nucmednet Chapter 746 2 Your Highness
Chapter 746 2 Your Highness
The little child was suspended in mid-air, his eyes wide open with tears in them, clearly frightened by the sudden turn of events.
He forgot to cry, he just sobbed, his little body swaying back and forth.
"You...you put me down!" he puffed out his cheeks and commanded in his soft, sweet voice.
But his tone had lost its previous confidence and assertiveness, and instead sounded somewhat lacking in conviction.
Qian Zhenyun did not put him down immediately, but looked at him with a level gaze and his tone remained gentle: "Tell me first, what is your name, and why are you here alone?"
Gu Qingchen also came over. Looking at the little baby's chubby face scrunched up in a ball, the anger she felt at being talked back to had long since dissipated, leaving only amusement.
She crouched down, bringing herself to eye level with the little baby being carried, and softened her voice.
“We’re not bad people. Your family will worry if you run around alone.”
She pointed to the rabbit leg he had thrown away on the ground. "Look, I won't eat it anymore, and you don't have to cry anymore, okay?"
The little boy's gaze shifted from Gu Qingchen's face to Qian Zhenyun's, and finally settled back on the rabbit leg. He pursed his lips, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.
After a long silence, he said softly, with a hint of grievance, "My name is Zhao Heng. I... I came out to play with my brothers, but they were skating too fast, and I couldn't keep up, so... I ended up here."
Zhao Heng? His surname was Huang.
Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of understanding and seriousness in each other's eyes.
Qian Zhenyun gently placed the baby on the ground. The moment the baby touched the ground, he immediately took two steps back like a startled rabbit, watching them warily.
"Are you from the palace?" Gu Qingchen asked tentatively.
Zhao Heng puffed out his chest, as if he had regained some confidence: "My father is the current emperor! Why don't you kneel and pay your respects when you see me?"
Although he was young, his innate nobility, honed from years spent in the palace, was undeniable.
Before Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun could react, a cacophony of shouts suddenly came from behind the hill not far away, growing louder as it approached.
"Your Highness! Your Highness Twelve!"
"Quickly! Split up and search! If anything happens to His Highness, we'll all lose our heads!"
His voice was full of anxiety and fear.
Upon hearing this voice, Zhao Heng's eyes lit up, as if he had found a pillar of support. He immediately shouted in that direction, "I'm here!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than seven or eight guards dressed in imperial guard uniforms and with long swords at their waists rushed out of the woods.
They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Zhao Heng standing unharmed by the fire, but their expressions changed drastically when they saw Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun beside him.
"Qiang!"
The lead guard drew his longsword, pointing it directly at the two men, and shouted sternly, "Who are you! How dare you take His Highness the Twelfth Prince hostage!"
The other guards also drew their swords and surrounded the two men, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.
The cold blade reflected a chilling glint in the winter sun.
Zhao Heng was startled by the scene and instinctively hid behind Gu Qingchen, clutching the hem of her clothes with her small hand.
Gu Qingchen neither dodged nor avoided, his expression calm and composed.
She glanced at the waist tag of the leading guard and said calmly, "We are from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. This is Qian Zhenyun, the Crown Prince's study companion, and I am Gu Qingchen."
She pulled Zhao Heng from behind her to the front and gently patted his shoulder.
“We just happened to run into the lost Fifth Prince and were worried that he would get cold, so we started a fire to warm him up. You don’t need to be so nervous.”
Upon hearing the words "Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion" and "Gu Qingchen," the head guard visibly paused in his grip on the knife.
Miss Gu's name is now known to everyone in the capital.
He carefully examined Gu Qingchen for a few moments and saw that she had a commanding presence and an extraordinary demeanor, just like the image in the rumors. His wariness lessened a bit.
Qian Zhenyun stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "General, His Highness is safe here. We found His Highness alone by the lake and feared for his safety, so we brought him here. You have come at the right time."
His voice was clear and steady, possessing a convincing power.
The head guard's gaze swept back and forth between the three men.
He saw the still-burning campfire on the ground, and the half-cooked rabbit.
Looking at his young prince, whose eyes were red but whose clothes were neat and who was unharmed, and who even seemed to be subconsciously relying on Gu Qingchen, he believed him to some extent.
He sheathed his long sword, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the two men, and softened his tone considerably.
"So it was Miss Gu and Lord Qian. I was being presumptuous. His Highness is young and playful, which made us search for him quite a bit. Thank you both for your help."
Seeing that the crisis had passed, Zhao Heng grew bolder. He peeked out from behind Gu Qingchen, pointed at the rabbit on the ground, and complained to the head guard, "Commander Li, they ate the rabbit! They are bad people!"
The head guard's face twitched slightly. He smiled awkwardly at Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun, then bent down and picked Zhao Heng up in his arms.
“Your Highness, please don’t be rude. It was Miss Gu who saved you.” He whispered soothingly in Zhao Heng’s ear.
Gu Qingchen looked at the master and servant and found it amusing. She waved her hand and said, "Children say the darndest things, it's alright."
Qian Zhenyun looked at the group of guards and asked calmly, "The weather is cold today, and the wind is strong by the lake. I wonder which prince brought His Highness the Twelfth Prince out for a stroll, and how could he be so negligent?"
The question was asked casually, yet it contained a hidden meaning. The head guard's expression changed slightly, becoming somewhat complicated and troubled.
A hint of unease flashed across Commander Li's face. Holding Zhao Heng, he avoided Qian Zhenyun's probing gaze and gave a vague reply.
"Reporting to Lord Qian, today the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince had arranged to compete in ice skating in the main lake area. The Twelfth Prince is young and, in a moment of playfulness, wandered off on his own."
"It was our subordinates' inadequate protection that made Miss Gu and Lord Qian laugh at us."
The Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince.
Gu Qingchen understood. These two had always been at odds with the Crown Prince, and were usually the fiercest rivals. It was quite intriguing that they would come together today, and even bring along the least favored twelfth prince, Zhao Heng.
Upon hearing this, Qian Zhenyun smiled faintly, his expression ambiguous. He did not press further, but looked at Zhao Heng, who was being held in Commander Li's arms, and said gently, "The wind is strong by the lake, and Your Highness's clothes are thin. You should go back and put on some more clothes to avoid catching a cold."
His voice wasn't loud, but it sent a cold sweat down Commander Li's back.
If the Twelfth Prince were to go missing while under the care of the Fifth and Seventh Princes, and even fall ill as a result, it would be a matter that cannot be explained away by mere negligence once it reaches the palace.
"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Qian. I understand."
Commander Li dared not delay any longer and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the two men once more.
"Thank you both for your help today. I will definitely bring a small gift to express my gratitude in person another day."
After saying that, he picked up Zhao Heng and hurriedly left with a group of guards, as if something was chasing after them.