Chapter 160: Princess Xuan

Chapter 160: Princess Xuan

King Qing grabbed a wine glass and threw it at He Qingxiao, who did not dodge.

The glass hit his forehead, and blood instantly streamed down.

"Miss Kou?"

"Oh, Lord He, please have some more dishes." Xin You casually placed the red oil tripe she had picked up into He Qingxiao's bowl, only then realizing how intimate her gesture seemed.

Fortunately, she moved quickly.

"Thank you," He Qingxiao thanked her calmly, though his heart stirred slightly.

Xin You sipped her tea, carefully recalling the scene she had just witnessed.

It seemed to be at a banquet, quite a grand one, but because the moment was so brief, there were no more clues.

Xin You looked across at him.

Perhaps because he wasn't in a hurry, he ate slowly, appearing graceful and at ease.

Oh, he didn't seem so at ease anymore.

He Qingxiao indeed felt somewhat uneasy.

Anyone would find it hard to remain composed when being stared at by someone they cared about while eating.

"Miss Kou, is there something else you want to say?" He put down his chopsticks and looked at her with his clear, gentle eyes.

Xin You hesitated for a moment but couldn't resist saying, "Lord He, you may face a bloodshed disaster soon."

Although she had seen him avoid such disasters before, her warning might not be necessary.

But what if it wasn't?

Xin You didn't want to delude herself; she didn't want to see him hurt, especially in a conflict with a prince.

"Bloodshed disaster—" He Qingxiao asked earnestly, "Is there anything I should be cautious about?"

His serious attitude made Xin You feel a bit strange.

"If there are any banquets coming up, Lord He, it would be best to avoid them."

Xin You had just given this warning when she returned to the Bookstore and received an invitation.

An elegant and exquisite invitation from the Eldest Princess’s Residence.

Princess Zhaoyang was about to celebrate her fortieth birthday and had specially invited Miss Kou to attend.

Holding the invitation, Xin You thought of He Qingxiao.

Would he receive an invitation to Princess Zhaoyang's birthday banquet?

If so, the scene she had seen must have taken place at this banquet.

After parting ways with Xin You, He Qingxiao returned to the office. When he got off work and went back to Changle Marquis Mansion, he indeed received an invitation from the Eldest Princess’s Residence.

Xin You's words naturally came back to him.

Miss Kou truly had a remarkable foresight.

At that moment, He Qingxiao suddenly became very curious about how she had grown up.

And her true identity.

He Qingxiao stared at the invitation for a while, then instructed a servant to prepare his attire for the banquet.

Some invitations could not be avoided.

On that day, many other residences also received invitations from the Eldest Princess’s Residence. Each household took it seriously and began preparing early for the banquet.

Xin You knelt. "Lady Liu."

"Please come in, Miss Kou. Her Highness the Princess has been thinking of you."

When Lady Liu's words reached the ears of the other guests present, some of them looked at Xin You with even more interest.

Born into an official family, though orphaned, she had won the favor of the Princess and possessed considerable wealth—these conditions were already quite appealing.

Most of the guests invited by the Princess were women, and many decided on the spot to find an opportunity to chat with Miss Kou.

Xin You followed Lady Liu to meet Princess Zhaoyang.

"Your Highness, Princess."

Before Princess Zhaoyang could speak, a young girl beside her ran over and affectionately held Xin You's hand. "Sister Kou, it's been so long since I've seen you."

The once timid little girl now appeared completely restored to her lively self.

"How has Miss Kong been recently?" Xin You asked with a smile.

She didn't deliberately soften her voice or treat Kong Fu differently; her attitude was as if she were speaking to a peer, which made Kong Fu feel both fresh and comfortable, finding the sister before her even more approachable.

"Mother, can I take Sister Kou to see the little wild boar?"

Princess Zhaoyang looked helpless. "You can take Miss Kou for a walk in the plum garden."

There was still some time before the midday banquet, so the early arrivals either gathered to drink tea and socialize or strolled around the areas designated for guests by the Eldest Princess’s Residence.

"But the piglets in the garden are more interesting to watch." Kong Fu looked up at Xin You and asked, "Sister Kou, where would you like to go?"

Xin You smiled, "I'd also like to see the little mountain pigs."

It seemed that Miss Kong had completely overcome her fear of the mountain pigs, which made Xin You happy as well.

Princess Royale Zhaoyang, seeing Xin You's willingness, naturally did not object.

Kong Fu held Xin You's hand all the way and headed straight for the West Garden.

There were four piglets in total, and though they were called "little mountain pigs," their size had long since lost any semblance of cuteness.

Kong Fu didn't get too close either, but she introduced the names of the four mountain pigs to Xin You from behind the fence: "That one is called Bai Da, and that one is called Bai Er."

"Because they came from Bailu Mountain?"

Kong Fu's eyes curved into a smile, "Sister Kou is so clever!"

After watching the mountain pigs for a while, Kong Fu took Xin You to play in the plum garden.

The plum grove in the Eldest Princess’s Residence was quite extensive. Although it wasn't yet the season for plum blossoms, many winter jasmine trees were in full bloom, their golden flowers resembling butterflies with outstretched wings.

Xin You and Kong Fu entered from the other end of the West Garden, different from the guests who came directly to the plum grove.

They hadn't walked far when they saw a young couple approaching.

The man was the eldest prince, Prince Xiu, and the girl walking beside him was as graceful as a willow, extremely beautiful.

Prince Xiu also spotted Xin You and Kong Fu, quickening his pace to greet them. He first addressed Kong Fu, "Why are you here, Fu'er?"

Then his gaze fell on Xin You, and he nodded with a smile.

Xin You bent her knee slightly, "Your Highness, Prince Xiu."

"Court Lady Kou, there's no need for such formality."

"Big Cousin, Cousin Xuan, did you come together?"

Xin You looked at the girl whom Kong Fu called "Cousin Xuan."

Judging by this, the girl, who was about her age, must be the eldest princess.

Earlier, when He Qingxiao warned her not to offend King Qing, he had detailed the princes in the palace but hadn't mentioned the princesses.

"We just happened to meet." Prince Xiu introduced Xin You to the girl first, "This is Court Lady Kou. I wonder if you've heard of her. When Fu'er was in danger, she was saved by Court Lady Kou. The popular novel 'Painted Skin' sold in the capital was also published by her Bookstore."

The girl looked at Xin You with a hint of curiosity.