Chapter 30: Taken to the Magistrate's Office

Sheng Mingyue smiled at her, bowed slightly, and said in a soft voice, "This young lady looks familiar. I wonder if..."

Halfway through her sentence, she seemed to recall something, and the curve of her lips deepened. "Could you be the Miss Yun who blocked the Ninth Prince's carriage on the street that day?"

As these words fell, the smile on Yun Shengsheng’s face stiffened, and her hand gripping the umbrella handle tightened abruptly.

"The Ninth Prince?" Yang Zhiwen turned her head in suspicion, looking at her thoughtfully before whispering, "Sister Yun, you know the Ninth Prince?"

"I do not."

"Then she..."

"She is just a servant, what would she know?" Yun Shengsheng shot her a glare, her expression showing impatience. "Why bother listening to her nonsense?"

Rebuffed, Yang Zhiwen turned away sullenly. When her gaze fell back on Jia’an, it became sharp again. "Well? Still refusing to leave? Is five taels of silver not enough for you?"

Jia’an narrowed her eyes, anger rushing to her head; she nearly ground her teeth to dust. "You wretched girl, do you know who I am?"

"Who cares who you are?" Yang Zhiwen sneered with disdain. "If you don’t leave now, don't blame me for using force!"

"This young lady is being rather aggressive," Sheng Mingyue said with a faint smile and an even tone. "Are you not afraid of hitting a stone wall?"

Yang Zhiwen paused for a moment, then pressed a handkerchief to her lips and laughed unreservedly. "The 'stone wall' you speak of... you don't mean the two of you beggars, do you?"

"Our mistress is Princess Jia’an, the daughter of the current Grand Princess," Sheng Mingyue raised her chin, not a trace of fear in her eyes. "Before you speak or act, you might want to consider how many heads you have."

"Princess... Jia’an?" Yang Zhiwen’s face shifted slightly, her bravado weakening as she looked at Yun Shengsheng with a helpless expression.

Yun Shengsheng looked on with disdain, curling her lips into a smile. "Sheng Mingyue, I truly underestimated you. You dare to say anything."

"It is true that the Grand Princess has been married in the Northern Desert for over a decade and has a daughter, but they are in the Northern Desert. How could they possibly be here?" Yun Shengsheng shook her head helplessly, her eyes growing more mocking. "Do you truly think that by putting on a few rags and braiding your hair, you can become a princess?"

"Sheng Mingyue, you are being disrespectful to nobility and spreading rumors. Do you know what kind of crime that is?"

Hearing this, Yang Zhiwen let out a sigh of relief. Coming from a modest background, she relied on Yun Shengsheng to gain face. Now that she saw Yun Shengsheng's disgust for the servant, how could she miss the chance to show her loyalty?

"You lowly maid, you dare to trick us!" Fury rising, Yang Zhiwen pointed at Sheng Mingyue and commanded the maid behind her, "Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, Xi'er, beat her soundly!"

As the words were spoken, the Yang family maid stepped forward, preparing to strike.

"Let’s see who dares to touch her!" Jia’an, filled with rage, kicked the Yang family maid. "You’ve grown tired of living, daring to strike my people!"

Sheng Mingyue’s eyes flickered as she looked at her, masking her surprise. The little maid lay on the ground, clutching her stomach and screaming in pain.

"You..." Yang Zhiwen froze, pointing a trembling finger at her. "You are insane! How dare you strike my servant!"

Yun Shengsheng’s face was livid, her cold eyes watching the farce. She was about to become the Crown Princess; at such a critical juncture, she could not afford to be the subject of gossip or leave behind any leverage. She would let others do the dirty work.

"Sister Yun, they are simply going too far!" Yang Zhiwen was no fool; seeing her companion remain silent, she insisted on pulling her in to back her up.

Yun Shengsheng’s expression grew even uglier. She gently pulled her hand away and spoke in a flat tone, "Zhiwen, where did all the things I taught you go? If a beast bites you, would you bite it back?"

"Publicly assaulting people—such uncouth, ill-bred commoners will be dealt with by the authorities."

"You!" Jia’an’s face flushed red, and in her extreme fury, she prepared to lash out.

*(The little Princess is still too naive, letting them provoke her with just a few words. Too reckless!)*

"Princess, do not be angry with them," Sheng Mingyue said, gently pulling her arm. "If they want to report us to the authorities, let them. Since they doubt your identity, we might as well use this opportunity to let them see the truth."

Sheng Mingyue’s left hand was injured, so she could only use her right to pull her, her strength limited. Jia’an glanced at her left hand, which was wrapped like a rice dumpling, and stood her ground, stopping her movements.

Seeing them quiet down, Yang Zhiwen assumed she had gained the upper hand. She snorted coldly and ordered her servant, Yumo, to report them to the authorities.

"Miss..." Yumo looked back at her mistress with hesitation.

Yun Shengsheng stared intently at the two across from her and slowly spat out two words: "Go."

"Yes." Receiving the order, Yumo grabbed an umbrella and ran off without looking back.

Yang Zhiwen arched her brows triumphantly, her voice filled with schadenfreude. "When the officers arrive, let’s see how you two commoners cover this up! Pretending to be a princess—I hope they beat you half to death!"

Sheng Mingyue smiled, her expression composed. "When the officers arrive, I hope you can still manage to smile, Miss."

Yang Zhiwen’s lips stiffened, and she glanced hesitantly at Yun Shengsheng, a flicker of unease in her heart.

Yun Shengsheng looked at her, and seeing her such composure, a flash of panic crossed her expression.

Could it be... that the woman really is Princess Jia’an?

Having heard that someone was impersonating the Princess to cause trouble, the yamen officers arrived very quickly, surrounding the clothing shop tightly to ensure the troublemakers could not escape.

"Who is it that dares to impersonate the Princess!"

The officers charged in with blades drawn. The shopkeeper’s vision went black, wishing he could faint on the spot, as he waved his hands repeatedly. "A misunderstanding, officers! It is all a misunderstanding!"

"What misunderstanding?" Yang Zhiwen snorted coldly. She beckoned to the officers, then pointed at the two across from her and declared loudly, "It is them! Not only are they impersonating the Princess, but they even used the Princess's name to injure my maid!"

"Look closely! You must arrest them and give them a hundred lashes!"

"I pay my respects to Miss Yun."

The officer ignored Yang Zhiwen and instead walked up to Yun Shengsheng to offer courtesies.

Yun Shengsheng nodded slightly, her gaze passing over the two across from her as she said softly, "I had no intention of blowing this out of proportion, but they claimed to be Princess Jia’an. As far as I know, the Grand Princess is in the Northern Desert and has not yet returned to Chu. Since I encountered this today, I cannot allow commoners to go around swindling others in the name of the Grand Princess and the little Princess."

"Miss Yun is truly kind-hearted, I understand," the officer agreed repeatedly, showering her with flattery before turning to look at the other two, his face instantly turning cold. "Two women, yet so shameless to engage in such fraudulent acts, daring to impersonate the nobility. Men, seize them both!"

"Wait!" Sheng Mingyue curled her lips, a flash of mockery in her eyes, and spoke loudly, "If you want to take us away, I fear it won't be that easy."

"Trouble yourself to send someone to the Prince of Jing’an’s estate and ask whether the Grand Princess has returned to Chu."

Sheng Mingyue raised her hand slightly, her expression absolutely certain as she slowly added, "The Grand Princess is currently in the Prince’s estate, resting for her pregnancy. I am a servant of the Ninth Prince; if I lacked the conviction, would I dare speak such empty words?"