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Chapter 749: I Am Using Both Kindness and Severity
"Your Highness, what other instructions do you have?" Suppressing her turbulent thoughts, Bu Shulin looked up at the figure who remained with his back turned to her.
The black-clad man turned around and regarded Bu Shulin solemnly: "His Highness asks the heir: do you wish to seek another place to give birth safely, or return to the Shu Southern Royal Manor to deliver?"
After a momentary pause, Bu Shulin immediately understood. She had entrusted everything to Shen Twenty-Seven, so naturally she could find a quiet place to peacefully await childbirth. Whether she could return to the Shu Southern Royal Manor after the child was born would be entirely up to Xiao Huayong's discretion.
If she insisted on returning to the Shu Southern Royal Manor now, Xiao Huayong wouldn't stop her, but neither would he offer assistance. Even if she safely reached the Shu Southern Royal Manor, childbirth would pose a significant risk, with no guarantee of a smooth delivery.
Moreover, her Prenatal Qi had been disturbed, and she could no longer endure further turmoil. If she stubbornly insisted on returning to the Shu Southern Royal Manor, she might lose this child.
Bu Shulin placed her hand on her swollen belly. At five months, she could already clearly feel the lively movements of her flesh and blood within. How could she bear to...
"Please grant me Your Highness's protection. Choose a peaceful place for me to spare me the worries of childbirth." After quickly weighing the pros and cons, Bu Shulin made her decision without hesitation.
The black-clad man clasped his fists: "Heir, please wait peacefully for half a day, and your wish shall be granted."
With that, the black-clad man departed.
Bu Shulin didn't stop him nor say anything more. Before losing consciousness, she had thought that waking would lead to a fierce battle, but her current situation was thousands of times better than she had anticipated.
Moreover, she could feel the cramping pain in her abdomen gradually subsiding, clearly indicating she had either received emergency treatment or good medicine while unconscious.
Since this place was safe, Bu Shulin relaxed and decided to rest a while longer, so she would be energetic enough to face whatever might come in half a day.
Unbeknownst to the sleeping Bu Shulin, Xiao Changmin had nearly turned the entire mountain upside down with his men but found nothing. Just as he was growing furious, they were ambushed by a formidable force.
These assailants were all highly skilled, rendering his men almost defenseless.
The multiple traps Xiao Changmin had set for Bu Shulin seemed completely exposed to this group, leaving no place to hide. They were systematically dismantled and utterly destroyed.
In the end, only a few men remained to protect Xiao Changmin and Xiao Changgeng as they retreated in disarray to the valley. Above the valley, eagles circled overhead, their prolonged cries sounding like mournful death knells or funeral horns, grating on Xiao Changmin's nerves and keeping him on edge.
Unaware that from the shaded area diagonally opposite, the first arrow glinting coldly in the sunlight was aimed directly at him.
Just as the arrow was about to be released, a hand stopped it: "His Highness said Prince Zhao's life should not end here."
With Xiao Changmin and Xiao Changgeng together, if Xiao Changmin died and Xiao Changgeng survived, it would disrupt His Highness's subsequent plans.
Cui Jinbai's bloodshot eyes gloomily stared at the person holding his bow, his jaw clenched tightly.
"Without His Highness, there would be no you or me today." Zhao Zhenghao remained expressionless. "That His Highness informed you of the truth, covered for you, and allowed you to personally rescue your beloved is already an act of grace. Zhi He, we cannot defy orders from above."
Cui Jinbai slowly relaxed his grip and lowered his hand: "Where is she?"Zhao Zhenghao let out a short whistle, and a goshawk swooped down before soaring away in another direction.
Without needing further instructions from Zhao Zhenghao, Cui Jinbai immediately gave chase.
Through the cover of branches and leaves, Zhao Zhenghao locked eyes with Xiao Changgeng from a distance, the corners of his lips curling upward as he made a hand signal before retreating with the remaining men.
Though Xiao Changgeng hadn’t seen Zhao Zhenghao and Cui Jinbai, he knew Xiao Huayong trained goshawks. The sight of the circling bird told him these were Xiao Huayong’s men laying siege to them.
The sudden departure of the goshawk meant the ambush had come to an end.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Changgeng suddenly spoke, "Second Brother, should we split up to retreat?"
Xiao Changmin, disheveled and stained with blood, studied Xiao Changgeng, wondering whether he had an ulterior motive or simply believed splitting up might allow at least one of them to survive.
"Twelfth Brother, at this moment, neither of us has any strength to spare. If we separate, we may both perish. It’s better to advance and retreat together—perhaps we can escape this calamity." Xiao Changmin had no intention of parting ways with Xiao Changgeng now.
"Second Brother, I’ll head back while you go forward," Xiao Changgeng said with sincerity.
Was he offering to hold off the pursuers?
Xiao Changmin was taken aback but unmoved. He and Xiao Changgeng had never shared any fraternal bond. If Xiao Changyan hadn’t been tricked into going to the Min River, he would never have ordered Xiao Changgeng to assist in pursuing Bu Shulin.
"Whether advancing or retreating, brothers must stand united," Xiao Changmin declared righteously.
"Very well, Second Brother! We share life and death!" Xiao Changgeng was visibly moved.
They then discussed their escape route. Xiao Changgeng mentioned that, based on a small stream in the mountain gully, he suspected there might be a hidden path that could loop back to their original route. He suggested sending two men ahead to create the illusion that they were still fleeing, while they gambled on the existence of such a path.
After some thought, Xiao Changmin agreed to the proposal. The two brothers, accompanied by only two men, took the detour.
Xiao Changgeng didn’t actually know if the path existed, but luck was on his side—they found one that circled back to the road where they had been pursued, seemingly shaking off their hunters from a distance.
"Second Brother, look at the markings on these bodies!" Xiao Changgeng pointed at a corpse.
Though they had lost the battle, their opponents had also suffered heavy casualties.
Xiao Changgeng indicated an enemy corpse. Xiao Changmin’s pupils contracted—they were both familiar with this mark. When Xiao Juesong had stormed the temporary palace, his men had borne the same emblem!
Xiao Changmin immediately tore open the chests of other enemy corpses—all bore the same mark.
"I thought it was… but it turns out to be…" Xiao Changmin muttered intermittently, his voice filled with disbelief.
Seeing this, Xiao Changgeng lowered his gaze, concealing the strange glint in his eyes.
Meanwhile, in a mountain cave, Cui Jinbai found Bu Shulin.
Bu Shulin had imagined countless scenarios she might face upon waking, but never had she anticipated Cui Jinbai with bloodshot eyes.
She stood frozen in place until Cui Jinbai slowly moved closer, knelt on one knee before her, and stared intently for a long moment before abruptly pulling her into a tight embrace.
He held her as if his arms were iron chains meant to bind her forever, not loosening his grip for even a second.The news from this place was immediately delivered into Xiao Huayong's hands. Xiao Huayong suddenly turned to Shen Xihe and said, "A landslide in the Blackwater Tribe has exposed mineral deposits and hundreds of corpses. His Majesty has sent people to investigate thoroughly, and Zhi He is among them."
Shen Xihe, holding small scissors, was trimming Duanming's fur and softly acknowledged.
"Zhi He went to Minzhou first and will bring Worldly Son Bu to the Blackwater Tribe for childbirth," Xiao Huayong added.
Shen Xihe's hand paused, and she looked up at Xiao Huayong: "Your Highness, are you hitting someone and then offering a date?"
A low laugh erupted from Xiao Huayong's chest: "No, I'm applying both kindness and severity."
(End of Chapter)
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