Chapter 21

Chapter 21

A wolf lunged at the lead horse of the convoy, and the carriage overturned instantly.

The young eunuch beside Lu Jin’an shouted, “Don’t panic! Gather together! Don’t run!”

It was useless.

The horses were already spooked, dragging the carriages as they bolted in every direction.

The screams of maidservants and older female attendants filled the air.

My carriage flipped over on the road, and I was thrown out, tumbling all the way down the hillside.

When I regained consciousness, everything around me was pitch black.

Thick clouds covered the sky tonight; there wasn’t even a hint of moonlight. It was so dark I couldn’t see my own hand in front of my face.

I could only reach out and grope blindly as I crawled forward.

Suddenly, my hand brushed against something warm, and I jumped in fright.

Long hair, a small face.

It was a child.

I quickly checked for a pulse at the nose.

Thank goodness, there was breath.

It was likely one of the young eunuchs traveling with us.

“Wake up!”

I called out to him.

He made no sound; he seemed to be unconscious.

Several pairs of green eyes emerged in the distance as the hungry wolf pack slowly closed in on us.

They had claws and fangs.

I had nothing, and I was holding a child.

Silence reigned over the surroundings with no human voices in earshot. Even if I screamed for help, it would be too late.

In a flash of inspiration, my fingers brushed against something in my sleeve.

It was the flint Li Jiuniang had given me to roast rabbits.

“Wet wood is hard to light, so use this,” she had said proudly. “It’s my father’s treasure.”

The old hunter’s words held true. The moment the flint struck, a beam of light pierced through the darkness like a sword.

The fire roared to life, and the predators retreated.

By the light of the flames, I looked down at the child in my arms.

It was actually a little girl.

She was in a wretched state, her face and clothes caked in mud and water-a literal little mud-child.

The fire acted as a beacon in the darkness, and the other three girls soon found their way to me.

Zhan Mingyue was supporting Xie Rushu, while Li Jiuniang held her small hunting knife.

Xie Rushu froze when she saw the little girl.

“Who is she?”

I was exhausted. “I found her. She’s probably the child of some local mountain folk.”

Xie Rushu shook her head. “Look at her skirt.”

The girl’s skirt was covered in mud, with only a small bit of the pattern showing through.

I looked closer and froze as well.

Intricate cloud patterns, exquisite embroidery.

This was palace attire.

“Linan City is the fief of the Prince of Qi,” Xie Rushu said, her voice heavy. “If I’m not mistaken, she must be the Prince of Qi’s only daughter, Princess Rongyi.”