Ji Zeyu pulled his hat down lower, hiding his face in the shadows, unwilling to let anyone see him appearing here at this moment.

It was just that Pang Xiao’s actions this time truly exceeded his expectations.

Had he known that Pang Xiao would privately mobilize troops to search for the whereabouts of the Qin family’s fourth miss, whether he would have ordered people to intercept and kill the Qin family would have been uncertain.

Ji Zeyu never could have imagined that not only did Pang Xiao fail to take the opportunity to eliminate the Qin family, but he had actually taken a fancy to Fourth Miss Qin. He had always considered Pang Xiao to be an extremely principled and rational person, never knowing he too would have moments where he disregarded everything for a woman he liked.

Ji Zeyu couldn’t describe what he was feeling in his heart—in any case, it wasn’t pleasant.

He had been stationed at the border between the Tatars and Great Zhou for over a year now. Pang Xiao had also been fighting wars in the south for this past year, so they hadn’t been able to meet. Naturally, he didn’t know much about Pang Xiao’s private affairs. He thought Pang Xiao was still the same as before, that there wouldn’t be any changes. He never expected that in just half a year’s time, so many changes he couldn’t have anticipated would occur.

No wonder he had found Pang Xiao’s beloved snow-white horse—so he too had moments of such generosity, giving such a fine Ferghana horse to a mere woman. Now, for the sake of searching and rescuing this woman, he had committed such a grave offense, giving the Emperor such a great opportunity.

Yes, Ji Zeyu was certain that Pang Xiao leading the Huben Army out of the city to conduct a search and rescue was indeed true.

And the Emperor seemed to have determined this as well, instructing him to arrange for the Longxiang Army to provide backup. This time, he was planning to make a move against Pang Xiao, preparing to thoroughly weaken him!

Usually, their actions were very careful, because when it came to achievements that overshadowed the master, he and Pang Xiao were evenly matched. All of Pang Xiao’s difficulties he could understand. He had to calculate carefully, selling out some faults to the emperor to seek self-preservation, yet the usually calm and strategic Pang Xiao was now disregarding his own safety for a woman.

Thinking this way, Ji Zeyu’s fists hidden beneath his cloak gradually clenched tighter.

He couldn’t say clearly what he was feeling in his heart. Was he angry that Pang Xiao wouldn’t avenge his father?

Was he angry that Pang Xiao had become reckless because of a woman?

Or was he angry at himself for charging through Great Yan’s surrendering forces and causing Pang Xiao a series of subsequent troubles?

The chaotic emotions made it impossible for him to distinguish clearly. It was just that several emotions mixed together made him even more irritated—irritated to the point of wanting to kill someone!

While Ji Zeyu’s mind churned with a hundred thoughts, Qi Rugang had already ordered people to carefully search through the Huben Army, even examining the dozen or so family members of Great Yan surrendering officials that the Huben Army had rescued. At the same time, a group of people also completely surrounded the carriage that Zuo Jinwei had been particularly guarding along the way.

“Prince Zhongshun, at this point, won’t you get out of the carriage and accept your punishment!”

Qi Rugang and Zuo Jinwei approached the carriage from front and back.

The watching civilians and Huben Army soldiers, including Li Qitian and Li Guanwen, as well as Ji Zeyu who were disguised in the crowd, all turned their gazes toward that carriage.

They saw the carriage curtain lift, and first a seventy-year-old elder with completely white hair and a hunched figure tremblingly got out of the carriage. Following him was a little girl wearing a tender pink padded jacket with her hair arranged in double loop buns.

The old man placed a wooden stool used as a step in front of the carriage.

The crowd stirred, thinking to themselves that Prince Zhongshun, a grown man, needed a step stool to get out of the carriage?

Just then, the deep blue cotton curtain was lifted by a hand as white as jade.

What the crowd first saw was a young woman’s jet-black long hair and graceful profile as she lowered her head while getting out of the carriage. As she steadied herself by holding the little girl’s hand after getting out, the scene fell quiet once again.

It was a beautiful young lady dressed in light green robes, draped in snow-white fox fur, wearing a white fox fur hat with red gemstone-embedded crouching rabbits.

She stood somewhat helplessly in the crowd, her pair of lively almond-shaped eyes seeming to be covered with a layer of mist from being frightened. Her scallion-white jade-like slender fingers adjusted her fur collar, her head lowered, half her face hidden in the snow-white fur collar. Under the winter sunlight, her pink-white skin reflecting against the white collar made her entire person radiate with a lustrous glow. The tender green clothing brought a touch of spring to the grey-white winter, so brilliant it made people’s hearts tremble.

Li Qitian in the crowd narrowed his eyes.

Grand Eunuch Li Guanwen was so shocked his mouth fell open, not even noticing when he took in a mouthful of cold air.

Ji Zeyu remained expressionless, only a gleam of light flashing through his peach blossom eyes, as if a voice in his heart was saying: She is Fourth Miss Qin.

As for Qi Rugang and Zuo Jinwei who were close at hand, both stared in stunned silence.

On the contrary, the nearby Huben Army soldiers were somewhat more composed, because they had all seen Qin Yining before and knew this was the prince’s future wife.

Xie Yue, now disguised as a seventy-year-old old servant, tremblingly stepped forward and bowed to Zuo Jinwei with a hoarse voice, saying: “General Zuo, this is different from what you promised us before. Didn’t you say you would escort my young miss back to the capital? How is it that when we reached the capital, not only won’t you let my young miss enter, but you’re asking her to get out of the carriage?”

Zuo Jinwei said dazedly: “Who are you? When did this official ever meet you?”

Xie Yue immediately said angrily: “Lord Zuo, this is wrong of you! Although we of Great Yan have submitted to Great Zhou, my young miss is still the legitimate daughter of the Qin family of Anping Marquis. Grand Tutor Qin was a famous minister of the former Yan court! What do you mean by denying this now!”

“You, you!” Zuo Jinwei’s mind couldn’t quite turn the corner. Then he felt something was wrong and hurriedly asked his trusted aide: “What’s going on here? Isn’t Prince Zhongshun supposed to be in this carriage! How were you guarding it!”

The deputy general was also confused: “My lord, please calm your anger. This subordinate carefully watched this carriage the entire way. Not to mention people, even a sparrow wouldn’t have had the chance to fly about randomly. This, this carriage indeed contained Prince Zhongshun!”

Qin Yining’s willow eyebrows furrowed slightly, her voice gentle yet tinged with several parts anger: “What are you talking about? I’ve been in this carriage the entire journey. Apart from my old servant who is already over seventy, there’s only my eight-year-old maid by my side. Where is there any other man?”

Glaring angrily at Zuo Jinwei, Qin Yining sternly rebuked: “Lord Zuo, I was originally grateful for your army’s rescue, and you even promised me that you would continue searching for my father and separated family members. I also agreed to introduce my father to you.”

“But now in broad daylight and before everyone, you’re actually slandering me like this! What exactly do you mean? We of Great Yan surrendered to Great Zhou, submitting to the Emperor, precisely because the Emperor is a wise ruler. I never expected that under this wise ruler’s governance there would still be people like Lord Zuo who go back on their word. This truly has opened my eyes!”

Qin Yining’s words were spoken with conviction and sound reasoning, and the amount of information was truly enormous.

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

What about Prince Zhongshun privately mobilizing troops?

What about Prince Zhongshun falsely transmitting imperial edicts?

All of this was complete nonsense!

Lord Zuo clearly intended to win over Great Yan’s surrendering officials, which was why he led troops out for a rescue! Just think—who else besides Lord Zuo could possess the military tally of the Huben Army?