The snow soaks into the snow-covered ground, and when viewed at night, it appears as if large swathes of black are interspersed with white.
The figures moved in the snow, but Zhao Shu could no longer see Xiao Guozi and Xiao Zhuzi.
The leader of the black-clad men who had come straight for her was struck in the chest by an arrow and lay on the ground, no longer breathing. His long sleeves fluttered in the cold wind. She stood in front of the carriage and turned to look at Zhao Shu, "Princess, please return to the palace."
"Thank you for saving my life." Zhao Shu did not answer her question. She was not a pedantic person. If she really could not go to the government office today, she would have to turn back. There was no need to gamble with her life.
Duo Zi paused for a moment, then said, "Your Highness is mistaken. I just arrived. It was not I who saved you." With that, she stepped through the blood-stained snow and ran into the group of men in black opposite her.
"If only I had Sister Duozi's abilities, I could protect the princess," Wan Dong murmured.
"It's alright, you'll always find the skills, as long as you keep striving." Zhao Shu reached out and patted the two of them on the shoulders, comforting them.
Recalling Duozi's words, if it wasn't Duozi who saved him, then who was it?
Suddenly, a group of gray-clad men emerged from all around. These men wore straw hats and carried curved knives. Their movements were swift and without any fancy tricks; each strike was deadly.
Zhao Shu stared intently at these people. In the darkness, it was actually difficult to distinguish between those dressed in black and those dressed in gray, but she could still tell at a glance that several groups of people had come to surround the carriage.
Suddenly, Wei Tingsi leaped from the crowd onto the roof of the carriage, causing it to sway slightly, which made Wan Dong and Sheng Xia hug her even tighter.
Wei Tingsi covered his face with a cloth, but Zhao Shu could still recognize him at a glance. His sword-like aura rose from the ground, unmatched by anyone. When a sword is drawn, it must have an aura of dominance. Wei Tingsi was just that sharp, rushing out of the crowd with an aura of unparalleled supremacy, and no one could stop him.
He jumped off the roof of the carriage, sat on the seat, and simply said, "Hold on tight."
Zhao Shu quickly replied, "Okay."
As soon as Wei Tingsi pulled the reins, the horse pulling the carriage immediately reared up and neighed, charging towards the man in black in front.
Although the horse pulling Zhao Shu's carriage was not a Ferghana horse, it was still a rare and precious breed. It was so fast that the people inside the carriage felt as if it were about to fly away.
As the car rushed towards them, a man in black threw his weapon. Just as the long sword was about to reach him, he took out several balls from his pocket and threw them. The balls collided with the flying sword in mid-air, and the sword fell to the ground with a clang. The balls flew straight past and pierced the heart of the man in black who threw the sword.
The men in black were stunned by this scene. Even Duozi glanced at Wei Tingsi in the carriage a few more times. However, Wei Tingsi was masked, and she squinted, unable to ascertain his identity as Zhao Shu did.
However, she quickly abandoned the men in black and headed straight for the carriage. But the carriage didn't stop, and in just two breaths, it broke through the men in black's defenses and sped away along the official road ahead.
Duo Zi stomped her feet and leaped after him.
Inside the carriage, Zhao Shu was fine, but Wan Dong and Sheng Xia were dizzy from the impact.
From the place where the men in black were encountered to the government office, it would normally take another 15 minutes to get there, but Wei Tingsi managed to compress the time to less than 15 minutes.
The carriage stopped in front of the government office. He didn't say anything, but stuffed a sachet into Zhao Shu's sleeve, then leaped and disappeared into the vast night.
In early spring, the prefect and his constables waited in front of the government office. When they saw the carriage finally arrive, and the curtain was nowhere to be seen, they were startled.
Chu Chun rushed over, her heart pounding in her chest. Only when she saw that Zhao Shu was alright did she breathe a sigh of relief. "Princess, quick, get out of the carriage, let's go inside." This wasn't the place to talk, so she reached out to hug Zhao Shu.
Zhao Shu let her be carried out of the car. After walking a few steps, her feet still felt a little unsteady, but the feeling of stepping on the ground was really good.
"Your humble servant Zheng Hongsheng greets the Princess." Zheng Hongsheng was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a large belly and a physique comparable to Uncle Fu. He had small eyes, so small that Zhao Shu could not see them in the darkness. However, his voice was extremely strong and his attitude was respectful and humble.
After he finished speaking, dozens of constables behind him shouted in unison, "Greetings, Princess!" Their voices were loud, clear, and resounding, clearly indicating that they were not good-for-nothings and were extremely well-trained.
She glanced at the meticulous, spirited, and energetic constable, and said, "Lord Zheng, there's no need for such formalities. Your administration is excellent; you are truly a model of a local official. My apologies for not being more respectful. I must thank you for lending me the government office." Since the other party was respectful and humble, she couldn't be too presumptuous. Besides, she had finally earned a good reputation, so naturally she had to cherish it. Between a good reputation and a bad reputation, she would naturally choose the former.
Zheng Hongsheng stood up straight and gestured for her to enter. “Your Highness is too kind. As the newly appointed Prefect of Guanzhou, I am always filled with trepidation, fearing that I cannot govern this land well. Your Highness’s presence here is a great honor to our humble abode.”
As they spoke, Wan Dong and Sheng Xia also got off the carriage, trying to calm their nerves. The three of them then surrounded Zhao Shu and followed Zheng Hongsheng into the government office.
The government office was brightly lit, with a lamp every ten steps and a guard every five steps, and the security was extremely tight.
"I'm so sorry to bother you, sir. In early spring, I'll give the constables some tea and wine money later, twenty taels each." The current rest and leave system in Dayong is still relatively humane, with the rest and leave period from the 20th of the twelfth lunar month to the 20th of the first lunar month of the following year. These constables are working overtime now, so they should naturally be given some overtime pay.
Zheng Hongsheng nodded secretly. Twenty taels was nothing to a family like theirs, but for the constables, it was a year's salary. Princess Jun was indeed as rumored to be, extremely intelligent. At such a young age, she could win people's hearts so well. He was just calculating how much reward to give her. Being the prefect of Guanzhou was much more difficult than in other places. This place was not a good place to accept bribes, and there were too many members of the imperial family. The social obligations could bankrupt him.
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