Chapter 83: Chapter 83: A Chance for Revenge

“Luo Yangling,” Zhao Beicheng howled while clutching Yu Ziming, “You brought soldiers to my Zhao Estate? What are you planning to do?”

Commander Luo replied, “Eldest young master, this soldier is under imperial decree to bring His Sixth Highness back to the palace.”

Zhao Beicheng gave a start. “His Majesty left first?”

Everyone else gave a start, too. Where did His Majesty go to?

Yu Xiaoxiao had caught up to Zhao Beicheng by this time and snatched Yu Ziming out of his arms before giving him a sound slap. Since he was expressing an uncle’s love, she held back, so her slap only sent him flying instead of planting him into the ground.

Zhao Beicheng was already hungover; moreover, he’d fooled around with a beauty for half the night. Yu Xiaoxiao’s slap was the last straw that knocked him out for the rest of the day. A few imperial guards ran forward and took the unconscious man into custody.

Yu Xiaoxiao forgot about Zhao Beicheng and looked down at Yu Ziming in her arms. “Still want to find your cousins?”

“I won’t,” Yu Ziming shook his head.

“Oh, then let’s go,” Yu Xiaoxiao jumped off the covered corridor, leaped through the gardens, and vanished over the compound walls before neatly vanishing from sight. Commander Luo fell silent. This is the third time Her Royal Highness has flown away on my watch!

“Commander?” one of his subordinates called out softly. What were they supposed to do now that the princess had taken His Sixth Highness away?

Sighing, Commander Luo approached Zhao Qiuming and said, “Prime Minister, please come to the palace with me.”

Zhao Qiuming only stared at the guards carrying Zhao Beicheng away. He really did take the sixth imperial prince out of the palace. And he was hopelessly stupid enough to hide him in our estate! Even more unforgivable was the fact that the bastard had allowed Princess Linglong to catch him in the act. Prime Minister Zhao felt unsteady on his feet. Now he was not only hard-pressed to protect his grandson, but his own son as well.

Commander Luo saw that Prime Minister Zhao seemed to have aged 10 years in an instant, but felt no sympathy. Who knew how many court officials he had ruined during his 20 years in office? He only thought this was retribution. The winds of change would always switch directions someday. Now it’s time for your bad luck, Zhao Qiuming!

“Let’s go,” Zhao Qiuming forced himself to stay steady. “I’ll accompany you to the palace.”

With their future prospects looking grim, the rest of the Zhao Estate was soon filled with sobs.

On the way back to the palace, Yu Xiaoxiao bought the little beansprout a few triangular sugar buns (糖三角) to eat. Seeing his petite frame, she gave him an extra on purpose and lectured, “Boys have to grow big and strong, so you need to eat more in the future.”

Yu Ziming had never eaten any food from outside the palace. First Yu Xiaoxiao had brought him mantou, which he found delicious, and now there were these triangular sugar buns with malt sugar stuffed inside. He grew even more delighted and soon forgot about the unhappiness at the Zhao Estate.

“Do you remember my words?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked.

“Mm,” Yu Ziming nodded.

“That’s the way to do it,” Yu Xiaoxiao said while stuffing half a bun into her own mouth. She jolted the boy on her shoulder, then said, “In the future, try your best to grow more meat.”

“Okay,” Yu Ziming nodded again.

The Gu Clan brothers were at the palace gates but found out that Yu Xiaoxiao hadn’t arrived yet. Thus, Gu Xingnuo stopped Gu Xinglang from going in himself. In the carriage, Gu Xinglang couldn’t sit still waiting for Yu Xiaoxiao to show up; Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei hadn’t been successful finding her either. Finally, he grew anxious and asked his brother, “Where could the princess have gone?”

Gu Xingnuo murmured back in his ear, “Where else could she had gone with His Sixth Highness? Don’t panic, we’ll wait a while longer. The princess’s skills are so fine, what could ever happen to her?”

A commander of the imperial guards stationed at the gates was standing near the Royal Son-in-Law’s carriage. While they couldn’t hear the eldest Gu son, Third Young Master Gu’s hasty words were quite clear. Lord in Heaven, the commander thought, The palace’s just lost His Sixth Highness and now Her Royal Highness has gone missing too. His Majesty will go mad at this rate.

Xiao Zhuang appeared from his search once again. This thing he’d searched all the wineshops and teashops around the palace, but found no sign of the princess. Shaking his head at Gu Xinglang, he said, “Royal Son-in-Law, this servant’s asked around too, but no one in the streets saw Her Royal Highness.”

“She didn’t head for the palace?” Gu Xinglang wondered.

Gu Xingnuo was secretly worried as well, but Gu Xinglang was anxious enough to start smoking from his ears, so he had to stay calm. “I told you not to worry, so why are you worrying? What could happen to Her Royal Highness in broad daylight?”

Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei stood quietly on one side as they listened to the big brother lecture his youngest one.

Gu Xinglang said, “Then where could she have gone?” There was no need for the imperial guards to lie to them, right? They wouldn’t have seen the princess go in and not tell him a word?

Gu Xingnuo patted Gu Xinglang’s shoulder. “Wait a bit longer. If there’s anyone who wants to hurt the princess, we’ll have to see if they have the skills first.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Her martial arts aren’t bad,” Gu Xinglang fretted, “But she has no defenses against human nature. The princess doesn’t understand anything!” When he thought of his wife in danger, Gu Xinglang couldn’t help but find a horse and gallop off to find her right this instant.

Gu Xingnuo said, “What kind of enemies could the princess have?”

“I don’t have any enemies, ah,” Yu Xiaoxiao said outside the carriage with Yu Ziming on her shoulder. She stuck her head through the window and looked serenely at Gu Xinglang. “So you were that worried for me, Little Gu.”

Gu Xinglang was first frightened by her appearance before he hastily asked, “Where did you go?”

Gu Xingnuo was silently alarmed. It was impossible for his ears to miss the sound of Yu Xiaoxiao’s footsteps. Is she actually a cat? Such excellent skills.

Yu Xiaoxiao replied, “The Zhao Estate.”

Gu Xinglang blanked out briefly. “No, wait, why did you go to the Zhao Estate?”

By now, the commander at the gates could see that the little boy riding on the eldest princess’s shoulders was none other that the sixth imperial princes. He quickly ordered his men, “Quickly, go in and report to His Majesty that Her Royal Highness has brought back His Sixth Highness.”

An imperial guard sprinted inside. Meanwhile, the commander ran to Yu Xiaoxiao and respectfully bowed. “Your Royal Highness, His Majesty’s already ordered men to search for His Sixth Highness’s whereabouts at the Zhao Estate. Unexpectedly, you’ve managed to bring His Sixth Highness back.”

“Oh,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied, “Little Sixth and I just came from the Zhao Estate. I saw your imperial guards there.”

“Is His Sixth Highness well?” the commander asked.

“What could happen when Little Sixth’s with me?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked. “I took him–”

“Your Royal Highness,” Gu Xingnuo took this chance to interrupt her words. “Xinglang’s been worrying about you this entire time.”

In Eldest Young Master Gu’s ears, His Majesty had sent men to the Zhao Estate to find His Sixth Highness. This seemed like a good chance for revenge.