Shangguan Wanning was horrified and rushed forward to rescue him, but it was too late.
His pulse stopped, his breathing stopped, and his heart... stopped beating.
Shangguan Wanning looked at him with her eyes wide open, which seemed to be filled with fear and despair.
"What happened?"
Mu Jingrui asked, looking around, but the crowd dispersed and no one answered his question.
He winked at his guards, who understood and walked away.
"Ning'er, don't be sad, it's not your fault."
Seeing Shangguan Wanning squatting on the ground in a daze, looking at the dead person, Mu Jingrui went forward and helped her up.
Shangguan Wanning closed her eyes sadly, her body trembling slightly.
Not long after they returned to the inn, the guard came back to report.
It turned out that when the middle-aged man learned that Xiao Yikai had walked out of the government office gate safely, he rushed over again in anger and wanted to kill Xiao Yikai.
However, he was no match for Xiao Yikai. Not only did he fail to avenge his daughter, he was also beaten to death by Xiao Yikai in public.
To the crowd watching, the stranger’s death would not have any impact on their lives;
For Xiao Yikai, the death of this person meant one less trouble.
Shangguan Wanning felt very uncomfortable, but there was nothing she could do.
She returned to her room sadly.
In the evening, Mu Jingrui received a secret letter from the imperial court. After reading it, he frowned and became more worried.
The next morning, Mu Jingrui brought breakfast to Shangguan Wanning.
"Ning'er, the emperor has given me a secret mission. I have to leave for a few days to do some work. It's not safe for you to stay here. I'll send someone to take you to Medicine King Valley. I'll pick you up there after I finish my work."
Shangguan Wanning was a little hesitant.
She always felt that she hadn't finished her work here. However... she didn't want to be a burden to Mu Jingrui, so she nodded in agreement.
Time was running out. After Mu Jingrui had arranged everything, he left his four trusted experts to escort Shangguan Wanning, and then set off at noon.
It was already afternoon when Shangguan Wanning packed her bags.
"Miss, do you want to set off tomorrow?" Lu Tong looked up at the sky and said with some concern, "It looks like it's going to rain."
"Princess, let's set off. If it really rains, we can take shelter on the way." The guard remembered Mu Jingrui's words and wanted to send Shangguan Wanning out of the city as soon as possible.
"Okay."
Shangguan Wanning guessed that this was Mu Jingrui's intention, and she didn't want to make things difficult for the guards.
Just as the group was about to set off, the steward of the Zhonglie Marquis's Mansion slowly came in a luxurious sedan chair.
Shangguan Wanning took a closer look and couldn't help but sneer in her heart.
This butler was, after all, just a servant, but judging by the pomp and ceremony with which he went out, he was comparable to that of the local prefect.
"This old servant pays his respects to the princess." The butler came forward and saluted in a flattering manner.
Shangguan Wanning didn't want to pay any attention to it. She just glanced at him and was about to get on the carriage.
The housekeeper hurried forward to stop him.
Lu Tong was furious and stood in front of the carriage with his hands on his hips. "Who are you to dare to block my young lady's way? Do you believe that I will treat you as an assassin and kill you on the spot?"
The butler was stunned. He probably had never met a servant more arrogant than him, and she was just a little girl.
"Don't talk nonsense." The housekeeper didn't bother with Lu Tong, but handed over a beautiful invitation, "Princess, the Marquis Zhonglie's mansion is hosting a banquet tonight to entertain relatives and friends. My young master Sun officially took the concubines as concubines, and invited you to the mansion to drink a glass of wedding wine."
Shangguan Wanning was stunned.
The Xiao family's high-profile and domineering attitude has reached the point where they have lost all sense of reason.
The reason why Xiao Yujue didn't use an imperial edict, but used a private letter to ask Mu Jingrui to stop the investigation, was to give the Loyal Marquis's Mansion some room to maneuver, but they...
"Miss?" Lu Tong saw Shangguan Wan Ning stopped and reminded her, "Ignore them, let's go."
Shangguan Wanning turned around and took the invitation from the housekeeper.
"Go back and tell your young master Sun that I will be there on time tonight to attend his wedding."
"Miss?"
"Princess?"
Lu Tong and the guards all changed their expressions, and Lu Tong even pulled Shangguan Wan Ning's sleeve.
"Then we are waiting for the princess." After paying his respects, the butler got into the sedan chair.
Lutong stamped her feet in anxiety.
"Miss, why did you agree to go to his wedding? That guy has a hideous face and has no good intentions at all."
"I know."
Shangguan Wanning glanced at the invitation and threw it into the carriage. "Although Jingrui and I can't do anything to him for the time being, it's still okay to teach him a little lesson."
As she spoke, Shangguan Wanning hooked her finger at Lutong.
Lutong came closer and whispered some instructions in her ear.
"Miss, is this okay?"
"Xiao Yikai has a perverse personality and is domineering and confident. He will definitely be fooled. If he is not fooled... that is his good fortune."
Shangguan Wanning had made up her mind, and neither Lutong nor the guards could convince her, so they could only do what she wanted.
At dusk, Shangguan Wanning arrived at the Mansion of the Marquis of Loyalty and Lie in a sedan chair.
Although he only took in a concubine, his house was filled with guests, and all of them were powerful and wealthy people in the city.
"Brother Xiao is so lucky. I heard that the girls who are selected to enter the palace are all extremely beautiful."
"It's not just about getting a beautiful woman that's worth being happy about, Brother Xiao, even the emperor has to give you face. Next year, I'm going to the capital to take the imperial examination, and you have to recommend me a good backer."
"Let's talk about this later. Tonight, Brother Xiao, you must let us see those beauties."
Xiao Yikai listened to everyone's compliments and drank one glass after another.
At this time, he saw Shangguan Wanning walking slowly towards him with a meaningful smile on her lips.
"If I could marry her... that would be the perfection of my life. Compared to her, all other women would be nothing but mediocre women."
Everyone followed Xiao Yikai's gaze and saw, as expected, the graceful, elegant and gentle Shangguan Wanning slowly walking towards them.
Even with a veil covering her face, it is difficult to conceal her noble and elegant temperament as a lady from a wealthy family.
"It is a great honor for the princess to be here." Xiao Yikai stepped forward and saluted, but in a very unceremonious manner, and whispered to Shangguan Wanning, "If I can sleep with the princess in the bridal chamber tonight, I will die without regrets."
This time, Shangguan Wanning was not angry, and her bright eyes moved back and forth across Xiao Yikai's face.
"Really?" Shangguan Wan Ning was not willing to be outdone. She took a step forward and leaned close to Xiao Yikai's ear, whispering, "Then can you bear to leave the room full of beauties tonight? Do you dare to come see me alone?"
Xiao Yikai was a little surprised, but then his eyes lit up. "As long as the princess tells me the time and place, I will come and try even if it means going through mountains of swords and seas of fire."
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