Relying on the last remnants of consciousness, Ye Ying carried Jun Ning to the palace gates.
At that mont, the eastern sky was starting to turn light, and dawn was gradually breaking.
After landing with Jun Ning, Ye Ying could no longer hold on, and his knees hit the ground as he knelt down. Jun Ning helped him to sit against the palace wall.
The few guards at the palace gate did not see Jun Ning’s face, and thought soone had recklessly brought a person to sit by the palace wall for no reason, which was audacious.
"Hey, young lady, quickly take your man away, this is not a place for you to rest, move sowhere else..."
"Hurry up and leave, do not linger, or be careful I will kill you..."
The guards were very familiar with the procedure of chasing people away as they often did it. First, they would brandish their swords to drive people away, and if they didn’t leave, they would draw their swords from their sheaths to threaten them.
Jun Ning did not get up and didn’t bother with the guards’ outrageous address.
She turned her head and looked at the fiercely urging guard behind her, unhappily questioning, "... What did you just say? Why can’t I, a princess, stay here?"
Hearing a familiar voice and seeing Jun Ning’s familiar face, the guard was so frightened that his knees almost gave way, "Prin...Prin...Princess... how co it’s you?"
"What princess-princess?" It sounded like he was calling an eunuch.
The guard quickly straightened his tongue and clasped his hands, saying, "Your Highness, it was my blind eyes that spoke wildly to you, please forgive this slave..."
Saying this, each guard knelt in front of Jun Ning, supporting themselves with their hands on the ground, cold sweat all over their bodies, and kowtowed to Jun Ning.
They hoped Jun Ning would spare them.
Jun Ning didn’t mind their words and simply said, "Lead this princess into the palace imdiately, this princess wants to see the Emperor..." Pausing for a mont, as the guards got up to lead the way, she glanced at Ye Ying leaning against the wall and added, "... Prepare a sedan chair."
In the past, whether entering or leaving the palace, Jun Ning always swaggered alone. She was quite active and didn’t much like sitting in a sedan chair. This was the first ti she actively requested one.
Moreover, for a man she had never seen before?
The guard was stunned for a mont, and then was filled with confusion about the man in front of Jun Ning.
Who was he?
He seed rather intimate with the princess; could he be the one the princess was fond of?
No way!
The princess is already engaged.
Jun Ning was completely unaware of the guards’ chaotic guesses. She first took Ye Ying to the Imperial Hospital, asking the residing Imperial Physician to do everything possible to treat Ye Ying’s injuries; they must save him, or they would lose their heads.
Then, she went to the Imperial Assembly Hall herself.
The letters she had, she wanted to personally hand them to Emperor Yongning in front of all the ministers, so the entire court could unite in strength to fully counter the Crown Prince of Bei Xia.
Aside from the day she was conferred the title of princess, this was the first ti Jun Ning was openly attending the assembly under the pretext of making a report.
In other tis, she had accompanied Emperor Yongning to etings. But that was when she was little, before she turned eight. She liked to hide behind Emperor Yongning’s throne, or squat under the table in front of the emperor, quietly staying there, sotis making faces at him to urge him to end the eting early.
But, those were the stories of her childhood.
Now that Jun Ning had grown up, though a little girl still lingered inside her, she could not reveal it anymore.
As a princess, raised with a silver spoon, supported by the people, and having enjoyed all kinds of conveniences from her noble status, it was ti she shouldered the responsibilities expected of her role.
She had to protect the people of the Eastern Chu State and help relieve her father’s burdens.
With this mindset, Jun Ning quickened her steps toward the Imperial Assembly Hall.
When she reached the door, an eunuch went inside to make the announcent, and Jun Ning waited outside.
By now, the sun had fully risen, its warm rays shining on her back.
Jun Ning turned around to face the sun directly.
As she turned, she saw the Eldest Prince with a playful expression, or rather, the Crown Prince of Bei Xia watching her.
It seed he had heard news of her entering the palace and had followed in a hurry.
The news spread quickly enough!
Jun Ning gave the Prince of Bei Xia a aningful look.
"Ah Ning, elder brother did not expect you to break through the barriers set by and co before the Imperial Assembly Hall." the Crown Prince of Bei Xia said.
Jun Ning let out a cold laugh, "Crown Prince of Bei Xia, you flatter ..."
The Crown Prince of Bei Xia paused and then asked about Jun Ning’s abrupt change in address, "Have you seen those letters?"
Though phrased as a question, it carried an air of certainty.
The Crown Prince of Bei Xia squinted at Jun Ning, his eyes cold as if they were sharp blades capable of killing invisibly.
If gaze could kill, Jun Ning was sure she would have died a hundred tis over.
"Yes, I have seen them." Jun Ning was not afraid of the Eldest Prince’s posture.
At this mont, she stood before the Imperial Assembly Hall, and inside, the ministers and her father, the Emperor, were all her support, all on her side, so she really had nothing to fear.
If she feared, it would be unworthy of all these years of being a high-standing princess.
The Crown Prince of Bei Xia stretched out his hand to Jun Ning, speaking in a coaxing tone yet with strong intent, "Hand over the letters you have, and I can pretend nothing happened, still treating you as my little sister..."
Jun Ning shrugged, "Crown Prince of Bei Xia, do you think I am a three-year-old child?"
To be frank, the Crown Prince of Bei Xia did indeed regard Jun Ning as soone pampered from a young age, inexperienced with the world.
Even though Jun Ning broke through his ambush today and safely entered the palace, he still looked at her as a child, thinking her success was due to the Hidden Guards secretly dispatched by Emperor Yongning to protect her.
Without Emperor Yongning’s support, she would be nothing.
Of course, Jun Ning couldn’t be bothered to argue against the Crown Prince of Bei Xia’s misunderstanding.
She cast a sarcastic glance at the Crown Prince of Bei Xia and then followed the eunuch who had co to lead her into the hall.
The Crown Prince of Bei Xia hurriedly followed.
The ministers in the Imperial Assembly Hall were slightly displeased to see Jun Ning arriving.
The harem must not interfere in politics.
No matter how much the emperor dotes on the princess, he shouldn’t let her suddenly rush into the assembly hall!
Alas...
Jun Ning disregarded the strange looks from those watching her.
She handed the few important letters she had to the nearby eunuch and said to Emperor Yongning on the throne, "Father, your daughter has urgent matters to report."
Before Emperor Yongning could speak, Jun Ning hurriedly continued, "The Eldest Prince is not the real Eldest Prince; the real Eldest Prince died at birth. The current Eldest Prince is the Eldest Prince of Bei Xia. He used poison to kill Uncle Qi and then beca the Crown Prince of Bei Xia..."
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