RWNEFE -Chapter 220 Shen Lanxi, You Must Give This Princess an Explanation!

Shen Lanxi kept a close eye on the shopkeeper’s reaction until the shop boy had rambled through the whole story.

“Back then, government officials would come from time to time to ask about the convoy delivering supplies to the Wei army. But over the past year—well, more like a year and a bit—no one has asked anything.”

Shen Lanxi then asked for the shop boy’s exact home address, and Cheng Zheng recorded it carefully.

In the distance, dust rose—the marriage convoy was arriving.

“Manager, prepare a few extra horses; they’ll be needed soon!” Shen Lanxi said, then went to eat and rest.

Shen Yuanjing’s team still hadn’t gotten any useful information by the time the marriage convoy arrived.

Zhou Yunyue’s head was spinning; fortunately, she hadn’t eaten breakfast, or else she would have vomited it all along the way.

Ban Sicao had taken the time to inspect everything: “The food for people and the feed for the horses are fine.”

Zhou Yunyue rested on the carriage for a while, gradually regaining some strength.

“Where’s Shen Lanxi? Help me find Shen Lanxi!”

The palace maids, pale-faced and no better off than Zhou Yunyue, obediently supported her as she walked into the relay station.

This time, besides Shen Lanxi’s troop, the court had also dispatched soldiers, the Imperial Guards, and several officials from the Ministry of Rites.

All of them had abandoned their previous arrogance and looked warily toward the relay station. No one dared to be the first to step inside.

Zhou Yunyue walked up to the head of the Imperial Guards and named him directly: “You go in with me. I want to ask Shen Lanxi what she means by this!”

The head of the Imperial Guards, Nie Shuanghai, in his thirties, had climbed from palace guard to leader. Having spent most of his time in the palace, he knew its inner workings very well.

Hearing Zhou Yunyue, he frowned. “Princess, the emperor’s order is to speedily head northwest. If we dawdle, it’s defying the emperor’s command. If war breaks out in the northwest, no one will escape; we’ll all be implicated.”

Zhou Yunyue’s face immediately darkened.

Just after setting off, Shen Lanxi had already shown such overwhelming authority, making everyone follow her. Why should they obey her? She was a princess—the most important person in the marriage convoy—and everyone should listen to her. If anything happened to her, they’d be in serious trouble.

“I am a royal princess, delicate and weak, unlike you martial men. If I fall ill on the road and delay the marriage, none of you could bear the consequences!”

Nie Shuanghai knew this was not a good assignment.

“Sir, I understand that the princess is of royal blood, different from us soldiers. But my words don’t matter! The imperial edict clearly states that Shen Lanxi is the supreme commander of this marriage convoy!”

His words were already quite clear. If Zhou Yunyue were still in the palace, her rank would be indisputable.

But from the moment she was appointed as the marriage princess, it meant the royal family had abandoned her.

Nie Shuanghai quickly glanced at those still unsure of the situation and sighed in frustration.

“Bold! I order you to go, and if you refuse, I will punish you!” Zhou Yunyue arrogantly shouted.

Nie Shuanghai could only follow behind helplessly.

“Shen Lanxi, you left the marriage convoy behind—you must give this princess an explanation. If your explanation does not satisfy me, I will report to my father and have him punish you. You’ll lose your head!”

Zhou Yunyue approached with a dark face. Seeing Shen Lanxi still sitting, eating her meal, without even standing to greet her, her chest ignited with anger.

“Shen Lanxi…”

Seeing Shen Lanxi remain unmoved, Zhou Yunyue angrily stepped forward.

Shen Yuanjing, Chunxue, Qiushuang, Cheng Zheng, and the others immediately formed a line to block her.

Zhou Yunyue’s expression darkened, and she roared: “Shen Lanxi! I am a princess, and for you to treat me like this is to show contempt for the royal family!”

“Someone, go report to the capital! I want my father to punish Shen Lanxi severely!”

The officials in the marriage convoy sneered, shook their heads, or whispered among themselves. Not a single person stepped forward to obey Zhou Yunyue.

Time passed, and Zhou Yunyue grew increasingly embarrassed.

What was going on? Why wouldn’t they listen to her?

She was a princess of the Great Zhou, and with the empress dowager dead, no one was protecting Shen Lanxi. Who did she think she was? Didn’t these people see who was more noble?

Seeing the deadlock, Nie Shuanghai tried to mediate: “General, most of the convoy is in carriages, and many palace maids are walking. If the pace is too fast, they can’t keep up.”

Shen Yuanjing’s face was stern: “Commander Nie, don’t forget, this is a relay station. Horse or carriage is just a word’s decision!”

Nie Shuanghai quickly agreed, then looked at Zhou Yunyue.

The steps were already laid out. If Princess Wanhe still didn’t come down, there would be no saving face.

Unfortunately, Nie Shuanghai overestimated Zhou Yunyue. She grew up in the Cold Palace, secluded behind palace walls, and had no understanding of social manners.

Now, appointed as the marriage princess, she had become inflated with arrogance, wanting to vent all the grievances she had suffered.

In her eyes, Shen Lanxi, without the empress dowager’s protection and with the Shen family once exiled to Dongchuan, was already a criminal.

A worthless life—she could never return to her former status!

“Shen Lanxi, I am very unwell right now. After running all the way here, I must be injured. I can’t go on. I need half a month to recover before continuing.” Zhou Yunyue thought. She was in a hurry to go northwest, wasn’t she? By saying this, if Shen Lanxi dared force her, and she really got hurt, Shen Lanxi wouldn’t be able to justify herself.

Then, accused of harming a marriage princess, let’s see if her father would punish her!

Ban Sicao: “Where are you hurt? Need some medicine?” That would guarantee she behaved obediently for the rest of the journey.

Shen Lanxi let out a light laugh, a laugh that felt like stepping on Zhou Yunyue’s foot, immediately triggering her anger.

“What do you think you are, talking to me like this!”

“Zilan, slap her!”

Zilan, Zhou Yunyue’s personal maid, had previously blocked Shen Lanxi after the welcoming banquet.

Hearing her mistress’s command, she arrogantly stepped forward.

“Get out of the way! You dare defy the princess?”

Anyone else might have been intimidated into stepping aside.

Unfortunately, today she had struck a rock.

Shen Lanxi: “Send a pigeon back to the court. Say Princess Wanhe is arrogant and refuses to go on the marriage mission. Request a replacement princess!”

Chunxue: “Yes!”

She immediately turned to carry out the order.

Zhou Yunyue’s expression changed, panic rising.

They absolutely could not send such a message back.

She dared to be arrogant in front of Shen Lanxi because Shen Lanxi was a royal exile, a criminal banished to Dongchuan. But inside the palace, any master—even a single nanny—was not someone she could offend.

Any master in the palace was beyond her reckoning.