After traveling through time, I became a princess in ancient times

"Uncle Lin, I have to go to Beiling County now. I'll leave the affairs of the mansion and the hot pot restaurant to you. If the prince asks, just say I went to pick up Xiaoxiao."

The morning sun shone on Xia Yurou's gentle face, adding a bit of warmth to her cool temperament.

Steward Lin said respectfully: "Yes, Princess."

He escorted Xia Yurou out of the palace, feeling deeply moved: Although Princess Chen is a woman, she is as capable as any man. Not only is she skilled in martial arts, she is also thoughtful and has deep feelings for the prince.

Xiaoxue followed closely behind Xia Yurou with her bag on her back. The master and servant got on the carriage one after another. The wheels rolled on the bluestone slabs, making rhythmic sounds.

Looking at the scenery gradually receding outside the car window, Xia Yurou's heart was full of anticipation. She was finally going to pick up Xiaoxiao, and a smile involuntarily rose at the corner of her mouth.

Seeing the princess's happy face, Xiaoxue approached curiously and asked, "Miss, who is Xiaoxiao to you? Why did you come all the way to pick her up in person?"

The bright sunshine brought a gentle smile to Xia Yurou's eyes. "Last time, the prince and I met a little girl there. She lived with her grandmother and lived a very hard life. Xiaoxiao is a very sensible child. I like her very much, so I plan to bring the two of them to my house and let Xiaoxiao learn to read and write with you in the future."

"Don't worry, young lady. I will take care of Xiao Xiao like a younger sister and make sure to train her into a talented girl."

The carriage sped along the winding road. As Xia Yurou urged, the whip in the driver's hand drew a sharp arc in the air, making a crisp "snapping" sound.

The horse felt the threat of the whip, and a flash of fear flashed across its eyes, which then turned into a determination to run hard. The horse's hooves flew, stirring up a cloud of dust...

After two days of bumpy ride, Xia Yurou finally arrived at the desolate village. From afar, the familiar thatched cottage looked particularly desolate in the autumn wind.

Before the person even reached the door, a voice had already been heard: "Xiaoxiao, sister is here to pick you up."

She excitedly pushed open the shabby wooden door, but the yard was in a mess, with broken cabbage leaves all over the ground.

A bad premonition came over her and Xia Yurou ran into the house in a hurry. All the tables and chairs were overturned, and even the shabby wooden bed was turned aside.

Xiaoxue looked at the scene in front of her in astonishment, her eyes widened, and she asked in a trembling voice: "What happened?"

Xia Yurou's heart sank suddenly. She anxiously looked for Xiaoxiao's trace in the house. She turned and rushed out of the house, anxiously calling Xiaoxiao's name. Her voice echoed in the empty village, but received no response.

The bleak autumn wind blew away the corners of Xia Yurou's clothes. She ran around with red eyes, her heart full of uneasy fear.

When they came to the back mountain not far away, an autumn wind blew past, and the leaves rustled. Xiaoxue suddenly shouted, "Miss, there is a person kneeling there."

Xia Yurou looked in the direction Xiaoxue pointed and saw an old man kneeling in front of a grave crying in grief.

Her cries echoed for a long time on the empty hillside; even the wind was moved, becoming gentle and sad.

The familiar figure made Xia Yurou's heart tighten suddenly. Wasn't that her little grandmother kneeling there?

Could it be that the person buried in the grave is... Xiaoxiao?

Xia Yurou staggered over, wanting to prove that her guess was wrong. But when she saw the words "Granddaughter Xiaoxiao's Tomb" engraved on the tombstone, her mentality instantly collapsed.

She knelt heavily in front of the grave, stroking the small tombstone with trembling hands. Silent tears quietly slid down, wetting the tombstone and also moistening her heart.

"Xiao Xiao was fine before, why is she gone now?"

Grandma raised her tear-stained face and said in a trembling voice: "We were selling vegetables at the market that day, and a rich young man took a fancy to the necklace on Xiaoxiao's neck. Xiaoxiao protected her tightly, so he followed us home..."

Her voice choked and tears welled up again.

Xia Yurou's heart felt like it was pierced by a needle. The necklace given to her became her death warrant.

"Before she died, Xiaoxiao kept talking about the princess, holding the cabbage tightly in her arms. She said...she promised her sister...that she would leave the biggest one for you."

At this moment, her heart was completely torn apart. The image of her little petite figure kept appearing in her mind. Her young face always had an innocent smile on it, but now she could only find her name on the cold tombstone.

A cabbage was lying quietly in front of the grave. Its leaves had begun to turn yellow, but it still maintained its shape.

Xia Yurou stretched out her hand and gently stroked the cabbage, as if she could feel the warmth of her small palm.

She clenched her fists, her eyes bloodshot, and gritted her teeth as she spoke word by word: "Who is so heartless?"

At this moment, grandma's face turned pale, she shook her body a few times, closed her eyes and fell into endless darkness.

Xiaoxue's scream pierced Xia Yurou's heart like a sharp blade. She turned around suddenly and saw her grandmother lying in front of the grave.

"Little Miss, grandma..."

Faced with the double blows, Xia Yurou almost couldn't stand. She staggered to her grandmother's side and gently stroked her wrinkled face with her trembling hands.

It seemed that God also felt this deep sorrow. The originally sunny weather was blocked by thick clouds, and heavy rain poured down like water columns.

Xia Yurou knelt in the rain, digging frantically in the soil with her hands. Her nails were cut by sharp stones, and blood mixed with rain water flowed. She seemed to feel no pain, and there was only endless grief and anger in her heart.

Seeing the princess in such a state, Xiaoxue felt heartbroken and hugged her shoulders tightly, trying to calm her down.

"Miss, don't be like this. If Xiaoxiao is still alive, she definitely wouldn't want to see you trampling on herself."

Xia Yurou had lost her mind at this time, and broke away from Xiaoxue's embrace, continuing to dig in the soil with her scarred hands. Even though her fingers were bloody, she still refused to stop.

However, Xiaoxue's eyes also became red. She was moved by the princess's true love for Xiaoxiao, and she joined the ranks of digging the soil with her hands regardless of everything.

The soil was soaked by rain and became sticky, but they seemed not to feel tired and were only concerned about burying their grandmother as soon as possible.

With their unremitting efforts, they finally dug a hole big enough to bury grandma's body.

They scooped up soil mixed with rain water and covered grandma's body with it handful by handful. Each handful of soil carried endless grief.

Xia Yurou let the rain wash away the tears on her face, clenched her still bleeding fists, and said angrily: "Xiaoxiao, just go with grandma in peace, and pray that your sister will find that beast as soon as possible to avenge you."

Her figure was particularly desolate in the rain, full of longing for Xiao Xiao, and even more hatred for the unknown murderer. These emotions turned into a force that supported Xia Yurou to survive in this storm...