Conflict intensification

Gu Jinning didn't want to get into a fight, so she cleared her throat and changed to a rough man's voice, saying, "Hey, I always follow the rules when I'm in the martial world, and I never win with fewer troops. Choose the strongest one to fight me."

Song Hui laughed and said, "Hey, you look so gentle and weak, how come your voice is so rough?"

Gu Jinning said, "I don't care about my voice. If you don't want me to, I'm leaving."

With a wave of her left hand, white powder scattered with a "whoosh," obscuring the three people's view.

Gu Jinning seized the opportunity to slip away, leaping over the walls of the Prince's Mansion and disappearing into the alley.

After taking several dozen steps, a silver light cleaved through the smoke and pierced the moonlit night, drawing a beautiful arc in the air before striking straight at Gu Jinning's back.

Gu Jinning felt a chill run down her spine and quickly dodged to the left. Another curved blade anticipated her position and flew over in an instant. Gu Jinning then slid to the right side, and her right arm slammed into the wall due to the impact of the huge sword energy, leaving a scratch.

"They're really troublesome."

Gu Jinning pulled the curved knife stuck in the wall. Seeing Yang Yu chasing after her, her eyes darted around, and she decisively threw the knife over the wall.

Yang Yu, who was in mid-air, clearly saw the direction from which the knife would fall, and the red temperature was visible to the naked eye.

"How dare you throw my knife!"

He angrily drew his third crescent-shaped blade, ready to settle the score with the thief who had stolen it.

Gu Jinning chuckled, "Sorry."

Having said that, he drew the curved sword from the ground, gathered his strength in his palm, and pushed it back, attacking Yang Yu.

Yang Yu caught the hook knife, but then saw a hidden needle fly out from the side of the blade, aimed straight at his brow.

Yang Yu quickly dodged and retreated, barely managing to brush his face away from the man. Before he could give chase, the man in black had vanished.

Song Ming, who arrived late, caught the flying needle and said admiringly, "Even Deputy General Yang suffered a loss. This thief is no ordinary person."

Song Hui landed on the wall where the knife had been thrown and laughed loudly, "Deputy General Yang, your beloved knife has fallen into horse manure."

Yang Yu's face instantly turned darker than the night, a surge of anger rising to his head, yet he had no outlet for it, causing his head to throb and swell. He vowed that if he encountered this thief again, he would surely tear him to pieces.

Gu Jinning, who had run several miles away, suddenly shivered and looked back alertly, keenly sensing that something was approaching.

That shouldn't be the case; Yang Yu's lightness skill isn't that good. Could it be that Song Ming or Song Hui have caught up with them?

Gu Jinning dared not delay and sped away. The figure behind her followed at a leisurely pace.

Seeing that she couldn't shake them off, Gu Jinning turned and entered the alley, sneaking into a courtyard to hide.

Under the hazy moonlight, a figure in purple gracefully arrived and landed in the tea garden.

The garden is filled with low, flat tea bushes, neatly covering the entire front yard, the aroma of bitter tea lingering in the air. In the courtyard stands a pavilion, a bamboo house, and behind it several acres of vegetable garden and flower fields, with a chicken coop in one corner.

A person emerged from the flowerbed, carrying a small bamboo basket containing several periwinkles.

"I apologize for not being able to greet you properly with such an honored guest." He bowed slightly in greeting, then inquired, "May I ask what brings Your Highness Prince Jin here so late at night?"

Xiao Heng'an was slightly surprised. "You actually recognize me? You must be Young Master Hua."

Hua Lingchen stepped aside and said, "Princess Jin Ning occasionally comes here to paint, and I have seen her in her paintings."

Xiao Heng'an followed him into the bamboo house, where there were only a few bamboo furnishings and the walls were covered with landscape, flower and bird paintings.

A precious sword with a gold base and inlaid jade hangs high on the wall of the hall, and the emerald green bamboo tassels sway gently in the wind.

Xiao Heng'an narrowed his eyes and said, "It's good that it's returned to its rightful owner."

After washing her hands, Hua Lingchen invited Xiao Heng'an to sit down and poured tea, saying, "I didn't want to accept this sword, but I didn't want to offend the princess's kindness, which would have made me indebted to her."

Xiao Heng'an raised his hand to hold the cup and noticed that Hua Lingchen's hand trembled slightly when he poured the tea. So he took the teapot and poured the tea himself.

The purple clay teapot is small and weighs only half as much as a regular teapot, yet Hua Lingchen struggled to lift it.

Xiao Heng'an still remembered how Hua Lingchen was so spirited and stunning in Gu Jinning's letters, and how he fell into the abyss and stopped halfway through his life.

Seeing it today, it truly is a celestial pearl covered in dust, which inevitably makes one sigh.

Hua Lingchen seemed accustomed to the pity of others, his expression calm, and he humbly said, "Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness."

Xiao Heng'an put down the teapot and said, "I've only heard Jin Ning mention you often before, and I've wanted to meet you for a long time."

Hua Lingchen answered frankly, "The princess has done me a great favor. She is always sincere to people and asks for nothing in return. She is a rare friend. Your Highness is more precious than countless others in the world to have her think of you so often."

Xiao Heng'an smiled wryly, "But she's unwilling to keep her promise. Do you think I should insist?"

Hua Lingchen said, "When a good deer is trapped in a hunting cage, it knows the danger and difficulty and does not want its mate to be in danger, so it chooses to escape alone, which is only human nature. When a wolf king is trapped in a trap, he will definitely charge into battle, strike at the heart of the enemy, rescue his wife from danger, and ensure the safety of his offspring. Both are concerned about the other, but the methods are different, and there is no right or wrong."

From the moment Xiao Heng'an stepped into the tea garden and saw Hua Lingchen, he harbored a jealous and hostile attitude towards him. Unexpectedly, Hua Lingchen saw through his thoughts at a glance, and so clearly at that.

Xiao Heng'an lowered his guard for a moment and re-examined the gentleman in front of him, suddenly understanding why Gu Jinning praised him so highly.

"If we had met earlier, perhaps we could have become friends," Xiao Heng'an said happily.

Hua Lingchen smiled and said, "These are just my humble opinions. Your Highness has your own plans, so there is no need for me to say more."

Xiao Heng'an smiled knowingly, glanced at the sky, and got up to go outside.

Upon reaching the corridor, Xiao Heng'an asked Hua Lingchen, "Have you seen a thief in black?"

Hua Lingchen stepped down from the bamboo corridor and pointed towards the backyard. "I just passed by one. She probably wanted to steal some vegetables, and when she saw someone in the garden, she slipped away. She wasn't walking fast; if Your Highness chases after her, you might be able to catch her."

Xiao Heng'an understood. "Since she's just a vegetable thief, she's no threat. Let her be."

"Young Master, farewell."

Xiao Heng'an bowed respectfully as a military officer, then flew back to his residence.

Hua Lingchen nodded to see him off. After Xiao Heng'an disappeared into the night, he returned to the bamboo house and saw Gu Jinning, dressed in night clothes, drinking Xiao Heng'an's cup of tea.

"I've seen him off. Brother Hua, you really don't lie, you just exposed my whereabouts like that."

Hua Lingchen asked with a smile, "Why are you back again?"

"Of course I want to hear if Xiao Heng'an has said anything bad about me. What did you think of him on our first meeting?"

Gu Jinning waited with great interest for Hua Lingchen's evaluation.

Hua Lingchen noticed that her clothes were torn and blood was seeping from her skin. He went to get a medicine box, soaked a cotton cloth in medicinal wine, and applied it to Gu Jinning's wound before replying, "Your words are sincere and your words are consistent."

"What kind of nonsense is this? I think you've been bought off by him."

Gu Jinning rubbed the wound that had been soaked in strong liquor. Hua Lingchen was about to apply medicine again, but Gu Jinning got up nonchalantly and refused his offer, "It's just a scratch, it's nothing serious, it'll be fine tomorrow. Actually, I came back to borrow something from you."

She picked up the periwinkles from the bamboo basket and carried them outside. "I'll take these. By the way, are you really not going to the banquet tomorrow?"

Hua Lingchen followed with a smile, saying, "I still prefer this little corner of the world here."

"Alright, I won't force you. After tomorrow, you'll hear many interesting stories."

Hua Lingchen hurriedly reminded, "Don't go too far at this grand banquet. Don't forget, you are the host."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. With Xiao Heng'an keeping an eye on things, what trouble can I possibly cause?"

Gu Jinning waved to him, said "See you later," and swaggered over the wall and left.

Inviting guests to banquets is a common social practice in the capital. Young people's banquets are mostly for entertainment and getting to know each other, with the aim of making friends with young men and women from more prestigious families, and ideally, getting married.

Gu Jinning didn't like participating. She felt that pretending to be polite with strangers was much more tiring and boring than taking orders and making money.

The next day, the sky was mostly clear with some clouds and a gentle breeze was blowing.

The gates of the princess's mansion were wide open, with countless servants and maids coming and going. The red walls, green tiles, pavilions, and towers looked brand new. The garden was shaded by lush trees, with hundreds of flowers vying for attention. The lotus pond was filled with green leaves and pink lotuses, and the air was filled with the fragrance of lotus blossoms.

Ice buckets were placed in the pavilions and shady spots to cool people down, making the whole garden as cool as autumn.

Its pavilions and green lawns are decorated with dozens of kinds of famous teas and hundreds of kinds of pastries and fruits.

Therefore, before noon, many young men and women had already gathered in the garden, enjoying tea and admiring the flowers.

Gu Xueshu arrived early, but after asking around and not seeing Gu Jinning, he realized she hadn't arrived yet. He had no choice but to greet the guests while sending Gu Xuewen back to the mansion to urge her to come.

"Cousin Gu!"

Gu Jinning's cousin, Quan Zichu, came bounding over and asked excitedly, "Where's my cousin?"

Gu Xueshu was extremely busy and said with a bitter face, "I wish she would show up immediately."

"Hahahaha." Quan Zichu said smugly to Quan Zijin behind him, "See, I told you, my cousin is definitely not as fast as me."

Just then, news came from afar that the King of Qin and the King of Wei had arrived. Gu Xueshu stopped Quan Zichu, who was about to leave, and asked him to look after them while he went to greet the King of Qin.

Upon reaching the front courtyard, Sun Xianzhu, Hua Lingteng, and their entourage had already arrived, along with dozens of guards from various households, surrounding Xiao Liao as they proceeded, creating quite a grand spectacle.

"Your Highness Prince Qin, Your Highness Prince Wei." Gu Xueshu hurried forward to greet them. "I apologize for not greeting you properly. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

Sun Xianzhu called out, "Where is Gu Jinning? Why didn't she come to greet us?"

The Gu family hosted a banquet to apologize to him, but the person who caused the accident didn't come. What kind of apology is that?

Gu Xueshu replied, "My younger sister is busy elsewhere and has no time to spare. She was afraid of neglecting our distinguished guests, so she asked me to receive them on her behalf. Please come in."

Sun Xianzhu scoffed, "She hasn't arrived yet, has she?"

"Who hasn't arrived yet?"

A haughty female voice rang out from the main gate. The newcomer wore a palace dress with pine-flower patterns as the main color, adorned with peach-colored crabapple blossoms and outlined in gold. Her high-piled hair was adorned with jewels and jade, and her wrists were covered with overlapping gold and jade bracelets, exuding extreme extravagance.

She held a snow-white, long-haired dog in her arms, its tongue lolling out, baring its teeth and glaring at the crowd, as arrogant and unruly as its owner.

The door automatically parted to make way for everyone, who all nodded and bowed respectfully, not daring to be negligent.

Gu Xueshu, his forehead beaded with sweat, hurriedly stepped forward to greet her, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect and saying with a smile, "Princess Anning has arrived. Please come inside."

As it approached, the snow dog leaped out of its owner's arms, bumped into Gu Xueshu, and then ran away.

Gu Xueshu hurriedly dodged to the side, his steps slightly rushed, and said, "The princess's beloved dog is becoming more and more lively."

Xiao Lei looked at him coldly and said sarcastically, "The Gu family really has a big face. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't even want to get involved with Xueqiu."

Gu Xueshu smiled, said only a few polite words, and then led everyone inside.

After all, Xiao Liang is the emperor's most beloved daughter and Xiao Liao's younger sister, so it's not easy to offend her.

Xiao Liang arrogantly stepped past Gu Xueshu and walked alongside Xiao Liao, saying, "Brother Wang, I came here because I heard that Gu Jinning was holding a banquet to apologize. It seems that she is hiding and afraid to see anyone."

Sun Xianzhu chimed in, "That's right, that's right, she has no sincerity at all. Brother Hua and I haven't heard a single apology from her yet."

Xiao Lan glanced at Sun Xianzhu, then turned to Hua Lingteng and scolded, "You're useless, aren't you? You've been slapped in the face and you're still cowering and afraid to fight back. It's shameful."

Hua Lingteng chuckled awkwardly, "Sister-in-law, please calm down. After all, the princess is of noble birth; how could a rough man like me dare to offend her?"

Xiao Lei coldly reprimanded, "We're cousins, so why is she considered a boor? Am I, this princess, not more noble than that country bumpkin?"

Hua Lingteng quickly flattered, "Of course, it is my noble sister-in-law."

Gu Xueshu listened silently, not daring to speak, since his younger sister was in the wrong.