Chapter 1242

"You're far too playful, child—how could you run off and gamble?"

Tian Fu pressed his lips tightly together, not saying a single word.

He looked at Tian Tian, wanting to say something, but afraid of hurting the child, so nothing came out.

"You—you've got it wrong! I-I didn't go gambling." Tian Tian explained urgently, "It was a friend of mine who dragged me there."

"A friend? Which friend?" Li Shi stared her down. "Tian'er, our Tian family is destitute—we can't afford to keep you in bad company.

So you'd best behave yourself and get married, and stop this nonsense."

"I wasn't being foolish!" Tian Tian argued. "I really was just accompanying a friend to go shopping."

"Oh, a friend? What friend?" Li Shi pressed. "Male or female?"

Tian Tian knit her delicate brows, a flash of disgust crossing her eyes.

She looked unhappily at her parents: "Father, Mother, how have you become like this?"

Where had the loving, kind parents in her memory gone?

Why did she always feel her parents had become different people?

Tian Shi sighed: "Tian'er, your mother only wants what's best for you.

Our situation right now is very special.

You need to find a reliable husband's family quickly.

You're not young anymore—it's time to talk about marriage.

Otherwise, once your mother dies, no one will marry you!"

At those words Tian Tian paused, and that incomparably handsome face surfaced in her mind.

He was her betrothed, her future Prince Consort.

If she could marry him, surely she could live out her days in peace and stability.

But would he marry her?

"I understand." She lowered her eyes, hiding the dimness within them.

"So long as you understand."

Li Shi nodded in satisfaction.

She pulled her husband into the room, and once seated, asked impatiently:

"Husband, what on earth is going on with Tian'er? Last night I heard strange sounds coming from her room.

The sounds were like crying, and also like moaning…"

Tian Fu's face was heavy with grief: "It's her…"

He recounted Tian Tian's ordeal, saying:

"Those men wanted to violate our precious daughter. Fortunately Tian'er was clever and hid in the woods.

But we arrived a step too late—by the time we found Tian'er, she had been eaten by several great worms, not even a scrap of bone remaining."

Li Shi clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face: "Those beasts! Tian'er is only fourteen!"

"Wuwuwu…"

Mother and daughter clung to each other and wept bitterly.

"Father, Mother, I'm sorry…"

Tian Tian wiped her tears clean, apologizing guiltily: "It's me who dragged my parents down, it's me who's unfilial…"

She dropped to her knees with a thud, sobbing:

"I'm sorry, please forgive me… I shouldn't have been so willful and reckless…"

"Tian'er, you mustn't say such things!" Li Shi helped Tian Tian up, wiping the tears from her face, her voice full of pity: "It's your mother who's useless, who didn't take good care of you.

But now that you've woken up, your mother won't worry anymore…"

Tian Fu clenched his fists and said in a heavy voice: "I absolutely cannot let my daughter die in vain!

I'm going to report this to the authorities right now."

"Father, we can't report to the authorities." Tian Tian tugged at his sleeve, shaking her head. "Have you forgotten? Back then, Father, it was because you reported to the authorities that you angered Your Majesty, and were demoted to a remote little county town to serve as its prefect.

Your Majesty resented you and deliberately made things hard for you!"

Tian Fu's movements stalled, his expression instantly collapsing: "Are we just supposed to let it go?"

He was an official of the imperial court—he absolutely could not tolerate his daughter being violated!

"Of course we can't just let it go." Tian Tian clenched her fists, her gaze firm. "This matter cannot be left at that!"

"Then what do you plan to do?" Li Shi asked with concern.

Tian Tian looked at Tian Fu: "Father, I want to go find Prince Mo for help."

"Prince Mo? Which Prince Mo?" Tian Fu was puzzled.

"It's that Prince Mo who rushed over from Jingcheng not long ago!" Tian Tian raised her voice. "Prince Mo saved me twice—I want to ask him to help me investigate this matter clearly and win justice for me!"

Tian Fu was taken aback: "Who is Prince Mo?"

"I don't know him." Tian Tian shook her head in denial. "But I know his guard.

His guard said Prince Mo is the only Prince bearing a different surname in the entire Kingdom of Nanze. His name is Xiao Mojin."

"Xiao…Mojin…"

Tian Fu's expression grew somewhat dazed: "I've heard your father say that in this world, apart from the people of our Tian Family Village, other villagers address Your Majesty as 'Emperor' or 'Your Majesty'.

But Prince Mo's personal name contains the character 'Jin', and moreover, Your Majesty once said that Prince Jin is Prince Mo's sworn younger brother, and that Prince Mo has given Prince Jin much protection.

Judging from this, Prince Mo should be Prince Mo."

Tian Tian nodded: "Mm, I suspect he is Prince Jin, and he admitted it too."

Tian Fu sighed, "Then we definitely can't go provoke him."

Li Shi said anxiously, "Then what about Tian'er?"

Tian Tian pressed her lips together. "I've already thought it through. I'll pretend to be ill first, then secretly leave Tian Family Village and go to Jingcheng to seek refuge with Prince Jin, to ask for Prince Jin's protection.

If Prince Jin refuses, I'll stay on in Tian Family Village."

"Silly girl, how could that possibly work?" Tian Mu objected. "You're a young miss — if some bad person sets their sights on you, wouldn't it be dangerous?"

"Mother~ don't worry, I've already grown up, I know how to protect myself!"

Tian Tian said with a smile, "Besides, Prince Jin is so powerful, and his subordinates are also very capable — they definitely won't let anything happen to me."

"But what if he doesn't take you in?"

"Then I'll wander abroad for three or five years, until I find Prince Jin!

Mother, I've really grown up!"

……

After Tian Tian and Li Shi had finished talking, Tian Fu gave her a horse-drawn carriage and assigned several servants to go with her.

Tian Tian rode to Jingcheng.

Along the way, she secretly observed the appearance of this body's original owner.

Slender and delicate figure, an oval face, willow-leaf brows, phoenix eyes, skin white as snow.

That such a stunning beauty was actually Tian Tian utterly shattered Tian Tian's three views.

Although she had long known Tian Tian was a beauty, she hadn't expected her to be this gorgeous!

Tian Tian's feelings were extremely complicated.

The fact that she was a beauty stimulated her in some way.

After all, this skin was too perfect!

With such a figure, face, and status, even if she had transmigrated into an ugly freak's body, it would be enough to cause a sensation, even to attract the attention of rich young masters.

Tian Tian frowned slightly, thinking:

Even if someone liked her now that she was wearing this skin, she had to get rid of this skin as soon as possible.

She didn't need anyone's pity or charity!

She would rely on herself to live!