After hearing the tsundere little princess’s words, Bai Zhao felt nothing inside. He even wanted to roll his eyes.
“What are you thinking? I wouldn’t even want to kneel to your imperial father. Kneel to you? Dream on.”
“I don’t want to cause trouble, and I don’t want to stoop to your level, little girl. That doesn’t mean I’m afraid of you! If you keep provoking me, be careful… this Heir will spank you like he did when you were little!”
Bai Zhao complained inwardly.
“Princess, don’t joke around. What happened when we were young was just me being immature. I offended Your Highness.”
“It was my fault. I apologize. Can we just let this go?”
Bai Zhao suppressed his temper and said gently.
“Heh. You think one sentence about being young and ignorant is enough to settle this? Bai Zhao, you’re dreaming!”
“Today, either you kneel and apologize, or you can wait for my revenge!”
Jiang Mingzhu said coldly.
Bai Zhao was getting a little speechless. This little girl was really pushing her luck! He rolled his eyes, turned around, and headed for the palace gate as he walked.
“Little girl, don’t push your luck. Kneeling is impossible. A man’s knees are made of gold, you know?”
“I don’t have time to play house with you here. This Heir has been on the road for half a day. I finally got back to my own estate, and then your imperial father dragged me over here and kept me talking for half an hour. I haven’t even eaten yet!”
“Now this Heir is going home to eat! I’m done humoring you. Goodbye.”
“Oh, and that eunuch named Xiao Dezi, there’s no need to escort this Heir. In the future, keep your mouth in check and don’t go around offering random greetings!”
Bai Zhao walked extremely fast. True qi flowed beneath his feet, and in just a few steps he had gone out through the palace gate and vanished from sight, leaving only his voice echoing in Jiang Mingzhu’s ears.
“Ahhh! Bai Zhao! You bastard! You’re driving this princess crazy!”
Jiang Mingzhu came back to herself, her small chest heaving violently with anger. She stamped her tiny lotus feet furiously on the bluestone slabs beneath her.
Her little fists were clenched tightly, her silver teeth gritted hard. She really wanted to chase after him and bite that bastard to death!
He called me a little girl! And he even said we were playing house! Who’s playing house with you? Just you wait, Bai Zhao. This princess is not done with you! So infuriating, so infuriating!
Beside her, Xiao Dezi looked completely baffled.
What was wrong with me greeting the princess? Why did Your Highness, the Heir, have to scold me?
But Your Highness, the Heir, was really bold. He didn’t even take the Third Princess, that little terror, seriously.
He provokes her whenever he wants. Sigh, I hope Your Highness, the Heir, is all right. Offending the Third Princess means he’s in trouble!
While Jiang Mingzhu was raging helplessly in place, a woman carrying a white lantern suddenly walked over from the left.
She looked to be around eighteen. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, gathered into a cloud-like bun, revealing a neck as smooth as jade. Her phoenix eyes were slightly narrow, yet filled with authority. Her brows were heroic, her nose bridge tall and straight. Her tightly pressed lips were cherry-red, delicate yet serious. Her cheeks were snow-white, with a faint flush left from bathing.
She wore a white inner robe embroidered with flowers, together with a white pleated long skirt. Her chest was full, her waist slim, and her hips graceful. What a beauty… heroic, yet carrying a trace of alluring charm.
This woman was the one who had recognized Bai Zhao at the city gate that afternoon.
Her name was Jiang Wushuang!
As the eldest princess of Great Qian, she excelled in both civil and military matters and had been known for her talent since childhood.
She was the daughter of Great Qian’s empress, Murong Tinglan, and the biological sister of the Third Prince, Jiang Boxian.
Emperor Qian once sighed, “What a pity Wushuang was not born a man; otherwise, the position of Crown Prince would surely be hers.” That alone said everything.
Jiang Mingzhu saw Jiang Wushuang from a distance, snorted softly, turned to Xiao Dezi, and whispered, “You didn’t see anything just now! If Jiang Wushuang asks later, you say nothing, or you’re finished. Understand?”
Xiao Dezi looked at Jiang Mingzhu in fear and hurriedly nodded, saying yes over and over.
Satisfied, Jiang Mingzhu nodded and walked over to Jiang Wushuang.
Jiang Wushuang also saw this younger imperial sister, who always liked to go against her.
The current Emperor Qian governed diligently and did not pay much attention to the harem. As a result, he currently had only four sons and two daughters.
At present, aside from the Second Prince stationed at the southern frontier, the remaining three sons and two daughters were all in the capital, Chang’an.
As for why Jiang Mingzhu was the Third Princess, it was because the Second Princess had died young.
And as the only two princesses, Jiang Mingzhu had always found Jiang Wushuang unpleasant!
Because Jiang Wushuang always carried herself with dignity and calm, and when she was little, Emperor Qian had often praised her.
She was like the kind of child other people envy. Emperor Qian always told Jiang Mingzhu to learn from Jiang Wushuang, while Jiang Wushuang always looked down on her foolish yet proud little sister, so she rarely gave Jiang Mingzhu a pleasant expression.
How could Jiang Mingzhu endure that? She was proud by nature, so she had been fighting with Jiang Wushuang since childhood!
Losing again and again, fighting again and again. Never giving up… one could say she was quite inspiring.
“Hey, Jiang Wushuang, are you here to see imperial father this late too? Guess who I just ran into?” Jiang Mingzhu said triumphantly as she walked up to Jiang Wushuang, looking like a proud little phoenix.
Jiang Wushuang’s phoenix eyes swept over Jiang Mingzhu’s expression, and combined with the fact that she had seen Bai Zhao that afternoon, she understood instantly. She did not answer, but instead parted her delicate lips and said lightly:
“What does it have to do with you whether I’m here to see imperial father? And call me Imperial Sister. As a princess, being this rude and not knowing seniority from juniority is disgraceful to the royal family and to imperial father’s face.”
“You! Hmph, Jiang Wushuang, you definitely won’t guess! Beg me, and I’ll tell you.”
Jiang Mingzhu’s small face darkened. She let out a soft snort, then lifted the corners of her mouth and raised her chin slightly, speaking in a coy voice.
Jiang Wushuang did not even glance at Jiang Mingzhu and continued walking toward the Imperial Study.
“Hey?! Jiang Wushuang, are you mute? Aren’t you curious? Ask me, and I’ll tell you, really! You know this person too, and you even have a grudge with him!”
Seeing that Jiang Wushuang ignored her, Jiang Mingzhu grew anxious. She quickly took two steps, ran to Jiang Wushuang’s side, and chirped annoyingly at her.
A trace of helplessness flashed through Jiang Wushuang’s narrow phoenix eyes, but in her mind she suddenly recalled something from childhood.
At that time, Bai Zhao was eight and Jiang Wushuang was ten.
Because Bai Zhao had to hide his talents, he pretended to be mischievous every day. In the palace academy, he either bullied this one or teased that one.
Jiang Wushuang was two years older and basically the oldest among the children. Normally, the two of them kept out of each other’s way.
That was until one day when the tutor teaching arithmetic in the palace assigned a problem about chickens and rabbits in the same cage.
Jiang Wushuang could not figure it out. Of course, the problem had been assigned by the tutor to broaden the minds of the princes and royal children, and no one had really expected anyone to solve it.
But with Jiang Wushuang’s intensely proud nature, how could she give up so easily?
Just then, she saw that Bai Zhao had already written the answer on his paper.
Using the answer to work backward, the problem was actually correct.
So Jiang Wushuang asked Bai Zhao how to solve it. The result…
Jiang Wushuang was scolded to tears by Bai Zhao, who had never taught a child how to do homework.
That was the only time in her entire childhood that she had cried in front of so many people.
Bai Zhao comforted her for a long time, but she would not budge. In the end, the story spread and became that Bai Zhao had been flirting with the princess at school…
In truth, it was not Bai Zhao’s fault at all. It was Jiang Wushuang’s own pride that would not allow her to be so foolish.
It was also because of that incident that Jiang Wushuang felt Bai Zhao might not be as simple as he looked on the surface. What she had seen that afternoon only confirmed it further.
Jiang Wushuang was thinking about all this and did not pay attention to Jiang Mingzhu.
That made Jiang Mingzhu anxious. Seeing that they were almost at the Imperial Study, she could not help but grab Jiang Wushuang’s arm.
“I’m talking to you, Jiang Wushuang. You’re too rude! Can’t you guess? Hehe.”
Jiang Wushuang was pulled by the arm and came back to her senses. Looking helplessly at this foolish little sister, she ignored her triumphant smile and said flatly:
“Isn’t it just that you ran into Bai Zhao? I guessed it long ago. As for you, why are you so eager to come to me for attention? What, did he bully you again?”
KO!!!
Jiang Mingzhu froze on the spot, going crazy inwardly.
How did this woman know? She even guessed that Bai Zhao bullied me again. Aaaaaah, bastard, bastard, Bai Zhao is such a bastard, and this woman is hateful too.
Jiang Wushuang looked at her pitiful little sister with amusement, shook her head, and walked into the Imperial Study.
Jiang Mingzhu stood there dumbly for a moment, then stamped her foot and followed Jiang Wushuang into the Imperial Study.
“Imperial father~, Jiang Wushuang bullied your subject again, and that bastard Bai Zhao bullied me too~”
As soon as she entered, Jiang Mingzhu put on a pitiful look and complained to Emperor Qian.
Emperor Qian raised his head, shifting his gaze from the memorials to the two daughters standing before the imperial desk.
Seeing his younger daughter looking so wronged, he laughed and said, “Oh my, look at how wronged my little princess is. Come tell imperial father, how did your imperial sister bully you? And you ran into that Bai family boy? How did he bully you?”
After saying that, he waved his hand, and Jiang Mingzhu immediately moved with light lotus steps, trotting over to Emperor Qian.
Jiang Wushuang watched this scene, a trace of envy flashing in her eyes, though she said nothing.
Emperor Qian did not notice the look in his eldest daughter’s eyes. In his view, his eldest daughter had been independent since childhood. Everything she did pleased him, and she never acted spoiled toward him.
Naturally, Emperor Qian paid less and less attention to this eldest daughter.
Instead, this youngest daughter allowed him to experience a bit of father-daughter warmth in this deep palace filled with deceit and scheming.
So this youngest daughter was the most favored among all his children.
“Imperial father, just now your subject met Bai Zhao outside Chengtian Gate. I made him kneel and apologize for bullying me when we were children!”
“But he actually said something about a man’s knees being made of gold! No matter what I said, he refused, and he even called your subject a little girl, saying he didn’t have time to play house with me! It makes me so angry!”
Jiang Mingzhu complained in annoyance.
In her emotional outburst, she completely forgot that she had just asked Xiao Dezi to keep it secret.
“A man’s knees are made of gold?”
Both Emperor Qian and Jiang Wushuang’s eyes flashed sharply.
“My dear child, having him kneel and apologize is indeed not appropriate. After all, that Bai boy is also a future prince, and you’re a girl.”
Emperor Qian said with a chuckle, but when he saw Jiang Mingzhu pouting so hard that her lips could hang a bottle of oil from them, he quickly changed tone and said angrily:
“But this boy is too much! He even dared to call my daughter a little girl! Who does he think he is?
Tomorrow at morning court, imperial father will publicly cane him to avenge my child! How about that?”
Jiang Mingzhu’s eyes lit up. Her round peach blossom eyes curved into crescents, and she clapped her fair little hands as she giggled:
“Great, great! Thank you, imperial father, for avenging your subject. Imperial father is the best. It’s a promise, then? Tomorrow you’ll cane him in public.”
“Mm-hmm, it’s a promise. Tomorrow imperial father will avenge you.”
Emperor Qian nodded with a smile.
Jiang Wushuang inwardly laughed at Jiang Mingzhu’s foolishness.
Imperial father was clearly going to cane Bai Zhao to give the Wang family’s Wang Li an explanation. It was probably just for show.
Only her foolish little sister would believe imperial father’s words that this was all to avenge her personally by beating Bai Zhao.
“Imperial father, then can your subject go watch at the Hall of Supreme Harmony tomorrow?”
Jiang Mingzhu asked again.
Emperor Qian frowned.
A princess attending the court assembly was, to be honest, against proper etiquette.
Seeing Emperor Qian frown, Jiang Wushuang quickly looked at Jiang Mingzhu and reprimanded her in a low voice:
“Mingzhu, don’t be so reckless! The harem must not interfere in politics. That is a law of Great Qian! How can you make such an impolite request?”
Hearing Jiang Wushuang scold her, Jiang Mingzhu pouted her delicate lips, shook Emperor Qian’s arm, and acted spoiled in a sweet voice:
“Imperial father~, look at Jiang Wushuang~ she’s bullying me again. She was bullying your subject outside the hall just now.”
“And also, imperial father, your subject will hide behind the screen behind you tomorrow. I just want to watch that bastard Bai Zhao get caned!”
“Your subject promises not to make a sound and won’t disturb imperial father. Please, imperial father~ just agree to your subject~ good imperial father~”
Emperor Qian looked helplessly at Jiang Mingzhu, who was clinging to his arm pitifully and acting spoiled, and sighed before nodding in agreement.
Then he turned to look at his eldest daughter, who still stood silently before the imperial desk, and said lightly:
“Wushuang, don’t be so harsh with your younger sister. She’s still young, so it’s normal for her not to know better.”
Jiang Wushuang looked at the harmonious father-daughter scene before her, then heard imperial father say this about her.
Her phoenix eyes dimmed.
Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, she forced a breath, lowered her head, and said respectfully:
“Imperial father is right. Your subject knows she was wrong.”
Emperor Qian waved his hand carelessly.
Then he turned to his youngest daughter, who was beaming with joy, and said gently:
“Satisfied now? My child, did you come to see imperial father this late for something?”
Jiang Mingzhu’s eyes lifted slightly at the corners, her joy clear as day. Her voice was lively as she said:
“It’s nothing, imperial father. Your subject just heard that imperial father still hadn’t rested this late, so I came to see you. Imperial father should rest early and take care of your health.”
“Your subject also hopes imperial father will live a long life and stay with your subject for a long time.”
Hearing his youngest daughter’s heartwarming words, Emperor Qian laughed heartily in relief, feeling all of the day’s fatigue vanish at once.
In truth, from a man’s perspective, an independent woman is never as beloved as a thoughtful little sweetheart.
It is the same logic as a green tea girl. She can give a man a sense of accomplishment and emotional value, and that is what men need. Of course, boys are the exception. Those who understand, understand. Heh heh.
After laughing for a while, Emperor Qian said gently to Mingzhu:
“Mingzhu, imperial father needs to hear your imperial sister’s report on her firsthand observations of the Jiangnan flood. You’ll probably find it boring, so why don’t you go back to your Yaohua Palace and rest first?”
“No need. Your subject will stay by imperial father’s side, serving tea and water, accompanying imperial father, and making sure imperial father rests early!”
“Hahaha, Mingzhu really is imperial father’s thoughtful little sweetheart.”
Emperor Qian laughed again, delighted.
Only then did he turn to Jiang Wushuang and have his eldest daughter report on what she had seen and heard during her trip to the heavily flooded area of Jiangnan.
Jiang Wushuang stood straight before the imperial desk, took a small booklet from her sleeve, and began giving Emperor Qian a detailed report bit by bit.
As Emperor Qian listened to Jiang Wushuang’s report, he occasionally pointed out matters he found unclear, and Jiang Wushuang responded in an organized, reasonable, and well-supported manner.
Just like that, an hour passed before the two of them finally finished the report.
Emperor Qian stretched wearily and looked at Jiang Mingzhu, who was lying nearby, drooping and nearly asleep. He gently nudged his youngest daughter, took a robe from the screen behind him, and draped it over Jiang Mingzhu, saying warmly:
“Mingzhu, wake up. Go back to your own palace and sleep. Imperial father is done and needs to rest too.”
“Uh, imperial father has worked hard. Then your subject takes her leave. Don’t forget to call your subject for tomorrow’s morning court, imperial father.”
Jiang Mingzhu said drowsily, rubbing her eyes in a daze.
“Alright, imperial father remembers. Xiao Dezi, escort the princess back to Yaohua Palace. It’s dark, so walk slowly.”
Emperor Qian called out toward the outside of the Imperial Study.
When he looked up, he realized that his eldest daughter had already left.
Jiang Wushuang walked alone through the midnight imperial palace carrying a lantern. The March night was still biting cold.
But her thin, slender back did not tremble in the slightest. Her spine was straight as she walked step by step toward her Zhaochun Palace.
She envied Jiang Mingzhu for receiving imperial father’s favor, but she would never act spoiled like Jiang Mingzhu just to win imperial father’s affection.
She would only silently do her own work. The pride in her heart would never be understood by outsiders.
Why should I need pale blue or deep red? I am naturally the finest among all flowers.
This was her… the proud eldest princess of Great Qian, Jiang Wushuang!