Since Princess Dana's bedroom is far away from the bedrooms of the queen and the princes, Na Luo has never seen this legendary princess in such a long time. After leaving the queen's place, she didn't know what she was thinking, but she was brave enough to sneak to the vicinity of Princess Dana's bedroom, hoping to find a chance to see her true appearance.
It is absolutely impossible to enter directly from the palace gate, and it is also difficult to climb over the wall.
So - what should I do?
Na Luo rolled his eyes and his eyes fell on a tall and straight walnut tree next to the wall. He immediately had a good idea. In the blink of an eye, a small figure took advantage of the night and flexibly climbed up the tree, climbed the branches and poked his head out to look into the wall.
Under the shadowy tree branches, a tall and graceful young woman was standing against the tree with her back to her, and her fluffy and slightly curly long hair fell softly to her waist. The hair color was very rare. Under the reflection of the watery moonlight, a layer of dark blue luster was faintly floating, revealing the mysterious and dark beauty of peacock feathers. Na Luo couldn't see the woman's face, but her intuition told her that she must be a stunning beauty.
Could it be... this is Princess Dana?
Na Luo couldn't calm down when she thought that this woman was related to her father's death. If it weren't for that incident, she would still be the carefree girl hiding in her parents' arms... It's a pity...
"Princess, the second prince came to pay his respects to you again. Are you going to ask him to go back as before?" The sudden appearance of the lady-in-waiting Mima confirmed Na Luo's guess.
"The second prince again?" The princess was silent for a moment, and whispered with some emotion, "Now the person who insists on coming to pay his respects to me every day... I'm afraid he is the only one." Her voice sounded a little tired.
"Then...Princess, what do you mean..."
The princess sighed softly, "Let him go."
After receiving the order, the female official Mima withdrew and returned soon with a delicate food jar in her hand.
"Princess, this is what the second prince asked me to give you. He said that you might feel better after seeing this." She said as she opened the food jar.
Princess Dana glanced at the thing casually, and her originally dim eyes suddenly brightened. She seemed a little surprised and excited, and blurted out, "This is our Xiongnu yogurt. I remember that my mother often made it for us when we were young."
Female official Mima looked puzzled and whispered, "Princess, what is the intention of this second prince? He used to please you in order to find a backer in the palace. But now..."
The princess looked up at the cold moon hanging high in the sky, and slightly curled her lips. "As soon as the news of the death of the Chanyu came, those who usually flattered and fawned on me disappeared, and even His Majesty immediately became much colder to me. There are people inside and outside the palace who take advantage of the situation, those who gloat over the misfortune, and those who applaud, but he is the only one who helps in times of trouble. No matter what his purpose is, it is rare for him to have this thought at this time."
"Princess..."
"Next time he comes to pay his respects, let him in."
"...As you command."
Na Luo didn't hear their conversation clearly. After waiting for a long time, she still didn't see the real face of the princess, and she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. In addition, it was really strenuous to cling to the branches in this posture. After just a while, her hands and feet were numb. Just when she was about to get down from the tree, she suddenly heard a familiar voice from below, "When did you start to imitate A Bao?"
When she heard this voice, Na Luo was frightened and her whole body stiffened, and she almost fell straight off the branch. She subconsciously grabbed the branch at hand and looked down nervously through the gap between the branches and leaves——
The young man under the moonlight raised his face slightly, with a faint smile on the corner of his mouth. That beautiful face is brighter and more gorgeous than the Moko Manjusri in the heaven, and darker and more evil than the Mandragora flower in the hell. The two completely different temperaments are so harmoniously integrated in him.
Na Luo couldn't help but sigh in her heart, what bad luck did she have? How could she run into this most difficult, insidious and vicious master? It's over, if the second prince insisted that she was peeping at the princess here, then not only would she be beaten, but she might even lose her life!
What should I do? It's obviously too late to tell the eldest prince, and now I can only take one step at a time...
"A person climbed up the tree stealthily, could there be any bad intentions?" The other party really had doubts.
Na Luo's thoughts turned quickly, trying to find a relatively appropriate reason in the shortest time. She knew very well that no matter what the reason was, it must not involve Princess Dana.
By the way? Didn't he mention Abao just now?
She took a few deep breaths, gradually calming down her heart. On the surface, she tried her best to act obedient and honest. "Replying to the Second Prince, I just passed by here and vaguely saw a shadow flashing on the tree. I was worried that it might be the Third Prince's Abao who ran out again, so I dared to climb the tree to check. I beg the Second Prince to forgive me!"
"Oh?" He looked at her with a smile, "So, did you find Abao?"
"I was in a hurry to climb the tree to check, but I didn't see Abao." She answered quickly, "Maybe I mistook the shadow of the tree for Abao, or maybe Abao was too smart and ran away again." After saying that, she stared at his face nervously, trying to judge whether he believed it or not.
"Abao is indeed a naughty guy. It's not surprising that he sneaked out at night." When he said this, his expression was still calm, with a faint smile on his lips.
Na Luo had fallen into his hands several times, and he knew him a little bit. This boy is like a mandala blooming in the dark. The more beautiful it blooms, the more poisonous it is. It is also like a sword flashing under the cold moonlight. The more dazzling it dances, the stronger its lethality. How dare she let her guard down?
"It seems that I worry too much." To her surprise, he turned around and prepared to leave here.
Is it so easy to pass the level? This devil boy didn't bother her? Na Luo couldn't believe her good luck. She suppressed the joy in her heart and didn't care to think so much. She planned to get down from the tree first. Just as she moved her body, she suddenly saw the person who was about to leave turned around, smiled and raised his head, and uttered three words clearly, "Wait a minute."
Wait a minute! Hearing these words, Na Luo's heart trembled, as if a basin of cold water was poured over her head... From the outside to the inside, it became icy cold.
Sure enough... Can't pass this level?
Her mind was in a mess, and she vaguely heard his next words, "I know Abao's character very well. To be honest, that guy is quite stubborn. Since you have seen it on this tree, maybe it will come back again in a while."
She looked at him blankly, and couldn't figure out his purpose for a while.
"Have you heard of the story of waiting for the rabbit by the tree?" Seeing Na Luo nodded stiffly, he smiled slightly, "How about this, you continue to stay on this tree and wait for Abao. If it comes back again, you have made a contribution for the third prince."
Na Luo suddenly realized and was immediately depressed. What kind of a reason is this! Isn't this just to tease her deliberately? She stared at the smiling boy angrily, and couldn't help but retort, "Second Prince! What if Abao doesn't come back? Do you want me to stay on the tree forever?"
"When the third prince finds Abao, your mission will be completed." He turned around and ordered the young guard beside him, "Ling, stay under the tree and watch the child. Once Abao appears, bring it to me. If she doesn't appear, let the child wait a little longer. If she gets down from the tree early, follow the palace rules." He deliberately dragged out his voice, "Disobeying orders, the punishment seems to be heavy."
The guard named Ling also echoed in time, "Reply to the second prince, a while ago a palace servant disobeyed the order of His Majesty, and it seems that he was beaten to death with sticks. I heard that there was no good skin and flesh on his body when he died."
A chill suddenly rose behind Na Luo, and he swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva in panic.
"You heard it, too? Na Luo. Then stay here. By the way, if you fail to hold the branch, or if you take a nap and fall off the tree, you will be punished for disobeying orders. Do you understand?" The second prince said the last sentence lightly and turned away.
Na Luo was angry and afraid, and wanted to curse, but at the same time she had to hold on to the branch tightly, fearing that she would fall down accidentally. Hey! Did I kill his family and dig up his ancestral grave in my previous life? Why do I always have bad luck when I meet him!
At first, Na Luo could barely hold on, but after two hours, her hands and feet were out of control. Half of her body was sore and painful, and the other half of her body that was close to the tree trunk was almost unconscious. She didn't dare to move her body, for fear that she would fall off the tree accidentally. The guard Ling kept the same posture all the time, like a wooden stake nailed to the ground, motionless. Na Luo glanced at him with doubtful eyes. This guy's appearance can be considered handsome. If his expression is more serious, he would have the demeanor of a cold-faced guard. However... when she thought of his exaggerated words just now, Na Luo couldn't help but curl her lips with a little disgust.
The pretentious guy is as annoying as the second prince!
Just as she was depressed, her eyes suddenly fell on a small thing on the branch. It turned out that within her reach, a hairy fat worm was lying softly on the green walnut. In terms of the disgusting appearance, it was definitely ranked in the top three in the insect world. She rolled her eyes and quickly came up with a bad idea. With a malicious smile, Na Luo gently moved her numb fingers a few times, picked a walnut leaf and carefully wrapped the caterpillar. She narrowed her eyes and looked at the person standing under the tree. She found the right position and threw the caterpillar down.
The caterpillar slid right along Guard Ling's neck... He jumped up as if he had stepped on the tip of a sharp knife!
Na Luo looked at the other person frantically groping at the back of his neck, and couldn't help but cover his mouth and laugh with gloating. In the end, he had to take off his outer robe and middle clothes to get rid of the caterpillar. In the dim moonlight, she saw that the back of the other person's neck had become red and swollen, almost spreading to his cheeks, and it seemed that there were also a layer of densely packed blisters of different sizes.
Na Luo was slightly stunned, a little bit unable to believe that this caterpillar could be so poisonous. She just wanted to tease him, but she didn't expect the effect to be more severe than she imagined. When she realized that her behavior seemed a bit excessive, her good mood suddenly disappeared for no reason. In fact, if you think about it carefully, aren't he and she also slaves who are sent by others? It is also human nature for him to agree with the master, so what's the point of taking out your anger on him?
Guard Ling looked up and glanced at her coldly, something seemed to flash in his eyes, and he moved his lips but said nothing.
In the middle of the night, it actually started to drizzle. The cold raindrops hit her face and body, and it was cool. Na Luo never liked rainy days. Such bad weather often makes her more vulnerable and sensitive, seeing the darkest side of her heart, and thus falling into a kind of sad mood and unable to extricate herself.
After all - how long will I stay on this tree?
Why did the second prince with a beautiful face have such a cruel heart?
From the day of execution, he seemed destined to be her doom.
She had already lost the most important person, was this punishment not enough? Wasn't it enough?
How long would God torture her?
She was just an eight-year-old child, why did she have to endure so much pain?
At that moment, the sadness and grievance suppressed in her heart surged, and a warm liquid flowed uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes. Since her parents passed away, she has always told herself to be strong and told herself that she can get through any difficulties.
Adapting to the darkness is also a way to become an adult. However, becoming an adult is really a very hard thing. Trying hard to act like an adult... It's really tiring. She really wished she didn't have to think about anything, she really wished everything that happened before was just a nightmare, she really wished she could continue to lie in her mother's arms and act like a spoiled child, she really wished...
Whether it was her body or her mind, she was already... almost at her limit...
So... just let it go now.
Sometimes, even crying is a luxury.
Just when she was crying the most, suddenly a black thing flew up from the bottom, just covering her body. Na Luo was shocked, and when she looked closely, she found that the flying object was actually the outer robe of Guard Ling! She was shocked, and looked down at Guard Ling in confusion, but saw that the other party quickly turned his face away, obviously unwilling to have any direct eye contact with her.
He was - wanted her to use this outer robe to shelter from the rain?
How could the people around the second prince be so kind?
Na Luo was slightly stunned, and pulled the outer robe tightly. His thoughts were confused for a while, and he couldn't guess what the other party was thinking.
After an unknown amount of time, the rain gradually stopped. Na Luo opened her eyes dazedly and found that the sky was already a little blue and white. Did she stay in the tree for a whole night without realizing it? It seemed that her luck was not too bad. She took a nap and did not fall from the tree... She almost admired her ability to keep her body balanced while dozing off.
When her hand touched the outer robe draped over her body, she suddenly seemed to remember something, and hurriedly looked under the tree, only to see Guard Ling still standing there. His hair and body were all wet... This scene made Na Luo feel a little guilty, and he secretly regretted teasing him before.
At this time, a slightly anxious voice suddenly came from not far away, "Na Luo? Why are you here?"
Hearing this familiar voice, Na Luo couldn't believe her ears. She moved her body and hurriedly looked over - among the uneven branches and leaves, Prince Ishtar's purple clothes were particularly eye-catching, and his face was even more beautiful, and his eyes were as beautiful as a painting, and his luxurious demeanor was natural. He walked over with a calm face, and every step was neither fast nor slow, and he looked careless, but he came in an instant.
Na Luo felt his heart beating violently, and he couldn't tell whether he was excited or moved. The moment she saw the eldest prince appear, her tense nerves seemed to relax suddenly, and the sudden desire to cry almost made her unable to pretend to be strong again. Her eyes suddenly blurred, and it became pitch black. She fell straight down the tree, but unexpectedly fell into a warm and strong embrace.
Ishtar caught her steadily, his handsome eyebrows were tightly knitted, as if he was angry, and there was a hint of blame in his tone, "Why did you run to the tree?"
She wanted to speak, but her throat was burning and uncomfortable, and it seemed that a rusty smell came up as soon as she opened her mouth.
"What a disobedient child." There seemed to be some pity in his eyes, and he said helplessly, "Okay, okay, let's go back first."
"Prince, without the order of the second prince, I'm sorry I can't let this child leave." The guard Ling on the side blocked his way quite ignorantly.
It seemed that Istar had just noticed his presence, a trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes, and he said lightly, "So the people under my second brother are so unruly?"
Guard Ling did not speak, and still stood there stubbornly. Almost at the same time, the eldest prince's personal guards and palace servants also hurried here. Na Luo half-opened his eyes, and vaguely recognized Qu Chi with a worried look on his face.
Istar obviously didn't want to waste time talking to him, "Come here, drag this ignorant thing away and punish him with thirty strokes of the cane. If my second brother doesn't discipline him, then let me, the eldest brother, help discipline him."
The palace servants were obviously a little surprised. The eldest prince has always been gentle and elegant. He rarely gets angry like this, and he almost never punishes his palace servants. What happened today? Is it just for——Many puzzled eyes were cast on the little girl in the eldest prince's arms.
"Master..." Na Luo called out in a low voice that only Ishtar could hear, "Don't... embarrass him... He lent me... his clothes..."
Guard Ling seemed to have heard the second half of her words, and couldn't help but look in her direction.
Ishtar looked at the outer robe wrapped around her body, his face slightly relieved, and whispered, "Then let's forgive him this time." After saying that, he glanced at Guard Ling who was pressed to his knees on the ground, "The thirty canings will be recorded for the time being. If you dare to be so unruly next time, you will be counted together."
"Prince, let the maid hold Na Luo." Qu Chi stepped forward and said with concern.
"No need. I will do it myself." Ishtar shook his head without hesitation and walked straight ahead.
Na Luo stayed obediently in the warm embrace, and the worried look he just showed flashed through her mind. For some reason, the grievances she had felt before were like smoke in the wind, and they disappeared in an instant...
In this world, there are still people who care about her...
She... is not so alone...
Is she?