Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Not Even a Stray Dog Escapes

At Evening Tide Courtyard, the sharp crack of ceramic echoed as Madam Cui, flushed with fury, swept a bowl of medicine from the table.

“Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! That wretched girl—who knows what vile creature she slipped away with this time! Shameless thing!”

Qi Shu Xian happened to walk in just then. Hearing her words, a flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes.

“Mother, mind your tongue,” he said with quiet warning.

“You’re still defending her? I once thought she was decent too! But look at her now—what kind of respectable lady goes to a banquet at night? It’s disgraceful!”

“And tell me—if not for her, that girl Sheng Zhi Wan, would His Majesty have rewarded those few idle fops in court today? You were on the brink of leading the Bandit Suppression campaign, and now the glory has been snatched by a bunch of spoiled brats!”

The more Madam Cui spoke, the more she felt that Sheng Zhi Wan had come into her life solely to ruin it.

Qi Shu Xian did not reply.

In truth, this morning, when His Majesty publicly praised Shang Hang Yu and the others during court, it had indeed carried the unspoken weight of disappointment—pointed squarely at him.

…

The banquet hosted jointly by the Four Estates was nothing short of a grand affair.

When Sheng Zhi Wan arrived, she thought for a moment she’d stumbled into a noble’s wedding feast. One round of open-air tables followed another without pause, even beggars wandering by could receive a flakey meat pastry from a special window.

A long line stretched outside that very window.

Minister Ye, usually so composed, now stood at the gate with his cheeks flushed from drink, hauling Ye Rong forward by the arm to introduce him with great flourish.

Even Ye Rong, whose skin was usually thick as leather, couldn’t help but freeze his smile.

He and the other young men weren’t spared either. Each was dragged by their own father from table to table to toast the guests.

It was in the midst of this cheerful chaos that Sheng Zhi Wan spotted him—a lone figure calmly eating and drinking amidst the noise.

Dressed in black brocade patterned with cloud motifs, his ink-dark hair tied back neatly, his features were sharp, cool, and striking. Yet within that cold beauty lingered something untamed, something fierce.

As if sensing her gaze, his calm eyes lifted, locking with hers.

Like falling stars, they shone too brightly to ignore.

Sheng Zhi Wan took her seat. Lady Han had arrived as well. Though she hadn’t come as a companion like the other ladies, the two sitting together felt neither out of place nor unwelcome.

As the wine flowed and laughter grew, Ye Zhuo Yun and Pei Ling Yuan themselves came over to pour her a drink.

After downing a full cup, Ye Zhuo Yun burped, face ruddy with cheer.

“Princess Ning! In the past, everyone said my boy Ye Rong was a good-for-nothing. Even I thought he was a lost cause! But now—hah! Who would’ve thought the Ye family, scholars for three generations, would suddenly produce a general! Ten-odd boys taking on over two hundred bandits—and they won!”

“Hic! And they even rescued a Princess! Princess, you tell us—isn’t my Ye Rong a true commander?”

“Father!” Ye Rong buried his face in his hands.

It was one thing to brag before strangers, but how could he show off in front of Princess Ning and Lady Han—especially when those two knew the truth better than anyone?

Rescue the Princess? It was she who had broken free by herself.

Now his father was dragging her into the lie.

Ye Rong’s embarrassment burned—but deeper still was the fear that the Princess might expose him.

This was the first time in his life he’d seen his father look so proud of him.

Sheng Zhi Wan smiled and lifted her cup.

“What Minister Ye said is true. Young Master Ye and the others were brave and loyal, clever and capable—they are surely the pillars of Sheng Kingdom’s future.”

Ye Rong stared, stunned.

He had looked to her with trepidation, expecting scorn. But there was none. Her gaze was steady, her voice sincere, not a hint of mockery in sight.

Could it be… had his memory deceived him?

Had they really rescued the Princess?

Was he, Ye Rong, truly destined to be a pillar of the realm?

Maybe all those years of being called a wastrel were just the result of never finding his purpose. Maybe he had potential after all.

He wasn’t the only one stirred.

Pei Yu An, Chen Bao Jing, and Zhou Yu Zheng too—each for the first time, felt the rush of confidence and honor.

Their fathers’ eyes were filled with pride.

Others no longer looked at them with contempt or fear, but with admiration—even envy.

Some officials even said aloud that they would have their sons learn from these newly hailed heroes.

It was a strange and wonderful thing.

A far cry from the scorn and disdain of old.

How to describe the feeling?

It was simply—exhilarating beyond words!

The banquet went on in great joy. By the end, even a stray dog passing the gate was dragged in by General Pei and stuffed with a piece of meat before he’d let it go.

Sheng Zhi Wan couldn’t help but indulge in a few more cups of wine. Her porcelain skin glowed with a rosy hue.

A dark figure stepped quietly before her.

“Princess, the hour grows late. It is time to return.”

She had been swept up in the warmth of the celebration, forgetting the time. At his reminder, she rose at once, only to sway slightly on her feet.

Lady Han frowned with concern.

“Princess seems to have drunk a bit much. I noticed you came without guards. Why not take one of my residence’s guards to see you safely home?”

Sheng Zhi Wan was about to thank her and accept.

But Shang Hang Yu stepped forward and said, “No need. I am returning to the estate as well. I shall accompany the Princess.”

Lady Han’s eyes paused on his face for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“Then I’ll trouble Second Young Master Shang. Please ensure Her Highness is safely within her gate before you leave.”

“I shall.”