"Hmm?" Chu Qing frowned.
Was she exposed?
It shouldn't be!
Wei Zhi and the others had shielded her quite well!
Moreover... wasn't it said that the people from the Aqitu Tribe were coming?
How... did the Second Prince of Xiliang suddenly appear? Shouldn't he be crying and howling under Wei Ying's attack?
Wei Zhi's face looked rather grim at this moment. He stared coldly at the outside of the door and said to Chu Qing, "My Lady, you mustn't go out. Hu Yan Longhao is a sinister and crafty man. One never knows what he's up to."
"Okay, I won't go out." Chu Qing suppressed the urge to scold him and shrank further behind Wei Zhi.
He should not have seen her. He was just making a guess.
"Princess of Ning! Are you still not coming out?" Hu Yan Longhao's voice rang out again.
Seeing that there was still no response from the other side, Hu Yan Longhao sneered a few times and pushed a figure hidden in the crowd forward.
Through the crack, Chu Qing caught a glimpse of the person being pushed out...
It was actually a child...
She looked somewhat familiar, but Chu Qing didn't have a very deep impression of her.
Feng Ya beside her couldn't help but let out an exclamation, "Er Ya!"
"Um..." Chu Qing's expression froze.
The name of this little girl must have carried the greatest blessings from her parents.
It was a name that was easy to raise a child with.
However... she had fallen into Hu Yan Longhao's hands!
Hu Yan Longhao laughed proudly a few times and then said, "On the way here just now, I met this little girl picking mushrooms. In the principle of loving children, this prince personally escorted her back. Princess of Ning, why don't you open the door quickly?"
Chu Qing never expected that Hu Yan Longhao would have a hostage in his hands!
"Brother Feng Ya, save me! This ugly and bad uncle lied to me! He said he was a good friend of yours! Then I brought him here!" Although the little girl was a bit timid, the words that came out of her mouth... had a bit of... courage.
Ugly and bad?
Chu Qing thought this description was very apt.
Hu Yan Longhao was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes were filled with viciousness. Without saying a word, he reached out and grabbed Er Ya by the neck, lifting her into the air.
"You fat and ugly little girl actually dare to talk to this prince like this. I think you've lived long enough!"
Feng Ya might have had a very good relationship with Er Ya. Seeing this situation, he couldn't help but rush straight towards the door.
Because of his quick movements, no one had time to stop him.
Er Ya coughed and struggled while still muttering that Hu Yan Longhao was ugly and bad.
"My Lady," Feng Zi moved beside Chu Qing and explained, "Er Ya was picked up by Feng Ya outside Qingzhou City. They have a deep bond, and even her name was given by him. We've watched this little girl grow up. Maybe she sneaked out to play today and was caught by this Second Prince of Xiliang."
Chu Qing's expression was a bit complicated. In fact, she didn't have much connection with this little girl. So although she felt a bit pity for the girl, she had no intention of exchanging herself for her.
Although she was soon to be a mother, her rationality always reminded her not to act on impulse.
One should know that if she went out and fell into Hu Yan Longhao's hands, the consequences would be even more serious.
She could only remind herself...
When necessary, she had to be cold - blooded.
"My Lady... I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should," Yue Mei, who rarely spoke, suddenly said. One should know that she had hardly ever communicated with Chu Qing.
Chu Qing actually wanted to say that if it was possible, she'd rather not hear it. But seeing Yue Mei, who usually had a cold face, looking a bit downcast, Chu Qing ultimately didn't have the heart to interrupt.
"Er Ya went out for you," Yue Mei said.
"Are you trying to force our Lady out?" Wei Zhi gave her a cold look and said mercilessly.
"I'm not. I just want to say what I should. There are some things that the Princess should know. As for what to do, it's entirely up to the Princess. We won't force the Princess to make any choice. If the Princess still needs us, we'll protect you with our lives. After all, you're also doing this for the common people of the Great Yan Kingdom."
"Why did she go out for me?" Chu Qing showed no emotion.
"Because... she heard from the cook that you've been craving mushroom - fried meat lately, but there were no mushrooms left in the kitchen. She often plays in the nearby forest and knows where the mushrooms are delicious and non - poisonous. So she volunteered to go out to pick mushrooms. But she was stopped. Who would have known... she still sneaked out on her own." Yue Mei seemed to be speaking so much in one breath for the first time, and her breath was a bit unsteady.
Chu Qing was a bit silent.
She actually hated this kind of thing.
However... it had to be said that the little girl had no ill intentions.
She just wanted to satisfy Chu Qing's appetite and went out regardless of the danger.
At this age, she didn't know how to flatter.
She just thought that since Chu Qing wanted to eat, she would do it.
Before Chu Qing could say anything, she heard a scream from outside. When she swept her gaze over, her face instantly darkened.
Hu Yan Longhao had actually hurt the little girl!
A long sword directly pierced through the little girl's shoulder. After the little girl let out a scream of pain, she fell silent.
Feng Ya's eyes were clouded with anger, but he was afraid that Hu Yan Longhao would do something else to hurt the little girl, so he could only stand still on the spot.
Hu Yan Longhao laughed bloodthirstily, threw the injured little girl on the ground, and then stepped on her with one foot. He shouted, "This prince thought the Princess of Ning was a kind - hearted person. It turns out that when it comes to the crucial moment, she also abandons the common people."
Just then, a group of people with solemn and complex expressions had gathered in the yard leading to the main gate at some unknown time.
Among them were old people, women, and many shivering children.
Chu Qing's eyes turned even colder.
These people were all poor commoners who had come out of Qingzhou City to take refuge.
At that time, she and Wei Ying had both told them not to be afraid, that they would take care of everything.
What did this situation count as now?
Was it to mock her?
Hu Yan Longhao laughed and continued, "I said, where in the world is there such a stupid superior? How could these lowly people make us noble people exchange our lives for theirs?"
Because Chu Qing had clenched her fists too tightly, her palms had been pierced by her own fingernails. Her eyes were not only as cold as winter, but also filled with a surging wave of killing intent.
At this moment, Hu Yan Longhao had actually grasped her soft underbelly.
It seemed like a long time had passed before Chu Qing finally said coldly,
"Hu Yan Longhao, what on earth do you want?"
Hearing Chu Qing's voice, a strange excitement flashed in Hu Yan Longhao's eyes. "Oh! The Princess is really here! This prince thought you had already run away!"
"This princess is not like some prince who abandons the soldiers fighting bloody battles in the city and comes here to show off his might among us women and children."
"The Princess of Ning's tongue is as sharp as ever!" Hu Yan Longhao's eyes, like those of a poisonous snake, stared fixedly at the main gate of the mountain villa. This Princess of Ning still hadn't come out!
"Hu Yan Longhao, what exactly do you want?" Chu Qing stopped wasting words with him and directly asked coldly.
"What do I want?" Hu Yan Longhao laughed. "Naturally, I want the noble Princess of Ning to accompany this prince for a while."