Gong Yi Mo"s sudden hostility confused Shen s.h.i.+ Ye. He wanted to ask about it, but the lonely and desolate aura around her made him unable to speak.

As the girl turned to leave, he couldn"t help but ask, "Where are you going?"

His question caused her to stop in her tracks. That"s right, where should I go? Gong Yi Mo had to wait for Gong Jue"s return to the capital, but there was no place for her to stay.

Perhaps it was only when she pondered that her young face showed weakness and frailty. She had just turned twelve years old. What could she depend on now that she was driven out of the palace?

Shen s.h.i.+ Ye couldn"t help forgetting their previous enmity. He looked at the pitiful young girl and whispered, "If you have no other place to go… my mother had left behind a house for me."

After hearing his unexpected offer, Gong Yi Mo looked at him and smiled brightly. Shen s.h.i.+ Ye"s face burst into an obvious red. "Don"t misunderstand, this young master simply noticed that the house needed cleaning, so I"m looking for someone to do the job…"

He was really bad at lying, but this made Gong Yi Mo feel better.

"Is that so? Then I won"t be polite," she replied.

Gong Yi Mo accepted Shen s.h.i.+ Ye"s offer to stay at his home. Meanwhile, a thousand of miles away, Gong Jue stared devoutly at the portion of Yi Mo"s hair in his hand. He smiled.

He was still in the midst of a long journey to Xi Zhou. The yellow desert sand swirled on the lonely road. Since nighttime had arrived, the troop pitched their tents and settled their camp. Soon, the fragrance of roast meat and smoke permeated in the air.

Gong Jue looked up at the sky in deep thought. Was Elder Sister Gong Yi Mo doing well? Did she wake up early and have a proper breakfast? That maidservant Xin"er was very useless; she was too timid and her voice was too soft–would she be able to wake up Sister Gong?

Did the princess practice martial on time? The imperial palace was constantly filled with danger; how can she afford to rest?

Gong Jue never imagined he could worry so much like a mother-in-law. He laughed at himself, but his eyes were full of tenderness.

It was such a bittersweet feeling to miss a loved one. The only way Gong Jue could prevent himself from drowning in emotion was by busying himself.

Sister Gong, please wait for me. Wait for me to grow strong and come back to your side.

Only the powerful were respected. If he obtained such strength, no one would be able to stand in his way, and he would no longer have to endure the pain of yearning ever again.

At present, Gong Jue had no idea that his beloved Sister Gong no longer held the t.i.tle of a princess.

Meanwhile, far away in Xi Zhou, Zhen Xi w.a.n.g was delighted to discover that his grandson, the Ninth Prince, would be coming. Unfortunately, he also received the news a few days later that Gong Yi Mo had been demoted!

As he read the former princess" letter, he understood Gong Yi Mo"s deep worry that news of her demotion would affect Gong Jue"s emotions. She requested for Zhen Xi w.a.n.g to hide this information from the Ninth Prince.

After all, Gong Jue wouldn"t think that trouble would arise the moment he left the capital, and he would never suspect that the princess would ever hide anything from him.

After reading the letter, Zhen Xi w.a.n.g immediately burned it and dismissed the courier. He sighed and thoughtfully stroked his beard, not knowing what to do.

When his wife saw that his face was weighed down with worry, she couldn"t help but ask, "Our grandson is finally coming back. How come you seem unhappy?"

Zhen Xi w.a.n.g was a very tall man with a broad build. Due to constant training every year, the prince did not appear very old; he was still as strong as a bear. Zhen Xi w.a.n.g was currently indulging himself in a large bowl of wine. Seemingly unsatisfied, he ended up downing an entire jar of wine in a mouthful!

"Well, aren"t these schemes quite common in the capital? The Chaoyang Princess has such a good heart that she became a target for such plots. We can"t let our grandson know about this, otherwise, he will surely turn back to the capital!"