Chapter 93

“Your… Your Highness, let’s go quickly!”

The young eunuch snapped back to reality and hurriedly blocked the Third Prince, his expression urgent.

There were many dirty dealings in the palace, and this girl could be from any of the palaces. It’s unclear who she offended to end up tied up here.

The Third Prince was already weak and vulnerable in the palace. He couldn’t afford to get involved in any trouble!

The young eunuch was genuinely concerned about the Third Prince’s well-being.

“Mmmph! Mmmph!”

The girl on the ground burst into tears upon hearing this, unable to speak but desperately making sounds of pleading.

Seeing the intense desire for survival in the girl’s eyes, the Third Prince recalled having seen such a look in others before.

With this in mind, the Third Prince gestured for the eunuch in front of him to step aside.

The young eunuch was alarmed. “Your Highness—”

“Fuan, step aside.”

Though weak, the Third Prince’s voice was firm.

The young eunuch trembled slightly but ultimately moved aside obediently.

Approaching the girl, the Third Prince crouched down and gently asked, “Are you Miss Sheng from the Sheng family?”

The girl on the ground nodded repeatedly, letting out a series of sobbing sounds.

Yes, the girl tied up here was indeed Sheng Xiuran!

Seeing this, the Third Prince’s suspicions were confirmed.

In the harem, there were either concubines or palace maids. However, this girl was dressed gorgeously and seemed very young and unfamiliar.

The Third Prince’s mind spun. In recent times, the only newcomers to the palace were the Second Prince’s concubine and Miss Sheng from the Sheng family.

“I’ll take the cloth off your mouth now, but please don’t scream loudly, okay?”

The Third Prince’s face was pale, and his voice was weak.

Sheng Xiuran quickly nodded. She had already guessed that the weak person addressed as “Your Highness” could only be the Third Prince, born with inherent weakness.

The Third Prince reached out and removed the cloth from Sheng Xiuran’s mouth. The two young eunuchs immediately stepped forward to untie her hands and feet.

Free from her bonds, Sheng Xiuran sat up hurriedly, clutching her body tightly, clearly still shaken.

The Third Prince asked gently, “Who tied you up here?”

Tears continued to stream down Sheng Xiuran’s face as she shook her head in fear. “I don’t know. I was originally in the Chonghua Palace. A maid came to deliver a message, saying that the Second Prince summoned me. I left without any guards.”

“But then, a sack was suddenly thrown over my head, my head hurt, and I fainted. When I woke up, I was already tied up here.”

Frowning, the Third Prince pondered for a moment before saying in a low voice, “I’ll have someone escort you back to the Chonghua Palace first.”

At the mention of returning to the Chonghua Palace, Sheng Xiuran trembled all over and grabbed the Third Prince’s sleeve without hesitation.

“No! Third Prince, I don’t want to go back to the Chonghua Palace. Can you take me away from here? Can you send me out of the palace? I don’t want to go back!”

Sheng Xiuran’s face was filled with panic and fear, making the Third Prince momentarily stunned.

Wasn’t it said that the Second Prince admired Miss Sheng greatly and even pleaded with the Emperor for her sake to take her as a concubine?

Why did it seem like things weren’t so simple…

“Third Prince, I beg you. I’ll do anything for you, just don’t send me back! The person who tied me up once can do it again!”

Seeing the Third Prince hesitating, Sheng Xiuran suddenly bit her lip and lowered her voice.

“Third Prince, I know a huge secret. I swear it’s significant, and you must want to know.”

“Take me away, as long as I can safely leave the palace, I will definitely tell you the secret!”

Sheng Xiuran was at her wits’ end. She had seen the Second Prince’s ruthlessness; there was no way she could go back.

She knew that telling the Third Prince the secret was not a wise move, but it was her only bargaining chip. She had to take the risk!

The Third Prince did not show much interest upon hearing this. He was indifferent to the palace’s intrigues and didn’t know how long he would live. Any secret held little appeal to him.

Seeing this, Sheng Xiuran gritted her teeth and finally spoke seriously, “This secret is related to the throne!”

The two young eunuchs beside her suddenly covered their mouths in shock.

This Miss Sheng from the Sheng family was not afraid to speak out boldly. Could she fabricate such a huge lie?

“Your Highness, please believe me. I’m also doing this to save my life. If you find out later that I lied to you, you can take my life at any time!”

Looking up, Sheng Xiuran pleaded with the Third Prince, tears falling like beads.

This was her last straw for survival!

The Third Prince looked at Sheng Xiuran intently, as if considering something.

After a while, he turned to the young eunuch and said, “Fuan, I can’t walk anymore. Have someone reliable bring a sedan chair here as soon as possible.”

Fuan was shocked to hear this. Was His Highness really going to take Miss Sheng from the Sheng family away?

“Your Highness, this—”

“Hurry!”

The Third Prince’s tone grew stern, and he couldn’t help but cough heavily.

Seeing this, Fuan hurriedly said, “Yes, yes, Your Highness, please don’t be angry. I’ll go right away!”

Fuan scurried away in a panic.

Sheng Xiuran trembled all over when she heard this, crying out, “Third Prince, thank you! Thank you!”

The banquet was still going on for a long time, and there were few people around here. The Third Prince sat quietly with Sheng Xiuran for a while until Fuan’s voice came from afar.

“That’s enough, stop here. Turn around, all of you.”

Hearing this, the Third Prince knew the sedan chair had arrived. He turned to Sheng Xiuran and said, “Miss Sheng, I’ll have to trouble you to ride with me later.”

Sheng Xiuran quickly shook her head. Her once bright face was now covered in dust and tears, and she still clung tightly to the Third Prince’s sleeve, refusing to let go.

“Xiuran is the daughter of a criminal, while Your Highness is noble, a dragon among men. It’s me who is causing inconvenience.”

“A dragon among men?”

The Third Prince repeated these words with a self-deprecating smile.

“Miss Sheng, let’s go.”

Sheng Xiuran followed closely behind the Third Prince. As they walked out of the fake mountain, everyone had already turned their backs and stood far away.

She followed the Third Prince into the sedan chair cautiously, only to realize the space inside was narrow and cramped, making it impossible to move.

Sheng Xiuran’s face turned red. After the danger had passed, she remembered the barrier between men and women.

The Third Prince was also taken aback. He hadn’t considered this before, but now…

“Forget it, it’s just a temporary measure. Let’s squeeze together, Miss Sheng.”

The Third Prince moved aside slightly.

Inside the sedan, the air was stuffy, and Sheng Xiuran’s face turned red to the point where she seemed to be bleeding. She sat carefully on one side, holding onto the sedan wall tightly with both hands.

Their sleeves brushed against each other, and they ended up pressed against each other.

After a while, Sheng Xiuran spoke softly, “Third Prince, I am still a maiden. I’m saying this not with any other intention but to hope you don’t find me dirty…”

The once proud Sheng family daughter, who had undergone great changes and nearly lost her life, had finally softened her sharp edges in the face of losing all her relatives and having to survive on her own.

After saying these words, her eyes became slightly sour, and tears almost fell.

Little did she know, after a while, the sedan chair was lifted. The Third Prince’s low voice suddenly sounded:

“Others… they all find me dirty too…”