“You’re a princess—you could just stay in the palace and wait to get married, then spend your life happily bossing people around, enjoying luxury and fine clothes. Wouldn’t that be nice? What kind of good days could you possibly have by following me out there? I’d have your father chasing me down, we might not even get to eat, and if something goes wrong, we could lose our lives. Be good, listen to your brother— the outside world is dangerous, it’s not for a little bunny like you.”

　　Edward Clark said helplessly.

　　“If you don’t take me with you, I’ll call for help!”

　　Little Princess grabbed him, her tone resolute.

　　Edward Clark glared at her, flipped back at top speed, then quickly opened his backpack, tossing out anything of limited use. Next, he picked up Little Princess and stuffed her inside. She was just a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl, and rather slender, so half her body fit in easily. With a little push, that was enough. As she ground her teeth in shame and anger, Edward Clark saw there was still some space, so he stuffed a few of the discarded items back in, then zipped it up, leaving her arms and head sticking out…

　　“Hold onto my shoulders, or if you fall, I’m not responsible!”

　　He said.

　　With that, he hoisted the backpack onto his back.

　　Curled up inside, Little Princess was so scared she quickly slid her hands under his arms and clung tightly to his shoulders. Just like that, Edward Clark carried her, grabbed the rope, and climbed back out the window.

Chapter 5: Eight Generations of Poor Farmers in Your Family

　　“C-c-can we do this another way?”

　　Little Princess was trembling all over, stammering as she spoke.

　　At this moment, she was clinging to Edward Clark for dear life, like a cat cornered by a river. She was hanging like a wind chime from the eaves, a thin rope above her head tied to the eaves, its frighteningly slender form bearing the weight of both of them. Below them was a drop of over ten meters…

　　A night breeze blew, and they swayed like wind chimes.

　　“Don’t move. If you fall, I’m not responsible.”

　　With a figure-eight descender at his waist and the rope in his hand, Edward Clark said sincerely.

　　Little Princess was on the verge of tears.

　　“You could just give up, you know. I really don’t want to take you with me.”

　　Edward Clark said.

　　Little Princess shook her head without hesitation.

　　“Stick your head out, open your mouth!”

　　Edward Clark said.

　　She blankly stuck her head out and opened her mouth.

　　A wad of cloth, already prepared in Edward Clark’s hand, was instantly stuffed into her mouth.

　　She widened her eyes and protested with muffled sounds.

　　“Don’t spit it out!”

　　Edward Clark barked.

　　She accepted the foreign object in her mouth, humiliated.

　　The next moment, Edward Clark let go. The double rope, previously gripped tightly, slid rapidly through the figure-eight descender, and the two of them began a swift descent.

　　Little Princess screamed in terror, but with the cloth in her mouth, all she could make were muffled noises. Only now did she realize the purpose of that thing. She kept screaming, instinctively burying her head, shutting out the terrifying world, feeling gravity and the wind rushing past her ears. But soon, as Edward Clark’s body jerked to a stop, it was all over. When she opened her eyes again, they were already on the ground floor…

　　“Which way?”

　　Edward Clark pulled the cloth from her mouth and asked in a low voice.

　　Little Princess immediately pointed to the right. Edward Clark put on his night vision goggles and slipped into the dark rock garden and flowerbeds ahead.

　　They didn’t notice that a pair of eyes was watching them with great interest from a small building behind them.

　　The two of them moved quickly through the darkness, soon blocked by a high wall. But such an obstacle was nothing to Edward Clark. After climbing over, they continued on, moving through corridors, over walls, and across courtyards, until they finally reached the city wall. There were soldiers patrolling above, so they didn’t dare move, instead pressing themselves into the shadows and waiting cautiously. Only when the soldiers had gone far away did Edward Clark throw up a rope and hook it onto the parapet. He used his night vision goggles to scan the area again, and, seeing no one, quickly climbed up.

　　This kind of city wall wasn’t perfectly vertical; it actually sloped a bit, and the blue bricks made for good footholds. Gripping the climbing rope, he quickly reached the top, then flipped over the wall at top speed…

　　For this kind of wall, you didn’t need any special equipment—a single rope was enough.

　　Once on the ground, he retrieved the rope.

　　Then he turned around—and was stunned.

　　Outside was a river dozens of meters wide, its rippling surface reflecting the lights from the city wall. On the far side of the river was a dense cluster of buildings, with patrol lights moving among them and some windows still lit.

　　Beyond those buildings, stretching for several hundred meters, was yet another city wall.

　　“How deep is it?”

　　He leaned against the wall and asked.

　　“Three zhang.” (about ten meters)

　　Little Princess replied.

　　“I still think I should abandon you.”

　　Edward Clark said.

　　“If you dare abandon me, I’ll shout. Across the river are all imperial guards and craftsmen. If I shout, you’ll never escape. There’s a bridge to the south, but the bridgehead is Donghua Gate, and there are imperial guards on duty there, plus firearms.”

　　Little Princess said.

　　“How many imperial guards are over there?”

　　Edward Clark asked.

　　“Twelve guards rotate shifts, each with five thousand soldiers. As for how many are on duty at any given time, it’s hard to say. But those twelve guards each defend a section, taking turns on duty.”

　　Little Princess said.