Just as everyone was holding their breath for Su Tianjiao, Su Tianjiao remained leisurely standing, even reaching out to tug at the large grass carp that had just been reeled in.
"It's over, it's over, Widow Su is truly finished this time!"
Everyone couldn't bear to watch any longer.
However, at this very moment, an unbelievable scene unfolded.
The group of menacing Imperial Guards from before all lifted their robes and knelt before Widow Su.
Everyone's expressions immediately became as constipated as if they had eaten feces. They looked at each other, not understanding what was happening.
The boast Widow Su had made actually came true!
It was a pity they were too far away to hear what was being said over there.
"Your subject, Lu Ming, pays respects to Her Highness the Princess!" The leading Imperial Guard kowtowed, his eyes excitedly fixed on Su Tianjiao.
The Princess had been missing for nearly twenty years. The Emperor had never given up searching, and heaven had finally rewarded his efforts; he had found her.
After so many years apart, the Princess was still as graceful and elegant as ever.
Su Tianjiao didn't even spare Lu Ming a glance: "Bow, bow, always bowing. You've scared my fish!"
The fish seemed genuinely startled by Lu Ming's bowing, struggling twice before slipping from his hands and falling to the ground with a slap.
Lu Ming stood up, as solemn as if he were about to charge into battle. He carefully picked up the fish from the ground and placed it into the wooden bucket.
Su Tianjiao glanced at the fish swimming in the bucket, then cast the fishing hook back into the water. She lazily sat back down on her chair, crossing her legs: "If you have nothing else to do, hurry up and leave. Don't disturb my fishing."
Lu Ming smiled and stepped a little closer: "Your Highness, the Emperor has sent me to invite you back to the Capital City."
Su Tianjiao pulled another foxtail grass and put it in her mouth: "Go back where? Can't you see I'm busy?"
Lu Ming spread his hands in a difficult gesture: "Your Highness, if you don't return to the Capital City with me, the Emperor will be angry and have my head. I truly have no way to report back."
"What does his chopping off your head have to do with me!" Su Tianjiao took off the bamboo hat on her head, looking at Lu Ming with a half-smile: "So, because he's making things difficult for you, you're making things difficult for me? Because I'm easy to bully?"
Lu Ming's scalp tingled. He thought to himself that these were all living ancestors, none of whom were easy to bully or offend.
But he absolutely couldn't say that. Having finally found the Princess, he had to rack his brains to coax her.
However, he did need to report back!
Lu Ming bowed, a smile plastered on his face: "No, Your Highness, it's just that the Emperor hasn't seen you for so many years, he misses you terribly. The Great Sheng Dynasty needs you, and the Emperor needs you."
Su Tianjiao remained unmoved, rolling her eyes at Lu Ming: "Needs me? When will they be able to stand on their own? Can the world not survive without anyone? They're all old enough, their sons should be getting married by now. Enough, stop wasting my time with this nonsense. Go wherever it's cool."
Once again refused, Lu Ming felt helpless, but he knew in his heart that this was the Princess he was familiar with.
Once the Princess made up her mind, not even ten oxen could change it.
Moreover, the Princess genuinely preferred a quiet life.
However, there were always countermeasures for policies.
Lu Ming took out the imperial edict, written in imperial yellow, from his bosom: "Her Highness the Princess, this is an imperial order summoning you back to the Capital City. If you refuse again, it will be considered defying the imperial edict."
"Heh!" Su Tianjiao was so amused she laughed.
She completely abandoned her fishing, not taking the imperial edict. She simply stared at Lu Ming and cursed loudly: "So what if I defy the imperial edict? That little brat has gotten brave. If he has the guts, let him exterminate my nine generations of relatives."
Looking at the entire world, only Her Highness the Princess dared to curse the Emperor to his face like this.
Lu Ming felt a sense of familiarity, yet he was also sweating profusely.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, braced himself, and quickly threw the imperial edict in his hand at Su Tianjiao, acting shamelessly.
"Your subject doesn't care. Your subject has given you the imperial edict anyway!"
Lu Ming, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, the living Yama King feared by all, was like a child in front of Su Tianjiao. If others saw this, they would surely be shocked.
Su Tianjiao did not pick up the imperial edict thrown at her. After a moment of silence, she suddenly leaned back lazily on her chair, her voice soft and enchanting.
"Scram. I don't want to see any of you for the next quarter of an hour, and get out of Xiangping Town within an hour. Otherwise, I guarantee you'll never find me again in this lifetime!"
Lu Ming absolutely believed in the Princess's ability to follow through on her word. The Princess was a legendary figure who had fought her way through ten thousand Yan Kingdom troops.
If it weren't for the Princess's superior hidden abilities, how could they have only found her for the first time in nearly twenty years?
This ancestor could not be provoked.
As long as the Princess remained in Xiangping Town, even though she wasn't returning to the Capital City with them this time, they at least knew her exact whereabouts.
In the future, whether through coaxing or trickery, they would find a way to get the Princess to return.
But if she truly ran away again, then their lives would truly be in danger.
Lu Ming immediately understood the stakes and retreated backward, listening to the order: "Your Highness, please calm your anger. Your subject will leave immediately."
After the Imperial Guards had all left and were out of sight, the crowd hiding in the reeds gathered again.
They looked at Su Tianjiao, who had not been taken away, with curiosity: "Widow Su, what did you give those officers? Why did they kneel to you? You really didn't commit a crime?"
The commotion caused by Lu Ming and his men reminded Su Tianjiao of some past events, completely ruining her mood for fishing.
She got up to pack her things, casually saying: "I told you I didn't commit a crime, but you didn't listen. They knelt to me because they respected me!"
"Oh? Then what were they looking for you for?"
Su Tianjiao said calmly: "They said the Great Sheng needed me, the Emperor needed me, and asked me to return to the Capital City with them... but I refused!"
"Hahaha... Widow Su, you're still bragging. Did you see those cows flying in the sky!"
"We saw them! We saw them!"
Su Tianjiao's sincerity drew a burst of laughter.
Su Tianjiao couldn't be bothered to say more; no one would believe her even if she explained.
She finished packing and left. The others had already concocted their own answers, pointing and chattering at Su Tianjiao's retreating back.
"Oh, I get it. These officers must have been so polite to Widow Su because her son-in-law became the Top Scholar. Didn't they say that an official son could get a title for his mother?"
"That's probably it. Su Xiuer found such an excellent live-in son-in-law, Widow Su has finally made it through."
"But even if they were to get a title, shouldn't Wei Mingze have requested it for his mother, Madam Zhao, first? Besides, I heard the Imperial Guards only obey the Emperor. When did they start taking orders from a Top Scholar?"
In this remote village, people knew little, but occasionally someone had a slight understanding of the court system.
Upon hearing this, the crowd became confused again.
Su Tianjiao disappeared into their confused gazes and returned to Taolin Village, stepping into the afterglow of the sunset, back to her own home.
A three-entrance house with blue bricks and grey tiles. Their house was the best in the entire village, with flowers planted all around the front and back.
As Su Tianjiao took a sip of tea, someone called from outside: "Is Su Xiuer at home? I'm here to deliver a letter from Scholar Wei of the Wei Family."
Su Tianjiao narrowed her eyes.
A letter from her son-in-law.
Calculating the travel time for her daughter and grandson, they should have reached the Capital City three or four days ago. For her son-in-law's letter to arrive now meant her daughter hadn't yet entered the Capital, but her son-in-law had already sent the letter.
She didn't particularly like Wei Mingze. Although he had some minor talent, he also harbored hidden intentions.
But if her daughter saw a pitiful little cat and wanted to save it, then as long as her daughter was happy, she would go along with it.
Her son-in-law had become the Top Scholar, but there was no news from him. If her daughter wanted to go to the Capital to find out the truth, then she would go along with that too.
No matter how clever a little cat was, it couldn't escape from one's palm in a short time.
Now that a letter had arrived, was it possible she had judged him unfairly with a villain's mindset?
Su Tianjiao went outside and glanced at the empty courtyard, feeling a sense of loneliness.
When she took the letter and opened it, it was a "Letter of Divorce."
A coldness flashed in Su Tianjiao's eyes. She channeled her internal energy, and the letter of divorce in her hand instantly disintegrated into pieces, scattering onto the ground.
"Wei Mingze, how dare you divorce my daughter!"
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