Jie Chen's eyes were thinly cold as he stared at her: "You knew I was looking for the Jade Seal and intentionally used this to lure the team leader into the trap. You wanted to use my hand to kill him, and you didn't fall for his aphrodisiac."
Xiang Ying put away the green gemstone, her stunning face revealing an indifferent shallow smile.
"With his level of skill, trying to drug me is still eight hundred lifetimes too early."
Indeed, the silver needle did prick her, like a mosquito bite, painless and without itch.
Furthermore, Xiang Ying was skilled in acupoints and had immediately pressed on her Heart Acupoint twice at the time, blocking the spread of the sedatives to her brain.
Huang Huzi's capabilities were only good enough for dealing with children.
The reason she did not fight back was because she knew Jie Chen was nearby, and besides, she did not want to dirty her own hands.
After all, as Huang Huzi said, he was at least a team leader, and she was a princess escorted from a defeated country.
If she killed Huang Huzi in front of Jie Chen and all the soldiers, Nanyue would surely find some excuse to torture her and the children.
"So you're pretending to be weak because you knew I was here?"
"Of course not. I just wanted to make it clear to you, the Military Supervisor, that besides you, everyone else wants the Jade Seal. If I gave the Jade Seal to someone else, they would definitely not hand it over to you."
Xiang Ying pursed her lips with a smile, appearing harmless under the moonlight.
Although she didn't know why Jie Chen insisted on finding Xizhou's Imperial Jade Seal,
She knew that for the sake of this item, Jie Chen would surely have someone watching her nearby.
So today, she had intentionally revealed this Wooden Shell Jade during the day to bait him.
She did not have the Imperial Jade Seal, but that didn't stop her from bluffing him.
"Military Supervisor Jie, my request is very simple. You protect me and the children and once we're in Nanyue, I will only tell you the hiding place of the Jade Seal."
Xiang Ying's phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, her arm proactively resting on Jie Chen's shoulder: "After all, we've had a certain relationship..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Jie Chen fiercely pushed her hand away, turning his body aside, his tone sharp and ice cold.
"I've said, do not bring up the past again, otherwise I would rather not want the Jade Seal and would kill you instead."
Xiang Ying pouted.
Cursing him for being graceless, clearly he also appeared to have enjoyed himself that night.
Hmm, although it seemed forced.
Jie Chen calmed his emotions, his cold gaze turning towards her: "You're so capable, do you still need my protection?"
Xiang Ying's tone was calm, quite self-righteous: "The children have had a hard time on the road of exile, I want them to have a more comfortable journey."
"Such as?"
"Such as borrowing one of your horses so I can make a cart for the children to ride in."
After she finished speaking, Jie Chen's face turned cold as ice: "Madwoman."
Did she think she was out to tour the world?
Jie Chen turned and walked away.
No matter how Xiang Ying called after him, he did not respond, seemingly indicating there was no room for discussion.
Xiang Ying knew what she was asking for was a lot, but it also wasn't too excessive.
Sooner or later, Jie Chen would relent.
She returned to the children's side, and as she passed by Xiang Qianqian, Xiang Ying gave her a glance.
Xiang Qianqian somehow felt guilty and lowered her head, shrinking back.
The three little ones were still arguing about what had just happened.
Xiang Xiuxiu said: "What he cares about is our mother."
"He cares about the Jade Seal, all the Southern Yue people want our Jade Seal," Xiang Yuanshuo corrected.
Xiang Yuanlang folded his arms, pretending to be indifferent: "She doesn't have the Jade Seal."
Seeing Xiang Ying return, Tao Xue promptly stood up: "Elder Princess, the Military Supervisor didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"
"No," Xiang Ying replied, and then Tao Xue breathed a sigh of relief.
The next second, Xiang Ying returned the green gemstone to Tao Xue.
"Here, your item, keep it safe."
Tao Xue's eyes widened in shock; she quickly touched her chest area.
Pulling out a cloth pouch from inside, it contained the items that Xiang Ying had thrown away earlier.
The Emperor's dragon socks, Lady's pearls, and of course, the green gemstone that had disappeared.
Tao Xue was shocked: "When did the elder princess take it, I had no idea!"
Xiang Ying helplessly touched her forehead: "I have yet to scold you for that. After I threw them away, why did you pick them up again?"
Tao Xue smiled sheepishly: "This servant thought we might need Silver Coin for expenses on the road..."
But could such scraps really be exchanged for much money?
Tao Xue turned her back again, carefully storing these items and tying them inside her chest.
She learned this method from Xiang Ying.
The elder princess could take out stored food from her impressive curves one after another.
So she could also hide money and treasures here.
It has to be said, nobody expected it, but the elder princess was truly clever.
After Xiang Ying lay down, she took out a grey-coated item from her sleeve.
This is her genuine Emperor Green.
The color is vivid, the greenness extremely pure.
Xiang Ying was afraid to lose it, so she had used Tao Xue's green gemstone to substitute for this Emperor Green.
The real one had always been on her person.
Xiang Ying put the wooden shell back on and kept it close to her body.
This jade has been worn on the neck of the original character since she entered the book, it must be tremendously cherished.
Xiang Ying decided to protect this piece of jade well, as the only evidence of the original character's existence.
The following day, the Exile Team set off.
Huang Huzi, now handless, was being carried by the soldiers.
But now that he was no longer the team leader, the soldiers soon found him bothersome and bound him to the rear of a horse to be dragged along.
Huang Huzi would occasionally let out a pitiful scream, but no one paid him any attention.
The family members of the women he had abused from the Qintianjian watched this scene and clenched their fists in secret, feeling delighted.
This evil man deserved such treatment long ago!
Under the blazing sun, the heat was relentless.
The children needed to drink water more frequently, and they were all wilted from the sun.
Xiang Ying searched in the mystical space, looking for something to cool them down.
Unexpectedly, she discovered that the three-character sign leading from the fourth floor to the fifth floor of the space had lit up one word.
The "Beast" character in "Word, Beast, Strength" lit up, and there was now a refrigerator on the fourth floor!
Xiang Ying was astonished.
So, does this mean the "Beast" corresponds to the ability of her second son, Xiang Yuanlang?
Xiang Ying opened the refrigerator, and the burst of cold air hitting her face was instantly refreshing.
The refrigerator was filled with frozen ice blocks, and there seemed to be the possibility of upgrading and expanding it.
Xiang Ying was pleased, and she immediately smashed the ice blocks and poured them into the water pouches.
She then added two mint leaves and squeezed in a bit of honey, shaking it to mix it evenly.
The three children were busy wiping the sweat off their faces from the heat.
Xiang Ying called them over and quietly passed the water pouch to them.
"Drink some water."
The two elder brothers both insisted on letting their younger sister, Xiang Xiuxiu, drink first. The little girl took a sip from the water pouch and suddenly her bright eyes widened.
"Mother, this..." she began.
"Shh!" Xiang Ying gestured for silence, "Drink, don't make a fuss."
Xiang Xiuxiu gulped the water down.
The icy sweet water with the fragrance of mint and the sweetness of honey immediately revived her parched and overheated body.
The sensation was as if a parched desert was finally greeted by a hearty downpour!
Xiang Xiuxiu gave the water pouch to her elder brothers, Xiang Yuanshuo and Xiang Yuanlang, who also sipped with surprised little faces.
They passed it back and forth, each taking a sip, their soft little faces breaking into joyful smiles.
It was so sweet, so delicious!
However, it didn't take long for Xiang Yuanshuo to return the water pouch to Xiang Ying.
"You drink, you and Tao Xue haven't had any yet!"
Tao Xue, who was facing the other way, turned around, holding the water pouch Xiang Ying had just given her: "Hm?"
Xiang Yuanshuo's open mouth didn't have time to close.
"How do you also have one? How many water pouches do you have?" he asked Xiang Ying in surprise.
Xiang Ying pointed ahead: "Given by the Military Supervisor, don't worry, there's plenty to drink."
Only then did the three children stop being polite to her and began to guzzle down the water.
The weather was too hot. After half a day's journey, even the horses couldn't stand it anymore, and the Military Supervisor finally ordered a break by a shaded creek.
Many of the Exiled Criminals threw themselves into the creek, drinking deeply and scrubbing the mud from their bodies.
The three children said they needed to use the toilet, so Xiang Ying took them behind some nearby trees.
Afterward, she also washed their faces and bodies in the stream upstream.
Xiang Xiuxiu was shy and didn't dare to strip like her brothers and splash in the creek.
Seventh Princess bravely came forward: "I'll shield Xiuxiu a bit. Big sister, you can wash her."
Xiang Ying glanced at her ingratiating smile and responded indifferently, "Thank you."
Seventh Princess pulled her clothes aside, and Xiang Ying efficiently wiped Xiang Xiuxiu clean.
The little girl's hair was all knotted.
If it weren't for the crowded surroundings, Xiang Ying really wanted to use soap nuts to give it a proper scrub.
Tao Xue had washed clothes for the three children, and fortunately, it was the hot summer; the sun overhead meant that the damp clothes would dry on their bodies soon enough.
When Xiang Ying was returning with the three children, Xiang Li, lying on a flatbed cart, let out a muffled groan.
Lin Lingxiang, who was wiping his body, paused, her water-like eyes brimming with surprise.
"Is Crown Prince awake?"