Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

"Yaojun!"

Duke Yu's face darkened, and he sternly shouted to stop him.

"Stop talking nonsense. Crown Prince Yelü is a state guest. This matter... is handled by the court's laws and diplomatic etiquette. How dare you make such unwarranted comments?"

His third son always acted unpredictably and was prone to causing trouble.

The Duke of Yu spoke harshly to remind him that matters involved two countries and were not something a young, impetuous nobleman like himself could comment on.

Pei Yaojun was not convinced.

"How am I talking nonsense? Aren't I stating the truth?"

"My grandmother almost died here just now... I'm just trying to get justice for her!"

"Just because he's the Crown Prince of the Northern Barbarians, does that mean he can run rampant like a beast without even a proper explanation?"

He was young and hot-blooded, and after experiencing the shock and anger of his grandmother's near-death experience, seeing his father's restraint only fueled his anger.

"Get out of my way!"

Seeing that he was stubborn and unyielding, Duke Yu was about to reprimand him in a stronger tone.

But then another steady voice rang out and took over the conversation.

"Although my third brother spoke urgently, his reasoning was not wrong."

Everyone was taken aback and looked in the direction of the voice. It turned out to be the old man, Pei Dingxuan, who had spoken.

"Crown Prince Yelü, your keeping of wild beasts may be a custom of the Northern Barbarians. We, as guests, will follow your lead and refrain from commenting. However..."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning somber and icy.

"Since they have brought beasts into the territory of our Great Wei and set foot in the hunting grounds personally established by His Majesty, they should strictly abide by the laws of our dynasty and be subject to strict discipline!"

"This beast broke into the camp today, causing countless disturbances and nearly resulting in a tragic accident. The Crown Prince thinks he can simply dismiss it with a mere apology for his misbehavior? Does he believe our Great Wei is so easily bullied?"

His words were sharp, his logic rigorous, and his stance firm.

Compared to Pei Yaojun, Pei Dingxuan's questioning was less impetuous and more aggressive.

Duke Yu was stunned. He never expected that his eldest son, whom he had personally taught and devoted the most effort to, would be so unexpected.

He has always been prudent and taciturn, and always acted with the utmost propriety and propriety. How could he act recklessly like the third son?

"Dingxuan, you too, step back!" Duke Yu shouted in a low voice.

"Ha!" Yelü Yuanjia suddenly let out a short, cold laugh.

"You must be the eldest son of the Duke of Yu, Young Master Pei? What a sharp tongue and impressive air!"

Yelü Yuanjia's eyebrows were arrogant, "I will say it again, the snow leopard was unruly and broke free from its guard. It was my oversight, and I have already apologized."

"As for how to discipline him, or whether to punish him, that is an internal matter of the Northern Di. If Young Master Pei feels that is not enough and insists on causing trouble, this Crown Prince will accompany him to the end!"

The two were evenly matched, the atmosphere tense like a fully drawn bow, ready to explode at any moment.

Just then, the official in charge of ceremonies announced his greetings.

"The Princess has arrived!"

The crowd parted to make way for a passage.

Everyone turned around and saw four people carrying a phoenix palanquin. The curtain was slightly lifted, revealing a well-maintained face.

Despite being over forty, she is remarkably well-preserved, and her youthful beauty still shines through in her eyes. Now, she exudes the wisdom and authority bestowed upon her by time.

She is the current eldest princess, His Majesty's elder sister.

"Your Highness, the Eldest Princess."

Yelü Yuanjia's coldness subsided slightly, but he refused to show weakness and only bowed slightly.

"I heard the commotion from afar and thought it was because the Imperial Guards were not keeping a close watch and wild animals from the mountains and forests had wandered in. I never expected it to be the lively and playful pet of Crown Prince Yelü."

"This slight accident has disturbed Your Highness's peace; it is due to my lax management of my subordinates."

"Oh? Is it just a matter of not managing subordinates strictly?"

The eldest princess raised her eyebrows high.

Yelü Yuanjia feigned ignorance and asked with a smile, "What does the Princess think?"

"The snow leopard is a strange beast with a fierce nature. You knew it was wild and untamable, yet you did not keep a close watch on it and allowed it to break into the camp, almost injuring the old nobleman of the Yu State Duke's Mansion."

"If anything goes wrong today, even if you are the Crown Prince of the Northern Barbarians, or even if the Khan of the Northern Barbarians himself were to come, he would still have to give an explanation to my Great Wei!"

The eldest princess showed no mercy, rebuking Yelü Yuanjia for his negligence and making the attitude of the Great Wei clear.

The implication was that it was a warning to him.

The Great Wei can tolerate him, but it cannot tolerate his reckless behavior.

Yelü Yuanjia suppressed the unrestrained smile on his lips.

He was well aware of the Princess's status in the Great Wei Dynasty, and her attitude reflected the attitude of the Great Wei Emperor.

If the stalemate continues, it may become unmanageable.

Since he has already achieved his goal of intimidating us, what's wrong with giving in a little?

"I am quite fond of Xue Tuan and he is always by my side to add to the fun of the hunt. I have not been able to keep him in check and I apologize for my oversight."

Yelü Yuanjia, showing both flexibility and humility, clasped his hands in greeting to the Princess and the members of the Yu Kingdom.

On behalf of the Northern Di, his act of clasping his hands in apology was already the greatest concession he could make.

Before the other party could react, Yelü Yuanjia left with his men.

With the departure of the Northern Di and others, the tense atmosphere eased considerably.

The members of the Duke of Yu's mansion stepped forward to greet the Princess.

"Greetings, Your Highness. May Your Highness be well."

The eldest princess waved her hand, signaling to rise, and looked behind the crowd, "Is Madam Pei alright?"

"Your Highness is too kind. I am fine, thanks to the care of the servants and children around me."

"It's good that you're alright. I didn't witness it myself, but I heard from others that someone remained calm and protected Madam Pei during the crisis. Who was it? Let me see."

Liu Wenying and Pei Yaojun exchanged a glance.

He didn't hesitate and immediately stepped forward.

"Your Highness, it was I who threw the stone. That beast was so arrogant, it made me furious!"

He was straightforward and outspoken, but he toned down his roguishness in front of the princess.

Liu Wenying bowed and said, "This servant, Liu Wenying, hastily took the firewood and unintentionally disturbed Your Highness. Please forgive me, Princess."

The princess's gaze lingered on the two of them, especially on Liu Wenying.

Although she was dressed as a maid in a noble household and looked somewhat disheveled, her eyes were clear and her demeanor was composed, neither humble nor arrogant.

"What crime have you committed?" the princess asked approvingly.

"His fearlessness in the face of danger, his eagerness to protect his master, and his quick thinking are truly rare."

"You two, one a young master of the household and the other a maidservant, were able to step forward and protect the old lady in such a dangerous situation."

"It did not cause our Great Wei subjects to appear weak or lose their composure before the Northern Di people; on the contrary, it demonstrated the courage and loyalty of the people of Great Wei. Very good."

She paused, then gave instructions to the eunuch behind her.

"I will reward Young Master Pei with a pair of jadeite and red gold pendants, and a fine steed from the Western Regions."

I present you with a pair of red gold plum blossom hairpins made for the Liu family palace, fifty taels of silver, and two bolts of cloud brocade.

In addition, the old lady was frightened, so we gave her two pieces of century-old ginseng and a bottle of pearl calming powder as a gesture of comfort.

Pei Yaojun, Liu Wenying, and the old lady gratefully accepted the reward.

The eldest princess nodded, then said to the Duke of Yu, "The Duke of Yu has done a good job in educating his children, and they are loyal and brave. I will definitely mention this when I report back to His Majesty. The storm has subsided today, but we must not let our guard down and make sure to take good care of the old lady."

"I will obey the Princess's decree," Duke Yu replied, bowing.

The eldest princess said no more, and was carried away in a sedan chair by palace servants, departing with great poise.

…………