Su Mingyu sensed the arrow’s approach and used the handle of her ladle to deflect it in a backhanded motion. She looked toward the woman at the edge of the crowd, her eyes filled with confusion. "Rong'er? What are you doing?"
Rong'er was dressed in armor, flanked by several soldiers. One of them spoke up indignantly, "Is 'Rong'er' a name for the likes of you to use? Who do you think you are?"
Su Mingyu frowned. Everything had been fine just a few days ago—why the sudden, intense hostility? She set down her ladle, crossed her arms, and looked at Rong'er. "Isn't your name Rong'er? Or do you go by something else? Since you never introduced yourself to me, what was I supposed to call you? 'Hey, woman'?"
"Audacious! This is the beloved daughter of the General of Cloud Cavalry in our Shenwu Army, the only female Colonel in our ranks, and our youngest master archer! You—some vixen from nowhere, not even fit to carry our Colonel's shoes—how dare you use her given name?"
Su Mingyu pursed her lips and chuckled. "That's such a mouthful of a title; I honestly can't remember all of that. Besides, I don't really have any interest in your glorious combat record. I just want to ask this lady Colonel: how is my porridge distribution bothering you? Why shoot an arrow at me out of the blue?"
Rong'er handed her bow to a servant and marched toward her, looking fierce. "Stop putting on an act! You’re just a barbaric swordswoman. Do you think that because you saved a few people, you’re suddenly a hero? Which of the soldiers in our Shenwu Army hasn't bled and sweated on the battlefield to save our country and its people? Everything we do for the Northern Frontier and Daxia is of immeasurable merit! And yet you, by using a few petty tricks to help us secure grain, have grown arrogant, shamelessly clinging to Prince Ning to live in Prince Ning's Estate, and you even dare to pass yourself off as Princess Consort Ning?"
Su Mingyu rubbed her chin and let out a clicking sound. "Oh, I was wondering why the porridge didn't taste sour today—it turns out the vinegar was all coming from you!"
She tilted her head and beamed at the furious Rong'er, saying bluntly, "Ah, so the prince has no heart, but the goddess has all the intent."
At these words, Rong'er grew even more incensed. "Who said I like Prince Ning? Stop spewing nonsense! I just... I just think a vulgar woman like you isn't worthy of him!"
"I never said you liked Prince Ning," Su Mingyu replied, folding her arms with a playful smirk. "And you really haven't grasped the situation, have you? I’m staying at Prince Ning's Estate not because I’m clinging to him, but because he said he only feels at ease having me by his side. If you don't believe me, go ask him."
"You... you shameless hussy!" Rong'er was so enraged her cheeks turned beet red.
Watching her, Su Mingyu found it quite amusing. Despite the intimidating air of her armor, her expressions and gestures were just like a temperamental young wife throwing a tantrum. Unable to help herself, Su Mingyu decided to tease her further.
"What’s so shameless about me? You like him, I like him—let’s just compete fairly. You can't just stop others from getting close to him because you have a crush on him, can you? It’s a good thing I have a generous temper; if it were some delicate, shrinking violet in my place, she might have been scared off and lost Prince Ning’s wife’s position entirely. You’d better be careful, or the Prince you’re so obsessed with might come looking to settle the score with you!"
Overcome with emotion, Rong'er drew the sword from the waist of the soldier beside her and pointed it at Su Mingyu. "You bitch, how dare you smear the Prince's reputation! I'm going to kill you!"
Su Mingyu stepped back with ease, quipping, "Don't get me wrong, but even if you are the only female Colonel in the Shenwu Army, if we actually fought, you wouldn't be my match."
"Skill isn't determined by your wagging tongue," Rong'er snapped, lunging forward. "Stop retreating! Have some guts and take a strike!"
Su Mingyu had intended to keep playing, but seeing the crowd of onlookers growing larger, she realized that if this kept up in such a cramped space, it would lead to a stampede. Just then, a small child holding a broken bowl rushed out from behind her. Su Mingyu hurriedly stopped and, following her momentum, scooped the child up.
But Rong'er, unable to brake in time, lunged forward with her sword aimed straight at Su Mingyu’s back. Su Mingyu felt the killing intent behind her, but realized that anything she did to dodge would inevitably hurt the child in her arms.
*Dammit, I’ve overplayed my hand!*
Su Mingyu held the child tight against her chest, trying to use her own body to block the incoming attack. In a flash, she felt her body go weightless and fell into a warm embrace. She stared in astonishment at the man who had saved her, her mind drifting to a bizarre thought: *Can a person’s nose really be that perfectly straight?*
*Ugh, stop it! Mesmerized by his looks again.*
Su Mingyu regained her composure, stood upright, and suddenly felt shy. "Thank you, Prince Ning."
Murong Ke didn't even glance at her; he turned toward Rong'er, his entire being radiating an icy chill. "Jin Rong'er! Do you have any idea what you are doing?"
The moment she saw the Prince, Rong'er realized she had committed a grave error. She gritted her teeth, not daring to look up. "I... I just wanted to teach this woman who doesn't know her place a lesson."
"Teach her a lesson? By what right? What crime did she commit that required you to attempt murder in front of so many people?"
"I..." Jin Rong'er was left speechless.
"I ask you: as a Colonel in the Shenwu Army, what is the punishment for committing violence in the streets?" Murong Ke demanded, his voice booming with fury.
"I didn't commit violence; I was just sparring with her. Who knew she would only hide..."
"I will ask you one more time: what is the punishment for a Shenwu Army Colonel who commits violence in the streets?" Murong Ke was truly enraged now; the frost radiating from him made those nearby shiver.
Rong'er was trembling with fear, tears streaming down her face. "According to military law... thirty lashes," she whimpered.
Su Mingyu had been watching for a while and felt a pang of guilt. "Um... she didn't mean it, really. It wasn't exactly 'committing violence,' was it? We were just playing around; it wasn't that serious..."
Murong Ke looked back at her coldly, sending a shiver down Su Mingyu’s spine. Meanwhile, the person she was interceding for showed no gratitude. Seeing Su Mingyu’s reaction, the anger that the Prince had suppressed in Rong'er surged again.
"Stop pretending to be the good person here, you hypocritical, shameless woman! Isn't this all your fault? What are you acting so virtuous for in front of the Prince?"
"Jin! Rong! 'Er!" Murong Ke roared. "It seems you still don't realize your own mistakes. Guards, take her back to the camp. She is to receive all thirty lashes—not one less—and then she is to be sent back to the General's estate. I wouldn't dare keep a soldier like this in my ranks!"
Rong'er looked at the Prince in disbelief, her eyes shattered. Su Mingyu wanted to say more, but the Prince glared at her. "Do you think I would have let you off if you hadn't saved that child?"