Chapter 744

Lu Qi gave the reins a shake, the warhorse flung open its four hooves and galloped toward Xuanwu Gate.

Not far into the run, they met head‑on a unit of soldiers clearing the street of remnants of the enemy.

The junior officer leading them instantly recognized the pinkish little figure on the horseback.

His eyes widened, his voice booming so the whole street could hear: "Little Princess? What are you doing here?"

Tuan Tuan waved and greeted: "Uncle Zhou, hello!"

"Good! Very good!" Cavalry Officer Zhou turned his head and shouted at the soldiers behind him, "Our Princess has arrived!"

The soldiers all waved at Tuan Tuan.

For a moment, cries of "Little Princess has arrived!" rose and fell, and the whole street bustled to life.

Lu Qi slowed his pace, letting Tuan Tuan greet each of them in turn.

Cavalry Officer Zhou urged: "Brother Lu! You must guard the Princess well!"

"There are still plenty of stragglers in Jingcheng that haven't been cleared out—stay alert!"

A soldier shouted: "Just now in an alley we caught two who were throwing hidden weapons—we almost got hurt!"

"Princess! You must stick to the main road, don't go into alleys!"

"Don't worry, I know!" Lu Qi nodded, silently pulling Tuan Tuan tighter into his embrace, one arm shielding her in front.

"Have you seen the Second Young Master and Xiao Er?"

"No! Go on ahead and ask; we came in early, those behind might have seen them."

"I got it! Thanks, uncles!"

The two continued forward, asking as they went; the more acquaintances they met, the more Tuan Tuan's little mouth kept calling out "uncle" after "uncle" without pause.

Finally, a soldier pointed up at the city wall: "Second Young Master? He just went up onto the wall! Xiao Er is with him!"

Lu Qi thanked him, then lifted his gaze to the top of the wall.

Suddenly, the reins tightened in his hand and the warhorse came to a halt.

The rebel banner that had been hanging from the battlements had vanished.

In its place were scarlet battle flags, billowing like clouds in the wind.

"Miss! Look quickly!" Lu Qi's voice trembled as he pointed upward: "On the wall! That's our great banner!"

Tuan Tuan followed his finger, and the expanse of red struck her eyes.

"Uncle Seven!" she tugged at Lu Qi's sleeve, "Can I go up and have a look now?"

"I want to find Third Brother and Third Elder Brother! And I want to see whether Eleven is still lying under the chair!"

"All right! Uncle Seven will take you!"

Hooves thundered down the long street, flying fast; the wind made Tuan Tuan squint: "Uncle Seven! Faster!"

"All right!"

Soon they arrived at the foot of the city wall.

Bloodstains marred the stone steps, and some soldiers were lifting the wounded down.

Lu Qi dismounted in one motion, scooped Tuan Tuan into his arms, and ran up to the wall in three strides.

As soon as they got on the wall, Tuan Tuan stared with wide eyes, anxiously scanning the area and shouting:

"Father——!"

"Third Brother! Third Elder Brother——!"

Her clear child's voice rang out across the wall, and the soldiers busy with their heads down all lifted their heads.

"Princess!"

"The Princess has come!"

Xiao Ningxun leaned against the lower battlement, his injured left leg already wrapped in thick bandages.

Hearing his sister's voice, he shuddered all over, braced himself against the wall and tried to stand.

"Don't move!" Xiao Ze grabbed his shoulder, jostling the wound, his mouth twisting in pain: "Are you giving up on your leg?"

Xiao Ningxun couldn't care about the pain any longer and shouted back: "Tuan Tuan!"

Tuan Tuan looked left and right, following the sound as she searched everywhere.

But the wall was crowded with soldiers coming and going, blocking her view.

Lu Qi glanced at the blood on the ground, dared not set her down, and could only step carefully, picking his way over the countless scattered broken weapons and debris toward the direction of the voice.

A pair of large hands reached over: "Give her to me."

Lu Qi looked up and saw Xiao Ningchen, his head and face smeared black and gray; he hastily let go.

Hearing his sister's voice, Xiao Ningchen broke into a run toward her.

Tuan Tuan flung her arms around his neck: "Second Brother, I found you! Where's Second Uncle? Isn't he with you?"

"Here, Miss, I'm here." Xiao Er also came running.

Tuan Tuan looked at Xiao Ningchen then at Xiao Er and giggled: "Your faces are all messy!"

Xiao Ningchen smiled faintly, tightened his hold on his sister: "Come on, let's go find your Third Brother."

"Mm-hmm!"

Tuan Tuan touched his face: "Second Brother, did you and Second Uncle get hurt?"

Xiao Ningchen and Xiao Er spoke at the same time: "No."

"The Second Young Master is wounded……" Xiao Er hastily cut himself off.

"Where is he wounded?" Tuan Tuan urged anxiously: "Second Brother, tell me quick!"

Xiao Ningchen glared at Xiao Er: "Just a nick on my back from a careless scrape—nothing serious."

Tuan Tuan's little hand lightly brushed his back: "Here? Does it hurt?"

Xiao Ningchen felt warm in his heart: "It doesn't hurt, don't worry."

"How about you?" Tuan Tuan turned her head to look at Xiao Er, "Uncle Er, where are you hurt?"

Xiao Er shook his head: "I'm fine, Miss."

Tuan Tuan stuck out her thumb at him: "Uncle Er, you're awesome!"

Xiao Ningchen rolled his eyes: "What's so great about not being hurt? Does getting hurt make me not awesome?"

As they spoke, several people had already walked to the edge of the battlements.

"Third Brother! Third Elder Brother!" Tuan Tuan wriggled free from Xiao Ningchen's arms and lunged at the two of them.

Xiao Ningxun caught her in one go: "Tuan Tuan! You scared me to death! I thought you were still on the city wall."

Tuan Tuan lowered her head and saw blood seeping through the bandage on his leg; tears pattered down, she reached out her little hand, wanting to touch but not daring to: "Third Brother! You're bleeding!"

"Just a superficial wound, it's fine." Xiao Ningxun smiled, rubbing her head, gently wiping the tears from her face, his voice extremely gentle: "Really, it's just a small scrape; it'll heal in a few days."

Tuan Tuan turned her head to look at Xiao Ze.

Before she could speak, Xiao Ze lifted his robe's hem himself, revealing his right leg similarly wrapped in bandages: "Third Elder Brother has another one here; do you want to take a look too?"

Tuan Tuan glanced at Xiao Ningxun's leg, then at Xiao Ze's leg, and pouted: "Why are you both hurt in the leg?"

Xiao Ze chuckled: "He hurt his left leg, I hurt my right leg—together they make a perfect pair."

"Third Elder Brother!" Tuan Tuan glared at him.

Xiao Er stood to the side, watching his young lady go from Lu Qi's arms to Xiao Ningchen's arms.

Then from Xiao Ningchen's arms to Xiao Ningxun's arms, his eye sockets felt a little sore.

Tuan Tuan lifted herself from Third Brother's arms, spread her little arms: "Uncle Er, hold me!"

Xiao Er hurried forward, bent down, and lifted her up.

Tuan Tuan buried her little face in his neck crook, gently rubbing.

She turned her head to look at everyone: "Where's Dad? And where's Da Da?"

"His father and the Qiuci King entered the city together with the big army, and there's still a lot to do."

"Oh," Tuan Tuan pursed her lips, "didn't see them again!"

Xiao Ze glanced, quickly changed the subject: "Tuan Tuan, who is that on the table?"

Tuan Tuan lifted her head from Xiao Er's arms and looked at the solitary high platform.

Beside the dragon throne stood a figure, his bright yellow battle robe especially conspicuous.

Tuan Tuan blinked: "Is that Imperial Uncle?"

Xiao Ze nodded: "Tuan Tuan, go see Father Emperor; he'll surely be happy if you go."

"Sure thing!"

Xiao Er hurriedly held her, quickly walked to the base of the high platform, and set her on the steps: "Miss, go ahead; I'll wait here for you."

"Mm-hmm." Tuan Tuan swung her short legs and ran up with a thump-thump-thump.

Xiao Jieyun tightened his brows as he held Xiao Lin's cloth tiger.

"Imperial Uncle!" Tuan Tuan shouted.

Xiao Jieyun turned his face, full of surprise: "Tuan Tuan!"

Tuan Tuan lunged into his arms: "Imperial Uncle! What are you doing? Where's Little Eleven?"

"I am pondering this matter," Xiao Jieyun shook his head: "He is not under the chair, but Lao Qi said he has been staring, and no one else came up."