At that very moment.
Someone in the crowd shouted at the top of their lungs.
"They're here—!!!"
Boom—!!!
The originally noisy clamor fell silent in an instant.
Immediately following.
The ground vibrated slightly.
At the end of the horizon, dust billowed.
Thousands of riders, silent and wordless, slowly approached Chang'an.
Even from a great distance, the Evil Qi of the Demon Suppression Division made many commoners turn pale, instinctively holding their breath.
However.
All eyes.
In the next instant, were drawn to a single figure at the very front of the procession.
The person on horseback wore no armor, only a set of black brocade clothes with tightened cuffs, outlining a slender and graceful figure.
Her ink-black hair was tied high, fluttering in the wind.
As the distance closed.
That face finally came clearly into everyone's view.
Hiss—!!!
A synchronized sound of sharp intakes of breath exploded.
What kind of face was that?
Like the clear halo of a new moon, like snow piled upon flowering trees.
Clearly possessing such exquisite and peerless features, yet they exuded a coldness and arrogance that kept people a thousand miles away.
Clang!
In the crowd, a Young Master from a noble family dressed in brocade had dropped the folding fan in his hand without realizing it.
His mouth hung open, drool pooling on the ground, as he stared blankly at that figure, murmuring to himself:
"This... this is Her Highness the Grand Princess?"
"Didn't they say... she's eight feet tall with a waist also eight feet wide, a face like black charcoal, eyes like copper bells, and wielding an eight-hundred-pound Great Halberd?"
The servant beside him hurriedly picked up the fan, his face full of excitement: "Young Master! The rumors were misleading!"
Although the Grand Princess's name was known to everyone in Chang'an City.
In the end, not many had seen her with their own eyes.
Even if a small group of people had seen her appearance at Prince Jing's Estate and described it to others.
How could that withstand the rumors spread among the commoners?
After all.
In their view.
One who could slay a Demon Saint must surely look like such a ferocious deity.
The Young Master came to his senses, grabbed the servant's arm, and trembled with excitement:
"Quick! Go find out! Is Her Highness married? What kind of men does she like?! This Young Master wants to be the Prince Consort!"
Such scenes were playing out all over the crowd.
"Mother..."
A butcher who slaughtered pigs, usually a local bully in the marketplace.
At this moment, his face was flushed red as he rubbed his apron awkwardly.
"In this life... if I could just have Her Highness look at me once, even if I were crushed to death by that halberd, I'd be willing!"
An auntie selling vegetables nearby spat: "Bah! Take a look in a mirror! Her Highness is a Phoenix in the sky, would she look at a mangy pig like you?"
The butcher stiffened his neck, his face full of infatuation: "If Her Highness wants to eat pork, I'll wash myself clean and offer myself up right now!"
A scholar who was originally putting on airs.
But when that white horse passed before him and those cold eyes swept over him indifferently.
"..."
The scholar clutched his chest, his eyes rolled back, his body went limp, and he actually fainted.
"Brother! Brother, what's wrong with you?!"
"Don't mind me... let me catch my breath... no regrets in this life... no regrets in this life..."
This was the Grand Princess of Great Tang.
Possessing both thunderous methods.
And a face that could topple nations.
At this moment.
Within Chang'an City, countless people would be changing the names of those in their dreams.
And countless men would be tossing and turning tonight, unable to sleep... The procession stopped before the high platform.
Jiang Yuechu pulled the reins slightly and dismounted.
Atop the high platform.
The Emperor could no longer care about etiquette; he pushed away the Old Eunuch who wanted to support him, grabbed the hem of his dragon robe, and ran down the platform with a series of quick steps.
The civil and military officials were pale with shock.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't! It's undignified! Undignified!"
An Old Minister instinctively wanted to speak out in protest but was pulled back by a colleague's sleeve.
To stop him now?
That would be seeking death.
The Emperor ran up to Jiang Yuechu.
He looked her up and down, left and right, examining her carefully.
Seeing that Jiang Yuechu was unharmed and showed no signs of injury, he finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
"It's good that you're back... it's good that you're back!"
A thousand words came to his lips, but in the end, they only turned into these seven words.
"Look at this face, it's not as round as before."
Jiang Yuechu: "..."
That's called baby fat fading away, okay?
And... in front of all these people, could you not use such a motherly tone?
Jiang Yuechu coughed lightly, stepped aside to reveal the carriage behind her, and reminded him: "Old Bai... is still behind."
Hearing this.
The Emperor's expression turned solemn, and the warmth in his eyes instantly vanished.
Around the carriage.
Lü Qinghou, Gu Wanlan, and the others had already dismounted and were standing with their heads bowed in respect.
The Emperor walked forward slowly, straightened his clothes, and actually gave a deep bow toward the carriage.
"I..."
"Welcome Old Bai back to the capital!"
This bow.
Was a bow to a subject, to a generation's Martial Saint who had burned his last drop of lifeblood for Great Tang.
The officials were moved, and the ten thousand citizens were silent.
Lü Qinghou turned his head away, his tiger-like eyes filled with tears.
Gu Wanlan clenched her fists.
The carriage curtain was lifted.
Revealing an aged face.
"This Old Minister... greets Your Majesty."
White Jade Tower struggled to get up.
"Old Bai, do not move!"
The Emperor's face turned solemn as he stepped forward quickly, actually boarding the carriage himself to press down on the old man's shoulders.
Without this old man's support for hundreds of years, how could there be the peace of Great Tang today?
"You have burned your lifeblood for Great Tang. I... am unworthy of such service. I, on behalf of the world's people, on behalf of Great Tang's lands..."
"Thank you, Old Bai!"
"Your Majesty speaks too highly..."
White Jade Tower gasped for air, his gaze turning toward Jiang Yuechu at the side, his eyes full of gratification.
"With a Prodigy like Her Highness in Great Tang, even if this Old Minister dies..."
The Emperor hurriedly interrupted: "Old Bai, rest assured. I have already ordered that no matter the cost, we must extend your life!"
"Pass down my decree!"
The Emperor turned around to face the people and shouted loudly:
"Today, I shall enter the city on the Dragon Carriage together with Old Bai and the Grand Princess!"
The Dragon Carriage slowly entered Mingde Gate.
Everywhere it passed, cheers erupted like a mountain collapse or a tsunami.
Jiang Yuechu sat on one side of the Dragon Carriage, looking at the fanatical faces along the way.
There were young girls with flushed faces.
There were shy young boys.
And there were even bold ones who scattered prepared flowers into the middle of the road.
"Look at me, Your Highness! Just one look at me!"
"Your Highness, I want to have your babies!"
"Get lost!"
"Who touched my butt?!"
Listening to these messy shouts.
Jiang Yuechu rested her chin on one hand, her expression lazy.
Is this the so-called hero's treatment?
She turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on a little fatty who was trying hard to push forward, holding a stick of candied haws in his hand.
The little fatty was being pushed around but held onto the candied haws tightly, his face red, seemingly wanting to give them to her.
Jiang Yuechu reached out.
She made a grasping motion from a distance.
Then.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
The cold, immortal-like Grand Princess opened her red lips and gently bit off a hawthorn berry.
The sugar coating cracked.
The sweet and sour taste slid down her throat.
Jiang Yuechu narrowed her eyes, the corners of her mouth curling up as she gave a slight smile to the dumbfounded little fatty.
Boom—!!!
That smile and that nod.
Instantly ignited all of Chang'an.
"Ahhhh! She ate his candied haws!"
"Why wasn't it me?! Why am I holding a flatbread?!"
"I want to buy candied haws too! Wrap up all the candied haws in the city for me!"
The crowd went completely wild.
Countless people beat their chests and stamped their feet, wishing they could turn into that stick of candied haws on the spot.
The Emperor watched this scene and shook his head helplessly.
He glanced sideways at his sister beside him.
Feeling a strange sense of powerlessness in his heart.
After this time.
He probably wouldn't know how many people would be pining for his sister... ---