Chapter 330 Bai Bai

Li Ganxu, seething with anger, went to the horse farm and rode two laps, but it didn't dispel the frustration in his heart.

Later, he challenged several imperial guards to a contest.

Only after beating those men until they were bruised and battered and begging for mercy did he manage to suppress some of his surging anger.

On her way back to the palace, she encountered Ru Bai again in the Imperial Garden.

Today he was wearing a brocade robe of sky blue after the rain, with a moon-white cloak trimmed with silver fox fur. He was standing under a plum tree, carefully breaking off a small branch of red plum blossoms and putting it into his purse.

Upon seeing this, Li Ganxu's anger surged up again.

Well, so you even said "flowers and plants have spirits, and we can't bear to damage them"?

Isn't this a lot of fun folding?

Sure enough, he dared to treat people differently based on their status and underestimate himself!

Unable to contain his rage any longer, Li Ganxu raised his whip and lashed it hard at the hand holding the purse!

Caught off guard, Ru Bai felt a burning pain in his wrist, causing him to let out a low groan.

The purse and red plum blossoms in her hands fell into the snow.

He turned his head and saw that it was Li Ganxu, and his handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly.

But he quickly suppressed all his discomfort and emotions, and, following the rules, bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Yong."

Li Ganxu gripped the riding whip and approached step by step.

The boots crunched through the snow.

"Ru Bai, have I been too lenient with you?"

She stopped in front of him, lifted his chin with the handle of her whip, and forced him to look at her.

"You dare to say one thing to my face and another behind my back, to play tricks on me? Didn't you say that 'flowers and plants have spirits, and I can't bear to damage them'?"

Her gaze swept over his beautifully shaped neck, which was forced to tilt back, and finally landed on the red plum blossoms on the ground, her tone mocking.

"And what is that folded piece in your hand now? Hmm?"

Ru Bai was forced to tilt his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

But his light-colored eyes remained calm as he met Li Ganxu's furious gaze and slowly said, "His Highness the Crown Prince will soon lead his troops to conquer the southwest. The mountains are high and the roads are long, and the dangers are unpredictable. I only wish to make a safe talisman for her, and put a sprig of plum blossom inside, so that she may turn bad luck into good luck, have a safe journey, and return in triumph soon."

The Crown Prince? Peace?

Li Ganxu became even angrier after hearing this.

Alright, Crown Prince, Crown Prince, it's the Crown Prince again!

The Empress Dowager only has eyes for the Crown Prince, the court officials surround the Crown Prince, and even the person in front of her is only thinking about the Crown Prince!

She could no longer restrain herself, and stretched out her foot, right in front of Ru Bai, and stomped hard and heavily on the purse and the red plum blossom in the snow.

The delicate purse was instantly covered in snow and dirt, and the tender petals were crushed into mud, making it unrecognizable.

Li Ganxu felt somewhat relieved when he saw that the object under his feet was completely unbearable to look at.

But she still arrogantly instructed the person in front of her, "Don't give it to her!"

Ru Bai looked at the mess of plum blossoms on the ground and sighed, "Your Highness Prince Yong, you... are a bit too domineering."

Li Ganxu scoffed as if he had heard something absurd.

"Today, I'm going to be domineering. You'd better remember this—"

Her gaze swept over the clear bloodstain on the back of his hand, her eyes filled with ruthlessness: "If you dare to pick flowers for her again, next time it won't just be a slap on the back of your hand, it will be... a complete severing of your hand!"

Ru Bai's face paled slightly, but she still stubbornly said, "You dare!"

Li Ganxu's eyes darkened. "You'll see if I dare."

After saying that, she didn't look at Ru Bai again and turned to leave.

Ru Bai stood there, watching her retreating figure, his eyes filled with helplessness.

After a long while, he bent down and squatted down to pick up the purse that had been trampled and made dirty, brushed off the snow, and stuffed it into his sleeve pocket.

Only after the young servant beside him saw the Prince of Yong's figure disappear outside the moon gate did he dare to approach.

"Young master, are you alright?"

Ru Bai glanced at his right hand.

On the back of her fair hand, a red, swollen, raised welt ran diagonally across her skin, with faint traces of blood seeping from the edges, making it a particularly shocking sight.

He frowned slightly and shook his head. "It's nothing, just a superficial injury. Let's go."

Looking at the injury on the back of his hand, the servant felt both heartache and indignation, and couldn't help but complain in a low voice, "I don't know what's wrong with His Highness Prince Yong. He never gives you a good look when he sees you, and today he's even worse... He's simply being unreasonable and going too far!"

He really couldn't understand it. Their young master was the only son of the Marquis of Wu. Although his status was not as noble as that of the princes, it was still extremely precious.

Moreover, his son's appearance, talent, and learning are all outstanding among the scions of noble families in the capital. Who wouldn't praise him as a "fairy-like figure"?

Who wouldn't be delighted to see their young master and take the initiative to befriend him?

Even His Highness the Crown Prince has a deep and abiding affection for the young master.

However, the Second Prince has always been at odds with the young master, constantly provoking and making things difficult for him, and speaking rudely.

Today, they even started fighting!

That's utterly arrogant, domineering, and incomprehensible!

Ru Bai glanced at the servant and reminded him, "Be careful what you say. Remember, the injury on the back of my hand was caused by a tree branch; it has nothing to do with the Second Prince."

The servant replied sullenly, "Yes, sir... I'll remember."

Ru Bai looked in the direction Li Ganxu had left, sighed, and then left with his servant.

The purse was never given away.

No matter how well Ru Bai tried to keep it a secret, the incident in the Imperial Garden eventually reached Li Yuanzhao's ears.

Li Yuanzhao even took this as a joke and told it to Ru Mo.

In previous years, Ru Mo had been leading troops to fight and quell rebellions all over the country.

It wasn't until recent years, when the borders gradually stabilized, that she was summoned back to the capital by Li Yuanzhao and given the honorary title of Assistant General, which allowed her to finally relax.

Li Yuanzhao would also summon her to the palace from time to time, sometimes to play chess and drink tea, sometimes to discuss military affairs...

The bond between the emperor and his subject was far deeper than that between ordinary officials.

Despite Li Yuanzhao's lighthearted teasing tone, Ru Mo couldn't laugh.

Her husband was different from other female officials in the court; he was not married to a young master from a wealthy family, but was picked up from a battlefield full of corpses.

When he conquered the Xianbei, he was originally the lowest slave of the Xianbei. He was driven to the front by the Xianbei soldiers and used as a shield for them.

But he happened to fall in front of his own horse.

Even covered in blood and dust, that face couldn't hide its stunning beauty.

And those green eyes, clean and pure, were completely out of place in the surrounding hellish carnage.

She was moved by compassion and, as if by some strange twist of fate, spared his life.