This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

"Very well, to be honest, His Majesty had someone solve this problem many years ago, but no one could figure it out. I myself just did the calculation and was very pleased. Indeed, heroes emerge from among the young. Now I will reveal the answer."

"Announce it quickly, we can't wait!"

Someone shouted,

"Haha, alright, first up is Scholar Sword, his answer is twenty-three,"

Confucius was also quite pleased at this moment, completely absorbed in the joy of solving the problem, leaving the prince's instructions far behind. The thought that this seemingly unsolvable problem could be solved by him was a great honor.

"Next is Young Master Ye, twenty-three,"

"Miss Chen, twenty-three,"

"As for this young man, his answer was also twenty-three,"

"Coincidentally, thanks to the reminder from that incantation, I also calculated the result. The answer should be twenty-three,"

"Therefore, I declare that the second problem is solved."

"Wait a minute!"

The crown prince spoke at the opportune moment, interrupting Confucius's eloquent discourse.

"Your Highness, do you have any objections?"

The eldest princess stepped forward, facing the crown prince directly, shielding everyone else behind her.

"Yes, since it's an unsolvable problem, who can prove that your answer is correct?"

With a soft "pfft," the eldest princess couldn't help but laugh out loud. She didn't waste any more words, simply shaking her head helplessly and saying sarcastically,

“Your Highness, do you not look behind you? They all understand the principles, but you don’t. You’re being used as a pawn without even realizing it. How pathetic you are.”

"You..." The Crown Prince choked. He had left in such a hurry that he only now realized that the other princes, including Huangfu Wuji, had already quietly left, and now he was all alone.

"Yong'an City is a gathering place for heroes and countless talented people. The fact that you stopped me at the city gate to answer questions has already spread throughout all the major families, and even the palace is probably waiting for the results here. Now that the results are out, you deny them. You, the Crown Prince, are not only petty and lacking in magnanimity, but you also lack brains. Do you really think they are brothers? You are nothing more than a pawn they used against me."

"Your Highness, whether you admit it or not, you have lost this round. If you continue to argue unreasonably, I believe that it will not be me who suffers the loss, but your reputation that will be ruined. Think carefully about whether you want to continue."

The eldest princess didn't shy away from those behind her. The crown prince's outburst meant he was rejecting more than just her; the Prime Minister's residence, the Chen family, the scholar-sword, Confucius—each of them represented a powerful force.

This undoubtedly means that they are wrong. Even Emperor Wu dared not easily deny these forces, let alone the Crown Prince.

The deposed empress, who had been watching quietly from the sidelines, nodded with a smile. She was quite satisfied with the performance of both the young man and her own children.

However, her gaze was mostly fixed on Xiao Xingchen, and she kept thinking that perhaps it was time to meet with the Martial Emperor. She wanted to protect this young man.

Seeing that the prince remained silent, Confucius breathed a sigh of relief and continued speaking.

"Gentlemen below the city walls, this matter has been settled. You may now report back. The Princess has won two consecutive rounds, so the third round is therefore invalid. We request that the late Empress return to the palace. We have been blocking the gate for quite some time, causing you considerable delay. I apologize for this."

Confucius stepped in to smooth things over, and he was undoubtedly the happiest person right now. He had originally thought that he had to offend one side this time, but now he hadn't offended either side, which was the best outcome for him. Now, the important thing was to get things over with and everyone could go home. I'm afraid many people are already getting restless, especially the Crown Prince's men. Who knows what kind of storm will come after this is over?

"Thank you all very much. I will remember this favor."

“I’ve noted that down. If you need anything in the future, please feel free to come to me.”

Ling Feng followed suit, assuring them that this was a promise from the Eldest Princess and the Sixth Prince, a promise of immense weight, and one that these individuals deserved.

"As for you, will you come back to the manor with me, or..." The princess looked at Xiao Xingchen again, somewhat troubled.

"Haha, thank you, Princess and Prince, for bringing my wife and me to Yong'an. All good things must come to an end, and we should be leaving now. We've troubled you enough. We hope to meet again someday."

Xiao Xingchen had finally heard those words. He wished he had eight legs. Most of the eyes here were on him. If he didn't run away now, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to escape.

"You're wrong, that's not what I meant."

"Princess, take care. Everyone, we hope to meet again someday."

While everyone was still stunned, Xiao Xingchen took off running, leaving the princess's words hanging in the air.

"Run? Where can we run to?" Ye Yunfeng sighed, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the group, and then disappeared into the crowd.

"Princess, I take my leave. I will visit you another day," Chen Miao said, following closely behind.

The scholar glanced in the direction where Xiao Xingchen had disappeared, hesitated for a moment, and then gave chase.

No one was surprised by this scene. This suddenly appearing young man not only uttered arrogant words but also thwarted the scheme that Consort Xian had set up for the Eldest Princess, and even uttered the words, "After my flower blooms, all other flowers wither."

And that's not all. Emperor Wu himself said that whoever solves this puzzle will be granted the title of king, which makes the implications very serious.

What if this young man is made a king?

This speculation sent a chill down many spines; the Great Qian Dynasty was about to undergo a major upheaval. With the appearance of this young man, the situation that the Crown Prince's faction least wanted to see was about to unfold.

Those opposed to the crown prince will likely fight tooth and nail to protect the young man. It seems that only by bestowing a princeship upon him can the crown prince's absolute power be broken, which aligns with the interests of many.

Any one of those reasons would have been enough to kill him. Running was the right thing to do, but where could he run to? This was Yong'an; no one doubted how many people were already watching him.

Some might try to recruit them, but for most, the answer is: kill!

Has the play ended? No, this is just the beginning, but the protagonist of the second half has changed, from the princess to an unknown young man.

Xiao Xingchen knew full well the storm his actions would bring, but since he had already done it, there was no point in regretting it. He went to Daji's side, gave her an apologetic look, then lifted her onto a horse and mounted himself.

The two men and one horse galloped off in the opposite direction from Yong'an City. Only then did everyone notice that the young man truly had a wife. Although they were far apart, the woman's beauty was undeniable; she was a woman of unparalleled beauty.

This made many people's hearts flutter, and they silently disappeared into the crowd.

The late Empress, who had been intently watching everything, was suddenly jolted. She repeatedly checked the face of the woman being carried by the young man until the two disappeared. Only then did she collapse in disbelief onto the phoenix carriage.

"How could it be her?"

Shock, confusion, and bewilderment flashed across her face. She had seen that woman before, but why was she being held in the arms of a young man?

Moreover, this is a young person whom I am trying to protect, so why is it her?

The many mysteries of today made her feel that with the appearance of this young man, many things were getting out of control. Did Emperor Wu know that this woman had come out? He probably didn't. If he really knew, why would they have the mind to make things difficult for her?

The Demon Empress Daji, the last demon empress in the world, has escaped her confinement and is traveling with a young man. Once this news breaks, the entire world will be shaken.

"Mother, what's wrong with you?"

Noticing something was wrong, the eldest princess immediately ran up and asked worriedly,

"It's nothing. Take me back to the palace. You must take good care of yourself. Be careful in Yong'an, and don't underestimate anyone, understand?"

"Your subject understands, but what about that young man from just now?"

"Ling Xue, you come with me to the palace to see your father. Ling Feng, you go after him... Never mind, you both come with me to the palace."

"Yes, Queen Mother."