The smile vanished from the girl’s face as she stared intently at the figure approaching behind Su Luo’an.
Su Luo’an, however, looked pleasantly surprised, turning sideways and exclaiming, “Master!”
Only one thought crossed Leng Yaoda’s mind: she had been careless.
Indeed, Su Luo’an could ride his horse into the palace grounds—there was no doubt that person was backing him.
Following her gaze, a tall, exceptionally handsome man rode toward them on a fine steed.
Zhou Yingkui was dressed in a first-grade black official robe, his fair skin appearing even more translucent under the sunlight, his fox-like eyes always carrying an ambiguous smile.
He rode his horse alongside Su Luo’an, the young man beside him looking particularly dashing and handsome in his red junior general’s battle attire, his features delicate and refined.
If one were to rank appearances in the book, both Shen Jinxiao and Zhou Yingkui would be at the top. But if Leng Yaoda were included… everyone else would likely have to step aside.
The girl watched the man, secretly clenching her fingers until her knuckles turned white.
Su Luo’an glanced over and noticed the changing expressions on Leng Yaoda’s face. Unable to resist, the young man mocked, “Well, well, why is the pampered, noble young lady suddenly silent? Could it be because my master is here? Who would have thought that the fearless Leng Yaoda would also fawn over the powerful and trample on the weak!”
Hearing his words, Leng Yaoda let out a heavy sigh inwardly.
As for why a junior general like Su Luo’an clashed so fiercely with Leng Yaoda, it all started a few years ago.
Leng Yaoda had known Zhou Yingkui before, and because of her father, she was acquainted not only with Zhou Yingkui but also with Su Luo’an.
Su Luo’an had served as a young centurion under Leng Yu’s command for three years, personally recommended by his master, Zhou Yingkui.
Not long after, Su Luo’an rose through the ranks thanks to his talent, eventually becoming the fifth-grade junior general he was today. During his frequent visits to the palace, the young man happened to meet a princess born of a concubine—Shen Jinxiao’s half-sister.
The princess was two years older than Su Luo’an and had already reached the age to marry. Su Luo’an was captivated by Princess Lingzhao’s gentle and charming nature, hoping to earn more military achievements before requesting the emperor to bestow her hand in marriage to him.
It was well-known that imperial consorts could not participate in politics or attend court, indicating that Su Luo’an truly loved her, willing to give up the military achievements he had painstakingly earned.
But in April last year, Princess Lingzhao was bestowed in marriage by Shen Jinxiao to a prince from another kingdom as his principal consort, dealing a heavy blow to Su Luo’an.
And Leng Yaoda’s role in all this was… that of a sharp-tongued, spoiled cannon fodder supporting female character.
The girl and Princess Lingzhao had been at odds due to past grievances. The original Leng Yaoda was indeed so spoiled that she feared no one, especially a princess like Lingzhao, who was neither favored nor of legitimate birth.
The two had been at odds for a long time, something Su Luo’an was aware of. However, since he worked under Leng Yaoda’s father, he maintained a superficially amicable relationship with the girl.
The breaking point came after Princess Lingzhao’s marriage alliance.
Unable to hold back, Leng Yaoda confided in her friends at the Hunting Grounds in May last year about Princess Lingzhao’s duplicity—acting one way in front of others and another behind their backs.
But in Leng Yaoda’s memory, this was true; the original Leng Yaoda hadn’t lied.
Although the original Leng Yaoda was indeed spoiled and unrestrained, deep down, she wasn’t a bad person. After all, someone raised by people like Leng Yu and Zhao Yujin couldn’t turn out to be truly wicked.Su Luo’an was also at the hunting grounds. The young man was already in low spirits, and as he passed by Leng Yaoda, he overheard a snippet of conversation. On the spot, he started arguing with the original host over Princess Lingzhao.
The incident escalated dramatically, nearly alarming even Shen Jinxiao. It was only through the joint intervention of Zhou Yingkui and Leng Yu that the matter was prevented from reaching the emperor.
Leng Yaoda was so furious she burst into tears, while Su Luo’an’s eyes were red with rage. Had Leng Yaoda not been a delicate noble lady, the young man might have slapped her right then and there.
Looking back now, both sides were at fault.
Leng Yaoda should not have gossiped or spoken ill of others behind their backs. Regardless of Princess Lingzhao’s status as a princess deserving of proper respect and dignity, treating anyone—even an ordinary person—in such a manner was inappropriate.
Su Luo’an, on the other hand, should not have humiliated a noble lady in public. At the time, the young man hurled many harsh and offensive words at her, leaving Leng Yaoda both angry and wronged, crying until she was breathless.
From then on, Su Luo’an and Leng Yaoda became almost sworn enemies, the kind who could never coexist under the same sky.
Although her own daughter was also at fault, the immense humiliation and insult she suffered caused the original host to remain indoors for three full months, nearly falling seriously ill from the confinement.
As a result, Su Luo’an was subtly “targeted” by Leng Yu for half a year, though nothing too severe came of it.
It was just things like making the young man run thirty laps for no reason or dragging him out of bed in the middle of the night while he was sound asleep to practice horse stances.
This only fueled Su Luo’an’s resentment, and he directed all his anger toward Leng Yaoda. When they met again during the New Year festivities, another explosive confrontation nearly erupted.
Fortunately, Zhou Yingkui and Leng Yu had anticipated this and kept the two children far apart, barely managing to defuse the situation.
Thus, over the past year, although they had only met a handful of times, each encounter caused quite a stir.
Rumors even spread in the capital: if you ever see the young General Su in his red robes and the only daughter of the Marshal of the Nation crossing paths, stay far away to avoid getting blood on yourself.
Leng Yaoda had been preoccupied with “escaping marriage” lately and had completely forgotten about this matter.
However, in her view, it didn’t stir much emotion within her—after all, it was just two immature children bickering. Even if they were destined to clash, it wasn’t a big deal.
The real challenge lay with Zhou Yingkui.
The man’s eyes were as enchanting as a fox’s, yet his gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s, always able to see through people’s hearts at first glance.
Leng Yaoda wasn’t surprised that Zhou Yingkui possessed such abilities. In the book, the man had repeatedly managed to trip up even Lu Zhiyou.
At this thought, the young lady’s eyes brightened slightly.
That’s right—she had almost forgotten. In the book, Zhou Yingkui and Su Luo’an would soon find themselves at odds with Lu Zhiyou.
Lu Zhiyou was a man of ill intentions, an utterly unscrupulous and despicable individual.
Seeing him grow increasingly close to Shen Jinxiao in secret, Zhou Yingkui began a series of judgments against the young man to prevent his good friend from being led into the abyss by Lu Zhiyou.
The only one capable of opposing Lu Zhiyou in the shadows was likely this Regent.
Su Luo’an, on the other hand, wasn’t particularly bright-minded—he simply followed wherever his master went. If she could win Zhou Yingkui over to her side, Su Luo’an, that firecracker, would fizzle out.
Thinking this, the young lady felt somewhat pleased and even smiled after being scolded.
Su Luo’an: ?
Noticing this, Zhou Yingkui raised an eyebrow slightly.The young general in red furrowed his brow. “Leng Yaoda, what’s wrong with you? Has your brain suddenly gone bad or something? You don’t cry, you only laugh?”
Su Luo’an’s voice carried a sharp edge. Just as Leng Yaoda was about to reply, Zhou Yingkui, who had been silently watching the young woman, spoke up.
“Luo’an, that’s rather presumptuous.”