They were in charge of being beautiful, and she was in charge of taking the hits.

Chapter 21 You Dare Not

Her arrival at the court was indeed unexpected for many, but they still greeted her politely as a sign of respect. However, it was all superficial. Only the generals from the Situ family, who arrived late, were truly warm towards her.

Wu Chengling arrived shortly after, and was also surprised to see Wu Ziyan. He then politely but sarcastically asked, "Fourth Sister, what brings you to court today?"

"Third Sister, please don't say that. We've all done our best for the Empress, how can you say we don't care?" she replied politely.

"Fourth sister, when did you become so familiar with these generals? Didn't they just return to court recently?" The words were barbed and sarcastic. If you put it well, it would be that she was popular and could chat with anyone; if you didn't, it would be another accusation that she was trying to win over the court officials!

Wu Chengye walked up from behind, his tone unfriendly: "Hmph, the general of the Situ family, I'm afraid he won't be able to sit still either!"

With just that sarcastic remark, and without saying anything more, Wu Chengling walked with her, leaving Wu Ziyan behind. Wu Ziyan stood on tiptoe and patted Chu Feng's shoulder: "It's alright, don't worry!"

The Empress sat in the main hall, her hands resting on the dragon heads on either side of the dragon-headed chair. She wore a red and black brocade robe embroidered with dragons, and a dragon-carved crown on her head, exuding majesty. Wu Ziyan stared at the Empress for a long time. Everyone else had their heads down, but her gaze was straight ahead, making no attempt to hide her desire for that seat.

First came the usual declaration, to see if anyone had anything to report. Then, the Queen dismissed everyone's formalities, and they all went on to report what they had to say.

Everyone thought the court was about to adjourn.

Wu Chengye suddenly knelt down: "Your Majesty, General Situ has returned from his campaign, but I've heard some rumors that..."

The Empress did not speak. Wu Chengye found her reaction strange. He knew that if she mentioned something he already knew, he should have received an order.

Wu Ziyan gave the three Situ sisters a look, and they immediately knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, we are guilty!"

"Oh? What crime have the generals committed?" The Empress lazily raised her eyes and glanced at them.

The eldest brother, Chu Feng, spoke up: "Your Majesty, my fourth brother disguised himself as a woman, donned armor, and took the position of general!"

"Ah, General Situ has four sons?" The onlookers chimed in.

"I've never heard of that before."

"This is a serious crime; the Situ family is probably finished."

"Ah, I've heard that the Situ family has a very close relationship with the eldest princess."

Everyone was discussing it, and the three Situ sisters were also sweating slightly. This was really a risky move. They never expected that they would put their hopes on Wu Ziyan.

"Indeed guilty! But if I punish them severely, how can I face the soldiers on the border?" The Empress's eyes swept over the people below who were discussing the matter.

When Wu Chengye saw that the Empress had only said such a casual word, he felt something was wrong. The Empress then said, "But it is indeed inappropriate for a man to go into battle. He will stay in the court and not go to the border. Moreover, I originally intended to promote another general back to the court."

The three Situs exchanged glances, and Chu Feng spoke up: "Your Majesty, I am willing to stay in the court and protect the capital."

Chu Feng was the most capable, which was what the Empress wanted to see. The Empress nodded, but ultimately did not keep him. "Let's just let this matter go for today," Wu Chengye asked. "If we punish him like this, what will happen in the future?"

"All right!"

The Empress looked indignant, and Wu Chengye dared not say anything more. If the Empress hadn't felt that the punishment would disrupt the balance between the princesses, she would have wanted to divide the power of the Situ family long ago. This was good, as it was equivalent to removing one of the old Situ's arms, which made her feel a little more at ease.

Wu Ziyan watched the whole thing. Her purpose was simply to observe the situation and intervene if necessary. After the court session, the Empress left Wu Ziyan alone and went to the inner palace.

"Ziyan, you have wasted many years since you established your own residence, neglecting state affairs. I have turned a blind eye to it, but now that you have entered the world, you should attend court and manage affairs." She sounded just like a heartfelt old mother.

"Mother, I am not as brave as my eldest sister, as intelligent as my second sister, nor as astute as my third sister... I..."

"You, you... well, never mind. I hope you know your limits. I'll leave Situ's matter to you. Here, take this plaque."

She wanted to see if her fourth daughter had been hiding her true abilities all these years.

The female official handed over the plaque, which Wu Ziyan did not recognize, but it had a black and gilded character "Wu" on it, which looked extraordinary. Wu Ziyan did not ask what it was, but put it away and rushed to the Empress's side to massage her shoulders. This action startled everyone.

"Mother, you must be exhausted. Don't worry, I'll handle Situ's matter. I have a gift for you." Her eyes were innocent and carefree, without any ulterior motives. The Empress felt as if she were still a child.

The Empress sighed inwardly, wondering what Wu Ziyan was up to. But then she took out a perfume from her sleeve, which had a calming effect and was pleasant to smell.

The Empress accepted the incense and smiled happily. She then told Wu Ziyan that she was a little tired and asked her to leave. After Wu Ziyan had gone far away, the Empress handed the incense to the female official: "Go and check it."

Yes, no one can let their guard down, especially her fourth daughter who has recently undergone a sudden change in personality. She has to keep a close eye on her. After the final test, it turned out to be just ordinary incense with no other substances, which put her at ease.

Wu Ziyan walked out, stretched, and strolled slowly along the road, looking at the roadside vendors and the decorations in the shops, like a rich little girl with nothing to do.

But others were intimidated when they saw her going to the stall, after all, she was still wearing her court robes!

As she walked, she kept squinting and looking back, because not long after she left the palace gates, someone had been watching her. She was deliberately circling the streets, just to see when that person would make their move.

Finally, she walked to the entrance of a quiet, secluded alley, turned her back to her, and said, "Come out."

"Fourth Princess, my master requests your presence." The man also emerged from one side of the alley.

"Who is your master? Everyone knows I'm the Fourth Princess, yet you still invite people like this?" Wu Ziyan was not afraid at all, because if the other party wanted to make a move, they would have done so long ago, and there would be no need to come this far.

"I'm just a messenger, please don't make things difficult for me, please come with me."

Wu Ziyan's mind raced, trying to figure out who would seek her out in this way. The Prime Minister? Impossible. He hadn't touched her interests yet.

Wu Chengye? That doesn't seem like it either. If she were capable of doing this, she would have acted already. She wouldn't be so secretive if she were one of her own. The only person she's recently provoked is the Fang family. The fact that she hasn't made a move but has been quietly following them makes it seem very likely.

“Go back and tell your master to come in person, otherwise I won’t go.”

"Don't blame me for getting rough!"

Despite saying that, the other party showed no intention of making a move. Wu Ziyan patted the man in black's hand: "You wouldn't dare!"