Fu Yu was genuinely irritated, thinking to herself, “You’re probably the person in this world who knows best whether I’m weak or not! Who was it that couldn’t handle it that night and ended up biting my finger until it bled?” But these words could only be kept to herself, after all, she realized she not only couldn’t win against her in a fight, but it seemed she couldn’t outtalk her either.
Seeing her pout, Qing Yao surmised she was probably unconvinced, so she offered further consolation: “Everything will be decided based on the outcome at the Two Forms and Four Symbols Valley.”
Look at this person, after teasing others, she still had to add some disclaimer, like a health product salesman saying, “This product cannot replace medicine, and the final interpretation rights belong to our company.”
Tsk tsk, it seems that while fairies may appear pure on the surface, behind the scenes, they’re full of cunning.
At this moment, the old man Qing Wei finally came in person to notify them that the meal was ready.
Before arriving, he had asked the maid on duty, who informed him that his daughter had taken the princess to her boudoir. For a moment, he was quite surprised, as his daughter’s boudoir wasn’t an easy place to enter. Even he, as her father, rarely went in, and her few maids didn’t dare to enter casually. Otherwise, his daughter, the head of the household, would calmly punish them by sending them to chop wood, carry water, or empty chamber pots, in short, she always assigned useful tasks, never wasting any manpower. Punishments like standing or kneeling, which didn’t produce any labor value, were things his daughter always disdained.
When he reached the door of his daughter’s boudoir, he originally intended to walk in and call them, but then he thought better of it. Since two people who had been betrothed were inside, it was best not to barge in recklessly. So, he simply called from outside for them to come to the main hall for the meal.
After one call, there was no response, he had no idea what they were doing inside, so he called again.
For a moment, he felt like a chief eunuch waiting outside the palace gates for the princess and her consort. Look at how this court-appointed official was being treated, utterly pathetic.
Hearing the calls, Fu Yu and Qing Yao walked out and, under the guidance of the “Chief Eunuch Father,” made their way to the main hall.
The Eight Immortals table in the main hall was laden with dishes. Her mother was already seated, engrossed in playing with her bamboo dragonfly.
Although Fu Yu knew her mind wasn’t quite right, she still greeted her normally, addressing her as “Auntie.”
Of course, Auntie paid her no mind.
Fu Yu didn’t feel awkward about it and waited for Qing Wei to take the seat of honor before she would sit. But Qing Wei kept insisting that she take the seat of honor, so they began deferring to each other, pushing the seat back and forth while standing there for a long time. Suddenly, Fu Yu glanced over at Qing Yao and her mother on the other side, the two were already immersed in a mother-daughter scene, happily serving each other food while chatting about completely unrelated topics.
Fu Yu and Qing Wei suddenly felt a bit silly and, with mutual understanding, sat down together.
The food at Qing Yao’s home suited Fu Yu’s taste quite well, and by the end of the meal, her stomach was full to bursting.
After lunch, Fu Yu didn’t linger any longer and prepared to return home.
Before leaving, she repeatedly assured Qing Yao: “Senior Sister, rest assured, I will definitely persuade the Empress to cancel the betrothal.”
Qing Yao nodded calmly, as if the matter had little to do with her, she seemed like an outsider.
After Fu Yu left, Qing Wei sighed with his hands behind his back and said, “Your father observes that the princess truly cares about you, even her temperament has changed quite a bit. If the Empress refuses to relent, perhaps… you could just make do.”
His words, mingled with the garlic and pork belly they had for lunch, carried a rather strong aroma. Qing Yao disdainfully avoided him, leaving her father with nothing but a cold, retreating figure.
Qing Wei found his warm demeanor met only with his daughter’s retreating back. With servants still present and his pride at stake, he coughed twice to mask his embarrassment and salvaged his dignity with a muttered, “This child has spirit, just like me.” Then, clasping his hands behind his back, he walked away.
Meanwhile, Fu Yu, seated in her carriage, instructed the coachman to head straight to the palace.
She wasn’t usually one to act impulsively, but she feared that any delay in annulling the arranged marriage would upset her elder sister. After all, as a cultivator of the emotionless path, her sister sought to sever worldly attachments, and Fu Yu didn’t want to burden her with trivial matters.
The carriage raced onward, arriving at the palace gates in the time it takes a stick of incense to burn. The guards, recognizing the Princess Zhao Hua, let her pass without question.
When she reached the empress’s chambers, the maid at the door moved to announce her arrival, but Fu Yu kindly said, “No need to trouble yourself, sister. I’ll go in on my own.”
The maid gave her a hesitant look, but given the princess’s notorious reputation for willfulness, none of the servants dared to object.
Fu Yu entered cheerfully, only to be met with a startling scene.
Good heavens, the emperor was kneeling.
Through the translucent yellow bed curtains, she saw the once-majestic ruler now hunched like a guilty rabbit, kneeling humbly before the empress’s phoenix bed.
“My dear, I was wrong,” he pleaded.
The empress, reclining lazily on the couch, replied, “So, which date have you settled on for Hua’er and Yao’er’s wedding?”
Fu Yu: ??
The emperor fawned, “Whatever you say, my love. We’ll hold it this year, no need to wait until spring.”
The empress seemed satisfied. “You see? I told you we should’ve done it before the winter solstice. But no, you had to consult the Imperial Astronomers. And what did they do? Calculated and calculated, only to pick a date next year! I have no patience for that.”
Fu Yu: Good grief, did these two actually argue over mine and Qing Yao’s wedding date until the emperor lost and ended up kneeling? This couple is truly something.
Suddenly, Fu Yu felt that what she had come to ask might come off as rather ungrateful.
Still, for Qing Yao’s sake, she had to press on.
Noticing her sudden entrance, the emperor scrambled to his feet and plopped down beside the empress. She shifted away slightly in distaste but, mindful of his dignity in front of their daughter, held back from scolding him outright.
Fu Yu played along, not exposing the scene. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she broached the subject of revoking the marriage decree.
The emperor and empress exchanged a glance, silently understanding each other’s thoughts.
The empress said kindly, “Hua’er, this matter concerns both your reputation and the dignity of the royal family. If we are to withdraw the decree, your father and I must devise a foolproof plan.”
Then, with smooth, practiced words, the two sent Fu Yu on her way.
Leaving the chambers, Fu Yu’s mind was a muddled mess. The emperor and empress had skillfully dodged her request, speaking in such official terms, “foolproof plan,” “careful consideration,” “not entirely impossible”, that by the end, she felt she’d listened to a great deal of talk that amounted to very little.
After she left, unbeknownst to her, the emperor and empress continued discussing the matter.
The emperor insisted, “We can’t revoke the marriage. She may not care about face, but I still have my dignity to uphold.”
The Empress remarked, “She’s far too willful; we can’t indulge her. I can tell she’s quite fond of Qing Yao, the way she looks at her, it’s as if silk threads could be drawn from her gaze.”
The Emperor asked, “So, my dear, what do you propose we do?”
The Empress replied, “It seems to me that, once again, the chosen consort doesn’t take a liking to her. I don’t know how she manages it, but a princess of the realm has become universally disliked. At this point, the only course of action is probably… to strike first.”
The Emperor: ?
The next day, at the entrance of the Xiangxue Garden, palace attendants bustled in and out in an orderly stream, carrying items inside.
“A pair of jade Ruyi scepters~”
“A set of gold lotus-patterned dining ware~”
“A set of gold-inlaid jade hair ornaments~”
…
Qing Wei stood with her sleeves crossed, watching the procession of people coming and going, placing items in the courtyard as if observing a play at someone else’s house. It took her a long moment to realize, oh, this was the betrothal gifts from the palace for her daughter.
Qing Wei glanced at her daughter, who remained remarkably composed, sitting leisurely in the front hall sipping tea as if the bustling scene in the courtyard had nothing to do with her.
Meanwhile, over at Fu Yu’s side, when she learned that not only had the palace not canceled the engagement but had hurriedly sent the betrothal gifts to Qing Yao’s home, she nearly stumbled and fell to the ground in shock.
She rushed to the Xiangxue Garden, hoping to explain the situation to Qing Yao. What was to be done? If her senior sister thought she hadn’t gone to the palace to request the revocation of the decree, the misunderstanding would be immense.
“Senior sister, let me explain this matter,” Fu Yu stammered, staring blankly at the courtyard crammed with betrothal gifts.
But Qing Yao seemed entirely unconcerned with what she was saying. Instead, she opened a small box, picked up a gold bracelet, and examined it. “They’re quite sincere, aren’t they?”
Fu Yu: ?
Qing Yao set the bracelet down. “So eager to marry me, are they?”
Ah, what did senior sister mean by that? Fu Yu felt as if her innermost thoughts had been exposed, and her gaze toward Qing Yao grew somewhat panicked. She hurriedly explained, “No, no, all of this was prepared by the palace. I went to speak with the Empress and the others yesterday, but… well, you see the result.”
Qing Yao let out an “Oh.”
“I expected as much.”
“So, what should we do next?” It seemed she wouldn’t be able to rescind the marriage herself. She pinned her hopes on her senior sister, who appeared so calm and in control, as if she had everything figured out. After all, Qing Yao managed an entire sect, surely, she had faced all sorts of major and minor crises.
But then she heard Qing Yao reply calmly, “We’ll handle it cold.”
Her tone was as casual as if discussing whether a dish should be stir-fried or served as a salad.
She added, “At worst, I’ll just have to endure the inconvenience of getting married.”
Fu Yu: ?