Chen Ji admitted it — everything the unidentified woman said was true.
He knew the crown prince’s nature all too well.
Now that the sea-capture edict had been posted, the prince would never let Liao Zhong return alive to stand trial… Liao Zhong knew that even more clearly than Chen Ji.
So Liao Zhong had only one choice left: to run.
In the dim granary, a dislodged tile let a sliver of moonlight fall in, making the dust in the air drift slowly.
Lady Lu watched Chen Ji in silence.
She didn’t hurry him, didn’t press — she simply waited for him to decide.
After a long while Chen Ji asked, “If Liao Zhong wants to go to Datong, which route would he take?”
Lady Lu stopped drawing on the floor and closed her eyes to think. “He’d go around Wutai Mountain and cross the Tianfeng Ridge.”
Su Zhou added from the side, “He could also go via Hengshan. There are bandits there, but Liao Zhong is a traveling officer of the Seeker Realm. Even losing a hand wouldn’t frighten him.”
Lady Lu shook her head. “Hengshan is all Hu family territory. He won’t risk it.”
Su Zhou was about to say more, but Lady Lu cut her off. “Don’t listen to her. If she had sense, she wouldn’t have gone to Luo City alone to get her revenge.”