I was taken aback for a moment. I didn't expect the aloof young man in my memory to talk to me so much. So I said, "I'm more than happy for Brother Xu to tell me a story."
Yu Chi Xu smiled faintly again. His cold voice came slowly, "Brother and I were very good playmates in childhood. Because I had a problem with my legs, there were always children from the royal clan who laughed at me as a useless person. Every time, it was Brother who stepped forward and beat them speechless. I've always remembered Brother's kindness. But everything changed when Brother was twelve. He no longer got close to me. He became deep - minded and gloomy. It wasn't until he went to Dayong with Father and Mother when he was fifteen that I saw a hint of a smile on his face again...
"At that time, he spent all his time catching fire butterflies. After catching them, he would wait for them to lay eggs, hatch, spin cocoons and then break out of them. It was a cycle. I didn't understand what he was trying to achieve with these repeated experiments. Until one day, I saw him put a box of things into the leather goods convoy bound for Dayong. Then I asked Brother what he had been up to recently, and he started to talk to me about you...
"He said that in Dayong, he met a little dumpling who was not afraid of scolding and brave enough to admit her mistakes. He thought she was very cute and that there was a certain precious strength in her. That's why he took a fancy to her. He said he had prepared a gift and only hoped that she would like it. Unfortunately, Brother sent out his gift but never got a reply. Brother wasn't annoyed. He just studied even more seriously. He became more and more outstanding. Father and Mother both liked him very much. He would come to see me occasionally, but our interactions became fewer and fewer...
"Until this year, Brother could go to Dayong with Father and Mother again. Before he set off, Brother seemed to have returned to his old self. He started to tinker with all kinds of things, and there were more smiles on his face. I was really curious about what kind of magic that little dumpling in Dayong had that could make Brother seem like a different person. It wasn't until Brother brought this little dumpling back that I found that the little dumpling was no longer a little dumpling but had grown into a graceful young lady."
When Prince Xu said this, he stared at me intently. I blushed shyly. Hearing the same story told from another person's perspective, it felt completely different.
Yu Chi Xu continued, "Then I asked Lu An to pay attention to your every move and report to me everything that happened to you in Beihan. One night, I couldn't sleep. I heard Brother playing the Qiang flute, so I went to the high platform where he often went. But by the time I got there, he had already left. Unexpectedly, I met you... That was the first time I saw you in person. The purity in your eyes was like a mirror that could make people see what they didn't have in themselves. I understood right then why my brother liked you, because you were his salvation."
Hearing this, I blushed even more. How could I be Yu Chi Cheng's salvation? It was clearly he who had always been helping me. But before I could question him, Yu Chi Xu spoke again, "Actually, I've always been aware of some of the things Brother has been planning in secret. Although I've kept quiet, I've also been secretly making plans, just hoping to stop him from getting deeper and deeper. But Brother thought I was deliberately going against him and became more wary of me. When I learned that he was going to take you to the Red Desert, I predicted that something would definitely happen there. So I asked Lu An to go there in advance to investigate the situation. When Lu An showed up in front of Father with half of the tiger tally, Father understood too. Since Father had the tiger tally in his hand, he might be willing to cooperate and deliberately fall into the trap to draw out the enemy. I knew that Father had trusted Brother from the very beginning, because Brother was the one he had painstakingly taught. But I also saw that it was you who made Brother finally make the right decision, because Brother really didn't want you to get hurt at all."
Listening to what Yu Chi Xu told me, I never expected there were so many twists and turns behind all this. I could only sigh and say, "Sure enough, all things in this world are so complicated. I just saw them too simply."
Yu Chi Xu said, "I really envy Brother for being able to go to Dayong. I'm also really curious about what kind of environment could raise a princess like you."
I said, "Although the journey is tiring, if Brother Xu wants to go to Dayong, there will surely be a chance. I can take you around then."
Yu Chi Xu smiled imperceptibly. He said, "Let's hope so. That's all for my story today. If Xi He has nothing else to ask me, you might as well go back first."
Hearing this, I thanked him and then returned to my residence.
These days, the soldiers sent by my father to pick me up arrived. I was extremely happy because I could finally return to Dayong.
Meanwhile, I didn't know that after several days of thorough investigations, Yu Chi Cheng finally learned the real cause of his biological father's death. As the saying goes, lust is a double - edged sword. His biological father died because of his own desires. It wasn't a decent way to die. So there were always people who were indignant for him. At the same time, he also learned about his father's political stance. His father was an ambitious man who wanted to annex Dayong. But such a stance was really very dangerous for Beihan. He didn't agree with it. By this time, he had finally let go, because from what his father had done, his father couldn't be considered a good man, and his mother's death was also related to his father.
A few days later, the leather goods for Dayong were ready. I was about to set off back to Dayong. Yu Chi Cheng asked for permission to escort me and the leather goods. Uncle - in - law naturally agreed.
I have to say that this trip to Beihan had made me experience a lot. When I got into the carriage again, I even felt a bit reluctant to leave the vast land of Beihan.
Sometimes Yu Chi Cheng would sit in the carriage with me, and sometimes he would take me horse - riding. By then, I was already used to riding with him, so he installed a double - seat saddle on his horse.
Riding on the horse, feeling the cool breeze on the grassland, Yu Chi Cheng controlled the horse and walked slowly with the main force. I looked out at the vast grassland and couldn't help complaining, "I'm about to go back, but I'm not even allowed to ride the horse by myself."
The only time I rode the horse by myself was during the hunting in the Red Desert. At that time, it was in the forest and I was following Yu Chi Cheng. It was completely different from the boundless grassland.
But Yu Chi Cheng said, "Precisely because we're about to go back, there can't be the slightest mistake. If you get hurt from falling off the horse, you'll definitely have to stay in Beihan until you're fully recovered. Only then will I let you go."
I pouted unhappily.
Yu Chi Cheng leaned over and coaxed me with a smile, "What's wrong, my little princess? Aren't you happy sitting in front of your Brother Cheng?"
His breath on my ear made me feel a bit itchy. I said, "I'm not unhappy. It's just that I feel you all treat me like a child."
Yu Chi Cheng said, "Then Xi He has to study hard after going back. Otherwise, the next time you want to climb over the wall, I'll still have to carry you."