Isn’t that the Eighth Prince, Xiao Che?
Unfortunately, he won’t survive this year.
He’s going to be stabbed through the chest by an assassin.
His mother will benefit from it, though—her family will rise to prominence overnight.
What a shame, he’s so young and will lose his life.
Duoduo blinked her big eyes and glanced at her classmate beside her.
Xiao Che?
The Eighth Prince?
That would be her eighth uncle?
Xiao Che looked like he was at most ten or eleven years old.
Such a young uncle?
Duoduo found it a bit hard to accept.
No wonder Xiao Yunshi was so afraid of Xiao Che—it turned out it was because Xiao Che was his elder.
Sensing Duoduo’s gaze, Xiao Che shot her a sidelong look.
Duoduo quickly averted her eyes, fixing them on her own book.
Unfortunately, the golden characters hadn’t specified when exactly Xiao Che’s accident would happen.
Otherwise, Duoduo might have found a way to warn him.
She shook her head.
Her father had said she wasn’t supposed to meddle in matters that didn’t concern her.
Duoduo stole another glance at Xiao Che. To her surprise, he was looking back at her.
She quickly turned her head and focused on the Imperial Tutor lecturing at the front.
When the bell rang, the day’s lessons finally ended.
Duoduo took Lüdou with her, left the palace, and climbed into the prince’s carriage.
The carriage moved slowly behind the others, heading toward the Prince of Pingyang’s mansion.
Inside, Duoduo and Lüdou chatted in hushed tones.
Suddenly—crack!—the carriage tilted to one side.
Duoduo nearly slammed into the wall but managed to grab hold of the seat.
Lüdou wasn’t so lucky. She smacked straight into it.
“Ow!” Lüdou yelped in pain.
“Driver, what happened?” Duoduo asked loudly, pulling Lüdou back to safety.
“Your Highness, the axle has snapped,” the driver replied nervously.
Duoduo was puzzled. She lifted the curtain and stepped out with Lüdou.
“Why would the axle break all of a sudden? It was fine.”
The driver looked just as confused.
“I don’t know, Your Highness. I checked the carriage this morning before we left—there was nothing wrong with it.”
Duoduo jumped down from the carriage and examined the broken axle.
“Someone tampered with this,” she said.
She could see a clean, straight cut at the fracture point. As the carriage moved, the damaged axle couldn’t hold up and finally gave way.
Hearing this, Lüdou immediately moved to protect Duoduo.
“Your Highness, what should we do now?”
Duoduo looked around. Because the Prince of Pingyang’s mansion was far from the palace, the driver had taken a shortcut.
They were now at the entrance to a street where few people passed.
“Driver, go find another carriage immediately.”
“Lüdou, come with me—we’re going back the way we came!”
Acting quickly, Duoduo grabbed Lüdou’s hand and ran back.
Lüdou didn’t understand. “Your Highness, why are we running back instead of forward?”
Duoduo glanced over her shoulder.
She saw that the nearly empty street now had four or five men appearing.
“Lüdou, run faster! I really want to eat the pastries from that shop up ahead!”
Duoduo pulled Lüdou along, quickening their pace.
Lüdou also looked back but saw nothing unusual.
They ran as fast as they could and soon made it out of the side street and onto the main road.
“Whoa!”
A carriage was approaching just then. Seeing Duoduo and Lüdou burst out, the driver pulled hard on the reins.
“Watch where you’re going!”
From inside the carriage came the furious voice of Xiao Yun’an.
It turned out to be the carriage of the Prince of Ling’s mansion.
Duoduo, sharp-eyed, saw that the men from earlier had already chased after them.
She gritted her teeth and, pulling Lüdou along, climbed onto the carriage.
“Ah!”
Xiao Yun’ning let out a startled scream.
Once she realized that the person who had climbed up was Duoduo, she immediately began shouting.
“Changle, what are you doing on our carriage?”
“Did you get our permission? Get off right now!”
Song Shuyu, seated at the far end, also looked at Duoduo with curiosity.
Duoduo glanced out the carriage window. Because of Xiao Yun’ning’s voice, the attention of the nearby men had been drawn.
They were walking toward the carriage.
Duoduo gave Xiao Yun’ning a smile.
“Princess Anning, I’ve heard your embroidery skills are excellent. I’d like to learn from you!”
Xiao Yun’ning, flattered, lifted her chin proudly.
“Why should I, this princess, teach you?”
Xiao Yun’an gently tugged at Xiao Yun’ning’s sleeve.
“Princess Changle, we’re in a hurry to get back to the mansion. Please get off.”
Duoduo blinked at Xiao Yun’an.
“My carriage broke down. Could I hitch a ride with you?”
Xiao Yun’ning snorted. “We’re not even going the same way!”
“Besides, who wants to be stuck with a jinx like you?”
“Who knows, you might bring us some disaster.”
“But aren’t we family?” Duoduo asked, pretending not to understand.
“Who’s family with you?”
Xiao Yun’ning jumped up as if she had stepped on a cat’s tail.
She pointed at Song Shuyu. “She’s the one who’s family with you!”
Song Shuyu stared fixedly at Xiao Yun’ning.
“I’ll tell Father that you said I’m not family with you!”
Xiao Yun’an hastily tugged at Xiao Yun’ning’s sleeve again.
“Sister, watch your words!”
Xiao Yun’ning, unconvinced, slapped Xiao Yun’an’s hand away.
“Did I say anything wrong? She’s surnamed Song, I’m surnamed Xiao!”
“I’m naturally not family with her!”
With that, Xiao Yun’ning shouted, “Stop the carriage!”
The carriage came to a halt, and Xiao Yun’ning jumped down.
Duoduo called out guiltily, “Princess!”
Xiao Yun’ning stomped her foot outside the carriage. “Don’t call my name!”
Xiao Yun’an saw that Xiao Yun’ning had gotten off. After hesitating for a moment, he also climbed down.
The carriage remained still.
Inside the carriage, only Duoduo, Lüdou, and Song Shuyu were left.
Song Shuyu noticed Duoduo occasionally glancing outside, so she followed her gaze outward.
“Ah...”
Song Shuyu’s scream was stifled by Duoduo’s hand covering her throat.
Outside, Xiao Yun’ning had been knocked unconscious with a single chop to the neck and carried off over someone’s shoulder.
Xiao Yun’an caught sight of this and quickly shouted for the coachman to chase after them together.
Song Shuyu trembled all over with fear.
Duoduo saw that the men who had been chasing her earlier were already gone, so she finally let go of Song Shuyu.
Song Shuyu, her hand shaking, pointed at Duoduo.
A flash of insight struck her.
“Those men... those men must have been coming for you...”
Duoduo shook her head.
“You saw wrong. Those men clearly took Xiao Yun’ning. It had nothing to do with me!”
Song Shuyu was stunned.
“It must have something to do with you! They must have taken the wrong person!”
“You didn’t let me scream just now because you were afraid they’d find you here!”
Duoduo shook her head again.
“You’re mistaken.”
“I’m telling you not to shout because I’m worried that if they see us, they’ll take us both away.”
“If that happens, there won’t be anyone left to rescue them.”
“Alright, now—this is your chance!”
