The officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Imperial Guards arrived quickly and brought the situation under control, preventing further casualties.
"Make a list of the injured, give their families reasonable compensation, and compensate for all the damaged items in the surrounding area. Write this down and take it from my private treasury later."
Yan Huai carefully explained the situation to the Prefect of the Capital, who nodded repeatedly, secretly admiring the Crown Prince's thoughtfulness and meticulousness.
The capital city was not wealthy to begin with, so asking him to pay this sum of money would be a considerable burden for him.
After explaining the follow-up, Yan Huai turned around and came to the sedan chair. He was about to lift the curtain to check the situation, but his hand, which was halfway raised, stopped in mid-air.
Through the curtain, he lowered his eyes and asked in a low voice, "Are you injured?"
Recognizing his voice, Gu Qingxu unconsciously clenched her sleeves, shook her head subconsciously, and added softly, "No, thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
Yan Huai felt relieved. The matchmaker beside him leaned closer, her brows furrowed with worry: "Your Highness, the auspicious time that the Imperial Observatory had specially calculated has now been missed. This is probably an ominous sign!"
The surroundings became quiet.
Gu Qingxu pursed her lips, feeling rather uncomfortable.
On such an important day as a wedding, everyone wants to have good luck. No one wants such an accident to happen. Now that the auspicious time has been delayed, will His Highness think she is an unlucky person?
Her skirt was crumpled from her grip, and then she heard that gentle, jade-like voice ring out again, now with a touch of authority: "Whether it's an auspicious omen or not has nothing to do with timing or location; it's up to me."
Gu Qingxu slightly opened her eyes, her lips unconsciously pursing.
The matchmaker opened her mouth, but saw His Highness the Crown Prince looking over with a meaningful look in his eyes, as if to warn: "Don't let me hear such words again."
Her face paled slightly, and she awkwardly agreed.
Chi Yan stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Your Highness, the troublemakers have been captured. May I ask how Your Highness intends to deal with them?"
The other party was nothing more than a local thug, who insisted that he just wanted to join in the fun, but accidentally threw the firecrackers into the honor guard. He was truly cunning and treacherous.
"Thank you, Lord Chi. Throw him in the dungeon for now." Even with Yan Huai's good nature, he was somewhat displeased that his joyous day had been ruined. "Let's continue our journey."
The procession continued towards the palace. Chi Yan raised an eyebrow, relayed a few words to Lord Liu, and went back to find Shen Tangning.
When he found her, she was holding the hand of a little girl and patiently and gently coaxing her.
With a slight twitch of his brow, Chi Yan strode forward, his voice playful: "You've given me such a big surprise in just a short while?"
Upon hearing that unruly voice, Shen Tangning knew who it was. She straightened up and looked at him with a hint of helplessness: "This child has gotten separated from his family."
Chi Yan's gaze fell on the timid little girl huddled beside her. She took a step forward, and the girl fearfully hid behind her, her bright, watery eyes looking at her curiously.
He shrugged, his tone a little sarcastic: "You seem to be quite popular with kids."
She didn't say a word, though she was a little surprised. Actually, she didn't like children much, finding them too troublesome, just like Shen Ci when she was young, who had caused her a lot of trouble.
The two were going to attend a banquet at the palace, so they handed the girl over to the people of the Jingzhao Prefecture and waited for her parents to come and claim her.
On the way to the palace, Chi Yan glanced at the handkerchief wrapped around her hand and then had a moment to ask the question that had been bothering him: "What happened to your hand?"
"I accidentally wiped it." Shen Tangning instinctively tried to hide it, but then stopped abruptly, realizing that the action made her feel a little guilty, which drew a suspicious look from Chi Yan.
Why has Liu Yifu kept this handkerchief all these years and carried it close to his body?
In fact, she had some suspicions in her heart.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
