Chapter 417 I recognize these cocoons; they look like the ones you left when you used to chop wood in the palace.
The man was about to run away when he heard the Third Prince's words and couldn't help but turn back for a look.
An arrow flew across his face, leaving a gash.
The man's face turned extremely ugly: "Next time we meet, I will definitely kill you!"
The third prince, with a faint smile on his face, wiped his hands, and then...
Another hidden arrow.
The man ignored everything else and turned to leave.
However, he harbored a grudge against the Third Prince.
After everyone had left, the Third Prince stood there fiddling with something for a long time, then picked up his hidden arrow before standing up.
The guards around the Third Prince continued to protect him.
Princess Chang'an squatted motionless in the grass, like a little quail.
When my third brother finds me, he'll definitely lecture me and discipline me!
The cunning third brother will definitely complain to the Emperor and Empress again!
She absolutely cannot be found by Third Brother!
Xiao Hua also lowered her head, and the two of them hid in the grass with their butts sticking out. At this moment, they didn't even dare to raise their heads, let alone peek.
"What are you looking for?" After some time, a voice suddenly came.
Princess Chang'an's expression changed slightly. She turned around and tried to run away, but as soon as she turned around, she met a familiar face.
"Third...Third Brother..." Princess Chang'an looked at the Third Prince pitifully.
The Third Prince looked at her with a half-smile, and then...
"Bang..." A sharp rap landed heavily on Princess Chang'an's head.
"Ouch...it hurts~it hurts~Third brother, why are you hitting me so hard again!" Princess Chang'an looked pitifully at her third brother, tears welling up in her eyes from the pain.
She knew that even if she cried, her third brother wouldn't comfort her, which made her even sadder.
"Third Brother is bad! I'll never like Third Brother again!" Princess Chang'an said angrily.
Although she remained calm throughout the journey, she was only six or seven years old; after all, she was just a child.
If it weren't for Xiao Hua always being there for her, Princess Chang'an felt she might have really died.
But now...
She's so angry!
When the Third Prince saw that his little sister was really crying, and not just faking it like before, but genuinely sad, he sighed and went over to hug her.
Princess Chang'an got angry, shoved her third brother away, and turned around, leaving him with only her backside.
The little girl was heartbroken, very heartbroken, the kind of heartbreak that can't be comforted.
The Third Prince looked at his younger sister with a helpless expression. He paused and said, "I'm worried about you!"
"You hit me because you're worried? Do you even know how I've been through all this?"
Princess Chang'an glared angrily at her third brother with her round eyes, her little hand outstretched.
"Look at my hands, how many calluses they have!"
Princess Chang'an's hands had many new and old blisters, and in some places, there were indeed thick calluses.
The Third Prince frowned slightly, paused, and couldn't help but say, "I recognize this cocoon. It looks like it was left by you when you were chopping wood in your palace!"
Princess Chang'an paused in her tears, then withdrew her hand, lowered her head, her shoulders trembling, and tears dripped down her face.
This time, the little girl didn't say anything, turned around, and faced away from her third brother.
The third prince's expression changed instantly, and he said, "Third brother didn't mean that..."
My little sister has really suffered this time, and he knows that, but...
I'm used to it!
"Third Brother, am I really your sister? Why do you dislike me so much!" Princess Chang'an paused, then raised her head, her eyes looking at the Third Prince, her voice trembling slightly.
The Third Prince's expression changed slightly. Of course he cared about his younger sister; otherwise, he wouldn't have chased her for thousands of miles.
But……
He's just used to it!
"Don't say anymore, I know. Third Brother likes gentle and kind girls. It's my fault for not being gentle enough... Goodbye, Third Brother. From now on... Chang'an will never bother you again!"
As she spoke, Princess Chang'an turned and ran, and the smile on her face was incredibly bright the moment she turned around.
Alright, we can run away now!
Third brother is too fierce, I must go and deceive second brother!
If my second brother saw me crying, he would have come to comfort me long ago. He wouldn't be like my third brother!
She misses her silly second brother!
Little Flower followed closely behind, looking almost exactly like her princess.
The two of them were running incredibly fast.
However……
"Chang'an, where do you want to go?"
Princess Chang'an paused, but did not stop walking.
"Go where someone likes me!"
After the little girl finished speaking, she ran even faster.
Her men are already waiting for her ahead. If she's just a little faster, she'll definitely be able to escape!
As she thought this, the light in the little girl's eyes grew even brighter.
If I just wait a little longer, I'm sure I can do it.
With that thought in mind, his feet suddenly moved incredibly fast.
The Third Prince's lips twitched. This little sister, how come all her height has gone to her heart?
He rubbed his temples, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Don't bother running away, I've chased all your men away, even if you go there you won't see them!"
The Third Prince caught up and said in a low voice.
Princess Chang'an was furious. She turned her head and glared angrily at her third brother!
"Third brother, you've gone too far! You did it again this time. Do you know that you're going to lose me easily if you keep doing this!"
Princess Chang'an couldn't keep up the act any longer, so she simply stopped pretending!
Looking at his lively younger sister, the Third Prince's smile deepened.
As long as my little sister is alright, that's all that matters!
"Hmm, it's okay, I can grab you and tie you to me, that way I won't lose you!"
The third prince looked at his younger sister with a smile. Although he was not very old, the smile on his face that did not reach his eyes was unsettling.
"Third Brother, please stop laughing. I'm scared. I feel like you're trying to hurt me!"
The third prince took out a folding fan and tapped her on the head.
Then he said, "Alright, let's go. I'll take you to find your parents and your second brother!"
The Third Prince smiled and said to his younger sister.
"Really?" she exclaimed excitedly.
The Third Prince nodded to his sister; he had just received the message from his eldest brother.
Otherwise, even he wouldn't know where his parents are.
"Of course it's true. Your parents are doing well, but they probably know you're missing by now. You'd better think about how to tell them!"
The third prince stepped forward, a smile playing on his lips.
Princess Chang'an was no longer angry; instead, she affectionately took the Third Prince's arm.
"Third brother, do you know where Father, Mother, and Second brother are? I miss them so much!"
The little girl chuckled, revealing a set of snow-white teeth.
The Third Prince looked at her closely. His little sister had become darker and thinner, and most importantly, she had lost her hair!
If I weren't so familiar with my younger sister, I probably wouldn't have recognized her!
The young girl has indeed suffered. You know, back in the palace, Princess Chang'an had a lot of things to do every day, but she also ate a lot and ate well.
Overall, it looks chubby.
But now...
The third prince reached out and patted his younger sister's head, his voice unusually gentle as he said, "Don't be afraid, your third brother is here, and I will protect you for life. This time, it was our fault!"
Princess Chang'an, who had been smiling, paused, and tears almost welled up in her eyes.
"Third brother..." Her third brother actually cared about her so much. She had been wrong all along!
"However, if you are careless again and get tricked, I will send you to the backyard of Prince Hui's residence when we get back, so that you can learn from Princess Hui!"
The Third Prince narrowed his eyes, a hint of sternness in them.
Princess Hui was a notoriously formidable figure. Every woman she taught became exceptionally skilled, whether in martial arts or intellect.
Princess Chang'an was somewhat cunning, but ultimately too weak; otherwise, she wouldn't have been outmaneuvered this time.
Thinking of this, the Third Prince narrowed his eyes and said, "Do you know who set you up this time?"
Princess Chang'an instinctively wanted to shake her head, but...
She wasn't being cowardly; she was simply following her heart.
The third brother has a lot of ways of torturing people.
"It was Xiao Zhou Shi, Lan Xin'er, and the third son of the Lan Prince's Mansion... and that eldest son of the Zhao family!"
Princess Chang'an wasn't stupid; although she hadn't managed to extract any useful information from the old nun and the others these past few days...
But I guessed some things from Lan Xin'er.
However, she never expected that this matter would be related to the Zhao family.
After all, the Zhao family were renowned for their civil officials. Although they disliked their mother, she was so powerful that they dared not take action against her.
The Third Prince nodded slightly, but still gently tapped her head.
"That's not all. The village where you were captured was burned down, but there were only two corpses inside. They must have been the two men who captured you!"
The Third Prince carefully analyzed the situation for his silly younger sister.
After explaining the pros and cons and clarifying other things, the little girl's eyes widened in terror.
"To put it simply, your capture this time is somewhat related to the Xiongnu; it was probably orchestrated by the Tatar tribe!" The Third Prince's eyes flashed with murderous intent.
Princess Chang'an was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting that this matter involved foreign tribes.
She paused for a moment, thinking of something her second brother had mentioned unintentionally before.
“I heard from my second brother that the Tatar tribe has been causing quite a stir these past few years, and it seems they want to start a war…”
The third prince nodded, looking at his younger sister with a sense of helplessness.
In fact, some people in the Shang Dynasty had already proposed a marriage alliance!
Nowadays, there is a hint of integration among the various Xiongnu tribes, especially since there has been no rain or snow in the Xiongnu region for eight consecutive months from last year to this year.
The weather is extremely dry, especially this year, when temperatures have risen even higher. It is said that several small tribes have been affected by strange illnesses, and many people have died from the heat.
“They’ve set their sights on you; they probably want Father to send you away for a political marriage!” the Third Prince said after a moment’s thought.
"Third brother, I think if Mother finds out about this, she might just beat them up!"
Back then, the Rakshasa woman was feared by everyone. Those Hun bastards would tremble with fear just from hearing her name.
Besides, we still have Brother Tang now...
"I wonder how Brother Tang is doing!" Princess Chang'an muttered, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
If I had known that the Lan family had Brother Tang's daughter, I would definitely have gone to play with her every day.
They'll definitely protect her and won't let anyone bully her!
It's just a pity...
With that thought in mind, she made a decision...
From now on, I'll be Brother Tang's daughter, so he won't be so pitiful!
"Third Brother, what do you think about having Father and Mother adopt me to Brother Tang?" Princess Chang'an asked excitedly.
The third prince slapped his forehead, clearly not wanting to deal with his younger sister anymore.
Listen to this! They don't even want them anymore, yet they're still asking themselves!
While the two were bickering, Lan Xin'er encountered some trouble on the other side.
She had arrived in Lan County and searched everywhere before finally finding the government office.
She waited for several days but never saw Lan Feng.
Why did Lan Feng come to Lan County?
Lan Xin'er pursed her lips, a hint of anxiety in her eyes.
She was penniless and would starve to death if Lan Feng didn't show up soon.
She clenched her fists to keep herself from fainting.
She was determined to live a life of her own, to replace Xiao Su Bao.
Thinking that Xiao Su Bao should be dead by now, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, Lan Xin'er suddenly saw a figure. Although he was somewhat thin and even had a full beard, she still recognized him.
It's my older brother!
"Sigh..." She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
She didn't care about anything else and got up to rush over.
In that instant, her vision blurred and she fell to the ground.
Lan Xin'er looked towards Lan Feng in a daze, and reached out her hand, trying hard to grab at Lan Feng.
Just as Lan Xin'er lost consciousness, she seemed to see Lan Feng coming over.
However, the figure in front of them got closer and closer, then turned a corner and went straight into the government office.
Lan Xin'er felt a sharp pain in her chest and lay on the ground as if she were about to die.
Her heart was filled with boundless hatred—hatred for the Lan family, hatred for Lan Feng.
She didn't want to die!
She wants to become the most noble woman in the world!
"Help……"
She suddenly cried out in a daze.
The old monk's medicine for making them mute was supposed to last until evening; they would be mute during the day but able to make some sounds at night.
Once you stop taking medication, your vocal cords should recover in a couple of days.
But that day, the old monk got angry and added something to Lan Xin'er's medicine, which made her voice sound like a broken gong, making people feel very uncomfortable.
"Where did this little beggar come from? What bad luck!" One person glanced at Lan Xin'er, kicked her, and then left.
The people of Lan County had just experienced the plague, and everyone was on guard. When someone saw Lan Xin'er's appearance, they immediately became alert.
They reported it to the authorities, but Lan Feng was too busy with village affairs to do anything more. He simply instructed his clerk to take the person to the clinic, paid a small fee, and then asked no further questions.
That night, Lan Xin'er had a dream. She dreamed that she replaced Xiao Su Bao, then became the Crown Princess, then the Empress, and finally the Empress!
She was so excited that she suddenly opened her eyes.
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