Chapter 41: Encounter with Nangong Yan

Nangong Rong’s voice was filled with barely contained anger. “I’m the one entangled? Ha! How ridiculous! As the esteemed heir of the Prince of An, why would I need to entangle with anyone?”

Nangong Rong’s gaze was fixed sharply on the face that resembled Su Qingyue’s, and he found it very intriguing.

Qingli snorted coldly and said to him, “Heir? Is that impressive? If you’re so great, why are you pestering my sister? I don’t see any affection in your eyes. All I see is calculation, which is off-putting. You’d better get lost, or next time, my flying knife won’t just leave a scratch on your face.”

Nangong Rong had never been treated this way before. Infuriated, his brows furrowed tightly, and a sharp light flashed in his eyes, as if he wanted to devour her whole.

Qingli didn’t regard him at all and coldly said, “Scram! Don’t come bother my sister again, or next time my flying knife won’t be so forgiving.”

Nangong Rong, enraged to the point of losing his reason, gripped his sword and swung it towards Qingli.

Su Qingyue gasped and quickly reached out to pull Qingli back, but Qingli was quicker. She swiftly kicked towards Nangong Rong’s wrist, causing the sword to clatter to the ground.

Without letting up, Qingli then delivered a kick to his abdomen, sending him flying backward.

With a loud thud, Nangong Rong landed heavily on the ground.

Su Qingyue looked at Qingli in astonishment, not expecting her to be so strong.

However, thinking about Nangong Rong’s status, she feared it would bring trouble to Qingli and hurriedly pulled her back.

“A-li, don’t be impulsive. This person has a noble status. If you hit him, it will cause a lot of trouble.”

Qingli, however, replied confidently, “It’s fine. Qingyue, you don’t have to worry. I’m the one who hit him. If his family comes looking for revenge, they can find me. I’ll be ready for them anytime.”

Su Qingyue felt helpless. With Qingli’s personality, she was bound to offend many people.

After all, Nangong Rong was the heir of the Prince of An, and Commander Wei couldn’t just watch him get beaten. He immediately warned Qingli.

“The flying knife incident hasn’t been settled yet, and now you’ve injured Young Master Rong. It seems you really want to spend a few days in prison.”

Upon hearing this, Su Qingyue panicked. “Commander Wei, we didn’t mean to! Please show us some leniency and don’t hold this against us.”

The commotion was not small. Inside the luxurious carriage ahead, Nangong Yan, holding a flying knife, became interested upon hearing the noise outside.

He stood up, lifted the curtain, and stepped out.

From the elevated position of the carriage, he looked back and quickly spotted the veiled Su Qingyue and Qingli beside her.

Seeing Su Qingyue’s veiled appearance surprised Nangong Yan! He immediately got off the carriage and walked quickly toward them, his hurried steps revealing his anxious heart.

At that moment, Nangong Rong had already gotten back on his feet and approached Qingli again, speaking fiercely, “Do you know where the flying knife you shot went? Hmph! What audacity to attempt to assassinate the emperor in broad daylight! Guards, capture this assassin and take her back for interrogation!”

Unable to win in a fight, Nangong Rong resorted to this.

Hmph! Just wait until she comes begging for mercy.

Nangong Rong thought smugly.

Su Qingyue immediately positioned herself in front of Qingli. “Young Master Rong, she’s not an assassin; she’s my sister. If you want to capture someone, then take me as well.”

Qingli looked at the person standing in front of her, feeling a warm current flow through her heart.

Just as she was about to speak, she caught sight of a tall figure approaching in her peripheral vision.

When she saw the man’s face clearly, she was startled and instinctively wanted to hide.

“Your Majesty.”

Commander Wei and the others quickly bowed upon seeing the emperor arrive.

Su Qingyue also hurriedly saluted, “This daughter greets Your Majesty.”

Only Qingli stood still, motionless.

He is the emperor?

Of course, with such abundant Purple Qi, he could only be an emperor.

At that moment, Qingli realized the man’s identity.

The emperor’s arrival brought a hush over the crowd.

Qingli cautiously raised her head for a glance, but saw that Nangong Yan was staring intently at Su Qingyue.

His gaze fell on Su Qingyue’s eyebrows and eyes, a familiar sight that stirred something within him.

The atmosphere remained tense, and Nangong Rong couldn’t help but speak up. “Your Majesty, the assassin’s origin is unknown. She almost injured you. I was about to apprehend her.”

Su Qingyue, disregarding the oppressive atmosphere and Nangong Yan’s powerful aura, quickly explained, “Your Majesty, Qingli is my sister, not an assassin. The flying knife was a warning to Young Master Rong to stay away from us. It wasn’t an attempt to assassinate Your Majesty. Please see the truth of the matter, Your Majesty.”

Nangong Yan felt that the voice sounded slightly different, but it had been so many years that he had almost forgotten.

“You are the daughter of the Su family?”

Nangong Yan finally spoke.

He had also overheard some of the conversation earlier.

Su Qingyue hurriedly replied, “Yes, Your Majesty, I am Su Qingyue.”

Nangong Yan remembered; he seemed to have seen her before, at a palace banquet. But he hadn’t paid much attention, only glancing at her once. At that time, she hadn’t been veiled, but he hadn’t memorized her appearance.

Now, veiled, she bore a strong resemblance to that woman from four years ago.

Nangong Yan found himself unable to determine if she was the same person.

“Where did you go for the past four years?”

Nangong Yan’s question was strange, leaving everyone puzzled.

Su Qingyue also found it peculiar but answered truthfully, “Since I was young, I have lived in Nanyang City. This is my first time traveling outside.”

Upon hearing this, Nangong Yan’s brows furrowed tightly, and the air around him grew colder.

Qingli suddenly realized that this man might be mistaking the veiled Su Qingyue for her from four years ago.

Thinking about it, Su Qingyue did bear some resemblance to her when veiled.

Qingli only noticed this then.

If this man truly believed Su Qingyue to be her, then they were in trouble. He was the emperor, and if he sought revenge, Su Qingyue would be powerless to resist.

Qingli felt anxious but didn’t know what to do.

“Are you sure you have never left Nanyang City? I will personally investigate once I return.”

Nangong Yan’s tone was cold, his words carrying an invisible pressure that made one afraid to lie.

Su Qingyue found it strange but suppressed her doubts and nodded seriously. “Yes, I would never deceive Your Majesty.”

Seeing Su Qingyue’s demeanor, it seemed she didn’t recognize him, and there was no emotional fluctuation at all. Could it be that she wasn’t that person after all? But then why did they look so alike?

Nangong Yan’s brows furrowed even tighter.

Nangong Rong, feeling neglected, spoke up again. “Your Majesty, this person’s origin is unknown. She is an assassin. Moreover, she looks like…”

“Young Master Rong, are you slandering my sister because you resent her for refusing to marry you?”

Su Qingyue quickly interrupted Nangong Rong’s words, a flicker of panic in her eyes.

She frowned coldly and looked at him, anger burning in her eyes.

Talking about this in front of the emperor, Nangong Rong suddenly felt panicked.

He had told the emperor that he and Su Qingyue were in love and asked for his permission. Now, Su Qingyue was denying this, making him guilty of deception.

Indeed, Nangong Yan’s gaze landed on Nangong Rong, his tone cold, chilling to the bone.

“Didn’t you say you were in love with Miss Su and asked for my approval? Why is it now only your unilateral desire?”

Su Qingyue realized that this was her chance to reject Nangong Rong. She immediately knelt down and said, “Your Majesty, I don’t know why Young Master Rong is slandering my reputation. I am not familiar with him. I have only met him briefly at banquets, and there is no such thing as love between us. By saying this, Young Master Rong is ruining my reputation. I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for me.”

Su Qingyue spoke with sorrow, her eyes turning red.