The Prefect of the Capital kowtowed three times in the direction of the imperial palace, then rose to his feet.
“Your Highness, I have never harbored disloyal thoughts toward the Emperor!”
“This matter concerns a plague, and the safety of the entire capital’s populace.”
“Even if it were just a rumor, I would not dare to take it lightly!”
“Forgive my audacity, but the Prince of Pingyang’s manor must be placed under lockdown!”
“Once the imperial physicians arrive and confirm there is no such issue, I will naturally withdraw my men!”
“If Your Highness is dissatisfied with me, feel free to impeach me before His Majesty!”
Having said this, the Prefect of the Capital bowed to Xiao Yi.
Then, he turned and waved his hand at the bailiffs behind him.
“Men, escort the Prince of Pingyang back to his manor!”
The guards led by Yunxiao stepped forward, blocking Xiao Yi’s path.
Both sides drew their swords.
A battle seemed about to break out.
Suddenly, someone felt a cool sensation on their face.
They looked up at the sky.
Drops of rain, the size of soybeans, were falling from above.
“It’s really raining!”
They shouted, and soon others joined in.
The common people had been praying for rain for months.
Now, at last, it had come.
Instantly, the crowd scurried home.
Watching the spectacle was less important than their own lives!
Besides, the Prefect of the Capital, for fear of losing his official position, wouldn’t dare risk the lives of the entire city.
Xiao Yi also looked up at the sky.
He knew the Emperor had gone to the Imperial Ancestral Temple today to pray for rain.
Had it truly worked?
“Yunxiao, let’s go back!” Xiao Yi turned his wheelchair and headed back into the manor.
Yunxiao quickly stepped forward to push the wheelchair, while the other guards retreated into the manor and closed the doors.
The Prefect of the Capital was somewhat surprised that the Prince of Pingyang had voluntarily backed down.
He instructed the bailiffs to keep watch, then hurried off to the imperial palace.
Soon, Yunxiao received a message via carrier pigeon.
It mentioned that Prince Ling had taken Song Shuyu to participate in the rain-praying ceremony.
Yunxiao immediately reported to the Prince of Pingyang, but to his surprise, the prince’s first question was whether the Princess had returned.
At that moment, Duoduo sat in a carriage, watching the sky outside with Lüdou.
The sky was so dark that, though it was still morning, it felt like night had already fallen.
“Princess, I saw today that the eldest miss was carried out in someone’s arms,” Lüdou said, a little scared, trying to make conversation.
Duoduo turned to look at Lüdou. “It should be fine; she just passed out from the heat.”
Lüdou’s eyes went wide. “Passed out from the heat?”
Duoduo tilted her head, thinking back.
“She’s afraid of Grandfather Emperor,” Duoduo said with certainty.
When a person is both frightened and overheated, it’s hard to bear.
Especially since Song Shuyu was only four years old.
After speaking, Duoduo’s eyes showed a hint of doubt.
Why wasn’t she afraid of Grandfather Emperor?
Instead, she found him very kind?
Maybe, as Li Jin said, it was a matter of fate between people!
Thinking of this, Duoduo broke into a bright smile.
“Lüdou, now that it’s raining, the weather will cool down.”
Lüdou looked at the pitch-black sky outside and grew worried.
“Princess, if it keeps raining like this, how will we get back?”
“We can’t possibly stay here overnight, can we?”
Lüdou thought she heard wolves howling from the mountains and shuddered.
Duoduo patted Lüdou’s hand. “Don’t worry, we’ll leave as soon as the rain lightens up a bit.”
Sure enough, not long after Duoduo said this, the rain let up somewhat.
“Driver, hurry back to the manor!” Lüdou quickly ordered the driver.
“Giddyap!”
The driver cracked his whip, and the carriage quickly plunged into the rain.
Though it had only rained for half a day, the downpour had already turned the dirt road into mud.
The carriage hadn’t gone far before it slowed down.
The driver carefully controlled the horses, wary of tipping over.
Bored, Duoduo reached out to catch the rainwater.
Suddenly, the golden text that had been still for so long began to scroll again.
[The Eighth Prince is ultimately doomed to be a cannon fodder!]
[Out here in the wilderness, no one will be able to save him!]
[Too bad he doesn’t know assassins are lying in ambush by the roadside!]
...
Duoduo froze on the spot.
Would Xiao Che still die?
This golden text didn’t say where Xiao Che would encounter the ambush.
Duoduo silently felt sorry for Xiao Che.
This classmate of hers had almost no interaction with her.
They rarely even spoke.
Duoduo sighed and pushed the information out of her mind.
The carriage rumbled along, until suddenly, a figure dashed out and collapsed in front of the horses.
The driver was startled and pulled the reins hard. “Whoa!”
Fortunately, the road was rough and the carriage wasn’t moving fast.
Inside the carriage, Duoduo clung tightly to the window frame, while Lüdou braced herself against the wall, barely avoiding being thrown off.
“Driver, how are you driving?” Lüdou rubbed her reddened palm and shouted angrily.
The driver looked at the motionless figure on the ground. “Someone suddenly ran out and fell in front of the carriage.”
Curious, Duoduo poked her head out. “Did you hit them?”
The driver quickly denied it. “No, I didn’t. They collapsed on their own.”
Lüdou stood up. “Princess, let me go out and check.”
Duoduo nodded, and Lüdou lifted the curtain to step outside.
Duoduo peered out the window in curiosity.
It was still raining, and she couldn’t see the person’s face clearly.
Lüdou walked over to the figure, crouched down, and nudged them. “Hey! Are you alright?”
Suddenly, a flash of white light, and before Lüdou could react, someone seized her by the throat.
The next second, the person who had been lying on the ground stood up.
“Ugh!” Lüdou clutched her throat in pain, struggling to break free.
“Get out of the carriage and hand it over!”
The man pressed a dagger against Lüdou’s neck. “Or I’ll kill her!”
Lüdou shook her head desperately at the driver. “Mmm! Mmm!”
The driver was about to crack his whip to rescue Lüdou when he heard footsteps approaching.
“Quick! He went this way!”
“We must catch him!”
The driver dared not act rashly.
He wasn’t sure if the people coming were allies of the man before him.
His mission was to protect the Princess!
With that thought, the driver spoke softly to Duoduo inside the carriage. “Princess, hold tight!”
Duoduo found it strange. The voice of the person outside the carriage sounded somewhat familiar to her.
But it was so dark, she couldn’t see clearly.
“Lüdou, twist like a dragon, swing your tail, and knee the groin!” Duoduo called out.
Even though she couldn’t see well, it didn’t stop her from helping Lüdou.
Lüdou, as always, did whatever Duoduo said without hesitation.
“Ugh!”
The man behind her grabbed his groin and doubled over, crouching down.
Lüdou, still frightened, kicked him hard again.
“Lüdou, get in quickly!” Duoduo waved at her.
Lüdou didn’t hesitate and scrambled back into the carriage.
The crouching man stood up again.
“Catch him!” Duoduo ordered the driver.
