Sima Shenrong didn’t dare turn around upon hearing this. Her gaze drifted for two breaths. “He’s just missing his elder sister. How did you answer?”
“I answered, however the Crown Prince treats me, I will treat him the same.”
Sima Shenrong was thoughtful. How would the Crown Prince treat her? At this point, between the siblings lay the enmity of a murdered father. A life-or-death struggle was inevitable.
Whichever one ascended the throne, the other was destined to die.
While she hesitated, Xunqi spoke softly. “Your Majesty, did you summon me back only for this?”
“There’s one more thing.” Sima Shenrong made up an excuse, mentioning an important matter before she dared to turn around. Her gaze fell on the girl’s fair cheeks. Her heart stirred, and she smiled. “I want to add more troops to the Patrol Battalion. What do you think?”
“We need a proper reason.” Xunqi said. “Adding troops rashly will make many people unhappy.”
That was the dynasty’s convention. Adding troops rashly, changing old rules, would make many people unhappy. Xunqi’s heart stirred, but she wasn’t in a hurry.
The sky was gloomy. Even without wind, it was cold in winter. A moment ago, there was sun. Now, the sun had hidden somewhere.
Sima Shenrong walked into the hall. Xunqi immediately closed the window, turned, and followed Her Majesty, speaking as she did. “Your Majesty, this matter is not urgent. Let’s discuss it after the spring comes.”
Hearing her words, Sima Shenrong felt she was as steady as Yan Zhi’an. Her heart suddenly cleared. “Fine. You may go back.”
Only then did Xunqi look up at the Female Emperor. The other had her back to her, her posture elegant. She clenched her fists. The words at the tip of her tongue were swallowed back.
She wanted to question Her Majesty, but she didn’t dare. She was also afraid that once she spoke, she would have to leave the Prime Minister’s Residence.
No, she couldn’t ask.
Xunqi was frightened by her own thoughts. She hurriedly bowed and strode away.
Sima Shenrong turned around, and the person was already gone. Watching her back from afar, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Just a moment ago, I thought she was steady. Why is she so impatient again?”
She liked Xunqi’s temperament. At the beginning of the year, she thought she was impulsive. After training in the Patrol Battalion, she had become a bit more steady. In time, she would definitely become the wise ruler she envisioned.
Sima Shenrong slowly walked out of her predicament, her heart feeling much more at ease. She slowly smiled.
Xunqi fled. The moment she mounted her horse, she took a big breath, feeling like she had escaped with her life.
The Crown Prince was also suspicious, but he had no evidence. If he was suspicious, Prince Ji would definitely come to investigate. She instinctively touched her ear, her gaze suddenly turning cold.
The Madwoman said, to survive, life is the most important thing. The rich have their way of living, the poor have theirs. You have to survive.
Since the Crown Prince was suspicious, then kill Prince Ji. If Prince Ji died, the Crown Prince was just an eleven-year-old child.
Xunqi quickly thought of a plan in her heart. Her expression was indifferent. She spurred her horse away as if nothing had happened.
But the news that Her Majesty had kept the Crown Prince and Xunqi for lunch spread in an instant.
Yan Zhi’an was so frightened her heart was uneasy. After hearing the news, she was speechless for a long time. What was Her Majesty doing? Couldn’t she hold back?
After her subordinate reported, she waved her hand to dismiss them and looked at the sky outside. There was still some time before she got off work.
She sat down helplessly. In less than a moment, the Right Prime Minister hurried over.
The two looked at each other, both seeing panic in the other’s eyes. The Right Prime Minister turned and closed the door.
“I just heard the news.”
“I heard it too.”
The two suddenly fell silent. Yan Zhi’an reached for the hand warmer on the table. Her hands and feet were already cold. The Right Prime Minister pondered, then said, “The Crown Prince is clever. I’m afraid he’ll see through it.”
“I’m puzzled as to why Xunqi went to the palace.” Yan Zhi’an thought for a long time and couldn’t figure it out. She never liked going to the palace. Why did she choose today to go see Her Majesty?
The two sat facing each other in silence. Yan Zhi’an’s heart was uneasy. Her palm pressed against the hand warmer, a patch of warmth.
The Right Prime Minister stood up. “I follow you, living in fear every day.”
Since she had learned Xunqi’s secret, she hadn’t had a single peaceful night. Xunqi wasn’t a docile person. She dared to do anything.
She was about to say something when a subordinate’s voice came from outside. “Left Prime Minister, the Young Mistress has beaten up the third young lord of Prince Ji’s residence in the street.”
The Right Prime Minister: “…” It was exactly as she feared.
She looked at the Left Prime Minister. “Are you going to clean up the mess, or am I?”
“Naturally, I will.” Yan Zhi’an stood up calmly, without the Right Prime Minister’s surprise. She said calmly, “Li Sanlang deserved the beating. Even killing him wouldn’t be too much.”
“Yan Zhi’an, Xunqi’s fearless temperament is because you spoiled her!” The Right Prime Minister was so angry her heart was suffocating. What did ‘even killing him wouldn’t be too much’ mean? That was Prince Ji’s son, Emperor Hui’s cousin.
Prince Ji was now the elder of the Imperial Clan. The Imperial Clan respected him as their leader. Offending him rashly was equivalent to offending the entire Imperial Clan.
Yan Zhi’an said calmly, “That was taught by your elder sister. I just gave her a little confidence.”
The Right Prime Minister was so angry she nearly fell over. “Hurry up and go check.”
Yan Zhi’an thought for a moment, then said, “Actually, if I don’t go, she won’t lose. If I go, she’ll lose, because someone will be holding her back. It’s better for her to be free.”
“Yan Zhi’an!” The Right Prime Minister’s vision went dark. “Hurry up and clean up the mess.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll go take a look.” Yan Zhi’an moved lazily. She went out the door, then came back. The Right Prime Minister was puzzled. “What are you doing?”
Yan Zhi’an: “It’s cold today.”
The Right Prime Minister glanced at her. “I’ll go myself. I won’t count on you.”
“Don’t go either. Pretend you don’t know. Her Majesty won’t side with Prince Ji anyway. Why stick your neck out? Xunqi must have a reason for acting.” Yan Zhi’an firmly believed Xunqi wouldn’t act rashly.
While the two were making excuses, Xunqi had dragged Li Sanlang’s body and dumped him at the gate of Prince Ji’s residence. Li Sanlang was trembling with pain.
“Yan Xunqi, you’ve gone too far! I’ll go to Her Majesty and accuse you!” Li Sanlang lay pathetically at his own doorstep.
Xunqi sat high on her horse, looking down at him. “Go tell Her Majesty that you sent people to follow me, trying to do something improper. Li Sanlang, I only beat you. I didn’t kill you. If it weren’t for your surname Li, I would have cut you down today.”
“Yan, don’t be so arrogant! You’re just a bastard, an illegitimate daughter, shameless!” Li Sanlang cursed in a rage.
The moment the words landed, Xunqi’s gaze changed. She jumped off her horse, stepped forward, grabbed Li Sanlang by the collar, and punched him in the mouth.
With one punch, Li Sanlang screamed. Xunqi raised her hand and punched again, her eyes as if she wanted to devour him. The guards of Prince Ji’s residence were so scared they didn’t dare step forward.
By the third punch, Li Sanlang had no voice left. The guards of Prince Ji’s residence rushed forward. Seeing this, the Patrol Battalion drew their swords and charged forward.
There was chaos at the gate of Prince Ji’s residence. When the Capital Magistrate hurried over, several people were lying on the ground. Li Sanlang lay on the ground, his breathing weak, his gaze drifting. The Capital Magistrate called out to him, but he didn’t answer. At that moment, the Princess Consort of Ji rushed over.
“Sanlang, Sanlang…”
Blood was seeping from the corner of Li Sanlang’s mouth. He could no longer respond.
Xunqi looked at him coldly, her hands clenched into fists. The Princess Consort of Ji cried out, “Physician, physician…”
Seeing this, the Capital Magistrate had a terrible headache. This was the first time he had seen the Patrol Battalion leading a fight. He glanced at the Princess Consort of Ji, then at the Young Mistress Yan. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t dare offend either side.
“Young Mistress Yan, you’ve gone too far! Beating my son like this, where are your manners and rules?” The Princess Consort of Ji hugged her son and sobbed. Unexpectedly, Xunqi said, “I don’t hit women. Otherwise, I’d beat you too.”
“How dare you be so arrogant!”
The Princess Consort of Ji was furious. She shouted, “Arrest her! I’ll take her to Her Majesty to be questioned!”
The moment the words landed, without Xunqi even needing to signal, the Patrol Battalion stepped forward together, surrounding Xunqi. Seeing this, the guards of Prince Ji’s residence could only stop.
The Capital Magistrate hurriedly tried to mediate. But Xunqi took two steps forward and went to grab Li Sanlang again, scaring the Princess Consort of Ji into shouting at the Capital Magistrate.
Xunqi smiled faintly. “A useless fool. What’s the point of keeping him?”
“Xunqi, I respect you as the Young Mistress Yan, yet you slander my son like this! I will definitely accuse you before Her Majesty!” The Princess Consort of Ji was trembling with anger. She had never seen such a rude child. She didn’t know how Yan Zhi’an had taught her.
Xunqi was not flustered. “Your son sent people to follow me, spying on patrol secrets. Beating him up is saving his life. If this goes before Her Majesty, he’ll lose his head.”
“You’re just making a false accusation! I’m going to ask the Left Prime Minister how she taught her daughter, raising you to be so unruly!” The Princess Consort of Ji was so angry she said whatever came to mind. “Don’t think that just because the Yan family threw money at you to get you promoted, you can bully people like this! You’re nothing but a money-grubbing little person. Yan Zhi’an had a child out of wedlock, gave birth but didn’t raise her, and raised you to be so unruly!”
The Capital Magistrate was scared out of his wits. Had he come too fast? “Princess Consort, Princess Consort, let’s talk this out. Let’s get Third Young Lord treated first.”
The moment the words landed, a saber was placed against the Princess Consort of Ji’s neck. She screamed in fright. “What are you doing? I am the Princess Consort of Ji, the wife of Prince Ji, the aunt of Her Majesty!”
Xunqi didn’t move. She pressed the blade two inches closer, against the skin of the Princess Consort’s neck. Slowly, blood began to trickle down. The Capital Magistrate felt cold all over. “Young Mistress Yan, Young Mistress Yan, let’s talk, let’s talk.”
“A person stands in the world with filial piety first. One should love and respect one’s parents. The Princess Consort insulted my mother in front of me. What do you think I should do?”
The Capital Magistrate wanted to cry. He wanted to kneel to this little ancestor. “Young Mistress, Young Mistress, the Princess Consort is outspoken. She didn’t mean it.”
Xunqi didn’t pay attention. Her gaze was vicious, scaring the Princess Consort of Ji so much she didn’t dare make a sound. She could only say, “If you kill me, Prince Ji won’t forgive you.”
“Kill you first, then we’ll talk. Insulting the Left Prime Minister, just this one thing, and I’m not done with you.” Xunqi didn’t let go. “You’re comfortable, relying on a man to live. What are you worth?”
The Princess Consort of Ji was so scared she didn’t dare answer. The Capital Magistrate hurriedly tried to dissuade her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a group of riders galloping towards them. At the head was the Left Prime Minister.
The Capital Magistrate burst into tears. “Left Prime Minister, Left Prime Minister, please save this humble official, save this humble official!”
Before Yan Zhi’an even got close, she heard the Capital Magistrate’s cries. She looked up and saw Xunqi holding a saber to the Princess Consort of Ji’s neck. She was puzzled.
She dismounted. The Capital Magistrate pounced over. “Please, persuade your little ancestor!”
Xunqi glanced at Yan Zhi’an and shouted at the Princess Consort of Ji, “Kneel. Apologize.”
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