CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48

Qiao’er was clever and, upon hearing this, quickly wiped away the tears on her face and said solemnly, "General, rest assured, as long as I have a breath left, not even Auntie Ye will find out! But Princess... you... you must bring the Princess back!"

In just two short days of companionship, Qiao’er had completely fallen for the delicate and soft little Princess.

She had never seen such a beautiful and kind master before.

When she used to serve Miss Helan, she was considered very good-tempered, but she never treated maids as equals.

When in a good mood, anything was fine, but when in a bad mood, she became a punching bag.

Let alone the other concubines.

Wu’er, who served the second concubine, always had injuries on her body and became more and more timid...

Wuwuwu, she didn’t want to go to other concubines!

She wanted the fragrant and soft little Princess!

She hadn’t even tasted the dumplings the Princess made!

And there was that leek and egg dish, she hadn’t had enough! She still wanted more!

Last night, Qiao’er was very sad, so sad that she couldn’t eat, but she couldn’t bear to waste the leek and egg!

So... she tearfully finished three big bowls of rice...

Meanwhile, Yelyu Lie, who had left the General Mansion, quickly rushed to He Xuanzhi’s home.

Not meeting that thick-skinned self-proclaimed Divine Doctor, the servants casually informed Yelyu Lie that their young master hadn’t returned all night and it was uncertain when he would be back.

He often wandered about, living a life of drifting for years.

So, the servants were very calm about him not returning home.

But Yelyu Lie, his thoughts were flying all over the place.

First of all, his little darling and the thick-skinned ’Divine Doctor’ both hailed from the Great Xia Country, both were people of the Central Plains.

Secondly, the thick-skinned ’Divine Doctor’ hadn’t been in Bianliao for long, just arriving before his little darling.

Finally... his little darling had always said he was a barbarian, surely she liked that kind of fair and delicate Central Plains man!

And He Xuanzhi, just happened to be that kind of fair-skinned, delicate man...

The more Yelyu Lie thought, the more he felt something was wrong, the more he thought, the more he felt everything was too coincidental!

He began to imagine wildly, even thinking, could this He Xuanzhi be the lover his little Princess kept in the Great Xia Country?

The two couldn’t elope in the Great Xia, so they came to Bianliao to be together?

The overthinking king, Yelyu Lie, hadn’t even found the little Princess yet, and he was furious with himself.

But to organize a citywide search, he couldn’t bear it, fearing that those few useless people in the palace would catch hold of something.

So, he called his most trusted Banlai and only said that the little Princess lost her way while playing with him.

As for why they were playing so early in the morning, and why the search was at the inn...

Banlai didn’t dare to ask, nor did he dare to say anything.

For a full two hours, the not-so-big Royal City had been searched, but there was no sign of the little Princess.

However, one thing was certain: she was still within the Royal City, as no one had been let through by the city guards last night.

Suppressing his full anger, Yelyu Lie searched from the main street to Upper Street, and from Upper Street to Lower Street.

Bianliao’s Royal City, the location of the Royal Palace, was much simpler in construction compared to the Great Xia Country’s Imperial City.

The main street housed the royal nobility, the emperor’s relatives, culminating in the Royal Palace.

Crossing a bridge led to Upper Street.

Wealthy merchants and some minor officials and clerks, as well as businesspeople, would open shops and set up stalls here.

As for Lower Street, it was just ordinary commoners.

There were also some wandering beggars who would make Lower Street their home.

Eventually, Yelyu Lie did find a new discovery on Lower Street.

Not his beloved little darling, but that thick-skinned as city wall ’Divine Doctor’!

He was squatting in front of a ruin, with a small jar of liquor on a broken stone beside him, along with a fragrant half-eaten... pig’s foot.

Yelyu Lie held his breath and approached cautiously, as if afraid he would run away.

He thought his movements were already very light, but as he got closer, the youth suddenly turned his head, gave him a cheeky smile, and gestured ’shh’.

Yelyu Lie: "..."

His keen senses made him realize there was someone else nearby.

Following the youth’s gaze into the ruins, he saw a small figure covered with several heavy winter coats, sleeping inside.

Beside her lay a little white wolf, also fast asleep, drooling, unaware of the wolfly matters.

He Xuanzhi uncorked the liquor jar and took a sip, "Ah— good wine! General, want a sip?"

Yelyu Lie ignored him, identifying the little girl with a blackened face as the little darling he’d been searching for hours, his heart filled with fury!

He Xuanzhi, oblivious to danger, smacked his lips and said, "This Great Xia Princess is really beautiful, even dressed like this, she’s adorable and charming. Tsk, the General is blessed."

Yelyu Lie’s steps halted, he slowly turned around, "You watched all night?"

He Xuanzhi, as a matter of course, nodded, "Yeah! I’m just doing a good deed, watching over the little Princess for you! What if she gets..."

’Bang—’

Before the youth finished speaking, he felt a punch hit his eye socket hard, and stars danced before his eyes.

He was extremely angry, "You barbarian, how can you be unreasonable! If it weren’t for me, your wife..."

The savage Barbarian General glared, and He Xuanzhi stopped his rambling.

He rubbed his eye, stood up from the ground, and spread his hand in front of the Barbarian General, "Wages + disability fee + special calming powder, two portions, totaling ten taels of silver, no bargaining!"

"You bastard, you drugged her?!" Yelyu Lie really wanted to kill this fool!

He Xuanzhi, however, stuck his neck out and said, "What do you mean drugged, that’s too harsh! I call it calming powder! If I didn’t let your little wife sleep soundly, how would she wait for you to find her? General wouldn’t be so ungrateful, would you? If I hadn’t discovered..."

"Shut up!"

Yelyu Lie was fed up with his incessant chatter, pulled off the money pouch hanging from his waist, and threw it at the youth once more.

"If a word of this gets out..."

"Hehe, General, rest assured, I have discretion, as long as the silver is in place, the rest is none of my business!" He Xuanzhi juggled the money pouch and, satisfied, smiled, "The extra will be my hush money from the General!"

"Scram—"

"Alright!"