Waking Up to an Imperial Marriage with My Archenemy - Chapter 6

“What’s going on?” Luo Fengxin had felt awkward after that brief moment of support, so she simply stepped out of the carriage. They had arrived outside the West Market, where a swarm of domestic servants was emerging, forcing pedestrians to the sides of the road to clear a path.

The route back to Qiao Wan’s home didn’t actually require entering the West Market; they were traveling north to south and intended to turn east at the intersection. However, these servants weren’t just clearing the market, they had cordoned off the entire stretch from the West Market toward Mingqi Gate, effectively pinning Luo Fengxin’s carriage at the junction.

“One moment, Your Highness. A-Cheng will go investigate.”

The driver, A-Cheng, dropped the reins, but before he could take two steps, Qiao Wan who had followed Luo Fengxin out called him back. “No need to ask. One look tells you it’s Zhang Zihe and his gang of playboys.”

“What are they up to?” Luo Fengxin was rarely in the capital and had lived quite reclusively since her return two months ago. She preferred peace and quiet, whereas the West Market was a melting pot of cultures—a chaotic, bustling hive of activity that was at its loudest during market hours. Consequently, she hadn’t set foot here recently. Had Qiao Wan not suggested a detour today, her carriage wouldn’t have passed this way.

“Does Your Highness want to know?” Qiao Wan walked up to Luo Fengxin’s side, her hands clasped behind her back. She had confirmed from Xiao Bai’s replay that the moment Luo Fengxin caught her, the Princess had actually blushed.

She was definitely shy, that’s why she had scrambled out of the carriage so fast.

Qiao Wan rubbed the spot on her waist where Luo Fengxin had touched her, her mood brightening instantly.

It seemed that while the Princess had grown a bit fiercer over the years, she was still just as pure and adorable deep down.

At this thought, Qiao Wan looked at Luo Fengxin’s current stoic, haughty expression, and her mischievous heart began to itch again. She grinned at Luo Fengxin. “If you want to know, you have to beg me!”

Luo Fengxin gave her a cold look and refused to dignify that with a response.

This person is as frivolous, reckless, and improper as ever! She won’t learn her lesson until she’s been punished properly.

Qiao Wan had no idea that Luo Fengxin was already contemplating how to make her cry during her next “punishment.” Having just gained the upper hand in their latest skirmish, Qiao Wan was determined to press her advantage.

“I’m actually very easy to talk to. All you have to do is call me ‘Big Sister Wan’ like you used to, and say, ‘Big Sister Wan, won’t you please tell A-Feng?’ Then I’ll spill everything. How about it?”

“Qiao Wan, I believe you are truly unwell!” Luo Fengxin flicked her sleeve and turned back toward the carriage. “A-Yuan, once we return to the manor, summon the Imperial Physician to give Censor Qiao’s head a thorough examination!”

In her eyes, this was nothing more than a group of third-rate dandies acting like tyrants. As the former Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Army, these pampered capital playboys were little more than baby chicks to her.

If a brood of chicks wanted to run across the road, would a Princess of the realm really stoop to chasing them away?

“Wait, wait! Don’t go!” Qiao Wan caught Luo Fengxin’s arm. “I’m done teasing. Let’s talk business. Regarding the Emperor’s matter, this is a perfect opportunity. But I can’t do it alone; I need your strength.”

She followed Luo Fengxin back onto the carriage and whispered her plan into the Princess’s ear.

Luo Fengxin looked skeptical after hearing it. “Will that really work?”

“Of course! Unless you have a better idea?” Qiao Wan looked at her expectantly.

Luo Fengxin’s brow furrowed slightly. Though she was well-versed in military strategy, the murky schemes of the imperial court were not her forte.

Fortune favors the bold. Regardless of whether it works, we might as well try.

She lifted a corner of the curtain and saw Zhang Zihe and the others charging out of the West Market on horseback, heading straight for them. She whispered an order to A-Yuan: “Drive into the middle of the road. Now!”

Receiving the command, A-Cheng cracked the reins. The servants who had been blocking the road never expected the stationary carriage to lunge forward just as their masters approached. Caught off guard, they could only watch as the carriage forced its way into the center of the path.

Seeing a collision was imminent, Zhang Zihe shouted, “Whoa!” and managed to rein in his horse just in time. The sudden stop nearly sent him flying from his saddle.

“Hey! Which blind fool owns this carriage? Didn’t you see us passing through?” Zhang Zihe dismounted, raising his whip to strike the driver. However, before the whip could land, a hand shot out and caught it firmly.

“Is this road owned by your family? Is no one else permitted to walk here?” A cold, feminine voice drifted from the carriage.

Seeing someone catch his whip barehanded, Zhang Zihe felt a flicker of alarm, but hearing a woman’s voice put him at ease.

Just a woman. So, what if she has a bit of martial arts skill? We have the numbers; what is there to fear?

“Is it my family’s road? That’s none of your business! My father is the Marquis of Jingnan, my uncle is the Duke of Ding, and my cousins are the Vice Minister of War and the Commander of the Imperial Guard. See these brothers behind me? Every one of them is of noble blood. Since you’re a woman, I won’t hold it against you today. If you know what’s good for you, get lost!”

As Zhang Zihe finished, the pack of playboys behind him burst into laughter, shouting crude insults.

“Has this little lady taken a fancy to our Young Marquis? Come out and let the boys have a look. If you’re a beauty, maybe we’ll put in a good word and have the Marquis take you as a wife!”

“Why so shy? Come out and show us your face, unless you’re a hideous ogress?”

“Even if she’s ugly, as long as the figure is decent, Brother Zhang can just blow out the candle and cover her face at night. It’ll do, hahaha!”

With the masters leading the charge, the servants naturally joined in the jeering, demanding the person inside step out. Only one young man at the very back of the group looked uneasy.

“That, that looks like Princess Leping’s carriage.”

Unfortunately, he was a frail-looking youth. Though his family held a title, it was merely that of a County Baron—hardly significant among this group of high-ranking nobles. No one listened to a word he said.

It wasn’t entirely surprising that the others didn’t recognize the Princess’s carriage. These men held minor official posts due to their family’s shadow, but they were mostly sinecures where they barely showed up. To ask these playboys to wake up at 3:00 AM for court would be the death of them; at that hour, they were usually lost in some “tender dream” at a brothel.

The high authorities knew this and turned a blind eye. Over time, the bolder ones stopped going to the palace altogether, except for major ceremonies.

On the other hand, the Princess had spent very little time in the capital over the years, and even when she was in town, she didn’t run in their circles.

They didn’t go to the palace, and the Princess didn’t frequent their haunts. Naturally, they had never met. The one youth who recognized the carriage only did so because his family had recently tightened his leash, forcing him to actually do his job for a few days, during which he’d seen her pass a few times.

Luo Fengxin usually kept a low profile. Her carriage looked slightly better than that of a moderately wealthy family, but it was far from the most extravagant in the capital. Many of the dandies present had much more ostentatious rides.

Initially just annoyed, Zhang Zihe felt his curiosity pique after the jeers from his friends. He really wanted to see which woman dared to block his path.

“Tell you what, I’m in a good mood today, so I won’t make things hard for you. Come down, kowtow, and apologize, and I’ll act as if this never happened. Deal?”

“According to the laws of this dynasty, anyone driving horses or carriages through a market must dismount or slow down to avoid disturbing the people. Shall you go to the Capital Patrol yourselves to confess your crimes, or does this Princess need to send you there personally?”

As she spoke, the owner of the carriage finally stepped down and revealed her true face. Although many present had never seen Princess Leping, one look at her peerless beauty, bearing, and skill made it clear that there wasn’t a second person in the entire capital who fit this description.