Chapter 44: The Giant Black Pot Lands Squarely on One's Head

Yang Zhan unhurriedly produced an imperial decree as well: "I have one too."

"What does your decree say? I am under imperial orders to guard the East Palace!"

"You were ordered to guard it, not to bully the Crown Princess!"

Yang Zhan's tone turned cold.

Holding the imperial decree, he stepped directly forward: "If you've got any spine, step out and duel me one-on-one. Don't pick on these soldiers. I'll give you three moves!"

Seeing Yang Zhan approach, the Left Valiant Cavalry hastily retreated.

Whether they feared the imperial decree in Yang Zhan's hand or Yang Zhan himself was unclear!

Xiao Rang grew somewhat flustered.

He couldn't help but step back, bumping right into Yang Fu.

At that moment, Yang Fu shouted, "Uncle, just duel him one-on-one! Don't be afraid of him, he's only at the First-Rank realm!"

Hearing that, Xiao Rang felt his scalp go numb.

Only at the First-Rank realm? That was a terrifying monster who could go toe-to-toe with the Barbarian Emperor, a First-Rank expert forged in the fires of the battlefield!

How could he possibly compare?

Not to mention the rumors from a few days ago that Yang Zhan could even handle a Profound-Passing realm Qi cultivator. At that thought, Xiao Rang felt his heart skip a beat.

He immediately said with a stern expression, "Your Highness the Princess, you are of supreme status. I shall escort you back to the palace and present our case to His Majesty, leaving him to decide!"

Yang Fu was stunned: "Uncle, you..."

Yang Zhan was walking closer.

Xiao Rang barked directly, "Left Valiant Cavalry, quick, follow me to escort the Princess back to the palace!"

With that, he grabbed Yang Fu and fled with the Left Valiant Cavalry.

After running for a while, seeming to realize that Yang Zhan had not given chase, he turned around and roared indignantly, "Yang Zhan, don't get too smug! Let's see how His Majesty deals with you!"

Yang Zhan suddenly stamped his foot on the ground, shattering the bluestone slab instantly.

Then, Yang Zhan kicked a fragment of stone, sending it hurtling forward like a bolt of lightning.

Boom!

Xiao Rang's vital energy surged violently throughout his body, but he was still sent flying by the impact, rolling a full circle on the ground.

Though he quickly scrambled back to his feet and didn't seem severely injured, for Xiao Rang, this was nothing short of a humiliating disgrace.

Still, Xiao Rang did not counterattack; he only roared in fury, "Yang Zhan, just you wait!"

With that, he turned and fled into the distance with the Fifth Princess without ever looking back.

At this moment, Yu Shu hurriedly bowed and curtsied: "Many thanks, Second Lord. Otherwise, we would have..."

As she spoke, the corners of Yu Shu's eyes turned slightly red, presenting a pitiful and endearing sight.

She truly looked like a fragile woman who had lost the main pillar of her household.

Of course, when dealing with Yang Fu earlier, this young woman had displayed the full demeanor of a fierce general's daughter.

"No need for formalities. Everything should be fine tonight. Get some good rest, I'll be leaving now!"

"Second Lord, I hope you can stay. Otherwise, I'm afraid Her Highness the Princess and Xiao Rang might come back to trouble me later..."

Yang Zhan paused for a moment.

This Crown Princess was really... casually asking a man to stay at her home, and crucially, with the Crown Prince absent—damn it, wasn't this asking for gossip?

Before Yang Zhan could speak, however, Yu Shu suddenly issued an order: "Chen Shu, all of you withdraw for now. The Second Lord and I have matters to discuss!"

"Understood!"

Chen Shu led the men away.

Very soon, only Yang Zhan and Yu Shu were left in the courtyard.

Yang Zhan couldn't help but recall what had happened in the room earlier. When this woman had walked up to him at the very end, what exactly was she trying to do?

With a solemn and serious expression, Yang Zhan said righteously, "If the Crown Princess has anything to say, please speak quickly. I have other matters to attend to!"

The Crown Princess looked at Yang Zhan: "The Crown Prince agreed to it as well."

"What?"

"I mean..."

Chen Shu, who had just left, suddenly hurried back.

"Crown Princess, General Yang!"

Yu Shu's expression stiffened. She turned her head and took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently.

Just above her slender waist, her bosom rose and fell as if a fish were leaping about inside.

Yang Zhan cast an inadvertent glance, and at that moment, even his thoughts began to waver.

A figure suddenly popped into his mind—a man whose family name was Cao, given name Cao, and courtesy name Mengde...

"What is it?" Yu Shu asked with an unpleasant tone.

"Crown Princess, the Crown Prince has returned!"

At these words, Yu Shu's pretty face froze, instantly replaced by radiant joy: "It's good that the Crown Prince is back!"

Following that, Yang Zhan and Yu Shu went over together.

...

"Uncle, you have so many soldiers and guards, what are you afraid of that Yang Zhan for?"

At the gates of the East Palace, Yang Fu was extremely unconvinced, feeling that her uncle was far too cowardly.

Xiao Rang wore a depressed expression: "Your Highness, you don't know how formidable this Yang Zhan is. Besides, the East Palace guards all take orders from him. Are we supposed to really fight a bloody battle here? If His Majesty lays the blame on us afterwards, we'll all be doomed!"

Suddenly, Yang Fu felt terribly aggrieved: "Father won't help me, Mother won't help me, and now even you, Uncle, won't help me. Am I just supposed to take a beating from Yang Zhan for nothing?"

"Don't worry, Princess. Uncle will find a chance to vent your anger!"

Suddenly, Xiao Rang turned his head.

He caught sight of a carriage approaching, escorted by imperial guards and accompanied by eunuchs.

With a single glance, both Xiao Rang and Yang Fu recognized the carriage.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

The carriage stopped, and Yang Xing's voice rang out from within.

"It is so late, why are General Xiao and my Fifth Sister lingering at the gates of my East Palace?"

Yang Fu was about to speak when Xiao Rang hurriedly chimed in, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, we were on routine patrol, and the Fifth Princess had nothing to do, so she came to visit me, her uncle."

"Hard work, Grand Uncle-in-Law. Return to the palace!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The accompanying eunuchs and guards escorted the carriage into the depths of the East Palace.

Xiao Rang's expression turned grave: "How could the Crown Prince have been released?"

"Could it not have been Crown Prince Brother who sent people to assassinate my mother?"

Yang Fu's words made Xiao Rang's face grow even darker.

"This matter is ominous! Men, escort the Fifth Princess back to the palace!"

"Yes!"

With that, Xiao Rang hurried toward the Xining Palace.

...

Upon seeing Yang Zhan, Yang Xing immediately beamed with joy: "Second Lord, you're here too!"

For some reason, Yang Zhan felt a bit awkward.

Yet, reflecting that he was merely here to look after his brother's wife—*cough*—what was there to be awkward about?

"Your Highness, what is the situation in the palace right now?"

"Fortunately, His Majesty is brilliant and discerning. He realized I had nothing to do with it and allowed me to return first."

Yu Shu spoke with grievance: "Your Highness, just while you were away, right before this, the Fifth Princess and Xiao Rang barged in and bullied your concubine."

Yang Xing's face turned icy: "So that's how it is. I bumped into them outside just now!"

Hearing this, Yang Zhan frowned and asked, "Did Xiao Rang know you had returned?"

"Yes, we crossed paths briefly. Had I known earlier, I would have taught him a lesson!"

Furious, Yang Xing hurriedly asked, "Are you alright?"

"Fortunately, the Second Lord was here; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

"Scoundrels! Anyone dares to run roughshod over my East Palace now!"

Yang Xing was utterly incensed.

Yang Zhan suddenly posed a question: "Your Highness, who do you think ordered the assassination of the Empress?"

Yang Xing pondered for a moment: "It's very likely the Empress arranged it herself, or perhaps the Third Prince!"

"Have you shared these thoughts with His Majesty?"

"I did. Aside from the two of them plotting against me, I honestly can't think of anyone else!"

A sense of gloom settled in Yang Zhan's heart.

Based on his observations through Little Red, it was likely neither the Empress nor the Third Prince.

Yet here in Heavenly Capital, within the imperial city, who else possessed the ability to plant an assassin right beside the Crown Prince to murder the Empress?

Suddenly, Yang Zhan recalled the matter of the Great Martial Army's Grand General and three thousand iron cavalry being trapped without any news reaching Heavenly Capital.

The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. In Heavenly Capital today, it seemed only he had the capability to pull that off, especially since a portion of the Great Martial Army officers had once served under his command...

*What the hell*—was this massive scapegoat truly flying straight toward his head?