Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

The Third Prince felt the people's devout and fervent gazes, feeling secretly proud. This was the popular support he had painstakingly cultivated over the years, and it was also a crucial bargaining chip in his fight for the throne. He maintained his humble and gentle demeanor, raising his wide sleeves slightly and saying, "No need to bow."

Seeing this, Tuoba Lie finally dismounted, clasped his fists and saluted the Third Prince, saying in a deep voice, "Third Prince, I have long heard of your great name."

The Third Prince nodded slightly, gracefully returning the greeting, his voice clear and melodious: "Prince Tuoba has come from afar, and I'm sorry for not welcoming you in person."

Princess Tuya remained perched on her horse, motionless. She looked down at the prince, her eyes wandering over his fair face.

A trace of disdain flashed across her eyes. Compared with those weathered warriors on the grassland, this pampered prince was like a fragile porcelain doll that would break at the slightest touch.

The Third Prince looked up at Princess Tuya, a gentle smile curling up his lips. "I'm sure this must be the Princess Tuya, renowned throughout the grasslands! She is so heroic and valiant, truly unlike the ladies of the Central Plains."

Tuya was stunned by this sudden gentle smile. Sunlight filtered through his long eyelashes, casting subtle shadows on his jade-like face. His eyes seemed to hold the clear water of a lake. In a trance, it reminded her of the gentlest morning breeze on the grassland.

The seemingly frail Third Prince's smile was so charming and graceful that it made her forget to breathe. She hurriedly jumped off her horse, collected herself, and then, with a slightly awkward gesture, bowed and said, "Your Highness, thank you for your compliment."

The Third Prince then looked towards the kneeling woman and slowly stepped forward. His gaze fell on the little girl's pale face, and a deep sense of pity filled his eyes. "The laws of nature are unpredictable. Such an unexpected event has happened. It truly brings a deep regret!"

He leaned over to look at the tearful woman, his voice gentle but firm, "Don't worry, auntie. I will definitely seek justice for you." After a brief pause, he asked, "Is the head of the family here?"

Princess Tuya's face suddenly changed when she heard this, and the little good impression she had of the Third Prince vanished instantly. Her hand trembled slightly as she gripped the whip. Was the Third Prince really going to make things difficult for her just for a lowly person?

At that moment, a middle-aged man with an untidy beard stumbled into the crowd. He knelt before the Third Prince with a thud, his forehead banging heavily on the bluestone slab. "Your Highness, Third Prince! I, Sun Erhun, am this child's father and Huaihua's husband!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly turned to Princess Tuya and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Highness, please have mercy! My wife and daughter have been so blind and have offended you. Please forgive us, Your Highness, and spare our family!"

The onlookers were immediately in an uproar. Several neighbors who knew the family secretly gritted their teeth. Sun Erhun was a notorious street urchin, constantly hanging out in gambling dens. To support the family, his wife, Zhao Huaihua, would rise before dawn with their daughter to knead dough and sell sesame cakes on the street corner to make a living.

Now that his daughter has died tragically, this bastard doesn't want to seek justice for her, but is still begging for mercy here!

"That's not the case!" Zhao Huaihua suddenly looked up, eyes blazing with anger. "It was the princess who rode the horse..."

"Snapped!"

Sun Erhun turned around and slapped Zhao Huaihua loudly, knocking her to the ground. "You stinky bitch! Who allowed you to talk nonsense here?"

Zhao Huaihua covered her face and looked for help at the renowned Third Prince, only to see his brow furrowed, his eyes clearly filled with displeasure. She then looked at Princess Tuya, only to see her lips curled slightly, her eyes filled with contempt and mockery. The surrounding people, though filled with indignation, dared not utter a word.

At that moment, Zhao Huaihua felt the world spinning, her heart filled with despair and anger. She hugged her daughter's cold body tightly and suddenly threw herself at the tree trunk by the roadside with all her might.

"Stop her!" The Third Prince pursed his lips. The guard behind him dodged and struck Zhao Huaihua on the back of the neck with a precise knife strike. The woman's body softened, and she slowly fell to the ground, caught by the rushing Sun Erhun.

The Third Prince looked at the situation with satisfaction and said to Sun Erhun, "Princess Tuya is a distinguished guest of Dongling. She is magnanimous and will not bother with you. But you must keep your wife in check. If there is any more trouble, it may affect the diplomatic relations between the two countries."

He paused, his tone softening, "I feel sorry for your family's loss of their beloved daughter. Please accept this silver and bury the child properly!"

Before he had finished speaking, the attendant behind him immediately brought out a heavy purse embroidered with gold thread. In the sunlight, the gold thread on the purse shone brightly, dazzling the eyes.

Sun Erhun's eyes lit up as he took the purse with trembling hands. The heavy weight made his heart beat wildly. He kowtowed repeatedly, "Thank you, Princess, for your mercy! Thank you, Your Highness, for your grace! Your Highness loves the people like his own children. It is truly a blessing for the people of Dongling!"

A subtle glint of satisfaction flashed in the Third Prince's eyes. As soon as he received the news, he had sent for Zhao Huaihua's husband. If he could bribe the family into not pursuing the matter, the matter could be mitigated. This would save Princess Tuya's reputation while maintaining his image as a man who loved his people like his own children.

As for those indignant people, their anger will naturally be directed at this greedy Sun Erhun.

"Prince Tuoba, Princess Tuya." The Third Prince turned around with a gentle smile on his face. He waved his wide sleeves and gestured "please." "The guesthouse has already prepared a welcoming banquet. You two have come from afar and must be exhausted. Why don't you go to the guesthouse and rest first?"

Tuoba Lie nodded slightly, and the group walked towards the guesthouse chatting and laughing, as if the bloody incident had never happened.

The common people watched the nobles' retreating figures, their hearts aching as if a stone had been weighed down. Some spat, others shook their heads and sighed, but ultimately, unable to utter a single word, they dispersed in twos and threes...

……

In the blink of an eye, the Wanshou Festival is here.

Due to the Empress Dowager's poor health, Empress Meng remained confined to Kunning Palace, and the eldest princess, over the matter of Princess Roujia, had a rift with Emperor Yingtian. Although Concubine Li Shu was acting as the Phoenix Seal, she was still inexperienced and reserved, not adept at interacting with women of high rank. After much deliberation, Emperor Yingtian appointed the eldest princess, Princess Shuhua, to oversee matters for the female guests alongside Concubine Li Shu.

Princess Shuhua issued an imperial decree: This birthday banquet is related to the state, and all women in the capital must attend and cannot shirk their duties for any reason. Once this decree was issued, even the old imperial concubine, who had been bedridden for a long time, had to force himself to attend the banquet.

Jiang Muxue had originally not wanted to attend the imperial banquet. She hadn't appeared at any banquet in the capital for years, and since the divorce scandal, she had become even more secluded. But how could she disobey the imperial decree?

As daylight dawned, Yingxue Residence was already bustling with activity. Xie Qingli stood before a bronze mirror, arranging Jiang Muxue's imperial robes, her fingertips slightly chilled. She was well aware of the entanglement between Grand Princess Shuhua, Xie Jingyuan, and A Niang. This sudden imperial decree was clearly directed at A Niang.

Looking at A Niang's peaceful face in the mirror, Xie Qingli felt a surge of unease. Perhaps today's Hongmen Banquet was a trap set for them...

She calmly stroked the hidden medicine powder in her sleeve pocket, a cold glint in her eyes. If Shuhua dared to touch A Niang, she would make this eldest princess suffer the consequences of her disgrace and eternal damnation!