The memorial concerning the border skirmishes was sent to Linyuan with eight hundred li urgency. Countless horses had died along the way, and it took only three days from the dispatch of the memorial to its entry into the capital.
The fast horse, flying the king's banner, passed through the city gates without stopping. The guards at the gate saw the Linyuan king's banner fluttering in the wind, its movement accompanied by a ripping sound that, to the guards' ears, was like rolling thunder.
Hoofbeats pounded, raising dust that trailed along the road. The guards, looking from afar, felt a sense of unease. Urgent memorials, particularly those sent with such haste, were typically related to war. However, Linyuan currently had no foreign enemies other than Da Li and Liao Yuan.
The fine horse neighed, and shouts could be heard from a distance, drawing nearer.
The coachman of the South Mansion immediately pulled the reins tight, steering the carriage to an open space between two roadside stalls, thus avoiding the rapidly approaching horses.
Who was this person, daring to ride so recklessly within the capital?
Nan Yuan'er and Hui An, seated at opposite ends of the carriage, lifted the curtains beside them to look outside. Through the dust, Nan Yuan'er could only see the fluttering Linyuan king's banner.
Was it an urgent memorial?
Nan Yuan'er frowned slightly. Had something happened again?
Hui An watched the receding horses. The wind lifted strands of hair from her temples, and she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the gusts. News of the conflict between Linyuan and Da Li's borders had finally arrived.
...
Liu Cheng did not expect to encounter these two at Jin Xiang Jewelry Shop. She inwardly cursed her luck.
"Princess, Miss Nan!"
Liu Lan bowed to Hui An and Nan Yuan'er. Seeing that Liu Ling'er's gaze was still fixed on the newly released hairpins and ornaments in the shop, she reached out and tugged at her sleeve. Only then did Liu Ling'er look up and follow Liu Lan's gaze. Upon seeing Nan Yuan'er and Princess Hui An standing side by side, she couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.
When had these two become so friendly? The matters of the marriage banquet were still vivid in her memory, as if it had happened just yesterday. Had their reconciliation been too swift?
As Liu Ling'er pondered this, her sleeve was yanked again. She snapped back to attention and bowed to the two.
"It's the two young ladies from the Liu family!"
Nan Yuan'er smiled as she greeted Liu Lan and Liu Ling'er, appearing as though she had completely put the events of the marriage banquet behind her. She maintained her gentle and refined demeanor, yet an inexplicable chill crept up Liu Lan's spine.
She felt as though she were being targeted by a venomous snake, with sinister malice surging towards them from all directions.
Nan Yuan'er pointed at Liu Lan and Liu Ling'er and introduced them to Hui An, "Hui An, these are the daughters of Minister of the Central Secretariat, Liu Wan Jun."
After introducing Liu Lan and Liu Ling'er to Hui An, Nan Yuan'er asked Liu Lan and Liu, "You are surely not unfamiliar with this one, so I don't need to introduce her, do I?"
Nan Yuan'er's question was rhetorical and utterly superfluous.
Liu Lan sneered. She understood the purpose of Nan Yuan'er's pointless words. It was a subtle warning that she had now made peace with Princess Hui An, advising them to be more observant and to avoid saying anything inappropriate.
Liu Lan had no interest in getting involved in such affairs. If Wang Qiancheng hadn't insisted on buying her a pair of jade bracelets today, they wouldn't have had the misfortune of meeting these two.
Thinking of this, Liu Lan suddenly froze.
Since the marriage banquet that day, Liu Lan had felt that Wang Qiancheng seemed somewhat off. Others were afraid of causing trouble, but he seemed to be actively seeking it out.
However, these were merely her speculations, and beyond these sudden feelings, she could find no evidence. Yet, a seed of doubt had been planted in her heart, making it difficult to erase.
Wang Qiancheng knew this well. But what could he do when he had such an intelligent fiancée? Seeing Liu Lan's glance, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth and a prickling sensation on his scalp. Yet, he maintained a flippant demeanor, raising an eyebrow and giving her a roguish smile.
Liu Lan blinked slightly, then glared at him fiercely.
Her thoughts and the exchange of glances with Wang Qiancheng were fleeting. Before Liu Ling'er could speak, Liu Lan smiled and said, "Miss Nan, Lan'er understands your meaning. Besides, there are no styles I like in this jewelry shop. I won't disturb Miss Nan and Princess Hui An!"
With that, Liu Lan bowed slightly to Nan Yuan'er and Hui An, then pulled Liu Ling'er out of the jewelry shop.
"Farewell!"
Liu Cheng and Wang Qiancheng saw this, cupped their fists to Nan Yuan'er and the two, and then also departed.
Nan Yuan'er watched the receding figures of Liu Lan and the others, a flicker of frost in her eyes. Hui An, however, couldn't help but smile.
Nan Yuan'er withdrew her gaze and made a gesture for Hui An to proceed.
They hadn't come to shop. After casually browsing the jewelry shop, they went to the adjacent rouge shop. Just as they were about to enter, they bumped into Liu Lan, Liu Ling'er, and the others who were coming out.
Bad luck!
The words "bad luck" simultaneously flashed in the minds of Liu Lan and the others.
This time, they merely exchanged glances, nodded, and as they passed each other, their directions changed. Just as Nan Yuan'er and Hui An were about to step into the rouge shop, a woman carrying a basket suddenly rushed out from the crowd. She took out a clump of rotten vegetables from the basket and threw it towards Hui An.
Liu Lan quickly pulled Liu Ling'er aside. The rotten vegetables flew over Wang Qiancheng's head and directly hit Nan Yuan'er's head.
"Ah!!"
Nan Yuan'er let out a heart-wrenching scream.
With the rotten vegetables on her head, Nan Yuan'er hadn't even registered what was happening when another raw egg smashed onto her head. The egg broke, splattering its yolk and white all over her head. The mixed egg liquid flowed down her hair.
"Ah!!!"
After a full minute of stunned silence, Nan Yuan'er finally regained her senses. The egg liquid trickled down her nose, and the viscous feel and the pungent smell that filled her nostrils drove her to the brink of collapse. She let out another cry, this time a roar of extreme anger.
She turned her head, her eyes blazing, searching for the perpetrator.
In the crowd, a woman dressed in coarse homespun cloth had tears rolling in her eyes. Her face, weathered by hardship, was rough and dark. The headscarf wrapping her hair was just a piece of rag torn from a worn-out garment. She appeared to be an ordinary commoner, yet at this moment, her tear-filled eyes seemed to be burning with a fierce and fervent hatred, a fire soaring towards the heavens, capable of incinerating the entire street.
She reached into the vegetable basket slung over her wrist again, grabbed another clump of rotten vegetables, and threw it with all her might at Hui An, crying as she did so, "Your Da Li border soldiers massacred my Linyuan people, slaughtered my Linyuan soldiers! My poor son, he was only sixteen when he died!"
"Why should my Linyuan marry you? Are my son's life and the lives of his comrades so easily erased?"
She wasn't throwing at Nan Yuan'er, but at Hui An.
Yet, for some reason, everything she threw landed squarely on Nan Yuan'er.