A grand carriage driven by six horses and occupied by Xuan Cheng only was spacious enough for six people to lie down and had a high ceiling for a man of average height to stand straight.
Xuan Cheng had taken her energetic pill which promoted the circulation of blood and Qi in her body and healed her vulnerable self. She felt a little better, but her heart still pained like a knot was tied inside her.
'It's my first time coming out of the mansion in daylight,' she mumbled, as the drape tied around the window fluttered because of the wind.
Xuan Cheng's carriage was in the middle, as five carriages were in the front and five were behind her, and they were followed by huge wagons of luggage, from books to spoons, from vases to flower pots, there was nothing they didn't bring with themselves.
Seeing how meticulously Eunuch Ji had packed everything, meant he didn't slack in his duty. If he could he would have brought all the Furniture and even the walls, the entire mansion with him, so that the princess doesn't feel homesick.
For someone who has seen those walls all the time since she started understanding things, Princess Cheng was indeed too attached, if someone else was in her shoes, they might have tried to burn the house and escape it.
However, there is Princess Cheng who is unwilling to part with those pillars, ceilings, trees and doors that witnessed her childhood, that watched her suffer that watched her overcome those sufferings.
Something must take place even if fate itself is reluctant for it to happen, it's like a child, who doesn't wish to grow up despite all the curiosities must become mature as he or she grows up.
Just like a young maiden unwilling to get married must marry even if her family is hesitant to let go of her, things of such nature happen even if the universe is against it.
Likewise, revenge is needed, even if one has a magnanimous heart, even if it was a trivial matter, not something that one cannot forget, even if the enemies are of one kin.
The wound must not heal until the ones who hurt you pay for their crimes. For retribution, there were three ways.
One is the Karma. It needs patience and patience only.
Second, is the law. It needs evidence and trials.
Third is oneself. It needs what Karma and Law need and everything they don't. It takes your blood, sweat, and tears.
There were over one hundred escort guards there were horses for each of them, dressed in a distinct purplish outfit that fitted their image, and sturdy body.
On either side of Xuan Cheng's carriage were two high-breed horses, rarely found in the Zhao Kingdom, ridden by Eunuch Jiu and Maid Huan, who themselves were dressed in high-quality silk granted by Xuan Cheng.
Their clothes and elegant bearings were enough for people to mistake them for being some great family's descendants.
"Her Highness is just too generous; won't we attract unnecessary attention of people?" a maid riding in the last carriage spoke to the other nine maids, curiously.
"You grew up beside Her Highness, so you must be thinking it is normal for mere wood-rank maids to ride a carriage, right?" an older maid with the same wood hairpin spoke in a sarcastic manner.
The group of ten wood-rank maids were divided into three unrecognized categories, one consisted of the experienced ones who were only a few years younger than Xuan Cheng, they had seen the world before entering the mansion.
The second consisted of the ones who grew up beside Xuan Cheng, they had not even reached the marriageable age. They were mostly kids rescued by Duyi Pharmacy and not bought slaves, unlike the former ones.
The third category was maids who were around fifteen or sixteen and reached their marriageable age. They were the perplexed ones, neither they were too experienced nor they were too naive.
After hearing the older maid's words, they all shifted their eyes to the young maid, who was intimated and nervous because of the unknown pressure.
"Don't blame me, I only remember my life in the mansion, I don't remember my childhood outside, ever since I started things, I have only seen Her Highness and Her Majesty whom I consider my guardians," she stuttered.
"I am not blaming you little Qu, hear me out," the older maid spoke comfortingly, her name was Hua, meaning flower, and so was she.
"We all want to hear you since you are the most experienced among us," they all spoke in sync.
"I used to live in the Capital City, and I have never seen slaves riding a carriage, and escorts riding a horse.
We are really lucky to have been working under Her Highness, you all will surely realize once you meet other servants from other masters," she spoke rolling her eyes in a prideful manner.
"I have decided, I shall never leave Her Highness's side, she is my saviour," Maid Hua announced.
"I will do the same," Maid Qu agreed.
The rest of them laughed because of their cheeky attitude, "Will you not get married?" one of them asked.
"Slaves don't have the right to get married unless our masters want us to, and that's very rare!" Qu replied coldly.
"But our princess has sent over twenty maids who reached the age of twenty-five to get married, some of them were even matchmade by her," one of them responded.
"Oh? So, the maids who left the mansion weren't punished? but they were dismissed?
Right! I remember the Books of Palace Rules, it's a custom palace uses," another one reminded them.
"Stop all this, since we are privileged to travel in the carriage, let's get a good sleep and work efficiently when we reach there," Hua changed the topic.
....
Two days later...
"Why did you stop?
I said we have already rested seven times on our way.
We can't delay anymore.
Let me tell you again, we won't stop until we reach the Capital City," Eunuch Jiu yelled at the Head Escort Zhong, who rushed to him from the front.
"Someone is lying unconscious ahead of us, and..." Head Escort Zhong spoke in a professional manner, not panicking or getting scared.
"And?" Eunuch Jiu asked suspiciously, maybe the man was a victim of a robbery, he speculated.
"He looks like your brother-in-law," he informed.
"My brother-in-law?" he blurted out, utterly shocked, Head Escort Zhong worked for Princess Cheng who formed the group of escorts for transportation, so he had seen Li Quan more than he had seen Princess Cheng who always stayed behind the screen.
Li Jiu climbed down his horse and ran to the front, knowing Zhong cannot be wrong in recognizing his brother-in-law.
As he reached the front end, the physician who accompanied the caravan was checking the pulse of the body they had found, which apparently belonged to Li Quan.
"It's my brother-in-law!!!!!!
How is he?" Li Jiu asked, his eyes widening from shock as he confirmed the fact.
There was no sign of external injury on Li Quan, no cuts, no bruises, and no blood, but he looked haggard and gaunt.
"He has been attacked by some evil cultivator, I am afraid, I can't help him," Physician Zhu whispered into his ears.
All the physicians were taught how to recognize such injuries, and some selected ones were even taught how to cure them. Unfortunately, Physician Zhu wasn't one of them.
"What? My brother-in-law will die?" Eunuch Jiu's world slipped away from him.
He held Li Quan's hand and started sobbing. He had forgotten everything, he only remembered that his brother-in-law who was also his distant relative was dying in front of him.
The atmosphere become tense and gloomy, as the maids and eunuchs from the first two carriages came down and surrounded them, pitying them, they murmured silently among themselves.
However, escort guards were still in their position, highly cautious of their surrounding as it might be a trap or an ambush.
A while later, Xuan Cheng appeared at the scene, as the maids and eunuchs gave her way, lowering their gazes, she turned to them and gestured them to go back to their carriages.
Her black gown ended above her ankle separating her three-layer tunic with a strap wrapped around her waist and her sleeves were tied within a cross pattern till her elbow.
She wore long leather boots, with high flat heels, it was a novel fusion of the boots worn by men and sandals worn by women. Her head and neck were covered with a layer of thin silk raven scarf.
No matter how, she didn't look like a princess at all, however, more like some man who was out travelling alone, her outfit was different from what she was wearing when they began their journey.
"Jiu, step aside," her cold and gloomy voice sounded angelic to Jiu who blamed himself for not informing his master, Princess Cheng, who is unparallel when it comes to such matters.
"Your Highness..." His hopes and his gratitude both emitted from his eyes as he saw her bending down, placing her left knee on the soiled ground and checking the pulse of her body.