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Qingli noticed a hint of bitterness in Su Qingyue’s eyes.
She assumed that Su Qingyue had been hurt because of her appearance. Though she claimed not to care, she was likely still sensitive about it.
Qingli didn’t dare to say anything further, fearing it might make Su Qingyue feel insecure. She thought it best to wait for a suitable opportunity in the future to show her support.
Hastily, Qingli changed the subject and started talking about something else.
After finishing their meal, they resumed their journey.
However, just as they left Huai’an City, they encountered Nangong Rong again.
When Nangong Rong saw Su Qingyue’s carriage, a smile flickered in his eyes, and he deliberately rode over.
“Miss Su, what a coincidence to see you again.”
Upon hearing his voice, Su Qingyue’s expression soured immediately.
Qingli thought she was afraid of the man outside and said, “Qingyue, should I drive him away? This guy is really annoying.”
Qingli clenched her fists, speaking fiercely.
Su Qingyue quickly stopped her, “No need, I’ll handle it.”
Su Qingyue lifted the curtain and addressed Nangong Rong, “Young Master Rong, is there something you want?”
Nangong Rong smiled and said, “Miss Su, we meet again. Isn’t this also a kind of fate? Your carriage can join our convoy; it would be safer.”
Su Qingyue coldly refused, “No need, Young Master Rong. I have my own guards, so I won’t trouble you. We’re not in a hurry; we want to enjoy the scenery on the way back, so we won’t take up your time.”
Nangong Rong persisted, “It’s fine, we’re not in a hurry either.”
Upon hearing this, Su Qingyue’s smile faded. Nangong Rong remained as arrogant and foolish as ever.
It was no wonder he couldn’t compete with Nangong Mo, that rat in the gutter.
Su Qingyue spoke directly, her tone icy.
“You and I are not very familiar, and there is a difference between men and women. I cannot allow you to escort me; please do not tarnish my reputation.”
Her words were quite impolite, and Nangong Rong’s smile faded, his lips slowly drooping.
“Miss Su, I have already prepared a bridal gift and will soon go to the Su family to propose marriage. At that time, we won’t be just a man and a woman anymore.”
Nangong Rong spoke directly, his tone firm and unyielding, a hint of pride in his eyes.
Su Qingyue’s eyes flashed with surprise!
In the past two years, both the Prince of An and the Prince of Xian had come to propose, but they did so quietly and did not dare to be overt about it.
Because of Su Qingyue’s innate Phoenix destiny, many ordinary families were afraid to approach for marriage, worried about being accused of treason.
Shortly after the current emperor ascended the throne, he led military campaigns for three years, sustaining an injury that left him with a leg ailment. Afterward, he also lost his ability to father an heir, so he had yet to establish a queen or take any concubines.
The Su family had long harbored hopes of marrying their daughter to the emperor because of her innate Phoenix destiny, and thus they had not promised her to anyone.
However, the story of her innate Phoenix destiny had circulated for many years, and the emperor had never shown any inclination to marry. As their daughter grew older, the Su family became increasingly anxious.
At this time, the royal families of An and Xian were continuously extending olive branches to the Su family.
There were also whispers that the emperor, having lost his ability to father an heir, would select a successor from among the royal family.
Once this rumor spread, everyone began speculating about who would be the heir.
The most popular candidates were Prince of An’s son, Nangong Rong, and Prince of Xian’s son, Nangong Rui.
In addition, the Prince of An had a younger son, Nangong Mo, and the Prince of Xian had a younger son, Nangong Yi. However, Nangong Yi had been weak since childhood and was not considered.
Both the Prince of An and the Prince of Xian had offered the position of Young Mistress, seeking to marry Su Qingyue.
However, the Su family remained indecisive, unsure of who would ultimately ascend to the throne, and thus did not dare to make a hasty decision.
But both families had only privately approached the Su family; no official marriage proposals had been made yet.
After all, seeking to marry Su Qingyue represented another layer of meaning. Without the emperor’s consent, they wouldn’t dare to make an open marriage proposal.
But today, Nangong Rong had already spoken to the emperor about his intention to marry Su Qingyue, and the emperor had shown no adverse reaction, nodding in agreement.
This delighted Nangong Rong! He thought to himself that the emperor’s approval meant he acknowledged him, especially since Su Qingyue’s innate Phoenix destiny was well-known.
That was why Nangong Rong dared to speak so boldly to Su Qingyue.
After the initial surprise, Su Qingyue quickly realized that Nangong Rong’s words meant the emperor had already consented.
This thought made her feel flustered! It seemed different from her past life; in her previous life, she hadn’t secretly run away, nor had she encountered Nangong Rong.
The proposal from the Prince of An had come several days later. Now everything was changing.
This made Su Qingyue uneasy.
Qingli noticed the panic and unease flickering in Su Qingyue’s eyes and immediately took a disliking to Nangong Rong outside.
She pulled out a small flying knife from her bag and, with a swift motion, sent it whizzing past Nangong Rong’s face, leaving a slight scratch on his fair skin.
The flying knife didn’t stop there; it shot straight towards the luxurious carriage ahead.
“Assassin!”
The guards around the carriage immediately changed their expressions, drawing their swords and searching for the source of the threat with fierce gazes.
Upon realizing that the flying knife had been shot from Su Qingyue’s carriage, all the guards rushed toward it, swords raised.
Nangong Rong wiped the blood from his face, his expression darkening immediately.
“Who is in the carriage? Come out immediately!”
Before Nangong Rong could say anything, the leading guard commander shouted towards the carriage.
Nangong Rong, not caring about his anger, quickly said, “Commander Wei, the person in the carriage is the daughter of the Su family. We had a little disagreement, and Miss Su was just playing with me, accidentally throwing the knife. She’s not an assassin.”
Su Qingyue, hearing this, felt uneasy. Could it be that someone else was with Nangong Rong, someone of high status?
She quickly lifted the curtain and saw that the leader was Commander Wei of the Imperial Guards.
Su Qingyue’s heart sank! The emperor was indeed here.
She hurriedly got out of the carriage and explained to Commander Wei, “Commander Wei, we are not assassins. Young Master Rong has been persistently pestering me, and my sister couldn’t bear it, so she acted out. We didn’t expect the knife to fly so far; it was truly our fault. I apologize! I hope no one was hurt?”
Commander Wei’s face was stern. “No one was hurt. If someone had been injured, you wouldn’t be standing here calmly to talk.”
Qingli, who was in the carriage, felt that the man was quite arrogant. She lifted the curtain and addressed Commander Wei.
“Who is so precious? If someone is hurt, are we supposed to die? What a bold statement.” Qingli was quite dissatisfied.
The Imperial Guards seldom saw Su Qingyue and didn’t notice how much Qingli resembled her. Since Su Qingyue was veiled, they couldn’t recognize their similarity, so they had no special reaction to seeing Qingli.
Only Nangong Rong felt surprised again.
Commander Wei looked at the woman who had stepped out of the carriage and frowned. “Naturally, he is someone you cannot afford to provoke. Was that knife thrown by you?”
Qingli nodded, glancing at Nangong Rong before saying, “Yes, I threw it. Is this man your master? He looks so ugly and keeps bothering us. No matter how we tell him to leave, he insists on pestering my sister. Faced with such a rogue, I had no choice but to teach him a lesson.”
Since Su Qingyue had just called her sister, Qingli also referred to her as sister now.
Su Qingyue felt delighted by the way Qingli called her sister; the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl up under her veil.
Qingli’s words darkened Nangong Rong’s face instantly. He had never been spoken to in such a manner before.