Before Guan Zhili could figure out what was happening with the little girl, another heart-rending cry came from the doorway-
"Let me in! My imperial brother is inside!"
"Let go! Hurry up and let go!!"
Guan Zhili had no choice but to look toward the commotion first.
At the entrance, soldiers from Great Rui stood hesitantly with a group of princes and young noblemen in custody.
Perhaps because the little girl looked so relaxed and at ease with him, the soldiers were afraid of upsetting her and hadn't used much force. After a few struggles, several young princes actually managed to run forward.
"Brother!"
A prince whose name he couldn't even recall grabbed his hand, his voice anguished. "They're taking Zhixin to prison! Brother, please save Zhixin! Brother!!"
Guan Zhili tried to pull his hand back, but couldn't free it.
The boy seemed to be clutching him like a drowning man clutched a straw, desperately hoping he would put in a good word or two so they could receive the same treatment as him.
Guan Zhili looked up at the growing crowd of princes and princesses before him. His ears automatically shut out their wailing, but his heart remained a tangled mess, filled with feelings he couldn't describe.
He couldn't name the people before him. In years past, he had only seen them from afar at the annual state banquets, surrounded by palace attendants, their smiling faces and every inch of them radiating the carefree air of children who had been well looked after.
Compared to him, they seemed to belong to another world entirely.
"Let go-"
A childish voice pierced through the layers of wailing and rang out beside everyone's ears.
Jiang Yingcheng stood behind the crowd and reached up to pull aside the people in front of her.