One of the men in black had a complicated expression, as if he had never truly known Lili.

There was no other reason than that this person was none other than An Qi, the secret guard whom Gu Ziyi had sent to secretly protect Lili after the incident involving the prefect five years ago.

He had long heard of Miss Lili's past bravery, but after following her for five years, he had always wanted to witness it for himself. However, Lili was too kind-hearted, and today was the first time he had truly witnessed her bravery.

Lili was genuinely angry.

This person actually caused the beautiful and charming Xia Ning to suffer so much for no reason.

Bad stuff!

Still want to rise to power?

With Shen Lili around, that despicable eldest prince will never have a good time!

Lili angrily grabbed Zuo Pang's hair. When she was a child, she often watched the elderly in her family kill chickens. Plucking chicken feathers was a job that didn't require much skill, and you could learn it after watching it a few times.

"Are you convinced?"

Lili patted her left side, which was throbbing with pain, and kindly stopped what she was doing, asking, "What's wrong with you?"

Zuo Pang was unwilling to submit.

He must have encountered some evil spirit today, which is why he couldn't even handle an eight-year-old girl and let her ride on his head and run wild!

"You unruly wild girl, do you believe I'll report this to the Crown Prince as soon as I get back, and your father will never be able to hold office again?"

"Hey, what did you say?" Lili leaned close to his mouth. "Speak louder, I can't hear you."

"You, you, you!"

Zuo Pang was in tears, unable to speak fluently. He was shocked to see out of the corner of his eye that all his men had been subdued.

"What!"

Zuo Pang wiped away his tears and carefully observed the group of men in black. When he caught a glimpse of the dragon insignia on their swords, he was shocked: "Dragon in black, you are the Crown Prince's secret guards!"

Royal bodyguards were divided into three categories. One category was the Panlong, which referred to the emperor's bodyguards and belonged exclusively to the emperor.

The second category is Tenglong, which refers to the Crown Prince's secret guards, who are only under the Crown Prince's command.

The third category is the dragon, which refers to the royal secret guards, who were ordered by the emperor to protect others.

Lili released Zuo Pang, clapped her hands, and stood up: "What's wrong? Never seen this before?"

"This...this..."

Zuo Pang naturally knew about these secret guards, but suddenly more than a dozen of them had arrived...

He finally realized that this was clearly a trap, deliberately waiting for him to fall into it. The guards had been waiting for them to walk right into the snare!

An Qi respectfully cupped his hands to Li Li: "Miss, please leave the rest to us."

Lili asked, "What's your name?"

"Reporting to Miss, this is Anqi."

Lili: "……."

That really is a name.

Lili chuckled, "Thank you for protecting me these past five years, Brother Anqi."

An Qi looked up in surprise.

Under normal circumstances, the bodyguard would not easily show himself. He had never appeared in front of Lili in the past five years, so how could she know?

Lili tilted her head: "The orange tree in the corner of Lili's yard bears fruit every year, but no one eats it, and there are always a few missing for no reason."

Anqi: ...I'll never sneak a bite at work again.

Lili smiled, but didn't lower her head. She precisely kicked Zuo Pang, who was trying to get up.

Zuo Pang was kicked to the ground.

Lili casually tidied her messy hair, wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, picked up the hairpin that had fallen to the side, and walked back to the group of people who were too shocked to speak.

Seeing the hesitant expressions on their faces, Lili smiled gently and asked, "Hmm?"

Quiet and gentle, who wouldn't say she's adorable and charming?

Everyone was speechless for a moment.

Zuo Pang chuckled bitterly, then swiftly pulled something from his pocket, pulled the fuse, and tossed it into the air.

Huge fireworks burst in the sky, their brilliance enhanced by the orange-red sunset.

An Qi immediately grabbed Zuo Pang and restrained him, coldly asking, "Signal?"

Zuo Pang laughed loudly: "Just as I thought! I knew it! The Marquis of Chongbo's mansion and the Crown Prince have been in cahoots for a long time! The First Prince thought that the Marquis of Chongbo's mansion was just intentionally siding with the Crown Prince. If I hadn't been careful and reminded the First Prince to have a backup plan, he would have really fallen into your trap."

Bai Yu remained noncommittal: "Is that so? I'd like to see what tricks the First Prince has up his sleeve."

"Hahaha, I've done a great service this time!" Zuo Pang was overjoyed. "Lady Crown Prince, it's not too late for you to switch sides. Abandon the darkness and join me in assisting the First Prince, and we can still make peace. Although His Highness the Crown Prince is the Empress's legitimate son, he is ultimately not as outstanding as the eldest son. The First Prince is ten years older than the Crown Prince, and the power in the court is deeply entrenched. The Crown Prince is young and has been at the border for nearly six years. How can he compare to the First Prince?"

"Absurd." Bai Yu said coldly, "The eldest prince is ruthless and sees the people as stepping stones to gain merit. How can such a profit-driven person bring peace to the world?"

"The Crown Prince's wife is so kind-hearted."

An unfamiliar male voice came from behind, accompanied by his continuous clapping as he drew closer.

The newcomer had her hair tied up in a high bun, wore a gold crown inlaid with pearls, with tassels hanging down in front of her forehead, wore a pair of deerskin boots, and had a wide jade belt around her waist.

Lili recognized the person's identity almost immediately.

“It’s the Crown Prince!” Xia Ning’s voice was hoarse.

The guards immediately went on alert, with half guarding the thieves and the other half circling around to protect the group.

Gu Zian looked at Zuo Pang, who was half bald, with great interest, and said in a playful tone, "Lord Zuo, why do you have a different look after not seeing you for a while?"

Zuo Pang was being held uncomfortably by An Qi, his neck turning red. He struggled and said to Gu Zi'an, "Your Highness, you must do me justice! This little county magistrate's daughter dares to treat me like this! Isn't this an insult to Your Highness?"

Gu Zian's gaze swept over Lili, noticing Zuo Pang's hair scattered on the ground. His charming eyes paused, a hint of doubt in them: "Her?"

Lili, dressed in a green dress, stood obediently in the middle of the crowd, gentle and quiet.

How could such a little girl pull out his hair?

Are you kidding me?

Gu Zian didn't believe it.

"Alright, alright, any misunderstandings can be cleared up by talking them out."

Gu Zian smiled, looking very understanding.

You're quite kind, aren't you? You've become a peacemaker?

Xia Ning felt nauseous at the sight of him. He had wronged her so badly back then, yet after returning to the capital, she still had to pretend to be all amiable and polite.

Gu Zian is a smiling tiger. He knows everything perfectly well, but acts as if nothing has happened. He's more into the role than anyone else.

Bai Yu was filled with doubt and surprise. The purpose of this trip was to lure Zuo Pang out, but why did Gu Zi'an come in person?

After being confined to his quarters for six months, Gu Zian behaved himself for two years. Now that he has returned to the public eye, he has dutifully taken on many tasks to win the emperor's favor.

Gu Zian should be traveling incognito in Jiangnan right now, so why is he here?

Bai Yu and An Qi exchanged a glance, both noticing the unexpected emotion in each other's eyes.

The scene fell silent for a moment. Xia Ning hid behind Li Li, feeling a deep-seated fear of the eldest prince.

Gu Zian didn't feel embarrassed at all. He shook the folding fan in his hand, walked up to An Qi, and tapped An Qi's hand holding Zuo Pang with the fan: "Tsk, so brutal. Why don't you give me face and let me personally discipline my subordinates?"

The words were meant for discussion, but the tone was unquestionable, domineering and overbearing.

An Qi pondered for a moment, and before he understood what An Qi was going to do, he finally let go.

"Ah, that's right. Your Highness and I are like brothers, so it's natural for our subordinates to get along well."

Anqi silently cursed in his heart.

The brotherly affection and respect between brothers are truly admirable.

Zuo Pang, relieved, thanked him profusely, tears streaming down his face.

Gu Zian remained nonchalant, seemingly oblivious to the strangeness of the scene, as if he wasn't the one who sent the killer.

Bai Yu patiently dealt with him: "It is truly an honor to have the Crown Prince grace us with his presence. But I wonder... is the person in Jiangnan now a twin brother that Your Highness conjured up out of thin air?"

Gu Zian waved his folding fan repeatedly, smiling brightly: "Oh, what a joke the Crown Prince's wife is! Where would I get a twin brother?"

Bai Yu smiled and said, "What a coincidence! It's quite a coincidence to run into Your Highness in this small teahouse."

“It’s a coincidence, a coincidence indeed.” Gu Zian’s eyes shifted and slowly landed on Xia Ning.

Xia Ning shuddered, feeling as if she were being pricked by thorns.

Lili subtly blocked Gu Zian's view.

It has to be said that, being brothers, Gu Zi'an does bear some resemblance to Gu Ziyi in their features.

However, this similarity is gentle and refined when applied to Gu Ziyi, but somewhat subtle when applied to Gu Zian.

Gu Zian raised an eyebrow.

"Miss Xia, why are you being so formal?"

Xia Ning lowered her head even further.

Gu Zian sensed something was off, so he changed the subject: "Lady of the Heir Apparent, the Marquis of Chongbo's family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, never taking sides. I am very curious, how did my younger brother win over the old Marquis?"

Bai Yu remained silent.

Gu Zian didn't mind and said to himself, "How about this, I, Your Highness, volunteer myself. Why don't you, the Lady of the Heir Apparent, make a decision for the Marquis of Chongbo's mansion and stop following that child Ziyi? Why don't you follow me instead?"

Anqi tightened his right hand, pressing it firmly against the sword at his waist.

Bai Yu finally spoke: "Since Your Highness is so sincere, then I will not hold back. His Majesty is currently in good health, so isn't it a bit premature to talk about taking sides?"

Gu Zian's face darkened, revealing a hint of displeasure: "Princess Consort, there's no need for such polite words. I had my suspicions five years ago. We're all intelligent people, why play games?"

Bai Yu remained noncommittal and refused to budge: "Your Highness has said that we are all loyal to His Majesty, so why be like this? Besides, I am just a woman, so I don't count."

Gu Zian stared at her intently for a long while, then touched his chin with the tip of his tongue before suddenly bending down with a smile: "Ziqi, it's been a long time, haven't you? Do you miss your older cousin?"

Gu Ziqi hugged Lili and turned his head away from him.

Gu Zian felt a chill.

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, and the dragon boat race on Li Lake has just ended. The streets should be bustling with activity, but perhaps the fighting at the teahouse was too loud and scared away the people, or perhaps the government officials cleared the streets. The previous hustle and bustle has completely disappeared.

From below the teahouse, a very excited voice suddenly rang out: "Auntie! What are you doing? Who are you? My aunt is still inside! Do you know who my aunt is?!"

Perhaps startled Gu Zian, who wiped away the momentary coldness and resumed his smiling demeanor, his gaze seemingly falling on Lili.

“Miss Shen?” Gu Zian smiled. “Miss Shen… doesn’t seem like someone from this small place.”

Lili smiled politely: "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."

"Has anyone ever told Miss Shen that you look a lot like someone? Miss Shen's calm and gentle demeanor is somewhat similar to that of the heir apparent of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."

Lili smiled politely and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."

"...Miss Shen is really polite."

Lili slightly curtsied: "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."

"Heh." Gu Zian laughed wildly, "Miss Shen is eight years old this year? It's truly rare to have such a mindset at such a young age. Counting the ages, eh, it's quite a coincidence that she seems to be around the same age as the eldest prince's wife's lost daughter."

Lili smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."

Gu Zian: ……

Bai Yu's fist hardened.

She wasn't stupid; she could naturally tell that Gu Zi'an was implying something.

Her sister's daughter disappeared because of Gu Zi'an!

To this day, its whereabouts remain unknown.

After disgusting Xia Ning, Gu Zi'an went on to disgust her, subtly implying that if the Chongbo Marquis's Mansion did not obey, Gu Ziqi's fate would be the same as theirs!

Gu Zi'an was used to these underhanded methods.

Fu Li was only a young child when he fell victim to his cruelty.

It was only because of another spring banquet that Bai Yun brought Fu Li to the public for the first time. Gu Ziyi took a few more curious glances, and Bai Yun made a casual joke, which made Gu Zian feel a sense of crisis.

That's ridiculous.

Gu Zian waved his fan, speaking in a sarcastic tone, his smile unchanged: "Miss Shen is truly unfazed even if Mount Tai collapses before her, and unmoved even if a deer runs past on her left."

Lili smiled and nodded gently: "That's pretty much the kind of person I am. I can joke around with you and I'm very easygoing, but if you touch my sore spot, I'll let you know what true darkness is."

Gu Zian frowned: "?"

Lili covered her mouth and laughed: "I'm so sorry, Your Highness. I was just being too blunt. I hope Your Highness won't blame me?"

Gu Zian gave a forced smile: "How could that be? It's just that Miss Shen's words are quite novel."

"Not at all," Lili said shyly, then added, "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."

Gu Zian's lips twitched, and he finally stopped talking to her.

"Princess, let's stop with the nonsense. Our time is precious. Let's get this straight this morning so as not to delay your departure."

That's a clever way of putting it. If the Marquis of Chongbo's family chooses to align themselves with Gu Zian, they'll be on the road back to the capital.

If you continue to side with the Eastern Palace, that's the road to the underworld.

Bai Yu was too lazy to pretend anymore. She understood that Gu Zi'an had gone to great lengths to appear here in person today in order to force the Chongbo Marquis's Mansion to give a clear answer.

She had no choice but to speak.

Bai Yu sneered: "Your Highness is a smart man. You should know that my Marquis Chongbo's mansion never colludes with the wicked."