Shoutout to Tachibanaswife for the commission!
Luli wrapped me up in mosquito-netting cloth, muttering under her breath: “Niang Niang’s figure is far more graceful than those two barbarian women’s, His Highness must take a good look!”
Ai! Luli, can we not bring up the very pot that won’t boil?
I was so vexed I nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Who would have thought that just as I opened my mouth, a piece of rouge paper was stuffed between my lips. Luli urged softly, “Niang Niang, press hard, press once.”
Press your sister! I pushed Luli’s hand away, thoroughly annoyed.
Suddenly I heard the delicate, chirping voice of a palace maid from outside: “Your Highness.” I turned my head and saw that Qi Sheng had already stepped through the palace doors.
Luli, along with a whole group of palace-maid beauties, bowed to Qi Sheng and withdrew at lightning speed. In other words, before I even had time to grab another robe to wrap myself up, the hall was left with only me and Qi Sheng.
I lifted my eyes and glanced at Qi Sheng, feeling somewhat awkward.
Qi Sheng’s gaze paused on me for a moment. At first he seemed slightly stunned, and then it darkened somewhat.
Oh no! Luli has harmed me! Alarm bells rang wildly in my heart. As a seasoned man, I naturally knew what that look meant, and I knew even more clearly that at a time like this, no matter what a woman did, in a man’s eyes it would take on a different interpretation.
Wrap the robe tighter? That’s coy modesty, playing hard to get.
Untie the robe outright? That’s wild abandon, passion blazing.
Even if you shouted a few times, “Don’t come over, don’t come over,” he could interpret that as you wanting to play something exciting…
You say you’re swaying in front of him wrapped only in a thin veil, then loudly proclaim, “I’m not seducing you, I’m not seducing you!”
Who would believe that? Huh? Who would believe it? If you’re not seducing him, why are you wrapped in mosquito netting cloth?
In short, by the time things reach this point, it basically no longer depends on your performance, but on whether he wants to.
However, a person’s blood volume is fixed, so generally it’s hard for a man’s big head and little head to work at the same time.
At the same time, given my current physiological advantage, my brain’s blood supply was obviously better than Qi Sheng’s, so my reaction was just a bit faster than his.
“Your Highness, Yang Yan came by,” I said very calmly.
Qi Sheng froze for a moment, softly let out an “oh,” then turned and sat down on the bamboo couch by the water pool.
My heart instantly relaxed. As long as the blood could flow back, that was enough! So I quickly pressed on: “He invited me to visit Taixing.”
Qi Sheng’s upturned eyes narrowed slightly. “What do you think?”
“To show undue courtesy for no reason, if not a traitor, then a thief!”
Qi Sheng lowered his eyes and remained silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “Today Royal Father suddenly asked about Old Nine’s marriage.”
I was stunned. “And?”
Qi Sheng let out a soft scoff. “The Empress said that before leaving the capital she had already selected several young ladies, and is only waiting for Old Nine to pick one he fancies.”
My heart stirred. “Is the Zhang family’s second young miss among them?”
Qi Sheng cast me a sidelong glance, a trace of surprise in his eyes. “Indeed. The Zhang family’s second young miss is among them.”
Lord Toilet had repeatedly probed me, Yang Yan wanted to invite me to Taixing, the Emperor suddenly brought up marrying off Lord Toilet, and among the candidate brides was the Zhang family’s second young miss… I quickly ran all these matters through my mind. Under normal circumstances, the Zhang family would never marry two daughters into two opposing camps, unless they had no choice but to abandon one.
And the one to be abandoned, was it me?
I couldn’t help asking Qi Sheng, “Is the Zhang family planning to abandon me?”
Qi Sheng said nothing, only looked at me quietly.
That shouldn’t be. Last time I returned to the Zhang residence, that old madam of the Zhang family was still urging Qi Sheng to quickly favor Lady Zhang and produce an heir! How could the wind change direction so quickly? Why? Just because I haven’t conceived yet?
At that thought, I couldn’t help shivering and involuntarily glanced at Qi Sheng.
Qi Sheng suddenly curled his lips into a smile and said, “Offspring is only one aspect. Another is that Old Nine has hinted to the Zhang family that you, the Crown Princess, are a fake. The real Lady Zhang died the last time she fell into the water. The one now is merely a substitute I trained in secret.”
I frowned. “And the Zhang family just believed that?”
Qi Sheng shook his head. “Naturally they wouldn’t believe it easily. That is why the Empress issued an edict summoning those candidate young ladies to the summer palace to escape the heat, saying it is to observe their character and appearance. In truth, it is to allow the Zhang family to come here openly.”
As soon as he said that, everything became clear in my heart.
No wonder Yang Yan wanted to trick me into leaving the palace. If I remained inside, even if the Zhang family came, bound by rank and status, they wouldn’t dare step forward to verify whether I was truly the Crown Princess. But if I left the palace…
I asked Qi Sheng, “Who from the Zhang family is coming?”
Qi Sheng raised a brow slightly, answering with a half-smile, “Your birth mother, Madam Fan.”
I cried inwardly, “It’s over!”
If it were someone else, perhaps there’d be a way to muddle through. But once Zhang’s own mother arrived, not even immortals could deceive her!
I anxiously paced twice by the water pool, then turned back to ask Qi Sheng, “What do you think we should do?”
At this moment, Qi Sheng instead grew leisurely. He lifted his legs onto the bamboo couch and half reclined, asking me, “Are you the substitute I trained?”
I froze. “No!”
He smiled. “Then what are you panicking about?”
D*mn it, this isn’t something that can be solved by stripping naked and walking two laps in front of Madam Fan! What use is this body of mine really!
I walked up to Qi Sheng and squatted before him, pointing at my nose. “Tell me, what did Zhang like to eat most at her maiden home? What did she like to wear? What colors? What perfume powder? Was she afraid of cold or heat? At what age did she fall ill, how many people did she quarrel with, when was she ever scolded? Do you know all that?”
He didn’t answer. His gaze instead drifted.
I immediately flared up.
Hey! I’m pointing at my nose, where are your eyes wandering!
Suppressing my anger, I raised a hand to block his eyes and said earnestly, “Brother, can we first solve this life-or-death issue before thinking about decadent pleasures, alright?”
After a long pause, just as I was about to curse, he suddenly grabbed my wrist, pulled my hand down, and said abruptly, “I’ll take you to Yuzhou.”
I froze, and heard him continue, “Before Madam Fan arrives, I’ll take you to the Jiangbei Camp in Yuzhou, leaving only Luli to deal with Madam Fan. Luli is genuine inside and out, surely she can dispel some of Madam Fan’s suspicions.”
I quickly calculated in my heart. Leaving the authentic little Luli here was indeed a good method. But it only treated the symptoms, not the root.
“What about the second young miss? If so, will the Zhang family still marry her to Old Nine?”
He lifted the corner of his lips in a smile. “As long as they cannot confirm your authenticity, they won’t dare rashly shift their bet to Old Nine.”
So it’s to drag things out? But how long can that be dragged? I glanced at him doubtfully.
His gaze was still lingering at my chest.
I was resentful yet helpless, covering myself with my hands while silently cursing: Look! Look! Keep looking and I’ll make these two lumps grow on you! Let you stare at them all day!
With a faintly mocking smile at the corner of his lips, he stood up from the bamboo couch and said, “The Emperor has ordered He Bingze back to Shengdu to escort those young ladies safely to the summer palace.”
He Bingze? In my mind flashed that sharply contoured handsome face, and the wife Yang Yan called a tigress. Ah! They’ve actually sent that brat to receive them?
He bent down, approaching me closely, and asked softly, “What kind of men do you like? A refined gentleman, warm as jade? Or a spirited youth, bold and unrestrained?”
Ah! Qi Sheng, Qi Sheng, you’ve asked the wrong person. I, your father here, don’t like any kind of man!
His face was very close, his breathing almost audible. Though his long bright eyes were slightly narrowed, there was not a trace of softness at their upturned corners; only the faint curl of his lips carried a hint of an indistinct smile.
I looked straight at him and answered, “I only like someone like Your Highness.”
“Oh?” He raised a brow.
I grew even calmer. “Besides, what kind of man I like isn’t important. What’s important is what kind of man the Zhang family’s second young lady likes. She and Old Nine were already acquainted; she likely gave her heart to him long ago. In that short journey from Shengdu to Fuping, could He Bingze really pry her away so easily? Moreover, with so many eyes along the way, it wouldn’t be easy to commit theft under the guise of guarding.”
He looked at me and asked softly, “What clever plan do you have?”
For the sake of my life, I’ll throw it all away. Conscience and morality can cool off to the side for now!
I struck my fist into my palm and said in a low voice, “Just a few young ladies, there won’t be many escorts. They’re bound to encounter some blind bandits or petty thieves on the road. Then, amid the chaos, He Bingze rescues the second young lady, and the two gain a chance to be alone.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly, listening intently.
“Then make sure He Bingze remembers, he must seize this chance to win over the Zhang family’s second young lady!”
He straightened up and walked a few steps slowly, nodding faintly. “First privately pledge affection? Not a bad idea.”
I cried out, “At a time like this, what private pledge of affection? You have to cook the raw rice into cooked rice, that’s the proper way!”
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them, wishing I could slap myself twice.
Sure enough, he turned back to look at me with an odd expression.
I forced a grin. “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures!”
He smiled faintly, said nothing more, and turned to leave the hall.
Only then did I finally let out a great sigh of relief, collapsing onto the ground and patting my chest while lamenting the danger. As I patted, I suddenly felt something was off. Eh? Why am I patting my chest? Why use such a “girly” gesture?
Could it be because my monthly courses have come and gone? Is my gender awareness being assimilated by this body?
Just as I was sitting there blankly, Luli hurried in from outside and knelt before me, calling me in a small, urgent voice.
I looked at her for a moment and said, “Luli, come here and let me hug you.”
Her eyes immediately reddened. Kneeling, she moved closer and gently gathered me into her arms, holding back tears as she said softly, “Niang Niang, if your heart feels bad, then cry it out. Don’t hold it inside.”
I wrapped my arms around Luli’s slender waist, burying my entire face into the softness before her chest, yet I couldn’t cry.
Gone. Truly, everything is gone! A beauty in my arms, and I feel nothing at all.
Truly wanting to cry, yet without tears.
