Are you talking nonsense?
The crowd didn't seem intimidated by his warning and instead erupted into laughter.
While Tenth Noble Son Zhu Zan may be unruly, compared to the Jinyiwei, he's practically approachable.
"Not nonsense."
"Exactly, how many times has this happened now?"
"The last time with the smashed plaque, that was the Tenth Noble Son."
"The time with the clamorous proposal for a concubine, that was also the Tenth Noble Son."
"Wasn't that time actually the Top Scholar Ning instead?"
"Both the scholar and the Tenth Noble Son were there! Speaking of which, shouldn't Top Scholar Ning be arriving too?"
The crowd bantered and debated lively, sweeping away the earlier oppressive gloom. Joy filled the atmosphere instead.
Zhu Zan's face darkened as he listened, evidently unable to prevent the bustling chatter. His gaze turned, slightly fuming, toward Miss Jun.
"This is all your fault, aimlessly wandering around!" he barked. "Making yourself the center of attention!"
Miss Jun smiled faintly, her lips curving.
"Indeed," she replied.
So well-behaved? Could she really act like an obedient little wife?
Seventh Chen's gaze darted between them. Could it be real? Was the act turning genuine? Perhaps proximity truly breeds intimacy—poor Tenth Noble Son Ning.
As his thoughts ran wild, Zhu Zan impatiently waved his hand.
"Stop standing around! Get moving, quickly!" he ordered.
Miss Jun mounted her horse, and Seventh Chen hastily grabbed the reins, motioning for his group to advance.
The Jinyiwei stepped forward, their blades pointed at them.
Zhu Zan seemed to notice them only now, shaking the voluminous cuffs of his embroidered robes.
"Scram," he spat.
The Jinyiwei remained motionless.
"Tenth Noble Son, do not obstruct us in carrying out our duties," Lu Yunqi stated impassively.
Zhu Zan turned to look at him.
"I'll obstruct you as I please." He grinned, baring his teeth. "What can you do about it?"
Lu Yunqi reached out, prompting Thousand-Man Commander Jiang to hesitate before handing over the waist knife in his hand.
Lu Yunqi gripped the knife and confidently strode toward Zhu Zan.
He said nothing, but each step he took silenced the lively crowd, causing them to involuntarily hold their breath.
Zhu Zan lazily flicked aside the loosely tied robe he wore, leaving onlookers momentarily baffled by the flash of what appeared to be ragged clothing.
The dressing style of the Duke of Chengguo's heir truly stood out.
But that wasn't the point—the crowd then saw Zhu Zan pull out a blade too. Compared to Lu Yunqi's Jinyiwei knife, his was shorter and straighter, like a large sword broken in half.
Despite its appearance, the scent of blood surged forth immediately, causing onlookers to bite their fingers and retreat in unison.
This wasn't mere posturing—it was real combat, the kind where only one leaves alive.
"Enough."
A feminine voice broke the tension as the speaker stepped forward to Zhu Zan's side, reaching out to grab his arm.
Zhu Zan cried out as if in pain, startling the crowd nearby.
"What are you doing? Pulling and tugging like this?!" Zhu Zan glared, shaking off Miss Jun's hand, though he halted his steps.
During this pause, Lu Yunqi had already reached him. Ignoring Zhu Zan's stop and Miss Jun's presence, Lu Yunqi swung his knife directly.
This sudden motion and stillness once more startled the crowd into instinctive cries of alarm.
With a clang, Zhu Zan's short blade clashed with Lu Yunqi's knife, deflecting the strike without retreating a step. Miss Jun stood calmly, unmoved by the blades clashing inches before her.
"Commander Lu, you cannot arrest me now," she spoke. "I am no longer a mere doctor from a local apothecary—I am the wife of the Duke of Chengguo's heir."
Her words caused an uproar amongst the onlookers.
The Duke of Chengguo heir's wife? They had heard rumors about her—the stories of a heroic woman rescuing citizens in Bazhou, rallying troops in Jin Territory to aid the Duke, had piqued speculation. But none had imagined it was Miss Jun.
Amidst the public commotion, Zhu Zan scowled while Lu Yunqi maintained his stoic demeanor.
"So what?" he asked, smiling faintly at Miss Jun. The smile softened his face and gaze. "I'm not bothered by that."
"You may not be bothered, but the emperor certainly is," Miss Jun responded. "Right now, the emperor is feasting the Duke of Chengguo in the palace, yet here you are trying to seize his daughter-in-law. Are you not slapping the emperor in the face?"
Lu Yunqi stared at her. Miss Jun grinned lightly and walked toward him.
It was her second time willingly approaching him.
"Lord Lu, you may not value your reputation, but the emperor does," she softly remarked. "The skin you wear was gifted by the emperor. Strike at his face, and he might just strip you of it."
She stopped directly before Lu Yunqi.
Though shorter in stature next to Zhu Zan, Lu Yunqi towered over Miss Jun. Yet the young woman, lightly tilting her head to look at him, radiated an air of superiority.
"Without your skin, how will you catch me? You wouldn't even be able to lay eyes on me anymore," she remarked with a smile.
Lu Yunqi gazed down at her.
"You speak so eloquently," he said. "Is there more?"
His tone dripped with sarcasm.
Miss Jun withdrew her smile and said no more, turning to Zhu Zan and grabbing his sleeve.
"Let's go—back home," she declared.
Zhu Zan stood rigid, but this time did not pull away from her grasp.
"I told you to go home long ago—you're so slow," he gritted out.
"Indeed, I am slow," Miss Jun replied gently, docile and obedient.
They began walking, one step, two steps, three steps. Lu Yunqi didn't follow nor did he issue any further orders. Thousand-Man Commander Jiang unconsciously exhaled in relief, signaling the Jinyiwei to step aside.
Seventh Chen also released a breath, quickly grabbing their horses and gesturing for the group to move forward.
As Miss Jun and Zhu Zan made their way ahead, the nearby crowd resumed bustling excitement, chatting and laughing. Miss Jun responded to their greetings with smiles, her movement parting the crowd as people followed her forward.
The crowd passed the front of the tavern, allowing Ning Shiyi to finally exhale.
"I really thought they were going to kill each other right there in the street," he murmured. "Both of them are reckless lunatics."
Ning Yan stared at the direction Miss Jun had left with the crowd surging around, the young woman's figure already vanished.
"Yet one of them is steady and knows when to advance or retreat," he remarked.
Coming from Ning Yan, the comment carried weight. Ning Shiyi had never once heard his father offer such praise, let alone for him.
"Father, you think highly of Miss Jun?" he asked.
Indeed, she was impressive—remarkably so.
Ning Yan thought silently.
Such a person was well-matched for Ning Yunzhao.
How…
"What a pity," Ning Yan concluded.
...............…
Under the crowd's watchful eyes, Miss Jun and Zhu Zan didn't return to the Duke of Chengguo's mansion but instead entered a tavern.
The onlookers remained outside, merrily gossiping.
"So, Miss Jun is the Duke of Chengguo heir's wife."
"The Duke of Chengguo truly earned his merits—otherwise, Miss Jun wouldn't have stepped forward to help."
"This is clearly destiny. I've long suspected Miss Jun and the Tenth Noble Son shared mutual affection."
Hearing the chatter outside, Zhu Zan turned back to glare.
"Nonsense! Where did they get that idea?" he scoffed, waving off Miss Jun's hand. "Enough—isn't this getting overboard?"
Miss Jun smiled, saying nothing.
"You don't need to publicly rush to declare your status as the Duke heir's wife," Zhu Zan muttered indifferently. "Your position or not, I could have kept them from taking you away."
Miss Jun looked at him and chuckled, reaching out.
Zhu Zan deftly dodged, avoiding her attempt to pat his arm, watching her warily.
"Someone like you—a flawless gem—shouldn't bother clashing with rubble," Miss Jun remarked with a smile.
Zhu Zan snorted.
"And you think this piece of rubble—me—can face Lu Yunqi head-on?" he countered. "Don't forget you're labeled as the heir's wife—it'd drag our household down with you."
As he finished speaking, a laugh rang out from nearby.
Miss Jun turned her gaze, slightly surprised to see Prince Xian emerge wearing only inner garments.
"You two really shouldn't flaunt your affection so shamelessly," he teased with a grin. "You're making the rest of us feel awkward."