Chapter 144 Li Nanke, you're really something!
Xie Xuanxiao's ears turned a dark red, but his brows furrowed tightly.
“Princess, these are two completely different things. My Xie family army has been trained since childhood to never bully women and children.”
Therefore, please forgive me for not being able to leave Miss Li here alone.
Princess Zhaoning screamed in anger.
"Xie Xuanxiao, if you dare disobey me, I'll... I'll have my father chop up your entire family!"
Xie Xuanxiao's face was very unpleasant, and he was somewhat impatient with Princess Zhaoning's unreasonable behavior.
He was already fourteen years old and had begun serving in the army with his father, the Duke of Xin. His upbringing instilled in him the idea that even if he didn't like Li Nanke, he couldn't bring himself to leave her alone in the wilderness.
But with so many imperial guards in front of him, he couldn't afford to offend Princess Zhaoning, lest he bring trouble to his family.
He thought for a moment and advised Li Nanke: "The princess is of noble birth. Since Miss Li has offended the princess, why don't you quickly apologize to her and beg for her forgiveness?"
As he spoke, he secretly winked at Li Nanke, implying that she should apologize first and they could talk about it later.
Li Nanke was thoroughly annoyed by Princess Zhaoning that day and ignored Xie Xuanxiao's hints.
"Did Prince Xie witness me bullying her?"
Xie Xuanxiao frowned and shook his head.
Li Nanke sneered, "Since Young Master Xie didn't see it with his own eyes, why does he assume it's my fault and make me apologize?"
Xie Xuanxiao's face stiffened slightly, his embarrassment mixed with a hint of annoyance.
I'm annoyed by Li Nanke's sharp tongue, and by her assertiveness when she shouldn't be.
He lowered his voice and said impatiently, "If you admit your mistake, apologize, and coax the princess, this matter will be over."
Do you really intend to spend the night in this desolate wilderness? Aren't you full of cunning schemes? Don't you even understand the principle that one has to bow one's head when under someone's roof?
Li Nanke stubbornly pursed her lips.
"I only regret that all my kindness today was wasted!"
Xie Xuanxiao...
"Li Nanke, you...you dare call me a dog!"
Princess Zhaoning glared at her angrily.
Li Nanke grinned.
"I didn't name names, why should the princess take it personally?"
"You... I hate you, I hate you so much! Let's go, nobody's allowed to take her with them! Just leave her here!"
Princess Zhaoning screamed and gave orders to the imperial guards.
The Imperial Guards naturally obeyed her orders, and the group left carrying torches.
Xie Xuanxiao sighed, gave Li Nanke a deep look, and then left with a flick of his sleeve.
Li Nanke made a face at his back.
If we don't take her with us, will she really be unable to leave?
With so many Imperial Guards carrying torches, she could still make her way back by following the light.
After Xie Xuanxiao left, she immediately returned to the campfire, picked up the two small stones she had used to startle him, and quietly followed him.
After a short while, Li Nanke regretted it!
Although she followed the light ahead, she didn't have a torch of her own, and it was too dark in the woods.
She stumbled along, her steps uneven, but the Imperial Guards were specially trained and moved very quickly.
Soon, the distance between them grew wider and wider.
Li Nanke panicked and quickly sped up.
But it was too dark all around, and she tripped over vines or stones in the woods several times.
After tripping over a stone again, she fell to the ground in a sorry state, the pebble in her hand falling to the ground and rolling away.
Her palm was scraped raw by pebbles on the ground, and a piercing pain spread along her palm, making her gasp.
Looking up, I saw that the firelight in front of me had disappeared, leaving only a faint glimmer, like a firefly.
Helplessness, exhaustion, and frustration overwhelmed her, and she slumped to the ground, pounding her fist a few times.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared on the ground in front of her, illuminating the area around her.
Then a clear, cold voice sounded from above.
"Li Nanke, how much longer are you going to lie on the ground?"
That sound...
Li Nanke suddenly turned her head and saw Shen Cong holding a torch, standing behind her without her noticing.
The orange-red light from the torch illuminated his eyebrows and eyes, casting a flowing, pale yellow halo over his pale face, like the gentle embrace of the evening sun, carrying a faint warmth.
Li Nanke felt a sudden lump in her throat and blurted out.
"Chen Cong!"
Shen Cong raised an eyebrow. "What did you call me?"
Li Nanke snapped out of his daze and grinned.
"Your Highness."
Shen Cong gave her a deep look.
"Aren't you getting up?"
Li Nanke then pressed herself to the ground and got up. Her injured palm touched the ground, and she winced in pain.
The next moment, a hand appeared on her arm and pulled her up.
"Are you injured?"
Li Nanke steadied herself, gave a soft "hmm," and stretched out her two palms to show him.
"I got scratched by a rock, it hurts."
Her voice was different from her usual crisp tone; it was muffled and unconsciously soft.
As soon as she finished speaking, she remembered that the person in front of her was Shen Cong, and immediately came back to her senses.
Looking up, she saw Shen Cong frowning and staring at her palm without saying a word. She quickly smiled and put her hands behind her back.
"Your Highness is here to see the princess, right? She was taken away by Prince Xie and the Imperial Guards first."
"I know."
Li Nanke blinked. "You ran into Prince Xie and the others?"
"No."
Shen Cong did not explain why he was there, but handed a handkerchief to Li Nanke.
Li Nanke was puzzled.
Shen Cong nodded with his chin, a hint of disdain in his eyes.
"Didn't you fall into the water? How come you're covered in dust? Anyone who didn't know better would think you fell into a pile of ash."
Li Nanke exclaimed in surprise and quickly took the handkerchief to wipe her face.
He explained, "I accidentally got some ash on my face while starting a fire."
Speaking of starting a fire, she suddenly remembered something.
"Oh no, where are my pebbles?"
She casually tucked the handkerchief into her bosom, looked around, and finally her eyes lit up. She ran a few steps to a nearby spot, picked up two pebbles, and handed them to Chen Cong.
"Here you are, Your Highness!"
Shen Cong didn't answer, his brows furrowed tightly.
"You're going to give me two stones?"
Li Nanke nodded, "This isn't an ordinary stone; it's the stone I used to start a fire just now."
Shen Cong seemed to be deep in thought, and reached out to take the pebble and examine it carefully.
"Although there are some colorful stones along the Bian River, most of them are ordinary pebbles and it is impossible to start a fire."
Unless these two stones..."
He brought the stone close to his nose and smelled it, then raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He said definitively, "It's stained with kerosene!"
Li Nanke nodded excitedly.
"I knew Your Highness would recognize it. Yes, it's kerosene. I found this stone at the bend in the Bian River."
Your Highness can send someone to investigate; there's bound to be kerosene underground!
Shen Cong stared at the two stones for a long time before speaking.
"Li Nanke, you're really something. You can determine the kerosene from just two stones. You've even divined it again?"
Li Nanke pretended not to understand what he meant and chuckled.
"I also think I'm pretty good."
Shen Cong gritted his teeth and nodded with his head outwards.
Let's go.
Li Nanke stood still, tilting her head back, her grape-like eyes gazing at him expectantly.
"Um... Your Highness, I really can't walk anymore, could you carry me?"
Shen Cong's expression froze slightly.
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