Xia Ning's small eyes were filled with big confusion.
Lili smiled and asked something else: "Sister Xia Ning, were you arrested yesterday?"
Xia Ning nodded: "Yes, I heard from those people that they're going to transport us all to the prefectural city tomorrow."
Prefectural City?
Lili thought about it.
I think I just heard that we were going to the prefectural city.
But wasn't Xia Ning captured from the capital?
Seeing the disappointment and fear on Xia Ning's face again, Li Li got up and looked at the children sitting in rows and huddled together in the four corners.
Most of them wore ordinary clothes, but Xia Ning stood out the most.
"Sister Xia Ning, has your family offended someone?"
Xia Ning: "!!!"
Xia Ning's expression froze for a moment, then turned to surprise: "How did you know?"
"We don't have such precious fabrics here. Sister Xia Ning, are you from the capital?"
Lili had a vague guess in her heart. Given the young prince's efficiency, the matter of the eldest prince's secret dealings with Zhou Wukui should have been resolved long ago.
Aren't emperors most afraid of their sons trying to step on their fathers' heads?
At least that's how it is in the novels that Lili has read.
However, His Highness the Crown Prince has not replied yet, so something must have happened.
She didn't care about court affairs, but somehow she ended up getting involved by chance.
If you've messed with me, Shen Lili, you've really messed with me!
Since the eldest prince is such a strong tree and Zhou Wukui is such a deep branch, she might as well add fuel to the fire!
As long as this happened in Nanlin County, regardless of whether Zhou Wukui, the prefect of Nanlin County, knew about it or not, she could still accuse him of negligence in supervision.
Lili looked at the shivering children. Despite the sweltering heat of July, the dimly lit room felt bitterly cold.
How dare they kidnap a child in broad daylight?
Moreover, judging from this "industrial chain," these people are very skilled, so this matter has probably already happened a long time ago.
Lili was itching to get started. She wanted to see who was so capable of doing this kind of thing without any news coming out for so long.
Lili whispered to Xia Ning, "We have to run."
"Huh?" Xia Ning shuddered. "We can't run away, they'll beat us up!"
Xia Ning rolled up her sleeve, revealing the bruises on her arm: "When I was first arrested, I tried everything—crying, running away, starving myself… and this is what happened…"
Actually, Xia Ning was already considered lucky. It was precisely because she was someone the First Prince had specifically instructed to be captured that she was spared her life.
The other children, like her, who tried to escape and resist, were all beaten to death!
After that, Xia Ning dared not run away anymore. She could only cry secretly, hoping that her parents could find a way to save her and that someone could find out about these damned human traffickers.
"I don't know where they'll take us after they get to the prefectural city," Xia Ning said, hugging her knees, unable to hide her dejection. "If they're going to sell us into slavery, at least we'll be spared. But if... if they sell us to a brothel..."
Xia Ning's body trembled again. For these young ladies from noble families, the most important thing was a woman's reputation.
Although the people of Southern Jin were open-minded, and she was still a child, if she had been to such a place of pleasure, she would never be able to clear her name, no matter what!
Xia Ning vowed that if she ever made it back to the capital, she would make that damned eldest prince pay!
Although she was young, she was taught court etiquette from a young age. Moreover, her father was the Minister of Rites, so she was influenced by him from childhood and also understood some of the ways of the court.
Xia Ning naturally understood that even if the eldest prince was not a prince, but just an ordinary official or a common person, getting involved in child trafficking would be a death sentence according to the laws of Southern Jin!
Not to mention, the eldest prince might very well be in cahoots with this group!
Xia Ning grew angrier the more she thought about it. She had actually thought that the eldest prince was refined and charming!
If only, if only we could escape...
"Sister Xia Ning, do you really think they'll let you live?"
Lili asked her meaningfully.
Xia Ning was probably still feeling fortunate that her special status prevented those people from killing her.
Although Lili didn't know Xia Ning's family background or who she had offended to end up in this situation.
But the capital city is both big and small, and there are only a few families who would stab someone in the back over matters of the court.
Since the other party dared to target Xia Ning, it means that the other party must be in a high position and have more power, at least more wealth than Xia Ning's family.
Therefore, Xia Ning's existence is a hidden danger, a hidden danger that could expose the other party's dark side at any time.
In that case, how could Xia Ning possibly live well until the end?
Xia Ning was taken aback. Only after Li Li's reminder did she realize what was going on.
Yes, how come she always managed to get away with it?
“Yes…” Xia Ning murmured, “That’s someone who’s vying for the throne, how could they possibly keep me around as a potential threat?”
Lili looked at Xia Ning with relief: "So, since they won't let you go, we have to escape."
Wait, what did Lili just say?
"Lili, do you mean we're going to escape?"
She always felt that Lili wasn't just saying it!
Yes, Lili wasn't flustered at all from the beginning, and she even knew why she was arrested!
Pear Pear will definitely have a way!
Although she didn't know why she was so confident in a child who was younger than her, Xia Ning said she didn't care.
Since we're going to die anyway, what's wrong with believing it?
Perhaps because she was facing death and had nothing to fear, Xia Ning didn't think she was being delusional at all. Instead, she grasped at the last straw and just wanted to give it her all.
The children nearby couldn't understand what they were saying in riddles, but they did understand that they were going to run away, and they all looked at each other with disbelief.
"Are you crazy? If we get caught, we'll be beaten to death!"
Xia Ning ignored her completely, pulled Lili to a secluded place, and told her everything she knew.
The more Lili listened, the brighter her eyes became.
Xia Ning is actually the daughter of the Minister of Rites?
The one who ordered the abduction of the Minister of Rites' daughter was actually the eldest prince.
Isn't this like finding something you've been searching for without any effort?
It's really a case of "the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple"—what a coincidence! The blame she originally intended to shift onto was for the eldest prince!
Since it was the eldest prince's order, this group of people is probably also related to Zhou Wukui.
If we're lucky, it might just be the work of this heartless and insane prefect!
When the time comes, we'll catch them all; none of them will be able to escape.
Lili smiled excitedly. "This is really a godsend! Hehe, where can Zhou Wukui run to next week?"
Lili patted Xia Ning on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here. Not a single one of these children will be missing!"
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