Xue'er reacted very quickly. She shook off his hand and replied crisply.
"Your Highness, we've never met before."
The Third Prince beside them was stunned. Were the people of Qi so bold?
Princess Kaiyun couldn't help but support her forehead and smile wryly. Her son was really a headache. He just liked to tease pretty little girls.
"A Li, come here. Stop making a fool of yourself."
Princess Kaiyun pretended to be angry and frowned.
But the Heir Apparent Li winked at Xue'er, then turned to his mother, who was about to get angry, and said playfully, "Mother, I'm not making a fool of myself. I really think this younger sister Xue'er looks familiar. Don't you think her facial features are a bit like yours?"
Princess Kaiyun was taken aback and blinked.
She looked at Xue'er seriously.
After the heir apparent said this, everyone involuntarily looked at Xue'er and Princess Kaiyun. Only then did they notice that Xue'er's big, bright black eyes did bear a resemblance to the princess's.
As she looked, a strange feeling welled up in Princess Kaiyun's heart.
Xue'er's facial features didn't resemble hers, but the Emperor's.
Especially when those pure black pupils stared directly at her.
Sharp, looking straight into one's heart.
"Beautiful people always look alike. Is that what you wanted to say, A Li?" Princess Kaiyun forced out a few laughs and changed the topic, but in her heart, she immediately began to think more deeply.
"Yes, younger sister Xue'er will surely be a rare great beauty when she grows up."
The Heir Apparent Li's words of praise came easily. He didn't feel the least bit shy when saying them, nor did he seem frivolous.
Moreover, because he was just a child, it sounded especially innocent and interesting.
Xue'er lowered her head shyly.
Yu Jia straightened her back and seriously accepted the compliment on Xue'er's behalf. "Of course she will."
"Since the Heir Apparent Li and Xue'er get along well, why don't we go to the grassland to shoot arrows together?" The Third Prince took the opportunity to pick up the conversation.
Princess Kaiyun just wanted to get rid of her little devil son quickly. With a beaming smile, she said, "Go quickly. It's good for you young ones to play together."
So, after saluting Princess Kaiyun, the group went to the archery area in the middle of the grassland.
They chatted and laughed merrily, making quite a ruckus.
In the grandstand, the Second Prince was guarding beside the Imperial Concubine. His eyes were full of disdain, yet also tinged with a hint of envy. Just as he was about to go over and join them, the Imperial Concubine grabbed him.
The Imperial Concubine's voice was sharp, like a needle prick.
"What are you going there for? Sit still. Archery is also very dangerous. Who knows what accidents might happen."
The Second Prince was puzzled by these words.
He looked at his birth mother in confusion. The Imperial Concubine's face was full of an unfathomable smile.
On the grassland, the sun was shining brightly.
The sun had come out today, making it much warmer than the previous few days. Although the cold wind still blew, the fragrance of the green grass was very pleasant.
Among the four, only Xue'er knew nothing about archery.
She held the well - made arrow in her hand and tried very hard to learn. Since her mother had almost had an accident last time, she thought it was good to learn archery. Maybe she could protect herself and her mother in critical moments.
Just as Xue'er was practicing, a soft voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
"Little sister Xue'er, how old are you?"
The Heir Apparent Li wasn't very interested in his cousin. Instead, he kept pestering Xue'er with questions.
Xue'er replied generously, "I'll be five soon."
"Two years younger than me. That's great, great." As the Heir Apparent Li said this, he used his hands to demonstrate how to shoot arrows to Xue'er.
"Ahem..."
Seeing this, Yu Jia, like Xue'er's protector, immediately came up and pushed the Heir Apparent Li away, always on guard to prevent him from touching Xue'er.
The Third Prince was standing in front of the target, watching them, silently keeping an eye on them. To be precise, he was only keeping an eye on the Heir Apparent Li.
If it weren't for his mother's repeated instructions to entertain this Heir Apparent Li well, he wouldn't have liked this young master who was like a butterfly.
He was so young but so frivolous.
He would hold a little girl's hand at the drop of a hat.
It was a good thing the Emperor wasn't here, or he would surely have taught this stupid boy a lesson.
He would probably grow up to be a good - for - nothing dandy.
He was holding an arrow in his hand. The blue arrowhead was very eye - catching. It was smaller than ordinary arrows and very suitable for children to practice with.
The Third Prince also shot two arrows casually and hit the bull's - eye.
Xue'er didn't want to watch Yu Jia and the Heir Apparent Li bicker.
"Your Highness Li, Xue'er doesn't need you to teach like this. Yu Jia can teach me."
Xue'er politely declined the Heir Apparent Li.
"Oh?"
The Heir Apparent Li gave a soft laugh. "Is younger sister Yu Jia very good at archery? Why did only two of the arrows she shot just now hit the target?"
His voice trailed off softly.
But it sounded like a contemptuous laugh to Yu Jia's ears.
But maintaining the demeanor of a princess of a country, she didn't want to be too impolite. She found an excuse for herself. "The target is too far from this princess. Moreover, there are differences in physical strength between men and women. Your Highness, don't make fun of Yu Jia."
So the Heir Apparent Li took a few steps back and assumed a humble and polite posture. "How about redrawing the line? You stand here to shoot."
It seemed that he just couldn't get along with Yu Jia.
"It's still too far..."
Yu Jia shouted loudly, then turned to Xue'er and smiled. "Xue'er, go over and try. Don't be afraid."
"Okay..."
Xue'er also took a few steps forward.
Just as she was about to reach the Heir Apparent Li, suddenly her ears twitched. A faint sound suddenly exploded from somewhere, like the soft sound of fireworks burning.
She suddenly opened her eyes wide and looked into the distance.
A spark exploded from the target.
And the Third Prince was leaning against the target, wiping his arrow.
"Third Prince, be careful!"
"The target exploded."
Xue'er shouted loudly.
The moment she shouted, not only that one target, but also several other targets around exploded with a series of bangs. The targets on the grassland all exploded and caught fire.
A big fire broke out on the ground.
The cold wind blew the flames in all directions.
"Xue'er!"
Yu Jia wanted to go over and pull Xue'er back, but she was held by the palace servants who had rushed over and was taken away from the burning area.
Xue'er rushed forward with her head down and pulled the stunned Heir Apparent Li. The flames had even splashed onto his hair, but he was still standing there stupidly. Xue'er was so angry when she saw it. He was just like a fool.
"Third Prince!"
"Ahem..."
Maybe Xue'er's shout was in time. The Third Prince squatted down, but the flames splashed onto his clothes and instantly set them on fire.
"The place is on fire..."
The grassland was on fire. The palace servants quickly rushed to save people. Some fetched water while others tried to put out the fire. In an instant, everything was in chaos.
The moment Consort Jia saw the Third Prince on fire, she was so scared that she lost her wits. She rushed over without caring about her dignity or image.
The Imperial Concubine made a prompt decision and immediately shouted.
"Put out the fire! Go and put out the fire first..."
Princess Kaiyun was already in a state of despair. She lifted her skirt and rushed over. "Quick, go and save A Li. Hurry up."
The sun was shining brightly, but thick smoke was billowing. The whole drill ground was in complete chaos.
On the other side, Lan Miao opened her eyes hazily.
She saw a hasty figure walking away from her.