The Red Eagle Army was stationed at the very edge of the southern suburbs, at the headquarters of hundreds of thousands of troops, covering a vast area. The entire southern suburbs were Red Eagle Army territory.
Even before reaching the entrance to the camp, just from a distance where she could see the densely packed tents, Lili could feel the powerful and undeniable pressure emanating from them.
Perhaps because there was a martial arts competition in the military camp today, apart from the patrolling teams, there were not many other people around. They must have all gone to join in the fun.
Lili looked outside for a while, but the cold wind made her face turn red, so Yunshu wouldn't let her look anymore.
Yun Shu pulled down the curtains, straightened her body, and quickly stuffed the hand warmer into her hands: "Miss, warm yourself up quickly. The wind is really strong. Don't look at it. There will be plenty to see when we get there."
Lili smiled, feeling a little stuffy from the warmth of the hand warmer: "This is my first time here, it really is as vast as the legends say."
"The carriage is moving fast, and the wind is getting cold. Miss, no matter how curious you are, you have to take care of your health."
If at first Yun Shu only regarded taking care of Li Li as a routine task for the Dark Guards, now Yun Shu truly feels sorry for this well-behaved, sensible, and lovable little girl.
The cold wind is howling, and Pear is so thin. I'd be heartbroken if it blew her away, but His Highness would be the first to teach her a lesson!
"But it's true. I didn't really feel it while I was at home these past few days, but I only realized how severe the temperature drop was once I went outside."
As Yun Shu spoke, she added some more charcoal to the stove in the corner.
She possessed internal strength and was not afraid of the cold, but she was worried that her young master would catch a chill.
Lili was both amused and exasperated. She wasn't that cold: "Yunshu, your young lady can eat eight ounces of meat in one meal. What gave you the illusion that I would be blown away by a gust of wind?"
Yun Shu verbally agreed but continued adding charcoal with her hands.
The southern suburbs are under martial law year-round; ordinary people don't come here, nor can they get in.
Lili suddenly decided to come today, and Gu Ziyi was unaware of this, so he did not instruct his subordinates in advance. Lili's carriage was stopped at the gate of the military camp.
In fact, Lili was using the carriage that Gu Ziyi had prepared for her. This carriage was excellent; whether in the dead of winter or the sweltering heat of summer, with the curtains drawn and ice blocks or a heater placed around it, it was very comfortable. The carriage walls were also inlaid with golden soft armor, which, in Gu Ziyi's words, was a good thing to protect against assassins.
Lili always uses this carriage.
However, because it was specially made for Lili, there was no Gu Ziyi or any other markings on the carriage.
It's common knowledge that the southern suburbs are Red Eagle Army territory, so it's only natural that Lili would be stopped when such an exquisite and unidentified carriage suddenly appeared.
The carriage had already attracted the attention of the patrol team as it drove from a distance toward the camp gate.
The carriage stopped here, where it was stopped by the guards at the gate.
The guard, dressed in red cloth and armor, was fairly polite. He drew his long sword and said, "This is a military stronghold. All unauthorized personnel must leave immediately."
The coachman hurriedly explained his purpose: "My young lady is a distinguished guest of the general's mansion. She heard that there is a martial arts competition in the army and came to watch."
The two guards hesitated. Everyone in the city knew that half a month ago, His Highness personally brought a delicate and clever young lady to stay as a guest in the General's Mansion. Their General was also very fond of this young lady, and his mood had improved considerably in the past half month.
That young lady is none other than Miss Shen, who helped increase the grain harvest. If she really is that person, they can't stop her.
The patrolmen noticed the commotion, and a squad leader came over, inquired about the situation, and learned the whole story.
The sergeant politely addressed the person inside the carriage: "Miss Shen is a distinguished guest of General Weiwu. If it is indeed Miss Shen who has come to visit, I would not dare to stop her. However, there is no identification on this carriage to prove Miss Shen's identity. Military discipline is extremely strict, and we must proceed according to regulations. I wonder if Miss Shen has any proof of her identity?"
Lili responded softly, "Please wait a moment, sir."
The sergeant and several guards were somewhat surprised, not expecting Miss Shen to be so easy to talk to, and their attitude immediately improved.
Lili then asked Yunshu, "Yunshu, do they recognize you?"
She had never been here before, so her connections wouldn't help; she could only pin her hopes on Yun Shu.
Yun Shu shook her head: "Miss, you've forgotten, I'm a secret guard, how could I have seen you before?"
“Oh, right.” Lili said with some distress, “I had forgotten. I should have known better than to come, or sent someone to inform His Highness or something.”
Yun Shu's ears twitched. Not noticing An Qi's presence around her, she said, "Don't worry, Miss. My brother has already gone to report to His Highness. Shall we wait a while?"
Lili then remembered that in some unknown corner, there was a Dark Seven who had been protecting her all along. She was impressed by Dark Seven's superb execution ability and admired him a little.
"I will definitely ask His Highness to increase your brother's salary later. Earning this money is really tiring, having to follow along in such cold weather."
In fact, Lili had already asked Gu Ziyi for a raise once before; the bodyguards really do earn their money through hardship.
Yun Shu smiled: "Miss, please don't say that. This is the duty of the guards. Besides, my brother won't be cold."
Just as he finished speaking, footsteps sounded outside, and a free-spirited yet puzzled voice rang out: "What's going on here?"
Upon seeing the newcomer, the sergeant quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Lili and Yunshu stopped talking and started watching the commotion outside.
The captain explained the situation to the prince, then asked, "Why did you come here alone, Your Highness? Weren't you in the arena...?"
However, before anyone could finish speaking, the young master interrupted him.
"None of your business. What does my affairs have to do with you?"
Gu Xiaoran frowned impatiently. The pampered young master had a long whip at his waist, and he was arrogant and spoiled.
This young master had been here for a while, and the entire Red Eagle Army knew of his lawlessness. The sergeant was sweating profusely and dared not say a word: "Yes, yes, I was too talkative!"
Gu Xiaoran barely calmed down and looked at the carriage.
Who is Gu Xiaoran? He is the only legitimate son of the current emperor's only younger brother. He has been pampered and spoiled since childhood, and has seen everything.
Despite his lack of knowledge and skills, he recognized at a glance that the seemingly ordinary carriage was actually covered with gold armor on all four sides.
This golden soft armor is extraordinary; it's embedded all over the carriage. This person must be extremely wealthy and powerful.
Inside the carriage, seeing that there was no sound outside, Lili casually asked Yun Shu, "Young Master? Who is this Young Master?"
She knew that the Marquis of Chongbo's mansion had an heir, and the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion had an heir, but which heir was this?
Judging from the voice, the person isn't very old, probably only a few years older than her, so it couldn't be one of those two.
Yun Shu replied, "It is probably Gu Xiaoran, the son of Prince Qi. Prince Qi is His Majesty's younger brother from the same mother, which is why he is the most favored by His Majesty among the princes. This young master is the only child of Princess Qi, the only legitimate son, and Prince Qi dotes on him so much that he has become an uneducated, arrogant and domineering person."
"The Prince of Qi's son? How could such a young master be here?"
"The young master is, after all, the only legitimate son of the Prince of Qi, and he will inherit the title in the future. The Princess Consort of Qi couldn't stand him continuing like this, so she sent him to the border to temper his temper. Judging from the days, he should have arrived a few days ago."
Lili suddenly realized that this was a powerful and wealthy man, the only legitimate child in the family, so how could he not be spoiled?
Logically, she should have dismounted from the carriage and bowed in this situation, but there was no sound outside. Could she have already left?
Lili was hesitating whether to show up and say hello, but Gu Xiaoran got angry first when he saw that there was still no movement.
"Oh, well, Miss Shen? Or some other Miss?" Gu Xiaoran thought for a long time, but decided to behave the same way he did in the capital. "You don't even get down and pay your respects to me right now? What kind of manners are you!"
Gu Xiaoran stared at the carriage curtain with arrogance and composure, his eyes slightly upturned, revealing an innate arrogance and unruliness, as if all things in the world were under his command.
Gu Xiaoran saw the carriage curtain being lifted by a maid, revealing a plain yet delicate face. The girl was holding a hand warmer tightly in her hands, and her fox fur cloak was thick and soft, as if she were very afraid of the cold.
Gu Xiaoran was stunned. The carefully crafted disdain and pride on his face were shattered in an instant by that exquisitely beautiful face.
"Holy crap..."
Gu Xiaoran sighed softly.
As soon as the carriage curtain was lifted, all the cold air rushed in, making Lili shiver.
There was a large, warm patch of fur around her neck, and Pear tried to tuck her head into the fur of the cape.
Yun Shu helped her down from the carriage and gave Gu Xiaoran a proper bow: "This humble woman greets Your Highness."
Her voice was clear and sweet. Gu Xiaoran had never heard such a moving voice before. How could she be both aloof and sweet?
Gu Xiaoran swallowed hard, his hands turning red from the cold wind, but he was completely unaware of it.
All he knew was that the fairy-like girl who had just emerged from the carriage was truly a fairy!
Her face, without any makeup, showed no signs of fatigue; instead, it appeared even more delicate and elegant, exuding a noble and refined air.
Lili was in a hurry to leave, so she casually picked out a thick white cloak and wore only a simple hairpin on her head, without even earrings.
Gu Xiaoran had seen at least a thousand, if not ten thousand, beauties in the capital—alluring, dignified, sweet, stunning, innocent…
Gu Xiaoran felt that this lotus-like beauty was far more beautiful than the women in the capital who went to great lengths to dress up and compete for attention!
How could this be? He has never liked to look at those little girls who are younger than him. They haven't even grown up yet, and their features haven't fully developed. They follow him around all day, bothering him. He hates them so much.
But how come this girl is so beautiful at such a young age?
Lili kept her head down and waited for a long time, but the young master did not respond. She wondered if he was angry that she had not come down to greet him immediately, but she did not feel any anger from him at all.
Lili couldn't help but look up at him secretly. Seeing him staring at her blankly without saying a word, she frowned, not liking his staring behavior.
Lili spoke up to remind him, "Young Master?"
Gu Xiaoran snapped out of his daze: "Ah, oh, oh, ah, it's me, it's me!"
Lili: "..."
At this moment, a middle-aged man rushed over, looked Gu Xiaoran up and down anxiously, and said with a mix of distress and fear, "Oh, young master, why did you come here alone? I was so worried!"
Gu Xiaoran was still captivated by his good looks and angrily tried to push him away: "Go away, you're blocking my view!"
"Oh, Your Highness, hurry back! His Highness the Crown Prince said he'll come and arrest you himself if you don't go back soon!"
"What!"
Upon hearing Gu Ziyi's name, Gu Xiaoran finally showed a hint of panic: "Cousin, really, you've become so terrifying after all these years..."
Seeing that he had finally persuaded the young master, the man hurriedly offered to take him back.
"What's the rush? Wait for me a moment!"
Gu Xiaoran pushed aside the guards at the door and, with a slightly awkward but still flamboyant smile, helped Lili up.
Lili glanced at him with some surprise, but withdrew her hand as soon as he touched her, maintaining a polite demeanor.
Gu Xiaoran wasn't annoyed. He just kept laughing and staring at Lili as if he wanted to see right through her. He was completely different from the person who would argue back ten times for every word someone said earlier.
Yun Shu stared at him warily. This man was quite famous in the capital. He was either cutting some girl's skirt today or going sightseeing with young masters yesterday.
He couldn't stand reading the Four Books and Five Classics; he only read various vernacular novels.
There's no way he'll drink tea next time; he'll only drink alcohol and play cricket fighting.
Despite his arrogant and domineering nature, he had an excellent family background and was also good-looking, making him both loved and hated by the young girls in the capital.
Yun Shu was afraid that if she wasn't careful, this young master might do something.
Gu Xiaoran was completely wronged; his mind was completely blank.
Lili's smile was very faint, and she didn't seem to want to say anything. Just looking at him so politely made him feel like he couldn't breathe.
What was this mentioned in the storybook again?
Father, Mother, I think I've fallen in love at first sight!
Lili watched as the legendary arrogant and domineering young master's face turned redder and redder, and she felt inexplicably confused.
Is this young master acting? How can he have so many expressions in such a short time?
Gu Xiaoran nervously rubbed his hands together, trying to make conversation: "Miss Chen, are you going in?"
Lili replied, "Exactly."
"Ah, oh! Go in, go in is good, go in is good, hahahahaha."
Gu Xiaoran glared at the squad leader and cursed, "Miss Shen is obviously the real Miss Shen, what proof do you need? You have no sense of propriety!"
The sergeant hurriedly replied, "I was just following the rules..."
"What ridiculous rules!"
Gu Xiaoran was about to speak again when Lili stopped him, saying, "Your Highness, please don't blame others. This official was just doing his duty and following the rules. It was my oversight that caused the incident."
"Oh, okay, okay!" Gu Xiaoran nodded repeatedly without any principles.
Lili couldn't help but laugh; this young master was rather dull.
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