Chapter 14 Standoff
Zhang Feng approached the carriage with a smile, staring at the long black veil for a while.
He was certain that Huo Lin was now fighting alone, and even if he had great abilities, he would have difficulty defeating a large number of enemies. So Zhang Feng became smug.
Inside the carriage, Liu Xi lifted a corner of the curtain, and a sudden flash of blood stung her eyes.
Wang Yishuang fell to the ground, her beautiful eyes fixed on the hope for a bright future in the last moment of her life.
Yes, if her death could bind Liu Xi's guilt, then her daughter could live on.
A shrewd woman, a despicable woman.
Liu Xi clenched her fists, tears welling up in her eyes.
A pitiful and pathetic woman.
Why dress yourself up so beautifully? Did you already plan to make a presentable journey?
Liu Xi straightened her black veil hat and, ignoring Huo Lin's verbal obstruction, lifted the curtain and got off the carriage.
Zhang Feng cautiously took a half step back, but after judging from Liu Xi's figure that she was a woman, he became bolder again.
"Who is here, obstructing the Imperial Guards from arresting a wanted criminal? This is a first-class crime."
Zhang Feng walked straight toward Liu Xi, even reaching out to try and pull off the long veil on her head.
Lust emboldens a person, and Liu Xi wondered whether she should be glad that Zhang Feng was a complete scoundrel, which gave her the opportunity to make her move.
Huo Lin had already drawn his sword, but before he could even say "Don't touch her," Liu Xi's dagger had already pierced Zhang Feng's left shoulder.
She didn't have enough strength to stab the blade into his body, but the sudden pain still made Zhang Feng scream.
"What are you all standing there for? Charge! Kill this bitch!"
"Who dares!"
Liu Xi roared angrily and twisted the short knife into Zhang Feng's flesh.
Zhang Feng's shrill scream startled the birds in the mountains. Tears streamed down his face as he threatened with all his might.
"You audacious scoundrel, how dare you hurt me! Do you know who I am?!"
"Then do you know who I am?!"
Liu Xi lifted her long veil, revealing her face to Zhang Feng.
"Princess... Princess?!"
"Aren't you dead?!"
Liu Xi laughed and said, "If someone like you is still alive, why would the Black and White Impermanence (the Gods of Death) be willing to come and take me first?"
Zhang Feng's eyes darted around a few times before he quickly reacted.
"The Fourth Princess has already been murdered by assassins! This person in front of us is just an imposter that Huo Lin found to exonerate himself!"
"Even if we cannot capture the wanted criminal alive, we can still claim credit and rewards by presenting a few corpses to His Majesty!"
"Kill! Give him... uh!..."
Liu Xi swiftly drew her short knife and stabbed it toward Zhang Feng's neck and shoulder.
“Even if it’s… a princess… innocently killing… cough cough, a fourth-rank official of the current dynasty… is still a serious… crime…”
Blood gushed out as Zhang Feng opened and closed his mouth.
He was born to ask Liu Xi his question, but he didn't live to hear the answer.
With a thud, Zhang Feng collapsed to the ground and died.
"General Huo, heed my command!"
Huo Lin took off his straw hat and knelt down on one knee in front of Liu Xi.
“Zhang Feng disturbed the imperial carriage and spoke disrespectfully to Your Majesty. He has been executed on the spot.”
"Anyone who dares to offend me again will suffer the same fate as Zhang Feng—to be executed on the spot!"
After saying that, Liu Xi threw the short knife in her hand forward. The soldiers retreated in panic, afraid that the blood on the short knife would splatter on them.
She then calmly stepped into the carriage.
"General Huo, let's continue our journey."
The coachman shakily climbed onto the carriage and took the whip from Huo Lin's hand.
Inside the car, Liu Xi bent down and clasped her hands together in front of her forehead.
"I should bring Wang's body back to the capital for a proper burial."
Huo Lin placed his large hand on Liu Xi's back and patted it gently.
“How can a princess of noble birth ride with the dead?”
"Rest assured, I have already ordered the guards to take Wang's body back to the Zhang residence. She will not be left to rot in the wilderness."
Liu Xi calmed down and began to analyze the current situation.
“Zhang Feng actually dared to kill the imperial heir. No matter how unfavored I am, I am still His Majesty’s own daughter.”
"It is evident that this person has powerful backing, which is why he is so audacious."
Liu Xi has not revealed her true intentions yet. The only reason she would be hunted down is that she has framed the Huo family for disloyalty.
"From now on, I will keep some distance from the princess."
No, there's no need for that.
Giving up easily is not Liu Xi's style. "Does this palace mean I have to be at the mercy of others for the rest of my life, to be used as a pawn to be sacrificed and played with?"
Huo Lin lowered his head. "That's not what I meant."
The Empress Dowager's favor and the Emperor's attention were things Liu Xi had already experienced in her previous life.
Now, if she wanted to recreate those moments, she would be even more adept and effortless.
"General Huo, you don't need to worry about me. You should first consider how to deal with those impeachment memorials after you return to the capital."
He could be accused of dereliction of duty for failing to protect the princess, murdering a fourth-rank official, or even colluding with bandits to assassinate her.
This will be a tough battle.
"With the grand court assembly approaching, His Majesty will surely choose to postpone this matter until after the assembly concludes."
"I have plenty of time to investigate the relationship between Zhang Feng, the prefect of Kyoto, and the assassin."
Liu Xi nodded. "It's good that you have an idea."
She closed her eyes wearily, and Huo Lin used a cloth to wipe the bloodstains from her hands. Neither of them spoke again.
The carriage stopped at the Kyoto border gate, where the guards conducted their routine patrol.
"The person in the carriage is Her Highness the Fourth Princess."
Huo Lin showed his waist token to the guard, who craned his neck and glanced into the carriage.
I have indeed heard in the past two days that the Fourth Princess left the palace to pray for the Empress Dowager, but the Fourth Princess has never appeared in front of the people, and no one can recognize her at a glance.
Moreover, there are rumors that the princess was assassinated and her whereabouts are unknown. If General Huo were to use the princess's name to bring some shady characters into the capital, these guards would be in serious trouble.
"Kyoto is currently under martial law, and everyone must undergo routine checks. General Huo, please step out of the car."
Liu Xi was resting with her eyes closed when she unexpectedly encountered trouble at the gates of Kyoto.
"How come now, even a gate guard dares to boss me around like that?"
Seeing Liu Xi's attitude, the head guard hesitated.
Just then, a messenger trotted over and whispered in the captain of the guard's ear.
Immediately afterwards, he raised his hand, and the guards immediately went on high alert, surrounding Huo Lin completely.
"General Huo, you have murdered a high-ranking official without cause. According to the law, you shall be temporarily detained pending interrogation and investigation."
"Whose order is this?"
"Naturally, it is the prefect's order."
Under the emperor's nose, the prefect of the capital city could practically control everything.
Huo Lin, as the commander of the palace guards, was of a much higher rank and official position than him, yet he was still subject to his control.
Liu Xi frowned and sternly shouted at the guards who were about to restrain Huo Lin.
"Does the Prefect know that slandering a high-ranking official in the court is also a serious crime?"
She stepped down from the carriage and stood in front of the head guard.
In the eyes of the head guard, a young girl with an unfamiliar face and shabby clothes did not look like a princess living in luxury in the palace, so he naturally did not show any respect.
"General Huo is my savior. If the prefect insists on pinning the blame on General Huo, then let him come and confront me in person."
"Before that, General Huo must return to the palace with me to receive his reward. Please inform the Prince that I cannot accompany him."
Liu Xi took Huo Lin's hand and was about to lead him to the carriage when, unexpectedly, the head guard drew his sword and held it in front of Liu Xi.
Huo Lin was quick on his feet, pulling Liu Xi behind him. He struck the guard chief's elbow with his hand, then kicked him in the chest with his knee, forcing him to stagger backward and nearly fall.
"How dare you point your sword at the princess's noble body? I think you're tired of living."
The captain of the guards was embarrassed and angry after losing face in front of so many of his men.
“Princess, what token can prove that she is a princess? As far as I know, the princess was assassinated on the way to pray for blessings and then disappeared.”
Liu Xi's words seemed to carry a mocking tone, "Do you know the consequences of saying those words?"
"Or rather, can you bear the consequences of questioning this princess?"
The head guard hesitated, then remained silent for a long while.
"Scared? Too late."
Liu Xi took out the double fish jade pendant bestowed by the Empress Dowager from her waist belt. Hanging below the jade pendant and the tassel was the Empress Dowager's waist tag.
"Seeing this is like seeing the Empress Dowager; you'd better kneel down immediately."
In an instant, the surrounding guards all knelt down and shouted in unison.
"Long live the Empress Dowager and the Princess! Long live the Empress Dowager!"
The captain of the guard collapsed to his knees, trembling all over.
“Everyone present today shall be punished for being ungrateful, unable to distinguish right from wrong, and abusing their power.”
Liu Xi raised her hand to Huo Lin, signaling with her eyes for him to help her into the carriage.
The two were close together, and Huo Lin's voice drifted into Liu Xi's ears.
"After today, I'm afraid everyone in the capital will know who you are, the Fourth Princess."
Liu Xi chuckled, "Of course, and the fact that General Huo is so beloved by this princess will surely spread throughout the capital."
The word "like" seemed to possess some kind of magic, seeping into Huo Lin's heart and tickling him.
Before long, his ears turned as red as if he had a fever.
The carriage started moving again, but the guards on both sides hesitated to get up. Liu Xi didn't look at them anymore and reached out to pull down the curtain of the carriage.
He Zhengmei, the prefect of Kyoto, soon heard the news that the princess had returned to the capital with Huo Lin.
He was very surprised, especially after hearing his subordinates recount the story of the princess confronting the head of the guards while holding the Empress Dowager's waist token. He almost spilled the teacup in his hand.
"The Fourth Princess has such courage."
He Zhengmei asked a servant to bring paper and pen, and wrote down the general events that had happened in Kyoto that day, preparing to send the message to He Qing.
"By the way, sir, it seems that the Fourth Princess has a close relationship with the prostitute Wang who is kept in Zhang Feng's mansion. She specially sent Wang's body back to Zhang's mansion and ordered that she be given a proper burial."
"My lord, what if the princess heard news about you from Lady Wang..."
"What news? It's just a prostitute's wild and unfounded accusations. How can it be taken seriously?"
"Yes, yes, yes, what you say is true, sir."
He Zhengmei's eyes darkened. "This Fourth Princess is truly not to be underestimated. Tell the Noble Consort to keep a close eye on her."
"If we cannot win them over and they develop hostile intentions, we should deal with them as soon as possible."
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