Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Bring Shen Ningning into the Palace to Meet Him
However, she discovered the entire wolf pack had rushed out of the house.
It seemed like something serious had happened.
Even the Black Wolf King was nowhere to be seen in the courtyard.
With a solemn look on her little face, Shen Ningning ran all the way out of the residence.
She followed one of the wolves, heading straight for the hillside.
Before she even got close, she saw Grandma Qin surrounded and protected by the wolf pack.
"Grandma!" The little girl’s expression changed as she rushed over.
Grandma Qin had fallen to the ground, the wild vegetables in her basket scattered everywhere.
Her face was deathly pale from fright. "Ningning, a bear just came by."
Shen Ningning immediately checked her grandma all over.
’Thankfully, Grandma only has some scrapes from the fall. It’s nothing serious!’
The roars and snarls of animals fighting echoed from the hillside.
The little girl glanced back and saw the Black Wolf King leading the pack, having just killed a brown bear by biting its throat!
The bear was extremely thin. Even with its powerful paws, it was no match for the pack of majestic wolves.
Shen Ningning ran toward the Black Wolf King. "Langlang?"
The Black Wolf King immediately retracted its sharp teeth, took two steps back, and stood protectively in front of Shen Ningning.
Its icy wolf eyes were fixed on the brown bear.
Fortunately, after a few twitches, the brown bear collapsed in a pool of blood and stopped moving.
The wolves immediately dropped their ferocious, bared-teeth expressions and gathered around Shen Ningning.
After asking the Black Wolf King, Shen Ningning learned that her grandma had gone out alone with a basket that morning.
Nourished by the Spiritual Spring Water, many tasty wild vegetables had recently sprouted on the mountain.
Grandma wanted to make her a cold-tossed vegetable dish, so she was picking them near the residence.
But unexpectedly, the brown bear must have smelled the blood from when the little white she-wolf was injured and came looking for it.
Just as the brown bear was about to attack Grandma Qin, the Little White Wolf had rushed over.
Once Shen Ningning learned what happened, she immediately ran to the other side of the slope.
There, she saw the dying Little White Wolf.
The area around its left eye was a bloody mess.
It had probably been swiped by a bear paw, tearing open the previously scabbed-over wound on its stomach.
Lang Si was beside it, nudging it with his nose and letting out mournful whines.
Shen Ningning hurriedly called over the Black Wolf King and had him carry the Little White Wolf back to the residence.
Wolf Three also brought Grandma Qin back.
The little girl wasted no time. She drew water from the Spiritual Spring into another pool and submerged the Little White Wolf in it.
Then, she took out several hemostatic herbs from the Immortal Realm and stuffed them into its mouth.
The wolf pack surrounded the pool to watch.
The Black Wolf King’s gaze was grave.
Shen Ningning then went to treat her grandma’s minor scrapes.
Grandma Qin watched the Little White Wolf in the pool with a worried gaze.
Fortunately, although the injuries were severe, the healing effects of the Spiritual Spring Water were very fast.
By evening, the Little White Wolf had regained its strength and staggered out of the pool on its own.
Shen Ningning carried over a large platter of pork bones.
She reached out her small hand and stroked the Little White Wolf’s head.
"Eat up. These are all for you. I’ve already talked it over with Langlang! From now on, you’ll live with us. Xiao Bai, you have to be good, okay!"
The Little White Wolf raised its head; only its right eye could clearly see Shen Ningning’s sweet smile.
It couldn’t help but glance at the expression of the Black Wolf King behind her.
She saw him sitting there majestically, showing no signs of objection.
If the Wolf King didn’t object, the pack would naturally accept her.
The Little White Wolf stuck out its tongue and licked Shen Ningning’s small hand.
The little girl giggled softly. "Alright, eat something first to get your strength back. In a little while, we’re going to treat your wounds. You have to bear the pain, okay? That way, you’ll get better faster."
After she finished eating, Grandma Qin came over with some medicinal herbs that had been ground into a powder.
The Little White Wolf lay on the ground, allowing Grandma Qin to apply the medicine to its eye.
When the powder was sprinkled on, it must have hurt terribly, but she endured it without moving. Only her thin limbs trembled slightly.
Grandma Qin kept saying, "Good girl, you’re doing great. It’ll be all better soon."
After applying the powder, she gently wrapped a white cloth around the wound.
All that was left was to wait for it to recover.
Ever since the Black Wolf King accepted the Little White Wolf, Lang Si shamelessly followed her around every day.
He even brought the meat buns he’d scrounged from Grandma Qin right to the Little White Wolf’s mouth.
Whenever the Black Wolf King saw this, he would snort in disdain.
This made Shen Ningning laugh endlessly.
As for the bear, after it died, Shen Ningning had the wolf pack drag it to the village.
She wanted to see if anyone wanted it and simply give it away.
Unexpectedly, everyone was terrified when they saw the dead bear.
The old village chief asked, "Ningning, where did this come from?"
The little girl’s voice was soft. "This bear wanted to eat Grandma, so Langlang and the others killed it. Grandpa Village Chief, do you want it?"
’Who would dare take such a huge bear!’
Even though it was dead, it was still a frightening sight.
In the end, it was Uncle Liu who stepped forward. He helped Shen Ningning take the bear to the city and had it made into a bearskin rug.
The bear paws and gallbladder were sold for 200 taels of silver.
Shen Ningning accepted the 200 taels but refused to take the rug.
The bear was too thin and its fur was of poor quality, so the little girl didn’t care for it.
So she gave it directly to Uncle Liu, which made Sister-in-law Liu so happy she couldn’t stop praising Shen Ningning for being as kind as she was beautiful.
「Shou Lai County, in the Capital region.」
The local County Magistrate respectfully saw Mo Lingwei out of the government office.
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will dispatch more men to patrol and ensure this band of grain thieves is caught in one fell swoop!"
Mo Lingwei walked to the side of the carriage, his cool, dark gaze turning to look at him.
"I am giving you only one month."
"One month from now, I want to see that band of brigands who plundered the disaster relief grain captured. After all, they are hiding in the mountains near Shou Lai County, and your men should be familiar with this area."
"If you can’t catch them, your time as County Magistrate will be over."
The Shou Lai County Magistrate was secretly alarmed and repeatedly cupped his hands. "I understand."
Mo Lingwei was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something.
He looked back. "By the way, in your county, or in the surrounding cities and prefectures, do you know of any family with the surname Shen who lost a child four years ago?"
The County Magistrate was stunned. "I can’t say I’ve heard of that, but I will pay close attention. As soon as there is any news, I will have someone report it to His Highness the Crown Prince immediately."
「On the way back to the city.」
Mo Lingwei calculated that it was about time and ordered his men to take a detour to Xiangyun Village.
However, the carriage hadn’t gone far before it was intercepted by a guard from the palace, sent to deliver a message.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince! An urgent summons from the Emperor!" The guard dismounted and knelt before the carriage to report.
Mo Lingwei coldly lifted the curtain, a look of impatience on his face. "I have other matters to attend to. Let him wait. I’ll deal with it when I return to the palace."
The guard said hurriedly, "The State Preceptor observed the stars last night and said there is a good chance of successfully praying for rain in the next two days. It requires both the Emperor and Your Highness the Crown Prince to go to the altar!"
Mo Lingwei’s expression immediately darkened.
He said nothing.
The guard tried to persuade him gently, "The Emperor has ordered me to ensure your presence, Your Highness. If it can be made to rain, it will also be beneficial for your old malady."
Mo Lingwei pressed his long fingers against the bridge of his nose.
He abruptly dropped the curtain. "Back to the palace."
A moment later, he remembered something else and ordered his guard, "Summon Chen Shaobei to the palace to see me."
’If I go to Xiangyun Village, I won’t have time to just wait for Shen Ningning to appear,’ Mo Lingwei thought.
So, he decided he would have Chen Shaobei bring Shen Ningning directly to the palace to meet him.
