When Li Jin approached earlier, Xiao Yi had assumed he was one of the people from the estate and paid him no attention.
Now that Yunxiao had pointed him out, he turned around and saw him.
Li Jin hurried forward and bowed. “Your Highness.”
Xiao Yi quietly sized him up.
Li Jin had not entered through the main gate.
Xiao Yi’s gaze lingered for a moment on the dirt clinging to the sides of Li Jin’s shoes.
His brows furrowed.
Li Jin had come through the secret passage.
Li Jin noticed where Xiao Yi was looking, but he did not explain right away.
Instead, he glanced outside. “Your Highness, what should we do with all these bodies?”
Following Li Jin’s gaze, Xiao Yi looked outside.
“Do with them? Why should we do anything?”
“By now, the capital must already be in complete chaos, right?”
“Leave them there. They’ll serve as a warning to anyone else who wants to attack the Prince of Pingyang’s residence.”
“The Prince of Pingyang’s residence is not a place they can scheme against whenever they please!”
Xiao Yi spoke in an almost casual tone.
Li Jin nodded.
“When I came over, the streets outside were full of patrols of imperial guards.”
“Anyone they found suspicious was arrested.”
“And if they resisted even slightly, they were killed on the spot!”
Li Jin’s words filled Yunxiao and the other guards with indignation.
“Your Highness, why don’t we take advantage of the chaos and summon our men? We can go out and kill to our hearts’ content!”
Yunxiao had seen blood today, and his blood was still running hot.
“That’s right, Your Highness!”
“Your Highness, just give the order, and we’ll charge out and slaughter them all!”
“That’s right, Your Highness! We’ve been waiting for this day for ages!”
“There were too few enemies just now. Our blades haven’t had their fill of blood yet!”
Xiao Yi looked at their excited, fervent faces and slowly said, “Yunxiao, have the men sent to bring the commandery princess back reported in yet?”
Yunxiao froze for a moment and lowered the saber in his hand.
“Your Highness, they haven’t returned yet.”
Seeing how grim Xiao Yi’s expression had become, Li Jin moved closer and quietly said, “The commandery princess is safe.”
Xiao Yi’s brows twitched, and he turned to look at Li Jin.
Li Jin gave him a slight nod.
Xiao Yi immediately formed a few suspicions of his own.
“Yunxiao, close the gates.”
“You’ll guard the entrance to the residence. Anyone who dares provoke us again is to be killed without mercy!”
After giving his orders, Xiao Yi wheeled himself toward the rear courtyard.
His words immediately silenced the guards, who had been brimming with excitement.
They had followed Xiao Yi because they naturally hoped to accomplish something great.
Even dying in battle was something they longed for.
Yunxiao had come to understand Xiao Yi somewhat after following him for so long.
“All right, what are you standing around for?”
“Close the gates!”
“Also, go get some arrows.”
“As for the rest of you, take a break where you are.”
“If anyone else comes later, we’ll have to keep chopping them down like vegetables!”
Yunxiao’s words made the guards laugh.
They were the prince’s men, so naturally, they followed the prince’s lead.
If the prince said to fight, they fought. If the prince said to stop, they stopped.
Li Jin pushed Xiao Yi over to the artificial hill.
Xiao Yi gestured for Li Jin to open the door.
Li Jin first tapped on the artificial hill. “Commandery princess, I’m going to open the door.”
Inside the secret passage, where one could not see one’s own hand in front of one’s face, everyone’s hearing had become exceptionally sharp.
Duoduo could hear the wind blowing through the passage with a mournful whistling sound. It was rather terrifying.
She and Lüdou clung tightly to each other.
“Commandery princess, has an incense stick’s time passed yet?” Frightened, Lüdou could not help speaking.
Duoduo shook her head. “Not yet.”
“Commandery princess, I’m so sleepy.” Lüdou felt dizzy and heavy-headed.
The weather was hot, and both Lüdou and Duoduo had sweated through their clothes while running all the way to the shop.
At first, the passage had been stifling and sweltering, but after they had been inside for a while, it became cool and refreshing.
Duoduo felt that Lüdou’s hand in hers was unusually hot.
She raised her hand and touched Lüdou’s forehead.
“Oh no, Lüdou, you have a fever!”
Lüdou lifted her head, which felt heavy as a stone.
“Really? No wonder my head feels so heavy.”
Lüdou let go of Duoduo’s hand. “Commandery princess, please stay farther away from me. Be careful not to catch it!”
Duoduo struck a flint and held the tiny flame up toward the doorway.
“Commandery princess, what are you doing?” Lüdou asked weakly.
“Looking for the mechanism. We have to get out of here!” Duoduo declared firmly.
Just then, Duoduo heard Li Jin’s voice.
Her eyes reddened. “Lüdou, hang on. We’ll be out soon!”
Lüdou heard Li Jin as well and nodded excitedly.
As the artificial hill shifted, a ray of light slowly seeped into the secret passage.
Bit by bit, it grew into a beam, and then the darkness suddenly opened into brightness.
Duoduo saw Li Jin and her father standing at the entrance, both looking at them with concern.
“Master! Father!”
Duoduo’s eyes reddened, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
Xiao Yi gripped the joints of his wheelchair until his knuckles turned white, desperately restraining the urge to stand up.
He forced his voice to remain calm and nodded at Duoduo.
“Good girl. Come out. It’s dark in there.”
Duoduo’s tears pattered down one after another.
Step by slow step, she emerged from the artificial hill.
At last, she stopped in front of Xiao Yi.
“Father!”
Xiao Yi’s trembling hand rose to caress Duoduo’s cheek.
“You’re back. That’s all that matters. You’re back.”
“Don’t be afraid. Your father is here.”
Feeling the warmth of her father’s hand against her cheek, Duoduo leaned her face into his palm.
Xiao Yi’s eyes reddened as well.
Duoduo had grown from a timid, fearful child into a confident and strong girl.
It was rare—very rare—for her to cry so helplessly like this.
She must have been terrified.
Xiao Yi raised his hand and gently drew Duoduo into his arms, stroking her back again and again.
“Don’t be afraid. You were very brave.”
“You did very well. You knew to go find Li Jin.”
“You truly are my daughter—so capable!”
His words made an astonishing light burst into Duoduo’s eyes.
She still remembered what her father had once said.
“If you want to be my daughter, you’re still not worthy.”
And now, he had personally acknowledged that she was his daughter!
Duoduo lifted her head and looked at Xiao Yi with shining eyes.
“Father, do you really mean that?”
Xiao Yi saw that although Duoduo’s eyes were still red, they were astonishingly bright.
After thinking for a moment, he answered solemnly, “Of course.”
Duoduo instantly stopped feeling sad and broke into a radiant smile.
“I’m Father’s daughter, so naturally I can’t bring shame to you!”
Seeing that Duoduo could smile again, Xiao Yi knew she had recovered.
The corners of his lips curved upward, and he nodded lightly.
“Of course not!”
“My daughter will certainly become even more formidable than I am someday!”
Duoduo’s face flushed with excitement at the praise.
When Li Jin turned around, he saw Lüdou topple to the ground.
“Commandery princess, Lüdou has fainted!”
