The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Zheng Xun told Song Zhiling to go back first, while she turned back to Dali Temple after leaving the patrol camp.

Poor Duan Yunfeng was still working overtime, while Liao Hongsheng was interrogating his traitor in the cell next to his. They received news that Princess Yuanjia had come to their door, and the two of them came out of the cell at the same time.

They exchanged a glance, their faces cold, as if someone owed them millions.

Zheng Xun was slightly surprised to see them together.

Aren't these two people incompatible?

[Oh no, actually it's not that we don't get along, it's that we're frustrated with each other's lack of progress.]

One complains that the other is inflexible, the other complains that the other has forgotten their original intentions; they're just two stubborn tsundere types who appreciate each other but have different ideals.

In reality, they loved each other to death. One was a repressed romantic who secretly wrote in his poems, "Who shares the clear breeze and bright moon? Only the layered peaks and clouds." The other was a repressed romantic who would climb mountains every year to pray for the other's well-being.

Later, one was falsely accused and imprisoned, while the other risked his life to protect him, running around trying to clear his name, and was eventually demoted to a harsh and desolate place where he died with regret.

[Tsk tsk tsk, a perfect match, what a rare friendship! If either of them had spoken up, they wouldn't have had to wait until their deaths to realize their true feelings for each other.]

[Hehe, stay silent, keep silent, there won't be a chance to speak when the country is destroyed]

Duan Yunfeng and Liao Hongsheng, once again provoked by the words "national subjugation": ...

Liao Hongsheng glanced at his friend with a teasing look, his eyes sparkling as if to say, "I didn't expect you to care about me so much."

Duan Yunfeng slightly raised his chin and returned a glance, as if to say: Aren't you the same?

Despite not having had a calm and peaceful conversation for many years, they could still roughly understand each other's meaning just through their eyes and gestures.

This is the tacit understanding between longtime friends and sworn enemies.

"Death..." Liao Hongsheng almost mispronounced Zheng Xun as "the destruction of a kingdom," but fortunately he quickly changed his tone and asked, "May I ask what brings the princess to see me?"

Zheng Xun blinked and said truthfully, "I killed Bao Ye."

Liao Hongsheng: "Oh... Ah?!"

and many more!

He picked at his ear rudely, as if afraid he was hallucinating.

Liao Hongsheng swallowed hard and said seriously, "Although Bao Ye is indeed no good, Princess, we can't let the jade bottle be damaged because of a rat."

Duan Yunfeng: ?

With the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review right there, he was already preparing to show favoritism and cover up the wrongdoing?

Sure enough, the princess's true feelings were definitely not true. Look at Liao Hongsheng, that sycophant, he has no integrity whatsoever. There's no way he could be friends with someone like that.

Ignoring his questioning gaze, Liao Hongsheng continued, "Did you bring the princess's evidence?"

Zheng Xun was somewhat surprised.

"How do you know I have evidence? Haven't you considered the possibility that I might be the one indiscriminately killing innocent people?"

“Princess, you have no grudges against Bao Ye, neither of you have any past or present conflicts. If you want to kill him, it must be because he deserves to die. However, we should still follow the proper procedures.”

Zheng Xun chuckled and took out a densely written sheet of paper: "There's nothing readily available, so I'll trouble you, Lord Duan, to follow the clues on this sheet one by one."

Duan Yunfeng pursed his lips: "This is against the rules..."

"You pig-headed idiot! The princess is a lucky star for our Great Yong. She only killed a villain. There's no such thing as a lawless person; can't you be a little more flexible?"

Zheng Xun shrugged indifferently: "Do you need me to wait here for you to find out the results?"

Unexpectedly, Duan Yunfeng shook his head: "No, leave the rest to me. Princess, go back and get some rest. You look a little tired."

Liao Hongsheng: ?

Who exactly said Duan Yunfeng didn't know how to flatter? Judging from his initial attitude, he thought he was going to start nitpicking again, but then the other person changed the subject and directly showed him what "flattery" meant.

Zheng Xun blinked in confusion, and Zheng Jiu and Zheng Shi's worries gradually dissipated.

"you……"

"Princess, rest assured, we trust you." Liao Hongsheng smiled reassuringly, his gentle and loving demeanor resembling that of Maitreya Buddha seated high in a temple.

Zheng Xun felt as if something had poked his heart, something soft and warm: "Thank you, then I'll head back to the palace now."

After Zheng Xun left, Liao Hongsheng's expression changed, and he said with disdain, "I thought you were so principled, but it turns out you just haven't met anyone who could make you bow down before."

Duan Yunfeng's tone remained as stiff as ever: "Even the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners. If the evidence is insufficient in the end, I will still give justice to those who died unjustly. This is my responsibility."

Liao Hongsheng was surprised, but not entirely surprised.

He even felt a sense of relief. As long as Duan Yunfeng remained the same Duan Yunfeng, he could always see him when he looked back, and he would never lose himself.

He curled the corners of his mouth slightly, then quickly suppressed it: "Hmph, now your brain's starting to work."

"No, I made an exception because she is Princess Yuanjia."

Liao Hongsheng couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

"Time is running out for Dayong. If we take too big a step, it will easily breed many hidden dangers. But with the princess around, the court will be united and those with selfish intentions will not dare to show their faces. Only then will Dayong have a chance to usher in a bright future."

He paused, his voice becoming much softer: "Moreover, Princess Dayongcheng has shown me such great kindness that I would not even want to see her displeased. Therefore, as long as I am here, no one can take her life."

"Then how will you seek justice for those who died unjustly?"

Duan Yunfeng did not answer, and turned back to the dark dungeon.

Liao Hongsheng thought he wouldn't get an answer today, but a moment later, a calm and firm voice came from the darkness: "I will die in place of the princess."

Liao Hongsheng was stunned for a long time, then suddenly covered his face and burst into silent laughter.

Okay, he admitted that Duan Yunfeng was still the same Duan Yunfeng, still rigid, and still genuine.

……

After leaving the Dali Temple, Zheng Xun did not return directly to the palace.

Zheng Jiu asked nervously, "Princess, aren't you going back yet?"

"I need to take some things back with me, but I'm not in a hurry."

Zheng Shiyi said seriously, "It's late at night, there are wolves outside!"

Zheng Xun: ...

"This is the capital city."

"Yes, yes, there are wolves in the capital, it's even more dangerous now."

Zheng Xun: ...

She opened the system uncertainly and looked at Zheng Shi's information, only to find that these bodyguards were all born with a simple mind.

Most of the royal guards were children abandoned by others due to congenital deficiencies. Precisely because they were not particularly bright, they were exceptionally pure and stubborn when learning martial arts.

Zheng Xun: I deserve to die.

Why should she bother arguing with them?

She deserves to die!

She suddenly slowed down, turned around, and asked, "Shall we go for a walk?"

Zheng Shi: "Really?"

Zheng Jiu: "Is this a good idea?"

"I am a princess, and if I say it's good, then it's good."

They usually had opportunities to leave the palace, but at those times they were always thinking about their mission and their comings and goings were always extremely rushed.

Zheng Xun led them to the most bustling and brightly lit place. They were a little uncomfortable at first, but when they turned around and saw Zheng Xun's smiling face, for some reason, they were suddenly filled with courage.

With the princess around, they have nothing to fear.