Yu family girl
During her time in the palace, everyone was busy with their own trivial matters, and apart from her daily shifts, she rarely had contact with others.
But that doesn't mean she knew nothing about the entire palace. People like eunuchs could never be so tall, strong, and robust.
Xiao Diting felt a chill run down her spine as the two men stared at her, as if a snake's tongue had licked her neck. She subtly backed away, instinctively reaching for the dagger hidden in her sleeve.
This was obviously a blunder; weapons were not allowed to be brought into the palace banquet, and anyone who entered would be searched.
As the two eunuchs approached step by step, Xiao Diting kept retreating. After taking two steps, her heels hit the wall. She groped in the shadows, confirming that she had nowhere left to retreat.
She leaned forward slightly, adopting a defensive posture, and scrutinized the two strange people in front of her with unwavering eyes: "Who sent you?"
The two eunuchs remained silent, only menacingly approaching her and constantly reducing her escape routes until they were cornered. Xiao Diting knew she couldn't wait any longer.
She swung her fist at the eunuch on her left. If she remembered correctly, breaking through the encirclement and walking a few steps back would lead her back the way she came.
The fist, accompanied by the wind, slammed towards the eunuch's face on the left. Xiao Diting originally intended to use this blow to create an opening, but he did not expect the other party to react so quickly that he actually raised his hand and caught the blow head-on.
The dull pain from the collision of their fingers made her frown—her right arm, still recovering from an old injury, couldn't muster much strength, and the impact sent numbness through her wrist.
Taking advantage of the moment, the eunuch on her right reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Xiao Diting dodged to the side, avoiding a deadly punch. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door she had come from was not far away, but the two men were like shadows, their moves not particularly exquisite, but they were incredibly strong, making it difficult for her to break free.
She was secretly anxious; if things continued like this, who knew what other unforeseen events might occur.
Just then, a dark figure suddenly darted out from behind the pillar.
The man was extremely thin, but his movements were as fast as a gust of wind. Before Xiao Diting could react, he had already gotten behind the two eunuchs.
Taking advantage of the opening, she managed to escape. With a sharp "snap," the eunuch on her left staggered back two steps, clutching his head. Just as he was about to turn around, he was struck on the back of the neck with a chop and fell straight down.
The eunuch on the right realized something was wrong and turned to grab the person, but the other party nimbly dodged him and twisted his wrist instead, causing him to groan in pain. He was then thrown to the ground in an instant.
Startled by this sudden turn of events, Xiao Diting instinctively took a step back, only to find herself in a low-lying area of the artificial hill behind her. She lost her footing and instantly lost her balance.
The moment she felt weightless, a warm hand reached out and grabbed her arm, the force not strong but very steady, pulling her back.
She was then pulled into a soft embrace, her nose brushing against the metal ornament on the other person's chest, and the next second she was gently helped to the ground.
Xiao Diting suddenly broke free from the man's embrace, took a half step back and assumed a defensive posture, but when he looked up, he was stunned.
Before me stood a tall woman, her sharp figure accentuated by a crimson outfit. She had straight shoulders and a well-defined jawline, possessing a striking and heroic appearance, yet she exuded no aggression.
There's no other reason than that this person was born with a pair of affectionate and tender eyes.
Those eyes had slightly upturned corners and very light amber pupils. They looked at people with a casual and nonchalant air, which softened the sharp aura around them. Anyone who saw them would find them comfortable and pleasing to the eye.
Before she could sort out her thoughts, the woman stepped forward, clasped her hands in front of her, and gave a neat bow: "Your humble servant greets the Third Prince."
Xiao Diting immediately knew who the person was.
She left in a hurry and didn't have time to meet anyone in a formal setting. There's no need to guess who this person is; she has an ethereal air and exceptional skills. Under heaven, there is no one else who can compare to Commander Yu.
So she gave a slight bow and said politely, "Thank you for your help, General."
Yu Lanjiang stepped over the two "eunuchs" lying on the ground, their lives uncertain, and casually approached Xiao Diting with her hands behind her back. Her aura gradually permeated the area, increasing the pressure on Xiao Diting without needing to say a word.
"Someone is looking for Your Highness. Why is Your Highness here?"
Having just been rescued by her, Xiao Diting was unsure of her intentions and could only tell the truth: "I was set in a trap, thank you for your help, Commander..."
“I don’t like pretentious people,” Yu Lanjiang interrupted her. Her words seemed disjointed, but Xiao Diting knew exactly what she was referring to. Yu Lanjiang’s gentle and tender demeanor vanished, her face hardening as if she wanted to devour Xiao Diting whole.
Xiao Diting was no pushover either. She smiled and bypassed Yu Lanjiang's interrogation, lifting her skirt and walking straight past Yu Lanjiang. She gave a slight, elegant curtsy: "Thank you for today's matter, Commander. I am not feeling well and will not keep you company any longer."
Having said that, she planned to leave this fierce and unapproachable man.
Yu Lanjiang was not so easily fooled. This place was in a remote location, and it would have been easy for her to do something to this princess, but she did not. Her gaze was fixed on the princess's back, and she said indifferently, "Your Highness should rest well and not lose your mind."
Xiao Diting walked very fast, her heart filled with panic. She had no choice but to disregard etiquette and lift her skirt to run. She knew that Yu Lanjiang, who was rumored to be a "military god," was not someone to be trifled with. This first meeting gave her a more accurate understanding of his image.
A typical smiling tiger, with a very deceptive appearance... and a keen enough sense of perception.
Yu Lanjiang remained where she was, staring blankly as the girl's skirt disappeared around the corner before turning her gaze back to the two eunuchs still lying dead not far away.
"Go back and tell your master that there's no need to test me with such methods. If he wants to see me, he should come openly and honestly."
As soon as she finished speaking, the two "eunuchs" who should have been unconscious moved. The two tall men scrambled to their feet, knelt on the ground, kowtowed several times, and then quietly ran away.
Yu Lanjiang didn't bother with interrogation; the two of them were clearly mute and incapable of speaking.
After the commotion, she sobered up considerably from the alcohol her colleagues had forced her to drink. The emperor was preoccupied with his own agenda tonight and didn't make things difficult for her, so she was in a good mood.
Therefore, they did not continue to make things difficult for Xiao Diting.
"A clumsy tactic."
Yu Lanjiang secretly scoffed. She knew all too well who this show was for. The young and naive princess was playing tricks, just like a cat showing its claws to scare people. It was too easy to guess what she was up to.
It's no wonder that she planned to take good care of this little princess after they met, since she gave her this gift on their first meeting.
Yu Lanjiang paced back and forth, thinking this, when she heard footsteps getting closer and closer. When she looked up, she bumped into an acquaintance.
She dropped her icy expression, her mood brightening considerably. She rushed over and grabbed the person's shoulder, ruffling their hair and even letting out a whistle: "Hey, Xiao Pei, long time no see!"
Pei Wenjin took off his hat, his hair was a mess from her rubbing. He wasn't angry but still felt a little powerless. Pushing away the cheerful and lively general was not an option, but not pushing him away was also not an option. He reluctantly and half-heartedly experienced the long-lost enthusiasm.
"General—"
Pei Wenjin hadn't been able to exchange more than a few words with Yu Lanjiang in the palace under the watchful eyes of everyone, so he secretly arranged to come here to find her. Upon arriving, he saw that the commander seemed to have something on his mind, pacing back and forth, seemingly pondering something.
Yu Lanjiang was brought back to her senses by his shout, realizing that she had been a bit too enthusiastic. She coughed and released Pei Wenjin, saying seriously, "Look at me, it's been so long since we last met. You've gotten so thin."
Pei Wenjin was afraid that she would pounce on him and rub him, but she really couldn't resist the commander's personality at all. She really hadn't changed much in a long time.
"I saw His Highness Mingzhao leave in a hurry, did he run into the Commander-in-Chief?"
"You mean that pretty girl?" Yu Lanjiang smiled knowingly, a glint in his eyes. "She's a bit too melancholy now, but she's much more pleasant than her timid self from years ago."
“She has changed a lot lately,” Pei Wenjin echoed. “The Huaizhou case exposed my secrets. There are too many questions, so I’ll just leave the answers to you.”
Yu Lanjiang slapped him across the face, almost kicking him: "I knew she had no choice but to provoke me! Turns out it was you who got me into this mess!"
Pei Wenjin was given a good beating by the commander, who grabbed him by the neck and begged for mercy. But it was no use. The commander was so angry that he held on to Pei Wenjin's collar and wouldn't let go. He sensed a hint of conspiracy: "Didn't you look down on that little girl back then?"
"I didn't say that."
"Stop talking nonsense. I know you too well," Yu Lanjiang said, leaning closer. "You'd better tell the truth, or I'll have plenty of time to talk to you."
Pei Wenjin hadn't intended to hide this from the commander-in-chief. He begged his sister to let go and quickly retreated to a safe distance, afraid that the commander-in-chief's fist would hit him on the head the next second. He then had a brief, rambling argument with the commander-in-chief.
"That's about it..." Pei Wenjin gestured frantically, and the general listened to him ramble on for a while, his expression becoming increasingly interesting as he stroked his chin.
Finally, with a pained and indescribable expression, Yu Lanjiang lovingly patted Pei Wenjin's head: "Did I hit you too hard and make you stupid? Why are the aftereffects lasting so long?"
Pei Wenjin tried to dodge: "General!"
Yu Lanjiang's eyes welled up with tears: "If I had told you earlier that you were having such a hard time, I shouldn't have let you come back alone back then—"
Pei Wenjin tried to stop her thoughts from wandering: "Sister Lanjiang—"
Yu Lanjiang turned her back, seemingly lost in thought, but she had convinced herself. She turned back and looked at him with a pained expression.
Pei Wenjin knew he was finished.
Yu Lanjiang stammered out a few words.
"Well... nameless and without status..."
"Okay then..."
"Young people really know how to have fun."
Pei Wenjin knew that the commander-in-chief's mind was already wandering to the Atlantic Ocean, so he quickly spoke up to stop her: "We have a legitimate relationship!"
Yu Lanjiang gave her a knowing look that said, "It's alright, your dowry won't be shortchanged if you marry into the family."
Pei Wenjin was so angry he was about to explode, and he shouted in a low voice, "General!"
Yu Lanjiang then put away his acting habit and asked seriously, "What is it?"
"There are many different schools of business associations that are popular among the people. Right now, I've spotted a rising star. I sent people to investigate, but they turned out to be ordinary people with no background."
"You mean that starting too fast and too smoothly makes you a target for trouble?"
Pei Wenjin nodded: "Yes, I would like to ask the Commander-in-Chief to help investigate."
The general, who always granted Pei Wenjin's requests, unusually refused him with a serious expression.
"No, or rather, it's unnecessary."
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