Your Majesty, Please Stop!

Chapter 207: Unexplainably Becoming the Enemy of the Whole City

Noon.

Mu Qing'er, a talented student from the Autumn Wind Academy and a member of a prestigious official family, visited the Jiang family together with Linghu Yi.

The Crown Prince was not present!

Accompanied by Princess Zhengguo, they chatted for an hour, but there was no news about the freedom of Qin Fuzi, Xu Fuzi, and others.

They left without joy!

In the afternoon, the Deputy Chief of the Qintian Observatory, the Chief of the Tianyi Department, and the Deputy Chief of the Fengjian Department visited.

The Crown Prince was not present!

Accompanied by Princess Feihuang, they chatted for half an hour, and everyone left in frustration.

In the evening, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Household, and the Chief Official of the Banquet Pavilion visited.

The Crown Prince was not present!

Accompanied by Princess Liyang, they finally left in embarrassment.

...

The next morning, the son of the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Household, the "National Academy" prodigy, Little Great Master Li Yannian, and the eldest granddaughter of the Chief Inspector of the Cexuan Department, Ling Junyao, visited together.

The Crown Prince was not present!

Jiang Nüying and Jiang Yuqi accompanied them, chatting for half an hour, but could only leave angrily.

At noon, an unexpected group of people arrived—

Helian Sheng, Li Xiyue, Murong Yunxi, Feng Sanbao, Song Qiqi, and fifteen other former students of the Autumn Palace Pavilion Yikui House, each carrying gifts and full of confidence.

But the Crown Prince was still not present!

Xiao Huang accompanied them!

The group sat in the side hall, looking at Xiao Huang dozing off on the ground, lost in thought.

So, what does Master Xin mean?

A person as knowledgeable as Master Xin would never humiliate us like this. Could it be a riddle? Or has Master Xin already made a decision?

After pondering for the duration of an incense stick, the group had a private discussion, and with satisfied smiles, they bid farewell.

Xiao Huang returned to the rear courtyard in a crooked manner.

...

Xin Zhuo naturally knew about the people coming to plead outside, but he didn't take it seriously. If the Jiang family couldn't even handle such a small matter, then he might as well go back and become a bandit.

He was currently sitting behind the desk, troubled by two things. The first was the correspondence with Su Miaojin.

The two of them had exchanged seven or eight letters, with Xin Zhuo's last letter saying, "Is it hot in the southern region? Are there mosquitoes? I remember you have stomach pain during your period, remember to drink more water. Hmm, I miss you! If it's not possible, come to the capital!"

He felt that this letter was of a certain standard, expressing concern and substance, mainly because he owed her three favors and had been thinking about it all along, feeling restless.

Su Miaojin's reply was, "Hehehe..."

Eighteen consecutive "hehe"s. What does this "hehehe" mean?

The second thing was that he had no clue about the ritual spirit. All the experts in the mansion were deliberately avoiding it. It seemed that the news of his fondness for acupuncture had spread, and even the Cicada Robe was rarely seen.

The ritual spirit was the foundation of his life and must be figured out. Otherwise, with the severity of the commotion outside, when would he be able to avenge the Eastern Old Ghost and the Extinguishing Spirit Master's Meridians?

...

Evening.

The tenth of the top ten young masters of the capital, Lu Jiu, and the ninth of the Taiping Palace, Leng Qiuchen, visited. Both of them had cold expressions. As imperial students, they played chess and hunted with the emperor once a month, with a different status than others.

The Crown Prince still did not appear!

Princess Zhengguo accompanied them as usual.

As the princess, they couldn't be too presumptuous, so they had to tell the truth. Qin Yuli and Abbess Pu Jing must be released; otherwise, the matter would not be easily resolved!

Princess Zhengguo could only smile bitterly and say, "The Crown Prince has a stubborn temper. There is some resentment between them. Perhaps the anger will dissipate in a few days, and they will naturally be released!"

Lu Jiu's expression turned gloomy as he pondered for a moment. "In that case... so be it. I won't hide it from Princess Zhengguo. If the Crown Prince doesn't release them, I will have no choice but to issue a Martial Dao challenge. This has nothing to do with the Jiang family and the princess. I have always respected and admired them, but the Crown Prince has gone too far this time!"

The "Martial Dao challenge" was established by Emperor Taizong over two hundred years ago. "Any practitioner cannot refuse a challenge from someone of the same realm. Those who violate this rule will be forever barred from becoming officials in the imperial court!"

Although it specifically mentioned "someone of the same realm," after more than two hundred years, the meaning had changed. Ignoring the realm, as long as the ages were similar, I would have the right to challenge you. If I lost the challenge, it would only be losing face. If I didn't accept the challenge, the imperial court could use this as a legitimate reason to refuse me future official positions and titles!

This has nothing to do with family background, it's only about the individual!

This is a trivial matter, but it really exists!

Unfortunately, the heir of the Jiang family seems to be ignorant of martial arts, unable to accept defeat, and even more incapable of fighting.

Princess Zhengguo's face turned slightly cold.

"That's enough, Princess. Please stay!"

Lü Jiu and Leng Qiuchan stood up to bid farewell, leaving Princess Zhengguo silently lost in thought.

She wondered... if it was necessary to have a talk with Jiang Yuqing?

...

The next morning.

A distinguished guest arrived at the Jiang residence - His Royal Highness, the younger brother of the Emperor, Prince Wu, Ji Peiyu!

He was one of the only two legitimate sons of the late Emperor. With the current Emperor's weak health and lack of a son, there were rumors in the court that if anything were to happen to the Emperor, this prince would be the candidate for the throne.

The Jiang family had to treat him with caution. The Dowager, the four princesses, and all the widows of the family went out to welcome him.

"Dowager, aunts, there's no need for this. I'm just here to see my cousin, Jiang Yuqing!"

Ji Peiyu, dressed in a yellow dragon robe with a python belt, a jade pendant with a dragon pattern, and a soft-winged hat, was around sixteen or seventeen years old. He had a layer of fuzz on his lips, and his features were delicate. Although he had a smile on his face, there was a hint of coldness in his expression.

The Dowager smiled and said, "In that case, please follow me, Your Highness. My grandson should be studying with his tutor in the Fengwei Courtyard!"

"Very well, Dowager, please lead the way."

Ji Peiyu politely supported the Dowager and, accompanied by a group of people and dozens of skilled guards from the imperial palace, headed straight for the Fengwei Courtyard. They arrived at the courtyard gate in no time.

Several maidservants were sunning the bedding in the courtyard and immediately bowed and stepped aside upon seeing the group.

Ji Peiyu glanced at Sai Qingzhu and the others, his eyes brightened, then turned to look at everyone and smiled lightly, "My cousin is quite interesting. The maidservants in the courtyard are all beautiful and charming, even the palace cannot compare to him!"

This statement was somewhat provocative.

The Dowager chuckled lightly and patted his hand. "These maidservants are of little use. If Your Highness likes them, you can take them with you when you leave!"

Sai Qingzhu and the other five women's faces tightened slightly, they lowered their heads and remained silent. No matter how skilled they were in martial arts, they were still insignificant in front of the imperial family.

"Very well!"

Ji Peiyu had already passed by the group of maidservants and walked towards the main hall.

Inside the hall, Master Xing was giving a lecture, while Xin Zhuo was daydreaming. Naturally, he noticed the young man in the bright yellow robe. He couldn't quite figure out whether this guy was the Emperor or someone else.

The age didn't quite match, but it was possible that the Emperor had good maintenance!

If the Emperor were to come, how should I face him? What if he's here as a mediator and wants to release Qin Yuli and the others?

The Emperor was definitely more powerful than the Jiang family, right?

"Yuqing! Haven't you greeted Prince Wu yet?" The Dowager scolded sternly.

Prince Wu?

A prince?

That's settled then!

Xin Zhuo remained seated and casually cupped his hands. "Greetings, Prince Wu!"

Master Xing also immediately stood up and saluted, "Your Highness!"

"No need for formalities!"

Ji Peiyu smiled and sat down on the grandmaster chair brought over by the guards. He rolled up his sleeves and asked, "I wonder where my cousin is in his studies?"

Cousin?

My aunt's nephew?

Xin Zhuo casually replied, "I'm reading 'Zheng Jizi's Questions on the Seven Kingdoms and the Way of the World'."

Master Xing looked at Xin Zhuo in surprise. Weren't you not listening for the past few days? How do you know?

Ji Peiyu pondered for a moment and asked, "When Zheng Jizi entered the Kingdom of Hu, the King of Hu treated him lightly and made him sit on the ground. How did Jizi respond?"

The Dowager, the four princesses, and the other tutors all looked at Xin Zhuo with some doubt. They knew that Jiang Yuqing never attended classes.

(End of this chapter)