As Princess Huiling's maidservant made a second attempt to calm the princess down Hua Qiyue used her Spirit Summoning Art to release a puff of air from her finger toward the Princess Huiling, injecting hatred and inhibition into it.
When the hateful air reached her, Princess Huiling screamed, pulling an ornate knife out of her dress and stabbing it toward Princess Huizhen!
The group at the table held their collective breath.
Princess Huizhen cried out as the knife pierced her arm.
Ji Feng stood to intervene, but he wasn't quick enough to stop an engraged Huizhen from picking up the fish plate with her good arm, sending fish flying everywhere, and slamming it into Huiling's face.
Blood began pouring from her nose as Huiling let out an incomprehensible scream of pure rage as she lunged at her sister.
It was at this point that the imperial guards intervened, pulling the two bloodthirsty princesses apart as they struggled, screaming and cursing at each other, the guards, and the entire world.
Zhou Zhicheng slipped away in the chaos, as did the other princesses.
There was no question that the story of the battle of the princesses would spread across the city like wildfire.
Once the restaurant staff had cleaned up the mess, Hua Qiyue and the others continued their meal.
Seeing Tianci's pale face, Hua Qiyue gently patted his head, whispering, "It's a cruel world, Tianci. You should always be prepared to defend yourself, if threatened."
Tianci shuddered, but nodded his understanding.
"Well, everyone," Ji Feng said shakily with a forced smile, "why don't we finish this delicious meal? There's not need for this… unfortunate event… to ruin a perfectly lovely meal."
He picked up a shrimp patty and placed it in Tianci's bowl. "Tianci, you should try these! They're delicious!"
With his attention returned to food, Tianci seemed to instantly forget the brawl that had occurred only moments before and began eating the proffered patty.
Ji Jing shook her head in disgust. "I can't believe princesses would ever behave like that. The emperor is going to be furious that they disgraced the imperial family. I am glad they're gone, though."
Ji Feng shot Ji Jing a warning look. "Jing'er, don't talk such nonsense in public."
Yun Shimo threw a glance at the unlatched door. "Princess Huiling seems to be interested in you, Brother Ji."
Ji Feng's face froze. "She and I are too different. I could never love her."
Yun Shimo revealed a cool smile, and continued, "Yes, but what if the Emperor approves the match? You can't go against the Emperor."
Ji Feng didn't seem worried. "The Emperor will not interfere with any marriages of the Ji family. Besides, after what happened just now, do you think the emperor will still allow her to marry me?"
Hua Qiyue watched the verbal match with both interest and confusion. This seemed to be about something other than what they were openly saying, but she wasn't sure what. She also wasn't sure why Yun Shimo was here, at all. Maybe he was friends with the Ji family, but he hated her, and she'd expected him to leave after the Ji's joined her for the day's outing.
"You're right, of course." Yun Shimo smiled before turning to Tianci. "Tianci, would you like to drink some soup? It's good for you, and can make you stronger and smarter."
Even Bingyi, Yun Shimo's personal servant, was surprised by the warmth in his voice. He wasn't a bad man, but he'd always been very reserved, and tended to come across as cold and brooding.
But now… it was like someone had flipped a switched.
Tianci happily accepted the soup bowl Yun Shimo handed him.
Hua Qiyue watched in mild confusion as the two men spoiled her son, but her mind quickly shifted to recent events.
She hadn't intended to use Spirit Summoning Art, especially not for so petty a purpose, but the presence of both Zhou Zhicheng and Princess Huizhen had put her over the edge.
She'd need to be more careful in the future. Most people wouldn't notice, but a master could detect her spiritual Qi, and she wasn't ready to be found out just yet.
"Honestly, I think the fight was a good thing," Ji Jing said with a smile. "There's no way the Emperor will let those two leave the palace anytime soon."
Hua Qiyue pursed her lips, which didn't escape Ji Feng's notice.
"Qiyue, what's your opinion?"
"They're both daughters of the queen. Although what they did today was horrible, they will almost certainly show up at the tournament tomorrow in order to do something that will help them save face," Hua Qiyue said coolly. "If they're restricted to the palace, the last thing everyone will remember about them is the fight, and the Emperor won't want that."
Ji Feng raised his eyebrows. "You're probably right, Qiyue."
* * * *
Just as Hua Qiyue predicted, the next day, Princess Huiling and Princess Huizhen both attended the morning session of the tournament, then walked around the city. They were each accompanied by two maidservants clad in black.
Hua Qiyue snickered at this. The servants were obviously Qi Artists. The only way to prevent the princesses from fighting was to use Qi Artists who answered directly to the queen!
After a while, Princess Huiling saw a begging child and pulled out a bag of silver taels, but one of the Qi Artists blocked her. "Princess, giving this child that much money will simply make them a target for thieves and worse. Why not think of another way to help them?"
Anger flashed in Huiling's eyes at the maidservant's defiance, but it quickly dimmed. She asked in a calm tone, "What other way?"
"You could buy a house for several of these urchins, provide them with food and clothes, and have someone check on them. Just as an example, Your Highness."
Princess Huiling smiled hugely. "Why yes, that sounds good! Come, let's get these poor children a full meal, and then arrange for a safe place for them to stay. I will ensure all their expenses are covered!"
Her maidservants quickly obeyed, ushering the children to a nearby restaurant. As they entered the restaurant, the children looked up at her with adoring eyes.
Princess Huiling smiled smugly.
Inside the restaurant, a conversation between some diners drifted through the crowd.
"Did you hear about the old woman who was almost hit by a carriage on Tongxi Street? The sone of a wealthy businessman was in the carriage, and he refused to slow down for the old woman!"
"What? No! That's horrible, but you said she was 'almost' hit— what happened?"
"Princess Huizhen knocked her out of the way!"
"Princess Huizhen? The one who fought in Wangyue Restaurant?"
"That's the one. She was knocked down by the horse. Fortunately, her bodyguards rescued her in time."
Princess Huiling did her best to mask her irritation by smiling at the children.
"Are you sure it was Princess Huizhen?"
"I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Wow, maybe the stories about the fight aren't true."
"Oh, they're true. I saw the bandage on her arm where she was stabbed."
"But she'd still save an old woman? Well, she can't be all bad."
At this point, she moved to stand up, but one of the Qi Artists blocked her with an arm.
"Princess, it's okay. Do you think no one saw you bring orphans into a restaurant? We cannot control what people say about Huizhen, but we can control what people say about you."
Sure enough, several men who just sat down gave her a friendly smile.
The anger passed, and Huiling turned to the food that was just served, which she immediately regretted.
She couldn't identify any of the food in from her. She took a bites and shuddered. Afraid that she'd be judged for wasting food, however, she forced herself to eat more.
The wound on her head still ached, Huizhen had "risked her life" to save an old woman, and now she was eating terrible food. Huiling just wanted to get back to the palace before she had to deal with any more peasants.
After a few minutes, the door opened, and everyone stopped eating to get a good look.
Princess Huiling turned to see a woman dressed in white accompanied by a small boy.
The woman stepped toward her and said, "Greetings, Princess Huiling. I am Hua Qiyue."