Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 44 Someone's Going to Kidnap You

Before Qi Zheng could say anything, he saw Ying Jiuque shudder violently, looking somewhat incredulous.

"Hmm, why does this sound familiar? But there's no way you could have said that. It's weird."

"What do you mean?"

Mr. Yi had no good impression of the woman who ruined his plans. If it weren't for her, he would have already run far away and wouldn't be a prisoner now.
However, Jiu Que showed no intention of answering his question. She simply shook her body vigorously, as if trying to shake off something that shouldn't exist. Then she walked straight past Mr. Yi and headed towards the rescued women and children.

She hadn't forgotten Aunt Lin's instructions; tonight's commotion was all for finding her grandson. As she approached the rabbit-like children, Jiu Que was heartbroken to find that most of them involuntarily took a step back, probably out of sheer fear.

It's all those damned human traffickers' fault.

Forcing a gentle smile, Jiu Que spoke as softly as possible.

“Children, is any of you named Mingde? His grandmother is very worried and has been looking for him for almost a day. Don’t be afraid, I’m not a bad person. Look, I’m still wearing my official robes; I’m an official, and I’ve come to stand up for you…”

The children were still very scared, but when they saw Jiu Que's official robes, which were already quite imposing to them, a few of the bolder ones took a few steps toward him.

It was a child dressed in tattered burlap, without any adornments, but with an exceptionally beautiful and adorable appearance. At this moment, he was not at all shy and stepped forward to ask in a low voice.

"Sister, are you looking for Lin Mingde?"

Jiu Que's first glance fell upon his left earlobe, where a bright red mole the size of a mung bean stood out vividly. Upon closer inspection of his face, although he was far more handsome than the Lin couple she had seen, a slight resemblance was still faintly discernible.

When Aunt Lin said her grandson was exceptionally intelligent, Ying Jiuque didn't have a concrete idea of ​​what that meant. But after seeing him in person, Jiuque understood that he was indeed a bright child.

"Yes, I'm looking for Lin Jiamingde. You've really made me search for you. Come back with me, your family is getting impatient."

Lin Mingde remained vigilant, staring intently at Ying Jiuque before glancing at Qi Zheng, who had just rushed in like a god to rescue them. He was extremely cautious. Qi Zheng nodded to him, and another equally outstanding child beside him nodded to Lin Mingde as well. Only then did Lin Mingde relax and agree to leave with Jiuque.

Before leaving, Qi Zheng had at least ten guards escort her closely and asked her to come to the palace to report after seeing the person off. After all, His Majesty valued this matter very much and was very firm in his attitude. Even Chunyu Shuang and other people who were familiar with the matter, who had witnessed the power of the Thunderbolt Fire, agreed.

Left with no other choice, Jiu Que had to agree. She had originally wanted to say a few words to Sister Xiao Sheng, but she seemed to be injured and hadn't seen her since the beginning, so she had to give up. On the way back on horseback, she kept feeling like a fox borrowing the tiger's power…

"Chirp!"

A sudden bird call rang out, and Jiu Que lifted his eyelids to look at the roadside, where he unexpectedly spotted several small figures.

Isn't that a little mud ball?
Little Muddy's face was flushed red as he kept waving at Ying Jiuque, even leaping out from the roadside to try and stop Ying Jiuque's horse. Ying Jiuque was not yet skilled at riding, and could only barely pull the reins to a stop, barely managing to protect the child in his arms. When he stopped, the horse's hooves almost stepped on Little Muddy's head!
There was no need to worry about the guards behind him; they were all veterans who had retired from the battlefield and had experienced countless battles. They easily avoided Xiao Ni, but they were still a little apprehensive.

"...Little Mudball, what's wrong?"

Jumping off his horse, Jiu Que helped Xiao Niba up and gently asked him what was wrong.

Little Muddy barely recovered from her shock, and after catching her breath, she hurriedly tried to persuade Jiuque not to go back.

"Don't go home! Someone is lying in wait on your way back and wants to kidnap you!"

Before Jiu Que could react, the guards protecting her had already frowned deeply. This was a rare female official whom even His Majesty valued highly, not to mention that the commotion Xiao Tou'er had caused earlier was all because Ying Jiu Que had produced a divine weapon! Its power, like that of a thunder god descending to earth, was enough for them to treat her with utmost respect!
And someone actually dared to ambush such a rare and exceptional weapon genius?! Absolutely audacious!
If they weren't protecting Ying Jiuque, these guards would have rushed out and killed everyone! But is this really true? This child who suddenly rushed out is a bit strange. When they saw Xiao Niba's mutilated hand clearly, they sighed slightly. It seemed he was a child who had been abused by kidnappers.

At this moment, Jiu Que also asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Who wants to harm me? How did you know? Why are you here alone? Are you in danger?"

Little Mud's previously cold face seemed to warm up because of Jiu Que's body heat. He smiled at Jiu Que, completely unconcerned about his own safety.

"Lord Ying, you've probably already guessed it, haven't you? I'm just a little beggar from the Worry-Free Cave. Those big beggars made us do bad things, but we refused, and that's how we ended up like this. Lord Ying, I know you're a good person, and good people shouldn't be abducted. They know you're an official, but they don't care. They even think that the women of officials are better, and can fetch a higher price. So you absolutely cannot go back; they're not afraid at all..."

Jiu Que hugged the child, who was so nervous he was incoherent, and gently patted his back to soothe his tense nerves.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not going back. Do you see these people behind me? They are all retainers of the Marquis of Weiyuan's mansion. Each one is more imposing and powerful than the last. Don't be afraid, they can protect me."

Looking at the children hiding in the dark corners, Jiu Que waved to them.

"Come here, all of you. Follow me first, and I'll take you to the inn. It's too cold at night, so let's have a good meal and get a good night's sleep."

The children hesitated and looked at Little Mud, but Little Mud firmly refused.

"We can't go. Although we're not valued, the people of Wuyou Cave are never allowed to set foot on the surface of the earth unless they're doing something bad. No one will want us in because they'll face retaliation. Lord Ying, that's all I wanted to say. That's all. Also, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to throw you away, I..."

As the child spoke, large tears welled up in his eyes and began to fall.

(End of this chapter)