Chapter 102: We

Xiao Er startled, raising both hands to his chest, gesturing repeatedly: "No, no, that's not right, I dare not accept."

Tuan Tuan looked at mother with a puzzled expression: "Is it not allowed?"

Cheng Ru'an gave a faint smile: "No problem."

"Second Uncle!" Tuan Tuan called out again.

Xiao Er saw the Princess Consort approve, and only then reluctantly nodded.

"Second Uncle, are you hungry? Sit down and eat with me."

Xiao Er shook his head; as a Guard of the Prince's Mansion, there was no reason to share a table with the master.

Tuan Tuan rolled her eyes, set down the small spoon, and gingerly lifted the untouched golden‑thread milk‑cream roll before her, standing on tiptoe to hand it over.

"Second Uncle, here you go! It's so sweet!"

Xiao Er was startled, a flash of surprise crossing his dark face: "Thank you, Princess (Commandery)! I am not hungry!"

"I'll let you eat!" Tuan Tuan's little hand reached forward again.

Xiao Er subconsciously glanced at Cheng Ru'an, saw the Princess Consort nod slightly, then extended his large hand to receive the delicate pastries: "Thank you, Princess (Commandery)."

He finished the pastries in a few bites, quietly placed the plate back on the table, then stepped back a few paces, still standing perfectly upright.

Tuan Tuan blinked her big eyes: "Second Uncle, after eating the pastries, aren't you thirsty?"

Xiao Er instinctively straightened his back: "Princess (Commandery), I am not thirsty!"

"Oh—!" Tuan Tuan elongated the sound, picked up another plate of sesame mung‑bean cake that looked extremely crisp and crumbly, and handed it over again: "This one is also tasty! Second Uncle, give it a try!"

"Princess (Commandery), this…" Xiao Er tried to refuse.

"You take it quickly! I'm so tired of holding it!"

Xiao Er, helpless, took it again and forced himself to eat it.

The mung‑bean cake crumbs got stuck in his throat, causing him to silently swallow several mouthfuls of saliva.

Tuan Tuan stared at him unblinking: "Second Uncle, are you thirsty now?"

Xiao Er's dark face flushed a little, and he honestly nodded: "Princess (Commandery), a little."

Tuan Tuan immediately laughed happily, pointing to the empty seat beside her: "Then sit down and have a bowl of porridge! This porridge is too hot; I can't hold it for you to drink."

"Princess (Commandery), this is improper etiquette! I…" Xiao Er tried to persist a bit longer.

"Sit down!" Tuan Tuan cut him off, pouting: "Just have a bowl of porridge!"

Cheng Ru'an watched from the side, laughing inwardly, but said nothing.

Xiao Er looked at the steaming bowl of porridge on the table, moved his feet stiffly, and perched on the cushion‑lined stool, barely sitting half a butt, his back still perfectly straight.

He lifted the bowl and, almost wolf‑like, gulped the warm porridge down, then let out a long sigh of relief, feeling comfortable.

"Hee hee!" Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands, laughing brightly: "See, you are sitting now! From now on, always do this, eat with me!"

Xiao Er set down the empty bowl, looked at the radiant Xiao Tuanzi before him, and suddenly felt that guarding this Little Princess, although different from all the tasks the Prince had previously assigned him,

but somehow, it was rather interesting.

"I… obey."

Cheng Ru'an suddenly recalled something: "Liu Mama, the few pieces of jewelry we ordered a few days ago at Linglong Pavilion, counting the days, should be ready soon; send someone to check, and if they're ready, retrieve them."

"Yes." Liu Mama nodded in agreement.

"Retrieve the jewelry?" Tuan Tuan looked up: "Mother! I'll go, I'll go!"

Cheng Ru'an asked with a smile: "Don't you need to go to the Guozijian today?"

Tuan Tuan shook her head repeatedly: "They're all preparing for exams; if I go, I just sit and watch them. I won't go, I won't go."

Seeing mother not nod, Tuan Tuan quickly pointed a little finger at Xiao Er behind her: "Second Uncle is here with me!"

Cheng Ru'an looked at her eager little face, then glanced at the composed Xiao Er.

Linglong Pavilion is not far from the Prince's Mansion; in broad daylight, a quick go and return is fine.

There is no one in the Prince's Mansion now to play with her, so going out for a walk is also fine.

She gently adjusted her daughter's clothing: "Alright, you may go, but don't wander elsewhere; fetch the items and return."

"Got it! Mother is the best!" Tuan Tuan shouted, grabbing Xiao Er's big hand and ran outside.

Arriving at Linglong Pavilion, the shopkeeper, hearing that a Miss from the Prince's Mansion had arrived, hurriedly presented a jewelry box, smiling broadly: "Your timing is perfect; we just finished the work."

Tuan Tuan opened the box; inside were a pair of scarlet‑gold threaded bracelets set with red gems and a jade‑inlaid butterfly hairpin, exquisitely dazzling.

"So beautiful!" She just lifted the hairpin to examine it when a clamor of shouting and crying erupted on the street outside, mixed with arrogant insults.

Huh, why is it suddenly so lively outside?

She placed the hairpin back into the box, closed it, and handed it to the shopkeeper: "Keep it for me first!"

Having said that, she grabbed Xiao Er and rushed out: "Second Uncle, let's go take a look!"

Just stepping out of the shop, they saw a crowd gathered not far away; Xiao Er scooped her up in one arm and squeezed into the crowd.

A young gentleman dressed flamboyantly, arrogantly commanding a few sturdy men who looked like house servants, punched and kicked at a crouching person on the ground.

The victim wore a faded old robe, clutching a long, scroll‑like object in his arms; despite the blows, he stubbornly refused to let the tube slip from his grasp.

He rolled on the ground from the beating, yet still struggled, shouting: "Under the Son of Heaven! Murong Qi! You, you—have you no royal law?"

Murong Qi sneered: "Royal law? In front of my Murong family? I am the law!"

"Your father, back when he was in the Ministry of Works, constantly opposed my father; now he's been demoted—deservedly!"

"You only made a few little gadgets that are still watchable, and you truly think you're some 'Ministry of Works prodigy'?"

"Ugh! Look at your current conduct, not even a dog!"

The man on the ground dodged kicks, rolling about, and his face was revealed.

Tuan Tuan was surprised: "Feng Zhou? How is that him!"

Seeing a house servant's foot about to kick hard again, Tuan Tuan shouted: "Stop! Don't hit my person!"

Feng Zhou heard that familiar voice and jerked his head up.

After seeing clearly the delicate, porcelain‑like face of Xiao Tuanzi, he beamed with surprise and blurted, "Young Alliance Leader!"

Then he bowed his head in shame; in his sorry state, how could it be so coincidental that she happened to catch him?

Murong Qi was stunned by the sudden rebuke, and when he looked toward the voice, he saw a tiny child, still being held in someone's arms, not even as tall as his own leg.

He snorted with a laugh and contemptuously flicked Feng Zhou with the tip of his foot:

"How did you end up having to recognize a baby as Alliance Leader? Hahaha! Alliance Leader! What kind of alliance? A milk‑baby alliance?"

The servants burst into a row of boisterous laughter.

"Second Uncle!" Tuan Tuan pointed a small finger at Murong Qi, "Hit him! Hit those villains!"

"Yes!"

Xiao Er gently set her down on the ground, his figure flashing like lightning as he leapt away in an instant.

Like a raging tiger charging a flock of sheep, the haughty servants from before could not even execute a single move under his hand.

We heard a flurry of "crack‑clack" punches and kicks, and in the blink of an eye they were all knocked to the ground, whimpering and unable to get up.

Xiao Er stepped in a single stride to the stunned Murong Qi, his palm‑sized hand sweeping forward with a fan‑like rush of wind to seize him.

Murong Qi shrank in terror, his soul scattering, and shrieked, "How dare you! My great‑grandmother is the current Empress Dowager! I am the legitimate grandson of the Murong clan! If you dare lay a hand on me, I will annihilate your entire family!"

Xiao Er's massive hand halted midway, and he turned to look at Tuan Tuan: "He says he's the Empress Dowager's grandnephew—can we still hit him?"

Hearing the word "Empress Dowager," Tuan Tuan fumed even more, "That old hag again!"

"Yes! Absolutely! Why not? He's the one to beat! Beat him hard! Second Uncle!"

Xiao Er had no further hesitation.

Those hands, which moments ago had been still, dropped without hesitation; one hand seized Murong Qi, the other curled into a fist, targeting the thick flesh that would hurt the most.

He made Murong Qi hurt so badly he cried out for his parents, yet not enough to cause any serious injury.

In an instant, the whole street rang with Murong Qi's pig‑slaughter‑like wails.

Murong Qi, never having suffered such humiliation, gritted his teeth in pain and shouted, "You! How dare you hit me?! I'm going to Jingzhao Prefecture to sue you! I'll make sure you can't get away with this!"

Tuan Tuan raised an eyebrow: "You want to go to Jingzhao Prefecture? Fine! Let's go judge the matter and see whether the villain who hit you deserves a beating!"

"Second Uncle, bring him along," she said, pointing at the Feng Zhou who had just gotten up from the ground, "And you, follow us; we're heading to Jingzhao Prefecture right now!"