When Zhou Shihui came over, she stood on tiptoe to watch and asked the onlookers at the door, “What kind of a competition is going on inside?”


  The people said, “Young Master Qiao, the future husband of Princess Fulu, and Mr. Lin Mo, the future husband of Third Miss Qin, are having a competition in writing poems. Within an hour, whoever writes more poems will win.

  “Young Master Lin has Third Miss Qin to help him, so it seems he is going to win!”


  Zhou Shihui finally saw her senior brother who she had been missing so much these days. He was writing as fast as he could at the table. Zhou Shihui hurried forward and wanted to ask her senior brother’s real thoughts.

  But she knew that Senior Brother must not lose to Lin Mo.

  Zhou Shihui walked up to Qiao Lu and said to him, “Senior Brother, let me help you.”


  Seeing Zhou Sihui who appeared out of nowhere, Fulu said, “Oh, it’s you. If the Duke Wu Mansion hadn’t locked you up at home, I would have settled scores with you earlier!”


  “Why did you so shamelessly try to snatch my fiance? Do you think I will spare you just because you’re Duke Wu’s niece?”


  “My future husband doesn’t need your help! Stop being disgusting!”


  Zhou Siming walked between Fulu and Zhou Shihui, and said to Zhou Shihui, “Why did you come out? And why are you wearing Sisi’s clothes? Xiao Ju, shouldn’t you be with Miss? Why are you by my cousin’s side?”


  Xiao Ju quickly knelt down and said, “Young Master, I…”


  Zhou Shihui said, “Cousin, my cousin and I forced Xiao Ju to help me escape. Princess Fulu, why do you want to settle scores with me?

  “My senior brother doesn’t like you at all. How can you so despicably force him to marry you?!

  “Even if the Crown Princess is my senior brother’s elder sister, she can’t force him to marry a woman he doesn’t like!”


  Qiao Lu quickly put down his writing brush and said with a frown, “Don’t talk nonsense. I love Xiangxiang. I won’t marry any other woman except for Xiangxiang!”


  Princess Fulu said with a little shyness, “Hey, don’t call my name in public!”


  Qiao Lu clasped her hand and said, “Okay, I’ll only call your name in private. Miss Zhou, please respect yourself!

  “It’s for the sake of the Crown Prince and Duke Wu that we forgave you for making use of Consort Huai to frame our Duke Anyuan Mansion and Princess Shou’an Mansion.

  “If you still don’t stop, we won’t let you off easily.”


  Embarrassed, Zhou Siming said to his servants, “Tie her up and send her back home!”


  Zhou Shihui frowned and said, “Senior Brother, are you being pressured to say this? Princess Fulu is notorious in Chang’an, and everyone knows that she has no knowledge or skills…”


  “Bah, who do you think you are?! How dare you scold Princess Fulu?!”


  “Exactly, she is just the illegitimate daughter of Duke Wu’s sister. Where did she get the nerve to scold Princess Fulu?”


  The people who were looking on were all angry.

  Princess Fulu was very generous and often tipped them generously, and she liked to defend commoners against injustices.

  Although she often quarreled with Third Miss Qin, she had never done anything bad.

  Although she never obeyed the rules imposed on women, she was a good girl in the eyes of the common people. When encountering people living in poverty, she would generously throw her purse to them.

  When encountering rogues, she would help the commoners drive them away!

  The people in Chang’an literally watched her grow up from a little girl. How could they allow others to insult her?

  Zhou Shihui was shocked. She had thought that the people in Chang’an disliked this notorious woman, but to her surprise, the commoners were actually defending her.

  Qin Miaomiao also snorted. “Although Fulu and I are at odds, who do you think you are? What makes you think you can scold her?

  “Even Zhou Sisi wouldn’t dare to scold a princess, and you are only Duke Wu’s niece, hmph!”


  Junior Duke Rong came out and said, “Zhou Siming, don’t blame me for not giving you face. As you can see, this woman is scolding Little Gourd in public!”


  Zhou Siming didn’t intend to protect this cousin who appeared out of nowhere. One was the princess who grew up with him and always followed behind their buttocks when they were children.

  The other was his cousin who he had only met for two to three times. Zhou Siming certainly could tell which one was more important to him.

  “Zhou Shihui, apologize!”


  Zhou Shihui looked at the people around her. She didn’t understand why everyone was on the side of Princess Fulu, that ignorant, unskilled, willful and rude woman.

  Why were people in Chang’an so snobbish? Just because she was a princess?

  Lin Mo said, “Brother Zhou, if she doesn’t want to apologize, that’s fine. Fulu doesn’t need her apology.”


  Fulu said, “Yes, I don’t care about her insincere apology. She insulted a princess and should be punished by law!”


  Qin Miaomiao said, “Last time, Sixth Miss Qiao cursed the Crown Princess who was only a county mistress at that time and ended up in jail for ten days. Zhou Shihui should be imprisoned for at least half a month!”


  Zhou Siming said to Zhou Shihui in a cold voice, “Quickly kneel down and apologize. Do you want Grandmother to worry about you? She is already so old!”


  But Zhou Shihui stiffened her neck, unwilling to bow his head, saying, “I won’t apologize. Princess Xiliang, take a good look, this is what nobles and commoners in Chang’an are like. They just don’t know right from wrong.

  “I just told the truth, but these snobbish people took sides with Princess Fulu and told barefaced lies!

  “Huge as Chang’an is, from the commoners to the nobles, all are soft-footed wusses. What a disgrace to Chang’an!”


  Samo’er simply responded indifferently, “Oh.”


  Samo’er would certainly not foolishly speak up for Zhou Shihui. In order to help her father keep his throne, she could only marry a royal family member of Datang. Although Princess Fulu was very hostile to her, it was not worthwhile to offend her.

  Zhou Shihui’s last hope was gone, but she still insisted. “If you want to put me in jail, just do it, but the history books and imperial censors will uphold justice for me!”


  Zhou Siming had a terrible headache. His grandmother must be sad because of Zhou Shihui.

  The Minister of Public Security was the second master of the Zhou family. He had a big headache about this too. If he put Zhou Shihui in jail, he was afraid that his mother might faint, but if not, how could he explain to Princess Shou’an and the Empress Dowager?

  Besides, Princess Fulu was going to marry into the Qiao family.

  He couldn’t afford to offend the Qiao family either.

  He could only put Zhou Shihui in jail in accordance with criminal law.

  In prison, Zhou Shihui still couldn’t figure out why no one in Chang’an could know right from wrong!……

  In the Duke Wu Mansion, when Old Madam Zhou heard the news, she was so angry that she almost fainted.

  The Zhou family invited an imperial doctor to treat Old Madam Zhou, which was quickly known by the Queen. She was very worried and asked Lu Chen to go to the Duke Wu Mansion to visit Old Madam Zhou.

  Old Madam Zhou lying on bed, murmured, “Shihui, alas, this girl, her character is exactly the same as her mother, alas!”


  Mrs. Zhou said, “Mother, don’t worry. With her second uncle protecting her, Shihui won’t suffer too much in jail. And I’ve sent a generous gift to the Princess Shou’an Mansion as an apology.”


  After Lu Chen came in, he said to Old Madam Zhou, “Grandmother.”


  Old Madam Zhou was about to get up to salute but was stopped by Lu Chen. “Grandmother, you don’t have to get up. My mother is very worried about you but she can’t leave the imperial palace, so she asked me to visit you.”


  Old Madam Zhou said, “I’m sorry to make your mother worry. Alas, I just don’t know what to do with that girl!”


  “Grandma, grandma, what’s wrong with you?” Zhou Sisi ran into Old Madam Zhou’s bedroom.