CHAPTER 1072: CHAPTER 591: THE SLAP AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF (PART 2)

Yunyang smiled and said, "Surprised? This palace has been living in this nunnery for a year and a half already. Without Bian Ji, I would have truly gone mad."

Xu Xueling was moved.

She finally realized something was off about her aunt—hidden beneath her calm face was an undercurrent of "madness."

Could her aunt truly have lost her mind? Just like the Noble Princess Consort Xiao in the Cold Palace? Lost her sanity?

Thinking of this, Xu Xueling suddenly stood up, pulled a cotton monk’s robe from a corner of the meditation room, draped it over Yunyang, and dragged her towards the outside: "I’m taking Aunt out for a walk."

The "outside" here naturally referred to leaving Jizhao Temple.

Yunyang was startled, and her face finally showed a change, a mixture of anticipation and fear: "Go... out?"

Xu Xueling sneered, domineeringly: "I know Aunt is confined, but I’m still taking you out for a walk in the Capital. If anyone wants to hold us accountable, this Commandery Princess will bear it!"

As she spoke, she dragged Yunyang out of the meditation room, with the cold wind mingling with snowflakes blowing towards them.

The two women, along the austere monastery, were about to head towards the main gate.

Yunyang, like a string puppet, was pulled along, her face flushed.

The nuns waiting outside saw the situation and were as if facing a formidable enemy, wanting to stop them but not daring, yet if they let Yunyang leave, wouldn’t the court’s punishment fall on them instead?

Just when they were caught in this dilemma.

"Who are you? The Commandery Princess of Yanshan is inside, you all cannot..."

"Ha, it’s the Imperial Court handling a case, who dares to stop us?"

Outside the nunnery, first came the sound of horse hooves, and then the sound of quarrelling.

Soon after, there were faint sounds of a scuffle.

Xu Xueling, Yunyang, and a group of nuns just arrived at the front courtyard when they saw a large group of Royal Mansion attendants retreating inside in exclamation. The door was forced open, the cold wind blew in, and faintly visible was a group of Jinyi, the Imperial Court Yama, rudely barging in.

"Commandery Princess, it’s the Imperial Court’s Imperial Guard. They suddenly rushed in to force their way in." A Royal Mansion guard hurriedly explained.

Being part of a negotiation team, in the Capital, without the Commandery Princess’s order, they didn’t dare to easily clash with the Imperial Court’s Imperial Guard and could only retreat.

It’s those lapdogs of the Empress again!?

Xu Xueling was furious, releasing Yunyang’s hand, grabbing the whip hanging from her waist, her eyes cold, scanning ahead.

"Heh, quite the display from the Commandery Princess of Yanshan. What is it? Where are you planning to take the Eldest Princess?"

In the center of the Imperial Guards led by Shen Juan, Zhao Douan wore a white mask, donned in an arresting officer’s robe, arrogantly stepping over the steps and walking in.

Behind the mask, a sharp gaze swept over everyone, pausing for a second on Yunyang and her abdomen covered by the robe, before slicing towards the Commandery Princess’s face.

"It’s you!" Xu Xueling’s pupils narrowed.

This was the first formal meeting between the two, but as the flag-bearer of the envoy group, how could she not have done her homework?

She had heard early on of the "White-faced Arresting Officer," a rather famous figure recently in the Capital.

Zhao Douan was flattered: "Ah, the Commandery Princess knows this officer?"

Xu Xueling bared a row of sharp white teeth and said gloomily: "Yes, rumored to be the loyal dog passing messages for Zhao Douan. This Commandery Princess came this time hoping to see what is so special about the Empress’s male favorite, but unfortunately, that person is hiding in the south. Who would have thought your nose is sharp enough to sniff us out, Zhao Douan’s loyal dog? This morning, the troops entering the city were yours, right?"

Xu Xueling glanced at Shen Juan beside her, vaguely recognizing the face, sneered arrogantly: "Just in time, this Commandery Princess was worried about not finding someone. Hand this person over to this Commandery Princess, and I’ll spare you from your impolite act."

She raised her arm, her finger pointing straight at Shen Juan.

Her proud posture fully demonstrated the majesty of nobility, her tone seemingly issuing a command.

Zhao Douan was stunned for a moment, surprised that the Commandery Princess of Yanshan was truly so pampered? Instead of anger, he laughed: "Interesting."

Really very interesting.

Since Li Yanfu’s downfall in the Capital, no one dared to openly oppose him.

Even those scholarly cynics could only snipe at him using underhanded "flattery to kill."

How long has it been... that he hasn’t encountered such a brave opponent in the Capital?

"Interesting?" Xu Xueling’s face was cold, her expression sinister: "Do you dare to mock this Commandery Princess?"

Not too dumb after all... Zhao Douan smiled: "Indeed. This officer is professionally trained, usually doesn’t laugh unless I can’t help it."

This startled Xu Xueling.

This time, before she could explode, Zhao Douan’s tone turned icy: "Yunyang is confined in Jizhao Temple by the Empress’s decree. Any visit requires permission. As the Commandery Princess of Yanshan, newly arrived in the Capital, considering your ignorance, this officer can overlook it and leave quickly. Otherwise, don’t blame me for adhering to the law."

Anger surged on Xu Xueling’s fair face, her sharp lips like the edge of a knife: "What if this Commandery Princess insists on taking her out?"

The atmosphere was tense and confrontational.

The Jinyi of Lihua Hall and the guards of the Yanshan Royal Mansion instinctively gripped their sword hilts, their stances clearly divided.

Zhao Douan smiled and said: "You can try it."

"Slap!"

At this moment, it caught everyone off guard.

Almost without any warning, Xu Xueling’s right hand suddenly swung that gold whip wide open!

The whip didn’t look large when coiled, but when swung and extended, it was like a golden python, the tip of the whip slicing through the air, stirring turbulence, extracting and exploding the air with a loud sound.

The tip of the whip broke through the wind, snapping like lightning towards Zhao Douan’s face!

The speed was incredibly fast!

It was clear the Commandery Princess of Yanshan was also a martial artist, with the Qi mechanism infused into the long whip—if it hit, Zhao Douan would not fare well.

The Jinyi of the Imperial Court were startled, and Shen Juan’s pupils suddenly contracted, secretly thinking it was bad!

He knew that his lord’s body was only a puppet, lacking the original cultivation, how could it withstand it?