For two days, she lived among the wolves, eating the wild game that Erlang brought back, making fire by friction, and picking wild fruits to eat when thirsty, living a primitive, wild life.
Fortunately, this did not last long. Fan Zehao found her, leading his dog. The soldiers were terrified, and even the dog, seeing the wolves, cowered with its tail between its legs.
"Wife!"
"Husband!"
The couple felt as if they had experienced a lifetime apart. They ran towards each other, and even Erlang excitedly ran towards Fan Zehao.
The soldiers were stunned, having never witnessed such a scene: a woman, safe and sound with a pack of wolves.
When Xiao Ce saw a wolf running towards Fan Zehao, he drew his sword to protect the prince. But in the next moment, he saw that the wolf had no reaction towards Fan Zehao.
"Husband, Erlang saved me. It found food for me these past few days!" Zhao Jiaqi's first words upon seeing Fan Zehao were to praise Erlang.
"Good, it was worth it to care for it," Fan Zehao said, his voice hoarse. He still looked his wife up and down, ensuring she was unharmed, and then pulled her close again.
Two days. They had finally found her!
The couple and the wolf were reunited.
Fan Zehao hadn't expected to see it again. He rubbed its head as if it were a dog's, showing no sign of being angered by Erlang.
"Husband, our Erlang is amazing. It's a wolf king now, and it has pups. Though they don't look as good as Erlang!" Zhao Jiaqi sat on a rock next to Fan Zehao, giggling as she recounted Erlang's deeds.
"In your eyes, no wolf can compare to Erlang. No matter how ugly Erlang is, it's beautiful to you!"
"Of course. My Erlang is the most handsome!"
Xiao Ce knew that his family had kept two wolves before. Ever since the elder wolf died at the General's mansion, Erlang had been missing.
He hadn't expected Fan Zehao to send it into the mountains, let alone for Erlang to save the princess.
"Your Highness, Princess, it's getting late. We should return to the camp!"
Xiao Ce didn't want to interrupt their reunion, but the Emperor, the Imperial Consort Dowager, and the twenty thousand soldiers who had been mobilized were not idle.
Fan Zehao nodded and whispered to his wife, "If you can't bear to leave it, we can bring Erlang back and keep it with you!"
Perhaps Yu Meng would like it too. That little one loved wild and untamed animals.
Zhao Jiaqi looked at Erlang, pointed to herself, then pointed to the distance, and asked, "Erlang, are you willing to come with us? Come home with us!"
From her gestures, Erlang understood Zhao Jiaqi's meaning. It looked back at its cubs and then at the rest of the wolf pack. It stared intently at her and Fan Zehao for a long time, then backed away, shaking its wolf head.
Its meaning was clear: it now had something it couldn't bear to leave behind. It couldn't go back with them, and things would never be the same.
Seeing this, Fan Zehao bent down and picked up the crying woman, gently comforting her, "Since we know where it is, I'll accompany you whenever you miss it. We can come anytime!"
Zhao Jiaqi buried her head in his shoulder armor, nodding, unable to speak clearly. As he carried her away, she looked up at Erlang. It stood at the front of the pack, watching them leave.
The news that the princess had returned spread through the camp. When the Emperor heard this, his body went limp on the chair. He didn't know how he had endured the past two days.
Upon hearing the news, Yao Jingyun went outside the tent. From afar, she saw Fan Zehao carrying her back and hurried to meet them.
"Qiqi, are you injured? Where are you hurt? The imperial physician is waiting. Let him examine you!"
Zhao Jiaqi shook her head at her, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am not injured."
"I trouble the Imperial Consort Dowager to summon the imperial physician to my tent to take the princess's pulse. If she is ill, she can be treated. If not, it will bring peace of mind."
With that, he carried her back to his tent and placed her on the bed with gentle and careful movements, as if she were a porcelain doll that could break with the slightest mishap.
He had just tucked his wife in when the imperial physician arrived, his speed astonishing. However, this was something Yao Jingyun had prepared in advance.
She had done this as a precaution, not wanting Zhao Jiaqi to be harmed. Otherwise, she dared not imagine how Fan Zehao would react in his anger... Yao Jingyun truly dared not think about it!
The imperial physician examined her carefully. The result was that she was weak in both qi and blood and had been frightened. She was otherwise fine and only needed to nourish herself more in the future.
Hearing this result, everyone was overjoyed. They left the space for the couple and withdrew from the tent.
Qiufen served the princess as she bathed, tears streaming down her face. The one who had been frightened had to comfort them: "Why are you crying? I'm fine. While you're crying, get me some food and drink!"
"Your servant will go now!" Upon hearing the princess wanted food, Qiufen dropped what she was doing and ran off, leaving the princess alone in the tub.
Zhao Jiaqi looked at the dazed maid and chuckled. She supposed she would have to do it herself.
Finally, Pingtian, who had received the news, also rushed back. Seeing her eating, she gave her a bear hug, crying more sorrowfully than if her father had died.
Finally, Fan Zehao couldn't stand it. He grabbed Pingtian by the collar, forcibly separated her from his wife, and tossed her to Fan Xudong.
"Return to the capital. You two will immediately move to your General's mansion and live separately. You're always bothering my wife!"
The vinegar-jar-tipping person was unreasonable.
When Pingtian heard she was being asked to move, she immediately bristled and yelled at Fan Zehao's retreating back, "If you dare to chase me away, I'll kidnap Big Sister and make you...!"
As the person stepped into the tent, they heard such a bold statement. The fierce tiger turned around and walked back to Pingtian, glaring at her fiercely. Pingtian shrank into Fan Xudong's arms, not daring to look up.
She didn't dare to say the rest of her words, acting like an ostrich.
Fan Xudong gave an awkward laugh, shielding Pingtian while saying, and retreating step by step, "Big Sister is waiting for you inside. We'll be going back now!"
With the Zhenguo Princess found, the autumn hunt was officially over, and everyone returned to the capital.
Due to Zhao Jiaqi's disappearance, from the highest-ranking officials to the palace maids and eunuchs, no one was allowed to leave the camp, turning this autumn hunt into merely a spectacle.
Upon returning to the capital, Fan Zehao did not rest. He sent soldiers directly to Prince Xian's mansion and had Fan Mingyue arrested.
He didn't care about the crime of raiding a prince's mansion; his mind was filled with finding the mastermind behind it.
Fan Mingyue had argued with his wife, and his malicious intentions and deep-seated hatred for his wife made her the prime suspect.
Fan Xudong was not gentle when making arrests.
"Presumptuous! Raiding a prince's mansion, but..."
"This subordinate is acting on the orders of the Zhenguo Prince to arrest a suspect. If the Prince is displeased, he can go directly to the Zhenguo Prince or the Emperor!" Fan Xudong inherited his elder brother's fearless nature.
He waved his hand to the soldiers making the arrest, "Take her away!"