Chapter 107: Princess Xu of the Nation

"You little thief! How dare you collide with me? What crime do you think you have committed? Kneel down and beg for my forgiveness at once!"

Li Sanjian, having failed to master the "art" of riding, had tumbled from his horse and rolled into the dust. As if misfortunes were not enough to come singly, no sooner had he groveled to his feet with a series of groans than a young girl in red rushed toward him, pointing a finger at his nose and berating him furiously.

"This... I... I am a scholar... it is my first time on horseback. I collided with you by accident and beg your pardon. But... who are you? Why are you here? The horse was running wild, and I could not control it; this has nothing to do with me," Li Sanjian explained.

The small face before him was exquisitely sweet, reminiscent of a lotus flower emerging from the water. With willow-leaf eyebrows, cherry-red lips, hands as delicate as tender shoots, skin as smooth as congealed fat, and teeth like rows of melon seeds, her beauty was truly captivating.

The girl wore a red, gold-trimmed tunic with short, split sides, light purple bracers on her sleeves, an outer bright red jacket with a stand-up collar, a wide red sash around her waist, matching red trousers, and a pair of small red leather boots. It was the attire of a Song dynasty warrior, and the fine quality of the fabric indicated that she was of no ordinary status.

However, the girl’s indiscriminate scolding and her demand that he kneel for forgiveness ignited Li Sanjian’s temper. He retorted sharply. He hadn't even grazed her, yet he had been thrown to the ground in a daze, and now she expected him to apologize? It was utterly unreasonable, he thought bitterly.

"Ah? Princess? Your servants pay their respects to Your Highness..." Gao Er and the others, who had run over panting, suddenly caught sight of the girl and were so terrified that they fell to their knees in unison.

Gao Er hurriedly explained, "Your Highness, Sanlang... he is, he is, he is riding for the first time and lost control. Please, Your Highness, show mercy."

The girl before Li Sanjian was none other than the youngest daughter of Emperor Shenzong, born to Consort Zhu. She was the younger sister of the current Emperor Zhezhu and had been granted the title of Princess of Xu. She was only fifteen years old. Because she was the youngest, she had been doted upon by her parents since childhood, and her elder brother, Emperor Zhezhu, pampered her endlessly.

"Shut up! Say no more!" The Princess of Xu shot a glare at Gao Er, who retreated in silence. The Princess then stepped toward Li Sanjian, placed her left hand on her hip, jabbed his chest with a jade-like finger, and looked up at him. "So, you refuse to kneel and apologize? Do you have any idea what crime you have committed?"

A light, youthful fragrance wafted toward him, causing Li Sanjian’s heart to flutter. He steadied himself, took a half-step back, and spread his hands. "Your Highness, what do you mean? What crime could I possibly have committed?"

Although Li Sanjian had guessed from her clothing that her status was significant, he had never imagined she would be a princess. Regardless, there was no logical way to convict him; the horse had merely been startled, and she hadn't suffered so much as a scratch.

"You collided with me, which means you collided with my mother, the Consort. Colliding with her is colliding with my Imperial Brother, the Emperor. And colliding with the Emperor is an affront to the very foundation of our Sacred Dynasty! How is that any different from treason? It is a capital crime that warrants the execution of your entire clan! Hee hee!" Seeing Li Sanjian’s face turn paler with every word, the Princess burst into laughter.

*What kind of twisted logic is this?* Li Sanjian almost wanted to cry. A simple incident with a startled horse had become a charge of high treason? It was absurd... she thought like Mi Fu, he concluded.

Not knowing how to respond, he cast a pleading look at Gao Er and the others from the Prince’s estate. Gao Er looked sympathetic but helpless, while the rest of the staff wore blank expressions, as if they were long accustomed to her antics.

"Hey, hey, hey, little sister, little sister, why are you doing this? Why must you hold it against him?" At this moment, someone had already reported the situation to Zhao Ji, who came hurrying over.

"Eleventh Brother, he bullied me! He bullied me! You must uphold justice for me!" Seeing Zhao Ji arrive, the Princess complained with a pout, acting as if Li Sanjian had done something terrible, like some bandit or thug tormenting a fragile maiden.

Although they were not born to the same mother, the Princess was playful, and Zhao Ji was a master of amusement, so they were close. She often slipped out of the palace to play with him and was a frequent guest at the Prince of Duan’s mansion.

"Alright, alright, Eleventh Brother will uphold justice for you." Zhao Ji turned to Li Sanjian and "angrily" demanded, "Why haven't you apologized to the Princess yet?" As he spoke, he winked at Li Sanjian, signaling him to just play along and get it over with.

Understanding the hint, Li Sanjian bowed to show respect, though he still refused to kneel, and his face remained indignant.

"No, no!" the Princess protested. "It can't end like this! It’s too easy for him."

"Then what does my little sister suggest...?" Zhao Ji asked helplessly. The Princess was the biological daughter of Consort Zhu and the Emperor’s own sister; even Zhao Ji couldn't afford to offend her, let alone a mere Li Sanjian. If she truly wanted to pursue the matter, there was nothing he could do.

The Princess’s dark eyes rolled around, and she said, "Hmm... how about this? Let him... hey, what is your name?"

"I am Li Sanjian, a student from Guizhou in Lingnan," he replied truthfully.

"A student from Lingnan? Good, you'll do." Ignoring him, she turned to Zhao Ji. "Eleventh Brother, let him spar with me to make amends, and we’ll call it even. Otherwise... hmph, hmph!"

The Princess had loved martial arts since childhood, having been trained by palace guards, and was practically "undefeated" within the palace walls. It was said that no guard could stand against her. Sparring with a mere scholar was inherently unfair and pointless, but Li Sanjian didn't look entirely frail, and he was quite handsome. If she could beat him black and blue... the thought made her want to laugh. She couldn't wait to trade blows with him.

*Are you a pig?* he thought, *snorting like that.* Yet, she was undeniably cute. Though small and young, her figure was delicate and well-proportioned—everything in the right place—making her quite a sight to behold.

"Very well, but little sister, you must go easy on him," Zhao Ji said to the Princess while Li Sanjian was still distractedly admiring her silhouette.

"Eleventh Brother, who is he to you? Why protect him so much? Don't worry, I won't kill him... at most... hee hee." The Princess then turned to Li Sanjian. "Let's go." *I’ll pluck those wandering eyes out and feed them to the dogs later,* she thought.

"Go where? To do what?" Li Sanjian asked, startled.

"Go on, go and play with my little sister," Zhao Ji whispered, patting Li Sanjian on the shoulder while secretly slipping a small glass vial into his hand.

*Muscle and blood-circulation ointment!* Li Sanjian’s heart sank as he realized what it was. Why would Zhao Ji give him this?

As Li Sanjian followed the Princess, the rest of the household watched him with looks of profound pity.

*The wind blows mournfully, the Yi River is cold; once the hero departs, he shall ne'er return!*

...

"What are you doing? Let's talk this through, let's talk!" The Princess led Li Sanjian into a small, dark room, bolted the door, and lit a candle. She watched him with a smile, saying nothing, which made Li Sanjian’s skin crawl. He didn't understand her intentions at all.

Wasn't this supposed to be a spar? He could handle a few punches and kicks, assuming this little girl’s skills were mediocre. But why bring him into a dark room?

Being alone with a woman in a confined space... the possibilities were endless, and his heart began to pound. Having lived a long life in his heart despite his youth, Li Sanjian knew exactly what men and women could get up to. The scene made him blush.

By the candlelight, the beauty looked even more like a lotus blossom emerging from the water, intoxicatingly exquisite.

"Am I beautiful?" The Princess walked up to him with a giggle, standing less than two inches away. Her ample chest almost