In the dark, cramped space, three children’s faces were filled with fear.

Xie Xian was already timid by nature and was frightened to the point where tears kept flowing down, covering her mouth as she sobbed quietly.

Although Xie Shiyun was a boy, he was only just over seven years old. Scared until his whole body trembled, he tightly hugged his knees.

Chu Changsheng knew that her two good friends had been implicated because of her.

If only she hadn’t left the manor to pick fruit, this wouldn’t have happened.

But she also knew that with so many bad people hiding near the manor’s rear gate, they must have been plotting for a long time. Even if she hadn’t gone out, those people would definitely have infiltrated the manor.

It was actually better that they captured her—if they had abducted Brother Jue, it would be even more troublesome…

“Don’t be afraid,” Chu Changsheng softly consoled them. “My father is now the Crown Prince and can command all the civil and military officials. He will definitely rescue us. Don’t be afraid!”

“Mm, not afraid. I’m not afraid.” Xie Xian grasped Chu Changsheng’s hand. “Right at the feet of the Son of Heaven, these people won’t dare do anything. We all mustn’t be afraid.”

The three children comforted each other, and gradually, their emotions stabilized.

Just then, someone unlocked the door at the entrance. Then the door was pushed open, and someone holding a torch walked in.

The firelight swept across the three people’s faces.

A man said in a rough voice: “There are two girls—which one is the County Princess?”

Another person said: “Between a maid and the County Princess, can’t you tell by looking at their clothes?”

The two stepped forward to look carefully and discovered that the fabric of the two girls’ clothing was about the same quality.

The outfit Xie Xian wore had been personally embroidered for her by Concubine Jiang using fabric Yun Chu had sent over. The fabric was high-quality, and the needlework was excellent. Xie Xian had only been willing to wear it out because she was visiting the prince’s manor as a guest. With such fine clothing, these assassins naturally couldn’t distinguish the difference.

As for the jewelry in Chu Changsheng’s hair, it had all fallen off when she was abducted.

Under the dim light, with the two young girls sitting together, it was truly difficult to tell whose status was more noble.

The two men beckoned another person over.

Chu Changsheng discovered that this person who entered afterward looked different from the first two, and when he opened his mouth, he spoke authentic capital dialect.

So there were actually insiders for these people in the capital—there were traitors in Great Jin!

“Which of you is Chu Changsheng?” That person asked with a smile. “The County Princess must be starving. A meal has already been prepared—come with us to eat.”

Chu Changsheng’s face was full of vigilance.

These people had roughly abducted her here and thrown her on the cold, hard ground. How could they possibly prepare a meal for her?

Just as she was contemplating, Xie Xian beside her stood up: “I am!”

Chu Changsheng immediately snapped out of her thoughts.

She grabbed Xie Xian: “What are you doing?”

“I haven’t eaten all day. I’m hungry.” Xie Xian shook off Chu Changsheng’s hand. “In this situation, this County Princess can’t look after you!”

Chu Changsheng couldn’t believe it.

She immediately understood what Xie Xian was doing.

This group of assassins had come for her—she didn’t know what they intended to do, whether to kill her or something else. Xie Xian was protecting her.

“No, I am the County Princess!” Chu Changsheng immediately stood up. “Whatever you want to do, come at me.”

“Interesting.”

The smile on that person’s face grew wider.

Children were just children—tempt them with a bit of food and conflicts arose.

That person’s gaze fell on Xie Shiyun, coaxing persuasively: “Tell me who the County Princess is, and I’ll let you eat roasted chicken.”

Xie Shiyun swallowed: “Really?”

That person was somewhat impatient: “Of course it’s true. Quickly say which one is the County Princess.”

Xie Shiyun raised his arm and extended his index finger.

His index finger pointed in Xie Xian’s direction: “It’s her.”

Xie Xian let out a heavy sigh of relief. She had truly feared that Xie Shiyun would put Changsheng in danger for the sake of a roasted chicken.

She was just a lowly person—it didn’t matter if she died.

But Changsheng was a County Princess, the pampered darling of the prince’s manor who should grow up cherished and loved, not fall into the hands of bad people…

Xie Xian sniffled and deliberately said arrogantly: “Didn’t you say you’d take this County Princess to eat? Hurry up. If you offend me, my father won’t let you off!”

Chu Changsheng rushed to pull Xie Xian back.

But she was grabbed by the arm by Xie Shiyun, who yanked her forcefully, causing her to fall sitting on the ground.

Immediately after, the door closed and the room fell back into darkness.

“Xian… mmph!” Chu Changsheng’s voice had just emerged when Xie Shiyun covered her mouth.

“County Princess, you must live,” Xie Shiyun said, enunciating each word. “Only if you live does Xie Xian have hope of rescue. If you die, Xie Xian and I won’t survive either.”

Chu Changsheng began crying soundlessly.

Xie Xian was the most timid, even more timid than her, yet just now she had held her breath before the bad people to pretend she was the County Princess.

What would those bad people do to Xie Xian? Would they kill Xie Xian?

“No, we can’t wait…” Chu Changsheng wiped away her tears and stood up. “Shiyun, we must escape—we have to escape! My father has definitely already sealed off the capital. We should still be near the manor. As long as we escape from here, we’ll be saved! We must quickly find people to rescue Xian!”

Xie Shiyun looked around the room—there wasn’t even a window. He didn’t know how they could escape.

“You said you wanted roasted chicken,” Chu Changsheng’s voice became calm. “When someone comes in later, I’ll ambush him.”

“How will you ambush him?” Xie Shiyun’s face was full of disapproval. “The two of us together couldn’t possibly defeat an adult. If we anger them, you’ll be in danger!”

“Then what else? Wait for something to happen to Xie Xian? Wait for those people to kill us both to silence us? My father and mother have both said that when in danger, the one thing you absolutely cannot do is wait passively for death!” Chu Changsheng bit her lip. “Even if we can’t win, we have to try.”

Xie Shiyun was infected by her voice.

Yes, if they waited passively for death, there would only be a dead end.

He took out a writing brush from his sleeve—this was a gift Chu Changsheng had casually given him earlier at the manor, which he had carefully hidden in his sleeve.

He forcefully snapped off the brush tip. The broken end of the brush shaft looked very sharp.

“County Princess, I’m stronger—I’ll do it.” He said softly. “You use this wooden board to hit his head and divert his attention.”

He picked up a thick wooden board from beside his feet and stuffed it into Chu Changsheng’s hands.

The two looked at each other and nodded firmly.

Xie Shiyun pounded on the door, shouting loudly: “Roasted chicken! Where’s my roasted chicken? You said you’d give me roasted chicken. You’re liars, big liars! Boo hoo hoo!”

“So noisy!”

The person guarding outside picked at his ear and impatiently took out keys to open the door.

Because there was no one important inside the room, and only two children were locked up, they had only arranged for one small lackey to guard it.

The small lackey pushed the door open, and immediately a large wooden board slapped onto his head. He saw a girl standing on a broken chair actually daring to ambush him.

He bent down and grabbed the girl by the collar.

Taking advantage of the moment he bent down, Xie Shiyun seized the opportunity, gripping the brush shaft, and stabbed it toward the small lackey’s neck.

Once wasn’t enough—he did it several more times.

He had fantasized countless times in the night about stabbing this brush shaft into Xie Shi’an’s neck to avenge his mother.

For this, he had even studied medical books, knowing which part of a person’s neck was most vulnerable, knowing how to attack to be lethal with one strike…

“Shiyun, stop! He’s not breathing anymore!”

Chu Changsheng was drenched in sweat. She pulled Xie Shiyun back, gasping for breath.

Xie Shiyun pulled out the brush shaft and hid the bloodied weapon in his sleeve, saying softly: “Let’s drag him inside. We need to escape quickly!”