The people who came here to amuse themselves were generally the sons of princes, high officials, or noble lineages. Even if they weren’t intimate friends, they all recognized one another’s faces.
The appearance of such a fresh, unknown face immediately drew a great deal of attention.
Worse yet, the newcomer’s air of utter disdain for everyone present sparked both curiosity and contempt in equal measure…
The most prestigious young masters in the capital were all gathered here. To see someone acting like such a pretentious prick in front of them made their hands itch to teach this stranger a lesson!
A few young nobles, who thought rather highly of their own status, exchanged glances. They snatched silver from the hands of their personal servants and tossed it carelessly toward the servant responsible for registration.
“Write down our names!” one shouted.
As the servant bowed and scraped, the young men flashed arrogant smiles and swaggered past Luo Wushuang.
Watching these useless, unlearned sycophants, the contempt on Luo Wushuang’s face deepened. She might as well have carved the word “trash” onto her forehead.
Just as the group was about to flare up at being so blatantly looked down upon, another commotion rippled through the crowd.
A sharp-eyed noble saw the newcomer and immediately grew excited. “Look! It’s Brother Shen, Shen Zhiyan!”
A nearby dandy turned back to mock Luo Wushuang. “Brother Shen is here to race as well. Kid, you might as well give up now and prepare to lose!”
At the mention of Shen Zhiyan’s name, Luo Wushuang’s eyes shifted slightly, followed by an expression of pure, unadulterated disgust.
So this is the disgusting creature who seduced a palace maid just to plant contraband in my bedchamber?
The investigators she had sent out had already cleared the matter. Shen Zhiyan had been greedy for merit during the suppression of bandits, even going so far as to take the heads of innocent civilians to claim false military achievements.
She had planned to address this during tomorrow’s morning court session. She hadn’t expected to run into him here.
Her gaze swept over the nobles before her. Because of Shen Zhiyan, she found them all exceptionally repulsive by association.
Yet, these people lacked any sense of self-preservation and insisted on crowding forward. One youth, who looked like the leader of this pack of fools, leaned in with a greasy smirk.
“Looking at this physique, you might just be a pretty boy. Why don’t you take off that mask and let this young master have a look? If you please my eyes…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Luo Wushuang kicked him squarely off his horse.
The sudden violence stunned the other youths. As the fallen boy groaned in pain, they finally snapped out of it and prepared to charge their horses forward, only to be met by Luo Wushuang’s cold, murderous gaze.
The youths froze mid-motion. Still, they refused to back down verbally, shouting, “Just you wait! When Brother Shen gets here, he’ll make you pay!”
Luo Wushuang’s eyes were like daggers as she swept her gaze over the loudmouths. She spoke with pure derision. “Adding one more piece of trash to the pile—what is there to be proud of?”
Her domineering words drifted on the wind and reached Shen Zhiyan’s ears. Standing amidst the crowd, Shen Zhiyan showed no sign of anger. He maintained his facade of a refined, elegant gentleman.
It wasn’t until he reached Luo Wushuang that he lowered his voice to hiss a threat. “Today, this young master will teach you how to behave in public on behalf of your parents!”
With that, he flipped himself onto his horse.
Luo Wushuang let out a cold laugh. She drew the supple whip from her waist and lashed out violently at Shen Zhiyan’s back.
Fortunately for him, Shen Zhiyan’s reactions were quick enough to avoid the full force of the blow, but the tail of the whip still grazed the face he took such pride in.
Soon, a dark bruise laced with beads of blood appeared on his cheek.
Having lost face in front of the crowd, Shen Zhiyan’s expression turned grim. He shot a meaningful look at the surrounding nobles.
Accompanied by a loud, piercing whistle, dust began to fly as the herd of horses galloped forward.
***
Shangguan Liqian stepped down from her carriage and walked toward a pavilion to observe from afar.
Her gaze, which had been calm and indifferent at first, gradually grew cold. Eventually, her face became as hard as frost.
On the track, Luo Wushuang—who had expected the victory to be hers for the taking—found herself being collectively targeted by the group of “trash” she had just insulted the moment the race began.
They were willing to break every rule, even risking collisions to ram into her horse.
A single evasive maneuver cost her the optimal timing for the start.
Before she could recover, the group surrounded her like madmen, intentionally causing chaos.
Even as her anger flared, the mindless sycophants continued to provoke her with mocking grins.
Luo Wushuang’s anger reached a peak, and she began to laugh. Her hand moved to the whip at her waist, but her eyes met Shangguan Liqian’s gaze from the distant pavilion.
The distance was too great to see her sister’s expression clearly, but she didn’t want to expose her excessively bloody side in front of her.
The fury in her eyes churned for a few moments before Luo Wushuang finally pulled the reins, turned her horse around, and rode straight toward the pavilion.
Laughter erupted behind her, and the veins on the hand gripping her reins bulged with strain.
With a graceful dismount, a fierce-looking Luo Wushuang was about to speak when her hand was suddenly enveloped by a soft, warm touch.
“Get in the carriage first,” Shangguan Liqian’s gentle voice said.
The rage in Luo Wushuang’s eyes flickered and died. She turned obediently and followed Shangguan Liqian into the carriage.
Inside, Shangguan Liqian held Luo Wushuang’s hand, which was trembling slightly with rage. She asked softly, “How do you want to handle them?”
“Kill them! Kill them all!” Luo Wushuang replied, her expression icy, her anger still difficult to suppress.
It was all because of those damned fools that she failed to get the item her sister wanted. The more she thought about it, the more she felt they all deserved to die.
Having witnessed exactly how Luo Wushuang had been targeted, Shangguan Liqian wasn’t surprised by her fury. Even she was seething with indignation.
However, she had just questioned the Personal Guards. Though those youths held no official positions themselves, their fathers, brothers, or elders were all prominent figures in the capital.
Dealing with so many people at once would inevitably cause trouble for Wushuang. This matter required a more calculated approach.
“Would you like to hear my suggestion?” Shangguan Liqian asked.
Under Shangguan Liqian’s gentle tone, Luo Wushuang suppressed her temper and forced herself to be patient. “Tell me, Sister.”
Seeing that she hadn’t lost her mind to rage, Shangguan Liqian breathed a secret sigh of relief before asking, “Who was the leader?”
Thinking of that revolting creature, Luo Wushuang’s face darkened even further. But hearing her sister’s question, she answered obediently, “Shen Zhiyan, the son of Duke Dingyang.”
Upon hearing the title of Duke Dingyang, Shangguan Liqian’s brows knitted slightly. “The grandson of the Grand Princess?”
She remembered that the late Emperor’s sister had been titled the Grand Princess. She had two sons, one of whom had been granted the title of Duke Dingyang.
When she heard her sister ask, Luo Wushuang curled her lip in disgust. “Even his father was merely adopted.”
What kind of insignificant thing was he supposed to be?
Since he had provoked her, she didn’t care if he was the son of Duke Dingyang—even if it were the Grand Princess herself, she would beat her all the same.
From Luo Wushuang’s attitude, Shangguan Liqian realized there was no affection between her and the Grand Princess. A plan immediately formed in her mind.
“You hate him very much?” Shangguan Liqian asked with a bright smile.
Luo Wushuang nodded. She didn’t mention that she had already planned to deal with him tomorrow; she wanted to hear her sister’s thoughts.
Shangguan Liqian, who had already despised Shen Zhiyan for his earlier behavior, saw Luo Wushuang nod, and her smile became even more radiant.
“In that case… we shall throw everyone except him into prison.”
