There were many parts to the coming-of-age ceremony.
Li Xiao had already memorized each and every one of them before this.
She also tried her best to cooperate with every elder and relatives.
After performing all the sets, she was so tired that her waist was sore.
After the ceremony, Li Xiao went back to the backyard to take a bath.
Everyone went to the side courtyard for afternoon tea. Lord Chen invited a troupe.
He couldn't let these madams and misses just come to watch the ceremony.
Lord Chen and Li Zhun personally sent the Crown Princess out of the House of Chen.
When Chen Jue sent the Crown Princess off,
After a moment of silence, when the Crown Princess was about to get into the carriage, he finally said, "Chen Jue thanks the Crown Princess —"
The Crown Princess turned her head to look at Chen Jue. Before he could finish thanking her,
She interrupted him, "The most unbearable thing in this world is a debt of gratitude.
You once helped me.
Now I'm helping you.
I didn't thank you before, not because I felt that you handled the case impartially.
Now, you don't have to thank me. "
She didn't speak quickly and in a low tone.
But it was still impossible to ignore the weight of her words.
Chen Jue looked at her and couldn't help but smile after tasting her words.
Thinking back to when he helped the Crown Princess, many people talked nonsense to him.
They said that the Crown Princess didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.
She needed his help.
In the end, she didn't even thank him.
There were also people who said that the Crown Princess was self-righteous because of her status.
They even said that the Crown Princess couldn't compare to a lady from a noble family.
That status was the foundation built by several generations of people, and the Crown Princess was just a floating status that anyone could casually touch.
She had received such a great favor from Chen Jue, but she didn't thank him. Wouldn't her status be even more unstable in the future …
In the end … after so many years, the Crown Princess was still the Crown Princess, but many families had gone from prosperity to decline.
And today, the Crown Princess, who had been mocked for not knowing how to thank him, helped him greatly and said such words to him.
Obviously, it wasn't that she didn't know what everyone thought of her. She just …
Had her own thoughts.
Chen Jue didn't say anything else and just smiled as he watched the Crown Princess board the carriage.
After the carriage door was closed, Chen Jue prepared to stand and watch the carriage leave before returning to the banquet.
In the end, the Crown Princess lifted the curtain of the carriage and said indifferently, "Lord Chen, go back and do your work. The whole courtyard is waiting for you."
Without waiting for Chen Jue to reply, he withdrew his hand.
The curtains of the carriage swayed a couple of times before everything returned to normal.
Chen Jue's lips twitched slightly as he turned and led Uncle Li Zhun back to the side courtyard.
Li Xiao had already taken a bath and changed into an ordinary light yellow dress. Her hair was tied into a single bun, and her face was rosy. She was sitting next to Chai Hengyu. The two little girls were watching the play and whispering to each other.
Chen Jue saw her from afar, and his heart softened. From behind, he could see the soft strands of hair on the back of her neck …
After confirming that the little lass was doing well, Chen Jue walked around the middle courtyard and sat down in the tea room on the side.
There were several youths and men sitting in the tea room.
Wang Yi, Xu Ting, Zhang Tang, and the others were all in this room.
This tea room was half a story higher than the courtyard below. Sitting in this tea room, people could hide a little, but they could also see the bustling scene on the stage in front of them.
Chen Jue sat by the window. Through the window, he first looked at the womenfolk below before looking at the stage.
Zhang Tang drank tea while looking at the stage, but he muttered, "After the hairpin ceremony, it's time to talk about marriage. County Magistrate Li, what plans do you have?"
Li Zhun was thinking about something when he was suddenly called out by Zhang Tang. He was stunned for a moment, and then his gaze fell on Chen Jue with some hesitation.
What was Chen Jue thinking?
Chen Jue turned his head and glanced at Zhang Tang. His eyes were cold, as if he disliked Zhang Tang for being talkative.
Zhang Tang smacked his lips and was a little scared. But then he remembered that his wife had helped Lord Chen with such a big matter, so he could straighten his back a little.
"I see that many madams are looking at Li Xiao. I guess they are tempted.
Those madams all have young men of the right age in their manors who are not engaged. "
Zhang Tang couldn't help it. He had to poison Lord Chen again. If he didn't hurry up and put the little girl in his pocket, she wouldn't be spoiled by other pigs!
Chen Jue looked at the seats outside the window with some displeasure. Sure enough, many madams were looking at Li Xiao.
There was also a madam sitting next to Li Xiao, holding Li Xiao's hand and saying something.
Chen Jue frowned and felt a little irritated.
The play was still being performed below the stage. The young female lead's voice was gentle, causing all the young ladies and madams to tilt their heads and listen carefully.
Li Xiao put down her teacup and muttered a few words to Chai Hengyu beside her. The two young ladies stood up and walked in the direction of the latrine.
Xu Ting, Wang Yi, and the others were sitting by the window sill. When they saw Li Xiao and Chai Hengyu stand up, their gazes followed the two young ladies.
Today was the coolest day in these days. The hottest time had just passed, and the heat of autumn had also slightly subsided.
A slight breeze blew through the window, bringing with it a cool breeze that made many people feel refreshed.
Wang Yi raised his head and swept a glance at the eaves and treetops around him. Then he picked up his teacup and continued to drink tea and watch the play.
Chen Jue stared at the play below and was also immersed in his own thoughts.
Not long after, Li Xiao returned with Chai Hengyu. The two young ladies had just walked out of the back path and had not yet circled back to the courtyard from the cloister when they suddenly heard a few strange sounds.
Chen Jue and the others vigilantly looked up and looked around. Dozens of people fell from the sky and landed in the courtyard.
The people on the stage had not yet reacted and were still singing, but the madams and young ladies below had already stood up in alarm.
When the commotion started, the people on the stage suddenly realized what was going on. The melodious singing turned into screams, causing the entire courtyard to go out of control.
Chen Jue turned around and rushed towards the stairs, Xu Ting followed closely behind.
Wang Yi directly supported himself on the windowsill and jumped down from the stairs.
The men in black seemed to have no target. They chased after the people they saw. They slashed the tables and chairs next to the madams and young ladies, causing the young ladies and madams to scream and flee. Some fell, some bumped, some hid under the tables, and some held their heads and screamed — —
The whole courtyard was crowded for a time. Pink clothes and yellow skirts were everywhere. They flashed by, and could not be caught or caught.
After Chen Jue rushed down the courtyard, it was even difficult to find Li Xiao among the women.
In this courtyard, every one of them was the family of a high official or noble. Some were the wives of ministers, and some were the daughters of ministers.
If any of them were injured, it would be a big event that would shake the capital.
Chen Jue had no time to care about other things. Relying on his memory, he rushed to the place where Li Xiao was just now.
But the courtyard was originally very big. Suddenly, so many people were running around like headless flies. It suddenly became crowded.
He was so anxious that his whole body was cold, and his heart was filled with anger.
The Shadow Guards hiding in the surroundings and the guards outside the courtyard rushed over, but they only made the situation more chaotic. They were unable to control the situation in an instant.
The men in black did not seem to want to kill, but they forced all the madams and young ladies to run around like ducks.
Chen Jue looked at the scene and his heart sank.
"Ah — —"
Suddenly, Li Xiao's scream came from behind Chen Jue. Her weak voice reached the limit of her range. She did not stop until her throat was broken and hoarse.
When Chen Jue heard this voice, he was so scared that his whole body went soft. He turned around — —
… …
In the distance, Li Xiao and Chai Hengyu had just returned to the courtyard when the accident suddenly happened.
When she touched Lord Chen, she saw what was about to happen in the courtyard.
She had been thinking about it over and over again these past few nights. She remembered it over and over again, and simulated it over and over again.
But when it happened, her fingers still could not stop trembling.
She still couldn't control the goosebumps on her back. That kind of shocking feeling made her both excited and afraid.
But strangely, her mind was exceptionally clear.
After reenacting today's scene countless times in his mind, at this moment, Li Xiao only felt that everything in front of him was like a dream.
It was as if everyone's movements had slowed down a little.
Her mind was filled with everyone's next move, and the next scene that was about to happen in front of her.
When the man in black who was responsible for disrupting the scene achieved his goal, and the man in black who was responsible for killing her suddenly jumped down from the eaves, Li Xiao's heart raced, but her eyes were particularly focused.
She pushed Chai Hengyu to the inside of the corridor. In the next moment, the dagger was already in her hand.
She had dissected every move of the murderer in front of her countless times in her mind. She had analyzed his habits and movements countless times. She had even tried to figure out the height and arm length of this person …
She saw that the man in black was like in her memory. He first took a step with his left foot, then jumped up and held the railing of the corridor with one hand. In the next moment, he would jump into the corridor and kill her with the long dagger.
Li Xiao did not retreat. Instead, when the man in black jumped up and held the railing of the corridor with his hand, she took a step forward. When no one expected it, she rushed to the front of the man in black and pulled out the dagger in her sleeve.
But the man in black did not have time to change his actions. His hand was already on the railing of the corridor in the next moment!
This was the moment!
Li Xiao opened her eyes wide and screamed loudly. She stabbed the dagger down fiercely.
… …
Chen Jue turned his head and saw that Li Xiao had stabbed the dagger into the man's hand.
It was not like he was worried that she would be hurt in his panic.
His heart slightly relaxed, but the movement of his feet became even faster.
Many of the men in black looked back and saw that their companions had been assassinated. Some of them who were close to Li Xiao immediately rushed toward Li Xiao. They still had a backup plan!
If the person in charge of killing Li Xiao failed, the others would have to replace him as soon as possible.
Li Xiao held the dagger and felt the resistance and cutting sensation when the dagger pierced into the flesh. It made her tremble all over.
After she withdrew her hand, she looked up and saw Lord Chen. She ran away.
When Lord Chen rushed to the corridor, Li Xiao hid behind Lord Chen and grabbed Lord Chen's clothes. She was trembling and did not let go.
Chen Jue also hugged her. He had already pulled out the sword at his waist and blocked the man in black's sword. However, he felt his arm shake and was in extreme pain.