Chapter 161: An Apricot Branch Reaching Over the Garden Wall

Imperial guards rushed over from all directions. Before they could form a circle, a cyan-robed figure flashed into view. A long sword traced an arc in the air, instantly blooming with thousands of bright stars, followed immediately by the sharp, piercing sound of the air being torn apart.

The charging guards slammed into the starlit sword radiance like moths to a flame. The ones in the forefront were hit with fountains of blood erupting from their chests, and they flew backward through the air.

The guards who followed twisted their bodies mid-air to evade the sword light, launching successive attacks of their own. Among them, a fierce blade aura cut straight through like a rainbow, instantly extinguishing the starlit sword glow.

The cyan-robed figure flickered his wrist, and his sword light multiplied a thousandfold, surging forth like ocean tides that fed upon one another, spreading outward in all directions.

The guards were utterly alarmed. Despite fighting desperately to parry the blows, four or five more were wounded beneath the tidal wave of swords.

Though all this takes time to describe, it transpired in the blink of an eye. Having suffered repeated setbacks on their own ground, the guards grew frantic, their eyes reddening as their fighting spirit surged.

As the only daughter of the Sword-Wielding Sect's master, it was no surprise that Madam Yu the Fourth had experts secretly protecting her, but wasn't this cyan-robed man absurdly, ridiculously strong? Yu Youwei pondered to herself.

Once the battle commenced, the atmosphere around the House of Assembling Fragrance grew tense. Not only was Empress Xi frantic with rage, but the aristocratic ladies and noblewomen attending the banquet also drastically changed their expressions, and Dowager Madam Ning gripped her palms so tightly they were slick with sweat.

The cyan-robed figure's long sword grew increasingly brilliant. A thin radiance washed over the area, illuminating the open space before the House of Assembling Fragrance down to the finest detail. Outnumbered, the guards struggled as if trapped in a mire, stumbling left and right amid a chorus of tragic screams.

This cyan-robed man was merely toying with the guards! Yu Youwei's heart skipped a heavy beat: He was an ancient monster of the Sword-Wielding Sect! When Ancestor Ling of the Sword-Wielding Sect practiced the Subduing Barbarians Sword Technique, he was one of those who cast a protective dome of sword light in the sky to shield the sect's disciples!

Seeming to sense Yu Youwei's gaze, the cyan-robed man abruptly flashed a grin at her.

Felt as though she had been completely seen through, Yu Youwei started and shrank back behind her stepmother. This movement caused Madam Yu the Fourth to misunderstand; thinking Yu Youwei was terrified, she flicked her wrist to display her blade and declared without looking back, "Youwei, don't be afraid!"

Yu Youwei offered no explanation. Her stepmother's protective posture filled her with a warm sensation—a gentle warmth that seeped bit by bit into her heart.

The amusement of toying with the guards like mere ants quickly faded. The cyan-robed man shifted his sword stance, and the bright points of sword light instantly pressed down upon the trapped guards like heavy, lowering clouds.

The sorrow and terror of impending doom surfaced on the guards' faces. They could not even utter a plea for mercy or a dying scream. The might of the sword shook their eardrums like a barrage of battle drums; all the blood in their bodies rushed upward as if in a flood, turning their skin purplish-red and causing their faces to swell under the sudden, crushing pressure until they looked uglier than a pig's head.

"Stop!"

With a roar, Emperor Qian swooped down like a giant bird, landing directly in front of Madam Yu the Fourth—who had already drawn her sword—and glared at her with burning eyes. "For the sake of his concubine-born daughter, are you truly willing to resort to weapons against me?"

Huh? It sounded like the relationship between Emperor Qian and her stepmother was out of the ordinary! Yu Youwei's gossipy instincts were instantly piqued, completely unconcerned that she was the root cause of this entire conflict.

"Spare me the false intimacy!" Madam Yu the Fourth rebuked without a trace of warmth.

"I will handle the matter of the rumors; I shall never let Ruoshuang's reputation be tarnished," Emperor Qian said gently, completely unbothered by Madam Yu the Fourth's hostile attitude.

Upon hearing this, the onlookers all jumped to self-righteous conclusions: No wonder Madam Yu the Fourth had reacted so fiercely! It turned out she was worried one single rat dropping would ruin the whole pot of porridge. A bad reputation for her younger sister would make outsiders assume the Yu family lacked proper discipline, ultimately damaging her older sister's reputation as well.

Yu Youwei shared the exact same assumption as everyone else, yet she still felt a lingering gratitude for her stepmother's willingness to step forward and shield her.

Naturally cold and aloof, and perpetually depressed for years after her late husband's tragic death, Madam Yu the Fourth could not be bothered to waste any more words with Emperor Qian. Tossing out a parting "You had better make it quick," she swept away with Yu Youwei in tow.

Driving snow swirled through the air, and their figures quickly vanished into the vast expanse of white.

The gentle smile on Emperor Qian's face slowly faded. "Dowager Madam Ning, this granddaughter-in-law of yours is quite something." The tone was by no means a compliment, carrying a faint edge of chill.

Aside from being publicly humiliated by Madam Yu the Fourth, what infuriated him most was Yu Youwei's attitude. Her style of conduct was uncompromising and headstrong, showing no concealment of her contempt for imperial authority. Just like her father, she utterly disregarded him.

Under the might of the throne, Dowager Madam Ning's heart tightened as well. Her beloved grandson, Ningbaixia, was ambitious and capable, and the family's status in the Qian Dynasty had risen, but that did not mean the Ning family could afford to disrespect the imperial household. Unwilling to let her family suffer a disaster brought down by Yu Youwei, she hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive us. Yu Youwei is somewhat ignorant of court protocol; once we return, this old subject will properly discipline her."

Determined to ensure Yu Youwei received the punishment she deserved, Dowager Madam Ning wore an expression so dark it seemed water could be wrung from it the moment she left the palace. While she hadn't expected Yu Youwei to have obediently gone straight home, she certainly never anticipated that the girl would be caught straying outside in broad daylight.

Yu Youwei stood by the second-floor window of the Myriad Phenomena Teahouse, standing intimately face-to-face with a young man. When she struck his chest with her fist, he naturally caught her hand, and from the side, she could be seen smiling most happily.

"Oh heavens, it's Sister-in-law! She's being so intimate with that man! Is he a brother from her maiden family?" Ning Ruoying was idly gazing at the scenery when she inadvertently caught sight of this stimulating scene, and she blurted it out in a shout.

"Stop the carriage!" Dowager Madam Ning commanded from the leading carriage, her deliberately lowered voice pregnant with a gathering storm. If they were not out on a public street, she would have ordered those adulterous wretches beaten to death on the spot.

In the trailing carriage, Ning Ruotong anxiously complained, "Sixth Sister, what are you shouting for?"

Ning Ruoying stiffened her neck and shouted even louder, "If she dares to do it, why should she be afraid of people knowing?"

"What has Sister-in-law done? Stop talking nonsense!" Desperately wishing she could plug her younger sister's mouth, Ning Ruotong broke out in a sweat of anxiety. They had already caused a scene in the palace today—her heart was still fluttering wildly, and she had no desire for another spectacle on the public street.

Naturally possessed of a fiery temper that exploded at the slightest spark, Ning Ruoying shouted recklessly, "Men and women should not touch hands when giving or receiving things! For her to be tangled up with another man is wrong! It's committing adultery!"

Very well, the sixth sister had directly pinned the label of adultery onto her sister-in-law, and she had shouted it out right in the middle of the street. Ning Ruotong could scarcely imagine what kind of chaos would ensue next. "You stay right here. You are not allowed to talk nonsense, and you are not allowed to step out of the carriage. Otherwise, I'll lock you in the dark room the moment we get home!"

"You use that trick to bully me every time!" Ning Ruoying protested indignantly, though she dared not completely ignore her elder sister's warning.

"Just dare step down and see what happens!" Ning Ruotong glared at her younger sister before hurriedly alighting to support Dowager Madam Ning, who had already stepped out.

When Dowager Madam Ning ordered the carriage to stop, her intention was to deal with a granddaughter-in-law who violated feminine virtue, but she certainly did not wish to make it a public spectacle known to everyone. As a result, her sixth granddaughter had shouted loudly enough for the entire street to hear, quickly drawing a massive crowd of onlookers that blocked the thoroughfare completely. She wished she could sew up the mouth of her brainless granddaughter.