The capital had entered the spring season. Women changed into spring attire to admire flowers and enjoy the scenery—they themselves were part of the spring landscape.

However, these past few days, the young ladies of the capital rarely went out to play. Most gathered in the gardens of various households.

A young lady’s carriage entered the inner courtyard. Before it had even stopped, she jumped down, only to be glared at by the maidservant following her: “Miss, your deportment!”

The girl hastily straightened her posture and walked with measured steps, but after a few paces she grew impatient, lifted her skirts, and trotted inside. The maidservant behind her was both angry and anxious.

Seven or eight young ladies sat in the waterside pavilion in the garden. Someone was playing the zither, but the music was listless. Two were playing chess, but the board had not been moved in quite some time. The two girls talked across the chessboard, while the others also conversed in low voices.

“I’m here, I’m here!” the girl shouted from a distance.

The others quickly looked over. Some stood up to greet her. Before the girl could run in, they all asked, “Qi Leyun, how was it?” “Did you find out?” “Did you see them?”

The girl, Qi Leyun, ran in. Without answering, she first poured herself tea and drank it in one gulp, finally catching her breath.

“I didn’t see them,” she said.

The girls surrounding her were very disappointed. “How can you be so useless?” “Didn’t you say you dared to go anywhere?”

Qi Leyun said, “Liang Qin said her injuries were severe and she’s not seeing anyone. I couldn’t very well force my way in, could I? As for Chu Zhao’s side, Chu Tang personally came out to see me and said Chu Zhao also isn’t seeing anyone and she didn’t dare disturb her. If I forced my way in and she hit me, what would I do?”

However, she then waved her hand to call everyone’s attention.

“But I did find out one thing clearly—after Chu Zhao finished scolding them, the Liang residence made no move at all, and the Chu family didn’t go to the Liang residence again either.”

The girls looked at each other.

“What does that mean?” “Who won?”

Qi Leyun clapped her hands: “Need you even ask? Of course Chu Zhao won. First she hit them, then she scolded them, and in the end nothing happened.”

Everyone actually understood this already, but it was truly unbelievable. The girls discussed animatedly: “The Liang family is magnanimous and won’t stoop to the level of this country bumpkin?” “If they weren’t going to stoop to her level, they wouldn’t have made a fuss in the first place. First making a fuss, then falling silent—either money changed hands, or they were threatened.”

“I don’t think the Chu family could offer much money.”

“Then they must have been threatened.”

“Chu Zhao could actually threaten the Liang family.”

The waterside pavilion was noisy with chatter, but after discussing for a long time without reaching any conclusion, their heads were buzzing instead.

“Alright, alright,” a girl called out to everyone. “Stop thinking about it. Let’s all pay attention and watch slowly. We’ll find out eventually.”

“Then let’s go out and have fun,” another girl said. “We can’t really be afraid that Chu Zhao will come hit us.”

That would be too humiliating. So the girls all voiced their agreement, deciding to take carriages to go enjoy spring outside the city. A flurry of activity followed—carriages, horses, servants, maids, and servant women in chaos, forming a procession down the street. When they reached the city gate, congestion was inevitable.

Without needing the city gate guards to direct them, the servants went to disperse the other people at the gate.

“Make way, make way!”

Seeing these servants looking fierce, and noting their luxurious and wealthy attire and numerous carriages and horses, the common people all moved aside. Only one carriage near the back didn’t notice in time and failed to move out of the way.

“Why are you blocking the road!” the girls’ servants rebuked. “Move aside quickly!”

As they spoke, they stepped forward to grab the horse and lead it to the side.

This carriage was large and simple, with one driver and a blue-robed sword-bearing servant beside it. They had been quiet and silent, but when they saw the horse being grabbed, the blue-robed servant’s face immediately turned cold.

“How dare you!” he shouted, grasping the long sword on his back.

With his shout, the driver tightened his grip on the reins. The horse that had been grabbed by that servant let out a neigh, tossed its head, and shook the servant off.

The servants on this side were startled and immediately grew angrier: “What do you think you’re doing!” “Boy, are you going to draw a weapon?” “This is the capital, at the foot of the Son of Heaven!”

The blue-robed servant’s expression was impassive as his sword began to leave its sheath.

A voice suddenly came from inside the carriage: “Du Qi.”

This was a young male voice, gentle yet powerful. The blue-robed servant’s unsheathed sword was slammed back into place with a clang.

“Clear the way,” the male voice in the carriage continued.

With his words, the neighing horse quieted down, obediently pulling the carriage to the side, yielding the city gate.

The blue-robed servant called Du Qi coldly glanced at these servants once, said nothing more, and urged the horse to follow.

The servants came to their senses, growing even more furious: “Where did this country bumpkin come from!” “Doesn’t know the rules!” “Should this young master teach you some manners?”

“Enough, hurry up!” a girl in a carriage impatiently rebuked. “What are you dawdling for?”

The servants hurriedly responded yes, reined in their tempers, drove away the remaining common people, and escorted the girls’ carriages out of the city.

The common people at the city gate were accustomed to this and showed no dissatisfaction, simply continuing to queue to enter the city.

The blue-robed servant and carriage also rejoined the line. The common people nearby saw that the servant’s expression was still displeased and couldn’t help laughing and advising him, “Don’t be angry. Nowadays when the powerful and noble leave the city, this is how they all behave.”

Du Qi’s expression was dark: “The city gate doesn’t belong to them. How can they be so arrogant?”

The people let out an “Aiya”—truly a country bumpkin.

“You haven’t seen when the Yang clan or Zhao clan leave the city. When Old Madam Zhao goes out of the city to offer incense, even officials have to dismount from horses and carriages to avoid her,” they said. “Just now you were blocking the road—if you’d encountered people from the Zhao or Yang families, they would have already knocked you to the ground. You have no money or power—what do you expect?”

Du Qi’s cheeks puffed out. He wanted to say something but ultimately didn’t, only letting out a cold laugh.

This was a young person who hadn’t seen the world, wanting to play the hero and cry out at injustice. The common people were used to it and secretly mocked him—in these times, who still played the hero?

The capital’s city gate was wide, and the guards didn’t inspect closely. The chaotic crowd passed through quickly.

Just after passing through the gate, they saw a group of horses and men hurrying from inside the city. Seeing this group, without any rebuking needed, the people on the street all moved aside.

But that blue-robed servant’s carriage that had just passed through the gate continued forward, making the common people who had walked together earlier very anxious.

“This country fool,” they said urgently. “Does he really want to play hero? He’d be better off confronting that earlier group. What he’s about to run into now are attendants from the Eastern Palace!”

These were the capital’s most—second, well, or tied for second most powerful and noble people. The Third Imperial Prince’s prestige was no less than the Crown Prince’s, perhaps even greater.

This country bumpkin was going to suffer!

The people on the street nervously almost stopped breathing, but they saw that of the two groups about to collide, the Eastern Palace attendants actually stopped first. The lead attendant, with a smiling expression, respectfully jumped off his horse and hurried to the carriage.

“Third Young Master,” he called out joyfully. “You’ve finally arrived! The Crown Princess has asked several times. If you hadn’t come, Her Highness was about to leave the palace to find you.”

The nervous common people heard this and lost their breath entirely.

Third Young Master?

The Crown Princess personally receiving him?

Could it be—

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a young man in his twenties appeared in their view. His features were clear and handsome, his face like the bright moon, wearing black brocade robes.

“I’ve troubled Her Highness with her concern. Because I was touring the mountains and waters, my journey was delayed. This is Yanfang’s fault.”