Chapter 186: A Great Misunderstanding

At this moment, he paced ceaselessly through the hall, his steps hurried and chaotic; every few paces, he couldn't help but glance toward the door, his eyes filled with anxiety and anticipation.

"Grandmother, rest a while longer; I will go guard the door."

Jun Chengcai advised softly, his voice likewise revealing hoarseness and exhaustion.

The Old Lady nodded slightly, muttering to herself:

"Child, you are finally returning; you are truly worrying your grandmother to death."

At this time, the master and servants of the residence had already descended into chaos; Steward Wei Zhong paced frantically nearby, steam rising from his head.

Wei Zhong's brows were knitted so tightly they could crush a mosquito! One moment he frowned deeply, shouting orders at a nursemaid nearby:

"Go check whether the newly arranged courtyard is still lacking anything; if our Second Young Lady feels uncomfortable, how many heads do I have left to be chopped off!"

The next moment, he waved his arms, directing the young attendants:

"Hurry, sweep the courtyard until it is spotless, without a single speck of dust; we must make our Second Young Lady feel this place is even more comfortable than the palace!"

The young attendants swung their brooms with all their might, shuttling back and forth across the courtyard, raising clouds of dust; while the maids carried buckets of water, scrubbing the large bluestone paths with meticulous care.

Each one was drenched in sweat from exhaustion, yet none dared show the slightest slackening.

The maids and older female servants carried tea cups and pastries, moving with hurried steps, fearing they might miss something important.

Just then, a young attendant came running up in great haste, gasping for breath as he said:

"Steward, Steward, the Second Young Lady's palace carriage has already left the palace gates!"

The frantic master and servants could no longer remain seated; they rushed hurriedly toward the residence gate. The previously silent entrance instantly boiled with activity, creating a spectacular scene.

No one knew how much time had passed.

"She's coming, she's coming!"

Someone shouted suddenly. The previously noisy scene fell instantly silent; everyone held their breath, turning their gaze in unison toward the intersection.

In the distance, a palace carriage reserved for a Princess slowly approached, its wheels rolling over the bluestone road with a dull rumble.

Both sides of the road were crowded with commoners gathering to watch the excitement, all discussing the matter animatedly.

"Truly, heaven has blessed us; Princess Lady Qingping has finally returned."

"Oh my, this procession is livelier than when His Majesty the Emperor himself goes on tour!"

A street vendor pointed at the line of fully armed soldiers flanking the palace carriage and couldn't help exclaiming loudly, drawing sideways glances from passersby.

Although Jun Jun Zijin's face still bore a trace of pallor from her recent severe illness, the resilience and calmness in her bright, sparkling eyes had not diminished in the least.

Seated in the palace carriage, from afar she saw a large crowd of people eagerly awaiting outside the residence gate; warmth filled her heart, and her excitement about returning home deepened further.

Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, the master and servants of the Jun family surged forward in a great wave.

Jun Chengcai rushed over first and anxiously opened the carriage door.

"Sister, you have finally returned."

Jun Jun Zijin stepped down from the carriage and offered Jun Chengcai a weak smile, yet one that was immensely warm:

"Brother, I have made you all worry."

The Old Lady, seated in a wheelchair, was also quickly pushed close; tears glistened in her eyes as she stretched out her trembling hands to grasp Jun Jun Zijin's.

"My good granddaughter, you have finally returned."

Seeing the Old Lady's eyes red from sleeplessness, Jun Jun Zijin felt a sting in her nose; the single word "Grandmother" nearly broke her composure as it left her lips.

The female relatives and female servants present, who had never witnessed such a scene, all found their eyes turning red.

Only Lady Zhou could be seen silently wiping away tears at the side.

Jun Jun Shuyan, laughing through her tears, cried out "Second Sister" and threw herself toward Jun Jun Zijin.

Jun Jun Zijin chuckled, steadily catching Jun Jun Shuyan, and smiled gently:

"Silly girl, do not cry."

Jun Jun Shuyan lifted her head, gazing at Jun Jun Zijin through tear-blurred eyes.

Just then, another carriage approached from the distance; the curtain was lifted, revealing a face of heartbreaking beauty, capable of toppling kingdoms and cities.

It was none other than Jun Jun Yiyi, who had been punished to stay at Antang and was only now permitted to return to the residence upon reaching her coming-of-age ceremony.

Seeing at once that the master and servants of the residence were all gathered at the gate, she assumed they had come out specifically to welcome her, and a surge of pride instantly rose within her heart.

As the carriage drew nearer, she saw the crowd gathered around Jun Jun Zijin, weeping and wailing, while the Jun residence was completely surrounded by a unit of soldiers holding long spears, cloaked in heavy armor, and fully armed.

Jun Jun Yiyi, along with her personal maid Yan'er, was stunned into silence; that unit of soldiers numbered at least nearly a hundred men.

It took her a long moment to recover her senses; a shock seized her heart as she mistakenly believed Jun Jun Zijin had committed a heinous crime and that these soldiers had come to arrest her.

She couldn't help but burst into loud laughter, her mirth unable to conceal her overwhelming pride.

"It seems I have returned at just the right time; no sooner do I arrive home than there is a grand drama to watch."

In her delight, she no longer minded that not a single person among the crowd at the gate had come to welcome her.

Jun Jun Yiyi glanced at the coachman and spoke to him impatiently:

"You, bend your back over here so this Young Lady can step on it!"

The coachman turned his head to look at Jun Jun Yiyi, his heart skipping a beat, before quickly lowering his gaze again.

The Eldest Miss of the Jun family is truly a freak; her face changes so quickly! Just moments ago she looked so pitiful and beautiful that one dared not look directly at her, yet suddenly she appears so ferocious that one dares even less to look.

The coachman dared not make a sound; silently rolling his eyes in his heart, he obediently arched his back, allowing Jun Jun Yiyi to step upon it.

Just as Jun Jun Yiyi stepped off the carriage using the coachman's back, she saw that not only did no one in the crowd at the gate come to welcome her, but none even spared her a glance; instead, they all clustered around Jun Jun Zijin and entered the residence.

Completely bewildered, she suddenly grabbed the armor of a guard standing at the gate and screamed hoarsely:

"Aren't you here to arrest Jun Jun Zijin? Why has she gone inside? What are you still standing there for? Hurry and arrest her!"

The guard was startled into a shiver; his reflex was to kick out, but catching sight of her, he recognized the Eldest Miss of the Jun family, once renowned throughout Jingcheng for both virtue and talent, and barely managed to halt his motion.

The guard was thrown into confusion; who did not know that the Eldest Miss of the Jun family was not only outstanding in beauty but also a talented woman famous throughout Jingcheng?

Although recently some rumors concerning this Eldest Miss's lack of virtue had circulated in Jingcheng, looking at her now, it seemed this Eldest Miss not only had a poor reputation, but her brain also seemed to have a problem?

The guard said nothing, just stared at her as if she were an idiot, and the look made Seeing Jun Jun Yiyi's hair stand on end.

Jun Jun Yiyi, embarrassed into anger, bellowed fiercely:

"If you're not going after Jun Jun Zijin, why are you glaring at me? Watch yourself, or I'll tell the Yi King and make sure you can't handle the consequences!"

The guard, hearing "Yi King," finally spoke:

"The eldest young lady probably doesn't understand the situation yet. The Princess is someone His Majesty holds in high regard. We are all here to protect her—how could you slander her so casually?"

Jun Jun Yiyi had caused a huge blunder; a flash of displeasure and awkwardness crossed her face. At that moment, the steward Wei Zhong finally came out.

Seeing the situation, he hurried forward to apologize to the guard.

"My lord, our eldest young lady had an accident some time ago, and there's a bit of a problem here.

As he spoke, he pointed at his own head.