Chapter 380 The Beginning of the Nightmare
The sergeant glanced at Min Pan'er with great resentment, then tightened his belt with a gloomy face and slowly began to put on his armor.
"Alright, pack them up and take them back."
"Boss!!??" Everyone was terrified.
The squad leader was also a little uneasy, but more than that, he felt helpless. "If it were just any palace maid in the marriage procession, or even a woman from our Da'an, we would have done it anyway."
"But this is a princess from the Great Yan Kingdom who came to marry a foreign ruler..."
"If this is investigated, not only will our parents, wives, and children be implicated, but our families will also be affected!"
Someone said anxiously, "But boss, if we go back like this, what if this woman says something inappropriate? Won't we still be dead?"
"No! No!" Min Pan'er quickly reassured everyone, "Don't worry, you haven't bullied me yet, I can pretend nothing happened."
The sergeant raised his hand to silence the soldier's attempt to argue, and glanced at Min Pan'er with a leisurely look, "I hope you can keep your promise."
"Yes, yes, I will." Min Pan'er nodded hurriedly, her face and eyes full of sincerity.
But she had already made up her mind that when she saw the Crown Prince, she would make him cut all these people into a thousand pieces to vent her hatred!
And so, Min Pan'er was taken back to the nearby county town by this group of people.
This group of people came with General Ji Huailang to assist the Crown Prince in finding Princess Dayan.
The county government offices were mainly responsible for patrolling the city and controlling the various passes leading to the border, and also checking passersby.
These guards who came from the capital with General Wu Yi and the Crown Prince were dispersed and dispatched to search all suspicious villages and mountains wherever they went.
This is also the opportunity that allowed this team to capture Min Pan'er.
The squad leader of this group was named Ji Changsheng. He was originally a servant in the household of the Marquis of Pingyan. Because he gained the favor of the heir apparent, Ji Huailang, he was granted the surname Ji. Afterwards, he did a lot of work for Ji Huailang, which allowed him to leave his official post and join the army, becoming a squad leader under Ji Huailang.
At this moment, Ji Changsheng returned with Min Pan'er and immediately brought her to Ji Huailang.
Min Pan'er was wrapped in a blanket, and underneath the blanket were tattered clothes that had been torn to shreds by Ji Changsheng and his gang.
Originally, Ji Changsheng's men were planning to find a place for Min Pan'er to change her clothes, but Min Pan'er refused, insisting that she should see the Crown Prince first.
Everyone felt uneasy, knowing what Min Pan'er was up to, and wished they could chop her up on the spot.
However, now that they had entered the city, it was unlikely that they could do anything to Min Pan'er anymore.
Moreover, news of their finding Princess Xihe had already reached back.
And so, amidst everyone's trepidation and anger, Min Pan'er wrapped the evidence in a blanket and approached Ji Huailang.
She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she always felt that Ji Huailang looked somewhat kind, and even unconsciously felt a sense of closeness to him.
Just as she was about to complain, Ji Changsheng knelt down and reported, "General, Princess Xihe has arrived."
"Stand up and speak." Ji Huailang raised his hand.
General? Isn't the person before me the Crown Prince?
Just as Min Pan'er was puzzled, Ji Changsheng continued to kneel on the ground, pleading, "Please, General, kill me."
Ji Huailang gave Ji Changsheng a strange look. "What happened? Do you want me to stab you to death?"
Ji Changsheng glanced at Min Pan'er before saying, "When we found Princess Xihe, she concealed her identity and tried to get away with it."
"My brothers and I did some disrespectful things to Princess Xihe in order to expose her disguise."
"I beg the general to grant me death, but spare my men."
After saying that, Ji Changsheng bowed down and slammed his head heavily onto the ground.
After hearing Ji Changsheng's words, Ji Huailang didn't react at all, only giving Min Pan'er a cold glance.
Her hair was disheveled, her face was dirty, and she was wrapped in an old blanket that she had found somewhere... she looked utterly wretched.
However, beneath this disheveled appearance, he saw a heart full of scheming!
She could have washed up, changed her clothes, and come to see him looking clean and presentable, but she insisted on coming to see him like this.
And what is hidden beneath the blanket that her pale fingers are gripping tightly?
What exactly is she trying to achieve by doing this? Does she really think he can't see through it?
Isn't she just trying to gain sympathy by playing the victim, and then use that as evidence to get him to deal with Ji Changsheng and those who bullied her?
Ji Huailang curled his lips in disdain and said with a half-smile, "I can't make that decision. You should send Princess Xihe directly to the Crown Prince."
"The Crown Prince just arrived this afternoon and is currently staying in the backyard of the government office."
Upon hearing this, Ji Changsheng broke out in a cold sweat. He immediately kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "Your Highness, save me! Your Highness, please save me!"
At this moment, Ji Changsheng no longer called him General, but reverted to his previous title.
Ji Huailang shook his head and cursed, "Alright, would I harm you? Just take your men and go there."
Upon hearing this, Ji Changsheng felt a little relieved.
Ji Huailang added, "Oh, by the way, your men are going too."
"To apologize, one should also have the attitude of apology."
Ji Changsheng dared not disobey and quickly replied, "Yes."
"Go."
"This humble servant takes his leave."
Ji Changsheng stood up and gestured to Min Pan'er, "Princess Xihe, please."
Min Pan'er shuddered involuntarily. For some reason, she felt a strong sense of malice emanating from the person in front of her.
From the moment he entered until he left, the general didn't say a single word to her! There were no polite greetings, no courteous inquiries, no apologies for his subordinates' rudeness, and no flattery because of her princess status!
In that person's eyes, she was like a tiny ant, and even glancing at her was considered superfluous!
But why?
She is Princess Xihe! Even though it's a fake, these people don't know that!
Why would this person treat her like this, knowing full well that she was Princess Xihe?
Soon, Min Pan'er was taken by Ji Changsheng and others to the courtyard where the Crown Prince was staying.
Ji Changsheng explained the situation to the guards, and after being informed, Ji Changsheng and Min Pan'er were allowed to enter.
As for Ji Changsheng's men, they obediently knelt at the door.
The guards didn't ask any questions and pretended not to see anything.
Upon entering, before Min Pan'er could speak, or even before Ji Changsheng could kneel, Crown Prince Xia Linyuan glared at Min Pan'er with eyes as sharp as knives.
"So you are Princess Xihe, sent by the Dayan Kingdom for a marriage alliance?"
“Yes,” Min Pan’er replied quickly.
Xia Linyuan frowned. "How did a princess end up in such a sorry state?"
Upon hearing this, before Min Pan'er could even complain, Ji Changsheng knelt down on the ground with a thud, crying out, "Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me!"
Xia Linyuan's expression remained unchanged as he calmly asked, "What did you do to Princess Xihe?"
At this moment, a guard whispered the situation at the door to Xia Linyuan.
He chuckled and changed his words, "The question should be, what did you and your men do to Princess Xihe?"
Ji Changsheng's face turned ashen, and he began to tremble uncontrollably.
"I'm asking you a question!" Xia Linyuan's tone was tinged with anger.
Ji Changsheng dared not hide it any longer and confessed to the whole story of his and his men's intention to commit indecent acts against Min Pan'er.
After saying that, Ji Changsheng lay prostrate on the ground and closed his eyes, his heart filled with despair.
Just when Ji Changsheng thought he and his men were doomed, a voice suddenly came from above: "In that case, I, the Crown Prince, will bestow Princess Xihe upon you!"
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