The girl's voice was clear and ethereal, instantly drawing everyone's gaze. It made people completely overlook the arrogance in her words, finding it utterly captivating instead.
Dressed in a white dress with an elegant purple shawl embroidered with exquisite patterns, she wore a veiled hat that concealed her face, yet her entire being exuded a noble and refined aura.
However, the dynasty was prosperous, with many merchants coming and going. Some imitated the manners of great families, traveling with entourages even more ostentatious than those of noble clans.
Shen Xihe's party was dressed modestly. The two eunuchs had long been sent back to the palace, so no one recognized them.
Because someone had fallen from a horse and injured their head, the pursuers were furious. Some immediately took the injured person into the city to find a physician, while others glared angrily at Shen Xihe.
"You lowly commoners, do you know who you've just offended? This is the son of the Marquis of Zhenbei!"
"Why didn't you make way when told?"
"Why bother arguing with them? Take them to the Capital Prefecture!"
"..."
The angry accusations made it seem as though Shen Xihe had committed some heinous crime against them.
"Silence!" Shen Xihe snapped lightly, her whip lashing out and striking the most vocal protester.
She preferred quiet and detested noise.
No one expected Shen Xihe to strike so suddenly. Though her body was weak and the whip only left a faint red mark without real injury, the act itself trampled their dignity underfoot.
"I'll fight you to the death!" The man struck by Shen Xihe's whip immediately drew his sword and charged at her.
These young nobles wore swords merely as decorations. Before he could get close to Shen Xihe, her guard kicked him away.
Two more young men rushed forward, only to be easily subdued by Shen Xihe's guards. Only then did they realize that Shen Xihe was surrounded by strong and capable men. They shouted at the city gate soldiers, "Commandant! Commandant! Someone is resorting to violence at the city gate, assaulting the descendants of meritorious nobles!"
The city gate commandant, who had been restrained by Mo Yuan, finally broke free. With a frustrated wave, he ordered his soldiers forward—not to confront Shen Xihe, but to surround the group of noble descendants.
Long before the son of the Marquis of Zhenbei had spoken, the commandant had seen the credentials Mo Yuan presented and was about to step forward to pay his respects. However, an unexpected incident occurred. Mo Yuan, following Shen Xihe's hint, held him back and prevented him from moving.
These arrogant young men, accustomed to throwing their weight around, noticed nothing amiss and ended up thoroughly offending Shen Xihe.
"Commandant Sun Jinzhong pays his respects to Zhaoning County Princess," Sun Jinzhong announced in a firm, resonant voice, leaving everyone stunned.
"There is no need for formalities, Commandant Sun," Shen Xihe said, raising her hand slightly. Her gaze, veiled behind thin gauze, swept over the now-silent crowd. "I was born in the northwest and have never witnessed the capital's prosperity. Having long heard of its grandeur, today, upon entering the city gates, I have indeed been enlightened. If you wish to settle this matter, I see no need to go to the Capital Prefecture. Instead, why not accompany me to the Dali Temple?"
With that, Shen Xihe turned gracefully and, supported by Hongyu, stepped into her carriage.
"County Princess, are we truly going to the Dali Temple?" Biyu glanced back at the group of lavishly dressed young men and women being forcibly escorted by Mo Yuan's men. Who knew how many prominent noble families in the capital were involved in this affair?“Since someone has already set the stage for me, how could I disappoint them?” Shen Xihe’s gaze was calm and unreadable.
“This…” Hongyu’s heart raced. This was actually a deliberate setup, a trap laid for their County Princess!
“The horse carried a scent of Sweet Basil, impossible to suppress.” Shen Xihe closed her eyes gently.
Sweet Basil was a tribute from foreign countries, an excellent fragrant spice. When blended with various aromatic herbs and flowers, it could soothe the mind and calm the spirit, but it could also be used to concoct fragrances for contraception or aphrodisiac purposes.
The third son of the Marquis of Zhenbei’s household hadn’t intended to charge recklessly toward her.
He had lost control of his horse and was shouting for people to make way. Shen Xihe hadn’t noticed anything at first. It was only after the rider was thrown off and the horse collapsed that she passed by and caught the strong scent of Sweet Basil.
Even so, Shen Xihe hadn’t immediately assumed it was a deliberate plot against her. But among the crowd that gathered afterward, there were clearly people fanning the flames, shouting insults about her being a lowly commoner—words that would naturally anger anyone who heard them.
This conflict was destined to escalate. With some inciting and others outraged, those accustomed to acting reckonly grew increasingly furious.
“Who was it?” Ziyu was enraged. This was too malicious—to make their County Princess offend most of the powerful families as soon as she entered the city.
“A woman.” Shen Xihe let out a short, cold laugh. “In a moment, we’ll change course and head to the Prince’s residence.”
It couldn’t have been the work of any of the imperial princes. They were well aware that the people Shen Xihe brought with her wouldn’t be harmed by such frivolous troublemakers.
This method was insidious and subtle, lacking the straightforward decisiveness typical of men.
In this capital, there was likely only one woman who hated her—Xiao Shi.
Given what happened last night, Xiao Shi probably harbored intense hatred for her by now.
Shen Xihe had originally planned to return to the Princess Manor to recuperate before dealing with Xiao Shi, but since Xiao Shi was so eager to present herself, she would oblige!
Leaning against Biyu, Shen Xihe rested her mind. Once she had regained her composure, she would deal with Xiao Shi properly.
Upon hearing that Zhaoning County Princess had arrived, bringing with her a group of young men and women from prominent families, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review immediately set aside his documents and hurried out to greet her.
“Your humble official, Xue Heng, pays respects to the County Princess.” Even though he came from the prestigious Xue family and held the third-rank position of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Xue Cheng still had to perform a proper bow upon meeting Shen Xihe.
“Minister Xue.” Shen Xihe returned the courtesy with the respect due to an elder, appearing very polite. “Zhaoning has come to report an attempt on my life.”
As soon as Shen Xihe spoke, the young men and women brought by her people widened their eyes in shock.
Attempting to harm a County Princess was a serious crime that could easily result in a ten-year prison sentence!
Xue Cheng also spotted two members of the Xue family among the group and glared at them discreetly in frustration. He addressed Shen Xihe respectfully, “Who would dare to do such a thing? Please explain the details, County Princess. Your humble official will investigate thoroughly and give you a proper resolution.”
“Earlier at the city gate, the third son of the Marquis of Zhenbei’s household lost control of his horse and charged directly toward me. Under the circumstances, it was impossible for me to avoid it. The horse had been stimulated by the scent of Sweet Basil, which caused it to lose control.”
Shen Xihe cast a calm glance at the detained crowd. “They were riding together in a group, yet only the third son’s horse went out of control. The fragrance must have been applied near the city gate; otherwise, more than one horse would have been affected.”
“Can Sweet Basil cause a horse to lose control?” Xue Heng had never heard of such a thing.
Sweet Basil had been introduced less than a decade ago, and few were aware of its effects. It was precisely this lack of knowledge that made it convenient for her to carry out her plan."Chief Minister Xue may give it a try," Shen Xihe said calmly.
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