Starting in Exile: Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Lucky Little Wife

Chapter 286 Unexpected Interlude

The villa on the outskirts of Xiqi Kingdom, bathed in the warm spring sunshine, resembled a tranquil and peaceful pastoral painting.

Mu Qingling, holding a watering can, was carefully watering the flowers and plants in the garden. Under her meticulous care, the delicate flowers appeared even more vibrant.

Not far away, Xiao Han sat in the pavilion, leisurely sipping tea and admiring the spring scenery, a contented smile on his face.

"Qingling, come over and have some tea, take a rest." Xiao Han beckoned to Mu Qingling, his voice full of tenderness.

Mu Qingling put down the watering can, wiped her hands with a handkerchief, and replied with a smile, "You're here. These flowers are still very delicate; water them more so they can bloom more beautifully." With that, she walked gracefully into the pavilion and sat down next to Xiao Han.

Just as the two were enjoying this peaceful moment, a faint cry for help came from outside the manor. "Help...help..." The voice was intermittent, filled with despair and pain.

Mu Qingling and Xiao Han exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise and worry flashing in their eyes. "It sounds like someone is calling for help, let's go check it out." Xiao Han stood up and walked towards the manor gate, with Mu Qingling following closely behind.

The two men opened the gate and saw a young man lying in a pool of blood, his body riddled with wounds, his clothes stained crimson with blood. The man was pale, his eyes were closed, and his breath was extremely weak.

"How did this child get so badly injured? Quick, carry him into the manor!" Mu Qingling was extremely anxious and hurriedly ordered the servants. Everyone hurriedly carried the man into the manor and settled him on a bed in a guest room.

Xiao Han immediately sent someone to fetch a doctor, while Mu Qingling personally cleaned the man's wounds. She carefully wiped the blood off the man's body with warm water, her eyes filled with heartache: "Who on earth did this? How could they be so cruel?"

A short while later, the doctor rushed over. After a careful examination, the doctor frowned and said, "Most of this young master's injuries are knife wounds, but fortunately none of them are vital. However, he has lost a lot of blood and needs to recuperate properly." With that, the doctor wrote out several prescriptions and instructed him to take them on time.

Under Mu Qingling and Xiao Han's meticulous care, the man's injuries gradually improved. A few days later, the man slowly opened his eyes. "Where am I?" he asked weakly, his eyes filled with confusion.

Seeing this, Mu Qingling quickly stepped forward and gently comforted her, "Child, you were at our villa. You were seriously injured, and we rescued you. What's your name? How did you get so badly hurt?"

The man struggled to get up, but Mu Qingling quickly stopped him, saying, "You're still weak, lie down first." The man looked at Mu Qingling gratefully and said, "My name is Lin Yu. I was attacked by a group of robbers. They stole my belongings and tried to kill me to cover it up. If it weren't for you and this old man saving me, I would be dead."

Mu Qingling and Xiao Han were outraged upon hearing this. "These bandits are too rampant. They dared to do such a heinous thing in broad daylight," Xiao Han said, frowning.

Lin Yu's eyes reddened, and he choked out, "Thank you both so much for saving my life. I have no way to repay your kindness. Once I recover, I will do anything to repay you."

Mu Qingling smiled and said, "Child, don't say that. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda; it's what we should do. Just focus on recovering and we'll make plans when you've fully recovered."

In the days that followed, Lin Yu recuperated peacefully at the villa. Mu Qingling personally brewed medicine for him every day and prepared a variety of nutritious meals for him. Xiao Han often chatted with him, comforting him and rekindling his hope for life.

As Lin Yu spent more time with the elderly couple, he noticed their extraordinary demeanor and air of authority. He couldn't help but wonder who they were, but out of gratitude and respect, he didn't ask further.

However, just as Lin Yu's injuries were about to heal, a group of mysterious men suddenly arrived at the villa. They were dressed in black, masked, and wielding sharp blades, exuding a menacing aura. "Hand over Lin Yu, or don't blame us for being impolite," the leader of the men in black said viciously.

Mu Qingling and Xiao Han stood at the entrance of the manor, their faces grim. "Who are you people? Why are you looking for Lin Yu?" Xiao Han questioned.

The man in black sneered, "Hmph, this has nothing to do with you. If you know what's good for you, hand over the person now, or you won't have an easy time either."

Mu Qingling stood fearless, blocking Xiao Han's way: "This is our villa, how dare you run wild here. If you want to take Lin Yu away, you'll have to step over us first."

Just as the two sides were deadlocked, Lin Yu walked out of the manor. "I've dragged you two into this. I'll go with you." Lin Yu's gaze was firm; he didn't want to cause trouble for Mu Qingling and Xiao Han because of himself.

"No!" Mu Qingling and Xiao Han said in unison. "Child, now that we've saved you, we won't let you fall into the hands of bad people again." Mu Qingling looked at Lin Yu with eyes full of love.

Just at this critical moment, nearby villagers, hearing the commotion, rushed to help. Armed with hoes, carrying poles, and other farm tools, they stood behind Mu Qingling and Xiao Han, confronting the men in black. Seeing the situation was dire, the men in black dared not act rashly and could only slink away.

After this incident, Lin Yu's gratitude towards Mu Qingling and Xiao Han deepened even further. He also secretly resolved to find out the truth and uncover the mastermind behind it all.

The night in the Nanzhao Kingdom was as thick as ink, and all was silent. Only the lights of the royal palace remained bright.

Xiao Jingchuan had just finished handling government affairs in the Imperial Study and was preparing to rest when an urgent confidential letter broke the tranquility of the night.

When he opened the secret letter and saw its contents, his expression instantly turned serious—his father, Xiao Han, and mother, Mu Qingling, had encountered a threat from unidentified men in black at their village on the outskirts of the city.

"Prepare the horses!" Xiao Jingchuan ordered without hesitation. He knew the situation was urgent and dared not delay for even a moment. Seeing his serious expression, his personal guards dared not ask any questions and quickly prepared the horses.

Night had fallen over the entire Nanzhao Kingdom, and the roads were rugged and difficult to traverse. Xiao Jingchuan was frantic, his only thought being to reach the manor as quickly as possible to ensure his parents' safety. The sound of hooves was particularly loud in the quiet night, startling the birds perched on the branches.

After riding for an unknown amount of time, the outline of the manor finally came into Xiao Jingchuan's sight. The manor gate was tightly closed, and all around was quiet, but Xiao Jingchuan's emotions were far from calm. He dismounted and knocked hard on the manor gate.

"Who is it?" came a wary voice from inside the manor.

"I am Xiao Jingchuan, open the door quickly!" Xiao Jingchuan's voice was urgent and loud.

The gate slowly opened, and the guard breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Xiao Jingchuan: "Your Highness, you've finally arrived."

Xiao Jingchuan strode into the manor and went straight to the courtyard where his parents lived. In the courtyard, Xiao Han and Mu Qingling were sitting in the pavilion, looking somewhat tired but otherwise unharmed. Lin Yu stood to the side, his face full of guilt.

"Father, Mother, I am late!" Xiao Jingchuan stepped forward quickly and knelt on one knee.

Mu Qingling looked at her son with heartache and quickly got up to help him up: "Jingchuan, why are you here? You must be exhausted from traveling so late."

Seeing that his parents were safe and sound, Xiao Jingchuan finally felt relieved: "Your son received a secret letter and learned that something had happened at the manor. I was extremely anxious and dared not delay for a moment. Father, Mother, it is good that you are alright."

Xiao Han nodded slightly, his expression grave: "Jingchuan, we were able to escape unharmed thanks to the villagers' help. But these men in black have ill intentions and I'm afraid they won't let this go."

Xiao Jingchuan's gaze was cold as he surveyed his surroundings: "Father, rest assured, I will never let them harm you again. Lin Yu, tell me the whole story in detail."

Lin Yu stepped forward and recounted to Xiao Jingchuan in detail how he was injured, rescued, and how the men in black came to his door. After listening, Xiao Jingchuan fell into deep thought: "It seems that this group of people are after Lin Yu. There might be other hidden motives behind this."

“Jingchuan, this child has a pitiful background and is injured. We can’t just stand by and watch him be hurt by bad people,” Mu Qingling said.

Xiao Jingchuan nodded: "Mother, rest assured, your son will investigate this matter thoroughly, give Lin Yu an explanation, and restore peace to you all."

Subsequently, Xiao Jingchuan arranged for a group of elite guards to be stationed at the manor to strengthen defenses. He also ordered people to secretly investigate the identity and origin of the man in black.

"Lin Yu, focus on recovering from your injuries. Stay at the manor until the matter is fully investigated," Xiao Jingchuan said to Lin Yu.

Lin Yu looked at Xiao Jingchuan gratefully: "Thank you, Your Highness. I have no way to repay you. If needed, I am willing to go through fire and water."

After everything was settled, it was already late at night. Xiao Jingchuan wanted to return to the palace immediately to continue investigating the matter, but Mu Qingling felt sorry for her son and insisted that he stay and rest for the night. Xiao Jingchuan couldn't refuse his mother, so he had to agree.

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the estate, and everything returned to calm. Xiao Jingchuan rose early and bid farewell to Xiao Han and Mu Qingling: "Father, Mother, I will return to the palace now to investigate this matter. You must be extra careful, and if anything happens, immediately send someone to inform me."

"Jingchuan, please be careful too," Mu Qingling reminded him.

Xiao Jingchuan mounted his steed and galloped towards the palace.