Surprise, King Cheng's Visit

Though not particularly loud, the sound seemed to resonate like a clap of thunder across the plain, echoing clearly and distinctly in the ears of everyone present.

His voice was cold, but it carried an indescribable aura of majesty.

Simply hearing his voice made one want to bow down at his feet.

So, who was it?

Everyone's eyes turned toward the door, including Jiang Peihuan's. She couldn't help but feel that the voice was somehow familiar.

A quaint carriage slowly entered. This was the General's Mansion. Even Zhao Fuqing, the Prince of Huainan, had to dismount from his sedan chair at the entrance and walk in.

Yet, this man had the audacity to enter on a carriage?

Zhao Fuqing considered himself a privileged young master in the capital who could do whatever he wanted.

However, this stranger seemed even more arrogant than him!

Most importantly, this person dared to refute his words in public. Where was the dignity of being a prince?

"Who are you? How dare you enter the General's Mansion in a carriage!"

Before Old Madam Jiang could say anything, Zhao Fuqing strode toward the carriage and questioned loudly.

To his surprise, the man in the carriage merely smiled and didn't even bother lifting the curtains.

"How I enter the General's Mansion is my own business. If the General's Mansion thinks I'm not following the rules, they have the right to stop me. It's certainly not your place."

At this point, the old madam stood up in the front hall, still confused about the situation. Jiang Peihuan quickly helped her up, and the two women made their way to the door, followed by the others.

Zhao Fuqing's face turned red with anger. Seeing everyone coming out, he feared for his reputation and retorted, "I have a marriage contract with the Jiang family, so their business is mine too!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ruyun's cheeks flushed.

Once she entered the Huainan family, she would likely be like Zhao Fuqing, not having to regard anyone in her sight.

Zhao Fuqing suddenly realized something. This man hadn't appeared until he began mocking Jiang Peihuan, which meant they likely knew each other.

"You must be Miss Jiang's friend, right? Otherwise, why would you dare to defend her just now?"

"However, as a prince, let me give you a piece of advice. If you want to help someone, choose the right time. If you accidentally help the wrong person, you may offend someone without even realizing it."

Zhao Fuqing appeared to be offering a reminder, but anyone with common sense could tell it was actually a warning.

Nonetheless, he had every reason to be self-assured.

His father was the King of Huainan. Although he was a king of a different surname and had been distanced from politics for years, he still possessed the title of a king.

As the heir of the Huainan King, Zhao Fuqing naturally held a prestigious status.

"What if I insist on helping today?"

As Zhao Fuqing's words lingered, a voice drifted out from the carriage once more.

The voice was composed and leisurely, seemingly disregarding his words entirely.

"Then, the Huainan Mansion will have to teach you a lesson!"

Seeing that his words had no effect, Zhao Fuqing resorted to invoking the name of the Huainan Mansion.

"Huainan Mansion huh…"

The man in the carriage murmured, his cold voice exuding an indescribable authority.

"Zhao Fuqing, if your father knew you were using the name of the Huainan Mansion to threaten me, I wonder what your fate would be."

The man knew his name was Zhao Fuqing? It was at this moment that Zhao Fuqing realized something was amiss.

However, considering he was the prince of the Huainan Mansion, it wasn't unusual for others to know his name.

"I don't know what my fate would be, but I do know..."

Zhao Fuqing continued to smile. As he spoke, he raised his hand and forcefully tore the carriage curtain to the ground.

He wanted to see who was inside, someone who dared to provoke him repeatedly.

Yet as soon as he saw the person within, he froze in place.

A chilling fear seemed to be creeping up from the soles of his feet.

"Cheng... Cheng…"

Before Zhao Fuqing could finish the name, the man inside had already stepped out of the carriage with his folding fan in hand.

The winter sun wasn't particularly bright, but everyone could still see his face clearly.

His handsome face was nearly flawless, each expression exuding an air of nobility.

Most importantly, his eyes were incredibly cold

In the entire capital, it was unlikely anyone could rival him.

"Grandmother, is he... Your Highness King Cheng!"

Jiang Sijin was the first to react at the front hall entrance.

Even though she had only met King Cheng once, anyone who had seen him would never forget him.

He was King Cheng, Xiao Nanye!

Who would have thought that the elusive Prince Cheng, whose whereabouts even the current emperor often couldn't discern, would suddenly appear at the Jiang mansion like this!

No wonder no one dared to stop him when he arrived in a carriage.

The real question was, why had he come?

By now, Xiao Nanye had gotten off the carriage, dressed entirely in white that blended in with the sky.

If not for the rumors surrounding him, anyone might have mistaken him for an immortal depicted in a painting.

Everyone was surprised by Xiao Nanye's sudden appearance.

Among them, Jiang Peihuan was the most astonished.

Not only did Xiao Nanye's presence make Jiang Peihuan feel uneasy, but something else was troubling her.

"How could this be…?" she murmured,

Her lips parted slightly, and her brows furrowed in confusion.

Why is it different from his previous life?

Jiang Peihuan remembered very clearly that in her past life, when Zhao Fuqing came over to change the marriage, he and Jiang Ruyun pleaded with her in various ways.

After she agreed, Zhao Fuqing turned his back on her, intentionally spreading rumors that made her a laughing stock in the capital.

How could there be a visit from His Highness King Cheng?

As Jiang Peihuan was thinking, Xiao Nanye suddenly raised his head and looked in her direction.

In his cold and piercing gaze, Jiang Peihuan immediately lowered her head guiltily.

"What's the matter? You can't even speak when you see me?"

Xiao Nanye withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhao Fuqing.

Zhao Fuqing lost his balance and fell to his knees with a thud.

"Fuqing didn't know that it was you, Your Highness King Cheng… That's why just now I …"

"What do you mean by 'That's why'?" Xiao Nanye asked coldly.

Zhao Fuqing stuttered and couldn't speak for a long time, but this time Xiao Nanye answered for him.

"What? I didn't know that the Prince of Huainan was so daring and wanted to teach me a lesson?"

Although the King of Huainan was also a king, he was a king with a different surname. In the end, he was still a subject.

Xiao Nanye, on the other hand, was the younger brother of His Majesty and the master of the Huainan family.

Not to mention anything else, just that sentence just now was probably a serious crime punishable by death.

At this point, Zhao Fuqing was already terrified to the point of nearly wetting his pants, kneeling on the ground and begging for mercy.

"Your Highness King Cheng, Fuqing really didn't mean it. Please spare my life..."