"Oops!"
She seriously didn't plan that. After all, she was not an idiot enough to throw a pouch at the Crown Prince's face when the act could be taken as an assault and she could more or less lose her life.
The pouch slipped from her hand. Or maybe it just flew out of her hand and landed on its master's face. That could be a possibility, right?
Zi Yan and Jin Jing were instantly on her side, first looking at the Crown Prince who was currently surrounded by his guards and then turning towards her with both questioning and shocked looks.
"What?"
Li Ming whispered at the two girls while raising her shoulders in a questioning pose.
"Why did you do that?" Zi Yan hissed at her Master, trying to see if the young miss had lost her mind or something.
"Do you guys seriously think I did that on purpose? Why would I do that?"
Li Ming looked at the two girls with wide eyes. Did she look like an idiot? She really didn't throw the pouch!
Before the three girls could continue with their argument, the guards which were previously surrounding the Crown Prince, rushed towards them and circled them with their swords drawn out.
Li Ming once again felt the pair of hands tugging on her sleeves tightly.
"What do you want now? Can't you see that we are currently under a serious situation?" Li Ming whispered shouted at the boy who had been standing behind her all this time.
In return, the kid kept staring at her with his beautiful but confused eyes.
"Aish!!!"
Li Ming felt like she was hitting her head on a wall as she tried to talk to the kid.
To be honest, the boy was barely two or three years younger than her, that's why calling him kid won't be appropriate. But again, Li Ming still considered herself a twenty-eight-year-old mature woman, in that way all the children around her were kids for her.
"You know what, forget everything. Just leave this place. They are currently focusing on a matter which is far much important and serious than you stealing their money. That's why they won't pay you much attention. Take advantage of it and disappear. Keep my money with you and buy yourself food and some comfortable clothes. Most importantly, keep eyes out and don't get mugged yourself."
Li Ming was busy teaching the little boy, completely unaware of her surroundings and what was going on around her.
"Miss, are you trying to commit a second crime by helping a criminal in running away?"
Did Li Ming already tell you guys that she was starting to dislike that honey-coated voice more and more with each time the Crown Prince spoke?
"Did you know that it's not a good etiquette to listen to other people talking?" Li Ming asked the Crown Prince politely.
Though there was no politeness in her words. She was directly mocking the etiquette of the Crown Prince.
"You...!"
One of the guards pressed his sword closer to Li Ming as he appeared to be furious by the young girl's mocking words.
"Stop!!!"
Amazingly, this time the sweet voice of the Crown Prince came out loud and commanding.
"We are getting late for the auction. Let's take these people along. We will discuss the rest later." His authority in his voice making the guards move immediately.
Just as the guards were moving towards the girls and the little boy to drag them along, Li Ming's raised her hand to signal the guards to stop moving forward.
Though she was not their master, therefore none of them were obliged to follow her orders. But something in her eyes and her simple hand movement made all the seven guards stop immediately.
"What a coincidence! We are going to attend the auction too. Let's settle this account later." Li Ming said with an indifferent tone.
There was no fear in her eyes, neither the other two girls looked panicked even after they were surrounded by nearly two dozen guards with a royal emblem on their uniforms.
What was the most shocking was the smirk that was playing on the thin lips of the little kid who was still hiding behind Li Ming, silently observing everything.
"Are you not aware of your crime, little girl?" A guard shouted at Li Ming, getting rolled up after seeing her audacity.
"Don't you know that you can be sentenced to death for the crime of attacking the Crown Prince of the Han Empire?" Another guard shouted.
If all of them were expecting to see the shock and finally fear in the eyes of the three girls, then they were in for a disappointment.
Since all the three girls were already aware of the Crown Prince's real identity, they weren't shocked after hearing the words of the guard, and as for them not being afraid of whatever was coming their way, the answer was very simple.
Li Ming probably had some plan in her mind since she looked so calm and tension free. While Zi Yan and Jin Jing were looking completely normal due to their complete trust in their Young Miss.
"There's barely fifteen minutes left before the auction will start. And it will take us around ten minutes to reach the auction house from here. Let's not waste important time on useless topics. Once the auction will be over, we will settle our accounts." Li Ming told the Crown Prince, completely ignoring the guards.
It was like they didn't even matter to her. Whatever nonsense they were speaking or the tactics they were trying to scare her, didn't matter to her, and it only ended up ruling the anger and the ego of the royal guards.
[A/N: Let me share a secret with you all. One of the secret powers of Li Ming is her ability to gift people with high blood pressures and lots of anger.]
The Crown Prince silently observed the young girl. He had an instinctive feeling that she was not someone normal. He couldn't detect her cultivation level, but the aura that was surrounding her told him that she was powerful.
The two girls that were standing around her also held a strong aura around them. Their cultivation level was also hidden from him. Though none of the two held any weapons with them but they could always be carrying hidden weapons along.
A sigh left his lips as he tried to think about his options. He could not take any action against them until he had no proper information about them.
They could be anyone from anywhere. Though the royal families held one of the highest statuses in the mainland and were always greeted with respect, but note the keyword here. They were one of the highest statuses, which meant there were also some special clans, families, and individuals that were also equal to or above in status from the royal families.
He didn't want to upset or anger any higher status family by punishing one of their members.
"You are wasting our time here, Your Highness! Can you walk out of your daydreaming so that we can attend the auction?" Li Ming said in a taunting voice.
The Crown Prince cleared his throat at Li Ming's words and signaled one of his guards to come closer to him.
Li Ming noticed that three guards were wearing a dark blue-colored belt which was different from the dark brown belt that the rest of the guards were wearing.
One of those blue belt guards walked closer to the Crown Prince and the latter whispered something in his ears.
Li Ming noticed the guard passing her a quick glance before he nodded his head at the Crown Prince's words and left the place after bowing to his Prince.
"Let's leave for the auction house now!" The Crown Prince ordered and the seven guards which were coming towards Li Ming and her group again started walking towards them and once again Li Ming stopped them with her hand signal.
"We are completely capable of walking on our own. We don't need some men to help us or to be more precise, drag us to the auction house. None of you will lay your hands on my people, and that also includes this little boy."
Her voice was laced with authority and a warning which ringed into the air.
The guards could be seen raking a few steps back as they felt the powerful aura of the young girl.
The Crown Prince nodded his head towards his guards and all of them took their steps back a few more feet to give the three girls and the little boy a clear place.
"Don't worry. We are not going to run away from here. As for the guard whom you have sent to collect information about me, Why are you making that poor man do so much work? You could have asked everything from me directly!"