Chapter 746 The Twelfth Prince
The little baby was held in the air, his eyes wide open with tears in them, obviously frightened by the sudden change.
He forgot to cry, he just sobbed, his little body swaying.
"You...you put me down!" He puffed up his cheeks and ordered in a soft voice.
But his tone no longer had the self-righteousness it had just had, instead it sounded a bit insecure.
Qian Zhenyun didn't put him down immediately. He just looked at him with a level gaze, his tone still gentle: "First, tell me, what is your name, and why are you here alone?"
Gu Qingchen also came over. She looked at the little kid's wrinkled face, and the anger she felt at being contradicted had long since disappeared, leaving only amusement.
She squatted down, her eyes level with the doll being carried, and softened her voice.
"We're not bad people. Your family will be worried if you run around alone."
She pointed to the rabbit leg he had thrown away on the ground and said, "Look, I'm not going to eat it, and you don't have to cry anymore, okay?"
The little kid's gaze shifted from Gu Qingchen's face to Qian Zhenyun's, and finally back to the rabbit's leg. He pursed his lips, as if weighing the pros and cons.
After a long pause, he whispered with a hint of grievance, "My name is Zhao Heng. I...I came out to play with my brothers. They were skating too fast, and I couldn't catch up, so I just walked here."
Zhao Heng? Royal surname.
Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun looked at each other and saw a hint of understanding and solemnity in each other's eyes.
Qian Zhenyun gently placed the baby on the ground. As soon as he touched the ground, he immediately took two steps back like a frightened rabbit, looking at them warily.
"Are you from the palace?" Gu Qingchen asked tentatively.
Zhao Heng puffed out his chest, as if regaining some confidence: "My father is the current emperor! When you see me, why don't you kneel and salute?"
Although he is small, he has been in the palace for many years, and his innate nobility cannot be faked.
Before Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun could react, a loud shouting suddenly came from behind a hill not far away, coming closer and closer.
"Your Highness! Your Highness Twelve!"
"Quick! Split up and search! If anything happens to His Highness, we'll all lose our heads!"
His voice was filled with anxiety and fear.
When Zhao Heng heard the voice, his eyes lit up, as if he had found his backbone, and he immediately shouted towards that direction: "I'm here!"
As soon as he finished speaking, seven or eight guards dressed in imperial uniforms and with long swords on their waists rushed out from the woods.
When they saw Zhao Heng standing by the fire safely, they first breathed a sigh of relief, but then when they saw Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun beside him, their faces changed instantly.
“clang!”
The leading guard drew his sword, pointed it at the two men, and shouted, "Who are you? How dare you hold His Highness the Twelfth Prince hostage?"
The other guards also drew their swords and surrounded the two men, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
The icy blade reflected a biting cold light in the winter sun.
Zhao Heng was startled by the scene and subconsciously hid behind Gu Qingchen, his little hands grabbing the corner of her clothes.
Gu Qingchen did not dodge or evade, and looked calm and composed.
She glanced at the badge on the leading guard's waist and said calmly, "We are from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. This is the Crown Prince's companion Qian Zhenyun, and I am Gu Qingchen."
She pulled Zhao Heng from behind to the front and patted his shoulder gently.
"We just happened to come across the lost Fifth Prince. We were worried he'd be cold, so we built a fire to keep him warm. There's no need to be so nervous."
When the head guard heard the words "Duke Zhenguo's Mansion" and "Gu Qingchen", his hand holding the knife paused obviously.
The name of Miss Gu is now known to everyone in the capital.
He looked at Gu Qingchen carefully for a few times, and saw that she was full of heroic spirit and extraordinary bearing, exactly the same as the image in the rumors, so he let down his guard a little.
Qian Zhenyun stepped forward, bowed, and said calmly, "General, His Highness is safe here. We found His Highness alone by the lake and were afraid something might happen to him, so we brought him here. You've arrived just in time."
His voice is clear and steady, and has a convincing power.
The head guard's gaze darted back and forth between the three of them.
He saw the bonfire that had not yet been extinguished and the half-roasted rabbit on the ground.
Then he looked at his own little prince, who although had red eyes but was dressed neatly, unharmed, and even subconsciously dependent on Gu Qingchen, he believed it about 70%.
He retracted his sword, clasped his fists towards the two men, and his tone softened a lot.
"So it's Miss Gu and Lord Qian. I was too reckless. Your Highness is young and playful, so we had a hard time finding him. Thank you both for your help."
Seeing the crisis was over, Zhao Heng became bolder. He poked his head out from behind Gu Qingchen, pointed at the rabbits on the ground, and complained to the head guard: "Commander Li, they're eating rabbits! They're bad people!"
The head guard's face twitched, and he smiled awkwardly at Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun, then bent down and picked up Zhao Heng.
"Your Highness, don't be rude. It was Miss Gu who saved you." He whispered in Zhao Heng's ear.
Gu Qingchen looked at the master and servant and found it funny. She waved her hand and said, "Children's words are innocent. It's okay."
Qian Zhenyun looked at the group of guards and asked calmly, "It's cold today, and the wind is strong by the lake. I wonder which prince took His Highness the Twelfth Prince out for an outing and was so careless?"
The question was asked calmly, but it contained a hidden meaning. The guard leader's expression changed slightly, becoming somewhat complicated and embarrassed.
A trace of unnaturalness flashed across Commander Li's face. He hugged Zhao Heng, avoided Qian Zhenyun's inquiring gaze, and replied vaguely.
"Master Qian, the Fifth and Seventh Princes had an ice skating competition in the main lake area today. The Twelfth Prince was young and, out of playfulness, ran off on his own."
"It's because our subordinates failed to provide adequate protection. I'm sorry to have embarrassed Miss Gu and Master Qian."
The fifth prince and the seventh prince.
Gu Qingchen understood. These two had always been at odds with the Crown Prince, often fighting fiercely. The fact that they had come together today, and even brought along the least favored Twelfth Prince, Zhao Heng, was truly intriguing.
Qian Zhenyun listened and a faint smile of unknown meaning appeared on his lips. He did not ask any more questions. He just looked at Zhao Heng who was held in the arms of Commander Li and said gently, "The wind is strong by the lake, and Your Highness is wearing thin clothes. You should go back early and put on some clothes to avoid catching a cold."
His voice was not loud, but it made Commander Li break out in a cold sweat on his back.
If the Twelfth Prince got lost while under the care of the Fifth and Seventh Princes and became ill as a result, and this matter reached the palace, it would not be explained away by negligence.
"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Qian. I understand."
Commander Li did not dare to delay any longer and clasped his fists towards the two of them again.
"Thank you both for what we did today. I'll definitely bring a small gift and visit you someday to express my gratitude."
After saying that, he hugged Zhao Heng and hurried away with a group of guards, as if something was chasing them.
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