Chapter 40: The Swordsmanship Debate on Breaking the Engagem

ay I must deal with you this brat!"The old prince coldly snorted. Yun Qianyue sneered inwardly."My lord, how can you not believe that I was bullied by her Just because she says so, should I be believe...Chapter 40 Breaking the Engagement and Dueling

Upon hearing this, Yun Qianyue narrowed her eyes. Nie Tianyi was away from the capital dealing with flood control just like Rong Jing, leaving him no time to attend to other matters. Moreover, she knew that he valued her aunt greatly and would not easily touch on her sore point. Currently in the capital, there were only Nie Tianqiong and Nie Tianyu. Nie Tiayu had once tried to collaborate with her but was firmly rejected by her. It wasn't surprising now that they couldn't take action against the old emperor directly; using her aunt as an entry point indeed made sense.

"Only they could break this situation!" Rong Jing said coolly again.

Originally, she had planned to stay here for a week or two, but it seemed like she would have to return to the capital earlier! Yun Qianyue expelled a breath. Since her aunt wanted this child, she couldn't ignore the matter.

"Mm!" Rong Jing's eyes revealed some reluctance as he nodded slowly.

Nie Qingran had sent someone to inform her that he would ensure her aunt’s safety before her return. Yun Qianyue thought about it and said with a hint of reluctance, "I will set out early tomorrow morning."

Rong Jing nodded, "Alright!"

Standing by the window, Yun Qianyue did not go back to the couch. Her fingers tapped lightly on the windowsill as she looked at the tea set on the desk, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly before she said with a dark tone after some time, "During my absence, you mustn't let Princess Luo Yao show up and harass you or get close to you."

Rong Jing's lips curled, "That might be difficult."

Yun Qianyue frowned, "What do you want that is impossible Don’t tell me that without me around, you can’t deal with other women who try their best to get close to you. Dare you"

"You said yourself she’s a golden plum blossom flower and difficult to handle. How could I throw her at myself alone" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow while smiling.

Yun Qianyue bit down on her lips, recalling what Jade Zishu had said. Suddenly, inspiration struck and she said to Rong Jing, "I’ll bring them back to the capital with me! This way, she will be by my side, so it won't affect you anymore, nor get close to you."

Rong Jing raised an eyebrow, "That’s a good idea. However, instead of bringing them back to the capital, it would be better not to let them enter the capital at all. With vast areas of Tian Sheng suffering from floods and half the national treasury resources being used for disaster relief, what do you think the emperor will do when a relatively wealthy Dong Hai Prince and Princess arrive Would he allow such an opportunity to slip away easily Even if Dong Hai wants to break off the engagement, the Emperor would still find ways to make it happen, let alone there’s also Princess Luo Yao."

Yun Qianyue frowned as she looked at Rong Jing. "Not letting them enter the capital Do you mean sending them back the way they came"

Rong Jing nodded with a smile, "That would be the best solution!"

Yun Qianyue lowered her head and pondered for a moment before suddenly reaching out to tap on the windowsill. “Alright then! This way, I can get rid of the golden plum blossom flower while blocking the old emperor’s schemes. Let them return where they came from! We have no time to deal with them.”

"Fortunately, Prince Jade is an acquaintance of yours; if you speak up, he won’t refuse," Rong Jing said with a smile.

Yun Qianyue rubbed her forehead and said gloomily, "This feels rather unfair to Xiao Qi. He finally made it to Tian Sheng, and we’ve just met. Not only do I not invite him over for tea, but now I’m even sending him away. Uh, wouldn’t that be too harsh"

"It is a bit harsh!" Rong Jing nodded in agreement.

Yun Qianyue rubbed her forehead hard; apart from this reason, she was quite fond of Xiao Qi since they had just met and hadn't had the chance to catch up properly. If he were to return to Dong Hai now, who knew when they would meet again

"Keep rubbing and you’ll break your forehead!" Rong Jing reminded her.

Yun Qianyue lowered her hand and waved it irritably. "Forget about it! Let’s call him over to discuss things first! See if he has any good ideas If there are, that would be best; otherwise, we’ll have to apologize to him. Since he offered himself as a support team, let's start with this matter. It wouldn't be my style not to take advantage of such a strong backing."

Rong Jing smiled and gave an order outside, "Xian Ge, go invite Prince Jade over and tell him I have important matters to discuss."

“Yes!” Xian Ge immediately responded and left the courtyard.

Yun Qianyue walked towards Rong Jing, stood in front of him, stared at him for a moment, then asked oddly, "Did you already have this idea in mind You never intended to let Dong Hai’s emissaries enter Tian Sheng Capital"

Rong Jing smiled and nodded.

"A schemer!" Yun Qianyue criticized bluntly.

Rong Jing reached out to hold her slender waist, pulling her into his embrace. "Dong Hai’s emissaries can come to Tian Sheng, but not at this time. It's not advantageous for us now; it would be better if they leave."

Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes.

Rong Jing said again, "At least after you belong to me!"

Yun Qianyue giggled!

"However, the Jade Crown Prince can still do one thing," Rong Jing slowly continued: "Although destroying the marriage pact between Donghai and Rong王府 is not very useful, it's still better to destroy it. Later on when he arrives, make him write a document!"

Yun Qianyue smiled as she nodded, looking at Rong Jing with admiration, "Your calculations are indeed impressive."

"In order to marry you, how could my calculations not be impressive" Rong Jing ignored Yun Qianyue's teasing and sighed helplessly.

Yun Qianyue was speechless, wondering if she had trained him in his schemes and stratagems Was she really that capable

Noises were heard at the main gate. Yun Qianyue lifted her head to look out of the window and saw Yu Zishu walking slowly into the courtyard, already dressed in magnificent attire. She praised him softly for a moment, then stood up, reaching out to pull Rong Jing along as she walked towards him.

Rong Jing's gaze fell on Yu Zishu’s beautiful face; he smiled faintly.

The two of them went out of the room. Yu Zishu also arrived in the courtyard. Yun Qianyue released Rong Jing’s hand and took a few large steps to get beside Yu Zishu, grabbing his arm and smiling sweetly at him, "Guess what I invited you here for"

"You want to send me off!" Yu Zishu smiled warmly.

Yun Qianyue's face twitched as she looked at him suspiciously, "When did you become so clairvoyant"

"I learned it long ago!" Yu Zishu chuckled and glanced at Rong Jing who was standing by the door, smiling and asking, "Isn’t this Jing Shizi"

Rong Jing's gaze fell on Yun Qianyue tugging at Yu Zishu’s arm; his smile was light, "It seems that Prince Jade understands. It looks like inviting you here is a waste of effort!"

"How could it be" Yu Zishu shook his head and said to Yun Qianyue with his head lowered, "I want to eat the steak you made."

“Okay, I will make it for you!” Yun Qianyue readily agreed when she wanted something from someone.

"I also want tomato and egg noodles," Yu Zishu added.

Yun Qianyue nodded again, "Alright!" The two dishes that she could cook were just these!

"I also want to eat..." Yu Zishu continued speaking.

“Prince Jade, what do you want to eat Can Jing prepare it for you” Rong Jing cut in.

Yu Zishu raised his eyebrows, "So Jing Shizi is a culinary expert as well! Then please have Jing Shizi arrange the dishes. This afternoon when I thought about it, I realized that I should accept your kindness and eat a meal from you to feel better for almost being reduced to tears by Yun'er."

"Alright!" Rong Jing readily agreed.

Yun Qianyue's lips twitched as she looked at Yu Zishu, "How big is your appetite Can you eat it all"

"As long as you and Jing Shizi cook, I can eat a lot," Yu Zishu smiled and nodded.

“Alright! Then go inside first. I'll prepare the ingredients to reward your appetite,” Yun Qianyue released Yu Zishu and walked towards the small kitchen in the courtyard.

"Prince Jade, please!" Rong Jing gently swept his sleeve and lightly bowed.

"Jing Shizi, please!" Yu Zishu slowly took a step forward with graceful strides.

The two of them entered the room one after another. The pearl curtains tinkled softly as they moved, soon quieting down as the two settled in the room.

Yun Qianyue walked to the small kitchen door, turned her head and looked inside for a moment. She smiled and stepped into the small kitchen. Since Xiao Qi had already known Rong Jing's purpose, they could talk about it themselves! Despite knowing that there was an invisible war happening during the transition of power in Tiangong, she still brought Luo Yao to Tiangong at this time with some reason or objective. It was just that this trip to Tiangong added a variable to their meeting. She believed that they would naturally find ways to cooperate and benefit each other.

Seeing Yun Qianyue enter the kitchen, Ling Lian and Yi Xue immediately came over to help her.

As Ling Lian was setting up the fire, she told Yun Qianyue, "Miss, I just went to Prince Luo Yao's room and passed on your words to her. Princess Luo Yao…" She took a deep breath as she saw Yun Qianyue looking at her. With a somber tone, she continued: "She said that if you like drinking jasmine tea, she will pick all the jasmine flowers in her room to send them to you."

"Oh" Yun Qianyue was amused, "Is it really like this"

“Yes!” Ling Lian nodded.

“Then did you bring back the tea” Yun Qianyue asked with a smile.

“I brought them back. It’s滿滿一籃子。如今那個院落裡連一片茉莉花瓣也冇了！”淩蓮道。

雲淺月聞言笑得意味幽深，“果然是一朵金桃花，小七倒是冇說錯。寧為玉碎不為瓦全。看來我是遇到了對手了！”

"Miss, what should we do I didn’t want to take them back because it would have lost your face. But I had no choice but to accept them and bring them back for you," Ling Lian said.

“If you brought it back, then let’s keep it with us when we return to the capital. From now on, instead of drinking Maojian tea, I will drink jasmine tea, slowly getting used to it!” Yun Qianyue laughed and explained: “Only this way can I be reminded at all times that someone wants to snatch my man from me, so as to reflect deeply.”

Ling Lian and Yi Xue’s mouths twitched simultaneously.

Yun Qianyue smiled and didn’t speak anymore; she focused on cooking the steak in her hand.

About half an hour later, Rong Jing suddenly appeared at the kitchen door. Yun Qianyue felt his presence behind her and saw him rolling up his sleeves as he smiled back at her with raised eyebrows: "Are you really going to cook"

“Of course! Prince Jade generously offered his help; we must treat him properly,” Rong Jing said.

"Then do it well!" Yun Qianyue left the kitchen carrying a tray, her face full of deep amusement.

Rong Jing didn’t ask her to stay but first washed his hands and started preparing things in an orderly manner. Ling Lian and Yi Xue had never seen Rong Jing cook before; they stared at him for a moment with widened eyes, then quickly snapped out of it to help him.

Yun Qianyue entered the room to find Jade Zishu sitting slowly sipping tea at the desk. A piece of golden-yellow silk was placed on the table, with characters written upon it; she walked over and put the steak and egg noodles in front of him before lowering her head to look at the scroll. She saw four large characters: "Termination of Engagement."

Following those words were beautiful cursive script stating, "In consideration of the sincere affection between Prince Jing of Rong王府and Miss Qianyue of Yun王府, Donghai Country does not wish to snatch what others love and hereby terminates this engagement." The signature read “Jade Zishu,” with a handprint seal from the Crown Prince of Donghai.

Yun Qianyue curled her lip corner and asked Jade Zishu: "Is that all"

"What else do you want" Jade Zishu smiled and raised his eyebrows.

Yun Qianyue rolled up the yellow silk scroll and stuffed it into her bosom, then gave a big smile to Jade Zishu: "Xiao Qi, have I ever said that you’re cute"

"You used to say it all the time," Jade Zishu glanced at her. “But every time you say this, you're asking me for something and I can't refuse!"

Yun Qianyue covered her mouth lightly coughed when she heard that.

"Although there is a saying in Donghai that obeying the Crown Prince's orders is like obeying the Emperor’s, the Crown Prince is not actually the Emperor. This document can solve some problems but cannot resolve all of them," Jade Zishu reminded Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue smiled and nodded, leaning sideways to sit in front of Jade Zishu: "If it doesn’t solve any other issues, that's fine; at least this shows your attitude. At the very least, Old Emperor won't dare do anything to us for a while. It’s not easy to get you to agree to this—though he is old, he isn’t foolish."

Jade Zishu nodded without saying more and began focusing on eating his steak.

Yun Qianyue leaned over the desk watching him eat; she recalled how Xiao Qi would cook for her every time she had a mission before, while she couldn't cook herself whenever he was out. He ate whatever she prepared with great relish. Those days were long gone but they were good and memorable.

Jade Zishu seemed to recall those times too; he looked up at Yun Qianyue and gave her a warm smile.

"What's the Eastern Sea Kingdom like Tell me about it," Yun Qianyue suddenly asked.

"The Eastern Sea Kingdom isn't as large as the Heavenly Saint Territory, probably around half its size. But its scenery is excellent, truly a place where virtuous people and beautiful spirits gather. Scholars have their own scholarly virtues, warriors their martial arts paths. From the royal family to commoners, everyone lives happily and peacefully. It's an era of prosperity," Jade Zishu said.

"So it's really different from Heavenly Saint Territory, like heaven and earth" Yun Qianyue asked.

“Yes, that’s right! It's a paradise,” Jade Zishu smiled and nodded.

"Who are the people in the royal family" Yun Qianyue asked with interest.

"There is my father, mother, Uncle King, Auntie, Prince Huawang, as well as Luo Yao, Lingyu, Zi Luo, three princesses. Zixi, one prince, and he and Zi Luo are twins. Three vassal kings of different genders: Lingyang Wang, Qi County Wang, Min'an Wang, all loyal to the king and country," Jade Zishu smiled in reply.

"Zi Luo" Yun Qianyue said this name out loud and raised an eyebrow at Jade Zishu. "Is Luoyao Princess Zi Luo"

“Yes!” Jade Zishu nodded with a smile.

“You two really don’t look alike,” Yun Qianyue remarked, “At least I can still see some of your royal family’s characteristics in Luo Yao's demeanor; she is dignified and noble. However, I cannot see any resemblance between her and you siblings.”

"After she was born, my aunt came to the palace to visit her, and she clung tightly to my aunt’s clothes and wouldn't let go. My aunt also likes her very much, so she took her back to our house for raising. My aunt is often not in the Eastern Sea Kingdom, so Zi Luo became a little shadow wherever my aunt went. Once when my aunt went out without taking her, she cried day and night for three days straight until Father Emperor sent an urgent message to my aunt who rushed back immediately to take her away. Since then, she has been considered as part of my aunt's family. She can only stay in the palace a few days each year! Most of the time, you cannot see her at all," Jade Zishu shook his head and smiled.

Because Aunt travels around frequently, Zi Luo was raised like a boy by her side, which has formed her current personality. Even many people don't know about this little princess in the royal family.

"What kind of person is your aunt" Yun Qianyue asked again.

Jade Zishu's gaze flickered as he glanced at Yun Qianyue, just as he was about to speak, a familiar shout came from the door, "Yun Qianyue! Come out for me!"

Yun Qianyue turned her head towards the window and saw Luoyao stride in. She looked no different from a male, she said with a smile, "I always thought she was Princess Luo Yao back then."

"It's because of the information she spread out herself," Jade Zishu smiled. “She loves to play. This personality doesn't resemble my aunt at all but is very much like Uncle Huawang who also enjoys playing around, so does she.” He continued, "Recently when I told her that I was going to come to the Eastern Sea Kingdom, she secretly followed me out without telling Auntie."

"What's Prince Huawang like" Yun Qianyue asked as Luoyao approached the house.

“Prince Huawang is my aunt’s consort! But he was enfeoffed before becoming a consort. So the people of Heavenly Saint Territory prefer to call him Huawang rather than Consort,” Jade Zishu smiled and said.

Yun Qianyue nodded, her eyes deep in thought and no longer asked questions.

"Yun Qianyue!" Luoyao arrived at the door at this moment. She flicked open the curtain with a slap and rushed over to Yun Qianyue's side. Just as she was about to slam her fist on the table in front of her, she saw Jade Zishu sitting opposite and immediately froze, exclaiming in surprise, "Brother Zishu"

"Yu'er, why are you rushing around like this when you're sick Shouldn't you be resting in your yard" Jade Zishu frowned.

Luoyao quickly withdrew her hand and pointed at Yun Qianyue with a pout. "She's nasty!"

Jade Zishu glanced at Yun Qianyue, then asked helplessly, “What did she do”

"She provoked me and went to provoke that woman, Princess Luo Yao! Is that not being nasty Luo Yao stripped all the flowers from the yard and gave them to her in private," Luoyao stomped her foot fiercely as she accused Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue’s lips twitched; she rubbed her forehead, somewhat headache-y. She had privately given flowers to Princess Luo Yao Was that what it was called

Jade Zishu seemed helpless and held his head with a sigh. "Yu'er, do you know your gender"

Luoyao blinked her eyes, looked at Yun Qianyue, then Jade Zishu, before saying after a while, “I am a man!”

"Just because you're wearing men's clothes doesn't make you a man! Do you understand" Yun Qianyue put down her hand and looked at him.

“So what” Luoyao snorted, reached into her chest, pulled out a scroll of painting, and handed it to Jade Zishu as she accused, “Brother Zishu, look at this. This is proof that she tempted me. So I want her to take responsibility. He's a man, so I'm a woman; she's a woman, so I'm a man. Moreover, our Eastern Sea Kingdom has men’s love [homosexuality]. Can't we also have women’s love [lesbianism] I can marry her."

Yun Qianyue was covered in sweat. Where did this strong idea come from

The Jadezi Book looked at the painting curiously when he unfolded it. Upon seeing the portrait of Yun Qianyue dressed in male clothing, he took a closer look and his eyes flickered. He asked Luo Yu, "This is her Why does she not seem like her to me"

"Not" Luo Yu raised an eyebrow.

"How can you be so sure it's her" Jadezi Book retorted.

"She herself said so, and Rong Jing also confirmed. Ye Qingran fought with me when he saw this painting, while Rong Feng acted as if something taboo had happened. They both like her, hence their reactions. This proves the subject of this portrait is indeed her," Luo Yu explained.

"It turns out to be conjecture! It can't be accurate." Jadezi Book looked up at Yun Qianyue and said, "Are you sure this is you"

"No, how could it be me I was just joking with her," Yun Qianyue immediately denied it by waving her hands.

"See! She says she's joking with you. It can't be her." Jadezi Book folded the painting and didn’t hand it back to Luo Yu but instead tucked it into his own chest, then told Luo Yu: "The Emperor just passed an oral decree saying that Uncle Hua is experiencing a recurrence of his old illness, which is quite serious this time around. He ordered me to return to the East Sea immediately. You hurry up and inform Lu Yao about this news. We’ll set out tonight."

Luo Yu’s face changed instantly: "You said that Uncle Hua's old illness has recurred"

"Yes!" Jadezi Book nodded.

"What should we do How could his old illness become severe again when it was nearly cured" Without bothering to look for trouble with Yun Qianyue, Luo Yu paced around the room anxiously and said to Jadezi Book with red eyes: "Brother Zibi, let's set off right now!"

"Our ship needs some repairs. I've already ordered people to prepare for it. You go and notify Lu Yao first," Jadezi Book said gently to Luo Yu. "We aim to depart as early as possible."

“Alright!” Upon hearing this, Luo Yu dashed out of the door like a gust of wind.

Seeing that Yun Qianyue was so easily dismissed by Luo Yu, she raised an eyebrow at Jadezi Book and asked: "Uncle Hua's old illness really has recurred"

"Uncle Hua’s old illness often recurs. It’s normal for him to have such episodes. Ziluo has the best rapport with Uncle Hua; both officials and commoners in the East Sea like him too, hence whenever they hear about his recurrence of an old illness, everyone spontaneously prays for him, treating it as a major disaster. Therefore, this is the most effective way to return to the East Sea. Even if Lu Yao doesn’t want to leave, she will have no choice but to," Jadezi Book said with a smile: "I’ll write Uncle Hua a letter later on and even if he isn’t experiencing an old illness right now, I’ll ask him to pretend that he is!"

"Uncle Hua would listen to you" Yun Qianyue asked.

"In recent years, Auntie and Uncle Hua have been overly indulgent with Ziluo. They’ve practically let her grow up freely; she’s traveled too much and learned too many things under their guidance, resulting in her being bold enough to act on impulse now. I’ll send your portrait back along with the letter and tell them about his intention of marrying you. Once they realize that something is wrong and understand where they have made a mistake, they will listen to me. They must educate Ziluo properly once she returns." Jadezi Book smiled at Yun Qianyue and said: "You really are someone who gets into trouble easily; no wonder Prince Jingshi has to watch over you every day without any relaxation."

Yun Qianyue let out a breath of relief. She would be best off if she could also get rid of Lu Yao along with Luo Yu. After glancing at Jadezi Book, she was just about to speak when Rong Jing lifted the curtain and walked in; Ling Lian and Yi Xue were holding trays behind him, each carrying delicious dishes. Yun Qianyue turned around immediately and said: "It smells so good! I’ve got an appetite again!"

"Someone who gets into trouble daily doesn’t deserve to be fed," Rong Jing said.

Yun Qianyue pouted and whispered: "I’m already being very careful! It’s not me causing trouble; the trouble just comes looking for me!"

"You still have a reason" Rong Jing asked with a slanted look at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue immediately stopped talking. She was indeed wronged by Luo Yu’s matter back then, but she had no one to complain to about it. She sulkingly leaned on the table and said in low voice: "Alright, I’ll just watch you all eat."

Rong Jing didn’t say anything more; he lifted his robe and sat down at the table.

Ling Lian and Yi Xue arranged the dishes and then walked down. They returned with two pots of wine. Rong Jing poured them for both Jadezi Book, and the two seemed to forget about Yun Qianyue’s presence as they chatted amicably over their drinks.

Yun Qianyue sat quietly by the side; she didn’t have chopsticks or a bowl or wine. She looked at this and then that before realizing that she had been completely ignored.

This meal lasted for two hours, but the dishes on the plates were barely touched. However, Jadezi Book polished off his steak and egg noodles plate as well as both pots of wine clean. When they got up from the table to leave, Yun Qianyue was already fast asleep with her head on the table.

When Jadezi Book stood up to take his leave, he said one sentence to Rong Jing: "Though the East Sea Kingdom is important in my heart, it’s not as significant as she. If you hurt her or abandon her, I’ll lead all of the East Sea troops and level the Glory王府."

Rong Jing raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond; instead, he reached out to rouse Yun Qianyue.

Jadezi Book stopped his hand and sighed softly: "Let her sleep. I don’t like goodbyes, nor does she.

Rong Jing stopped, and Yu Zishu walked out of the room. He was dressed in brocade robes and jade belt, looking elegant and refined with a hint of dizziness from drinking, but he did not stagger; instead, his steps were more relaxed and graceful.

Rong Jing stood by the table and watched as Yu Zishu left. His eyes rarely showed such admiration. Turning to look at Yun Qianyue, who was still asleep, with wind blowing in from窗外，吹動著她睫毛輕輕顫動。這一刻他比以往任何時候都深刻地體會到她用兩世記住的那個男子值得她去記。

When Yun Qianyue woke up, it was already dark. She opened her eyes to see herself lying down and Rong Jing lying beside her. She sat up abruptly and asked: "Has Little Seven left"

"He has set off!" replied Rong Jing. "But he just left; you can still catch him if you want."

Yun Qianyue was stunned for a moment before shaking her head, saying, "Forget it! He's not going to the ends of the earth and won't see me again!"

Rong Jing nodded.

Seeing the sword on the table, she took a closer look. Even though it was dark in the room, the clear cold light from the sword could still be seen clearly. She raised an eyebrow: "Where did this sword come from"

"It's a gift sent by Princess Luo Yao through her servant!" replied Rong Jing. "And there is also a letter!"

Yun Qianyue blinked and pushed the blanket aside, jumping off the bed past Rong Jing to walk over to the table. Sure enough, she saw an unopened envelope lying on top of the sword. She reached out and ripped open the letter. Inside was a piece of high-quality Xuan paper cut into the shape of a leaf, with a line written on it: "On Prince Jing's coming-of-age day and Miss Qianyue's hairpin ceremony day, Luo Yao will appear on time! Use this sword to compete in skill with you then! This sword is inconvenient to carry now, so I'll leave it here for the moment!"

Yun Qianyue looked at the letter speechlessly before rubbing her forehead and sighing. "Doesn't she want to just challenge me with a sword but rather blatantly snatch someone Besides fighting over swords, this is also a challenge issued to me!"

Lying down on the bed, Rong Jing raised an eyebrow without speaking.

"People say women are disasters in red, and you're also a disaster in red as a big man!" Yun Qianyue glared at Rong Jing.

“Are you going to lose to her” Rong Jing seemed to have smiled slightly.

Yun Qianyue snorted without saying anything. She folded the letter and grabbed the teapot on the table, pouring herself a large amount of tea. After finishing, she placed down the teapot and declared grandly: "One by one if they come; two by two if they come. If she dares to challenge me, I'll accept it! The three-foot blade is ready for her; I’ll definitely kill her without leaving even a piece of armor behind!"

Rong Jing suddenly laughed softly and happily praised: "You have the spirit!"

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes, cursing him as a useless person.

Rong Jing coughed lightly, his cough also seeming to be full of laughter. He gestured at Yun Qianyue and said, "Come back and sleep; you'll need to travel tomorrow so get some good rest tonight!"

Yun Qianyue walked back to the bed and climbed up again, snuggling into Rong Jing's embrace. He gently patted her as she quickly fell asleep peacefully. However, Rong Jing could not sleep and watched over her for a long time before finally closing his eyes.

The next day after breakfast, Yun Qianyue set off back to the capital, with Ling Lian and Yi Xue accompanying her.

As the official road in River Valley County had not yet been repaired, they traveled by raft as before. They rode horses once they reached the border of River Valley County. The road was much easier this time; the horses under them were rested for two days so their pace was very fast. By evening, they arrived at Lu Water City. After eating a simple meal in Lu Water City, they set off immediately and took the same mountain path around Jingzhou County heading straight to Kangcheng, saving one day’s travel time.

At the same location and time as before, dozens of people had secretly ambushed them last time and were destroyed by Yun Qianyue with golden needles. This time, however, hundreds of black-clothed men laid in ambush here.

Ling Lian and Yi Xue's faces changed when they saw the hundreds of black-clothed figures; they stood protectively on either side of Yun Qianyue: "Miss..."

Yun Qianyue’s gaze was cold, but before she could speak, another group of hundreds of black-clothed men appeared behind them. Amongst them was a figure shrouded in thick fog that made their features indiscernible; only the hazy silhouette could be seen. Yun Qianyue recognized this figure and its aura extremely well. The coldness in her eyes faded, replaced by a faint smile: "A mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—this is about what that means."

Ling Lian and Yi Xue looked at Yun Qianyue questioningly.

Yun Qianyue explained to them: "He's Qing Ying; Stringed Song is a visible guard, while he’s Rong Jing’s invisible guard."

* * *

In response to everyone's wishes, ahem, Jin Taohua was thus dispatched away by me... (⊙_⊙)

The power of Princess Jing manifests in specific areas...

~o（n_n）o~ren't for your reckless rush through the night, would I have slept so soundly""Wouldn't I be recklessly rushing if I didn't go to rescue someone" Yun Qianyue rebutted."Right, where are we now" The you...