USWHC -Chapter 468 Escape (Part 8)

“This little Thirteen, why hasn’t she come yet?” Princess Lanxin muttered impatiently as she waited in the main hall.

Zhu Jie only smiled faintly and said, “She must be truly tired after all that fussing around the whole morning. If Sister is tired, why don’t we leave first and not wait for her?” she suggested kindly.

“Forget it, let’s just wait,” Princess Lanxin sighed gently. Clearly, she was only complaining a little and didn’t truly intend to leave.

Just then, Wan Yue came running in at full speed. Before she could even catch her breath, she blurted out anxiously, “Miss, something’s wrong—Princess Lanyi is missing!”

“How is that possible?” Zhu Jie replied, looking unconvinced. “You must have seen wrong. Don’t make a fool of yourself again. Why don’t you send people to search everywhere first?”

“Liu Rong is already looking, but she’s not in the side chambers, and we couldn’t find her anywhere else!” Wan Yue said even more anxiously.

Hearing this, Zhu Jie turned to Princess Lanxin and asked, “Sister, what should we do?”

Princess Lanxin hesitated. She seemed worried that it might just be a temporary disappearance and didn’t dare to summon the guards immediately. Even so, the atmosphere suddenly turned tense, and the two fell into silence.

After an unknown amount of time, even Liu Rong came rushing over in a panic. The moment she saw them, she dropped to her knees with a thud.

“Princess Lanxin, Princess Lanqin, please! Hurry and send people to save my princess! I’m afraid she’s been abducted by villains!”

Princess Lanxin was stunned. Could it really be that serious? Had someone suspicious truly infiltrated the place?

“Have you searched everywhere? Could Thirteenth Sister just be enjoying the scenery and wandered too far?” Zhu Jie still refused to believe it.

“No! Ever since the princess returned from Princess Lanqin’s place, she never left her room. We… we thought she had fallen asleep,” Liu Rong trembled all over. If the princess was truly lost, even ten heads wouldn’t be enough to save her from punishment.

Hearing this, Princess Lanxin also grew anxious. “Nothing must happen! Everyone, hurry and search!”

Just then, Zhu Jie hesitated and said, “Sister, why do I feel like something about today is rather strange?”

“What’s strange?” Princess Lanxin asked nervously, now already flustered and at a loss.

Zhu Jie lowered her voice and said, “Sister, have you ever heard the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf?”

“You told it before. What about it?” Princess Lanxin asked, puzzled.

“Thirteenth Sister has been making a fuss again and again today, insisting that I had run away. Doesn’t she resemble that child who kept crying ‘wolf’? And the guards, having been deceived repeatedly, must have already let their guard down, right?” Zhu Jie said with a mysterious smile.

Hearing this, Princess Lanxin suddenly widened her eyes. “Could it be that she wanted to run away herself, so she deliberately deceived everyone?”

“Thirteenth Sister is indeed clever—crying thief to catch thief, confusing everyone before making her move!” Zhu Jie clapped her hands as she spoke.

“Oh no! Princess Lanyi has run away—why are you all still standing there? Go after her immediately!” Princess Lanxin shouted excitedly.

The guards were all stunned. Why had it suddenly become Princess Lanyi who ran away? Were princesses of Great Liang suddenly making a trend of running away from home?

Upon hearing this, Liu Rong immediately protested, “Princess Lanxin, my princess must have been kidnapped! There’s no way she would run away on her own!”

“Is that so?” Zhu Jie said hesitantly. “I’m not so sure. Think carefully—has your princess been close to any young gentlemen recently?”

“No… not really. Our princess has always been like this,” Liu Rong muttered softly. “The second legitimate son of the Duke of Ying came to see her the day before yesterday, but I was present the whole time. The eldest illegitimate son of the Duke of Jing wanted to invite her out alone, but she only brushed him off with a few words. And although the only son of Grand Secretary Li has always shown interest in her, our princess merely teased him a few times. As for eloping with someone—there’s absolutely no such thing!”

The moment she finished speaking, everyone froze.

Even Zhu Jie’s lips twitched.

This younger sister of hers was truly something—almost like a love saint! So many noble young masters wanted to marry her… Meanwhile, as elder sisters, they might as well be waves already beaten flat upon the shore.