280. Departure, South

A dog barking sound came from afar.

"Who's calling for help?" a clear, childlike voice called out.

The little princess suddenly looked up and, through the misty snow, saw a nimble sled parked not far away.

Three large yellow dogs, conspicuous in the snow, were pulling the sled. A little girl, about the same age as her, was driving the sled, her face red from the wind and snow.

The little princess recognized her: "Lin Fuman!"

Lin Fuman was stunned when she realized it was the little princess.

She stared incredulously at the disheveled little figure in the snow: "Your Highness? What are you doing here? And... all alone?"

The little princess, as if grasping at a lifeline, excitedly ran over: "Lin Fuman! That's great! I sneaked out! I'm going to save people!"

"You sneaked out?!" Lin Fuman was even more shocked. "How did you do that? Who are you trying to save?"

"I must go save Little Moon!" the little princess said urgently. "And the Grand Tutor, Lord Xie, and the others have all disappeared!"

"What?! You mean Little Moon? She... how could she..."

"It's true! Little Moon went out of the city to play and encountered assassins, then disappeared! The Grand Tutor went to find Little Moon and also disappeared! All we know now is that they went south, and the Prince of Zhennan in the south is a prime suspect. I overheard Father saying that they might have encountered danger in the south!"

Lin Fuman turned pale upon hearing this.

She initially followed Xie Wenling's arrangement and returned to the capital with the main force.

But when she arrived at the gates of the capital, she was unable to enter.

She hesitated for a long time outside the city, torn between going home and turning back.

In the end, she chose to turn back.

She still remembered Little Moon's instructions.

She thought that no matter what, she had to bring Xie Wenling back.

After buying the sled and supplies, she turned back and soon met the little princess.

Then I received this devastating news.

She hadn't even brought Xie Wenling back yet when Xiao Yueliang disappeared!

The cold wind chilled her to the bone. After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice dry: "Are you sure you went south?"

"confirm!"

"Okay, then I'll go look for it." Lin Fu took a deep breath and told herself that everything would be alright.

It's just a matter of hiring a few more people, it's no big deal.

"Great! Let's go!" After meeting her companions, the little princess became energetic again.

She happily prepared to climb onto the sled.

But Lin Fuman stopped her.

She looked at the little princess, her face serious: "Little princess, do you know how dangerous this is? You are a precious princess, what if something happens to you..."

She planned to turn around and send the little princess back to the city gate first, and then she would go find someone herself.

"I'm not afraid!" The little princess puffed out her chest proudly. "Little Moon is my best friend. She's in danger now, how can I hide in the palace alone?"

"But……"

"No buts! I promised to protect Little Moon forever! She definitely needs me now, I have to go!"

Lin Fuman hesitated for a moment: "But it's really dangerous. I heard there are..."

"I'm going no matter how dangerous it is!" The little princess grabbed her hand. "Take me with you! I promise I'll be obedient and won't hold you back!"

Lin Fuman looked at the little princess's teary eyes and then thought of the missing little dumpling.

Finally, she thought that sending the little princess back would indeed be a waste of time, both ways.

There's no guarantee she'll obediently go back instead of sneaking out again.

So she finally gritted her teeth and said, "Okay! But you have to stay close to me, and if there's any danger, hide immediately, okay?"

The little princess immediately wiped away her tears and nodded vigorously: "Yes! I'll do whatever you say!"

"Let's set off now and hopefully reach the next post station before dark."

The little princess quickly climbed onto the sled and sat down close to Lin Fuman.

-

south.

In a secluded, dilapidated courtyard in the mountains.

The little dumpling sat sadly on the stone steps, its little hand supporting its chin: "Sigh..."

One of Qu Zijin's attendants, Ah Zhong, came over carrying water: "Why is the county princess sighing again?"

The little dumpling raised its big eyes and asked, "Are Brother Xie and the Grand Tutor feeling better today?"

“Lord Xie and Grand Tutor Qu have just taken their medicine and gone to sleep,” Ah Zhong handed her the water. “Princess, don’t worry. The two gentlemen are young and strong and will recover quickly.”

"Sigh..." The little dumpling's head drooped down.

Qu Zijin bravely led the unconscious Xie Wenling and Xiao Tuanzi through the deep mountains, finding the right direction and taking them back to reunite with his two attendants.

However, it is quite obvious that Qu Zijin eventually fell as well.

At this moment, another attendant, Acheng, came out carrying an empty medicine bowl: "Grand Tutor Qu has woken up and is feeling better."

"Can Yue'er go take a look?" the little dumpling asked.

“Sure.” Acheng nodded.

The little dumpling tiptoed into the house.

Qu Zijin leaned against the headboard, his face pale.

"Grand Tutor!" The little dumpling ran to the bedside. "Are you still in pain?"

Qu Zijin forced a smile and tried his best to reassure her: "It doesn't hurt. Once my injury is a little better, we can go back. Don't worry."

However, a hushed conversation could be heard from outside the door between Ah Zhong and Ah Cheng—

"We only have enough food for two or three days."

"The medicine is almost gone, and the two gentlemen need their wounds changed."

"This is a desolate place, I wonder if the Prince of Zhennan's men will come looking for us..."

The little dumpling was a bit uneasy.

"Don't be afraid," Qu Zijin patted her reassuringly, "We'll definitely get back safely. I'll take your teacher to buy some sugar figurines then, okay?"

The little dumpling buried her face in his chest and mumbled a soft "hmm".

She didn't want the sugar figurine; she just wanted everyone to be safe and sound, and she wanted to get back to the capital as soon as possible.

After saying a few more words, Qu Zijin looked tired.

The little dumpling obediently walked away, thought for a moment, and then tiptoed to another room.

Lying there is Xie Wenling.

His long, black hair was spread out on the pillow, making his face appear even paler.

He developed a fever due to an infected wound.

The little girl reached out her tiny hand and carefully touched Xie Wenling's burning forehead, her voice trembling with tears: "Brother Xie...please get better soon...Yue'er is scared..."

The person in bed did not react.

The little girl was even more heartbroken. She silently withdrew and sat back down on the stone steps in the courtyard, burying her face in her knees.

A fluffy little squirrel jumped down from a nearby tree and curiously approached the little human who exuded a sad aura.

It sniffed the little dumpling's skirt.

The little dumpling looked up, its eyes brimming with tears, at the fearless little squirrel.

She suddenly remembered that she seemed to have encountered a similar situation before, and the system aunt had taught her about it.

She thought for a moment and then said, "Little squirrel... Brother Xie and the Grand Tutor are sick, very seriously... We're out of medicine and food... Can you help us?"

The little squirrel tilted its head, its dark eyes looking at her, as if it were really thinking.

The little dumpling thought for a moment, then gestured: "It's... herbs that can bring down a fever, and... fruits that can fill your stomach..."

The little squirrel squeaked, turned around, and quickly climbed up the tree, disappearing into the branches and leaves.

The little dumpling looked in the direction it disappeared, clinging to a sliver of hope.