The moment Jun Buli left, only Meng Duo’er and Situ Jing’er were left facing the five poisonous beasts, along with the still-unconscious Miss Xiao the Ninth.
Situ Jing’er gritted her teeth and cursed bitterly, regretting that when she’d drugged Consort Li earlier, she hadn’t made the dose heavier—enough to weaken her so badly she couldn’t serve Jun Buli at all.
If it had actually killed her, then Jun Buli could have made history—the first emperor’s consort in the annals of Da Zhou to die from diarrhea!
Seeing Situ Jing’er’s sinister expression, Meng Duo’er felt a chill run down her spine, thinking to herself that it was fortunate it was that scoundrel Jun Buli who had offended Situ Jing’er, and not some ordinary person—otherwise this foul-tempered little girl would surely torment them to death.
It had to be said, though this girl was only about ten years old, she seemed far more precocious than most children her age.
If children from ordinary households didn’t reach adulthood until thirteen or fourteen, then children raised within the palace were surely considered grown by around ten. After all, that was the palace—Situ Jing’er counted as fortunate, being the only princess, not having to face too much court intrigue, and thus still retaining a child’s innocence.
The four great poisonous beasts and the great foolish bear, having probably been cooped up in the world of poisonous beasts for too long, were all busy stretching their limbs and paid the two women no mind.
Seeing Situ Jing’er sulking for so long, Meng Duo’er couldn’t help but speak up. “Girl, that’s just how Jun Buli is. Don’t hold it against him.”
“I won’t hold anything against him!” Situ Jing’er answered without even thinking.
Meng Duo’er was relieved—only for Situ Jing’er to quickly add, “He’s so strong, if I held it against him I’d be a fool. I won’t hold it against him—I’ll hold it against Consort Li instead!”
Hearing this, the corners of Meng Duo’er’s mouth twitched repeatedly. “You’d better not go messing with Consort Li.”
“Not a chance,” Situ Jing’er said firmly.
Meng Duo’er found herself in a difficult spot. Even Ziqing and Jun Beiyue were reluctant to touch that Consort Li, precisely because they didn’t want to intensify the conflict with Jun Buli.
No one quite knew why, but Jun Buli treasured Consort Li like a treasure.
“Girl, don’t you know Consort Li is Jun Buli’s most favored—his only favored—consort?” Meng Duo’er asked, testing the waters.
“I can tell. Otherwise he wouldn’t have brought Consort Li to Nanzhao—he’s clearly targeting the one person he favors most and loves exclusively, otherwise how would he vent his anger!” Situ Jing’er said through gritted teeth.
“Little girl, you really don’t know how high the sky is. If you weren’t the Princess of Xijing, Jun Buli would have kicked you away long ago,” Meng Duo’er laughed.
“Then I’ll just rely on being the Princess of Xijing—let’s see what he dares do to me!” Situ Jing’er said, unconcerned.
These words, however, were overheard by the four great poisonous beasts under the tree.
“Miss Meng, who is this little girl? I’ve never seen her before,” the great beast Zizhu said lazily.
Situ Jing’er hadn’t expected the poisonous beast to be able to talk. Still feeling bold, she looked down and saw Zizhu staring at her, and was immediately startled, instinctively spinning around to hug the tree trunk. “You—you—what are you? Why can you talk!”
Zizhu immediately shrank its body down, small enough to look like a ball of fur bouncing up onto the trunk. Situ Jing’er broke out in a cold sweat and immediately hid beside Meng Duo’er. “Don’t come near me!”
Zizhu was amused and didn’t try to scare her further, simply sitting down on the trunk. Soon, the Nine-Tailed White Fox, the Roaring Rabbit, and the Henggong Fish all climbed up into the tree as well.
The great foolish bear roared upward a few times but couldn’t climb up, so it could only sit obediently beneath the tree, guarding Miss Xiao the Ninth.
“This is the Princess of Xijing, Situ Jing’er,” Meng Duo’er introduced with a smile. Even though Zizhu repeatedly assured her it wouldn’t hurt her, Situ Jing’er still didn’t dare get close.
“Little girl, what were you planning to do to Consort Li? Why not tell us all about it?” Zizhu asked with a smile.
Situ Jing’er was absolutely the type to bully the weak and fear the strong—she didn’t dare make a sound.
Meng Duo’er hesitated a moment, then probed quietly, “Grandfather Zizhu, why is Consort Li so favored? Looking at her… she doesn’t seem particularly special.”
It was said that Hongyi and Guxi had mentioned that Jun Buli hadn’t summoned the four great poisonous beasts and the great foolish bear in front of others in a very long time. Now, hearing Zizhu’s tone, she suspected it knew something about Jun Buli and Consort Li’s relationship.
“Consort Li is pretty, that’s all,” Zizhu said with a laugh.
Zizhu was over a thousand years old—even the shrewdest person would be seen through completely in front of it. Meng Duo’er knew it wouldn’t say more, so she stopped probing, thinking she’d have to find a chance to remind Ziqing about this matter later.
In all the world, aside from Jun Buli, only Ziqing could probably control the four great poisonous beasts.
“I wonder how the stinking scholar is doing over there. Grandfather Zizhu, why don’t you all keep watch here while I go check on him,” Meng Duo’er said.
“Miss Meng, it’s not safe here. The young master ordered us to stay right by your side,” Zizhu said, still smiling.
That phrase Jun Buli had used—”stay right by their side”—was probably meant to keep everyone tied down!
Yet the more Zizhu spoke this way, the more certain Meng Duo’er became that this old poisonous beast definitely knew the secret between Jun Buli and Consort Li. “Hehe, just keep watch. If Miss Xiao the Ninth wakes up and gets scared by us, that wouldn’t be good!” the Nine-Tailed White Fox chimed in.
Situ Jing’er also gripped Meng Duo’er’s arm tightly. Though she said nothing, she clearly didn’t want her to leave.
If Sister Duo’er left and abandoned her here alone, she’d rather not live.
The sky gradually darkened. Meng Duo’er and Situ Jing’er kept watch the whole time, but Miss Xiao the Ninth never woke. Zizhu brought back some game for Meng Duo’er to roast, which paired with dry rations made for a decent meal.
After everyone ate their fill, Situ Jing’er curled up in Meng Duo’er’s arms and fell asleep. The four great poisonous beasts returned beneath the tree, surrounding Miss Xiao the Ninth to guard against any night ambush.
However, no one from the Xiao family came to ambush them.
At that moment, the Xiao patriarch and his wife were making their way through a secret passage at the Xiao estate—not a passage for hiding, but one for secretly leaving the estate.
Seeing them off were Xiao Xue and Xiao Yu, brother and sister, who carefully closed the passage door behind them and didn’t dare linger, leaving immediately.
If Baili Weisheng had been at the Xiao estate at that moment, he might have run into the two siblings. Unfortunately, Baili Weisheng hadn’t gone to the Xiao estate to inquire about Miss Xiao the Ninth’s background at all—he had been hiding in the woods the whole time, tailing Jun Buli!
He had carefully followed Jun Buli all the way to the vicinity of the tents, and it wasn’t long before he discovered Consort Li running back and forth to the latrine several times, while Jun Buli, once he entered the tent, never came back out!
Baili Weisheng kept watch without giving himself away, and only once Consort Li had stopped running to the latrine did he see Jun Buli and her leave the tent area, one after the other.
You little brat, I’ve lost to your father’s hand more times than I can count. If I let you fool me too, how will I ever show my face in the martial world again? Baili Weisheng muttered to himself, well aware that Jun Buli had deliberately sent him off earlier in the day.
Once Jun Buli and Consort Li headed deeper into the woods, Baili Weisheng rose and crept after them, quiet as a mouse.