Abandoned Princesses
Shijiao Court

That morning, Shen Haofeng still couldn't forget Qiao Rong's expression as he pushed her violently yesterday. I don't know why his chest hurts so much. He had tried to analyze his qi flow, but nothing was wrong.

Shen Haofeng who was usually early in the morning was preparing to go to the mountain now even daydreamed since he woke up. Even his sleep that night was not at all sound. He can't sleep.

The sudden buzzing of the door from Jiang Junwei made him startled. The figure of Jiang Junwei who emerged from the door looked stupefied.

"Your Majesty, I just arrived here in the Moon Shadow, but the first thing I saw was that girl who was surrounded by noisy citizens." Hearing that, Shen Haofeng regained consciousness from all his daydreams and stood up from the bed.

"What?! How come?" Jiang Junwei was even more shocked because suddenly Shen Haofeng who had never shouted so worriedly could let out such a tone of speech.

"Hamba just heard something about a stolen bracelet." Jiang Junwei now stood up straight and cleaned up the messy parts of his body.

Shen Haofeng immediately ran out of the house.

*****

"Master! Give justice to our family!" Inside the Shijiao Provincial court, Lady Xu was crying so miserably.

"What's the problem?" Mr. Ji, the official in charge of the Shijiao Province court asked calmly. Mr. Ji who was sitting in the judge's seat did not expect there would be a case that disturbed him early in the morning.

Mr. Ji is a man in his 30s who already has a wife and two children. Mr. Ji got his post by buying it from the prefectural officials using the help of his family. He is not fair, he is lazy, but at least he is smart.

"This girl rejected our family proposal twice! Oh, twice, unfortunately my son Xu Pingluo!! Even to the point of lying that he was engaged! Yesterday my precious bracelet went missing and was instead found in his brother's residence!" Lady Xu returned to acting to cause pity to the other lower court officials.

Qiao Rong could only smile sarcastically next to Madam Xu.

"You! What defense?" Master Ji now pointed at Qiao Rong who seemed to be even relaxed. He was a little curious about the attitude of the girl.

"Replying Mr. Ji, Mrs Xu said without proof." Qiao Rong opened his mouth while clenching both hands on his chest.

"Well! The evidence?! Obviously the bracelet was found in your brother's house!" Madam Xu shouted and started crying again. Beside him, Xu Yao could only come face to face.

Mr. Ji lightly pinched his forehead. Ten years in office he never found an old woman so dramatic that she made his head hurt.

"Very many houses in Nanshan Village, why is the madam only checking my sister's house? Fortunately, you once checked to find the bracelet. Who else could have guessed it accurately if not who put it themselves?" Qiao Rong explained logically.

"Rubber! Of course the gods helped me because this cunning girl rejected my son twice! So I'm so lucky!" Madam Xu still did not want to lose in the argument.

Mr. Ji also knew the incident was very strange, he had also predicted that Madam Xu had put it on her own to trap the girl. Mr. Ji understood Mrs Xu's intention to use the legal path so that the girl would be forced to become his son's wife.

However, Ji Tuo knew Xu Pingluo, although the young man was lazy, but he was notoriously smart. If he helped him in the court at this time, later when the young man was lucky and passed the exam, surely he would get something for helping him get a wife.

Master Ji just nodded. He certainly had to help Lady Xu this time though he knew that Qiao Rong was not wrong. However, he did not bet, nor would he lose anything just because of making an unfair decision for a village girl.

Qiao Rong could already see Master Ji's gaze. He knew Mr. Ji would not side with him. Just as his hand was about to take out the palace token that Chu Yue had inserted earlier in the morning before they went to the court, suddenly a young man appeared from behind and advanced towards them.

Qiao Rong was greatly shocked when he turned around and instead found Shen Haofeng.

"Master, I am the fiancee of this girl. He did not lie to the Xu Family." The statement left everyone in the court, including Qiao Rong dumbfounded.

"Lied sir! Obviously we've checked out the house this girl pointed to, but there's no one! There's also never been an engagement event in months!" Madam Xu was getting restless.

"That's because I was away a few weeks, regarding the engagement, it was done in our hometown. We are from the same hometown. I moved to Nanshan Village first, and he followed with his brothers." Hearing that, Mr. Ji knew he could not help Mrs Xu.

Master Ji could not do anything because of the engagement, so even Qiao Rong would not be able to accept the Xu Family's proposal by force. But he also did not have the heart to punish Lady Xu for the stolen bracelet issue. He decided to take the safest path. But just as he was about to make a final decision, Qiao Rong suddenly took out that token.

"Master certainly knows this token. Master didn't think that my brother would need to steal the bracelet, did he?" Qiao Rong smiled sinisterly looking at Ji Tuo's already whitened face.

Ji Tuo had just wanted to kneel down immediately, but Qiao Rong found out about it and immediately gave Ji Tuo the code by shaking his head. Master Ji understood Qiao Rong's intentions, because in this court, only a chief judge like himself could recognize the token. Then Master Ji could only cooperate with Qiao Rong to not reveal his true identity.

"Xu Jianing, false accusations and plotting entrapment, 20 blows!" Mr. Ji issued the final verdict of the court.

Madam Xu instantly paled and fainted on the spot. Xu Yao who saw her mother sprawled immediately panicked and looked at Madam Xu.

"Master!" Xu Yao called out to Master Ji. Mr. Ji also understood that the punishment could not be carried out if Mrs Xu fainted.

"Punishment will be carried out after the offender is conscious." Master Ji gave an edict, this was the last favor he could give the Xu Family. He could only spare the fate of the Xu Family. They play with people who should not be disturbed. What if they knew the girl they wanted to marry was the Emperor's daughter?

Mr. Ji shook his head. But one thing he was puzzling over was the matter of Qiao Rong's engagement. Clearly from the two Emperor princesses, Princess Lan was unlikely to go to Nanshan Village, let alone disguise herself. Of course Ji Tuo could conclude that the seventh princess was the one who came that day. However, wasn't the seventh princess already engaged to General Su's second son? Then who is that young man?

Master Ji twisted his brain, yet could find no other reason unless the young man was the mistress of the seventh princess. Ji Tuo shook his head once more, he would not be willing to deal with things that were beyond his reach.

*****

Shen Haofeng was actually very confused. He had gone to great lengths to come and reason as Qiao Rong's fiancee, but the girl still took out her token. Even this morning he immediately ran without breakfast, asking the other villagers here and there about what happened. He was very worried. What was that girl thinking?

"Thank you, but I, Qiao Rong, never let my enemies go without a reply." Qiao Rong appeared with a smile from behind Shen Haofeng, as if he could read the young man's mind.

Shen Haofeng understood, it was indeed already the stubborn nature of the girl that made her issue the token. Shen Haofeng smiled. He forgot all his worries for a moment and looked at Qiao Rong's smile calmly.

He felt relieved instantly, at least with or without his help the girl was able to get out of the court without the slightest scuff.

"So you said. um. fiancee. Is it okay, I mean, the villagers would know.." Seeing Shen Haofeng's smile, Qiao Rong's face reddened. He was very surprised when the young man said so, but somehow he was also happy, it would be great if indeed Shen Haofeng who became his fiancee.

"No ap—" Shen Haofeng had not had time to reply, but his head felt very light. He could feel his body numb, instantly he did not have any control over his body.

"Shen Haofeng!!" Qiao Rong shouted, and immediately moved forward to capture the young man's body.

Shen Haofeng could only hear the voice faintly.

And everything went dark.