spoiled brat

Chapter 123, Section 122: The Sharp Arrow (Part Two)

The old scholar was speechless after being refuted. After a long while, he said, "If she really wanted to go to the capital, why didn't she get on the blue-wheeled carriage? His Highness the Crown Prince specially sent his imperial entourage to pick her up. Such honor, yet she refused!"

The teahouse erupted in chaos, with all sorts of bizarre speculations arising one after another.

Zhao Zhao couldn't bear to hear them talking about Xiu Ning, but she couldn't rashly stop them, so she threw out a handful of copper coins to attract a scramble, and then hurriedly left.

She rode her horse into the back street of the Prince's Mansion, where she saw servants carrying luggage and bundles standing by the roadside. From time to time, several large carts would drive by from the other end of the street, filled with people, and then speed away.

As soon as the previous group of servants left, another group surged out of the side gate. The once magnificent royal palace was like a dam bursting, with the crowd pouring out like a flood.

Zhao Zhao's heart sank. The rumors were probably true; the Prince Ning's mansion was about to close down.

She pushed her way through the throng of people, her face met with countless dejected and gloomy faces, her ears filled with sighs and complaints. The scene was less like a gracious exile and more like a refugee's flight.

The further they went, the wetter their shoes became. Zhao Zhao looked down and realized that the path was covered in mud and water. It must have been snow that had been left unswept in the courtyard and had turned into water and flowed onto the path.

Seeing this chaotic scene, Zhao Zhao felt an indescribable sadness, and the cold, dampness from her feet spread throughout her body.

She squeezed through the surging crowd and rested against the wall for a moment when she suddenly heard a voice in her ear: "Zhao Zhao'er!"

Looking in the direction of the voice, Yuan Zhen squeezed his way to her, panting, and asked, "Why are you back?"

Zhao Zhao was taken aback by the question: "The manor is about to disband, shouldn't I have come back?"

It wasn't until those words slipped out that she understood the reason for the bitterness in her heart.

Although her time at the Prince Ning's residence was short, it was a rare and wonderful period in Zhao Zhao's life. There was no scheming or oppression, only friends to play and joke with. Even with the incident involving Li Qingwen, she considered this place her home.

Surrounded by a crowded scene, Yuan Zhen pulled Zhao Zhao aside and said, "I sent a few boys to deliver a message, telling you not to come back for nothing and to stay in Fan Family Village with the two sisters. Didn't you receive it?"

Zhao Zhao shook her head: "I'm afraid those criminals will cause trouble in the future, so I've made them very loosely settled and they've taken strange routes. How will the messenger find me?" She then asked: "Sister Zhen, is it you who won't let me come back, or is it the princess who won't allow it?"

Yuan Zhen remained silent for a moment, then Zhao Zhao frowned and asked, "Does she really intend to go to the capital?"

Yuan Zhen pointed to the sky and said with a wry smile, "They put on such a grand show to invite you, talking about serving the country and the greater good of the nation, appealing to your emotions and reason. How could the princess possibly refuse?"

This refers to the crown prince.

Zhao Zhao instantly understood, and started walking towards Xiu Ning's residence, with Yuan Zhen following behind:

"Ah, Princess, I knew you'd react this way!"

Zhao Zhao walked very fast, without turning her head, and said, "He acts like a wagging dog whenever he sees the princess. If he were a good person, that would be fine, but he's not a kind one."

Yuan Zhen had also heard about it, but was amused by Zhao Zhao's childish words and laughed: "How do you know that he's not a good person?"

“I’ve seen him indiscriminately kill innocent people, and I’ve even seen the princess point a sword at him. If he had done anything good, the princess wouldn’t be so annoyed with him.” The path was deserted, and Zhao Zhao no longer kept her voice down. “Besides, it’s obvious that the princess and the young master are going to the capital to be hostages.”

Although she didn't understand political maneuvering, she could see that the court both used and guarded against Prince Ning, wanting him to turn the tide while also expecting him to obey orders and be controlled.

That's why they came up with a nice-sounding pretext to summon Xiu Ning and Xiu Yi to the capital. It seemed like they were sending them to the official academy to train scholars for the country, but in reality, it was a way for the court to keep Prince Ning under control.

"Ancestor!" Yuan Zhen quickly stepped forward and put his arm around his shoulder, gesturing for him to speak softly: "Just keep it to yourself, don't say it out loud... There may be opportunities even in danger. This time, we can bring several thousand elite soldiers to the capital. After entering the official academy, we can also cultivate our power. If the prince is lost on the front line, it will be close by to go and rescue him."

She paused, then added, "But opportunities are opportunities, and dangers are dangers. The princess wants you to stay in Fan Family Village because she doesn't want you to jump into the fire pit with her."

Zhao Zhao lowered her head, staring at the dirty shoes that kept slipping over her hem, and said to herself with a self-deprecating smile, "The princess probably doesn't know, but I'm the person in the world who's most willing to jump into the fire pit with her."

She despised herself, yet at this moment, she felt a strange, inappropriate sense of smugness. It was a golden opportunity; she could now legitimately follow him into the capital, bringing her one step closer to seeking revenge.

"Very good, the princess has not spoiled you for nothing."

Yuan Zhen took Zhao Zhao's words as a sign of unwavering loyalty and said with a smile, "I originally wanted to accompany the princess, but Yunzhou has vast royal lands and countless military families, so I must stay and help Her Majesty pacify the rear. With your words, I am relieved." After saying this, he took her to find Xiu Ning.

Most of the servants in the mansion had already left, making the already deserted island in the middle of the lake even more desolate.

Yuan Zhenzhao entered the wooden house and saw seven or eight sandalwood chests in the courtyard. People kept adding Xiu Ning's essential luggage for his trip to the capital. The place was simple and somewhat shabby.

Two other peacocks were running around the box, their glossy tail feathers covered in mud. After a few tantrums, a maidservant put them in a cage and carried them out. As they passed by, Zhao Zhao asked, "Where are they being taken?"

"Let's find a wealthy landowner to sell it to," the maid said sadly. "We'll use the money and grain to go to the capital."

In this time of national crisis, even the imperial family and nobles are in dire straits; how much can the local tycoons possibly offer?

Zhao Zhao sighed. Yuan Zhen pulled her up the steps. In this situation, there was no need to announce her return. He knocked on the door and said, "Princess, Zhao Zhao is back!"

A moment later, the door was pushed open, and standing inside was Xiu Yi.

He looked at Zhao Zhao with a calm expression and no emotion in his eyes, as if he wasn't the one who had chased after her that day just to ask her a question.

"Young Master." Yuan Zhenzhao bowed her head in greeting.

Xiu Yi stepped aside, and Zhao Zhao had barely stepped across the threshold when he was gone like a gust of wind, not lingering for even a moment.

This person was always unpredictable, and Zhao Zhao didn't have time to think about him. She quickly closed the door to prevent the wind from getting into the room.

The movement was still a bit slow. A few weak coughs came from behind the screen. Xiu Ning covered her face and walked out, slowly making a gesture: Why are you back?

Thinking about having to lie to Xiu Ning later, Zhao Zhao became a little nervous: "I..."

Yuan Zhen smiled and said, "Zhao Zhao'er didn't receive the letter. After she returned and learned about the situation, she wanted to accompany the princess to the capital."

Xiu Ning shook his head without even thinking.

"Why?" Zhao Zhao was stunned.

Xiu Ning: Danger.

"I'm not afraid," Zhao Zhao said earnestly. "Wherever you go, I'll go. I want to protect you."

Xiu Ning raised his hand, gesturing for Zhao Zhao to come forward.

Zhao Zhao thought this meant agreement, so she quickly moved closer.

When she was only two steps away, before she could even see Xiu Ning's movements, her legs suddenly ached.

The world spun around her, and Zhao Zhao fell to the ground with a thud, gasping for breath in pain.

Xiu Ning slowly gestured in sign language: I don't want you to live that life of being a fish in a pond or a bird in a cage with me.

Then he said to Yuan Zhen: Take her away.

Yuan Zhen tried to persuade her a few times, but Xiu Ning wouldn't change her mind, so she had no choice but to drag Zhao Zhao away.

However, Zhao Zhao acted like a rogue, clinging to Xiu Ning's leg and refusing to let go, saying urgently:

"You think you can just abandon me at the slightest sign of danger? Do you think I'm some fragile little cat or dog that can't withstand the storms? I'm capable, I'm not a burden!"

"You were the one who picked me up from the ground, and now you're all I have left! Even if you throw me to the ends of the earth, I will follow you no matter what."

Zhao Zhao couldn't tell how much of her feelings were genuine and how much were feigned; her eyes reddened as she looked at Xiu Ning.

No matter how bad the days are, I will stay with you.

Despite Zhao Zhao's emotional outburst, Xiu Ning remained remarkably calm, her eyelashes drooping slightly, her expression gentle and compassionate, her gaze devoid of any sharpness.

But under this gaze, Zhao Zhao felt a sense of being seen through and lost.

She forced herself to meet Xiu Ning's gaze, a gaze that lasted a full ten thousand years, until Xiu Ning finally nodded.

Zhao Zhao is one step closer to getting revenge.

She tried to smile, but no sound came out; she just tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing an ugly curve.

As intelligent as Xiu Ning is, how could he not see through her?