Chapter 10

 

It was only after the bandits were successfully captured did An Jing, who was still carrying Xiao Hua in her arms, climbed out of the carriage with An Wan following behind. There were many large brown horses with humans riding on top, surrounding the Third Prince’s carriages.

 

"Xiao Hua!" Long Lian runs towards Xiao Hua, her beautiful face looked anxious.

 

"Are you alright Ah- princess?" Xiao Hua quickly corrected herself. It would not do to reveal her friendship with the princess in public just yet. No reason to cause people’s eyes to turn green in envy.

 

"With the Third brother with me, no harm will come to me. But Xiao Hua is scared, right? Your face is pale. And you are shaking!"

 

Ah, princess. Please don't announce Xiao Hua's cowardice in public. (*/ω＼)

 

"It's scary," Xiao Hua admitted honestly since her trembling was already known.

 

"I’m sorry… this brings back your bad memories."

 

Bad memories? Oh yes, the original Xiao Hua's village was ambushed by Munzhu Country’s army troops previously. But what Long Lian did not know was that Xiao Hua only arrived in this world on her first day being sold to MongLu’s household as a maid.

 

Xiao Hua gave the princess a shaky smile. "Sister An Jing said she will protect me so I am not that scared." But that was only after Xiao Hua figured out that An Jing knew martial arts.

 

"Are you alright Third Imperial brother?" The masculine and heroic voice that yelled 'charge' earlier moved his horse towards the Third Prince, who was standing beside his carriage with Da Liu behind him.

 

The heroic man was dressed in white armor that made him look muscular and strong. Standing before the Third Prince, he looked like he was greeting his wife after a long journey- Ah Pei!

 

Xiao Hua, stop imagining rotten stuff! (⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄)

 

"What a coincidence to have the Second Imperial brother here. Thanks to your help, this younger brother is safe from the bandits." The Third Prince’s voice was filled warm and accompanied by a gentle smile.

 

Xiao Hua sighed dreamily. The Third Prince has a nice voice. It would be nice if he could hum a lullaby to put her to sleep.

 

"I'm on my way back to the capital when I notice your entourage attacked by bandits."

 

"It seems like congratulation is in order."

 

The Second Prince did not reveal any satisfaction from receiving the congratulatory from his younger brother. "The rebellion in the south is no more."

 

"Did anything happen to the South Guilin Village?"

 

"It seems that the rebellions coincidentally chose their hideout near the South Guilin Village and planned to raid the village. I will give a full report to Father Emperor when I returned."

 

South Guilin Village? Isn't that the place where cannon fodder maid A and maid B were sent to?

 

"Father Emperor will be eager for your report." The Third Prince's phoenix shaped eyes landed on a small white carriage that traveled along with the Second Prince's troop.

 

"Oh? Are you escorting someone important, Second Imperial Brother? A beauty, perhaps?" The Third prince asked teasingly, but no one saw a hint of sinister flashed through his eyes. After the Third Prince pointed out the carriage, everyone's attention went towards it.

 

Xiao Hua's eyes brightened. She remembered from the novel that when the hero went to subdue the rebellions, he met the heroine, who had just transmigrated into this world! The heroine dramatically killed off all the lechers that the original body's half-blooded elder sister had hired to dispose of her. The hero witnessed the cruelty and her weird martial arts and end up fallen in love with her after weeks of traveling together! When they returned to Guilin capital, the hero intended to marry her and make her his main wife.

 

The novel had described the heroine as a rare beauty with eyes that showed her resilient will that could bewitch many men. Even the Third Prince could not escape from her mesmerizing beauty!

 

The Second Prince's mouth moved upward. As expected, this ice cube would only smile widely and brightly for his beloved waifu! "I've met my Princess Consort."

 

"Second Imperial Brother’s princess consort? Do you mean the grand tutor's granddaughter, Miss Ping Shui?"

 

The Second prince's smile disappeared and his eyes seem like he wanted to freeze the Third Prince. Xiao Hua had an inkling why the hero responded this way. His marriage agreement with Miss Ping Shui was the agreement between the Emperor and the Grand Tutor. The hero did not even like Miss Ping Shui. When Xiao Hua remembered how the heroine gets rid of Miss Ping Shu, she silently lit a candle for the poor cannon fodder. This was the fate of getting in between the romance of hero and heroine!

 

The door of the white carriage opened and a lady dressed in entirely red stepped out with the help of a maid. Although it was too far for Xiao Hua to see clearly, that bright red dress was too blinding! The red figure moved as graceful as a dancer towards the royal brothers and stopped beside the Second Prince.

 

White and red, how very matching! (b ᵔ▽ᵔ)b

 

"Third Imperial brother, this is Miss Liu Chu Chu. Chu Chu, this is my Third Imperial brother.”

 

"Liu Chu Chu greets the Third prince." Liu Chu Chu curtsied gracefully with no flaws to point out. Not that Xiao Hua knows anything much about the etiquette, but the author had praised the heroine to heaven about her proper conduct and beauty.

 

Xiao Hua sighed admiringly. It was unfortunate that she had stood too far to see the heroine's face properly. But even from afar, the heroine's imposing presence stand out intensely. They were truly the author’s golden couple under the heaven, the Second prince Long Shan and the miracle doctor Liu Chu Chu.

 

"Second brother, how could you mistake your own consort?" Long Lian suddenly butted in.

 

Oh, bad Xiao Hua! She had forgotten about Ah Lian, who was a princess that has the right to butt into their conversation! (〃＞＿＜;〃)

 

"Long Lian, you are here as well?" the Second Prince’s indifference gaze held the trace of surprise.

 

"Of course I’m here! Or do you wish that I’m not here?"

 

"You never stepped a foot out of the palace before."

 

"Hmph! So you don't even know what happened to me or you just don't even care?" Long Lian grew angry. How can he not know about his sister being kidnapped as a hostage by Munzhu Country?

 

"Long Lian, Second Imperial brother was not in the capital when that incident happened. He did not receive any news because the messenger could not find his exact location," the Third Prince explained.

 

"Long Lian, did something happen to you?" the Second Prince asked with a trace of genuine concern. The author had revealed that despite the Second Prince does not possess even a single drop of love for his brothers; he was not indifference to his sole royal sister.

 

Xiao Hua did not know when but the Third Prince suddenly has a stool to sit on. Tian Zi and Tian Chi were carefully fanning him with folding fan, each standing at a side. The Second Prince and Long Lian were not surprised, as if they had seen a similar scene before.

 

Is this the same gentle, weak and timid Third Prince that the author had created?! Where had the prince with simple life gone? (￢_￢)

 

"Long Lian was kidnapped by Munzhu as a hostage. We are currently heading back to the capital from Munzhu country," the Third Prince explained.

 

The Second Prince frowned. "Something this serious had happened? Long Lian, this brother truly did not know."

 

"No, Second Brother, it's not your fault. Long Lian did not know that the Second brother did not receive the news..."

 

How touching! Is this sibling's love?

 

Le XiaoTing was a single child with only her mother as she only met her maternal cousins and other relatives during Lunar New Years. Her father had died when she was still too young to remember things and her irrational paternal grandmother blamed her mother for her son’s death. As for her friends, they treated their siblings as a stalker or an eyesore and prefer to hang out with their friends instead. Le XiaoTing could never understand how they would not want to spend more time with their family.

 

Ah, mother, Le XiaoTing misses you. (╥﹏╥)

 

Xiao Hua tried to blink her eyes to stop the tears, but An Jing had already noticed. With just one arm, An Jing was able to hold her up and wipe her tears with a napkin using her free hand.

 

OMG! How strong are you, Miss An Jing?! Σ(°ロ°)

 

"Don't change the subject Second Brother! About your ..." Long Lian glanced at Chu Chu with an unfriendly gaze, "Princess Consort. Isn't it supposed to be Miss Ping Shui?"

 

"I never agreed to marry her," The Second prince answered coldly. Long Lian swallowed back her protest. Indeed, she remembered that her second brother had never agreed to the marriage and always treated Miss Ping Shui coldly.

 

"But isn't this too quick to decide on such an important matter? How long have you known her that you already decided to marry her?"

 

"Long Lian, you will understand when you fall in love."

 

Love? Sir Hero, dating for four months is not enough to talk about marriage! Wait...

 

Xiao Hua blinked in confusion. The story plot seems to be off somehow. Were they not supposed to defeat the bandit and return back to the capital in glory? When the heroine met Princess Long Lian, the showdown with Miss Ping Shu had already passed and her position of the Second Prince's Princess consort was already secured. The calculated time then was after four months of knowing each other!

 

Oh yes! The Third Prince had picked Princess Long Lian up earlier than was scheduled! So the hero and heroine had not even dated for long!

 

Fangirl Le XiaoTing that worships the golden couple slapped away the rational Le XiaoTing.

 

They were the golden couple that the author match, readers cannot boycott!

(╬￣皿￣)=○＃(￣#)３￣)