Chapter 73 A Feeling of Betrayal

The Seventh Prince felt the furry touch of his hands. Although the prophecy was sealed and not to be revealed, Governor Xie should have received the news today.

Xie Mianmian had heard from her family that her father was extremely busy with the Beijing-Canal project, but now this prophecy had come true.

What wicked idea is this woman plotting now? The child angrily tugged at his sleeve.

The Seventh Prince felt that if the prophecy were true, they could take precautions in advance to prevent so many people from dying. However, this was a serious matter and not something a child should concern himself with.

"Tomorrow is a day off from school, what are your plans?" the Seventh Prince asked casually.

Xie Mianmian then snapped out of her own little world. "You should be playing at home. Where is Seventh Prince?"

"I am going to ride horses in the eastern suburbs tomorrow."

The child only replied, "Oh, that's great," before immersing himself in his own world, his mind filled with the prophecy Lin Ruoxue had spoken.

The seventh prince waited and waited, only to receive an "oh" in response.

oh oh! ?

The Seventh Prince remained silent, secretly fuming. He glanced at Xie Mianmian, thinking, "Oh, is there nothing else you want to say, like wanting to go horseback riding with me?"

How funny, I don't necessarily want to go horseback riding with her.

The Seventh Prince returned the backpack to Xie Mianmian. The child took it blankly, still without saying a word.

How ridiculous! It's not like I have to beg her to go horseback riding with me.

The cold-hearted seventh prince left alone, his back view showing a hint of loneliness.

The next day, Xie Mianmian didn't have to go to school, but she still got up very early.

The little child was guarding the gate, crouching there.

Father Xie walked over quickly, his brows furrowed, his steps light as the wind. He was already overwhelmed by the recent events, not to mention the prophecy.

If the predicted flood can be prevented, that would be best; but if it does happen, he, as the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, will truly be held responsible.

He strode out of the mansion and stopped at the main gate, as the carriage had not yet arrived.

Mr. Xie looked towards the other side of the road with dissatisfaction. This old Liu knew he was going out, but he wasn't smart enough to wait at the door earlier. He was so anxious that his lips were about to bubble.

Just then, a small hand grasped his finger, and a childish voice rang out, "Father, Mianmian wants to go too."

When Mr. Xie looked down, he saw his little daughter, a soft and cuddly little thing, which calmed his restlessness and melted his heart.

He half-squatted down, trying to reason with the child, "I'm going to the Grand Canal to handle some business, not to play around."

"Mianmian just wants to go."

As Xie's father watched the child pout, his large eyes visibly welled up with tears, like two deep pools.

He couldn't bear to see Xie Mianmian looking so aggrieved. "Then let's go. Consider it a spring outing."

This was Xie Mianmian's first time going out with her father.

The child would tug at his father's sleeve to see what was hidden inside, and then lift the curtains to look at the bright spring scenery outside, chattering away, asking when they would arrive.

Father Xie indulged the child's every whim, and tried his best to answer the child's strange questions, even if it was difficult.

"The horse says it can climb trees, can Father do that too?"

"meeting."

"Why are those two dogs sticking together? They look so pitiful."

"Because spring has arrived."

Afraid that Xie Mianmian would ask why they weren't forcibly separated, Xie's father took a piece of dried fruit from the small drawer and put it in her mouth. "Eat it, we're almost there." Little mouth, don't talk.

Soon, they arrived at the camp where the officials and craftsmen were stationed.

Xie Mianmian was carried off the carriage by her father. As soon as she stood on the ground, she heard a loud argument.

"Here we go again," Xie's father said helplessly, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his eyes.

Xie Mianmian walked closer out of curiosity and recognized one of the people arguing – the toy stall owner.

"How dare you, you brat! My blueprints are absolutely flawless!"

"Not to mention that this mechanism is not sophisticated enough in terms of security, it cannot be made even according to these blueprints. You see, this part is wrong."

He Chuan pressed his neatly manicured index finger against a spot.

Old Zhao argued until his face turned red. He wanted to continue cursing, but his eyes kept glancing in that direction.

The more he looked at it, the more he felt something was wrong. It was indeed drawn incorrectly. Old Zhao shut up and wanted to take the drawing back.

But then He Chuan drew a few light strokes on it with a charcoal pencil.

What are you doing, you brat!

Old Zhao rushed up to retrieve his painting, but after a quick glance, his eyes were glued to it. "Wonderful! How could I not have thought of that? You've got some skills, kid."

He Chuan bowed to Old Man Zhao and said, "It was my rudeness, please forgive me, Engineer Zhao."

Mr. Xie was used to these scenes. He stepped forward, said some polite words, and encouraged everyone to keep up the good work.

Finally, he patted He Chuan on the shoulder, "Not bad," and then took the child and left.

He Chuan was left standing there, chuckling to himself.

Old Zhao pulled him back, saying, "Stop laughing, tell me your thoughts."

Mr. Xie brought the child to a riverbank with a small shed on it, where he had been working these past few days.

He ordered someone to bring over a small table, which was covered with fruits and snacks, as well as a pot of water. "Mianmian, play here by yourself, don't run around."

Okay.

Another problem arose over there, so Xie's father had to rush over to resolve it.

Facing the drizzling river and the towering mountains in the distance, Xie Mianmian chewed her food as she pondered.

This is the river that suddenly floods. How does it happen? Xie Mianmian racked her brains, drawing on her limited life experience.

The sun was shining brightly, and a gentle breeze blew across the river, bringing a cool breeze.

The seventh prince straddled the horse, galloping wildly and feeling the wind whistling past his ears.

Gradually, the horse slowed down and trotted along the riverbank. The Seventh Prince squinted and looked at the dark green mountains in the distance, where a waterfall could be faintly seen.

Just as he was about to take a closer look, a golden glint flashed in his peripheral vision. The Seventh Prince looked and saw what appeared to be a child sitting in the distance ahead.

As the horse drew closer, the Seventh Prince recognized her clearly. It was Xie Mianmian, who had set out a table of food and was leisurely enjoying the spring scenery.

That golden hue was the light emitted from the butterfly hairpin he had given her.

The seventh prince laughed in anger, feeling betrayed. Instead of coming to play with him, the prince had secretly come on his own.

"Xie Mianmian," he called out coldly.

"Why is Your Highness here?" Xie Mianmian exclaimed with delight.

Looking at the child's smiling face, with eyes curving into crescents, the Seventh Prince could only stammer, "How did you end up here?"

Upon hearing the sound, the official responsible for watching Xie Mianmian put down the file in his hand, walked to the child's side, and bowed to the Seventh Prince, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

No need for formalities.

"Mianmian wants to go play with the Seventh Prince." The child couldn't sit still any longer.

The official looked at the three sword-wielding guards behind the Seventh Prince and asked hesitantly, "I wonder if it would be convenient for Your Highness, Seventh Prince?"

“Alright,” the Seventh Prince said coldly.

Xie Mianmian ran to the Seventh Prince's horse and stretched out her little hand to him.

The seventh prince grabbed the child and, with some difficulty, lifted her onto the horse's back, then held her close to him.

"Let's go!" Xie Mianmian said excitedly in a low voice, turning her head to the side.

So the group of people ran far away, out of the riverbank, and into a sparse bamboo forest.

As they were running, several ropes suddenly rose up. The Seventh Prince's horse didn't have time to stop, and its feet got caught, about to fall to the ground.

Upon seeing this, the seventh prince jumped off his horse with the child in his arms and fell onto the thick grass.

Suddenly, a group of men carrying hoes and sickles rushed up from nowhere, heading straight for them with great momentum.

The three guards quickly blocked the two children and said, "Seventh Prince, run! Go back to the camp and inform them."

The Seventh Prince pursed his lips tightly, pulled Xie Mianmian and ran back the way they came, casually pulling off the child's butterfly hairpin to avoid being discovered by those people.

But one careless mistake.

The two children accidentally tumbled down a gentle slope.

"ah!"