Chapter 190: Commandery Princess, The Tower is Leaning!

Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Commandery Princess, The Tower is Leaning!

Niu Pan’er returned from the palace to Prince Dingbei’s Mansion in the capital, washed up, and received a report from a guard.

"Commandery Princess, the Prime Minister’s Mansion sent a thank-you gift, grateful for your rescue."

Niu Pan’er, with her hair half-dry and a white cotton cloth in hand wiping the scimitar, paused and said, "A thank-you gift from the Prime Minister’s Mansion?"

The guard replied, "The young man you saved during the horse scare is the fourth brother of Prime Minister Song, named Song Zhiyu, and people call him Lord Song Si. By the way, Lord Song Si also has a nickname, Song Yulang."

In Niu Pan’er’s mind, an image of a snowball suddenly appeared. She laughed, "Song Yulang, that nickname suits him. His skin is as white as snow, even better than mine. How did he grow like that? Could it be that he washes his face in milk every day?"

The guard sneered, "Just a pretty boy."

"He is indeed a pretty boy, but you can’t deny it, he is truly white, as white as the snow on Changbai Mountain." Niu Pan’er suddenly said, "Hey, old pal, do you think if Song Yulang has children in the future, would their skin be as white as his, like a little snowball? If so, wouldn’t that be adorable?"

Song Yulang covered his ears and looked up at the sky. Who’s talking bad about me!

Guard: "..."

Commandery Princess, this conversation has gone awry, it’s time to demolish and rebuild!

The guard coughed, "Commandery Princess, the horse was pricked by flying needles, it must have been done while you were entering the city."

Niu Pan’er’s face darkened, and she said, "The horse suddenly went mad at the Dongsheng Inn, you should check if there were any suspicious people around. Also, send a message back to my father, telling the old man to be careful."

No one knows if the flying needle was a test or a threat, or an attempt to show authority, better to be cautious.

Thinking more carefully, they, the father and daughter, hadn’t returned to the capital in years, and upon their return, someone sent such a grand gift, they truly took them seriously.

But it’s not a big deal, she had already reported to the Emperor, as they say, a crying child gets the sugar, this time it’s a flying needle scare, who knows what’s next?

If Prince Dingbei were to be killed, what about the northern region?

Niu Pan’er furrowed her brows.

...

Prince Dingbei had not yet returned to the capital, but his daughter arrived first, and rescuing someone from a runaway horse sparked a hot topic. Snow-like invitations flew to Prince Dingbei’s Mansion, all from Noble Ladies inviting her to tea parties and other gatherings.

Niu Pan’er attended one or two poetry gatherings hosted by princesses but lost interest. Sitting with those Noble Ladies discussing embroidery, jewelry, music, chess, calligraphy, and watching actors sing on stage was too dull for her. She’d rather swing by the barracks, spar with someone, and have some real fun.

Niu Pan’er found the Noble Ladies’ circle’s literary aesthetics boring, and the Noble Ladies secretly disdained her rough and unrestrained nature. Of course, they only discussed it privately, fearing a whip from Commandery Princess Dongyang if said openly, which could break the skin open.

Certainly, some looked down on Dongyang, but others admired her, such as the Noble Ladies from Military Families who particularly liked her, even idolizing her. With Commandery Princess Dongyang originating from such an elite family, why couldn’t they become little female generals too?

For a time, the Noble Ladies from Military Families became much more diligent in practicing martial arts, which worried the Military General Madams. Their daughters weren’t as easily matched for marriage as those from Civil Servant Families, and with their constant shouts of fighting, who would dare to marry them?

This became a hot topic in the inner circles of the capital. Meanwhile, the popular topic outside was the Court issuing an announcement about restarting the tea and horse trade market, leading to an overwhelming influx of merchants heading to the Northwest.