Chapter 201: Running Wild Without Picking a Place

Jun Zijin remained composed, though she pondered inwardly. She gently pulled Jun Chengcai over and whispered:

"Do not move recklessly; that Eastern Zhou envoy is looking at you very strangely."

Jun Chengcai looked puzzled.

"Little sister, why?"

At this moment, Shen Qianxi took a deep breath, struggled to steady herself, and walked toward Jun Zijin with a seemingly gentle smile on her face.

"This young master, please forgive the intrusion. I am new here and not yet familiar with the people and affairs of this land. I just saw that you looked quite familiar, bearing a striking resemblance to an old acquaintance of mine. May I ask who you are?"

Jun Zijin smiled faintly:

"This is my older brother, Jun Chengcai."

Shen Qianxi scrutinized Jun Chengcai carefully and asked again:

"Young Master Jun’s bearing suggests you come from a prestigious family. May I ask, who are your esteemed ancestors?"

Jun Zijin was startled. She raised her eyes imperceptibly, took a measure of the envoy, and grew inwardly vigilant.

She exchanged a glance with Jun Chengcai, seeing the same confusion and caution in his eyes.

This envoy suddenly inquiring about Jun Chengcai likely had to do with his background. Not knowing if they were friend or foe, revealing his true origins rashly might invite disaster.

Jun Zijin chuckled, and without haste, she cupped her hands in a salute:

"You are too kind, Envoy. We are from Jingcheng; the Right Minister, Jun Zhengming, is our father. It is you, Envoy—coming from Eastern Zhou yet having an old acquaintance in Tianqi—that is truly a remarkable coincidence. I only wonder why you are so interested in our family?"

Jun Zijin calmly deflected the topic, attempting to fish for useful information from the envoy to discern his intentions.

Shen Qianxi’s doubts were not eased, but it was difficult to press further, so she decided to investigate in secret.

Shen Qianxi silently vowed to uncover the truth, retrieve the Crown Prince for the Emperor and Empress, and save Eastern Zhou from the brink of destruction.

Once this thought took root, it grew wildly like weeds.

Unable to suppress her curiosity and suspicion, as soon as the tribute ceremony ended, Shen Qianxi impatiently sent people to the Jun Fu to make inquiries.

What she did not know was that her every move was under Jun Zijin’s control.

————————

In this era where epidemics ran rampant, a single flu could easily claim countless lives. Facing the outbreak, the common people could only struggle in pain and fear.

Whenever an epidemic broke out, the streets and alleys were filled with coughing and painful groans. The crude medical clinics were overcrowded, and physicians were often helpless against the raging virus.

The fever reducers and antiviral drugs of later generations, such as ibuprofen and oseltamivir, would be lifesavers in this era, capable of saving countless lives.

The moment she discovered the familiar laboratory in the Phoenix Ring space, Jun Zijin had planned to develop these medicines and make them broad-spectrum drugs that the people of Tianqi could afford.

Just after the first day of the New Year, while all of Tianqi was still immersed in the festive atmosphere, Jun Zijin and He Linger began to get busy.

On the second day of the New Year, just as dawn was breaking, Jun Zijin and He Linger dove into the laboratory in the Phoenix Ring space, spending half the day tinkering with those bottles and jars.

They had just emerged from the space, finished a simple lunch, and were sitting by the window to rest for a moment.

The warm sun shone through the carved window lattices, spilling onto the carpeted hall and adding a touch of laziness and comfort to this space.

Jun Zijin and He Linger stretched, gently rotated their sore necks, and sat by the window sipping coffee, enjoying a moment of tranquility.

The aroma of coffee permeated the air, mixing with the scent of plum blossoms drifting in from outside; everything seemed so peaceful and serene.

They had only finished half their coffee when a burst of noisy footsteps shattered the quiet.

Tuoba Yaoguang walked in swaggeringly, dressed in gorgeous attire and followed by a crowd of palace maids and attendants.

She held her head high, her eyes full of arrogance and disdain, as if the Jun Fu were her own backyard.

The gatekeeper was in a difficult position; fearing the charge of affecting diplomatic relations between the two countries, he dared not stop her and could only follow behind, trembling, his face full of helplessness and panic.

Tuoba Yaoguang scanned the room, her gaze landing on Jun Zijin and He Linger, who were drinking coffee by the window.

The rich aroma of the coffee made her sniff involuntarily, but the pride of being a princess favored by the Northern Emperor forced her to suppress the curiosity in her heart.

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly in a mocking smile, and she walked over and sat down in the main seat of the hall without ceremony, her movements wanton, as if the seat were rightfully hers.

Before Jun Zijin could speak, a palace maid beside Tuoba Yaoguang pointed at Jun Zijin and shouted, using her mistress's power to bully others:

"Audacious! Her Highness the Princess has arrived; why have you not come to receive her? Since Her Highness has not granted you permission to sit, you should obediently come forward and kneel."

The shrill voice echoed in the hall, breaking the original harmony.

Jun Zijin raised an eyebrow slightly, her movements elegant and composed. She set down her coffee cup and looked at her with a half-smile.

Not taking the display before her seriously at all, she said unhurriedly:

"Could it be that this Princess has misremembered? Since when did Tianqi become a vassal state of the Northern Kingdom?"

Her voice was cold and carried a hint of mockery, drifting leisurely through the air.

Tuoba Yaoguang sneered, her voice sharp, arrogant, and overbearing:

"Jun Zijin, this Princess does not care about vassal states or not. You are merely a Princess of a different surname in Tianqi; performing the kneeling kowtow to a princess is basic etiquette. Kneel down!"

Jun Zijin acted as if she had not heard, her slender fingers gently gripping the coffee cup; she did not even lift an eyelid.

She took a light sip of coffee, felt the silky liquid slide down her throat, and then spoke slowly:

"Her Highness the Princess must have stayed in the Northern Kingdom too long and forgotten that this is the territory of Tianqi. In my Jun Fu, it is not for others to point fingers."

Her voice was not loud, but every word was resonant, carrying an innate majesty and confidence.

He Linger, who had been unable to hold back, had her willow-leaf brows arched and her almond eyes wide, and she said angrily:

"Exactly! Who do you think you are? My Zijin only bows to the princesses of our Tianqi. What are you, a princess of a vassal state, acting so high and mighty in front of a Princess of my Tianqi for?"

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

"Audacious!"

The palace maid behind Tuoba Yaoguang feared the cold and composed Jun Zijin, but she felt no fear toward the seemingly harmless He Linger.

Little did she know that neither of the two before her was someone to be trifled with.

The maid shouted in anger, took a few quick steps forward, and raised her hand to strike He Linger.

"Let's see who dares to make a move!"

A cold voice rang out from outside the door. Jun Chengcai strode in; his posture was upright, his brows and eyes filled with heroic spirit, and his long robe fluttered in the wind, carrying his own aura.

"You didn't even pick a place to run wild."