bad habits.

Qin Xiaoning smiled and said perfunctorily: "I have an appointment with the prince to go to the private residence in East Lake today, so I got up this morning to pack up."

When Songzhi heard that they were going to the private residence, he was very excited and asked hurriedly, "Can you take me with you?"

Qin Xiaoning replied, "The prince wants to take me out to play tonight and stay overnight at his private residence. I'll have someone pick you up tomorrow."

It turned out that he was thinking about spending time together again.

The two of them often did this, leaving behind their servants and followers and going out to have a good time.

Songzhi was honest and did not doubt him. He said to himself, "Then you can send someone to pick me up early tomorrow."

Qin Xiaoning nodded in agreement, and then handed a brand new brocade dress in her hand to Song Zhi: "I made this myself, and I'm giving it to you."

Qin Xiaoning had always been kind to Songzhi. Songzhi took the clothes and asked in surprise, "Why are you making clothes yourself?"

I used to give her things often, but never anything I made myself.

The little girl is lazy.

Although she has a pair of deft hands, she doesn't like sewing very much.

Qin Xiaoning smiled and said perfunctorily: "You are going to have a birthday soon, so I thought it would be more meaningful if I made it for you personally."

Songzhi did not doubt him and smiled and thanked Qin Xiaoning. He touched the brocade clothes happily and murmured, "This fabric is really good."

Then she said regretfully, "I am a maid, it would be too conspicuous if I wore it outside."

Qin Xiaoning picked up the clothes and tried them on her: "Then you can wear them when you get married in the future."

"That's fine too, hehe, such good material is perfect for making wedding dresses." Songzhi smiled happily and looked at Qin Xiaoning: "A Ning, you treat me so well."

The two people who grew up with her, one is Lu Ji and the other is Song Zhi, both are Qin Xiaoning's closest people.

Before leaving, Qin Xiaoning went to Anju Hall again. She personally made some snacks for the Duke's wife, but did not deliver them in person. Instead, she handed them to the maid at the door.

Although the mistress of the Duke's Mansion has a rough personality, it was only because she followed Lu Ji in the past two years that the Duke's wife noticed her.

But to be fair, the Duke's wife treated her well.

He really treats her like his own daughter.

She entered the mansion at the age of seven. To be fair, everyone here treated her very well. In fact, she wanted to go and see the Sixth and Fifth Misses, and then visit the eldest grandmother and her two younger sisters.

After thinking about it, Qin Xiaoning finally stopped.

If she left quietly, she was worried that it would be counterproductive if she made any noise.

After delivering snacks to the Duke's wife, Qin Xiaoning returned to Qingsong Garden. She stuffed the letter she had prepared long ago under Lu Ji's pillow. She had pondered over this farewell letter for a long time, and thousands of words were stuck in her pen. In the end, she only left four words.

Lu Ji, take care!
It wasn't that she was heartless, but she really didn't know how to tell him. Leaving, to Lu Ji, meant betrayal, which was a heinous crime and could not be forgiven.

Thinking of the man's furious look after he knew she had secretly left, Qin Xiaoning couldn't help but shrink her neck.

He raised his hand and tucked the letter under his pillow again, then left with the small package on his back.

Although Qin Xiaoning was a concubine, she was not allowed to leave the Chuihua Gate without permission. However, because of Lu Ji's favor, she had a badge that allowed her to leave the mansion, so she could go out without any hindrance.

Qin Xiaoning walked out of the door carrying a small package. She couldn't help but stand outside the door and look at the towering lintel for a long time.

She recalled the time when she was standing alone in front of the tall gate and being driven away by the housekeeper, and the young Lu Ji, dressed in fine clothes and riding a fierce horse, stared at her, and then called for her to be taken into the mansion.

She still remembered that when she followed Lu Ji into the tall gate, she was dazzled by the mansion with its carved corridors and painted buildings.

Living in a house like this, she would never want to leave.

This was her only thought at that time.

This noble family took in the poor and lonely girl, and Lu Ji raised her in luxury. Now, she left without hesitation.

And this departure was something she had planned for a long time.

Is she an ungrateful person?

Qin Xiaoning's mind was in turmoil, which only turned into a bitter smile. Then he turned around and went straight to the carriage and horse agency that he had already booked.

When they got there, Qin Xiaoning took out the receipt for booking the carriage. The boss took a look and suddenly remembered the person: "Didn't the young lady say that she and her husband would be alone?"

That was a lie Qin Xiaoning made up just to be on the safe side.

Although the people of the Great Zhou were open-minded and women often went out alone, she looked like someone from a wealthy family. If she said she was alone, it would probably arouse suspicion.

Qin Xiaoning is a free person. Logically speaking, although she is Lu Ji's concubine, according to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a concubine of clean birth leaving home without permission is not considered as running away and is not against the law.

Qin Xiaoning was so cautious simply because she didn't want to cause any trouble.

When the boss asked, she replied with the words she had prepared in advance: "My husband has something urgent to do, so he can't wait for you to go with me. My mother has been getting sicker recently and can't delay. I will go back first, and he will come to pick me up after he finishes his work in a few days."

When she ordered the car, Qin Xiaoning revealed that she wanted to go back to her parents' home to visit her sick mother.

The boss heard this without any doubt and said with a smile: "So your mother is seriously ill, so you really can't delay. But you are so beautiful, will your husband be relieved if you go out alone?"

Qin Xiaoning smiled faintly: "Of course we are worried, so we are willing to pay a high price to hire the carriages and horses from your carriage company."

"Don't worry, young lady. Our family is well-known in the whole capital." Seeing Qin Xiaoning's generous manner, the boss guessed that she must be the wife of an official. Although he was also wondering why she didn't even bring a maid or a servant, since there was money to be made, he didn't bother to think too much. He said attentively: "It's only more than two days' drive from here to Huyang. Our carriage is neat and timid. We will definitely send the young lady on time."

Huyang was another prefecture not far from Quzhou.

This was something Qin Xiaoning had thought of long ago. In order to deceive Lu Ji, the carriage and horses she hired in the capital first stopped in Huyang, and then she hired another carriage and horses in Huyang to go to Quzhou.

Huyang is less than half a day's drive from Quzhou, and all roads are official, so there is no need to worry about safety issues.

When I arrived in Quzhou, I went directly to find my old friend according to the address given by Mr. Su.

Qin Xiaoning listened to the assurance of the boss of the carriage shop. She smiled faintly and replied, "My husband also said that hiring your carriage is reassuring."

As she spoke, she took out a silver ingot from her waist bag and said, "This is the advance payment. I will pay the rest when we get to Hu Yang's mother's house."