Chapter - 17

Yu Xiang changed a camellia flower here and there, causing Xiao Qiu to cry out in surprise. She didn't feel wronged when she swindled the whole box of pastries into her stomach. Instead, she stuck to her and refused to leave.

The old mama was ordered to bring the Ninth Princess to interact with the noble ladies. Seeing her hiding in a corner and refusing to move, she was a bit anxious.

The Ninth Princess was antisocial and extremely afraid of strangers. Unlike the other princesses, she didn't choose a study companion. Her Majesty the Empress could choose, but she had to like the person. In order to prevent the noble ladies from fawning over her and frightening her, Her Majesty the Empress specially changed her into the most ordinary dress.

If there were still noble ladies who were willing to befriend the Ninth Princess without knowing the inside story and obtain the Ninth Princess's favor, this matter could be considered complete.

The old mama's heart became lively, but when she swept her gaze over Yu Xiang's leg, she hesitated again. This must be Marquis Yongle's di daughter. She sacrificed herself to save her brother. Her conduct was unquestionable, and she was also very quick-witted and intelligent. The difficult part was her leg. Entering the palace every day as a study companion was a pleasant task for others, but for her, it was a kind of torture.

Forget it, she would go back and report to Her Majesty the Empress and let her make a decision.

At this time, Yu Xiang, who still didn't know Xiao Qiu's identity, lifted the blanket to let the other party see her injured leg.

Xiao Qiu squatted down and slowly reached out with her finger. She lightly poked it and then was greatly surprised. "It's soft!"

So this rotten child thought that her leg was made of wood, so she couldn't walk! Yu Xiang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She pinched the tender flesh on her cheek and said, "Of course it's soft!"

"Then why can't it walk?" The Ninth Princess blinked her large round eyes.

"Do you see? There were originally two gemstones here, but they were broken by bad people. I have to find a suitable gemstone to replace them with before I can walk. "Yu Xiang pointed at her kneecap and spoke carelessly. She couldn't explain the principles of medicine to a seven or eight year old child. Moreover, she would definitely be asked more questions until she went crazy.

The old mama's mouth twitched. She had never seen a young lady who was so good at making up stories.

The little ball was dumbstruck when it heard this. It kept fumbling around on Yu Xiang's kneecap as if it was looking at a miracle. After a long while, it straightened up, untied the pouch at its waist and handed it over. "Here you go!"

A dark light flashed in the old nanny's eyes.

Yu Xiang took the pouch and looked through it. Then, he chuckled. There were a few large gemstones inside. There were jadeite, colorful tourmaline, sparkling and translucent crystals, and smooth and glossy chalcedony. They were all very valuable. This child was too adorable!

"Hurry up and change!" Little Ball poked her arm and urged.

Yu Xiang shook his head. "These gems are not suitable." She reached out to rub the child's disappointed expression and said with a smile, "But I still have to thank Little Ball. Don't worry, my brother will help me find a suitable gem. One day, I will stand up again. "

As she spoke, she tied the purse back to the child's waist and glanced at the old nanny with a faint smile. What did this person take her, Yu Xiang, for? A piece of trash who made up stories to cheat a child's money? In her previous life, even the shoes she wore were studded with diamonds. Why would she care about such a small thing? Ridiculous.

The old nanny lowered her head, feeling very embarrassed. The graceful bearing and forceful aura of the young lady raised by the Eternal Joy Marquis Manor was indeed the same as the young marquis's. On the other hand, she had a small nose and small eyes that were not presentable. If niang niang knew, she would be so ashamed that she wanted to die.

Little Ball couldn't see the undercurrent between the two. She stroked the pouch in disappointment and asked, "How do you put it in after you find it?"

"Here, like this." Yu Xiang put a copper coin in the palm of her hand and patted it on her kneecap. When she opened her hand again, the copper coin disappeared without a trace.

Little Ball stared blankly at it.

Yu Xiang patted her kneecap again and put her white palm under her eyes. The copper coin rested on her palm again.

Little Ball sucked in a breath. Four words appeared on her forehead — — You're a real god!

Even the experienced and knowledgeable old nanny was greatly amazed. She thought to herself that in the entire capital, there was no one more intelligent than Marquis Yongle, the legitimate daughter. What a pity, what a pity …

The crown prince pointed at Yu Xiang, who was stuffing the copper coin into his little sister's pouch, and said in a low voice, "It's a pity for your little sister!" She was so intelligent, cheerful, and open-minded. She also had many wonderful ideas. If the current noble ladies were like meticulous and meticulous paintings, Yu Xiang was like a splash-ink painting, casual and free. She could accommodate all kinds of rich and unruly colors.

If her legs were intact, how graceful would she be in a few years? The crown prince shook his head regretfully.

Yu Pinyan's sculpted face finally showed a hint of pain. He thought: Even if I owe anyone in this life, I can't afford to owe Xiang'er anything.

Little Ball was amused. She grabbed onto Yu Xiang and let her continue her performance. Fortunately, her legs gradually lost feeling as her wounds healed. Otherwise, Yu Xiang would be in unspeakable pain right now. She patted and patted and changed. On the 23rd time, she finally broke down. She pointed at the bright lanterns not far away and asked hopefully, "Let's go see the palace lanterns?"

Little Ball pursed her lips. Her eyes revealed a panicked and uneasy expression.

Yu Xiang seemed to have understood something. This child was very antisocial and afraid of strangers. No wonder she was willing to stay in a corner with her. If it was another seven or eight year old child, they would have already run away like a monkey.

"How about we walk along the small path and look at the lanterns through the corridor?" She didn't want to pat her kneecaps again even if she was beaten to death. As the saying goes, 'Lift a rock and smash your own foot'. Today, she took out a copper coin and patted her own foot. The nature of her suffering was the same.

Little Ball stood on her tiptoes to take a look. Flowers and trees were planted on both sides of the path, making the shadows indistinct. There was also a narrow corridor separating the crowd. Not only was it quiet, but one could also see the bright lights on the opposite side through the window. It was a good place to go. She pondered for a moment and slowly nodded.

Yu Xiang hurriedly asked the two young maidservants to push her wheelchair. When she turned around, she patted her chest in relief. However, she didn't know that the old nanny and her two elder brothers were already laughing in secret. She was such an astute person, but she was still completely under Little Ball's control. Sure enough, there was always something to subdue her!

The two of them walked quietly for a while. They saw that there were also a few palace lanterns hanging on the osmanthus tree in front of them. Because the place was too remote, no one noticed them. The two of them walked over and pretended to admire the lanterns for a moment. Yu Xiang shook her head. "These words aren't as good as my brother's."

"They're also not as good as my brother's!" Little Ball nodded seriously.

Yu Xiang glanced at her and pointed at another lantern. "This painting isn't as good as my brother's. The artistic conception is far inferior!"

"They're also not as good as my brother's! My brother is the best! You're the best! "Little Ball gave a thumbs up, but felt that it wasn't enough and gave another one.

"My brother is also the best! You're the best!" Yu Xiang mischievously argued with her.

"Your brother isn't good!" Little Ball was a bit anxious and her little chubby hands moved quickly.

"Your brother isn't good either!" Yu Xiang was laughing in her heart, but on the surface, she put on a proud expression. This little brat was really interesting to tease. Look, her eyes were red with anger, but her mouth was clumsy and she couldn't speak.

Little Ball stammered for a long time before finally squeezing out a sentence. "Your brother, your brother isn't as good as my brother!"

"Your brother isn't as good as my brother!" Yu Xiang quickly retorted. Seeing Little Ball sniffing her little nose and pouting her little mouth, revealing a cute crying face, she was laughing so hard in her heart that she almost couldn't breathe.

The old mama glanced at her with a sympathetic gaze and inwardly sneered: If this little girl knew that her master's brother was the current crown prince, who knows if she would faint from fright.

Yu Xiang's bad taste was satisfied and she hurriedly pulled Little Ball to her side. She vigorously rubbed her head and coaxed her in a good voice, "Okay, okay, okay, your brother is the best! You're the best! In every little sister's heart, their brother is the best. Both of our brothers are the best! "

Little Ball thought for a moment and smiled through her tears.

This child also has a brother complex. No wonder we hit it off so well. Yu Xiang pinched the tip of her red nose and also smiled.

Only the heavens knew that the truth of the matter was a strange auntie bullying a little child to satisfy her own bad taste. But in the eyes of the bystanders, it was two cute little girls defending their elder brother. The scene couldn't be more warm and cute.

Not to mention that the old nanny's stern face softened, even the two brothers who were hiding in the dark couldn't wait to rush up and hold their baby in their arms and dote on her.

The two of them reconciled and continued to walk around the osmanthus tree. Soon, they reached the end of the corridor. Without the brick wall and the hollow window lattice blocking them, the dim flickering light and the sound of laughter and playing rushed over. A phoenix -shaped palace lantern hung from the highest point of the eaves. The outer shell was wrapped in colorful crystals and the base was inlaid with all kinds of gems. Under the flickering candlelight, the lantern cast specks of colorful light. The effect was even more dazzling than a disco ball light.

Yu Xiang couldn't help but take a few more glances.

Little Ball excitedly shouted, "Ah, that's my lantern! I have to take it back! " She took two steps and saw the crowd in front of her. She slowly retreated and her little face revealed a sad expression.

"It's a pity that my brother isn't here. Otherwise, I could help you win it." Yu Xiang only thought that the child had taken a liking to that palace lantern and shook her head regretfully.

That was the lantern king tonight. It could be taken away by someone, but the prerequisite was that they passed the empress' test. The test required two people to complete together. One person would be on the temporary balcony and pick out a few items that the palace servant had specified and put them into a box, letting the other person guess. The first time, it was one of two. The second time, it was one of three. In the end, it was one of twelve. Each time, it was guessed that the side would take the lantern king home.

There was no doubt that the empress's item was valuable. It was definitely rare in the world. Many people's eyes turned red. They all jumped onto the stage, but all of them returned empty-handed.

The first time, the success rate was 50%. The second time, it was 33%. The third time, it was 20% … and they couldn't make a single mistake. After calculating, the success rate was less than one in a hundred thousand. It was as difficult as buying a lottery ticket. Unless the two really had telepathy or bribed the palace servant to cheat, it was impossible to pass this test.