The matter of the Emperor's bestowed marriage did not spread; after all, Xu Xian had not agreed, and the assembled ministers in the White Hall, mindful of the Imperial dignity, dared not utter a word about it. Thus, no one knew that Xu Xian had refused the Emperor’s arrangement.

Except, of course, for the people from Mount Shu.

“Oh? The Emperor intends to marry the Eldest Princess to you?” Ye Wen poured a cup of watered wine for Xu Xian, who was busy eating, feeling that his days were becoming increasingly leisurely as he listened to the day’s happenings at the palace.

Xu Xian merely offered a vague reply, “Mmm, but I didn't agree!”

“Wow! Isn’t that defying an imperial decree?” Ye Wen hadn’t expected his junior martial brother to be so spirited, refusing the mandate right in front of the Emperor.

Xu Xian looked up, puzzled, “It’s just refusing the decree, isn't that common?” He then babbled a list of ancestors who had refused imperial decrees. Only then did Ye Wen realize that refusing a decree in the Shang Dynasty wasn't unheard of, provided one had a reason acceptable to the Emperor.

As for the marriage arrangement, Xu Xian had cited an existing engagement as refusal, and the Emperor could not force the matter—unless the current Emperor was willing to allow the Eldest Princess to share Xu Xian’s bed with other women. The Imperial House had to maintain its prestige; there was no way the Princess could be placed on the same level as a common woman. Conversely, if Xu Xian only had concubines, it would be another matter entirely.

The two chatted for a while longer, finally agreeing that they would depart for Mount Shu in a few days. After all, the top scholar returning to his hometown for a visit was customary. Once back in Shushan County, Xu Xian would simply find an excuse to resign from his official post and leave.

They had even planned that, inevitably, they would need Qing Guo’s help again—to make Xu Xian fall gravely ill, near death, rendering him incapable of serving the court, leaving him only able to recuperate at home.

However, to prevent the chill within his body from recurring, this time Ye Wen needed to assist. First, he had to guard Xu Xian’s lung meridians to prevent the two chills from reinforcing each other, only then could they employ this method.

“We’ll need Senior Brother Matin for that!”

“It’s no trouble, just a small effort!” Once they reached an agreement, the two returned to rest. Little did they know that deep into the night, some people could not sleep.

“What? You say that top scholar refused the Emperor’s bestowed marriage?” In the depths of the palace, a roar from a certain residence sent a shiver down the spines of many night-duty guards.

The maid standing nearby remained unconcerned, as if anticipating such a reaction: “Yes, Your Highness, the Princess! The top scholar claimed he already has an engagement and will marry upon returning home, so he refused to accept the Emperor’s decree!” The woman seated above, clad in magnificent palace attire, snorted, slamming her hand onto a nearby small table. With a sharp bang, the woman in robes immediately teared up, clutching her reddened palm: “It hurts terribly!”

The maid quietly sighed, stepping forward to rub the Princess’s hand, and said, “Doesn’t this suit your wishes? You never thought highly of that top scholar anyway!” Unexpectedly, the Princess looked furious: “That only allows me to refuse to marry him; how dare he refuse me? I haven’t even had a chance to disdain him yet, and he dares to scorn me first?” Hearing this, the maid knew the Princess’s temper was flaring up again and could only lower her head silently, letting the Princess rant: “…Hmph! I must see what qualifications this Xu Xian possesses to dare refuse a royal decree of marriage! You will go inquire about Xu Xian’s route back home tomorrow; I will speak to him personally!”

“Ah? The Princess is going out of the palace again?”

“Why?” The Princess looked smug: “Every time I leave the palace, I travel discreetly; my Imperial Brother doesn’t know I’m out enjoying myself—what’s there to fear? Besides, if the Emperor blames you, I’ll protect you!”

The maid could only nod helplessly, thinking inwardly: When has the Princess ever traveled without bringing a hundred or eighty guards, clearing the path ahead and behind? She almost needed a placard! How is that discreet? And when has the Emperor not known? Isn’t he just deliberately pretending not to see! “But, Princess, why are you seeking out Xu Xian?”

The Princess snorted proudly: “I am going to tell him that it wasn't him rejecting me, but that I look down on him. Even if he had accepted the decree, I would never have consented to that marriage!” Because of these few words from the Princess, the following few days saw numerous guards running around in frantic disarray, unable to eat properly. Emperor Wei Hong, seeing this scene, asked the eunuch beside him: “What is my elder sister busy with now?”

The eunuch replied: “The Eldest Princess seems to be inquiring about Lord Xu’s situation, and she has gathered many guards; it appears she intends to cause trouble for Lord Xu.”

“Oh?”

Wei Hong hadn’t expected this matter to involve Xu Xian. After a moment’s thought, he understood that his elder sister was throwing a tantrum again; she was likely embarrassed because she heard Xu Xian publicly rejected the marriage, which was why she was causing all this commotion.

However, thinking that his sister had no malicious intent, she probably wouldn’t do anything too excessive, so he let her fuss about. If this could somehow lead to some connection with Xu Xian, he would be even happier—he was already worried about how to win Xu Xian over!

Still, considering his sister was a member of the Imperial Family, a person of noble birth, if she were to get injured running around outside this time, it would be troublesome, especially since everyone who came to the capital with Xu Xian were martial artists.

“Little Chunzi, summon Huangfu Zhe for Us!” Not long after, Huangfu Zhe arrived. Wei Hong didn’t say much, merely stating: “My elder sister seems to be planning an outing recently. Minister Qing, please arrange a few reliable guards to ensure the Eldest Princess’s complete safety!”

Huangfu Zhe immediately understood. When Wei Hong summoned him later to ask about the matter, Huangfu Zhe replied directly: “I will assign Steward Zhou to accompany the Princess closely. With Steward Zhou’s skill, he can certainly protect Her Highness’s safety!”

Wei Hong recalled some information about Zhou Guan: “Is he a descendant of the Zhou family, the Commander of the Northern City Imperial Guards?”

Huangfu Zhe nodded: “Precisely!”

Seeing Huangfu Zhe nod, and recalling that the Zhou family had always been loyal to the Shang Dynasty, and that every generation of the Zhou family produced capable men, Wei Hong presumed that Zhou Guan, being a descendant of that line, must also be exceptional. He was relieved and stopped dwelling on the matter.

Yet, he never expected that the moment Xu Xian and his entourage left the capital, they would be intercepted by the Eldest Princess and her party. Ye Wen, leading the way, immediately recognized the woman at the front and knew why she had come.

He glanced up at the row of imposing men opposite them, clearly elite guards who had undergone specialized training, including several true experts.

The leading woman, dressed in tight riding gear, sat atop a tall horse, pointing her whip afar, and shouted: “Call Xu Xian out!”

Ye Wen heard this, turned to his junior martial brother, and said, “This trip to the capital has truly stirred up a great deal of trouble! I didn't expect someone to stop us right outside the city gates!” He then pointed toward a distant pine forest: “And there’s more than one group!” A cluster of people among the Shu Mountain disciples exchanged glances: “He’s not talking about us, is he?”

The other group couldn't hear what Ye Wen was saying, only seeing him speak to Xu Xian and then point to another area. Mistaking this for disdain toward their leader, the woman roared even louder: “Xu Xian! Do you not come forward to greet this Princess?”

At these words, the Shu Mountain contingent all turned their heads, most with expressions of surprise, only Ye Wen knew clearly. He smiled at Xu Xian and commented, “Aiyo, it seems your rejection of the marriage angered Her Highness!” He then looked at the woman on horseback: “She looks somewhat familiar!”

Xu Xian sighed helplessly and walked a few steps forward, offering a distant bow to the woman on horseback: “This humble official, Xu Xian, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Personnel, greets Her Highness, Princess Taiping!”

“Princess Taiping.” Ye Wen wasn’t far off, and Xu Xian hadn't intentionally kept his voice down, so he heard it clearly. However, the title itself was too grand, and he couldn’t help muttering it aloud. Ning Ruxue, standing nearby, heard him and looked at Ye Wen curiously: “Senior Brother, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” he replied aloud, sneaking a glance at the woman’s upper body and mentally remarking: Truly worthy of the title—she is indeed flat as a board!

The Princess, unaware of such an evaluation, remained very self-satisfied on her horse. She waved a hand at Xu Xian: “You may rise!”

Xu Xian stood up and asked, “May I ask why Her Highness has stopped this humble official and his entourage?”

Princess Taiping then remembered that she wasn't here to display authority, but to let Xu Xian know that she absolutely looked down on him and that he shouldn't be complacent just because he refused the Emperor’s decree.

But saying this herself seemed a bit inappropriate. Finally, she signaled to the palace maid beside her: “Huan’er, you speak!”

“Ah? Another mess…”

The maid saw the look on the Eldest Princess’s face and knew she had to clean up the mess again. She stepped forward and said: “Her Highness wishes to inform Lord Xu that even if Lord Xu had accepted the decree, the Princess would never have consented to that marriage!” The underlying meaning was that the Princess utterly disdained him. But the latter part was too direct, and with so many people around, it was inappropriate to say it plainly.

Xu Xian stood waiting blankly for the other party to speak. To his surprise, after waiting for a long time, he only heard: “Is that all?”

Huan’er was also stunned, blinking: “That’s all!”

“Oh!” Xu Xian responded, then bowed again: “This humble official understands!” He then prepared to take his leave, intending to walk around the group.

Unexpectedly, the Princess, for some unknown reason, felt a sudden surge of dissatisfaction when she saw Xu Xian’s indifferent response: “Why are you like this? Shouldn’t you be shouting ‘No!’ or ‘This is terrible! I am so hurt!’? Just a light ‘That’s all’?”

At these words, not only did the Shu Mountain group break out in cold sweat, but even the guards brought by the Princess had dark lines across their faces, all turning away as if following such a master was too humiliating.

The young man standing next to the Eldest Princess stepped forward a large stride upon hearing this. However, because he stood to the Princess’s side and rear, she didn't notice, but Ye Wen caught the sight clearly: “Hey! This guard is also something special!”

Xu Xian wiped his sweat, thinking inwardly: The Eldest Princess is supposed to be the Emperor’s older sister, right? Not his younger one? Why is she acting like a child?

While the Eldest Princess was ranting loudly on her horse, the Shu Mountain group couldn't afford to waste time. As they bypassed the group, Xu Xian stated: “If there are no further instructions, this humble official takes his leave!” Then, the entire group calmly walked past the contingent of guards. The gazes of the Shu Mountain disciples, faintly laced with pity, made the guards unable to lift their heads.

After they had all passed, the Eldest Princess was still venting. Even Huan’er’s plea, “Princess, let’s return to the palace!” was ignored.

“When has this Princess ever been treated with such disregard! Xu Xian, this Princess and you are irreconcilable enemies!” This cry was not inherently strange, but as she shouted the words, “irreconcilable enemies,” someone loudly echoed her, their voice deep and powerful, completely drowning out the Princess’s shout.

It concluded abruptly with a shout: “Kill!” The sound shook the air, chilling everyone who heard it. The guards attending the Princess immediately roared: “Protect the carriage!”

They swiftly directed the dozens of guards to surround the Eldest Princess, drawing gleaming sabers from their waists, standing ready and alert. But upon looking, Zhou Guan saw that the attackers were not aiming for their group, but for Xu Xian and his party, who had just walked past. Remembering that Xu Xian was the newly appointed top scholar and Deputy Director of the Ministry of Personnel, Zhou Guan felt a duty to protect him. He immediately commanded the outer guards: “Hurry and protect Lord Xu!”

Before the words were even fully spoken, a group of black-clad figures were still mid-air when streaks of azure sword energy shot out from the hands of a woman in a green robe. With every flash of azure energy, a black-clad assassin tumbled from the sky.

Zhou Guan was greatly alarmed, thinking inwardly: Lord Xu has such an expert by his side? Although he was an Imperial Guard, his rank was low, and he was unaware of Xu Xian's situation. While he hailed from a noble family, he wasn’t invested in worldly affairs, and even his position as an Imperial Guard was merely a sinecure to accrue experience.

Of course, he possessed some capability, or else Huangfu Zhe wouldn’t have chosen him to guard the Princess. He was simply a bit lazy. Seeing that Xu Xian’s group showed no panic when suddenly ambushed, and no one drew a weapon to respond, only the woman in the green robe unleashing ceaseless sword energy with flying hands—in a brief moment, more than half the black-clad assassins were dead. The last few, attempting to flee, managed only five or six zhang before the woman casually threw a handful of bright yellow objects from behind, striking them down.

“Impressive skill… impressive hidden weapons! I wonder what relationship this woman has with Lord Xu.” Zhou Guan stroked his chin, wondering if this was the woman Xu Xian was engaged to. If so, refusing the royal marriage arrangement wasn't surprising.

If I had such a lovely wife, I probably wouldn't fancy this one either… While mumbling internally, he glanced sideways. He saw the Eldest Princess looking utterly star-struck, her hands clasped before her, gazing into the distance, while asking: “Who is that elder sister? She’s so amazing!”

“Hey, hey! That woman looks younger than you, right?” Zhou Guan felt helpless seeing the Princess in this state. He glanced at the attendant maid beside her, who also wore a depressed expression.

Looking over at Ye Wen’s side, Ning Ruxue waved her hand, dispatching the group of ambushing assassins, then hurried over to retrieve the scattered copper coins, before examining the identities of the fallen assassins.

“Junior Brother, did you offend someone in the capital?” These people had targeted Xu Xian from the start; they clearly intended to take his life. Unfortunately, their martial skill was too weak; Ning Ruxue dealt with them easily.

Not a single one escaped. Ye Wen and the others didn't even need to draw their weapons, merely watching from the side.

Xu Xian first scrutinized the identities of the black-clad men, recognizing none of them. Hearing Ning Ruxue speak, he replied: “I offended many people in the capital this time; it’s inevitable that some would resort to such measures against me!”

“Shall we pursue this?” Ye Wen stroked his chin, his eyes narrowing. He didn't care about trivial matters, but if someone dared to ambush his Shu Mountain people, then regardless of the perpetrator’s status, retribution would be sought. Even if the offender were a prince or a high minister, he would certainly make them pay dearly.

Xu Xian thought for a moment: “Forget it, just a group of petty clowns! Once we’ve dealt with them, we’ll leave. If they don't know when to cease, we can settle accounts then!” More importantly, if Shu Mountain caused a major disturbance in the capital, they would inevitably be labeled as heretical outsiders, severely hindering the sect’s development, and the newly established mountain gate would be ruined. As for the future? He wasn't pursuing an official career anyway, so he wouldn’t have much interaction with these people later on.

The Shu Mountain disciples searched the bodies of the assassins. When they turned back, they found the Princess had caught up again. She leaped off her horse and ran directly to Ning Ruxue, staring at her with eyes still sparkling with admiration: “Heroine, take me as your disciple!”

“Ah?”

Not only Ning Ruxue was surprised; everyone else was stunned by this sudden declaration. Huan’er covered her face, looking as if she expected this exact outcome.

Only the guard stepped forward and said to Xu Xian: “I am Imperial Guard Zhou Guan. Lord Xu has been startled; leave the rest to me!” He then directed the other guards to arrange the bodies and sent someone to notify their brothers in the Five City Commandery to bring large carts to move the corpses. After giving instructions, he turned to Xu Xian: “No matter who sent these people today, we will certainly give Lord Xu an explanation!”

If it had been any other guard, they might not dare speak with such confidence, but Zhou Guan could make this promise because of his surname and the status and role of the Zhou family in the Shang Dynasty. More importantly, the Zhou family understood what the Emperor most detested. To dare to plot assassination and usurpation under the Emperor’s nose today—wouldn't that suggest a future plan to assassinate the Emperor? Therefore, they must trace this incident to the final culprit, though the messy developments that followed were beyond his immediate control. He just knew that whoever sent these people today was certainly going to have a terrible time.

“Guard Zhou is too kind!” Xu Xian knew that Imperial Guards held extremely high status, vastly different from the palace guards surrounding them. Furthermore, based on Zhou Guan’s two remarks, this man’s background was clearly formidable.

The two exchanged a few polite words. When Xu Xian turned back, he found the Princess had tightly latched onto Ning Ruxue, crying and pleading: “Heroine… take me as your apprentice! Please take me as your apprentice!”

Ye Wen and the others watched this extraordinary display, speechless…