Xiao Jinglin, sitting in the carriage, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. Coincidentally, Hongying had not come out today, while the usually expressionless Nan Xing frowned upon hearing the words and glanced outside through the curtain.
Mu Hu, who was still eagerly trotting alongside the carriage, suddenly felt a chill for some reason and couldn’t help but stop in his tracks. Even as the carriage sped away, he remained standing there in a daze, looking like a large dog that had been inexplicably rejected without understanding why.
Ren Yaoqi found the patrolling officer just now quite amusing and couldn’t help but smile faintly. However, she was a kind-hearted person, and even though Hongying wasn’t present, she refrained from teasing or probing further.
Xiao Jinglin had only just learned that Mu Hu, with his dark, stern face, had been eyeing her personal maid all along. She snorted coldly, thinking to herself that indeed, a crooked stick will have a crooked shadow—like master, like servant.
Both the Xianwang Residence and the Ren Family were located in Treasure Vase Alley. Although the two households were not particularly close, the streets were empty of carriages and pedestrians at this time, so Xiao Jinglin’s carriage quickly arrived at the Ren Family’s gate.
Just as Ren Yaoqi was about to step out of the carriage, Xiao Jinglin suddenly said, “During the banquet earlier, at least three groups of people attempted to enter Yunyang City but were intercepted by Mu Hu’s men.”
Ren Yaoqi paused, about to bid farewell, and did not rush to stand up. After a moment of thought, she frowned and asked, “Were they from the imperial court or from Ningxia?”
Those attempting to enter Yunyang City at this time were undoubtedly there for Li Tianyou’s wedding. No wonder there were so many more patrolling soldiers in the city today, while the number of pedestrians on the streets had noticeably decreased. Ren Yaoqi had sensed something amiss along the way, and now, with Xiao Jinglin’s words, she finally caught a whiff of tension. No wonder Xiao Jinglin had insisted on personally escorting her back.
“Most likely both,” Xiao Jinglin replied, her expression as impassive as ever. Having endured the harsh trials of the battlefield, she wouldn’t even flinch if enemy troops were at the city gates, let alone over a few small fry.
Nevertheless, she cautioned Ren Yaoqi, “You should all go out less often these days. Although Yunyang City is relatively safe under the watchful eyes of the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion, and no one would dare make any major moves, there’s no guarantee someone might resort to underhanded tricks.” Xiao Jinglin was also thinking of the previous incident where Ren Yaohua had been kidnapped, fearing that someone might use unsavory methods to target Ren Yaoqi. After all, aside from Li Tianyou, Ren Yaoqi and her mother were the closest in bloodline to Prince Xian.
Xiao Jinglin’s concern was palpable, and Ren Yaoqi felt warmed by it while also recalling another matter. Xiao Jinglin’s earnest warning for her to stay safe, coupled with the Princess Consort personally attending Li Tianyou’s wedding banquet today—did this mean that the Xianwang Residence was planning something significant in the days to come?
Ren Yaoqi’s mind drifted back to the gentle, pitying words Madam Li had spoken last time, promising that she would never let her suffer.
Lost in these thoughts, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Jinglin inquisitively. Xiao Jinglin seemed to understand what she was thinking and, though she offered no explanation, gave a slight nod.
Ren Yaoqi immediately understood that her assumptions were likely correct, and a thoughtful expression crossed her face.
Seeing her frown, Xiao Jinglin couldn’t help but reassure her, “Don’t be afraid. Everything will be fine.”
Ren Yaoqi looked up and smiled at Xiao Jinglin. “Yes, I’m not afraid.”After exchanging a few more words, Ren Yaoqi got off the carriage and returned to her own residence.
Only after Ren Yaoqi left did Xiao Jinglin’s carriage turn around and head toward Yanbei Prince’s Mansion. Neither Xiao Jinglin nor Nan Xing were talkative by nature, so the carriage remained exceptionally quiet, as if no one were inside. Surprisingly, neither of them felt uncomfortable.
As the carriage neared Yanbei Prince’s Mansion, Xiao Jinglin heard a noise and lifted the curtain to look outside. Unexpectedly, she saw Mu Hu jogging toward them, seemingly trying to catch up with their carriage.
Xiao Jinglin expressionlessly lowered the curtain, pretending not to have seen him. Only when the carriage entered the mansion and gradually came to a stop did she thoughtfully glance at Nan Xing, who was lifting the curtain for her, before stepping out of the carriage without a word.
If Xiao Jingxi or Ren Yaoqi had been present, they would have surely noticed the well-concealed hint of mischief beneath Princess Xiao’s serious expression. Unfortunately, Nan Xing was not Xiao Jinglin’s subordinate and had been assigned by Xiao Jingxi to handle external affairs, rarely interacting with Xiao Jinglin. Thus, in Nan Xing’s eyes, Xiao Jinglin had always been a dignified and upright female general.
Mu Hu happened to catch up just then, and thanks to his solid martial arts foundation, he was only slightly out of breath after running all that way. With his dark skin, Mu Hu respectfully bowed to Xiao Jinglin, grinning so widely that only his teeth were visible.
“Your humble subordinate greets Vice General Xiao.”
However, his eyes kept darting furtively toward Nan Xing behind Xiao Jinglin, and he nervously rubbed his hands against the soles of his boots, looking shy and bashful.
“H-Hongying is here too… hehe… hehe…”
Nan Xing: “…”
Xiao Jinglin glanced at Mu Hu, snorted coldly, and turned to leave without a word.
Nan Xing swept a cold gaze over Mu Hu, sharp as a blade, freezing the foolish smile on his face. Then, she too followed Xiao Jinglin without a word.
Mu Hu watched them walk away with a look of grievance, and after a long while, he scratched his head in confusion. “Wh-what just happened?”
After Xiao Jinglin and Nan Xing had walked some distance, Nan Xing suddenly spoke up. “Commandery Princess, this servant has a request.”
Xiao Jinglin stopped and glanced at her, nodding. “What is it?”
Nan Xing’s face remained stiff and cold as she respectfully replied, “Commandery Princess, if that fool… that man surnamed Mu ever asks you for permission to marry Hongying, please do not agree.” He can’t even tell people apart, yet he wants to marry? Dream on!
Xiao Jinglin thought for a moment. “What if Hongying herself is willing?” She was, after all, an open-minded and easygoing master.
Nan Xing bit her lip, momentarily speechless. Although she had never heard Hongying mention Mu Hu, and Hongying didn’t seem like someone with a sweetheart, what if?
Xiao Jinglin, however, stroked her chin thoughtfully and kindly offered Nan Xing an idea. “Why don’t you test him again? It was already dark earlier, so it’s understandable he didn’t recognize you. Next time he mistakes you for someone else, beat him up hard. Oh, and remember to cover his head first—after all, he’s still Xiao Jingxi’s man.” Princess Xiao spoke with utmost seriousness and righteousness.
Nan Xing: “…”
After offering her advice, Xiao Jinglin clasped her hands behind her back and walked away.
I had matters to attend to during the day, so this update is late~To avoid keeping everyone waiting too long, here's a short update first~ 〒_〒
I'd like to thank the deputy moderator aki10086 here. Aki confirmed the update time with me several times—truly appreciate the hard work! (^o^).
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