CHAPTER 20: CHAPTER 20: LET’S ARGUE! LET’S FIGHT!

Prince Consort? Prince Consort Zhao Jing?

Tang Xiaobai was taken aback.

The Prince Consort led people to surround the Zhenzhou Imperial Court? Such high-level specifications? She thought anyone with an imperial edict could search here!

Everyone was stunned.

"Wasn’t the Prince Consort supposed to go back to his hometown for an ancestral rite? When did he return? Did His Majesty send him to capture the assassin? Where is he now?" Pingyang Princess’s anger dissipated as she asked a torrent of questions.

But how could these questions be answered by a mere servant? They stammered out a reply to the last question: "I just saw the Prince Consort enter Changxing Village..."

"Changxing Village..." Pingyang Princess murmured, her brow furrowing.

Tang Xiaobai noticed, her eyes twinkling, and asked innocently, "Princess, do you want to see the Prince Consort?"

Pingyang Princess blushed.

Tang Xiaobai was about to press further when her sister gagged her with a snack from the table: "Shut up!" her eyes warning.

Tang Xiaobai chewed on the snack, her eyes sparkling.

If possible, she hoped the assassin could escape far with the lies she told...

"Stop bullying Xiao Bai!" Pingyang Princess, however, rescued her from Miss Tang’s "clutches," holding her in her arms with a proud smile, "The guests have all been stopped by Zhao Jing, let’s go and see how he’s showing off!"

...

With that, they left immediately.

Pingyang Princess promptly ordered several sets of men’s clothing, which the noblewomen changed into, and removed several hairpins, leading out a few fine horses, and gallantly rode out of the Princess’s residence.

This scene left Tang Xiaobai dumbfounded.

These noblewomen, when wearing short jackets and long skirts, looked delicate and fragile in the wind, but once clad in men’s attire, mounted their horses with poised elegance, both beautiful and valiant.

Miss Tang, being the most beautiful among them, mounted her horse, held the reins, and then lowered her head to extend a hand towards her, an almost indiscernible curve on her lips, with a hint of cold aloofness typical of an elite, making Tang Xiaobai’s face flush.

"What are you daydreaming about? Get on quickly!" Tang Jiaojiao urged.

Tang Xiaobai snapped out of it and grabbed her sister’s hand.

She was the only one among these girls who couldn’t ride a horse.

Fortunately, since she was younger, sharing a horse with her sister wasn’t too embarrassing.

Tang Jiaojiao helped her sister settle on the horse, pinched her waist lightly, and whispered through clenched teeth, "You’re so nosy! Just wait until we get back!"

Tang Xiaobai wriggled slightly in grievance.

What did she do? She hadn’t done anything, right?

She just said one sentence, and it played right into the Princess’s hands.

Looks like Pingyang Princess truly likes this Prince Consort...

What about the Prince Consort?

...

"On official duty, Princess, please return." Zhao Jing said.

Donning a crimson attire, riding high, with sharp eyes, and a troop of silver-armored guards wielding long weapons behind him, his presence was imposing, shedding any trace of his past humility and obscurity.

Although Tang Xiaobai didn’t quite fall for such a cold persona, it seemed Pingyang Princess did.

"What? They won’t let you search?" Surprisingly, the usually temperamental Princess wasn’t angered by Zhao Jing’s indifference and even showed concern.

Zhao Jing was ungrateful, frowning and replying with a question, "Princess, are you not hosting a banquet today?"

Pingyang Princess smiled sweetly, "I’m the Princess, what harm is there in making the guests wait a moment?" Saying this, she spurred her horse forward.

Zhao Jing’s expression changed, blocking her path with his sword, "Princess! Go back!"

Tang Xiaobai was startled.

Were the ancient phoenix men so arrogant?

"Insolent!" A noblewoman accompanying them couldn’t help but scold loudly, "How dare you be disrespectful to the Princess!"

Pingyang Princess’s face finally turned stern.

Tang Xiaobai found it odd; Pingyang Princess clearly had the best relationship with her sister, and her sister, with such a fiery temper, hadn’t spoken up to defend the Princess?

She sneaked a glance over and saw Tang Jiaojiao with lowered eyes and a slight cold smile, mouthing something as she looked back.

Tang Xiaobai deciphered it carefully, and it seemed to say—

Shut up!

Alright then...

Tang Xiaobai awkwardly turned back, looking expectantly at Pingyang Princess.

Start fighting! Start arguing! Don’t give your phoenix man a chance to shine!

However, Pingyang Princess didn’t hear her thoughts.

With a cold expression, the Princess cast a chilly glance at the Prince Consort, lifted her chin, and looked toward the Zhenzhou Imperial Court, loudly declaring, "Where is the Zhenzhou Imperial Court Official?"

As if awaiting this moment, just as the Princess finished speaking, the door, which had remained closed despite being surrounded by many guards, opened in response.

A young man in green official robes stepped out with a calm gait, lifted his head with a slight smile, and gave a respectful bow to the Princess, "Zhenzhou Imperial Court Official Su Shunqing greets Pingyang Princess!"

Pingyang Princess coolly remarked, "General Zhao is ordered to seize the assassin, why does the Zhenzhou Imperial Court resist?"

Su Shunqing, still smiling, bowed again, "Princess is unaware, the Zhenzhou Imperial Court is short-staffed, and today we had two servants fall ill, leaving me occupied inside and unable to answer the door promptly. I beg for the Princess and Prince Consort’s pardon!"

Facing dozens of armed guards alone, yet responding with wit and grace.

Tang Xiaobai silently admired; truly a worthy subordinate of the male lead!

She knew of Su Shunqing.

Though the book didn’t mention Zhenzhou Imperial Court, Su Shunqing was a character within it.

A year later, the male lead Li Xingyuan would sneak into the Capital City, using the identity of Su Shunqing’s distant relative.

When the male lead returned to his true identity and entered the Capital City, Su Shunqing played an even more prominent role.

At times assisting the male lead in strategizing and paving the way, at other times boosting the romantic subplot between the male and female leads, and ultimately sacrificing himself to save the heroine, earning the title of one of the most reliable supporting characters in the book.

Seeing Su Shunqing coming out of the Zhenzhou Imperial Court, Tang Xiaobai knew the assassin matter was settled.

Sure enough, after Pingyang Princess asked, and as Zhao Jing ordered the search with a stiff expression—

"Hold on!" Su Shunqing spoke up with a smile, "May I ask if General Zhao has an imperial edict?"

Zhao Jing replied coldly, "I am ordered to search the entire city, and since the Zhenzhou Imperial Court is within the city, what need is there for another edict?"

Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but glance sideways.

No imperial edict?

Wasn’t the emperor wary of the Zhenzhou Imperial Court? How come there’s no search edict? Doesn’t this make the search illegitimate? No wonder the Prince Consort was sent!

"Without an imperial edict, does the Duke Yan Mansion also need to be searched?" Su Shunqing asked with a chuckle.

The suddenly mentioned Lady of the Duke Yan Mansion: ???

The suddenly mentioned Second Miss of the Duke Yan Mansion: ...

The main characters can’t just bully people like this!

"Does the Imperial Academy want to search my Duke Yan Mansion?" a sweet and crisp young voice suddenly interjected.

Su Shunqing turned, seeing the little girl looking like a pink dumpling with a serious face, he found it amusing and couldn’t resist smiling at her.

About to speak, he was nimbly interrupted by the little girl: "Why does the Imperial Academy think the Duke Yan Mansion needs to be searched? Because I nearly got my throat slit by an assassin? Because I, like the Crown Prince, am a victim of the assassin? So I’m highly suspicious of harboring the assassin?"

"Following the Imperial Academy’s logic, should the Crown Prince Mansion be searched before searching the Zhenzhou Imperial Court?"