18 Chapter 18: Contest 3

When they arrived at the entrance the scene that was before them was a mixture of shocking and comical.

Ying Yue was seated in the middle of the pathway into the palace with her arms and legs crossed. Behind her was a line of carriages and angry upper-class citizens. What was most shocking of all, however, was Zhu Xinya, who was currently yelling a stream of explicits at the guard who was currently preventing them from entering.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Do you have any idea what is going on here? This is Ying Yue. Jiang Ying Yue. The fiance of Crown Prince Fu Longwei, and as such is required by the Emperor to attend today's competition. Are you saying that you are somehow above the Emperor, and thus have the right to keep her from entering? You think we even want fucking to be here? Get your head out of your ass and join us in the real world. If we don't go in, we die, but if we do go in, we die anyway, so if you think you can frighten us with your dumb ass little sword as a low-level martial practitioner, you've got another thing coming. The only thing mildly frightening about you is your obvious lack of hygiene.

I mean. seriously, do you even bathe? You smell like a whore, and a cheap one at that. Can you even satisfy a woman with your obvious lack of dick? I mean, what kind of man picks on little girls unless he's trying to make up for lacking elsewhere, right?

Have you no shame? Because of you, all the nobles in the city are wasting there time waiting for the line to start moving again. Do you get some kind of sick satisfaction out of making all this nobles wait? Is that your deal, huh, you sick bastard. You getting off on making all the pretty ladies wait? You think they'll show you gratitude later for making them waste there time, like you did them some huge favor by delaying us, and so maybe they'll life their skirts for you?

We don't have to put up with this kind of treatment from anyone, especially not a bastard like you, who is only good as cannon fodder. Today, you will let us enter, and if you think for even a second that I won't kick my foot so far up your ass you'll feel my toes in your throat, then you've got another thing coming! Now, move!"

Zhu Xinya had pretty much given up on living past today, and so said everything that was on her mind. She let out all her frustrations on the guard in the form of verbal abuse, wanting nothing more than to smack everyone involved in the events that led up to them being in this situation.

The Emperor didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he saw this. For one, he was angry because this guard was defying his orders (he conventionally forgot that he did not specifically clarify that Ying Yue must be in attendance with the royal guards). Second, he was angry because a maid was yelling at one of his guards, but he was even more mad because she was right. Lastly, he found the whole situation ridiculous because Zhu Xinya was at least a head shorter than the guard, and yet was still mildly frightening. He decided that he would take hold of the situation, before the enraged maid before him decided to get physical with his guard and cause an even bigger scene.

He quickly turned to the guard who, at this point, was so red from embarrassment anger at what Zhu Xinya said, that he looked like tick stuffed full with blood and ready to pop, and started yelling.

"Who gave you permission to stop Ms Ying Yue from entering? What right to you have to stall the selection of concubines and consorts for Our son?! Do you think you are above Us and have the right to impede people We especially required participation from? Do you not see the commotion you have caused and the mess you have created for Us? Men, come and take away this fool who dares to get in Our Way!" The Emperor roared, as he tried to salvage the situation. He new that if he didn't act quickly and punish this ignorant man, he would lose more face than he already had in front of all the powerful and noble families of the kingdom.

The guard was absolutely petrified. Not only had this little maid painted him out to be some kind of perverted man with a strange fetish for making people wait, but now even the Emperor was angry and punishing him. He just didn't understand what he did wrong. Wasn't this girl worthless, so why did it seem that the Emperor was protecting her?

Of course, this guard was very dense, so he didn't realize the Emperor didn't want to protect her, quite the contrary, however now was the wrong place and time to do anything about that, as there were too many people around, and he had to uphold his reputation.

After the man was dragged away, the Emperor turned to the line of angry nobles and rich merchants lined up in front of him, putting on his most amicable smile. "We would like to apologize for the disturbance this guard has caused you all. It would appear Our message was not passed down properly that all eligible females are required to participate, including Ms Ying Yue. We will be reeducating out subordinates as soon as the competition is over."

Although the Emperor really hated to have to apologize to these people, he still needed to maintain good relationships with them, as he needed their money and support in order to keep control of the kingdom.

Ying Yue simply watched all of these events seated on the ground with her arms crossed, as if she had nothing to do with the entire incident. The way she saw it, these people were simply putting on a show for her, and she had much more important things to worry about, as she knew there was no way the the Crown Prince and Yao Xiuying would let her survive today if they could help it. She didn't worry about being blocked from entering, as she knew that as soon as her absence was noticed, those who wanted her dead would come looking for her.

The whole time that Ying Yue was seated on the ground, Jiu Niu was watching her closely. She couldn't help but feel that something would go wrong today, and that Ying Yue would be the cause of this.

When Ying Yue stood up to enter, she noticed Jiu Niu staring at her. Seeing the worry she was trying to hide, Ying Yue smirked internally. Really, this woman's sense of danger was good, to bad she was stupid. Ying Yue decided she would play with Jiu Niu a little bit, and so as she passed by her, she made sure to make eye-contact with Jiu Niu, and winked.

This sent alarm bells ringing in Jiu Niu's head. She didn't know why, but she suddenly got the premonition that something very terrible was going to happen to her and her daughter, as if they had unknowingly provoked a mighty dragon. While Jiu Niu kept telling herself that it was beyond impossible, something deep within her was screaming that Ying Yue was this dragon.

Jiu Niu broke out in a cold sweat, as the line started moving again, and they all entered the palace.