"Your Majesty, this humble subject fears trouble may have broken out again among the Bei Xiang diplomatic corps."
Knowing full well that Emperor Xuanwu had no patience for needless rambling at this hour, the Left Prime Minister stepped directly into the imperial study and came straight to the point:
"Just now, Princess Sheng An's maid relayed a few whispered words to Her Highness. Upon hearing them, Her Highness left immediately, brimming with murderous intent. This minister fears that if we do not intervene, something truly grave may occur."
"Murderous intent?"
Was this about his Xiao Wu? The same daughter who, even after nearly being framed by the Crown Prince, had done no more than raise her voice and complain to him—whose emotions had always flared quickly but passed just as easily?
Emperor Xuanwu frowned deeply.
"What message did her maid deliver? Did you hear it clearly?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, the maid deliberately avoided others while speaking to the princess. This subject dared not eavesdrop."
"However..."
Given the seriousness of the matter, the Left Prime Minister dared not withhold even the slightest suspicion:
"This subject vaguely heard the maid say something about returning to the 'inn.' I suspect that someone from the Bei Xiang diplomatic mission has once again provoked Princess Sheng An's ire, then returned to the diplomatic residence."
To provoke Xiao Wu, a child with such a generous heart and calm temperament, into drawing a blade—outside the palace no less?
Emperor Xuanwu had no time to consider further. He immediately ordered the Left Prime Minister to take a contingent of palace guards and proceed to the Bei Xiang residence to respond as needed. Even then, sensing it might not be enough, he summoned two members of the Dragon Shadow Guard.
"You two are to go at once to the Bei Xiang diplomatic residence. No matter what happens, you must ensure Princess Sheng An comes to no harm."
"Understood."
Two shadows slipped from within the imperial study. In the blink of an eye, they vanished into the night.
On the other side of the palace, Yun Shu had just reached the main gate.
Outside, the Left Prime Minister's carriage was still waiting. Without slowing her stride, Yun Shu approached, face like ice. She seized the guard's greatsaber with one hand and, before anyone could react, sliced clean through the rope binding the horses to the carriage. In the next moment, she swung onto the horse's back and rode off without hesitation.
Her movements were seamless, as fluid as they were decisive. By the time the carriage driver from the Left Prime Minister's household understood what had happened, all he could do was gape at her rapidly retreating figure.
"Borrowing your horse!"
The carriage driver could only stare, speechless. Could he even say no?
Ting Xue, who had come running after Yun Shu on foot, was unable to keep up and could only stomp her feet anxiously at the palace gate.
The four hidden guards bestowed by Emperor Xuanwu, however, had far greater skills. Drawing on their lightness technique, they managed to barely keep pace with Yun Shu on horseback.
Fortunately, over the past several months, Yun Shu had honed her riding skills in preparation for future excursions beyond the palace. Her improvement showed. Horse and rider tore through the streets like a crimson streak. The red fox-fur cloak behind her billowed with the speed of her charge, stirring a loud wind—but she herself remained poised and balanced in the saddle, unwavering.
A girl in crimson robes and dark hair, cold-eyed atop a galloping horse, racing through the streets of Chang'an. She harmed no one, but her appearance was impossible to ignore.
"Whose daughter is this? She rides like a young lord!"
"Hush. Mind your words!"
Someone in the crowd recognized her and urgently whispered:
"That is Princess Sheng An!"
"Princess Sheng An?"
The man who had first spoken stared in astonishment.
"You mean the same princess who invented that feather-quill, printing method and started the Capital Weekly? The one who opened a restaurant where even women can earn a living outside their homes?"
"The very same. His Majesty has only one princess. Who else could she be?"
The speaker nodded, then couldn't help but boast a little:
"I saw her once at the Tian Waitian Restaurant myself! Even the Prime Minister and other high officials were there that day. That restaurant's dishes... gods above, they are divine! The techniques, the ingredients—I'd never seen the like in my life."
"Truly envy the nobility. They get to feast like that every day."
"It's just food. How good could it possibly be?"
The man from earlier, limited by his own narrow experience, simply couldn't fathom how good food could get. In his mind, the best thing he'd ever tasted was plain-boiled pork belly during New Year's celebrations.
Perhaps, he thought to himself, imperial cuisine just tasted like that—only better.
Still, despite his doubts, his gaze lingered on the space where Princess Sheng An had vanished from sight.
"Didn't she look like she was rushing to deal with someone just now? Think something's happened?"
"She galloped past in a blink—how could you possibly tell?"
Annoyed at not receiving the admiration he'd hoped for, the man who'd tried to show off gave a derisive snort.
"What kind of person could possibly require Princess Sheng An to intervene in person? Who would dare?"
At that very moment, someone brazen enough to require Princess Sheng An's personal intervention—namely, the heir to Prince Lian—was clinking wine cups with the Eldest Prince inside the Bei Xiang diplomatic residence.
"Nicely done today."
The Eldest Prince patted the heir to Prince Lian on the shoulder with satisfaction.
"This should have been done long ago."
"You are absolutely right."
The heir laughed, seemingly having forgotten how he had been grabbed by the collar and threatened by this very prince only days earlier. He downed his wine in one gulp and let out a hearty laugh.
"Tian Sheng is just as His Majesty and the Eldest Prince predicted—hollow splendor on the outside, rotten to the core within!"
"When I was tearing that girl's clothes, that useless Third Prince of Tian Sheng suddenly showed up and gave me quite a scare. Turns out, that piece of trash didn't even bring a single servant along!
And when we left, he didn't even dare say a word. Pretended he was just worried about the girl. What a joke!"
"I heard the girl is Yun Shu's cousin," the Eldest Prince added with a sneer.
"A shame Yun Shu wasn't there at the time. I would have loved to see her helpless rage..."
Crash!
A sudden, deafening noise outside caused both men to freeze, cups halfway raised.
The Eldest Prince slammed his goblet down with a clatter and stood, preparing to roar in anger and demand an explanation—
But before he could speak, the door burst open with a violent kick from the outside.
"Yun... Princess Sheng An?!"
He had spoken her name only moments ago—and now she stood right there in front of him, having arrived in the most unceremonious and aggressive fashion imaginable.
The Eldest Prince's eyes darkened.
"Princess Sheng An, what is the meaning of—"
He didn't get to finish.
Yun Shu, her expression colder than frost, drew a heavy saber—who knew where she had acquired it—and without a single word or glance toward the Eldest Prince, advanced directly toward the heir to Prince Lian.
Clang!
Both men, sensing danger, drew their weapons.
But Yun Shu did not hesitate. She never wavered, never so much as flinched. Her focus was locked solely on the heir to Prince Lian.