Feng Wu heard this, scanned the two people in the room, and then walked towards one of them.
Seeing Feng Wu walk towards him, Meng Jiangming felt his heart leap into his throat.
What did this effeminate person want?
"You..."
Before Meng Jiangming could utter a word, he was interrupted by Feng Wu, "Others may not know who I am, but Meng Shizi, you probably do, don't you?"
Her icy gaze, like sharp swords, shot directly at Meng Jiangming.
For a moment, Meng Jiangming felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet. The sensation was incredibly exhilarating.
"How dare you! No matter who you are, you cannot be so disrespectful to Meng Shizi," Zhao Yanluo shouted.
Feng Wu raised her head, cast a cold glance at Zhao Yanluo, her gaze as cold as ice.
Zhao Yanluo trembled all over, as if he were immersed in frost, rendering him unable to move.
"Today, I will be disrespectful, how about that?" As she spoke, Feng Wu drew the sword at her waist and placed it on Meng Jiangming's neck.
The chilling cold seeped into Meng Jiangming's skin. He inwardly lamented, he hadn't said anything, why was he the one being threatened?
"Xing... Princess Xingyue, she..."
Princess Xingyue? Zhao Yanluo was stunned. A thought suddenly occurred to him, could this effeminate person be Princess Xingyue?
Looking at Feng Wu's angry expression, Zhao Yanluo became more certain of his guess. It must be so. If she weren't Princess Xingyue, why would she care so much about the words he spoke?
Thinking of this, Zhao Yanluo looked at Meng Jiangming with pity. Although he sometimes envied Meng Jiangming's status and background, having an aunt who was highly favored by the current emperor, at this moment, he felt no envy at all. He would rather be disgraced than marry such an effeminate person.
"Feng Wu, stop." Suddenly, a cold shout came.
Meng Jiangming looked at the figure appearing at the doorway, and his heart settled. He no longer had to worry about his life.
Upon seeing her master arrive, Feng Wu lowered her sword and bowed, saying, "Your Highness."
Xue Xingyue nodded, walked in front of Meng Jiangming, and said, "I apologize for startling Meng Shizi. I will severely punish my subordinates when I return."
Meng Jiangming was about to ask Princess Xingyue to properly discipline her subordinates, but seeing Feng Wu's murderous gaze, he swallowed and said, "Your... Your Highness is too kind. Feng Wu the guard didn't do anything to this Shizi."
Xue Xingyue turned and looked at Feng Wu coldly, "Since Meng Shizi does not hold it against you, it would be an insult to Shizi if I were to punish you. However, if there is a next time, even if Meng Shizi pleads for you, I will not forgive you."
Feng Wu quickly replied, "Your subordinate remembers this."
Meng Jiangming inwardly lamented, when had he ever pleaded for this effeminate person? Moreover, he wasn't afraid of being insulted at all. It would be good to severely punish this effeminate person.
However, Meng Jiangming could only think these thoughts in his heart; he did not dare to speak them aloud, for fear of losing his life.
"You... you are Princess Xingyue?" Zhao Yanluo exclaimed in shock. He could not, and dared not, believe that this beautiful woman was Princess Xingyue.
"Indeed it is I. I heard that Young Master Zhao said I was stout and strong?"
Zhao Yanluo almost choked on his own spit and quickly shook his head.
Xue Xingyue stepped forward, looked coldly at Zhao Yanluo, and continued to ask, "Did you say I was neither male nor female?"
"This commoner dares not!" Zhao Yanluo quickly knelt on one knee.
"Dare not? But I heard these words very clearly. Could it be that I was dreaming?"
Xue Xingyue's brows slightly raised, her beautiful face as cold as frost, like the cold dew of late autumn, chilling the heart.
"This commoner..."
Zhao Yanluo was speechless for a moment. He felt a cold gust of wind permeate his body.
"Lift your head and look at me..."
"This commoner dares not!"
"You have the courage to speak of me, but not the courage to admit it? The Mingyuan Marquisate is nothing, or has the Mingyuan Marquisate, which followed Mother Emperor in conquering the world, ceased to exist?"
The cold, sarcastic voice made Zhao Yanluo clench his fists tightly. He gritted his teeth, raised his head, and met those eyes as cold as frost.
A biting chill spread from his feet to his entire body. Zhao Yanluo, who was originally angry, now felt only fear.
"Am I stout and strong?" Xue Xingyue asked word by word.
Meng Jiangming gave a wry smile, "Your Highness, please forgive me!"
"Speak..."
Xue Xingyue said coldly.
Zhao Yanluo trembled all over and quickly said, "Your Highness's figure is slender and perfectly proportioned."
"Am I neither male nor female?" Xue Xingyue asked again.
Zhao Yanluo's face fell, "Your Highness is a beauty that could topple cities and allure nations, to the point that even 'sinking fish and descending geese' and 'enclosing the moon and shaming the flowers' would not be enough to describe you."
Xue Xingyue looked at Zhao Yanluo and said coldly, "Since that is the case, then I shall accept Young Master Zhao's compliments."
"Yes... yes, Your Highness," Zhao Yanluo quickly replied.
"Meng Shizi, I will not disturb your small gathering with Young Master Zhao. However, upon my arrival, I heard that the wife of the Duke of Ming seems to be looking for you."
Meng Jiangming trembled and said, "This... this..."
Just then, someone walked over and said a few words to Xue Xingyue. Xue Xingyue raised a hand to stop him and said, "Meng Shizi, you may speak as Meng Shizi here!"
After the person bowed, he approached Meng Jiangming and said, "Shizi, the Madam is heading this way."
Meng Jiangming stiffened. His mother was coming.
"Meng Jiangming, you come out." A voice broke the temporary silence.
Meng Jiangming trembled, sensing something was amiss. If his mother found out he had sneaked out, wouldn't it be bad?
As Meng Jiangming was contemplating how to leave, it was too late. Ningguo Duke's wife, Madam Jiang, along with the household servants, blocked the entrance. Seeing Meng Jiangming, Madam Jiang felt her mind go blank.
In the morning, Ningguo Duke had repeatedly instructed her to keep a close eye on Meng Jiangming and absolutely not let him cause trouble for the Ningguo Duke's mansion at this time.
Who knew that when she arrived at Meng Jiangming's Jiangxi Xuan this morning, she found the two guards stationed there unconscious. Splashing water to wake them, she learned from questioning that Meng Jiangming had been taken away by Ji Wuran.
She summoned Meng Jiangming's personal attendant and, through stern interrogation, learned that Meng Jiangming might be at this Wanjun Restaurant. Sure enough, he was here.
"Mo... Mother..." Meng Jiangming called out guiltily.
Madam Jiang angrily said, "Don't call me Mother. I am not your mother."
Meng Jiangming gave an awkward smile, stepped forward, and said, "Mother is joking. If not you, who else should I call Mother?"
"Do you consider me your mother? Do you? Do you? Do you?" Madam Jiang asked three times in succession.