“What about me? Are you saying that the combined might of the Celestial Ascendancy and Daqi should fear the Xie family? Why should we be the ones to hide? I want to know what my grandfather is scheming. Though I, Mu Wanqing, cherish family ties, I am not someone to be manipulated at will. If anyone wants to control me, they must first ask for my opinion. Otherwise, such relatives are better off discarded. Step aside—I demand to see your king and queen.”
The cautious actions of the two maids, Honglian, made it clear that while Wanqing might not be deeply familiar with the political affairs of Daqi, she held no regard for the Xie family whatsoever.
With a cold retort, she cast an aloof glance at Honglian and strode forward. As they emerged, a squad of guards immediately surrounded them. Wanqing eyed them icily and barked, “Out of my way!”
“Miss, if you insist on this course, we will follow you to the death. I, too, wish to see how the king and queen regard you,” Honglian replied, recognizing the genuine fury in her mistress. Though Feng Moli’s actions had raised suspicions, Wanqing was their master, and allowing her to be toyed with so unjustly was not their way.
Thus, the two maids echoed her resolve, glaring at the guards.
“Princess, young ladies, this general is merely following orders. I implore you not to make this difficult for me,” the leading officer said, taken aback by the three women’s sudden defiance. Though shocked by their swift and decisive actions, he remained steadfast, his tone pleading yet firm. His message was clear: stand down, or force would be used.
“Difficult? All I want is to see my grandparents. How is that making things difficult for them? I demand to know how they view me, Mu Wanqing. Other women may bend to their will, but I am no ordinary woman. To control me, they must first secure my consent. Step aside, or I won’t hold back. Honglian—”
Wanqing regarded the general as if he had told the most absurd joke, her voice dripping with disdain. When her warning went unheeded, she coldly issued her command to the maids.
Honglian and her companion obeyed without hesitation. Having resolved to stand with Wanqing, they took the prepared medicinal pouches she handed them. In an instant, powder filled the air as the two maids, with their extraordinary agility and skill, moved like shadows.
Within moments, they flanked Wanqing, leaving the Daqi general and his guards sprawled on the ground, unable to rise.
“Hmph,” Wanqing scoffed at their pitiful display, leading her maids forward.
They pressed on toward the royal chambers where she had last seen the king and queen of Daqi. Though they encountered several more obstacles along the way, the trio’s formidable skills—combined with Wanqing’s potent powders—left their opponents either unconscious or fleeing in panic to report the incident.
Finally, outside the royal chambers, the guards once again barred their path. Just as tensions flared and violence seemed imminent, a voice rang out. A figure darted between them like lightning, then turned to bow respectfully toward the crowd behind Wanqing.
“What is the meaning of this? Who dares disrespect the princess? Your Majesties—”
“All hail the king and queen!” The Daqi guards immediately turned and knelt as a regal couple, clad in golden dragon and phoenix robes, approached with dignified grace.
“Rise,” the king commanded. Then, fixing his gaze on Wanqing, he asked calmly, “Qing’er, what is this about? Does staying with your grandfather displease you so?”
The king’s earlier unease faded as he observed his granddaughter’s bold defiance. He stepped forward, his tone measured.
“Grandfather and Grandmother, I am truly grateful for your care and hospitality. But to restrict my freedom—all because of Xie Shaojun—and even conceal the fact that I have someone I love… Do you truly see me as so weak that I should fear a mere Xie family?”
Though inwardly furious at their hypocrisy, Wanqing maintained her composure. Her words, while ostensibly about herself, were a pointed critique of their fear-driven submission to the Xie family.
“Young lady, only you would dare speak to me like this,” the king sighed, feigning exasperation. “Did I not tell you? Your betrothal to Xie Shaojun was decided long ago. We cannot disregard propriety. Must you make things so difficult for your grandparents?”
Though secretly pleased by her fiery spirit, the king played the part of the aggrieved elder.
“Difficult for you? You decided my fate before I was even born—was that not making things difficult for me? I am a person, not an object to be bartered. What does the Xie family’s alliance have to do with me? Xie Shaojun is nothing but a brute. If you lack the courage to reject them, then let me bear the consequences. Just annul the engagement and place all blame on me. Let the Xie family come for me if they dare. Do you truly believe the combined might of Daqi and Celestial Ascendancy should fear a single family?”
Wanqing’s laughter was icy as she confronted her grandfather. She spoke without restraint, unbothered by his feigned distress, her tone laced with scorn.
“Child, have you truly thought this through? To shoulder everything alone? The Xie family is not to be trifled with. If you insist—” The queen interjected, her expression torn between worry and resignation, glancing at her husband.
The king’s eyes gleamed with reluctant admiration at Wanqing’s unyielding spirit. With a sigh, he yielded. “Very well.”
“What can they do to me? Let them come. Using me as a pawn is beneath contempt. Just publicly acknowledge my relationship with Leng Mingye and save my mother. We will bear the consequences.”
Though sensing a trap in her grandfather’s words, Wanqing, fueled by weeks of pent-up frustration, thumped her chest defiantly.
“Indeed. If there are consequences, let them fall on us—not you. We only ask that you not stand in the way of our love. Otherwise, even I, Leng Mingye, cannot accept it.”
As Wanqing’s voice faded, another familiar one rang out from the crowd. She turned to see Leng Mingye, clad in moon-white robes, approaching with Bai Yu and Qing Feng at his side. Her heart swelled with joy.
“Mingye! I knew you wouldn’t abandon me. I knew it! Your face—what happened—?”
She had braced herself to face this ordeal alone, prepared for a future fraught with peril. Yet here he was, standing by her side. Overwhelmed, her eyes stung as she rushed toward him. But the sight of the bruise on his face ignited a fury within her.
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