Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 476 Relying on Favor (21)

Even though Yan Zhen kept talking to Zhao Yuan the whole way, he only lasted half an hour before falling into a coma because the bleeding couldn't be stopped.

Yan Zhen carried him on his back, stumbling along for an hour, until his legs were shaking from exhaustion.

Yan Zhen stumbled over a vine, leaned forward, and fell heavily to his knees. Even as he did so, he leaned to the side to prevent Zhao Yuan from falling to the ground.

After putting Zhao Yuan down, Yan Zhen looked at his pale, bloodless face and gasped for breath, feeling that he would most likely die here with Zhao Yuan today.

This thought only lasted a few seconds before Yan Zhen perked up again.

No, I can't give up as long as Zhao Yuan is still alive.

Yan Zhen tried to cheer herself up, but when she tried to help Zhao Yuan up from the ground and put him on her back, she found herself exhausted.

She carried a man who weighed twice her weight for an hour. No matter how strong her willpower was, she couldn't change the fact that the original owner was physically weak.

She was completely exhausted.

After trying three or four times without success, Yan Zhen looked around and wondered if he should make a simple trolley to drag Zhao Yuan down the mountain.

But as she looked up, she noticed a gaze secretly watching her from behind the weeds not far away.

Yan Zhen reached for the dagger tucked at his waist, stood up, and shouted sternly, "Come out!"

A rustling sound came from behind the weeds, and a man and a woman came out one after the other.

The two men looked to be in their thirties. They carried baskets on their backs, had sickles at their waists, wore rough clothes, had skin tanned dark by the sun, and had calluses on their hands from years of hard work.

They look like herb farmers who went up the mountain to collect medicinal herbs.

Realizing this, Yan Zhen lowered his guard slightly and waved to them.

The two men walked over, their eyes filled with wariness as they looked at her.

"Are you from Tingzhou?"

The man nodded.

After a brief moment of deliberation, Yan Zhen decided to take a gamble.

“This is Prince Zhao, and I am Princess Zhao. We are being hunted down by the troops sent by the Great Liang and we need your help.” Yan Zhen said, taking off the gold bracelet on her wrist. “Find a safe place for my husband and me to settle down, and then go to Tingzhou City to send word so that someone can come and pick us up. After the matter is settled, you can bring this gold bracelet to Prince Zhao’s residence, and I, the Princess, will reward you handsomely.”

When the man saw the gold bracelet she showed off, his eyes lit up, and he quickly reached out to take it.

Yan Zhen withdrew his hand: "Did you understand the conditions I just proposed?"

The man and woman exchanged a glance and nodded: "We understand."

"Can it be done?"

"……able."

Yan Zhen handed the bracelet over, and the man immediately took it, wiped it with his sleeve, and even took a bite of it.

Seeing that the man was certain it was real gold and carefully put the bracelet away, Yan Zhen said again, "This bracelet was made by the royal family and bears the royal mark. If you try to sell it, not only will no one dare to buy it, but you will also be killed."

The man's expression changed.

"So this is just a token," Yan Zhen said. "The real reward will be given after you help my husband and me escape danger and return to the city."

The man hesitated for a moment: "What is the reward?"

"What do you want?" Yan Zhen asked in return.

"Money!" the man said without hesitation, "One hundred taels of silver!"

"I'll give you five hundred taels," Yan Zhen said. "The pursuers could come at any time, so you must do your best to protect me and the King of Zhao."

A generous reward will surely bring forth brave men, so the man nodded: "Alright."

After he finished speaking, he handed the basket to his wife behind him, walked over, and carried Zhao Yuan on his back: "Come with me."

The man carried Zhao Yuan on his back, and the woman supported Yan Zhen. After walking for a while, a stream appeared in front of them.

The stream was no more than knee-deep. The man, carrying Zhao Yuan on his back, stepped into the stream and walked downstream.

Yan Zhen frowned, not understanding why the man would choose to wade through the stream instead of taking the land route.

But she soon realized that Zhao Yuan was still dripping blood, and traveling by water would wash away the blood, leaving no trace for the pursuers.

This person does have some cleverness.

Walking downstream, the stream soon splits into two streams.

The man continued walking along one of the streams, and soon the streams branched off again.

After walking for almost an hour, the couple led them to a natural stone cave located by a pool.

A thick layer of ivy hangs down from the outside of the cave, completely covering the entrance, making it difficult to spot the cave from the outside.

After putting Zhao Yuan down, the man first checked his injuries, then took out some herbs from his basket, crushed them, and applied them to Zhao Yuan's legs and back.

Yan Zhen watched his actions but did not stop him.

After treating Zhao Yuan's wounds, the man told his wife to stay behind while he carried a basket down the mountain to report the news to Tingzhou City.

The cave was cold and dark, but they couldn't light a fire now, lest the smoke attract the pursuers. Yan Zhen took off his outer robe and covered Zhao Yuan with it.

Seeing this, the woman went deeper into the cave and brought out a bundle of straw: "Let him lie on the straw, it will keep him warm."

Yan Zhen took the straw and thanked her in a low voice.

Seeing that her expression was no longer as cold and stern as before, the woman cautiously began to talk to her.

From their conversation, Yan Zhen learned that the woman's surname was Li, and that she was a farmer living at the foot of the mountain who went up the mountain to collect herbs during the off-season to supplement her family's income.

“This place is more than fifty miles from Tingzhou. Even if my husband walks fast, he won’t be back until tomorrow.” The woman took out some dry food from her basket and handed it to Yan Zhen. “Your Highness, please have something to eat.”

Yan Zhen accepted it: "Thank you."

Yan Zhen began his long wait inside the stone cave.

By evening, Zhao Yuan, who had fallen into a deep coma, began to have a fever.

Yan Zhen borrowed Li Niangzi's handkerchief, wet it, wrung it out, and applied it to Li Niangzi's forehead to cool him down physically. He then took out two herbs with antipyretic effects from the herbs Li Niangzi had collected, crushed them with a stone, squeezed out the juice, and fed it to Li Niangzi.

This method of taking medicine is tantamount to trying anything as a last resort, but since things have come to this point, Yan Zhen has no choice but to make do.

After a flurry of activity, it gradually got dark outside.

Zhao Yuan had a persistent high fever, was shivering from the cold, and occasionally uttered incoherent words.

Unable to light a fire for warmth, Yan Zhen could only hold him and try to wrap his hands and feet in dry grass to retain heat.

In the middle of the night, Li Niangzi, who was sleeping next to her, suddenly sat up.

Yan Zhen, who had been on guard, asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

"Shh." Li Niangzi gestured for silence from the darkness. "It sounds like someone's coming."

Yan Zhen tensed up.

The road down the mountain was difficult to travel, and Li Niangzi's husband wouldn't be back for long. At this time, the only ones appearing nearby could be pursuers.

Thinking of this, Yan Zhen gently put Zhao Yuan down, took out a dagger, and got up to walk towards the cave entrance.

Lady Li pulled her back: "Your Highness, this place is very secluded. As long as we don't make a sound, outsiders won't find us."

Yan Zhen shook his head: "I need to prepare for the worst."