Guards with some skill joined the cat-catching battle, but Biyu and Moyu, the two spies, kept causing trouble. Each time they were on the verge of catching Duanming, the cat managed to escape, eventually leaping onto the roof.
It was then that Yuan Shi, supported by her maid, arrived belatedly, looking somewhat unwell.
"My apologies, Princess. I am unwell and have been neglectful in my duties," Yuan Shi said with a smile that appeared weak but was actually careless.
"Madam, let's skip the pleasantries. I am here today solely to find Doctor Qi," Shen Xihe got straight to the point. "I have investigated and found that three days ago, a servant from your residence invited him into your manor. Someone witnessed it, but he has not returned for three days."
"Doctor Qi has always been in charge of my illness, and today happens to be the day he is supposed to come to the Princess Manor for a follow-up consultation, yet he has not arrived. If you have finished your consultation, return the doctor to me. I am waiting for him to save my life."
"Princess, I am not acquainted with any doctor surnamed Qi," Yuan Shi feigned ignorance.
"Oh, he originally had the surname Xie but later took his mother's surname," Shen Xihe's indifferent gaze fell upon Yuan Shi. "Due to his stepmother's cruelty, he was forced to sever ties and disown his family to preserve his life."
"Princess!" Yuan Shi's expression changed, her eyes flashing with thinly veiled anger. "I respect you as one appointed by His Majesty and have shown you courtesy, but I will not tolerate you coming to my doorstep to insult me to my face. I am also a Duchess Consort, graced by His Majesty's decree!"
"Duchess Consort, so now you recognize the person I am referring to?" A trace of mockery surfaced in Shen Xihe's eyes. "Since you know who I am talking about, hand him over. Do not force me to search your residence."
"What bold words, Princess!" A deep, resonant voice filled with authority sounded.
Shen Xihe turned to look. Xie Ji, the Duke of Xie, dressed in a navy blue round-collar robe, approached slowly.
"My Lord," Yuan Shi hurried toward him as soon as she saw Xie Ji, her face still showing anger and grievance.
Xie Ji patted the back of her hand and stood before Shen Xihe. "Princess, do you mistake the capital for the Northwest? Even a princess or one of His Majesty's princes would not dare to be so arrogant as to declare they will search my ducal residence at will!"
Shen Xihe rose unhurriedly, first performing an elegant curtsy as a junior to Xie Ji. After straightening up, she said, "Duke Xie, either hand over Doctor Qi now, or I will search your residence immediately. You may go ahead and report to His Majesty, saying that Zhaoning has been disrespectful and offended your household. Let us see how His Majesty deals with Zhaoning."
Xie Ji's face turned livid with anger at Shen Xihe's audacious attitude. "The Princess truly acts without fear! Fine, fine, fine! I would like to see if the Princess can dominate the capital single-handedly!"
"Duke Xie, you should think twice. If this matter truly reaches His Majesty, I fear you will find it difficult to handle the consequences," Shen Xihe said in a casual tone, clearly intending to provoke and anger him.
"Those are the very words I would say to the Princess!" Xie Ji sneered, unable to conceal his fury.
The faint smile on Shen Xihe's face vanished. "Mo Yuan, search the place!"
Mo Yuan immediately led a team of soldiers charging in. Due to Shen Xihe's frail health since birth and the difficulty in keeping her alive—reasons the imperial family found hard to speak of—the Youning Emperor not only granted her the title of Princess, with a fiefdom and privileges equal to those of a Duke, but also bestowed upon her a Golden Decree, allowing her a personal guard of five hundred.
She was the only young woman permitted to have her own guard, and these soldiers were all brought from the Northwest military camp.The Duke of Xie's residence also had guards, but only about forty or fifty. Shen Xihe had brought two hundred men today, and these two hundred men directly subdued them. However, before they could begin the search, the officials from the Capital Prefecture and the Golden Guard arrived one after another.
"Princess, what is the reason for such a major disturbance at the Duke of Xie's residence?" The Capital Prefect was truly afraid of Shen Xihe.
He pondered that he should quickly move to another position, whether through promotion or lateral transfer—even if it meant having no real authority! With this princess in the capital, his tenure as Capital Prefect was fraught with anxiety. Sooner or later, he would lose years of his life due to her antics.
"Lord Zhang, my Golden Decree bestowed by the Emperor has been lost. I suspect it is in the Duke of Xie's residence. The Duke and his wife have refused to return it, so I had no choice but to order a search of the residence," Shen Xihe declared with righteous confidence.
Xie Ji and Yuan Shi were so infuriated by her shamelessness that their chests heaved with rage. Xie Ji exclaimed, "Nonsense!"
Too enraged to argue further with Shen Xihe, Xie Ji simply brushed his sleeves and stormed out, snatched a horse from the Golden Guard, and galloped toward the palace. Seeing this, Shen Xihe remained unperturbed.
The Capital Prefect and the Golden Guard General were unsure who was in the right. The Capital Prefect could only speak in a conciliatory tone, "Princess, perhaps this matter should be left for His Majesty to decide. Would you accompany us to the palace?"
Shen Xihe replied, "But my Golden Decree has not been found yet."
The Capital Prefect and the Golden Guard General exchanged glances.
Suppressing a headache, the Capital Prefect asked, "Princess, do you have any evidence for your suspicion?"
"None," Shen Xihe admitted frankly. "But my Golden Decree must be in the Duke of Xie's residence."
The Capital Prefect took a deep breath and had to ask sternly, "Princess, are you aware that if the Golden Decree is not found in the Duke of Xie's residence, you will be subject to corporal punishment for unlawfully intruding into the residence?"
"No matter, I have the Golden Decree," Shen Xihe said indifferently.
The Capital Prefect pressed on, "Princess, if the Golden Decree is not found in the Duke of Xie's residence, His Majesty will surely revoke your Golden Decree."
"Thank you, Lord Zhang, but you are worrying about the wrong person. You should instead remind the Duchess of Xie that if the Golden Decree is found in the Duke of Xie's residence, what punishment will the residence face?" Shen Xihe gazed ahead and spoke calmly.
Seeing Shen Xihe so confident, the Capital Prefect began to wonder if she was not merely acting recklessly.
Since Shen Xihe refused to accompany them to the palace, the Capital Prefect had no choice but to wait with her for His Majesty's summons, lest she take advantage of their departure to forcibly search the Duke of Xie's residence.
About half an hour later, Liu Sanzhi personally rode over to summon Shen Xihe and the others to the palace.
But Shen Xihe did not move. "Eunuch Liu, my Golden Decree is in the Xie residence. The Golden Guard and the Capital Prefecture must send people to guard it. My men will also stay to keep an eye on the Xie family, in case they tamper with the evidence and hide my Golden Decree."
"Princess, do not falsely accuse us!" Yuan Shi was so enraged that she wished she could tear Shen Xihe apart.
The Duke of Xie's residence had never suffered such slander and humiliation!
"Whether it is a false accusation or not will only be known after the search," Shen Xihe said calmly.
"Princess, His Majesty is waiting," Liu Sanzhi reminded her in a low voice.
"I do not wish to keep His Majesty waiting either, but this matter concerns the truth between me and the Duke of Xie's residence," Shen Xihe insisted firmly. "If the truth is not determined, how dare I leave?"
"Princess, as you say, if the Duke of Xie's residence is searched and the Golden Decree is not found, are you willing to bear the consequences?" Liu Sanzhi lowered his voice and spoke each word clearly to Shen Xihe.Shen Xihe: "If the Golden Decree is not found during the search of the Xie residence, I shall bear the penalty for losing the imperial decree and will kowtow to Duke Xie to offer my apology."
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