In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

Zhu Qingyu and her group left Tongzhou Port early in the morning. Xiong Kun was worried that they might miss the time to enter the city gate, so he drove at breakneck speed, making the carriage feel like a tractor going up the mountain. They arrived at the West Gate just before Shenshi (3-5 PM), which was half an hour to an hour faster than usual.

Despite all their efforts, it was all in vain; when they reached the city gate, they were still turned away.

Not only them, but a huge crowd had gathered at the west gate, wanting to enter the city but unable to. Looking around, there were also many carriages of noble families, all of which were blocked outside the gate.

Xiong Kun took the Duke's mansion's token and silver to the city gate guard to ask for leniency, but returned dejectedly, saying with difficulty:

"Madam, please wait a moment. The Grand Princess is returning to the capital from the northern frontier today and will arrive around 3:45 PM. The Ministry of Rites has been ordered to close the streets to welcome the Grand Princess, so we must wait for her carriage to pass first. No one else is allowed to enter at this time."

The Grand Princess was the Emperor's aunt and the late Emperor's eldest sister, so her entourage was naturally larger than others', and no one dared to compete with her. Of course, there was no other way to compete with her.

Zhu Qingyu asked, as if she had just thought of something:

"Which door will Lord Gu enter through?"

He said last night that he didn't want to see her again. If he were to be cornered here later and they bumped into each other face to face, it would be rather awkward.

Xiong Kun paused for a moment before saying:

"It's probably the East Gate. The lord left the capital by imperial decree and is returning today. He will most likely be going back to the palace to report. And whether he goes to the palace or back to the Duke's mansion, going through the East Gate will be much faster."

Zhu Qingyu had guessed as much, which was why she had specifically sent Xiong Kun through the west gate to avoid running into him. Reassured, she replied:

"Then you should rest first, Lord Xiong. You must be tired from the journey. Granny is a little carsick and needs to rest as well."

The old woman's bones couldn't withstand the strain of such a rapid march. She was so carsick that she couldn't even breathe. Zhu Qingyu opened the carriage window, helped the old woman, and let her get some fresh air by leaning against the window.

So they waited until noon, and before the Grand Princess arrived, her entourage was there.

As soon as the procession passed, the sounds of gossip and divination filled the air.

Whispers could be heard:

"The Grand Princess has been gone to the Northern Frontier for so many years, why has she suddenly returned?"

"Could something have happened in northern Xinjiang?"

"Pah, pah, pah, what a jinx! With the Great General guarding us, what could possibly happen?"

"I think it might be the Grand Princess who has returned to the capital to choose a son-in-law."

"Stop talking, stop talking, I'm coming over."

As the procession passed by, there were whispers all around, but once the Grand Princess's carriage arrived, no one dared to speak out of turn. Although there were many people around, it was quiet.

Zhu Qingyu accompanied the nanny to get some fresh air by the carriage window, quietly watching the carriage pass by.

Behind the Grand Princess's carriage was a smaller carriage. A little girl, who looked about the same age as Zhang Ruohua, had her window open and was looking around curiously. She and Zhu Qingyu made eye contact.

The little girl, dressed in gorgeous clothes and full of excitement and curiosity, saw Zhu Qingyu and her eyes lit up. She blurted out:

"Wow! A beauty!"

If a spoiled brat had said this, Zhu Qingyu would have found it very offensive.

But when a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl said it so frankly and with such an appreciative look in her eyes, Zhu Qingyu didn't feel offended at all. Instead, she smiled at her.

The little girl became even more excited:

"Wow! Wow! Wow! She smiled at me!"

Before the carriage had even passed, the little girl was still peering out the window, until a delicate hand reached out from inside the carriage and pulled her back inside.

After the princess's procession passed, a while later, the city gates were finally reopened.

After asking Zhu Qingyu for the address of her residence in the capital, Xiong Kun once again acted as her driver and went into the city.

Now that they were already in the city, there was no need to rush. Zhu Qingyu, pulling back the carriage curtain, instructed Xiong Kun:

"Lord Xiong, please slow down. The old woman has just recovered. If you go too fast, she will feel uncomfortable again."

Xiong Kun turned to look at the old woman and replied:

"OK."

As the two were talking, they were crossing an intersection when suddenly a runaway white horse rushed out from the right side of the road and charged straight at the carriage.

Xiong Kun quickly pulled on the reins and turned to avoid it, but it was too late. The white horse crashed into him with a bang, and because Xiong Kun was turning, the carriage overturned with the horse and its rider.

When the white horse crashed into her, Zhu Qingyu clung tightly to the carriage wall to maintain her balance, but the enormous impact made it impossible for her to hold on, and she slammed into the carriage wall with a thud.

For a moment, Zhu Qingyu's vision went black, she couldn't see anything, and her head was buzzing from the impact. All she could hear was the dense sound of horses' hooves getting closer and closer.

When she came to her senses, she found the old woman lying unconscious to one side.

A knife lifted the curtain at the front of the carriage, and a slender man stood outside, backlit, looking inside.

People in the dark always find it hard to adapt to sudden light, and because the person was backlit, Zhu Qingyu couldn't even see the person's face clearly for a moment.

Outside the overturned carriage, there were sounds of fighting and Xiong Kun's questioning voice:

"Lord Shen, I have been ordered to escort the Duke's family back to the capital. What is the meaning of this?"

The man placed one foot on the carriage, took a step forward, and used the tip of his knife to lift Zhu Qingyu's chin, letting out a sneer:

"What kind of family is this, engaging in illicit and unfaithful acts? They do have a handsome appearance, though. I wonder if the bones beneath that appearance are more refined than others."

Pressed against Zhu Qingyu's throat was a sharpened embroidered spring knife.

The blade was so sharp that if it were just half an inch closer, it would have slit her throat.

Zhu Qingyu could even smell the fresh blood on the knife, and she had no idea where Lord Shen had gotten the knife from.

After the initial discomfort of being suddenly exposed to bright light, Lord Shen's face gradually became visible in the dimly lit carriage.

His face, like his physique, was thin, but the way he looked at her was like a knife in his hand, filled with murderous intent, so sharp it seemed it could pierce her heart.

A man dressed in a flying fish robe and holding an embroidered spring knife, whom Xiong Kun addressed as Lord Shen.

Zhu Qingyu now knew who this masked man, whom she had never met before, was, and who harbored murderous intent towards her.

Shen Xu, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

A man who holds Zhang Shen's life and death in his hands.