Chapter 343: Master, I’m Here!

Chapter 343: Master, I'm Here!

Jia Kun is nothing but a drunkard and fool; he's easy to manipulate.

Even if he enters the Marquis of Xiaoyao's residence, I can easily keep him on a string.

Jia Kun is the elder brother of Empress Jia, after all. He's a key player; I can't afford to lose him.

"Take care of yourself," Song Que suddenly said, looking towards Liu Ling.

Liu Ling's eyes flickered with emotion.

"Rest assured, brother. I, Liu Ling, know how to handle myself," he replied immediately.

There's no need for you to worry. He and his sister have stayed in Yunxiang Fang for so many years, yet managed to remain untainted. How could he lack means?

And if it came to it, I could sacrifice a bit to fully win Jia Kun's loyalty—what's the harm?

As long as they could bring down Empress Jia—

Song Que frowned and glanced at Liu Ling.

But he didn't say anything else.

After speaking with the siblings for a while longer, he left Yunxiang Fang.

Upon returning to the residence, Qin Xiaoyao went to sleep.

The next morning, after waking up, she had the servants bring hot water for her to wash up.

Just as she was about to get into the bath, a maid came to report that Princess Xiangyang had arrived.

Qin Xiaoyao had intended to have the servants tell Princess Xiangyang to wait until she had finished bathing, but before she knew it, the princess had barged in herself.

"Master! Master, I'm here!" A cheerful voice rang out from outside.

With no other choice, to avoid being interrupted while bathing, Qin Xiaoyao went to open the door.

As soon as Princess Xiangyang saw Qin Xiaoyao, a bright smile immediately spread across her face.

She even bounced over to Qin Xiaoyao.

"Master! I've come to seek refuge with you! From now on, I'll live in your residence. I'll practice martial arts with you and train soldiers in the army!"

"Look, I've even brought my luggage!" Princess Xiangyang added.

At the same time, she looked towards the nearby young palace maid and eunuch who had followed her.

The maid and eunuch were holding and carrying several parcels; it seemed she had brought quite a lot with her.

Qin Xiaoyao furrowed her brow slightly.

"Did the Emperor and Empress approve of you leaving the palace?" she asked.

Staying in her residence? And even planning to live there long-term? Was she being too presumptuous?

"Of course! Mother permitted me to leave the palace!" Princess Xiangyang replied immediately.

"Mother told me to learn well from Master and show respect to you!" As she spoke, she grabbed hold of Qin Xiaoyao's arm.

Qin Xiaoyao's expression stiffened.

Empress Jia gave her permission? In that case, it wouldn't be right to turn her away.

"Coughing lightly," Qin Xiaoyao gently disentangled the princess's arm from hers.

"If that's the case, you can stay for now."

"Xiao Lü, take the princess to the Orchid Courtyard to settle in," Qin Xiaoyao instructed the maid.

"Yes," Xiao Lü quickly responded with a bow.

The young princess's face brightened with delight.

"Then, I'll be on my way, Master."

"I'll be back after you finish your bath, Master!" With that, the young princess dashed off.

Watching the young princess leave, Qin Xiaoyao shook her head with a sigh.

It seems the young princess knew she was about to bathe...

Not thinking much more about it, Qin Xiaoyao returned to her room and began to wash up.

By the time she came out, the sky outside was already glowing with warm sunlight.

Today was a day off, and she had no plans to go out.

She brought out a chair, half-lying on it, basking in the sun.

What a comfortable day it was...

"Hehe! Master, Master, I'm here..." Just as Qin Xiaoyao was enjoying herself, she heard that familiar laughter again.

Soon, the voice came closer, right next to her ear.

"Master, this lounge chair looks great! Is there another one? Your disciple wants to lie down too, and enjoy the sun with you."

Wow, Master looks so graceful with her hair down, almost like a young woman.

Lying casually on the lounge chair, she truly looked extraordinary.

Indeed, a master, no matter what pose they hold, has a different aura from others.

"There's another one in the room. If you don't mind the trouble, go ahead and move it yourself," Qin Xiaoyao said without lifting her head, lazily.

Feeling lazy, she didn't bother being polite to the young princess. Besides, the young one was far too familiar with her.

Being polite wouldn't serve any purpose.

"Heh, alright!" The young princess happily responded.

And true to her word, she went into Qin Xiaoyao's room and brought out the other lounge chair.

After lying down beside Qin Xiaoyao, the young princess settled in next to her.

As soon as she lay down, the soft sunlight filtered through and touched her eyelids.

It was a bit too bright, so she closed her eyes.

Feeling the warmth of the sun, the young princess simply kept her eyes closed and, like Qin Xiaoyao, began to enjoy the warmth with her eyes closed.

"Mmm, this is nice—" she murmured to herself.

Qin Xiaoyao's lips twitched upwards in a smile.

"You can bask in the sun anywhere. Isn't it just as nice to do it at your own palace?" she asked with a laugh.

This young one reminded her of a piece of bubblegum, always sticking to her.

And like a little sparrow, she never stopped chattering.

"How could it be the same? Being by Master’s side, even the air smells sweeter," the young princess said joyfully.

Even though she knew the words were not true, Qin Xiaoyao still laughed upon hearing them.

She had a way of speaking that was both sweet and sincere.

"Rest for a while. When my hair is dry, I'll guide you," said Qin Xiaoyao.

Since she had nothing better to do, she figured it would be a good way to pass the time with her.

Hmm, calling herself 'Master' felt oddly fitting.

"Yes! Thank you, Master!" the young princess immediately replied.

And so, the master and disciple continued to lazily lie there.

At first, the young princess would still talk to Qin Xiaoyao from time to time.

But as she spoke, sleepiness came over her.

And then, both of them actually fell asleep like that.

When Qin Xiaoyao woke up, she found that the young one hadn't woken up yet.

Looking at the young one's adorable sleeping face, Qin Xiaoyao stretched and got up.

She went into the room and fetched a thin blanket.

A light breeze had started, but while Qin Xiaoyao’s strong constitution meant she’d be fine, the young one might not be so lucky.

As soon as the blanket settled over her, the young princess stirred and woke up.

She opened her eyes slightly, saw that it was Qin Xiaoyao, and then closed her eyes again.

"Master—" she called out groggily.

The soft, sweet tone almost melted Qin Xiaoyao's heart.

She suddenly wondered if she and her husband would have a daughter in the future, would she be this cute as well...

Qin Xiaoyao couldn’t help but smile and softly said, "Get some more rest; I'll wake you up when it's time for the midday meal."

"Mm." Without opening her eyes, the young princess drifted back to sleep.

Seeing her like this, Qin Xiaoyao smiled again.

She stood up and returned to her room.

After tying her hair back and slipping into something more practical, she headed to the kitchen.

After her nap, she felt refreshed and ready to go.

As for what to eat? Naturally, it would be hot pot.

While there were plenty of tasty dishes in this era, few had the bold flavors she missed.

It had been ages since she last had hot pot, and she was starting to miss the flavor.