Song He'er never imagined that the mother and daughter imprisoned in the next cell would escape in secret, because it was absolutely impossible for that to happen.
With soldiers guarding the prison layer upon layer, how could two women who were powerless even kill a chicken escape?
"Xiangxiu, could you have misheard? There are so many people watching at the prison gate, how could those two madwomen have escaped?"
Xiangxiu breathed a sigh of relief and repeatedly confirmed, "Yes, there's no mistake at all. I heard the soldiers report it with my own ears. Then they seemed to say something else, but I didn't hear it clearly. Miss He'er, you should go in quickly, lest His Highness wait impatiently."
Song He'er forced herself to remain calm. Now that Qin Xiaoniang and the others had been sent away, she would have to face whatever happened next alone. As long as she held on until tomorrow morning, Qin Xiaoniang and the others would safely leave the secret passage. Even if the people in the palace found out by then, it would be too late…
Thinking of this, Song He'er took a step and walked step by step toward the inner hall of Yangyue Palace.
Pushing open the door, I saw Jiang Huaifu standing in front of his desk, intently looking at the portrait in his hands, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he were very unhappy.
An ominous premonition spread through Song He'er's body. She held her breath and respectfully performed the Western Continent salute to him.
"Your Highness, you wanted to see me?"
Jiang Huaifu didn't speak. Instead, he rolled up the portrait in his hand, set it aside, and then looked up at her with piercing eyes.
"You dare to play tricks on me, Your Majesty."
Song He'er innocently raised her head, pretending not to know anything, and asked, "Your Highness, what did you say?"
"The daughter of the general's mansion has extraordinary courage, daring to come to my Western Continent and cause trouble."
Upon hearing this, Song He'er instantly understood. It seemed that this sensitive and eccentric young prince was no pushover; he had actually been investigating her background behind the scenes.
If she wasn't mistaken, he had deliberately let the Li mother and daughter go.
"Since things have come to this, I have nothing to say. Do with me as you please!"
Ha! She won't die! With so many self-rescue items in her spatial storage, how could she possibly die at the hands of a bunch of petty thieves?
Jiang Huaifu's lips curled into a cold smile. "Fine, you do have guts. I haven't misjudged you. Tell me honestly, what wrong did your family commit to be exiled to that desolate place?"
Song He'er had to stall for time to create an opportunity for Qin Xiaoniang and the others to leave safely. Since Jiang Huaifu wanted to ask, she would tell him everything. Anyway, there was nothing left to hide now.
"My father served as an official in the court for more than ten years. Who would have thought that a mutiny would occur, the dynasty would change, and generals would betray their lords for personal gain. Although my father was not involved, he could not escape being framed. The emperor believed the slander and mistakenly thought that my father had raised an army in rebellion, so he was dismissed from his post and exiled."
Jiang Huaifu looked at her thoughtfully: "Then did the emperor wrong you?"
"It's both unjust and unjust."
"What's the meaning?"
Song He'er had never liked this father, so she didn't need to care about his glory at all. As for those things, whether they were done or not, they both knew the truth. Why should she help him cover it up?
"Although my father avoided participating in court disputes in order to protect himself, he still had many dealings with some officials in private. They came for profit and left when the profit was gone. The emperor was suspicious and demoted him, which was not unjust."
Jiang Huaifu picked up the portrait on the table and walked step by step toward Song He'er.
"Take a look for yourself."
Song He'er took the portrait, opened it, and found that it depicted a lifelike young woman wearing a pink long dress with flowing sleeves.
Although she wasn't dressed up in an exceptionally elaborate way, her beauty was still undeniable, despite being a concubine's daughter.
"So Your Highness has been sending people to the Central Plains to investigate my background these past few days. But Your Highness has already released my stepmother, which shows that you are not a petty person and do not want to get into trouble. After all, we are all prisoners in the Central Plains. If the emperor of the Central Plains finds out that you have detained prisoners without authorization, it will not do you any good, will it?"
Jiang Huaifu smiled and raised his head with a calculating air. "I can hand you over to the imperial generals on the border. Perhaps I can even gain merit and receive some rewards from your Central Plains emperor?"
Song He'er broke out in a cold sweat. This was exactly what she feared. If they really fell into the hands of those soldiers, she didn't know how much suffering she would have to endure along the way.
Seeing that her face looked rather pale, Jiang Huaifu said nothing more. Instead, he walked back to the desk, stared at the books for a long time, and then said indifferently, "If you are willing to stay by my side as a lowly maid, I will protect you and spare you from the endless suffering at the border."
Song He'er was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "Your Highness, I once heard Aunt Miao mention that I look a lot like one of your former friends, is that right?"
Jiang Huaifu's hand suddenly froze in mid-air, remaining motionless for a long time.
"Your Highness..."
"It's similar, but it's not."
“But I am not her after all. We come from different places, have different personalities, and have different lives. I have responsibilities on my shoulders. If we cannot reach Xinzhou smoothly, everyone in the General’s Mansion will be implicated, including my maternal grandfather. So please forgive me, Your Highness, I cannot stay.”
“I will take care of these things for you, you don’t need to worry at all.”
“But the general’s mansion has dozens of female members. If one or two are missing, no one will care. But if they all disappear, the Central Plains will definitely come looking for them. I hope Your Highness will reconsider. I do not wish to cause you any trouble.”
Song He'er understood Jiang Huaifu's feelings at this moment. When a person loses something they consider important, they naturally need something to replace it and fill the emptiness in their heart. That's why he was so eager to keep her.
But Song He'er was unwilling to become an object, nor was she willing to become someone else's substitute.
Her arrival in this world was an accident. Although her identity and experiences made her feel unfortunate, she was determined to follow the established path and would never live a life of ignominy.
Jiang Huaifu was clearly saddened and remained silent for a long time.
"Your Highness, please let me leave," Song He'er reminded her again.
Jiang Huaifu closed his eyes and pondered for a long time before finally nodding.
"I will inform someone to escort you out tomorrow."
"Your Highness, there is one more thing..."
"You mean to say that you've already released your concubine and left? I already knew all this. It's just a pity that your intelligence is not even a fraction as good as mine. You seem to have forgotten that this is the royal palace. Do you think you could easily enter the secret passage without my permission?"
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