“Huh?” Caught off-guard by her directness, Peng Bai couldn’t help but be startled, “Yes, yes I do!” He instinctively untied his dried provisions, but as he was about to hand them over, he realized the preserved venison was as hard as firewood—how could this delicate child eat such food?

Feng Miaojun was so hungry her front was practically touching her back and was in no position to be picky. She took the food and began gnawing immediately. The fish meat she had brought from the cold pool had long been consumed. Though the wild forest had deer, muntjacs, and rabbits, and the waters had fish, none were within her current ability to catch. Fearing the dangers outside, she had tried to minimize her movements in the forest over the past few days, resulting in no new food intake.

Pitifully, after swallowing the dragon pearl, her appetite had greatly increased, making her hunger particularly intense. Fortunately, her teeth seemed to have become sharper as a result; the venison jerky that would have chipped the teeth of grown men was not difficult for her to chew.

The little girl’s cheeks puffed in and out like a little mouse as she ate, appearing quite adorable, yet she devoured a palm-sized piece of venison in just a few breaths. Peng Bai finally came to his senses and quickly handed over his water flask: “Drink some water, be careful not to choke.”

She took it and gulped several mouthfuls, then immediately ate another piece, which finally eased the burning sensation in her stomach. When she turned her head, she saw pain and sorrow on Peng Bai’s face.

He was indeed on the verge of tears: My little princess, how much suffering have you endured these past few days!

This was followed by self-reproach. He had hurriedly followed the hawk’s signal to come here after receiving his young mistress’s message but hadn’t anticipated that after being lost for many days, she would be both hungry and exhausted, so he hadn’t prepared proper food. Ah, when it came to details, a rough man like him was ultimately not as attentive as a maidservant!

With something in her stomach, Feng Miaojun finally recovered her strength and wiped her hands, saying: “Take me home.”

“Yes!” Peng Bai took out a felt blanket from his pack to wrap her in, then carefully carried her out of the cave and mounted his horse, heading eastward.

His young mistress was of noble status, and he could not even touch her skin.

The farther they got from the abyss, the better her mood became. After so many days, Feng Miaojun could finally relax completely, comfortably nestling in her attendant’s arms and yawning: “Where is this place?”

“Shenglong Mountain,” Peng Bai rode swiftly yet steadily, answering his young mistress’s question, “About two hundred li from home.”

“So close?” She had assumed the Ao Yu must be kept in some remote mountain range, inaccessible to ordinary people. When she had sent out the flying message asking for help, she had only held out the faintest hope. She definitely could not have made it out of this ancient forest on her own. The fact that she had been able to remain safe in the cave for the past two days was largely thanks to the Ao Yu—it was a spiritual creature of heaven and earth, and likely held a position of respect in these great mountains. Other large predators would probably not encroach on its territory until they detected that its aura had vanished. As long as she didn’t venture too far, Feng Miaojun could enjoy at least a few days of relative safety.

As for Peng Bai, he was a guard assigned to Feng Miaojun by the Queen of An Xia, who had been by her side for seven years, skilled in martial arts and utterly loyal. Feng Miaojun had just noticed the dark circles under his eyes, obviously he had set out immediately after receiving her message, traveling day and night to reach her. The last trace of doubt in her heart toward him dissipated.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, she heard Peng Bai ask: “Young miss, how did you end up here?” After the princess had left the palace, he had changed how he addressed her to “young miss” to avoid revealing her identity. As he had followed the flying message here, the more desolate the path became, the more incredulous he felt:

How could the little princess have come to such a remote wilderness?

“I don’t know either,” she said softly. “I only remember that day, hearing a servant woman speak disrespectfully, angrily pushing her and running out. Then I felt the wind by the riverside, my head became dizzy, and somehow… when I woke up, I was here.”

She was telling the complete truth.

An Xia Kingdom had been conquered two years ago, and calculating the time, Princess Changle must have been secretly sent away on the eve of the kingdom’s fall. At that time, fearing she would cry and make too much noise, the Queen of An Xia personally fed her a sedative. Therefore, when Princess Changle awoke, she had already left the royal city, only seeing the sky ablaze in the direction of the city, without witnessing the tragic scenes within the palace.

A nine-year-old child has a good memory, and the fall of An Xia became a thorn in her heart. A few days ago, while playing in her family estate, she had accidentally overheard a coarse servant woman gossiping, her words showing disrespect towards An Xia Kingdom and insulting her parents. Angered, she had pushed the woman forcefully to the ground as she stepped over the threshold, then ran out of the estate in a rage.

Unfortunately, Peng Bai had gone out to buy something for her at that time, leaving her with no one to confide in, so she decided to go out to clear her mind. Outside were vast expanses of fields, and she walked along the riverbank, soon feeling light-headed from the cold wind. Later, her foot slipped, and after that—

After that, Feng Miaojun’s body had changed hands.

In any case, a little girl could not possibly have run into such a wilderness on her own. This journey was not a mere two li, but two hundred li—a distance that would take even a good horse two days of galloping to cover!

But Feng Miaojun’s original memories truly only extended this far, and she had no way to explain further.

Peng Bai clenched his fists and said hatefully: “Those gossip-mongering dog servants!” He had gone out once, and upon his return, his young mistress had gone missing. Of course, he wanted to understand the cause and effect.

The information Feng Miaojun had heard was disconnected, so she now sought confirmation from him: “My royal father and mother… I have always been afraid to ask in detail, now tell me the whole story clearly!”

Peng Bai had just opened his mouth when she hurriedly added: “Do not omit or conceal anything, or I will dismiss you!”

These words were spoken with such stern intensity that, despite the inherent softness of a little girl’s voice, her clear black and white eyes were filled with unwavering determination, showing she would not allow him to gloss over anything.

Peng Bai felt heavy-hearted and sighed before explaining the circumstances.

Two years ago, enemy troops had stormed the royal capital, and the King of An Xia had committed suicide. Fearing that his wife and daughter would fall into enemy hands and be humiliated, he had granted them poisoned wine before his death. The Queen of An Xia, knowing the situation was hopeless, could not bear for her beloved daughter to wither before she had a chance to bloom, and had arranged to send Princess Changle out of the palace ahead of time, then followed her husband to the underworld after his decree was delivered.

The last words she left for Feng Miaojun were not to seek revenge but to live well.

The Queen of An Xia did not want her daughter to bear the burden of State hatred and family vengeance, nor did she believe her daughter could exact revenge. She only hoped that Princess Changle could live safely into old age, growing up, marrying, and having children like an ordinary girl, leading a smooth life.

This was a mother’s final protection and blessing for her beloved daughter.

Feng Miaojun couldn’t help but be moved, her heart filled with complex emotions.

The Queen of An Xia’s love for her daughter was indeed touching, but Feng Miaojun had always been perceptive and didn’t miss the additional layer of meaning implied in Peng Bai’s words: if the enemy knew Princess Changle was still alive, they would certainly not abandon their search for her. Since the Queen of An Xia could plan this far, how could she not have arranged for a body double?

Because of the Queen of An Xia’s love, another little girl had to die in place of Princess Changle, also withering before she could bloom, like a flower bud.

But without her, there would be no Feng Miaojun of today.