A man in moon-white robes rode a tall horse, exuding the spirit of a refined gentleman.
He paid no mind to Jun Jiuli, who stood not far from him. After dismounting, he tenderly helped the woman from the carriage behind him.
The woman extended her slender hand to his wrist, her gaze demurely shifting from lowered eyes to a raised glance, her small face pure and radiant without a trace of makeup, like the glow of moonlight.
Her sky-blue gown made her appear ethereal, her waist so slender it could be held in one grasp. A single jade hairpin adorned her hair, lending her an air of delicate elegance.
The two walked towards Jun Jiuli, one after the other. Though they stopped at a distance, the woman's toes clearly pointed towards the man, indicating their close relationship.
"Yue Wan, I'm back."
Jun Jiuli: "Who is she?"
"I went to Liuzhou this time to quell bandits and resettle refugees, and I was saved by a corporal multiple times during moments of peril. Only Qian Rui remained of that corporal's family, and I took it upon myself to care for Qian Rui at his request."
Wei Qian Rui seemed greatly intimidated by Jun Jiuli. She nervously clutched a handkerchief, her eyes downcast, and timidly hid behind Zhao Guanjin.
Zhao Guanjin was the original owner's fiancé, the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an. He had accompanied his father to suppress the rebellion in Liuzhou.
Jun Jiuli's gaze fell upon Wei Qian Rui's belly, and she offered a less than pleasant smile.
"How will you care for her?"
Those watching the scene also sensed something was amiss and pricked up their ears, pretending not to notice as they glanced in their direction.
Wei Qian Rui clenched her fist and took a deep breath. Ignoring Zhao Guanjin's warning gaze, she looked up, chest out, at Jun Jiuli.
"Your Highness Princess, please do not blame the heir. I… I truly had no other choice and shamelessly followed the heir to the capital."
"Qian Rui, do not belittle yourself. I owe your Wei family a life. You need not be so humble and ingratiating; the Princess is kind and will surely not hold it against you."
Zhao Guanjin's eyes widened, fearing Jun Jiuli would harm his beloved. He thought that using her reputation for kindness would bind Jun Jiuli, but unfortunately, Jun Jiuli lacked a strong moral compass.
"If you know I am a Princess, why do you not kneel? And if I am speaking with the heir, what right do you have to interject?"
"I… I… Heir, I didn't mean to."
She appeared frightened and helpless, yet refused to kneel, looking pleadingly at Zhao Guanjin.
Zhao Guanjin shielded her behind him and looked at Jun Jiuli with growing anger. "Qian Rui comes from the countryside and is unfamiliar with etiquette. I hope the Princess will not be too concerned."
"Heh, are you instructing me? What is your status?"
"Is Your Highness being too overbearing and bullying others?"
"I am your sovereign, and you are my subject. Is this the attitude and upbringing of your Marquis of Wu'an estate?"
Jun Jiuli spoke each word with force, and Vermilion Bird Street instantly fell silent. The common folk lowered their heads, daring not to gaze any further.
"This humble subject admits fault."
Zhao Guanjin reluctantly bowed. He could not rise until Jun Jiuli told him to.
With her backing gone, Wei Qian Rui felt a surge of panic. She glanced around and performed a clumsy curtsy.
Dong Yi, Jun Jiuli's personal maid, scolded loudly, "Why are you, a commoner, not kneeling?"
Wei Qian Rui was on the verge of tears, flustered. Zhao Guanjin gritted his teeth in anger, but in the presence of the crowd, he no longer dared to be as presumptuous as before.
The Princess of today was different from him; the admiration that once lay hidden in her eyes was entirely gone.
A dark shadow flashed, and Wei Qian Rui was kicked by a guard, falling to her knees with a thud.
She cried out in pain, her eyes instantly reddening, tears streaming down.
"This commoner knows her mistake. It is all this commoner's fault. I beg Your Highness Princess to forgive the heir. It is all my fault."
Her voice struck Zhao Guanjin's heart like a thousand-pound hammer. Disregarding the onlookers, he crouched down to support the swaying Wei Qian Rui.
"Qian Rui, are you alright? How do you feel now?"
He then looked up at Jun Jiuli with resentment, "Your Highness Princess, how can you be so vicious? Qian Rui is a citizen of our Great Chu. Her father died for the country. Without their sacrifice, how could you enjoy yourself in the capital?"
Those whose children had joined the army instantly felt he spoke with great reason, and some felt dissatisfaction with Jun Jiuli's arrogance.
"Heh, do you know the crime of insubordination? How great were her father's merits? Great enough for her not to kneel and bow before me, and for my future consort to accuse me of being vicious?"
"This subject is merely stating facts. While Your Highness is of noble status, you cannot insult people in such a manner. Your Highness is eloquent, and this subject naturally cannot argue with you."
"Her father's sacrifice can only buy my comfort? What a colossal joke! The empire my Chu family built on horseback, the painstaking efforts and benevolent governance of generations of ancestors, can all these not earn me, Chu Yue Wan, a lifetime of peace? Or in the eyes of you, Young Master Zhao, does my imperial father's contribution to Great Chu not compare to her father's? Must I, a Princess of the realm, yield to her?"
These words jolted everyone back to reality. Yes, she was a Princess. Kneeling was proper protocol; where did "vicious" come from?
The Emperor was heaven, and how precious was a Princess of the imperial family? How could outsiders speak ill of her? It was good enough if she didn't exploit the common people.
Zhao Guanjin no longer supported Wei Qian Rui. He knelt firmly on both knees, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Princess, I… I did not mean that."
The Marquis of Wu'an rushed over upon hearing the news. His estate was not far from the Princess's mansion. Given the original owner's pushover nature, he had not paid much heed to Zhao Guanjin's presumptuous behavior.
Upon learning of Jun Jiuli's changed demeanor, he hurried to apologize, murmuring about his poor upbringing and begging for forgiveness, which became tiresome.
"Since you know the mistake, there must be punishment. Marquis, how do you think it should be punished?"
Zhao Guanjin hurriedly spoke, "Father…"
The Marquis of Wu'an interrupted with a cold glance, "Punish this brat with thirty military strokes. What does Your Highness think?"
Jun Jiuli nodded, and the household staff immediately brought out a long bench. Zhao Guanjin's struggles were useless, and the resounding thwack of the board sounded painful.
Wei Qian Rui was so frightened she almost fainted. The Marquis of Wu'an had not expected Jun Jiuli to be so unforgiving as to administer punishment in broad daylight.
However, having spoken his word, it was difficult to retract. He could only endure the pain of his son being punished, thinking it would teach him a lesson and curb his arrogance.
Wei Qian Rui looked left and right. No one here would help her. She touched her belly, already formulating a plan.
She stood up and ran towards Zhao Guanjin, shouting as she ran.
"Don't hit him, please don't hit him. It's all my fault; I've harmed the heir. The heir was merely seeing me as weak and pitiful and spoke a few words of favor. If you must punish, punish me. Wuwuwu~"
The executioners did not stop. The moon-white robe was already stained with blood. Wei Qian Rui stood rooted, daring not to run further, pretending to stumble and fall.
She pitifully reached out towards Zhao Guanjin, who felt his heart break.
"Qian Rui, don't come over. This is my fault; I offended the Princess. I beg the Princess not to punish Qian Rui. I brought her to the capital and did not teach her manners; it is all my fault."
"Wicked son, shut your mouth."
"Heh, Young Master has admirable bearing. Tsk tsk tsk, truly touching. Those outside would think you a pair of ill-fated lovers."
"Princess, speak with caution, lest you ruin the young lady's reputation."
"Young Master has a good physique; you can still speak calmly while like this. It seems my household guards didn't eat today, so let's add another thirty strokes."
The Marquis of Wu'an dared not speak despite his anger. Looking at Wei Qian Rui, he found her an eyesore, truly a troublemaker.
Wei Qian Rui's face was filled with astonishment. She had acted pitiful and weak precisely to have Zhao Guanjin bear the punishment for her, not to have an additional thirty strokes added for no reason.
She cried and crawled to Jun Jiuli's feet, her eyes filled with terror and unease. Her hair was disheveled, and her skirt was soiled, her former ethereal appearance gone.
This evoked a sigh of useless sympathy from the onlookers.