The shrill, effeminate voice grated on Jiang Qingke’s nerves.
She bit her lip and endured it for a moment, but ultimately couldn’t take Eunuch Cao’s nagging any longer.
Jiang Qingke’s foul temper finally erupted.
She sat up abruptly, her head crowned with a mess of tousled, slightly disheveled hair, her beautiful eyes wide open as she glared ferociously at Eunuch Cao.
“Are you done or not?”
“Looking for a beating, are you?”
Eunuch Cao, however, kept his smile unchanged and bowed once more. “Please prepare for bed service, Crown Princess.”
Jiang Qingke was rebellious to the bone, and right now all she wanted was to defy Li Xuanyao and Eunuch Cao.
She snatched the silk ribbon from the maidservant’s hands and flung it directly into Eunuch Cao’s face.
“A cheap silk ribbon, ugly as sin, and you think you can blindfold this Crown Princess with it?”
“Can’t you sew on a few pearls?”
“Can’t you embroider a few gold threads?”
“Can’t you inlay a few velvet flowers?”
“The prestigious Donggong wants to trick its consort into bed service for pregnancy, and this is all the sincerity you can muster?”
Eunuch Cao was rendered speechless.
He picked up the ribbon, pondered for a moment, and immediately apologized, “This servant understands. I’ll have it done according to the Crown Princess’s wishes. But tonight, please, Crown Princess…”
Jiang Qingke’s face darkened as she produced the whip that had gone unused for days.
The whip was specially crafted, embedded with sharp barbs. A single lash would tear flesh open and leave blood streaming.
“Looking for a beating, are you?”
With a sharp crack, she lashed the air symbolically, startling a plump ten-year-old eunuch beside Eunuch Cao, who trembled in terror.
The little eunuch was chubby and round-faced, and Xiqing found him adorable, so she whispered to comfort him.
“Don’t be afraid. Our Crown Princess only ever uses that whip on enemies. Unless she encounters the most vicious of villains, she rarely strikes her own people.”
The little eunuch muttered under his breath, “Why is the Crown Princess so fierce?”
Xiqing added, “That was just an act she put on the past few days. This is the real Crown Princess.”
Though Jiang Qingke was venting her anger at Eunuch Cao, she caught every word Xiqing said.
She shot a cold sidelong glance and snapped, “Where did you crawl out from? Got too much tongue, have you?”
Xiqing pressed her lips together and fell silent.
After a good round of fury, Jiang Qingke shoved and battered Eunuch Cao out of Fengluanxuan.
The first night, Jiang Qingke won.
She slept soundly and didn’t stir until the sun was high in the sky.
But after noon, Eunuch Cao came back to Fengluanxuan with several eunuchs in tow, yet again.
Jiang Qingke cast an icy glance at Eunuch Cao, then settled into her rattan rocking chair with the air of someone who had nothing better to do than eat and laze about, swaying back and forth.
In a languid, drawling tone, she said with utter boredom, “What, is His Highness the Crown Prince trying to force me into daytime debauchery as well?”
Eunuch Cao smiled without a word.
He flicked his horsetail whisk, and the young eunuchs filed into a line before Jiang Qingke, each holding a wooden tray.
Her gaze drifted over the items on the trays, and she gave them a few idle glances.
A row of blindfolds in various fabrics, each exquisitely crafted, so beautiful they were surprisingly stunning.
Clearly, real thought had been put into them.
Jiang Qingke reached out lazily and picked up each blindfold in turn to examine it.
The one made of snow-white satin was light and thin, soft to the touch, with a white magnolia embroidered in pearls encircling the front.
The one made of gold-thread kesi was embroidered with lush peonies, opulent and regal beyond compare.
The one made of Xiangyun Silk was simple and elegant, yet it exuded a faint, delicate fragrance.
And the one made of rosy-cloud satin was woven from multicolored warp and weft threads, cut into the shape of a butterfly.
The two wings covered the eyes, with phoenix tails drooping low, and two pearls hanging at the tips resting perfectly against the cheeks.
…
Gazing at these resplendent, luxurious blindfolds, Jiang Qingke couldn’t help but conjure up a tantalizing scene in her mind.
She wore the blindfold, locked in a passionate kiss with that man from the night.
He kissed her cheek, his tongue lightly teasing, catching the pearl at the phoenix tail between his lips, and then…
Jiang Qingke was jolted by the thought and shuddered.
She shook her head, banishing those unspeakable images completely.
Trying on each blindfold with reluctant delight, the corners of her lips curled up and refused to come down.
“Xiqing, do I look good?”
Xiqing nodded eagerly, grinning even more brightly than Jiang Qingke.
“Beautiful, beautiful. The Crown Princess has a face like the moon, cool and striking—anything looks good on you.”
“These glittering treasures, when worn by the Crown Princess, are just the icing on the cake.”
Jiang Qingke lightly patted Xiqing’s cheek and tossed one of the blindfolds to her as a reward.
“You’re the sweetest talker—consider this your prize!”
Xiqing seized the moment to butter her up further.
“If Second Miss saw that all these treasures belonged to the Crown Princess, she’d be green with envy and so furious she couldn’t sleep at night.”
Hearing that, Jiang Qingke’s mood—dampened by her father’s favoritism—lifted considerably.
Her smile faded into a thoughtful expression as she nodded, gazing at the blindfolds worth a hundred taels of silver before her, and sighed meaningfully.
“Yes, I suppose not everything is bad.”
Seeing Jiang Qingke thoroughly pleased, Eunuch Cao bowed and stepped forward at the opportune moment.
“These blindfolds were made overnight by the embroideresses of the Imperial Clothing Workshop, on His Highness’s orders.”
“Every blindfold is made from the finest fabrics, embroidery threads, pearls, and agate jade. I hope it will catch the Crown Princess’s eye, and that this sincerity might help ease the Crown Prince’s burdens.”
“Sincerity?”
Jiang Qingke let out a mocking laugh, her disdain written plainly on her face.
“Only if His Highness embroidered them himself could that be called sincerity. What’s piled together with silver and the toil of others can hardly be called sincerity—it’s more like borrowing flowers to offer to the Buddha.”
Eunuch Cao gave an awkward smile and said no more.
Being deceived and toyed with left a bitter taste, and unless she made things difficult for Li Xuanyao, Jiang Qingke wouldn’t find any peace of mind.
“Since His Highness wishes to show sincerity, I’ll give him the chance.”
She surveyed Fengluanxuan, arms crossed over her chest, pacing slowly.
Eunuch Cao followed closely behind.
Jiang Qingke pointed to a spot in the courtyard. “This corner by the wall is too bare. Best to plant a row of roses and climbing roses there. When they bloom in spring, they’ll be lovely.”
“And here, a row of hydrangeas—one of every color.”
“I don’t care for chrysanthemums. Remove these pots.”
“Orchids are too delicate and hard to keep. Remove them too, and replace them with corn poppies.”
“Also, get a few porcelain vats, put some koi in them, and plant a few lotus flowers.”
…
Eunuch Cao nodded continuously, committing every one of Jiang Qingke’s demands to memory.
“And inside the hall—the bed is too small, not enough room to move around. If His Highness wants me to bear the imperial heir quickly, he should replace it with a larger round bed.”
Jiang Qingke gestured with her hands.
“Also, around the round bed, layers upon layers of sheer gauze and beaded curtains create the best atmosphere. I don’t ask for much—nine layers will do.”
“Oh, and the color of the gauze drapes should be lilac purple, pale violet, or lotus blue. What I hate most are bright red and bright yellow. And also…”
Jiang Qingke rattled off a long list of demands, some of which she herself couldn’t even remember after saying them.
Her sole intention was to make things difficult.
When Eunuch Cao withdrew, he lifted his robe sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead and the tip of his nose, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.
Jiang Qingke caught sight of this and curled her lips in satisfaction.
If she couldn’t have peace, Li Xuanyao wouldn’t get any either.