Go Princess Go Chapter 34

Shoutout to Tachibanaswife for the commission!

My heart couldn’t help trembling along with it. I thought of getting up and sneaking to the door to eavesdrop. But just as I lifted the covers and sat up, Qi Sheng had already hurried off with that person.

I waited a moment, then tiptoed to the door and opened it. Before I could even stick my head out, a guard suddenly stepped into view outside. Respectful yet firm, he said, “Niang Niang, His Highness the Crown Prince has instructed that you recuperate properly in the cabin and not move about at will.”

I nodded calmly and asked him, “Where is His Highness the Crown Prince? Go ask him to come here. I have something to say to him.”

The guard replied respectfully, “His Highness has matters to attend to and has already transferred to another ship and departed. He instructed that Niang Niang wait for him on board.”

My heart jolted. What kind of matter would cause Qi Sheng to suddenly abandon the main ship and leave? Had something changed in the army, or had something happened at the Fuping traveling palace? Casually, I added, “In that case, you can handle this for me. I left something with Ninth Highness. Have someone retrieve it for me.”

The guard looked troubled and said, “Ninth Highness is on another ship, which is currently underway. I’m afraid it’s inconvenient. Perhaps Niang Niang can wait until we reach shore.”

I had only intended to test whether Lord Toilet was still there. Hearing this, I already had my answer, so I didn’t persist and returned to the cabin.

Who would have thought that this stay in the cabin would last more than ten days!

The ship reached Fuping that very night, yet I wasn’t allowed to disembark. They only said Qi Sheng had ordered me to wait in the cabin for him again. And so, like a prisoner, I was confined in the cabin for over ten days, without hearing a single word of news.

It wasn’t until early July that an imperial edict suddenly arrived, ordering me to set out immediately for Shengdu.

The moment I heard that even the reign title in the edict had changed, I understood everything. I merely asked the eunuch, out of courtesy, “When did the new Emperor ascend the throne?”

The eunuch delivering the decree placed it in my hands, then finally put on a smile, bowing and nodding. “On the second day of the seventh month, His Majesty ascended the throne in the Hall of Fengtian. Immediately afterward, he ordered this servant to come fetch Your Highness back to Shengdu. He gave specific instructions that Your Highness be carefully attended to along the way.”

I nodded in understanding. No wonder Qi Sheng had vanished for over ten days, he had hurried back to Shengdu to seize the throne. I just didn’t know how the old Emperor, who had seemed perfectly fine, had suddenly passed away. And now that Qi Sheng had become Emperor, were Lord Toilet and Zhao Wang still safe?

But there was no way to ask about that now. I could only obediently follow the eunuch back to Shengdu.

Along the way, I was filled with regret!

Qi Sheng had reached the peak of his career. But what about me, the former Crown Princess? Would I live or die? Be deposed or established? D*mn it, I truly regretted it! How could I have imagined that the old Emperor would kick the bucket so soon? If I’d known, I would never have said those harsh words to Qi Sheng!

Talking about hate or not, hate my *ss! If I’d known Qi Sheng would become Emperor so quickly, I would absolutely have said no, if the boss uses me as cannon fodder, that means he values me! I should be grateful!

And talking about abuse or not, aren’t romance novels always written this way? If you’re not abused, can you be the female lead? The female lead exists to be abused! It’s the supporting female who gets cherished in the male lead’s palm!

On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, my carriage finally entered Shengdu. To my surprise, Qi Sheng actually gave me full face, he personally came to the palace gates to receive me.

My little heart trembled a bit. I couldn’t shake the feeling he was a weasel paying New Year’s greetings to a chicken, surely up to no good.

One of Qi Sheng’s arms was still in a sling. He looked me over, then said lightly, “Go back to the palace and rest first. In a few days we’ll need to prepare for the ceremony of establishing the Empress. You’ll have plenty to tire you out.”

Although Qi Sheng had once promised to make me Empress, now that the words had truly come from his mouth, I found it hard to believe. It was like you’d just offended your immediate superior and were fully prepared to pack up and leave, and suddenly your boss tells you he’s giving you a raise and a promotion.

Would you believe it? Would you dare believe it?

I certainly wouldn’t. Even if I wanted to believe it, I’d slap myself a few times first to wake myself up!

Since I had not yet been formally invested, I still resided in my former palace within the Eastern Palace. Luli was already waiting for me there, and upon seeing me she began the usual round of tearful weeping.

Where did I have the mood to deal with her? I simply asked, “Have your injuries healed?”

Luli wiped her eyes and nodded.

“Then don’t stay here. Go elsewhere. I want to be alone for a while and think about some things.”

Hearing this, Luli left, turning back every few steps.

I closed the palace doors and began considering what Qi Sheng was planning. Was he really going to make me Empress? Was it to keep his promise, or merely to placate the Zhang family, who held military power?

The next day, members of the Zhang family also came to see me. Only then did I gain a rough understanding of the entire Fuping incident.

On the seventeenth day of the sixth month, the old Emperor suddenly passed away at the summer palace. The official explanation was that summer heat had triggered a stroke. In reality, however, the exotic beauties presented by foreign lands were a bit too fierce. The old Emperor became overly absorbed and, in a moment of miscalculation, “sacrificed” himself on the battlefield of beauty.

Empress Dowager Lin was decisive. Before the Empress could make a move, she sealed off the summer palace and only sent word to Crown Prince Qi Sheng, who was still on the Wan River.

After receiving the news, Qi Sheng immediately used the Fuping navy to detain Chu Wang Qi Han. He himself rushed back to the palace to take control. After discussing matters with Empress Dowager Lin, they decided not to announce the death for the time being. Instead, they claimed that unrest had broken out in Yunxi and ordered the Imperial Guards to escort the Emperor and the concubines back to Shengdu. At the same time, they urgently transferred fifty thousand troops from the Jiangbei Camp to key strategic points around the capital.

Lord Toilet, trapped alone, could only watch events unfold helplessly.

Zhao Wang, in Shengdu with limited information, learned of the situation too late. By then, Qi Sheng’s army was already in position, and there was no turning the tide.

Thus, with the support of the Empress Dowager, the backing of the Fuping navy and the Jiangbei army, Crown Prince Qi Sheng finally ascended the imperial throne smoothly.

The Empress and the Empress Dowager also shifted upward, one became Empress Dowager, the other Grand Empress Dowager. Now, only I, the Crown Princess, remained where I was, waiting to be promoted to Empress.

The Zhang family sent one of Lady Zhang’s cousins, named Zhang Xuan. He briefly explained the sequence of events and the current situation in Shengdu, then instructed me, “His Majesty has just ascended the throne; his foundation is not yet stable. In many matters, he still needs our Zhang family. Your Highness only needs to relax and wait. The edict for establishing the Empress should come within these two days.”

I finally felt somewhat reassured and nodded lightly.

Zhang Xuan paused, glanced at me carefully, and then said in a low voice, “Grandmother also gave instructions. Once Your Highness ascends to the position of Empress, you must have tolerance for others. Whom His Majesty favors is not important. The most important matter now is that Niang Niang bears a legitimate eldest son as soon as possible. Only then will our Zhang family’s position truly be secure.”

I understood this well. Even the Empress’s natal family must tread carefully. Only when I become Empress Dowager will the Zhang family finally be able to stand tall and breathe easy.

Seeing me nod slowly, Zhang Xuan hesitated, then said softly, “There is one matter Niang Niang should keep in mind.”

Noticing his hesitance, I looked at him in surprise and asked, “What matter?”

Zhang Xuan looked at me cautiously and said, “Zhao Wangfei, Lady Jiang, suddenly died of a violent illness a few days ago. Eldest Sister-in-law personally examined the body. However, there was something amiss about the corpse.”

I froze. Lady Jiang had only suffered two fractures, how could she have suddenly died of illness? If the corpse was amiss, had it been switched? So it was a fake death? My mind suddenly recalled that Lantern Festival night, when Qi Sheng and Lady Jiang spoke in the woods by Taiye Pool.

Lady Jiang had said she wanted one man for a lifetime. Qi Sheng had told her to give him more time.

A chill ran through me. D*mn it, Qi Sheng has just ascended the throne and he already can’t wait? Does that mean I won’t be Empress for long?

Zhang Xuan advised, “Grandmother said Niang Niang should do nothing, just understand in your heart. As long as your position stands, no matter how favored she is, she cannot surpass you.”

Ah! You have no idea this isn’t about favor or disfavor. I would much prefer Qi Sheng to dote exclusively on Lady Jiang for life. What I’m worried about is that Lady Jiang wants a pair for life. That fellow Qi Sheng must not, in a moment of heated impulse, dissolve the entire harem!

Because of this worry, I didn’t pay much attention to the ceremony preparations. Two days later, someone I absolutely did not expect arrived.

Lord Toilet was much thinner than in Fuping, yet his figure appeared even more upright. Wearing a light green robe, at first glance he resembled a resilient bamboo swaying in the wind.

After exchanging formalities with me, Lord Toilet ignored my astonished expression and said calmly, neither humble nor overbearing, “His Majesty has entrusted the matter of Niang Niang’s Empress installation ceremony to this minister. I have come today to ask whether Niang Niang has any instructions.”

I was speechless for a long moment. After regaining my senses, I ordered Luli to take all the palace maids out of the hall.

The corner of Lord Toilet’s lips lifted slightly. He smiled faintly. “Niang Niang should avoid suspicion.”

Avoid what suspicion? If Qi Sheng wanted me to avoid suspicion, he wouldn’t have assigned Lord Toilet to oversee the Empress installation.

I walked up to Lord Toilet and stopped before him. “Is he going to make a move against you and Zhao Wang?”

Lord Toilet raised his head and smiled mockingly. “Our lives will be spared. Royal Mother holds the late Emperor’s edict in her hands, he is forbidden from harming his brothers.”