Jiang Mian was extremely exhausted. She slept so soundly that she had no idea that Li Zhao had come. The next day, after a good sleep, she finally opened her eyes, only to be startled by a magnified face.
Jiang Zhiqing was sitting beside her, propping her face up and smiling at her.
Jiang Mian called out blankly, "Mother."
She propped herself up to sit. Jiang Zhiqing handed her a cooked sweet potato and placed it in her palm. "Here. My child must be hungry. Eat something. Only by eating enough can you grow up quickly."
Jiang Mian looked at the sweet potato in her palm.
There was still the warmth of Jiang Zhiqing's palm on the sweet potato. She wondered how long her mother had held it. Her heart warmed. Jiang Mian nodded and, in front of Jiang Zhiqing, peeled the skin of the sweet potato and took small bites.
Jiang Zhiqing was extremely happy. She walked behind Jiang Mian and began to comb her messy hair after sleep.
Jiang Mian wanted to stop her at first, but when she looked back and saw Jiang Zhiqing's serious face, she couldn't bear to stimulate her, so she let her do it.
Jiang Zhiqing's hands combed her hair one stroke after another behind her. Her fingers passed through the hair, touching Jiang Mian's scalp. It wasn't as clumsy as Jiang Mian had imagined. Instead, it was very gentle.
Eating the sweet potato in her hand, Jiang Mian looked around.
At this moment, there were only the mother and daughter in the cave. Li Zhao should be outside taking charge of things. The yellow dog that she had hugged tightly last night was also nowhere to be seen. She wondered where it had run off to play.
It was dawn outside again. Apparently, another day had passed.
Although Jiang Zhiqing was stupid and didn't know anything, she combed hair in an orderly way. Her movements were gentle, and her hands were very dexterous. In just a few strokes, she had coiled Jiang Mian's hair into a bun.
Jiang Zhiqing clapped her hands happily. Jiang Mian touched the top of her head and found that the bun Jiang Zhiqing had made for her was the kind a three - year - old girl would have. She couldn't help laughing.
Not wanting to disappoint Jiang Zhiqing, she gently kissed her mother's face.
"Thank you, Mother. I like it very much."
Jiang Zhiqing was even happier. She tightly grabbed Jiang Mian's hand and wanted Jiang Mian to play with her.
But at this moment, there was suddenly a commotion outside. Before they could figure out what was going on, a heart - rending cry instantly shook the valley.
Jiang Zhiqing had been extremely relaxed. The sudden noise startled her. Her body trembled violently, and she shivered as she hid behind Jiang Mian. Jiang Mian raised her hand to protect her and frowned as she looked out of the cave.
"Please, let us go in and see His Highness!"
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is such a good person. How could he end up in such a situation? It's unfair, God!"
"Your Highness, Your Highness, please be okay. Wuwuwu..."
Realizing that the commotion outside was related to Xiao Jingcheng, Jiang Mian was anxious. But she couldn't just leave Jiang Zhiqing behind. She took a deep breath, turned around, gently patted Jiang Zhiqing's shoulder, and coaxed her for a while. She took off the already ineffective brocade pouch around her neck for her to play with, and then got up and rushed out.
It was still raining outside, but the people of Dongli Town didn't care that they would get wet. They all gathered in a dense mass outside the cave where Xiao Jingcheng's body was placed. The soldiers of the Pei family's army couldn't stop them no matter how hard they tried.
Xiao Wuchen blocked the entrance of the cave. He said helplessly, "Everyone, I know you all care about the Crown Prince's condition. But right now, the Crown Prince needs to rest in peace the most. Please go back first. When the Crown Prince wakes up, he will surely meet with you."
Seeing Li Zhao also outside the cave, Jiang Mian quickened her steps and walked up to him. She lowered her voice and asked,
"Dad, what's going on?"
Li Zhao sighed softly. "The commotion last night was so great. The people brought back by Zhao Hu spread the news that the Crown Prince was injured and unconscious while saving people. After the people of Dongli Town found out, they caused a stir."
Actually, this wasn't a bad thing. It was precisely because Xiao Jingcheng had done his best to save everyone that the people of Dongli Town were extremely concerned about his safety and hoped that he would be okay.
Once one person started, others followed. In the end, almost half of the people in Dongli Town rushed out. If they weren't stopped and were really allowed to rush into the cave, it would do more harm than good to Xiao Jingcheng.
After the leader was stopped, he actually understood this truth. He didn't entangle them anymore. Instead, he directly knelt down in front of the cave and kowtowed.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince single - handedly saved the lives of thousands of people in Dongli Town and helped everyone avoid a catastrophe. It's not an exaggeration to call him the reincarnation of Buddha! I, Cao Erniu, swear to the sky here. If God is blind and something happens to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I, Cao Erniu, am willing to give my life in exchange!"
"Our whole family's lives were also saved by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. We are also willing to give our lifespan to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
"God, open your eyes! Don't let those who truly care about the people lose their lives while those full of evil roam free!"
In the rain, people knelt on the ground in a large area. Everyone was kowtowing and swearing in the direction of the cave. They had just survived this natural disaster, but now they were willing to give up the most precious thing in themselves for one person.
This scene not only shocked Xiao Wuchen extremely but also surprised Li Zhao.
Xiao Jingcheng's performance during this natural disaster had earned him the sincere support and love of the people. This was a height that his father, Xiao Tianye, or his uncle, Xiao Tianchi, had never reached.
Zhao Hu originally thought these people were making a mountain out of a molehill, but the scene in front of him deeply shocked him. The back view of Xiao Jingcheng jumping into the river bravely flashed through his mind. He gritted his teeth and shouted,
"Brothers, kneel down!"
Zhao Hu and his other subordinates also knelt behind the crowd. They raised their hands and swore with the others. "If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can wake up safely, I, Zhao Hu, will wash my hands of all criminal activities from now on!"
"I will follow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, take him as an example, and devote myself to the people of the world until my last breath!"
Corporal Cui, who had been blocking the people, gritted his teeth, put down his weapon, walked to the people's side, and knelt down. "I, Cui Fu, swear here—"
One oath after another drowned out the sound of the heavy rain. Even the rain couldn't extinguish the fire of the people's vows burning in their chests.
Jiang Mian bit her lips tightly. Her eyes gradually became hot and moist.
She still remembered that not long ago, when she and the disguised Xiao Jingcheng were standing under the tree listening to the opera, the people were still scolding him for not being a good crown prince and saying that he deserved to die.
She couldn't help but look at the dark clouds in the sky.
God, can you see and hear?
He should have been the Azure Dragon soaring above the nine heavens. Please be merciful and give him a way out.
Her pupils shrank slightly, and she couldn't help but raise her hand towards the sky.
Why did she feel that the rain seemed to have become much lighter?
"Woof, woof, woof—"
There was a barking sound from behind. Jiang Mian looked in the direction of the sound. On the mountain path, a man was being chased up the mountain by the dogs. That patched Taoist robe and the goatee...
Wasn't it Taoist Yuanzheng?!