Saving the foolish general, she accidentally becomes his favorite.

The dead of night is a time for peaceful sleep, but also a good time for committing crimes.

The second prince carried Lu Wanning out of the tent and said to the servants around him, "The princess wishes to go to Luoxia Mountain to watch the sunrise. You don't need to come along."

Then, carrying Lu Wanning, he disappeared into the night.

The servants waiting outside whispered among themselves, "We're so envious! The Second Prince treats the Princess so well; he's even accompanying her out so late."

“That’s right, he’s clearly an outsider, yet he’s so lucky…” Some voices were unfriendly, as if they had ulterior motives.

"What if the second prince doesn't like foreigners but..." The unfinished words revealed the restless hearts of everyone. They looked at each other and then smiled.

Some things are better left unsaid; it's best to keep them to yourself.

Lu Wanning, who was admired by everyone, was quietly carried into another dark room, where the second prince threw her onto the mat like a rag.

"Give the order to keep a close watch on this place. Before this important matter is completed, Wan Ning must not be allowed to leave, and no one else must be allowed to enter."

"Yes, Master!"

The one who answered was an old man with a hunched back. He was guarding the corner of the dark room. His face was as black as charcoal, and he was dressed in black robes with black hair. If he hadn't spoken, no one would have noticed that there was someone else there.

The second prince glanced at Lu Wanning one last time, suppressed all his reluctance, and resolutely left.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The mornings on the grassland are always filled with the scent of fresh grass.

As the mist dissipated and the first rays of dawn appeared, the entire earth was bathed in a golden hue, a truly beautiful sight.

Before Ye Li could even introduce the scenery of the grassland, Mo Chen had already neatly prepared a hiding place. Last night, she couldn't resist and finally brought Mo Chen with her.

However, since she was quite conspicuous, Mo Chen couldn't stay in her tent. So, led by Annie and Qinglong, they found a cave. Although it couldn't be guaranteed to be safe, Mo Chen himself was quite strong and would hide himself at the slightest sign of trouble. So, they settled down there.

"I still think it's not appropriate for you to stay here. Why don't you go back?"

Mo Chen nodded obediently: "Okay."

"Really?"

“If you come back with me, I will go back.”

Yes, it’s for nothing.

Ye Li turned and left, saying, "I can't stay away for too long. They're probably trying to find out about me now."

After settling Mo Chen in, Ye Li immediately returned to the grassland tribe.

Since Annie's reminder last night, she now knows she's being watched, so she's planning to play along.

Ye Li returned to her tent, changed her clothes, and then went out with her basket on her back. Along the way, she told the herders who came to greet her that she might go out to collect medicinal herbs for a few days.

The people of the grassland tribe already knew that Mu Nianchen, who came from the Central Plains, was highly skilled in medicine, so they had no doubts and all said that they would let them know if they needed any help. Ye Li smiled and thanked them, but politely declined their kindness.

After making a grand display and circling around for a long time, Ye Li hid in the mountains and forests, lying in wait under the cover of the Azure Dragon.

Before long, a furtive figure also entered the woods and began searching along the path Ye Li had taken.

Not long after, another group of men in black arrived and joined the search. The two groups met unexpectedly, and the newer group of men in black immediately attacked and surrounded the man.

The two sides fought fiercely without holding back. Although the newcomers outnumbered the old ones, the initial pursuers were clearly ruthless in their killing moves, each strike fatal. They quickly killed most of the men in black and broke through the encirclement to escape into the depths of the forest.

The pursuers gave chase relentlessly, and both sides fought with bloodlust. In the end, all the men in black were killed, and the victorious pursuer was wounded and was moving unsteadily.

"It's really you."

A voice came from the darkness. Upon hearing it, the man in black's pupils trembled slightly. Realizing he had fallen into a trap, he took a deep breath and calmly said:

"How did you find out?"

Ye Li emerged from the darkness, looking at the familiar face on the ground: "I guess I was just lucky. My gut feeling told me I was being watched, so I did a little investigation..."

"And your performance was quite noticeable back then, it was hard to ignore... Mumu."

The injured man in black, struggling to move forward, was none other than Mumu. After being discovered, he leaned against the nearest large tree, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes: "Is that so? It seems I guessed right. You're not an ordinary person. Who exactly are you?"

Ye Li smiled and said, "Isn't the etiquette in the grassland tribes to introduce yourself first and then greet others?"

Mumu was silent for a moment, as if he had made a decision, and coughed: "Those wolves, I lured them there with drugs... I was ordered to get close to you and find an opportunity to kill you... But later, I found you quite interesting in private... so I changed my mind, I want to cooperate with you."

"Who sent you?"

"It's no use knowing, you're just a weak woman, you can't possibly fight back..." Before Mumu could finish speaking, Mo Chen emerged from behind the tree trunk, and Annie and Qinglong also appeared in human form. Seeing this, Mumu smiled self-deprecatingly:

"As expected, you are no ordinary person... Now that things have come to this, cough cough... if you don't kill me, I can tell you what I know... cough cough..."

Ye Li nodded and casually tossed a bottle of medicine over: "Special wound medicine, take it, and then confess quickly."

Mumu took the bottle of wound medicine, but didn't rush to take it. He stared at Ye Li for a while before saying:

"The reason the current king of the grasslands ascended the throne was actually due to good luck. My master was originally a candidate for the throne, but he was injured before the competition and was defeated. After that, he endured and lay low, always looking for an opportunity to regroup. A few years ago, my master accidentally discovered clues to the treasure, and he no longer cared about the territory of a mere grassland. He wanted to obtain the treasure and conquer the world..."

"But somehow, for a while he ordered me to find a way to get close to you and kill you. I tried to get close to you, but I was discovered before I even started..."

Hearing that someone wanted to kill Ye Li, Mo Chen clenched his fists, intending to crush the man in black before him. Ye Li gently held his hand to comfort him, then turned to ask:

"Who is that person?"

“My master is the king’s brother.”

As soon as Mumu finished speaking, Ye Li gradually recalled the relationships among the people in the grassland tribe. At the banquet, there was indeed a person of similar age next to the grassland king's throne. The maids were quite respectful to him, but at the time, Ye Li was still maintaining the image of a maid and did not pay much attention.

It turns out that he had been targeted a long time ago.

After Mumu finished speaking, he stared intently at Ye Li, not missing a single expression on her face. Seeing that Ye Li didn't seem afraid, a strange feeling welled up in his heart: "Now that I've told you everything I know, what... do you plan to do?"

Ye Li turned to look at Annie and Qinglong, then at Mo Chen. Mo Chen stepped forward, grabbed her hand tightly, and told her with a firm look that he would fully support whatever decision she made.

Ye Li turned and headed back towards the grassland tribe. In the darkness, a woman's whisper drifted through the air:

"The best defense is a counterattack. Now that the truth is out, it's time for some people to reap what they sow..."