The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Moments later, the carriage swayed slightly, and then a dark figure suddenly shot out from beneath the carriage, standing firmly in front of them.
Although mentally prepared, Shang Ruyi still held her breath upon seeing that towering figure.
The firelight illuminated the person clearly. He was a burly man, even taller than Yu Wenye, with a face as dark as a pot bottom, hair and beard all tangled, clearly untrimmed for a long time, rendering his features and age indistinguishable. His body was covered with dirt and mud, almost like a beggar.
Yet even so, Shang Ruyi immediately noticed his eyes.
Those tiger eyes were bright and piercing, even brighter than the flames in front.
Just by seeing these eyes, it was clear this person was no ordinary man.
He stood before the two, despite the desperate situation, he was calm and even courteous as he raised a hand to them in greeting: "The two of you, Xiao Yuansui thanks you for rescuing me."
Indeed, this person was the thunderously famous Xiao Yuansui!
Yu Wenye calmly said: "Brother Xiao, what do you mean by this?"
Xiao Yuansui replied: "I heard Young Master Yu Wen was ordered to go to the Eastern Capital, and I wish to borrow the carriage."
Yu Wenye said: "Brother, do you know you are being pursued by the court? Hiding under my wife’s carriage, aren’t you afraid of implicating the Yuwen Family?"
Xiao Yuansui laughed: "It’s not because I’m not afraid, but because I know, I won’t implicate you."
"Not only will Young Master Yu Wen not let Wang Shaoji take the advantage, even your esteemed wife is so astute, which I did not expect at all."
Shang Ruyi’s face flushed.
She had guessed while getting into the carriage that someone was hiding under the carriage’s partition, but Wang Shaoji had already brought people, leaving no room to speak. Knowing they were pursuing a court fugitive, she dared not let them find him, so she purposely pressed her skirt corner under the curtain to dismiss the Black Armor Army.
And her actions naturally couldn’t deceive the hidden Xiao Yuansui under the carriage.
So she said, "Young Master Xiao uses a weak woman like me to dodge capture, and now mocks me; isn’t that excessive?"
Xiao Yuansui quickly said: "I dare not."
"I have indeed never seen a woman as calm and wise as Young Madam, truly admirable."
Being praised , Shang Ruyi felt somewhat embarrassed.
She awkwardly turned her head away.
Xiao Yuansui smiled at her briefly, then slowly turned to look at the complex expression of Yu Wenye. Their eyes met with an unspoken mutual understanding typical among noble sons, seeming to hold a hint of hostility.
Yu Wenye said: "I don’t want to talk about what happened before, only, given you’re being pursued by the court, why do you want to return to Luoyang?"
Xiao Yuansui replied: "The most dangerous place is the safest place."
"You’ve seen it yourself; the court has even dispatched Black Armored Cavalry to catch me. Beneath the heavens, there is no place for me to stay. So I thought, perhaps returning to Luoyang, I might take advantage of being unseen beneath a lamp."
Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Even though everyone knew the saying "the most dangerous place is the safest," danger remains danger, implying the risk of being shattered upon approach. Xiao Yuansui still dared to return to Luoyang at this moment, his courage indeed awe-inspiring besides his wisdom.
Yet Yu Wenye said: "If you return , I’m afraid you won’t gain much advantage."