Several soldiers hurriedly knelt down with a thud, large beads of sweat pouring down their faces like rain.

Seeing their fearful expressions, Aya was truly speechless. "You're such cowards, yet you dare to gossip about the princess behind her back. Aren't you afraid of death?"

“Three months’ salary will be deducted from each person’s allowance, and they will have to collect twenty strokes of the cane.”

Fu Erkang felt a little better after punishing several people. He didn't know why he felt so uncomfortable listening to others talk about Princess Guli. Fu Erkang attributed it to his respect for the princess and dared not think too deeply about his own thoughts.

"Princess, General Aksang caught a little rabbit and is asking if you want it," Alisa asked softly as she entered the carriage.

"Oh, bring it in. Please thank General Akshang for me."

Alisa looked at Akshang, who was standing beside the carriage staring at her with bright eyes. She had no good feelings towards this man who was trying to steal the princess. In her opinion, no one was worthy of her kind and beautiful princess, not even the emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

Alisa said to the expectant Aksang in a serious tone, "Hand it to me, General Aksang."

Knowing that the princess had accepted the gift, Aksang happily handed the baby rabbit, which was only a month old, to Alisa. Although he hadn't seen the princess, he was very pleased that she had accepted his gift.

Not only was the eldest prince, Bailey, and Zhuo, who were traveling with him, dissatisfied with the obsequious and fawning Aksang, but also Fu'erkang, who commanded the entire army. Ever since Bailey saw his younger sister's face, he was now displeased with anyone who approached her, especially a certain person who would send her flowers and gifts from time to time. His sister wasn't without a brother; it wasn't up to this barbarian to give her gifts.

Pele, who usually comes to keep watch, forcefully dragged away someone who was reluctant to leave.

Fu Erkang simply couldn't find a reason to stop someone from getting close, so he could only sulk in silence. Aside from giving orders and taking breaks, he spent all his time in silence traveling towards the capital.

Qingyin, who received the little rabbit in the carriage, was truly amazed by its cuteness. The little rabbit must have been just over a month old, with fine and soft fur that felt incredibly comfortable to touch. Finally, the little animal's unique, innocent eyes were enough to melt the heart of anyone who wasn't heartless.

Alisa diligently picked fresh grass from the ground every day to feed this new little member.

In stark contrast to the cheerful laughter at Qingyin's place, the atmosphere inside Hanxiang's carriage was oppressively somber. Hanxiang spent her days gazing around with a heavy heart, and sometimes even cried quietly. Bailey had come a few times, hoping to comfort his little sister, but it was to no avail; frustrated and disappointed, he visited less frequently.

Unaware that his beloved was thinking of him, Meng Dan lived alone in the back, looking disheveled and not too far away. He wasn't stupid; he knew that if he followed too closely, it would be difficult to explain if he was discovered, so he could only follow from a distance.

Time passed, and we were getting closer and closer to the capital.

In the Qianqing Palace of the Forbidden City, Emperor Qianlong was admiring a glass vase shaped like a flower, bird, and bow in his hand. He loved such exquisitely ornate yet harmonious works of art. Thinking of this, he said softly, "Princess Hanxiang of the Hui tribe must be arriving soon, right?"

Emperor Qianlong's personal eunuch, Li Yu, respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, according to the messenger, it should arrive tomorrow."

"oh."

Li Yu couldn't discern the Emperor's interest, nor dared he probe why the Emperor had suddenly brought up the presented Princess Hanxiang. He was a clever man and knew that some things were better left unexamined.

This all stemmed from Emperor Qianlong's recollection of the legends surrounding Princess Hanxiang, who was said to possess a unique fragrance and attract butterflies. It sounded quite interesting, and as the emperor, he had seen countless beauties, but such a rare find was indeed uncommon. However, he didn't pay much attention to her; she was just a princess from a small tribe, after all.

While traveling, Qingyin stayed in the carriage and watched movies in the system space, which wasn't too boring. She also played with Xiaobai (the little white rabbit that Akshang gave her), and the days were quite leisurely.

Since entering Qing territory, Alisa has become restless in the carriage, frequently riding her horse to look at the roadside buildings, which are completely different from the Hui style, eliciting constant exclamations of wonder from Alisa.

Unlike the astonished, country bumpkin-like reactions of the ordinary Hui soldiers, the well-informed Bailey and Aksang were much calmer. Looking at the powerful Qing Dynasty, Bailey was worried that his tribe was too weak to help his younger sister. He knew about his sister's pursuit, but the Qing emperor's harem was a deep and unfathomable place. He was really worried that his sister would be bullied and no one would help her.

Upon arriving in the capital, the carriage was met with a cacophony of voices wherever it went. The people noticed the army, whose attire was completely different from that of the Qing Dynasty. Gazing at the tall soldiers wearing felt hats, the people stared at the group with curiosity.

The discussion only began after the carriage had left. A man in a brown short jacket asked curiously, "Who is this? Such a grand entrance, with our army escorting him."

Another man in a black robe, who looked like a scholar, replied, "You don't know this, do you? Princess Hanxiang, the most beautiful woman from the Southern Frontier, should have arrived by now."

"What?! What?!"

The topic of the most beautiful woman and the foreign race immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding crowd. Seeing the crowd gathering, the black-robed man who had been talking casually also got excited. He was just guessing, but he had heard a lot of news and knew about Princess Hanxiang. Seeing the curious eyes of the people, his vanity was completely aroused.

"Let me tell you, Princess Hanxiang is known as the most beautiful woman in the Hui region. She was born with extraordinary features, attracting many butterflies. I also heard that she has a unique fragrance. She is a beauty that can topple kingdoms."

A middle-aged man in a black short-sleeved shirt stared at him in disbelief. "How beautiful can the people in this small tribe be? Our Great Qing Dynasty has so many beauties. Their beauty must be just something they've exaggerated."

This statement garnered widespread approval, and the discussion about Princess Hanxiang gradually shifted to who was the most beautiful woman.

Xiao Yanzi and the others, who were sitting in the teahouse preparing to visit Fu Erkang, also heard these words. The lively Xiao Yanzi immediately became curious about Princess Hanxiang.

Did Princess Hanxiang really possess a unique fragrance?

Yongqi looked helplessly at the curious Xiaoyanzi and said, "There are all sorts of strange things in this world, so it's natural that there might be some people who carry a unique fragrance."

Ziwei chimed in, but her gaze was still mainly focused on Fu Erkang, who was riding at the front of the line. Looking at her handsome and dashing sweetheart, her heart seemed to follow him.

"Alright, Ziwei, Xiaoyanzi, now that you've seen Erkang, let's hurry back to the palace. Father will be angry if we sneak out like this."

Little Swallow looked at the disappointed Yongqi with dissatisfaction, "Yongqi, we just came out to see Erkang. Father Emperor loves us so much, he won't blame us."