236. Don't give them a nice look.
The group set off from the Beiding Marquis's residence in a grand procession. Guards lined up in two rows behind the carriages. The Beiding Marquis, Jiang Xiyue, Qu Zijin, and the disguised little princess rode in the carriages. The procession stretched out for a long time and swaggered through the streets.
The people on the roadside were stunned, and they all stopped to discuss it.
"Are these people from the Marquis of Beiding's residence? Where are they headed with so many guards?"
"Judging from the direction, it seems to be heading towards the Prince's residence. Could it be that the two families are having a falling out?"
"I heard a few days ago that the county princess of the Marquis of Beiding and the heir apparent were getting close. Why did they suddenly bring so many people over? Are they going to fight?"
"Keep your voice down! That's the residence of the Prince of Zhennan. No matter how powerful the Marquis of Beiding is, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble, would they?"
Looking at the large entourage of guards in the procession, Marquis Beiding frowned and complained to Jiang Xiyue in a low voice, "Your Highness's request is too rash. Bringing so many people along is not to pick someone up, but to give the Prince's residence something to talk about."
Jiang Xiyue sighed, but could only nod helplessly.
There was no other way; we couldn't let the princess lose face.
Although she was young, she was still the ruler and they were the subjects; they couldn't possibly disobey her superior.
Qu Zijin, who was sitting in the front carriage with the little princess, also felt that this was inappropriate.
The little princess, however, was completely oblivious to everyone's concerns. Her face was full of smug satisfaction, and she would occasionally turn back to instruct the guards, "Straighten your backs! When you see the people from the Prince's residence later, don't give them a friendly look!"
-
In the woodshed.
After the butler was dragged out, he returned unconscious, his face and body covered in bruises, and blood still dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"Grandpa Butler!" The little dumpling rushed over, hugged his arm and cried for a long time, her tears soaking the butler's sleeves, until her voice became hoarse.
She gradually realized that she had to find a way to escape.
Only by escaping can they save themselves and the butler.
She wiped away her tears and looked around the woodshed in the dim light coming in from the window.
The walls were made of earth on all four sides, with only a small, tall window in the corner. The window was so narrow that only a child could barely pass through, and it was about a person's height off the ground.
"This is the only way out..." She bit her lip and began rummaging through the woodshed for anything usable.
The first thing she found was a pile of straw. She carried the straw and piled it up under the window, making it very high. But as soon as she stepped on it, it collapsed, and she fell into the pile of straw, her knees hurting badly.
She rubbed her knees, but didn't give up. She dragged a wooden chair from the corner of the wall over, placed it under the window, and used it as a stepping stone to reach up.
My fingers were still a long way from the windowsill; I couldn't reach them at all.
The little dumpling found a dilapidated, low table in the corner of the woodshed.
She used all her strength to move the table little by little to the window, sweating profusely from exhaustion.
Next, she placed the chair on the table and piled two bundles of straw on it to make a makeshift "step".
She took a deep breath, climbed onto the table, and then carefully stepped onto the chair.
The chair was wobbling violently, and she had to hold onto the wall tightly to keep her balance.
This time, she finally reached the windowsill, gripping it tightly with her fingers, and climbed upwards with all her might.
The window was too narrow, and her shoulder got stuck. She tried several times but couldn't climb in, and almost fell off the chair.
She took a breath, adjusted her posture, and moved sideways, inching her way into the window. Her shoulders stung from the friction, but she gritted her teeth and didn't stop.
Finally, she leaned her upper body out of the window, and a gust of cold wind rushed in, making her shiver.
She looked down; the ground was quite high above her, and she felt a little panicked, but she still clenched her fists and slowly moved her legs out as well…
-
When the princess and her entourage arrived at the entrance of the prince's residence, they could see the guards standing at the gate with their hands on the hilts of their swords and their expressions tense.
"Halt!" The leading guard captain stepped forward, his voice icy. "What are you doing?!"
The little princess immediately popped out from behind the Marquis of Beiding, tilting her little face up and shouting, "We've come to pick up Little Moon!"
The guard captain said coldly, "No one is allowed to enter without orders from the commander! Get out of here and stop getting in the way!"
"Getting in the way?" The little princess put her hands on her hips, her voice even louder. "Little Moon is from our Beiding Marquis's residence. We're taking her home, how is that getting in the way? If you keep blocking us, we'll tear down your door!"
As she spoke, she turned to the guards and shouted, "Step forward! Let's teach them a lesson!"
The guards looked at each other, not daring to actually make a move.
After all, it was the Prince's residence; how could they dare to make a move so easily?
Marquis Beiding quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, cupping his hands in greeting to the guard captain: "Brother, we really have no ill intentions, we just want to take Yue'er home. Please inform the steward that the Marquis Beiding's residence has come to visit, thank you."
The guard captain hesitated for a moment, then instructed the guard beside him: "Go to the backyard and inform Uncle Li that Marquis Beiding has arrived with dozens of guards to escort Princess Fukang."
The guards rushed inside, while the rest stood facing each other at the door.
Seeing the guard captain's tough attitude and fearing that things might get out of hand, Marquis Beiding quickly softened his tone and explained, "Brother, we brought these people only for safety, and we have no intention of causing trouble. It must be that our large numbers have caused you to misunderstand. Please be lenient and let the person in charge come out to meet us so we can clear things up."
Jiang Xiyue nodded in agreement, took out a piece of silver from her sleeve and handed it over: "Thank you for making this trip, brother. Just tell them we really only came to pick up our daughter and have no other intentions."
The guard captain refused the money, remaining cold and wary.
The little princess, however, had no patience to wait. She stood on tiptoe and peered into the mansion, muttering to herself, "Why is it so slow? Have they hidden Little Moon?"
Then he tugged at the sleeve of the Marquis of Beiding: "Why don't we just charge in? With so many guards, we can definitely beat them!"
Qu Zijin quickly stopped her from stirring things up: "Don't be silly, wait a little longer, maybe the person in charge will be here soon."
-
Meanwhile, inside the Crown Prince's residence...
Li Bozheng was keeping watch by Dou Shichen's bedside.
Dou Shichen had been making a fuss for a long time, and was also disturbed by Li Bo's words. He soon fell asleep from exhaustion, but his brows were still tightly furrowed.
The guard rushed in to report: "Uncle Li, the people from the Marquis of Beiding's mansion have arrived with dozens of guards. They're right outside the mansion gate, saying they want to take the county princess back!"
Li Bo was stunned for a moment, then let out a cold laugh.
The Marquis of Beiding's mansion arrived quickly and with great audacity.
Knowing that their plan had been exposed, they brazenly showed up at his door.
He quickly calmed down and ordered the guards, "Take a few men to the woodshed and bring the county princess and the steward here. Then go to the front yard and take stock of all the guards. Have them all assemble at the gate. I want to see what tricks the Marquis of Beiding's mansion is up to!"
Just as the guard was about to leave after receiving his orders, a servant rushed in, his face pale: "Something terrible has happened! Someone is missing from the woodshed! The county princess is gone!"
"What?" Uncle Li stood up abruptly, his face instantly darkening. "How come there's no one here? Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on things?"
"We...we just went to check and they were still here. In just a short while, when we went to check again, they were gone. The window was open, so they must have escaped through the window!" the servant stammered.
Li Bo's heart sank, but he quickly regained his composure: "Send people to search! We must bring this child back! We can't let her get away!"
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