Everyone was shocked when they saw Zhou Muyan suddenly rushing up.

Tao Ti's eyes flickered slightly, and she subconsciously raised her hand to block it——

A crisp "pop" sound suddenly rang out.

Immediately afterwards, a series of “Ahhhh” sounds of pain were heard.

Tao Ti's left hand passed through Zhou Muyan's right arm, and the other hand held her wrist and twisted it backwards. Zhou Muyan was hunched over, tightly clamped by Tao Ti, unable to move, looking extremely savage.

Everyone was dumbfounded: What just happened! How did Miss Zhou get controlled?

Zhou Muyan felt that her wrist was about to be broken, and this posture was really embarrassing. Her eyes were full of tears as she glared at Tao Ti, "You bastard, let go!"

"Are you swearing at me again?" Tao Ti increased the strength of her hands.

“Ahhh, that hurts!”

"You know pain, but I don't? You can hit me, but I can't hit you. There's no such thing in this world." Tao Ti sneered.

"Who do you think you are? How can you compare with me? Let me go! Do you hear me?" Zhou Muyan tried to turn her head, but seeing that Tao Tisi was unmoved, she had no choice but to scold Cui Xi, "Why are you still standing there like an idiot? Pull her away from me!"

"You, you, you... let my girl go quickly, or we will make you pay for it!"

Cui Xi wanted to protect her master, but she had just seen it with her own eyes. This woman twisted her daughter like a twist in a few moves. If she went forward, she would definitely be in trouble.

She shrank her neck nervously and shouted in a boastful tone, "Young lady, please bear with it for a while. I will go out and call someone."

Tao Ti suddenly laughed, "Call someone? Go ahead! Anyway, the matter has become serious. If the news of your daughter's 'glorious' deeds of bullying and beating people in the street spreads, it will also bring shame to your Zuo Xiangfu!"

After a pause, she glanced at everyone present and said righteously, "Everyone saw it clearly just now. She was the one who provoked me first. Even if we take it to court, I am still right!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a beautiful girl in a lotus-colored dress stood up, nodded politely to Tao Ti, and said softly, "If you need a witness, I am willing to testify for you."

Most of the people who could spend money at Tianyi Pavilion were the wives of high-ranking officials and nobles. Although some of them did not dare to speak out due to the power of the Left Prime Minister, most of them were reasonable. Seeing someone speak out, the others also expressed their opinions:

"Yes, we all saw it. It was this young lady from the Xiangfu who started it first."

"That's right. How can such an unreasonable thing happen in broad daylight? Everything is based on first come first served. It was obviously this lady who took a fancy to the silk first. You were so angry that you couldn't get it and hit her. It's really too much!"

"Hey, I thought that the noble ladies in Chang'an were all well-educated and well-mannered, but I never thought that there were such rude and unreasonable ones. To put it bluntly, what is the difference between their behavior and that of mountain bandits?"

After hearing these words, Zhou Muyan's face flushed red, and she didn't know if it was because of the pain in her wrist or because of embarrassment and anger.

She glanced at the people who spoke, and then glared fiercely at the girl in the lotus-colored skirt who spoke first, "Song Yuning, what has this got to do with you!"

The woman called Song Yuning was the granddaughter of Tutor Song and the eldest daughter of the Song family.

Seeing Zhou Muyan's expression of hatred towards her, Song Yuning remained calm, without any fear between her eyebrows, but she did not say much.

Tao Ti looked at her gratefully, "Thank you, young lady."

Song Yuning smiled faintly, "You're welcome. She was the one who was rude first."

Zhou Muyan was really angry now. Her hand was twisted by someone. Are these two still chatting?

She looked at Tao Ti with gritted teeth, her voice a little hysterical, "What do you want me to do to let go!"

"Apologize."

"Impossible!" Zhou Muyan blurted out, "You want me to apologize to you? Who do you think you are... ah, it hurts... I apologize, I apologize..."

Tao Ti thought Zhou Muyan was really interesting, so she used less force and said, "Continue."

Zhou Muyan's face was full of reluctance, thinking: After getting away from this, it won't be too late to settle the score with this bastard. She held her breath and said bitterly, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have snatched your silk and shouldn't have hit you. Please don't bother with me."

"No more?"

"What else do you want!?"

Tao Ti raised her brows. She had not expected this domineering young lady to say anything nice. Although her apology was not sincere, it was still an apology... so she would just accept it reluctantly.

After all, she came out of the palace to have fun, and it would not be good to make a big deal out of it.

"Don't be so arrogant in the future. It's easy to get beaten." Tao Ti said lightly and let go of Zhou Muyan's hand.

Freed from the shackles at once, Zhou Muyan quickly rubbed her wrist which was about to break. The intense pain from her wrist bone almost made her burst into tears.

Seeing her beautiful eyes filled with tears and her pitiful look, Tao Ti curled the corners of her mouth and didn't pay much attention to her. She just winked at Linglong and planned to pay the bill and leave.

But before he could take this step, Zhou Muyan suddenly made another move -

This time she didn't want to hit anyone, but went for the veil on Tao Ti's head.

"You bastard, you're still wearing a veil in the store to cover yourself up. Are you too ugly to face people? Do you think I won't tear your face apart?"

She grabbed the white gauze hanging down from the brim of her hat and pulled it hard.

This sudden action made Tao Ti stunned for a moment, and the next moment, the veil on her head was pulled off, revealing a delicate and bright little face.

For a moment, the store was quiet.

When everyone came to their senses, they all exclaimed in amazement, "What a beautiful face, red lips and pomegranate teeth, and a beautiful face, she is really like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally without any decoration!"

"Yes, I don't know whose lady she is, she is so beautiful, no wonder she always wears a veil. If I were a man, I would not want to let others see such a beautiful wife if I married her."

"Haha, just now the girl from the prime minister's mansion said that I was ugly and ashamed to face people. Now that she has seen my true face, she must be speechless..."

Zhou Muyan was indeed speechless at this moment.

She stared at Tao Ti, her face turning red and white, as if she had seen a ghost.

Why is she so beautiful?

Another thing is, why does this woman look so familiar? Where have I seen her before? She looks about the same age as me, but she wears a bun. Hmm, which noble ladies have married in the capital in the past two years...

As she was trying hard to recall, Taoti had already put on her veil again.

She raised her hand and lifted a corner of the curtain, glared at Zhou Muyan coldly, and asked bluntly, "Are you sick?"

"You!!!" Zhou Muyan was about to retort when he suddenly heard a surprised cry from the people in the store.

Tao Ti looked up, and Zhou Muyan also frowned and turned his head subconsciously to look.

A tall and slender silver-gray figure strode in. With his appearance, the whole store seemed to become brighter.

When Tao Ti first saw Pei Yan, she was a little surprised. She blinked her bright eyes and asked, "Your Highness...are you done?"

Pei Yan stood in front of her, lowered his eyes and gazed at her deeply, his tone full of tenderness, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Tao Ti shook her head slightly, wondering why he always showed up whenever she had a fight!

Ahhh, can you still maintain your gentle and well-behaved personality? !

Pei Yan looked her up and down, and after making sure she was fine, he turned his gaze to Fu Xirui, his voice tone obviously lowered by several degrees, "What's going on?"

Fu Xirui lowered his head and briefly recounted the whole story.

After hearing this, Pei Yan glanced at Tao Ti's arm calmly, then slowly turned around.

When facing others, the gentleness on his face disappeared instantly, and his deep black eyes stared straight at Zhou Muyan, "You are the one who bullied my wife?"

"I, I'm not..."

Zhou Muyan's knees were weak and she would have fallen if Cui Xi hadn't supported her in time.

Prince, why is the prince here...

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, and her pupils widened. She looked at Tao Ti again, and everything became clear.

Yes, she was wondering why this woman looked so familiar! Isn't this the daughter of the Yongwei Marquis and now the Crown Princess Tao Ti?

But why did she become different? The Taoti that he had met at the banquet before was a silent, withdrawn, timid, and cowardly person, with a pretty face but a timid mind, a fool who couldn't show up in public...

But now is not the time to dwell on this. The problem now is that he has offended the Crown Princess and was caught by the Crown Prince!

Zhou Muyan forced out a smile that was uglier than crying, and said softly, "Cousin, I didn't mean it..."

Pei Yan raised his thin lips in a mocking arc and snorted, "Who is your cousin?"

Zhou Muyan choked.

Pei Yan's dark pupils glowed with a cold light, and the smile on his lips deepened. He said slowly, "When we meet in the court tomorrow, I will definitely consult with the Left Prime Minister on how to manage a family."

Zhou Muyan just felt that he looked really scary. Although he had a smile on his face, the look he gave her was like a cold knife that was sticking to her scalp, making her feel a chill behind her for no reason.

She didn't dare to look directly at him, and stammered as she tried to explain, "Palace, Palace..."

Without waiting for her to say a word, Pei Yan turned around, grabbed Tao Ti's hand, and said, "Let's go."

The tone was so gentle that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it, completely different from the cold and cruel look just now.

Tao Ti was slightly stunned, still a little dazed, "Oh, okay."

Pei Yan smiled at her gently and wrapped his cool palm tightly around her soft little hand.

Tao Ti suddenly remembered something, but before she could say anything, Pei Yan glanced at Fu Xirui as if he knew how to read her mind.

Fu Xirui immediately said, "Madam, don't worry, I will bring the satin with me."

"Yeah." Tao Ti smiled slightly and looked up at Pei Yan secretly. He was really amazing. He understood without her saying anything.

Pei Yan led her out, and the crowd in the store involuntarily dispersed to both sides, automatically making way for them.

After they walked out, people couldn't help but look outside.

The handsome and noble man personally helped the lady into the carriage, and every move he made was full of tenderness and consideration.

"That lady is beautiful, and her husband is even more handsome. They are truly a perfect match made in heaven."

"Who says it's not true? She is so lucky. Her husband is not only handsome, but also considerate to her. It's really frustrating to compare yourself with others. My husband doesn't look good, but he has a bad temper..."

"I always think that other people's husbands are better, and my own husband is nothing, so I don't even mention him."

Most of the married ladies were amazed at the men's thoughtfulness, while the unmarried girls blushed and whispered, "That man is so handsome. I have never seen such a handsome man in my life."

"Yes, he is a beautiful boy, cheerful and cheerful. I don't know whose son he is."

"Even if you know who the boy is, it doesn't matter. He already has a wife. Forget it."

"I, I was not thinking at all, I was just asking casually!"

Everyone was whispering to each other until Fu Xirui and his friends paid the bill, took the satin and left in the carriage. Only then did the people in the store look away and look at Zhou Muyan who was standing there in a daze.

"I don't know where that young man came from. Even the daughter of Prime Minister Zuo is jealous of him."

"I just heard her call that man 'cousin'?"

"Ha, you must have heard wrongly. If she is really a relative, how could she not recognize her own sister-in-law? And why embarrass herself in public?"

"Maybe you heard me wrong..."

"I must have heard it wrong. I think the gentleman just now treated her in a very strange way, not polite at all!"

Zhou Muyan came to her senses after hearing the discussions around her. Her face was as pale as snow, and she was filled with panic and anxiety.

Cui Xi quickly supported her and said carefully, "Miss..."

Zhou Muyan's eyes were blank, and he was embarrassed and panicked. He said in a panic, "Let's go, let's go back!"

She had to tell her father about this in advance, otherwise if the prince came to her father first, she would be in trouble!

Looking at the backs of the master and servant leaving in a ragtag manner, the crowd laughed a few times and then dispersed.

But in a hidden corner, the pretty girl in a lotus-colored dress had her eyebrows furrowed, her pink lips slightly pursed, and a solemn look on her face.

Her friend took her hand and said angrily, "If you had known it was that woman, you shouldn't have spoken up for her just now!"

Song Yuning clenched the handkerchief in her hand and said softly, "But today, Zhou Muyan really went too far."

"If you ask me, neither she nor Zhou Muyan is a good person. Let's just watch them fight each other..." The companion and friend sighed, "If your grandfather hadn't insisted on not letting you marry the Crown Prince, you should be the one accompanying the Crown Prince now... I also heard about what happened on the wedding night. Tsk, that woman is really crazy. If it weren't for the Crown Prince's magnanimity, I'm afraid the entire Yongwei Marquis's Mansion would have lost their heads."

Song Yuning's long eyelashes moved slightly, and she remained silent.

Seeing her sad look, her friend hurriedly comforted her, "Yuning, your grandfather is actually doing this for your own good. Although the prince has a good appearance and a good personality, his body... is not a good match for him. You, you should stop worrying about him."

Song Yuning pursed her lips, and after a long time, she uttered a low "hmm".

But she couldn't stop feeling uncomfortable, especially when she saw the Crown Prince being so considerate and caring towards other women. She felt like a row of needles were piercing her heart.

Forget it, forget it. Now they are a harmonious couple and love each other very much. What's the point of being jealous?

She could only blame herself for not being brave enough. If she had expressed her feelings to His Highness earlier, or tried hard to win him over in front of her grandfather, she would have been willing to marry His Highness even if she had to become a widow...

So, could the person who is fighting with him now be her?

………

In the steadily moving carriage, with the curtains drawn, the enclosed space was exceptionally quiet.

Pei Yan stared at Tao Ti without saying a word.

Taoti, "..."

Hmm, should we start a conversation? The atmosphere seems a bit awkward.

Just as she was racking her brains for a topic to talk about, Pei Yan suddenly grabbed her right wrist.

Tao Ti was stunned for a moment.

When she came to her senses, she looked at him with wide eyes, "Your Highness?"

Pei Yan still kept his head down, and with his slender, cold fingers he lifted her sleeves up little by little.

A slender and tender arm slowly emerged, and in the middle of the forearm there was a particularly obvious red mark.

Pei Yan pursed his thin lips slightly, with the corners of his mouth straightened, and his long and thick eyelashes drooped, barely covering the coldness surging in his eyes.

Zhou, Mu, Yan.

The bony fingers gently touched the red spot, and the movements were so cautious.

"I shouldn't have left you alone." His voice was repressed, yet too gentle.

"Oh, it's okay. It just looks scary, but it doesn't hurt much." Tao Ti said optimistically.

She didn't have time to dodge Zhou Muyan's sudden slap in the face, so she subconsciously blocked it with her hand.

To be honest, it was really painful, she even suspected that Zhou Muyan had a broken palm. Fortunately, she blocked it quickly, otherwise if it had hit her face, her face would have been swollen for two days.

Seeing Pei Yan still looking down and not saying anything, Tao Ti comforted him, "I'm really fine. Besides, she didn't get away with it. I almost broke her wrist, and she made such a big fool of herself in public... Don't worry, I'm not someone who can be bullied so easily."

Hearing the second half of her sentence, Pei Yan chuckled, "Yes, I know."

"I'll get you a bottle of Jade Skin Cream when we get back." He put down her sleeves and said softly, "Don't worry, she will pay the price."

Tao Ti asked in astonishment, "Do you really want to tell this to the Prime Minister Zuo?..."

Pei Yan let go of her hand and said softly, "Zhou Pinglin is her father after all. He won't really do anything to her. At most, he will punish her a little, which can be regarded as venting his anger."

Tao Ti thought about it and realized that with Zhou Muyan's personality, he must have bullied others a lot in his daily life. It's time for him to be taught a lesson and learn his lesson.

Pei Yan added, "If you like that kind of satin, I will send someone to buy some tomorrow..."

Thinking of his shopping style, Tao Ti didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and hurriedly said, "Don't! I just made a few summer clothes not long ago, so they will be enough for the whole summer. Besides, I bought this satin for you."

Pei Yan's indifferent eyes flashed with a hint of emotion, "You bought it for me?"

Tao Ti narrowed her eyes and looked at him with a smile, "Yes, I think that color suits you very well, and the dark cloud-crane pattern is also quite beautiful. The satin is soft and clear, and it is perfect for making a summer robe."

Her smile was so pure, and her dark eyes seemed to have been washed by rain, so clear and incredible.

Pei Yan's heart moved slightly.

After a moment's silence, he asked, "Why...are you so nice to me?"

Tao Ti tilted her head and said without hesitation, "We are friends. If you are good to me, I will certainly be good to you too."

Pei Yan's eyes narrowed, "Friend?"

Seeing him ask back, Tao Ti felt a little guilty, "Uh, isn't it?"

Could it be that he still doesn't consider me a friend? Then my one-sided wish would... well, be very embarrassing!

Pei Yan was silent for a moment, then just smiled gently at her.

When Tao Ti saw him smile, she just thought he agreed.

Pei Yan knew very well that he didn't want to be her friend.

He wants to be her man.

………

That night, Zhou Mansion.

Left Prime Minister Zhou Pinglin looked at his wife Liu and his crying daughter Zhou Muyan with a stern face. He couldn't help but scold them, "Cry, cry, cry, all you do is cry! Weren't you very capable when you were snatching things in public?"

Zhou Muyan sobbed, "She was wearing a veil and didn't show her face, how could I know she was the Crown Princess!"

Liu also echoed, "Yes, Master, no one knew that the Crown Prince would come out with the Crown Princess... Alas, Yan'er is so unlucky this time..."

"Unlucky?!" Zhou Pinglin threw the cup in his hand fiercely and said angrily, "How dare you say that? If you hadn't been used to her, how could she dare to be so presumptuous outside? Shame on you, really shame on you!"

Liu was scolded so much that she dared not talk back and just lowered her head dejectedly.

Zhou Pinglin looked at Zhou Muyan with sharp eyes and said in a deep voice, "Go back to your room now. Don't go out for a month. Reflect on your behavior in your room!"

"Ah? No, Dad, I have to go to the Duke of Ping's house for a flower viewing banquet the day after tomorrow."

"Now you dare not listen to me?" Zhou Pinglin frowned, feeling angry and depressed. It was such a sin that he raised such a stupid daughter!

Zhou Muyan bit her lip and tried to argue, "Dad, I..."

Liu could see that Zhou Pinglin was really angry this time, so she quickly tugged at her sleeve and winked at her.

Zhou Muyan had no choice but to shut up.

"Okay, Yan'er, go back to your room first." Liu pushed her out of the room and then shouted to the housekeeper, "Send the girl back to her room and keep an eye on her. Don't let her run around."

Zhou Muyan frowned and said coquettishly, "Mom!"

Liu patted her hands and said in a low voice, "Be good, wait until your father's anger subsides and then I'll plead for you."

At this point, this is all we can do.

Zhou Muyan curled her lips and thought hatefully in her heart, it was all that Tao Ti's fault, she was annoying before, and after she got married, she became even more annoying!

Inside the house, Liu closed the door and comforted Zhou Pinglin in a gentle voice.

"Master, you don't have to be so angry. It's not a big deal. The Crown Prince is always gentle and kind. He won't care about it! Even if he told you, you just have to promise him to discipline him when you come back... He's a sickly kid anyway. He won't be able to sit on the throne for long."

"Shut up!" Zhou Pinglin glared at her. "Can you say such nonsense?"

Liu touched the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and thought, why are you pretending? We are lying on the same couch, don't you think the same way?

Zhou Pinglin sighed, "You know how much His Majesty doted on Gu in the past. He loves Gu and loves her too. Now that Gu is gone, he has given all his love to the Crown Prince. Even if the Crown Prince wants the moon in the sky, His Majesty will find a way to get it for him!"

Liu was silent. She certainly knew how favored Empress Gu was in her past.

If Gu had not been unwilling, Emperor Zhaokang would have almost dismissed 3,000 concubines from the harem for her. Even after the death of the eldest prince, in order to make the child born by Gu the eldest son, he gave the other concubines contraceptive soup, and even the pregnant concubines were forced to have abortions.

Later, when Pei Yan was born, he was made the crown prince. To show his favor and respect, Emperor Zhaokang issued a general amnesty and held a celebration banquet for seven days and seven nights.

Unfortunately, Gu was unlucky and could not bear such kindness and died early.

Later, the Gu family was found to have rebelled, but Emperor Zhaokang did not kill them, but only banished them to the northwest, where they stayed for twenty years...

"No matter how favored she is, Gu is unlucky, and so is her son." Liu grumbled, lowering her voice, "In two years, the third prince will become the crown prince, and our Zhou family's position will be secure!"

"You'd better keep your mouth shut." Zhou Pinglin glared at her and said solemnly, "As long as the prince is still alive, we should not provoke him!"

"Yes, yes, yes."

"Please prepare some generous gifts and go to the palace to meet the Queen tomorrow and ask her to say a few good words to the Crown Princess. As for the Crown Prince, I will also apologize to him after the court is dismissed tomorrow... Alas, it's all because of the good daughter you raised that she has brought herself into all these troubles!"

The more Zhou Pinglin thought about it, the angrier he became. After saying a few more words, he left the main courtyard and went straight to the concubine's courtyard to vent his troubles.

The next morning, Zhou Pinglin went to court, and Liu also brought generous gifts to the palace.

The warm spring sun enveloped the Zhou Mansion, bringing peace and tranquility to the place.

But around noon, a terrifying scream suddenly rang out from the backyard of Zhou's mansion.

"Aaaaaaah my face!"