Chapter 1229

First Volume, Chapter 1229: This Mess Is Completely Beyond Repair

Liu Tao also froze for a moment, but quickly regained his composure, sneering endlessly.

"Not this again?!"

"Hah, I won't fall for your tricks again."

"These three women—even if they're Imperial Relatives—I'm taking them all today!"

I've seen arrogance, but never this much.

Gao Cheng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and shook his head helplessly—he had already sentenced Liu Tao to death in his mind.

Even heaven's own king couldn't save him now.

Gao Cheng no longer hesitated; to preserve his family's standing in Cao Yun County and avoid being implicated by Liu Tao, his voice turned suddenly deep.

"Imperial Relatives? One of these three is indeed Imperial Nobility—does the Princess of Qiyang Commandery meet your standards?"

Liu Tao's sneering face instantly froze.

Princess of Qiyang Commandery?!

Although Liu Tao had never been to Jingdu, as a relative of Imperial Consort Yi, he took pride in the capital and often inquired about its layout to boast to the youths of Cao Yun County.

He certainly knew that Jingdu had a Princess of Qiyang Commandery—the daughter of Chang Princess.

This was… the Emperor's own niece.

If Liu Tao so much as touched a hair of the Princess of Qiyang Commandery, he would be severely punished—he could never bear that responsibility.

"Y-You stop lying to me."

"How could the Princess of Qiyang Commandery, a person of such exalted status, suddenly appear in Cao Yun County?"

"If the Princess of Qiyang Commandery were truly sitting here, she'd be escorted by heavy troops—I can tell you're bluffing."

Seeing Liu Tao still refused to give up, Gao Cheng let out a cold snort: "You're asking for death!"

"These three noble persons wish to avoid disturbing the townspeople, so they travel discreetly, accompanied only by a few disguised guards."

"You want heavy troops? They're stationed just outside the city—just one word from these three nobles, and they'll storm in and slaughter your entire Liu Family!"

What?!

Liu Tao's eyes widened in shock—Gao Cheng's words didn't sound like bluffing.

He quickly turned to his accompanying constables, only to see the lead County Commandant's face had turned ashen.

"B-B-Is there really a military garrison outside the city?"

Facing Liu Tao's stammering question, the County Commandant wished he could die.

The County Commandant had long known troops had arrived outside the city, but since they hadn't approached the city, he assumed they were just passing through and hadn't taken it seriously.

But it turned out…

These troops were the guards escorting Imperial Nobility.

If this incident blew up, the entire Cao Yun County would be turned upside down.

Although the County Commandant didn't answer, his terrified expression made Liu Tao realize Gao Cheng wasn't lying—one of these three women was truly Imperial Nobility.

The crowd gathered outside the gate was stunned; after a moment of dead silence, a deafening roar of shock erupted.

"What? One of these three women is the Princess of Qiyang Commandery?!"

"Princess of Qiyang Commandery? I've never heard of her…"

"Of course you haven't—she's the daughter of Chang Princess, the Emperor's own niece!"

"Heavens, she's this big a figure?"

"Liu Tao insulted the Princess of Qiyang Commandery—if they pursue this, even Imperial Consort Yi won't be able to save him, right?"

"Ah! You don't understand—Imperial Consort Yi is just a minor concubine in the Hou Gong, not even a principal wife—how could she compare to the Princess of Qiyang Commandery?"

The crowd was stunned and bewildered; Wang Li, standing beside Liu Tao, had gone weak in the knees.

Remember, the Liu Family still supported an Imperial Consort, while the Wang Family was merely living off past glory.

If Jingdu investigates, the Liu Family might escape punishment—but the Wang Family's fate would be dire.

Liu Tao's expression had changed drastically; he swallowed hard, his gaze sweeping over the three women, his body trembling inside.

Because these three women showed no distinction of rank—they sat together, harmonious as Sisters.

This meant… the other two women were of nearly equal status to the Princess of Qiyang Commandery.

Liu Tao's face turned ashen; he whispered: "G-Gao Young Master, one of them is the Princess of Qiyang Commandery—who are the other two?"

Before Gao Cheng could answer, Xie Yun'er let out a cold laugh: "Young Master Liu, you're clearly forgetting things—I already told you, didn't I?"

"I am a Married Woman."

Liu Tao's back chilled with dread—a Married Woman who sat as an equal to the Princess of Qiyang Commandery could at best be a Princess or a Heir's Consort…

"Y-Your husband… who is he?"

As Liu Tao asked, every eye in the room fixed on Xie Yun'er.

Xie Yun'er's lips curled slightly, revealing a smile full of hidden meaning.

"My husband's surname is Qin—my lord is Tianlu Marquis, granted the title of Qin Feng's Army, who led the Northern Border Troops to crush the Di."

"Then led the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade straight into Di territory, slaying the Di King."

"Now he is in Jiangnan, waging war against the Powerful Clans of Nan Jing in Gusu City."

"I came to Beixi County to visit my husband's domain for a short stay—never expected to meet a local tyrant like you, Young Master Liu, in this picturesque corner of Cao Yun County—it's truly an eye-opener."

Silence. Dead silence.

The entire Xianglai Post Station felt like it had plunged into an ice tomb.

Liu Tao and Wang Li stared wide-eyed, as if their souls had been stolen.

Just then, Liu Hongyan's voice came through.

"Earlier, Young Master Liu claimed that no matter our backgrounds, once we came to Cao Yun County, we had to tuck our tails between our legs."

"Hehe, it's not entirely wrong."

"Compared to the Princess of Qiyang Commandery and the Imperial Consort of the Qin Prince, this girl has not a single official title or noble rank—just an ordinary woman."

"As Qin Feng's Second Sister, you surely can't match Young Master Liu, right?"

Faced with Liu Hongyan's sarcasm, Liu Tao wished he could smash his head against a wall right now.

He had thought the Princess of Qiyang Commandery's influence was immense enough, but compared to the other two women, it was like heaven versus earth.

Xie Yun'er, daughter of Duke Ningguo Xie Bi, Imperial Consort of the Qin Prince, Qin Feng's legally wedded wife.

Just moments ago, Liu Tao had dared to seize Qin Feng's wife?! Such a calamity was even more complete than piercing a hole through heaven itself.

And Qin Feng's Second Sister…

Liu Tao had once heard that if he ever went to Jingdu, there were a few people he must never provoke—one of them was Liu Hongyan.

Although Liu Hongyan was Qin Feng's sister, they shared no blood tie; she was more like his most cherished treasure.

Whoever dared to touch a single hair of Liu Hongyan would be utterly annihilated.

Remember, when even one of Qin Feng's maids was harmed, he led troops on a thousand-li raid and made the offender pay with blood.

Liu Tao had dared to seize Qin Feng's wife, Qin Feng's sister, and an Imperial Noble.

He felt his head whirring, his legs went weak, and he collapsed with a thud.

Wang Li beside him was even more terrified, his body limp, drenched in sweat.

Only now did the crowd gathered outside the door awaken from their daze.