The late emperor simply couldn't bear to see his younger sister end up in such a situation. He was reluctant to let her be humiliated in a foreign country, so he brought her back to their motherland.
Later, there were rumors that after Princess Shangyang was brought back to the country, she became a nun in a nunnery. Some said she lived in seclusion. But perhaps only the late emperor knew her real whereabouts.
Now, looking at this woman, although her clothes were ordinary, her stunning and noble aura between her eyebrows couldn't be concealed. One could tell from her every frown, smile, and gesture that she was no ordinary woman.
That's why Helian Qi had such a conjecture.
After hearing this, the woman burst into wild laughter. Then she walked over, touched his head, and said with a hooked lip, "Sure enough, you're my good nephew. You guessed it so quickly."
This woman was indeed the legendary Princess Shangyang, Helian Wan'er, of the Dongsheng Kingdom.
All the people standing by were so shocked that their jaws almost dropped. Everyone here had heard of the name of Princess Shangyang.
Back then, she was the most beautiful woman in the entire Dongsheng Kingdom. Even people from foreign courts wanted to catch a glimpse of her beauty. Later, by some strange twist of fate, she married into the Western Regions Kingdom, but finally ended up in such a miserable situation. It was truly a pity.
"I never expected it to be Princess Shangyang! I'm so stupid that I failed to recognize the princess's beauty," General Lian said.
He had met the princess a few times in his early years. At that time, he was still young and thought the princess was incredibly beautiful.
"It doesn't matter, General Lian. I've changed so much. It's normal that you didn't recognize me," Princess Shangyang said.
Hearing this, General Lian's eyes turned red. He didn't expect that after all these years, the princess still remembered an old fellow like him.
Helian Qi looked at the woman in front of him, his mind full of thoughts. He still remembered that when he was a child, he and his younger brother liked nothing more than being with their aunt.
Their aunt had a bold and straightforward personality. She could always come up with some novel ideas and tell some strange and interesting folk tales, which always made the two brothers happy.
But now, things had changed. He didn't even recognize the person in front of him at first sight.
"I never expected Qi'er to have grown so big. You're still as cold and aloof as when you were a child," Princess Shangyang said, with a little bit of moisture in her eyes.
Helian Qi was also touched. Then the two of them started talking about what had happened last night.
Last night, after Aunt Wan'er saved those two people, Helian Rong had already regained consciousness. When he saw the person in front of him, he was on high alert and wanted to fight back, but she easily subdued him with a reverse hand. Then she said, "Just accept the treatment obediently, or I'll throw you back into the forest!"
Only then did he realize that he had been saved. So he calmed down. Then he heard the old man beside him say, "Thanks to that girl who quickly applied the snake gall to your wound, you managed to avoid the poison from seeping into your bones."
"Where's that girl?" he shouted. Only then did he realize that the girl they were talking about was Dongfang Yi.
"You're really infatuated. You still remember your beautiful sweetheart," the woman said with a teasing look in her eyes and a playfulness beyond her age.
Helian Rong blushed after hearing this. Then, as if realizing something, he retorted, "Don't talk nonsense. That woman is my emperor... sister - in - law. How could there be any talk of missing her?"
Princess Shangyang looked at the man in front of her. She knew he was a poor and infatuated man. So she replied, "That beautiful girl is fine. She'll be okay after a day's rest."
Only then did Helian Rong feel relieved. Then he asked, "May I ask who you are, madam? I'll surely come with gifts to repay your kindness of saving our lives."
He was truly grateful. If it weren't for their help, he and the queen might have died in the deep pit.
The woman just smiled faintly and said, "I'm just a country girl. It's not worth mentioning, and there's no need to thank me." Then she walked outside.
Outside, Old Liu came over in a hurry. He took out something from his bosom and said, "Your Highness, look at this."
The thing was a jade pendant with the word "Helian" carved on it. She was very familiar with this jade pendant because she also had one just like it. This was an item that the royal children were given at birth to show their identities.
So it could be said that the man lying inside was from the royal family, and the woman was the current emperor's concubine.
After thinking about this, her heart started pounding wildly. How many years had it been since she last saw her relatives? When her elder brother, the emperor, passed away, she couldn't even go to pay her respects. This was a pain in her life. Thinking of this, her eyes turned red. She had so many involuntary circumstances that made her hide here for decades.
After thinking it over, she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and returned to the room just now. Looking at the man lying on the bed, she thought to herself that he must be Rong'er.
Even though she never stepped out of the forest, she still knew what was going on in the outside world. She knew that her elder brother's eldest son, Helian Qi, had inherited the throne, and the second son was a heroic figure on the battlefield.
Now, the man in front of her kept calling "sister - in - law", so the woman he was protecting should be Qi'er's concubine.
After thinking this, she called out, "Rong'er!"
Helian Rong immediately turned his head. There were few people in the world who could call him like this. So who on earth was this madam?
Thinking so, he asked, "Who on earth are you?!"
The woman just smiled softly. There was beauty in her eyes. Then she joked, "Silly boy, have you forgotten your aunt already?!"
"Aunt?!" Helian Rong frowned and thought for a while. He stared at the woman in front of him without blinking. The more he looked, the more familiar she seemed. Finally, her face completely overlapped with the one in his memory.
"Aunt, it's really you!" he exclaimed. Then he wanted to jump out of bed, but he almost fell to the ground because of his leg wound.
Helian Wan'er quickly walked over and supported him. Then she scolded, "You're so grown - up. Why are you still so reckless?"
After hearing this, Helian Rong's nose started to feel sour. Scenes from the past flashed through his mind. It was as if he had recalled the days when she played with him.
"We all thought you were no longer in this world. Why are you here now?!" he said with a slight sob.
Helian Wan'er sighed. She didn't want to tell him everything at this moment. Instead, she patted his head and said, "Silly boy, isn't your aunt safe and sound?"
Seeing that his aunt didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to ask too much. Anyway, there would be plenty of time in the future. She would surely open her heart to him one day. Thinking of this, he felt relieved.
Just as the two of them were talking, Old Liu rushed in from outside. Then he said to them, "The girl next door has woken up!"