Chapter 395: Unexpected

Princess Yuan Qing came in a hurry, but it was to no avail.

What's infuriating is that they actually poured such a large basin of dirty water over her head.

They say she poisoned Xiao Yin, but she hasn't even had time to like him—how could she poison him?

She wants to see that person, but he refuses to meet her, and she doesn't even know how his health really is.

For a moment, Princess Yuan Qing's heart was filled with mixed feelings; she had no choice but to turn and stride out of Rui Wangfu.

At this moment, Princess Yuan Qing was at a loss, not knowing what to do.

Even when she went out to wander the streets, she had to wear a veil.

No matter where she went, the talk on the streets and alleys was that she wanted to poison Xiao Yin, condemning her as Bei Di's number one wicked woman.

She clearly did nothing, yet she suffered these insults for no reason; this time she even thought of returning to Bei Di in a fit of anger.

Yet she is unwilling to give up; she wants to see that man again and see what trick he is playing this time.

Princess Yuan Qing, full of worries, also did not want to return to her Bei Di Yi Guan.

She got off the carriage wearing her veil and went straight into a tea house.

She sat in the tea house hall, ordered several pots of tea and some snacks, had just lifted her cup and taken a sip when she heard the storyteller on stage actually reciting a tale that loudly listed the ten great crimes of Bei Di's Princess Yuan Qing, etc.

At that moment, Princess Yuan Qing nearly vomited blood from anger.

Even if we concede a thousand steps, even if she really had poisoned Xiao Yin, the whole of Southern Qi wouldn't treat her with such vicious words, would it?

Who would have thought Xiao Yin's status in the hearts of Southern Qi's common people is so important?

For a moment, all around her ears were people whispering curses at Princess Yuan Qing—how could she possibly drink this tea?

Princess Yuan Qing suddenly slapped the table and stood up; the nearby tea patrons were startled by her movement and all began pointing and gossiping.

Princess Yuan Qing couldn't bear this; she turned and walked out of the tea house, but just a few steps out, a clear, lovely female voice suddenly came from behind.

"Your Highness, please wait."

Princess Yuan Qing's steps halted instantly.

Under her veil, her expression had already become fierce and angry; even though she wore a veil, those people could still recognize her, and she found the people of Southern Qi increasingly detestable.

In an instant, murderous intent arose in Princess Yuan Qing's heart; she reached for the soft sword at her waist, turned, and thrust forward.

The woman who had called out to her couldn't help but let out a low cry, gritting her teeth as she rolled sideways to avoid the blade.

Princess Yuan Qing's soft sword still sliced a piece off the woman's clothing; though the woman was unharmed, she looked rather disheveled.

Princess Yuan Qing steadied her footing, her eyes flickering slightly as she looked at the woman in a cyan gauze dress before her, thinking to herself, 'Not bad—she has some skill.'

Although the woman was not particularly lovely, her features were quite delicate; her skin was a bit dark, yet she was still a pretty woman, especially with the heroic spirit between her brows that was striking.

Princess Yuan Qing had never seen this woman before; at this moment, the woman clasped her fists and performed a martial arts salute.

Princess Yuan Qing's eyes flickered; in Southern Qi, the women she had encountered were all delicate aristocratic ladies who strictly observed the ancestral rites and etiquette.

Now, this woman before her seemed to be a person of the jianghu, possessing a rather bold and unrestrained demeanor.

Princess Yuan Qing instead felt a bit of fondness; she flicked her soft sword back into its sheath, raised an eyebrow, and regarded her coldly.

"What do you mean?"

The green-clad woman quickly smiled and said, "Matters involving Prince Rui are not convenient to discuss publicly; please follow me first."

Princess Yuan Qing's face changed dramatically.

Prince Rui has now become her heart's ailment; she must pull out that nail stuck in her heart before she can feel better.

However, she had never seen this woman before; why should she listen to her instructions? She is a princess of a nation, after all—what is this woman supposed to be?

"What a big mouth! Since you've guessed my identity, you dare to order me around and tell me to follow you—what are you supposed to be?"

The woman wasn't annoyed either, giving her a light smile and saying, "Prince Rui wasn't poisoned; he was just teasing you. At this point, you've probably already left Rui Wangfu, and he's refusing to see you, isn't he?"

"Hehe, of course he can't see you—now he's not even in the manor; if he saw you, wouldn't he be exposed by you?"

"What did you say? Say it again!"

Princess Yuan Qing hurriedly stepped forward; this time, she blocked the woman's path.

"Since you know my identity, if you dare to deceive me casually, I will kill you."

The woman showed no trace of fear on her face, speaking softly: "Your Highness, if you wish to understand the truth of the matter, then come with me."

Princess Yuan Qing snorted coldly, took a few guards, and followed the green-clad woman toward the western part of the city.

Moreover, the further they went, the more desolate and remote it became; although the buildings in the western city were somewhat cleaner than those in the southern city, the residents here were quite mixed, mostly merchants.

They walked all the way to the far western edge of the western city, where the green-clad woman stopped and looked at Yuan Qing: "Have your men retreat; you follow me alone, otherwise we'll startle the snake and nobody will get to see anything."

Princess Yuan Qing's face darkened involuntarily as she coldly snorted, "What reason do I have to trust that you won't trip me up?"

The woman chuckled: "You've been longing to marry Prince Rui, yet you don't want to end up like this— not only will the marriage not happen, but you've also had a basin of dirty water poured over you."

"You must be unwilling; you want to see him yourself, so I'll take you there."

"But there is one rule: no matter what you see, you must not make a sound; otherwise, it will be you who dies, not me."

Princess Yuan Qing's face twitched slightly as she stared fixedly at the woman before her, realizing that this woman was no easy opponent.

The green-clad woman continued to smile: "How so? You are the illustrious female general of Bei Di; you once fought several battles with Prince Rui on the battlefield—are you afraid of a little woman like me?"

Princess Yuan Qing was unimpressed by such flattery, gave a cold snort, ordered the guards behind her to stay put, and then followed the green-clad woman onward.

Not long after, they reached the edge of a grove; both having wandered the jianghu and possessed some martial skill, their pace was not slow, and soon they leapt into the treetops.

The green-clad woman grabbed Princess Yuan Qing and pulled her back, preventing her from continuing to walk through the woods, and gave her a hand signal.

Princess Yuan Qing focused her gaze and couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.

The whole forest looks quite ordinary; if an ordinary person passed through, there would be nothing special, but these martial practitioners noticed that faint shadows flickered between the leaves—clearly the forest was already filled with hidden guards and defenses, the defenses being so tight.

Not long after, a carriage slowly came along the forest path; just as it was about to exit the woods, the carriage curtain was lightly lifted.

Even the sound of a baby's laughter came from inside the carriage, fleeting as it was.

At the same time, the carriage also stopped, only to see Xiao Yin, lively and jumping, leap down from the carriage, smiling broadly as he climbed into another carriage that had long been waiting at the forest's edge.

At the instant the carriage curtain was lifted, a woman's half-profile fiercely stabbed into Princess Yuanqing's eyes, and Princess Yuanqing gasped in surprise.