“Chu Yi, put down your weapon!”

The man gripped the little girl’s neck, issuing a cold command.

Chu Yi threw the sword in his hand to the ground with a clang.

He was grateful that Yun Chu had gone to Meihua Alley. Otherwise, faced with this situation, Chu’er would definitely collapse and allow the opponent to strike her down…

“Chu Yi, I didn’t plan to kill your daughter…” The man spoke very slowly, his face full of cold laughter. “Originally, I would have taken her back to the Dongling Kingdom and raised her well until adulthood, letting you have a daughter back after ten years to care for you in old age… Unfortunately, you caught up, so I can only change plans.”

The coldness in Chu Yi’s eyes could no longer be contained.

So the Dongling Kingdom was actually plotting such a scheme—abduct Changsheng, raise Changsheng, make Changsheng become a person of the Dongling Kingdom from within, then send her back to Great Jin to bring chaos to Great Jin.

What a vicious move!

He didn’t dare imagine whether, if Changsheng returned from the Dongling Kingdom ten years later, he would actually kill Changsheng for the sake of Great Jin…

The Dongling Kingdom person’s face revealed a smile: “Trade your life for your daughter’s life.”

Chu Yi said slowly: “If I die, you also couldn’t possibly escape the capital alive. How about this—you and I both take a step back…”

“No, I don’t need to leave Great Jin alive.” That person’s smile grew wider. “As long as the Crown Prince of Great Jin dies by my hand, I will have accomplished a great feat. Chu Yi, make your move.”

This wasn’t the first time Chu Yi had experienced such a scene.

A few years ago, Brother Yu had been kidnapped by bandits, and that group had also said the same thing.

The grass on that person’s grave was already several meters deep.

Chu Yi’s fingers moved slightly as he said calmly: “How do you want me to die?”

The opponent sneered: “Have the guard behind you remove your heart, and I’ll release your daughter.”

The person behind him was Cheng Qi.

Cheng Qi stepped forward and raised the blade in his hand.

Chu Yi spoke: “Do it.”

“Your Highness Crown Prince, absolutely not!”

“The County Princess’s status is noble, but the Crown Prince’s status is even more noble. We cannot fall for the opponent’s scheme, Your Highness!”

“Please reconsider, Your Highness!”

A group of guards pleaded.

Chu Yi seemed to have made up his mind. He directly seized the blade from Cheng Qi’s hand and stabbed it toward his own heart.

The blade suddenly changed direction and, with lightning speed, went toward the Dongling Kingdom person’s face.

That person was still watching the spectacle. Caught off guard, the cold blade tip approached his brow. With one leap, he flew up from the horse.

An arrow flew from above, piercing through his heart.

The limp, soft little body he had been gripping fell from midair.

Chu Yi caught the child in one swift motion.

“Changsheng, Father is here. Don’t be afraid.”

He held the child. After finishing this sentence, he suddenly froze.

This child…

He swept aside the disheveled hair from the child’s face.

“It’s not Changsheng!”

It was Xie Xian, who had always accompanied Changsheng in her studies!

This was bad—he had fallen for the trap.

At this very moment.

Chu Changsheng and Xie Shiyun had escaped from that courtyard.

They had just run a short distance when they heard footsteps behind them.

“County Princess, let’s run separately!” Xie Shiyun gasped for breath. “Quick, take off your outer garment—we’ll exchange clothes.”

Chu Changsheng shook her head violently: “No… Xian stood up to protect me. I don’t know what her situation is now… We should run separately. I can’t implicate you anymore… Shiyun, you go east, I’ll go west…”

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Shiyun struck the back of her neck.

She grimaced in pain: “Hey, what are you doing?”

Xie Shiyun felt somewhat annoyed. Didn’t those people knock people unconscious by striking the back of the neck once? Why didn’t it work for him?

His strength was still too small!

He heard the footsteps behind them getting closer and closer.

He didn’t dare delay any longer. Seeing a long stick on the ground, he struck it hard against Chu Changsheng’s head.

Before Chu Changsheng could say anything, her vision went black and she collapsed to the ground.

“County Princess, I’m sorry…”

Xie Shiyun removed the outer garment from her body and put it on himself, then hid Chu Changsheng’s small body in the grass by the roadside.

Just as he was about to leave, his steps paused. He placed the bloodstained writing brush from his sleeve into Chu Changsheng’s hand.

Then he took off running.

The Dongling Kingdom people pursuing from behind didn’t even glance at Chu Changsheng’s hiding place, relentlessly chasing after Xie Shiyun.

Although Xie Shiyun had grown up in the capital, he didn’t go out much and wasn’t very familiar with the capital. Somehow, he ran onto a bridge in the capital.

In both directions, there were pursuers.

He looked at the rushing water below the bridge, then at the Dongling Kingdom people getting closer and closer.

If these people discovered he was a fake County Princess, they would definitely turn back to find Chu Changsheng.

He couldn’t be discovered!

Gritting his teeth, he leaped from the bridge.

“Xie Xian!”

“Xie Shiyun!”

Chu Changsheng cried out their names and abruptly sat up.

“Changsheng, it’s alright now, it’s alright.” Yun Chu embraced her daughter. “Mother is here. Don’t be afraid…”

“Mother, where’s Xie Xian? Where’s Xie Shiyun? Where are they?” Chu Changsheng gasped for breath, asking urgently.

“Their lives are not in danger.” Yun Chu touched her daughter’s hair and said gently, “If you feel okay, I’ll take you to see them both.”

She knew Changsheng should drink medicine and eat something at this time, but she also knew that without seeing her companions with her own eyes, Changsheng couldn’t possibly settle down to eat.

Servants put shoes and outer garments on Chu Changsheng. Yun Chu held her hand and walked to the adjacent courtyard.

Chu Changsheng quickly walked in and saw Concubine Jiang feeding medicine to Xie Xian.

“Changsheng, you’re awake.” Xie Xian’s face was somewhat swollen, but her smile was bright. “That you came to see me means you’re alright. That’s wonderful.”

Concubine Jiang hurried to stand and bow, but was pressed back down by Yun Chu: “Between us, there’s no need for such formalities. This time, Sister Xian suffered in Changsheng’s place. Changsheng’s father and I will find a time to visit and express our gratitude.”

“No, no, that’s unnecessary.” Concubine Jiang waved her hands. “If Sister Xian hadn’t acted on her own initiative, the County Princess would have been found earlier.”

Yun Chu remembered this kindness.

There was still one needle in Xie Xian’s head that needed to be removed after Wu Yun arrived in the capital. During this time, the mother and daughter Xie Xian and Concubine Jiang would stay at the prince’s manor.

She would repay all debts of gratitude that should be repaid.

And there was also Xie Shiyun…

Yun Chu had Xie Xian rest well and led her daughter to another courtyard.

“Crown Princess.” The imperial physician walked over and said with lowered head, “This humble official just administered needles to the patient. Whether he can wake up depends on his fate.”

Chu Changsheng’s complexion immediately changed: “Mother, what happened to Shiyun? What’s wrong?”

Yun Chu spoke: “He jumped from the bridge into the river. His head struck a rock in the river, leaving a large amount of blood clotting in his brain. The imperial physician said that without good fortune, he might never wake up in this lifetime.”

“Wh-what?” Chu Changsheng’s legs went weak.

She stepped over the threshold and walked in, seeing Xie Shiyun lying on the bed, his complexion extremely pale, his head wrapped in gauze, blood staining the gauze red.

She couldn’t help but burst into tears.