The princess is killing like crazy again

Xiao Yurong asked with a smile: "Brother, what is this?"

Xiao Yuxie paused, "Cui Clan of Yinzhou, Cui Ci Ning."

"Young General Cui, I've long heard of your great name." Xiao Yurong nodded.

Cui Ci Ning looked at Xiao Yurong with burning eyes, "I have a courtesy name, Mingyang."

Xiao Yurong smiled and said, "I'm afraid this is not in accordance with etiquette."

Cui Ci Ning said: "Princess, just call me that."

"Young General, if you don't mind, just call me by my title." Xiao Yurong said with a smile.

"Zhaoyang." Cui Ci Ning addressed him immediately. His familiar and attentive manner made Xiao Yuxie, who was standing beside him, frown.

Xiao Yurong smiled and shook his head, "I'm afraid the young general still has important matters to discuss with my brother, so I will return to Zhaoyang Mansion first."

"Okay, I'll come later." Xiao Yuxie nodded.

Since his brother had spoken, he couldn't keep a guest like him. Cui Qining could only watch Xiao Yurong leave.

As soon as Xiao Yurong left, Cui Qining immediately asked Xiao Yuxie: "Is Zhaoyang married?"

Xiao Yuxie frowned when he heard this, "What do you mean?"

"Just asking, don't be so nervous." Cui Qining patted Xiao Yuxie's shoulder, "I heard rumors outside that Princess Zhaoyang was perverse, licentious, vicious and calculating. Now that I see her, there is no other girl as pure and gentle as her."

Xiao Yuxie was dismissive of Cui Ci Ning's words. Every word Cui Ci Ning said had nothing to do with his sister. After all, those rumors were not groundless. He just had no objection to his sister's cruelty.

His sister was not the type to take care of her husband and children, but she was good at quoting scriptures and was skilled in archery and horse riding.

Cui Qining blinked his eyes. "When it comes to the princess's future marriage, compared to those frivolous cockfighting errand boys, am I not a good brother who knows her inside out?"

"You?" Cui Qining raised a sneer at the corner of his mouth, "Why does my sister need to get married? Can't the huge land of Chule support her? Besides, my father is now interested in the Yujing Li family, so you should just give up this idea."

Yujing Li family.

After hearing these four words, Cui Ci Ning's smile suddenly faded, "Li Yaozhi?"

"Yes, the young general may not know that he is Rongrong's study partner, right? They are childhood sweethearts, so it's only natural." Xiao Yuxie nodded.

Not only the Li and Cui families were the control groups, but Li Yaozhi and Cui Ci Ning were also the control groups.

Cui Ci Ning had been naughty since childhood, but Li Yao Zhi had been a well-mannered young man from an aristocratic family since childhood.

From inside to outside, everyone who has met Li Yaozhi would sincerely call him "Young Master".

There are so many young masters from aristocratic families, but the only one who can be recognized by everyone is Li Yaozhi.

Cui Ci Ning sighed, "Why? To be honest, the Li family and the Cui family are equally matched."

The Yujing Li family is a noble family with three queens and seven sons who are all marquises.

The Cui family of Yinzhou were generals with titles and salaries, but they obeyed orders rather than announcements, and followed the orders of the army rather than the king.

"Aren't there still Liu and Wang?" Xiao Yuxie laughed instead.

The Liu family of Yunzhou is located in a place that is highly contested by military strategists. They have three officials in four generations and are a family of scholars and a family of integrity.

The Chuyuan Wang family was a royal family of a different surname. They were extremely wealthy and powerful, and were merchants all over the world.

These four big families are famous and do not care about the royal power.

Cui Ci Ning stopped laughing completely, "I really didn't realize at first that the prince had such a big appetite."

"It's hard to say." Xiao Yuxie raised the corner of his lips, "Who to choose? Which family? That depends on Rongrong herself."

After making arrangements for Cui Ci Ning, Xiao Yuxie went to the princess's mansion. He walked through the corridor with a gloomy look in his eyes. There were lush flowers and trees along the way, and he stepped on countless petals.

Xiao Yuxie walked to Xiao Yurong's door and saw Cuicui guarding it. He asked, "Where is your master?"

"Prince, the princess is practicing calligraphy." Cuicui replied.

"Yeah." Xiao Yuxie responded, his brows softened a little, and he walked towards the study.

The study is spacious and bright, and the bookshelves are filled with rare and extinct books that are sought after by scholars outside.

Walking into the inner room, the bamboo curtain was half rolled up. Xiao Yurong was writing at the table with his back straight, like a dragon and a phoenix.

Seeing Xiao Yuxiu coming, Xiao Yurong put down his pen and said, "Brother."

Xiao Yuxie sat down, raised his eyes and looked straight at his thoughtful sister, "Are you interested in Cui Mingyang?"

"Cui Ci Ning is good-looking." Xiao Yurong blinked.

"Don't provoke him, he is not someone you can mess with." Xiao Yuxie frowned.

Xiao Yurong suppressed his smile and asked, "Then how do we get Yinzhou?"

Xiao Yuxie's eyes were filled with scrutiny, "Yinzhou? What do you mean? Do you want to..."

"Brother." Xiao Yurong held Xiao Yuxie's wrist and put it against his face, his eyes sparkling, "You will help me, right?"

If the world was doomed to chaos, how could she, as the eldest princess, live in peace in a corner? In the end, she was still unwilling to accept it, just like the ending in her previous life.

She still wants this world.

Xiao Yuxie stared at Xiao Yurong's pale face solemnly, his eyes unclear.

There was too much anxiety in Xiao Yurong's posture, which was not there before. Because Xiao Yurong was a girl who grew up in a pile of splendor, even in such a chaotic world, too much dust was blocked by her father and brother outside the canopy.

She never failed to get what she wanted.

Xiao Yuxie is eight years older than Xiao Yurong. To his younger sister, he has always been like a father to her, the most indulgent yet the strictest.

Why was she so uneasy this time, as if she was afraid that something was about to disappear before her eyes, and she looked at him with such broken eyes.

"I'll help you." Xiao Yuxie held his sister's neck and held her in his arms. "No matter what it is, whatever you want, I can help you."

Xiao Yurong's nose felt sore and he buried his face in Xiao Yuxie's chest, "Brother..."

Her eldest brother had died right in front of her.

"What happened?" Xiao Yuxie touched the top of Xiao Yurong's head, "Rongrong, what are you afraid of?"

Xiao Yurong whispered into Xiao Yuxie's chest, "I had a terrible dream. I dreamed that you all died and I was the only one left. Why did you leave me alone? Why did you abandon me?"

"I won't abandon you." Xiao Yuxie held his sister's face in his hands. "This is just a dream."

Xiao Yurong's eyes were red and she smiled, "If you leave me, I will ignore you for the rest of my life."

"No." Xiao Yuxie tapped Xiao Yurong's nose and straightened his face, "Father's birthday will be soon."

"Oh——" Xiao Yurong understood. Emperor Xiao's birthday coincided with the announcement of the imperial examination results. All clans gathered together. It was the time to test each other and unite to fight against each other.

During this period, various outings and banquets are inevitable, and just as the results of the imperial examinations are announced, new people are arriving one after another.

All Jinshi candidates were tested on their family backgrounds. The aristocratic families monopolized the resources, so it was difficult for poor families to produce talented sons. Those who got official positions were basically the sons of aristocratic families.

Although the aristocratic families are ranked first, there are also children from poor families on the list. This is the time for the aristocratic families to win over people.

Various banquets were held in turn to celebrate success and to make friends with famous people. Another time, it was a time for clans to win over each other and discuss marriage alliances.

"No wonder Wanru's invitation has been delivered." Xiao Yurong said, "Flower Viewing Banquet."

Wang Wanru was Xiao Yurong's best friend and the third daughter of the Chuyuan Wang family.

Xiao Yuxie nodded, "We need to put in some effort to win over the new scholars and recruit those poor students as our disciples."

Xiao Yurong came over with a smile and said in a long tone: "Brother——"

"What's wrong?" Xiao Yuxie glanced at her.

"To be with that group of noble ladies from aristocratic families, you must have more clothes and accessories to keep up with the occasion. I've recently taken a fancy to a shop." Xiao Yurong said.

Xiao Yuxie shook his head. "Just choose it. As for the shop, tell the manager of the East Palace and pay the money to buy it."

"I knew that my eldest brother treated me the best." Xiao Yurong happily hugged Xiao Yushe's arm and leaned his head on his shoulder.

She has beautiful cheeks, green hair and rosy face. No one can be hard-hearted towards her and everyone can accept her willfulness.

"You are the most naughty." Xiao Yuxie curled the corners of his lips.

After coming out of the princess's mansion, it was getting dark, and Xiao Yuxie went back to the palace and to the imperial study.

Emperor Xiao waited for a long time, looking at the memorial without even raising his head. "Here it comes."

"Yes." Xiao Yuxie replied.

"Have you met your sister?" asked Emperor Xiao.

"Yes." Xiao Yuxie answered.

Emperor Xiao had been ill for a long time and looked haggard. He coughed twice and put down the scroll. "This little bully who is hated by cats and dogs has become more sensible recently and has not gone out to cause trouble for me again."

Xiao Yuxie didn't say anything, so Emperor Xiao continued, "Not long after Rongrong was born, your mother passed away, and she was a girl. You two, brother and sister, were raised by me personally."

He didn't seem to be talking to Xiao Yuxie, but more like talking to himself, with nostalgia between his brows.

As if feeling somewhat melancholy, Emperor Xiao said, "I only have this one daughter."

"Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run." Xiao Yuxie said, "We all know that our father loves us, and he should take care of his health."

"I know my own body well." Emperor Xiao sighed and pinched his brows. "On this birthday, the engagement between Rongrong and Li Yaozhi should be put on the agenda."

"Didn't Li want to marry the princess before?" Xiao Yuxie pulled the corner of his mouth sarcastically.

Emperor Xiao's eyes were slightly cold. "Li Yaozhi is Rongrong's study partner. They grew up together. Everyone in Chule knows this. How can the royal family choose people so that they can have their own thoughts? Are they trying to disobey the order?"

"So that's how it is." Xiao Yu paused and fell silent.

Both the father and the son were silent, and the only sound in the inner room was the occasional crackling sound of the flickering candlelight.

After a long while, Xiao Yuxie finally spoke: "Does Rongrong's marriage have to be like this?"

"Then what are you going to do?" Emperor Xiao closed his eyes tiredly. "In such a chaotic world, what if you and I cannot protect her for the rest of her life? If there is a marriage, she will have an extra layer of protection and shelter."

He said: "Firstly, the border is bitterly cold, and Rongrong cannot bear the hardship. The Cui family has guarded the border for generations, fearing that the Hu people would cause chaos, and they are too close to danger."

"Secondly, Yunzhou is a battleground for military strategists, and there are many factors that may cause instability for the Liu family."

"Thirdly, the Wang family has only one male descendant, and the current head of the family is unable to walk."

"In any case, the Li family is the best choice. Li Yaozhi is a son of an aristocratic family and has the best appearance and character. After all, he grew up with Rongrong."

It was obvious that Emperor Xiao had considered carefully before deciding on the best path for Xiao Yurong.

Xiao Yuxie lowered his eyebrows and looked at his own shadow, his eyelashes dark and thick, "Yes."

*

Before and after the results were announced, the posts in Xiao Yurong's hands were almost piling up into a mountain.

She carefully selected several of them, and the biggest one was the flower-viewing banquet hosted by the Wang family.

This flower-viewing banquet would gather royal relatives and children of aristocratic families. Even people from humble backgrounds would be included in the banquet list. It could be said to be the biggest party before Emperor Xiao's birthday.

For Xiao Yurong, the most important thing at the moment is to be able to hold military power and make friends with celebrities like he did in his previous life.

Unlike her omnipotent power after Emperor Xiao's death, although she is favored now, she does not have much real power.

If you want to stop the change, you naturally have to make plans early, and fighting for power is necessary.

However, Cui Ci Ning was very persistent in sticking to her. The Cui family was far away in the northern border, and only one of their direct descendants, Cui Ci Ning, came. All day long, he either followed Xiao Yuxie to do official work or visited Princess Zhaoyang's mansion.

For example, now, Xiao Yurong handed the invitation to Cuicui, and Cui Ci Ning was still beside her, chattering about how rigid yet luxurious the Wang family's mansion was.

"I went there once for my father, but I have no interest in going again." Cui Qining propped up his chin and looked at the calligraphy on Xiao Yurong's desk. "Do you girls in the south like music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry and songs?"

Xiao Yurong asked: "According to what the young general said, what do northern girls like?"

"Both." Cui Qining said. He had only seen a few girls of the same age, most of whom were daughters of military commanders. "But I have seen more girls who like archery and horse riding. Most of the Cui family girls go to the battlefield with their fathers, brothers and husbands to kill the enemy. My sister is only as tall as my shoulder, but she can tame a fierce horse and shoot an eagle with a bow."

Xiao Yurong smiled, "Young General, you are pointing at me."

Cui Ci Ning then realized that Xiao Yurong was also as tall as his shoulders.

"That's not what I meant, Zhaoyang." Cui Qining said quickly, "Southern girls are all gentle, they don't play with guns and sticks, they like to read poetry and books, and each of them has their own strengths."

"Then the young general might be wrong." Xiao Yurong's eyes were bright and his tone was calm, "I am not the kind of girl that the young general thinks I am."

She said, "I was taught by the Liu family of Yunzhou when I was six years old, and I studied under a famous scholar. When I was ten years old, I followed my father and brother in the army. When I was thirteen years old, I bent my bow and shot the son of the Chief Censor who was robbing a commoner girl in the street."

Xiao Yurong's amber eyes were shining with light as she smiled, which severely shocked Cui Ci Ning's eyes and heart.

Cui Ci Ning stared at Xiao Yurong like a fool.

Xiao Yurong said: "I am originally a phoenix from the southern mountains, how can I be like any other bird."

The warm sunlight and lush branches of flowers outside the window all convey the splendor of spring, but Cui Ci Ning feels that the real spring scenery is right before his eyes.

What should he say?

This was the first time Cui Ci Ning tore apart those external things and glimpsed Xiao Yurong's true appearance. She did not seem to be the gentle and affectionate Jiangnan beauty he had imagined.

"I was talking nonsense. I didn't expect Zhaoyang to be so powerful." Cui Qining smiled and changed the subject. "I have also heard about the flower viewing banquet held by the Wang family. It is said that there will be polo games."

Xiao Yurong paused. This was true.

Cui Ci Ning smiled and said, "When the time comes, whatever reward you've set your eyes on, I'll win it for you."