The afterglow of the setting sun gradually faded away, giving way to a sky full of starlight. Different from the dazzling and scorching sunlight, starlight always seemed extremely gentle. Even the grassy mounds hidden in the shadows became softer.
Chu Qing was sitting in the carriage. Looking at the scene in front of her, her heart involuntarily calmed down.
At such a moment, she missed Wei Ying especially.
All the things of her past life were getting farther and farther away from her. Now her mind was filled with the people and things after her rebirth.
"Milady, look!"
Luoluo beside her suddenly exclaimed. Chu Qing's gaze followed the direction Luoluo pointed to and looked into the distance.
In the distance, there was actually a shining river.
The river surface sparkled, as if stars had fallen into it.
It wasn't until their group walked to the river that Chu Qing saw a figure by the river.
It seemed to be a young man.
After hearing their voices, the young man turned around and waited for Chu Qing and the others to approach.
Two men who had walked with Chu Qing all the way and had been rather inconspicuous suddenly quickened their steps towards the young man when they saw him, and then chattered a string of words.
After hearing this, the young man turned his gaze to Chu Qing.
Only then did Chu Qing clearly see the young man's appearance.
The young man's skin was a bit dark, but his eyes were as bright as the stars at this moment.
Hmm...
Chu Qing was a bit confused about the situation now. The young man seemed harmless, but why would the other side send a young man to pick them up?
But before she could say a word, Mrs. Zhou beside her seemed impatient and rushed towards the young man.
"Where's my Yu'er!"
The young man tightened his face and dodged Mrs. Zhou's hand that wanted to grab him. Speaking in fluent Central Plains dialect, he said, "Are you Mrs. Zhou? Your daughter is in our tribe. You'll see her later."
"Are you not lying to me?" Mrs. Zhou frowned and began to doubt.
The young man gave her a cold glance and said rather discontentedly, "You've already brought the Princess of Ning here. If I were really lying to you, there's no need for me to continue lying now."
"How do you know that the one she brought is really the Princess of Ning?" Chu Qing also stepped forward and said with a smile.
Naturally, she had heard what Mrs. Zhou said just now.
So, she could more or less guess.
The love of parents for their children is endless. Chu Qing more or less understood why Mrs. Zhou had gone to so much trouble to kidnap her.
However, although she understood, she wasn't a kind - hearted bodhisattva. She wouldn't forgive Mrs. Zhou so easily.
Seeing Chu Qing speak, the young man looked at her again and said indifferently, "I've seen her portrait."
"Oh? What if the portrait is fake, or... what if it's a disguise?" Chu Qing narrowed her eyes and said slowly.
She didn't want to sit there waiting for death.
Seeing Chu Qing say this, Mrs. Zhou quickly said, "Don't listen to her nonsense. She is the Princess of Ning. I've already brought her here. You must let me see Yu'er later and return her to me!"
Hearing this, the young man suddenly let out a low laugh and then said, "The Princess of Ning is really as rumored. It seems that she is really well - matched with the Prince of Ning."
"..." Chu Qing suddenly didn't know what to say.
Since the other side was so sure of her identity, saying more would only make her seem as stupid as a clown in the other side's eyes.
Seeing that Chu Qing remained silent and seemed to admit her identity, the young man suddenly stood up straight, solemnly performed a grassland greeting ceremony, and said seriously with a straight face:
"I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Battel, the leader of the Branduo tribe. It was I who asked Mrs. Zhou to bring you here this time."
Not only Chu Qing, but even Mrs. Zhou who had brought her here was stunned, shocked by the young man's identity.
This young man was actually the leader of a tribe?
Besides being shocked, a sour feeling slowly welled up in Chu Qing's heart.
She had actually been tricked here by a child?
Sure enough, there are always talented people emerging from generation to generation.
Why are the outstanding juniors always from other families?
Thinking of her eldest grandson, when he was at this young man's age, he was still rolling around at her feet, clamoring for candy!
...
In the Great Yan Imperial Palace.
The emperor, who was diligently correcting memorials by the lamp, suddenly sneezed.
It wasn't cold today. Why did he suddenly sneeze for no reason?
Could it be that...
Some audacious bastard was speaking ill of him?
He really didn't want to live anymore!
Thinking of this, the emperor snorted. But after snorting, he still lowered his head and continued to correct the memorials honestly.
Before receiving a letter from Wei Ying, he had already received the news that the Prince of Ning had recaptured Chuanzhou City.
This made him so overjoyed that he almost lost his composure in the court.
Sure enough, he was worthy of being his imperial uncle!
With his imperial uncle guarding this country for him, if he didn't govern the country well, he would really be sorry for the sweat and effort his imperial uncle had shed!
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Ning has sent another letter."
The emperor raised his eyebrows, took the letter from Eunuch Li, and said, "Hey, he sent a letter so soon? Could it be that he has conquered Xiliang for me?"
Eunuch Li: "..."
But before the emperor could open the letter, the voice of the guard at the door shouting greetings to the Empress Dowager came from outside.
The emperor frowned slightly, but quickly concealed his expression and got up to greet her.
At this time, the Empress Dowager looked rather gloomy. After seeing the emperor, she surprisingly didn't start nagging.
The emperor showed a smile. After helping the Empress Dowager to sit down on the soft couch, he said, "Mother, what's wrong? You look so unhappy. Which stupid servant has offended you?"
The Empress Dowager looked up at the emperor and then snorted through her nose, saying, "Those servants are as smart as monkeys. How could they offend me? I came here this time because I have something to ask you."
"Mother, please speak." The emperor continued to smile.
"I heard that the Prince of Ning has recaptured Chuanzhou?"
"Yes!" The emperor's smile became even broader. Then he continued, "Uncle really has great skills. Not only did he recapture Chuanzhou, but the second prince of Xiliang was directly killed. Among the Xiliang royal family, only the eldest prince is left, and he has become our prisoner. Now we can really feel proud. The initiative is in our hands in Great Yan. I heard that the Xiliang emperor's health is failing, so he must do everything possible to get the eldest prince of Xiliang back..."
Seeing the emperor excitedly talking, the Empress Dowager's face became even more gloomy.
After receiving the news that Xiao He had really died this time, the Empress Dowager almost fainted. Only after forcing herself to continue reading the secret letter did she know that the Prince of Ning had recaptured Chuanzhou and even gained more initiative.
This wasn't good news for her.
Because of the Prince of Ning...
Her feelings for him were very complicated.
After her short - lived emperor husband passed away, she inevitably felt lonely in her heart.
And this... younger brother - in - law had unconsciously become her spiritual sustenance.
However, the other side had always been respectful and polite to her, which made her not dare to test him at all.
Until the Princess of Ning came along.
After seeing the relationship between the Prince of Ning and the Princess of Ning, some strange and violent emotions inevitably emerged in her heart.
Now, she just wanted to destroy them.
Previously, she had wanted Xiao He to balance the Prince of Ning, but unexpectedly, her younger brother was not very capable!
Now, even the emperor actually trusted them so much!
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager coldly interrupted the emperor's words.
"Aren't you afraid that his merits will overshadow the lord? Now in the eyes of the common people, there is only their heroic Prince of Ning. Where is there still you, an emperor who has done nothing?"