“They arrived really fast.”
Jiang Xingyan let out a cold sneer.
Xiao Chonghua and Mu Shi’an, who had been waiting in the back courtyard, hurried out when they heard the announcement.
Even though she had heard that Shangguan Luoyue had joked about marrying Huo Ci, Mu Shi’an still felt quite hostile toward this Princess Huaiwan, whom she had never met.
But since Xizhou was smaller and weaker compared to Daxia, they simply couldn’t afford to be negligent. Reluctantly, she followed her cousin outside to greet the princess.
“I wonder what fragrant breeze has blown Princess Huaiwan all the way to the Tai Hospital?” Xiao Chonghua asked, a polite, faint smile on his face.
It was neither fawning nor arrogant, leaving no room for criticism. Ever since Shangguan Luoyue had publicly cut off any possibility of a marriage alliance with him, he had stopped entertaining any vain hopes.
He had originally misjudged her, thinking she was just a carefree, precious princess. He never expected her to be such an ambitious crown princess.
Especially in the morning court session today, when she had single-handedly defended Beiluo, throwing the entire court into turmoil.
If Daxia was secretly backing Beiluo, they would undoubtedly become even more aggressive.
And Xizhou only had one Huo Ci.
Surrounded by enemies on both sides, the kingdom’s destruction would be only a matter of time.
Thinking back, the joke about seeking a marriage decree at the welcoming banquet a few days ago no longer seemed like a simple whim.
Xiao Chonghua’s eyes glinted coldly. Although he and Xiao Mingxu were constantly at odds, when it came to the greater good of their kingdom, he never hesitated.
Shangguan Luoyue had abandoned her usual confident demeanor. Her eyes were slightly red, as if she had been crying. Before she even spoke, she gently dabbed the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.
“Huaiwan nearly caused a huge disaster today…”
Mu Shi’an rolled her eyes so hard they nearly got stuck. Oh please, we’re all foxes here. Don’t play coy.
Pretending not to know, Xiao Chonghua asked with a tense expression, “Oh? What do you mean, Princess—”
“I only wanted to exchange a few more words with Miss Jiang, but she immediately had her carriage leave. I tried to stop the carriage to ask her something, but I forgot that the ordinary carriage horses here in Xizhou aren’t as sturdy as the trained military horses back in Daxia.
I only gave it a light pat, so how did it go mad like that? Luckily, the driver managed to hold it back in time, or else someone could have been hurt by that frenzied horse.
I wonder how Miss Jiang is doing now? A delicate, pampered girl like her must have been quite frightened, right? Why did it go so far as to call the imperial physicians?”
Xiao Chonghua understood everything now.
She was the one who had caused this whole incident.
Her words were watertight, leaving no gaps.
She had both belittled Xizhou’s horses as inferior to Daxia’s and trampled Jiang Xingyan into the dirt.
No matter how badly she got hurt, it was her own fault, and no one else was to blame.
Mu Shi’an could no longer contain her anger and let out a cold laugh. “Princess Huaiwan is truly kind-hearted. Even after being rejected, you still rush over to check on her injuries. Truly, this is the bearing of a great kingdom. It seems His Majesty Shangguan has taught you very well.”
Xiao Chonghua quietly shifted his position to stand in front of Mu Shi’an, worried that this princess might lash out and hit her with a palm strike in a fit of rage.
Shangguan Luoyue’s gaze instantly turned sharp as a blade, dripping with venom, as she stared intently at Mu Shi’an.
“This young lady looks rather unfamiliar. I haven’t seen you these past few days. Which family’s daughter are you? Has the Third Prince taken a liking to you now?”
Xiao Chonghua’s expression hardened, and he cupped his hands in salute as he replied, “Princess Huaiwan jokes. This is merely my cousin.”
As if she couldn’t detect the displeasure in his tone, Shangguan Luoyue lowered her head and gave a soft laugh.
“Cousins, aren’t they the closest of childhood sweethearts? Ah, I’ve misspoken. Third Prince, don’t be upset. Please, take me to see Miss Jiang now.”
“You—!”
Xiao Chonghua quickly held back the blushing, furious Mu Shi’an and gritted his teeth as he ordered a servant waiting in the courtyard to go call “Huo Ci” out.
Shangguan Luoyue sat down boldly in the courtyard pavilion, all traces of her earlier sorrow gone. She had only put on that act to prevent Jiang from using the incident as an excuse to make a fuss and let her adoptive father know.
She was a little regretful, though. She had hoped the accident would have mangled that person beyond recognition, scattering her soul, saving her some trouble.
“You flatter us, Princess Huaiwan, by making the trip yourself. General Huo and my wife are truly overwhelmed.”
Jiang Xingyan said coldly as she strode forward, her face serious.
Wife?
The moment those two words left her mouth, Shangguan Luoyue’s eyes narrowed sharply.
Was he openly declaring he would protect that Jiang woman?
Mu Shi’an stood rooted to the spot, feeling dazed. If Xiao Chonghua hadn’t discreetly steadied her, she would have fallen to the ground.
“What do you mean, General Huo?”
“My wife is, after all, a delicate woman. To keep the carriage from crashing into the common people, she physically forced a tall, powerful horse to a stop. Now her meridians are completely shattered. Even with Divine Doctor Sun’s skills, all he could do was protect her heart meridian. She remains unconscious.
I don’t have many strengths, but I cannot stand by and watch my own people be bullied by others. This matter is not over.”
Jiang Xingyan spoke as if it were nothing, but the pressure in her tone was terrifying.
Shangguan Luoyue tugged at her handkerchief, curled her lip, and sneered, “Oh? Is General Huo so focused on his own little family that he’s forgotten the homes of the thousands of citizens of Xizhou?”
Jiang Xingyan was sick of her bluster and bullying. She didn’t want to play these fake, evasive games with her anymore.
“Princess Luoyue, if I recall correctly, the current ruler of Daxia is still Shangguan Hanshan, isn’t it?”
“Huo Ci” hadn’t addressed her as Princess Huaiwan. Did he know something?! That vile woman must have told him!
“How dare you! You dare speak my adoptive father’s name directly? You’re asking for death!”
Both angry and frightened, Shangguan Luoyue struck out without hesitation, her palm turning into a claw aimed straight for “Huo Ci’s” throat.
It was a killing move from the start, swift and ruthless, catching everyone off guard.
But “Huo Ci” didn’t dodge or move aside. He just stood there, as if waiting for her to take his life.
“General Huo, watch out!”
Even though her heart was aching, Mu Shi’an couldn’t bear to see her beloved General Huo get hurt.
But before Shangguan Luoyue’s murderous claw could even touch a single hair on “Huo Ci’s” head, she was blasted back by a surge of powerful energy.
She couldn’t dodge in time and took the full force of the blow, staggering backward until she crashed into a pillar. Only then did she stop.
She coughed up a mouthful of blood, her internal organs screaming in pain.
Crack!
Oh no!
Shangguan Luoyue’s eyes sharpened.
She reached up to grab her face mask, but she was too late.
The mask shattered into pieces and fell to the ground.
Unable to hide her face in time, Xiao Chonghua and Mu Shi’an saw everything clearly.
Xiao Chonghua had met her once before, but when he saw her again, she was wearing a mask. Now, seeing her true face once more, he was no longer struck by her beauty. Instead, he felt an odd sense of familiarity.
It was as if he had seen that same face on someone else.
Yun Chunfeng stepped out slowly from behind Jiang Xingyan.
“Princess Luoyue, are you so desperate that you’re trying to kill witnesses to silence them?”
Shangguan Luoyue stared intently at “Huo Ci.” Seeing “his” indifferent gaze, a bolt of lightning seemed to flash through her mind.
He had known since the very first moment he saw her!
