In Shenjing, the Imperial City, inside Yuehua Palace.
“Ach!”
“Princess, it’s getting colder. Let this servant add another layer of clothing for you,” a palace maid whispered.
“Yes, deep autumn has arrived. Counting it, that guy has been away from Shenjing for almost ten years, hasn’t he?” The speaker was none other than Fifth Princess Ji Yuehua.
“Is the Princess talking about the Jingbei Prince’s Heir?”
“Nonsense! Who else could it be besides him?”
This Fifth Princess had a face like peach blossoms, eyes like autumn water, lips like cinnabar, and skin like congealed fat, as if she gathered all the spiritual essence of heaven and earth within herself.
The Fifth Princess of Great Zhou, Ji Yuehua, ranked fourth on Xuanji Pavilion’s rouge list. Although she possessed a captivating beauty, her personality was fiery and she was uninhibited. She usually practiced martial arts and cross-dressed, which was commonplace. The Anqing Princess’s name was quite explosive in the entire circle of profligate young masters in Shenjing. However, this did not prevent her from becoming the object of admiration for most sons of influential families in the capital and many talented scholars of Great Zhou.
Outside Yuehua Palace, autumn leaves swirled with the wind and then quietly fell. Inside the palace, Ji Yuehua’s thoughts drifted, as if returning to several years ago.
“Which palace are you from, older sister? What’s your name?”
“My name is Ji Yuehua. And you? Which manor’s young master are you?”
“Yue Ji Hua?”
“It’s Ji Yuehua!!!”
“It’s not important. What are you wandering around here for?”
“No one is playing with me, and you still haven’t told me your name.”
“My name is Xu Ping. If no one is playing with you, you can play with me!”
“How old are you?”
“Five, what about it?”
“Haha! I’m older than you, I’m already six! Not a five-year-old kid anymore! You should call me older sister when you see me from now on!”
“Alright! But, if I call you older sister, you call me Handsome Guy! We’ll each have our own terms.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s not important! Anyway, from now on, when you see me, just call me Handsome Guy.”
“Handsome Guy?”
“That’s right! Just Handsome Guy!”
No one remembered when it started, but two mischievous and troublesome rascals appeared in the palace, playing and causing trouble all day long. They raided bird nests in the Hundred Birds Pavilion, fished for koi in the Imperial Garden, stole imperial meals from the Imperial Kitchen, and put laxatives in the Imperial Stables. The entire Imperial City was in an uproar all day long, lively and bustling.
Time flew by, and two years passed in the blink of an eye.
“Imperial Father, is Jingbei Prince Uncle returning?”
“Why, Emperor, you can’t bear to part with Xu Ping?”
“No, not at all!”
“This rascal, taking you to wreak havoc in the palace all day. If he doesn’t leave, Imperial Father will live many years less.”
“That’s not true, Imperial Father, you’ve wronged us!”
Longsheng Emperor’s mouth twitched. “You two conspire together all day, in cahoots, causing chaos in this palace. Do you believe it yourselves when you say you’ve been wronged?”
“Imperial Father, it was Emperor who wanted Xu Ping to play with me; it has nothing to do with him.”
“Taken with that brat? You’re completely biased!”
“No, not at all, Imperial Father is talking nonsense.”
“Still saying no? I could hear your little scheme all the way in Chengqian Hall.”
“Imperial Father, if you keep talking, Emperor will leave and ignore you.”
“How about when you grow up, Imperial Father will betroth you to him?”
“Good! Good!”
“Your Majesty, the Jingbei Prince’s Heir has arrived,” a eunuch reported.
“He’s here! Imperial Father, be at peace, Emperor takes her leave!” Ji Yuehua ran off at full speed.
“This girl!” The Emperor shook his head helplessly.
In the Imperial Garden.
“Little sister, I’m leaving.”
“Are you returning to the Northern Border?”
“My Imperial Father said the north is restless again, and he needs to return quickly.”
“Will you come back?”
“Who knows, probably, maybe, perhaps!”
“I heard the north is very chaotic, and there are often battles at the border. Be careful over there.”
“Don’t worry. If no one plays with you in the palace, just find your own fun.”
“Remember to write to me!”
“Heir, it’s time to go,” a servant nearby said.
“I’m leaving!”
Ji Yuehua nodded, feeling a sense of loss.
Xu Ping’s figure grew more and more distant, and Ji Yuehua suddenly shouted loudly: “I’ll wait for you in the imperial capital!”
Xu Ping heard her, looked back, and then burst into laughter. “Good, then you wait well, I will definitely return!”
Recalling those absurd things, a blush appeared on Ji Yuehua’s face.
“That bastard! Gone for so long, and he said he’d write to this Princess. It’s been almost ten years! Forget letters, there hasn’t even been a single hair. When he gets to Shenjing, see how this Princess will deal with him!” Ji Yuehua clenched her small fists slightly.
Hearing this, the maid beside her covered her mouth and chuckled, “Deal with Young Master Xu? Princess, would you really bear to!”
“You rotten girl, how dare you laugh at this Princess! See how this Princess will deal with you first!”
Northern Border, inside a galloping carriage!
Xu Ping shivered. “Hiss! The weather is getting colder and colder!”
In a blink of an eye, several days passed, and Xu Ping and his group were getting closer to Shenjing.
On the official road near Shenjing, a group of people was gathering. The leader was a man in a black robe. The man had a very deep saber scar on his face and was toying with a short dagger in his hand. This person was Gao Ye, the leader of the group sent by Situ Mingde to assassinate Xu Ping.
“Boss, according to our pace, the Imperial Army will reach Qiu Po Ridge tonight.” The speaker was Wu Zong, one of the retainers kept by the Situ Family.
“The Imperial Army has two thousand infantry, and we only have a hundred men. We must not act rashly. We should look for an opportunity and do our best.” Gao Ye frowned slightly and asked again, “Have the people from Moon Shadow Tower arrived?”
“Moon Shadow Tower has dispatched five Earth-rank assassins this time. Although their numbers are not large, they are all above the Sixth Realm.”
Gao Ye put away his short dagger, a hint of disdain on his face. “What kind of trick is Moon Shadow Tower playing? Does Blood Kill think he’s very humorous? How could the Jingbei Prince’s only son not have experts accompanying him? Sending a few Sixth Realm assassins, does he want to laugh his son to death?”
“But we’re here too. Our men will tie up these two thousand Imperial Army soldiers, and the five from Moon Shadow Tower will go all out for the kill. It should be stable. Even if there are experts sent by the Jingbei Prince accompanying him, with you, Boss, it’s still a sure thing.”
Hearing this, Gao Ye’s mouth twitched slightly. He turned and slapped the other person on the forehead. “Idiot! Can you stop including me when you’re bragging? Who is the Jingbei Prince? Second on the martial arts ranking, a half-step Ninth Realm expert. How could the people he sends be simple? Not to mention there’s also Imperial Army Commander Guo Huaian and the Grand Eunuch Liu Pi. Do you think they’re dead?”
“Boss, what you said makes sense! Then why did the master send us here? To deliver ourselves as food?”
At these words, both fell silent.
Suddenly! A figure flashed through the forest.
“Who’s there!” Gao Ye threw the short dagger in his hand with all his might towards the distant figure.
“Clang!”
A spark flashed in the distance, and the dagger fell to the ground with a clang.
A seductive laugh came. “Hehehe! The Situ Family’s people are so rude! This concubine almost got hurt!”
Gao Ye drew the sword from his waist and pointed it at the approaching person. “Who are you?”
“Commenting on my Pavilion Master is not a good habit!” The voice was no longer seductive, but somewhat cold.
“Dare to speak wildly again, and be careful that the sword in my hand shows no mercy.” Another male voice came out.
Accompanying the dialogue, two figures slowly walked out of the forest.
Seeing the newcomers, Gao Ye frowned slightly and put away the sword in his hand. “So it’s Miss Meiying and Cold-Faced Scholar.” After speaking, he clasped his hands slightly. “My regards!”
“Hehehe! Little brother recognizes this concubine?”
“Heaven-rank Number One Cold-Faced Scholar! Heaven-rank Number Three Soul-Snatching Meiying! Your names are like thunder in my ears, how could I not know them!”
Meiying slowly walked to Gao Ye’s side, raised her hand and slid it over Wu Zong’s shoulder, asking coquettishly, “I wonder, with the two of us added, does little brother still think we’re here to deliver ourselves as food?”