Chapter 118

Chapter 118

Qin Bing was a quick-tempered man. Aside from his father, the Emperor, whose words he dared not disobey, anyone else who nagged him for too long would quickly irk him.

Given his disposition, Princess Yong, née Deng, usually avoided provoking him, and Qin Bing rarely had occasion to clash with his aunt by marriage. But today, he had come with Meng Yao to see his third brother’s newborn nephew. However, ever since Aunt Deng arrived, the entire room had been filled with her animated, storytelling-like chatter, complete with exaggerated gestures and flying spittle.

Fine—Aunt Deng was praising his younger sister, and his sister truly was remarkable, so he wouldn’t spoil the mood.

But even after his third brother and sister-in-law, as well as Meng Yao, tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, Aunt Deng continued her endless monologue, leaving no room for anyone else to speak. Qin Bing endured it a while longer, thinking that surely she would stop after finishing this part.

Then, his arm was sharply pinched by Meng Yao.

It hurt, and Qin Bing glared at her in disbelief. Love is love, but she shouldn't just pinch him out of the blue.

Meng Yao raised her left hand as if fiddling with her hairpin, tilting her head slightly to signal with her eyes toward Deng Shi. In a voice only Qin Bing could hear, she said, “Handle this. Her noise is giving me a headache.”

Qin Bing was already annoyed with Deng Shi, and now that his wife was too, why should he hold back? He interrupted Deng Shi in a booming voice: “Alright, alright, Auntie, have some tea to soothe your throat. We’ve been here for a while and all we’ve heard is you talking. Even if you’re not tired, my ears are getting sore from listening.”

Prince Yong, who had been standing by the window with his hands behind his back admiring the flowers, turned around and remarked self-deprecatingly, “Isn’t that the truth? My hearing hasn’t been so great lately—probably all thanks to your aunt’s torment.”

Deng Shi retorted, “Oh, stop it. You’re gone at dawn and back at dusk every day, and when you do return, you’re off to one of his concubines' chambers. Today, I’m only seeing more of you thanks to Rui Geer. What does your deafness have to do with me?”

Prince Yong immediately turned back to admire the flowers near his third nephew.

Qin Liang tried helplessly to calm his mother.

Yan Zhenzhen seized the moment to exchange a meaningful look with Qin Ren.

Qin Ren promptly invited his uncles and older brothers: “The feast is about to begin. Let’s go to the front to entertain the guests.”

There were many male and female guests today, and this earlier gathering was just for the close family to spend time together.

Prince Yong laughed and threw an arm around Qin Bing’s shoulder. “Good nephew, let’s go have a drink with your uncle!”

When it came to holding his liquor, Qin Bing could indeed keep up with his uncle.

Fu Ming and Zheng Geer also prepared to join the male guests. Yong Kang automatically reminded Fu Ming, “Zheng Geer is still young. Keep an eye on him at the banquet, and make sure none of you children touch any alcohol.”

The twelve-year-old Fu Ming answered half-heartedly.

With the men gone, the room quieted down. Deng Shi noticed that Yong Kang’s expression had already soured, and Lü Wenrong was putting on a strained smile. Even Meng Yao and Yan Zhenzhen, the sisters-in-law, wore cautious expressions. Only the little princess seemed unperturbed, playing with Rui Geer’s tiny hands in his swaddling blanket. Deng Shi thought to herself that the little princess, currently enjoying her moment in the sun, must be delighted to hear such praise and likely hadn’t noticed the Crown Prince and his wife’s discomfort.

“Alright, let’s go to the banquet as well,” Yan Zhenzhen said, handing the child to the wet nurse and taking charge.

The garden was bursting with colorful blooms, and the women’s banquet was set there.

When female guests gathered, they often enjoyed discussing the latest gossip. After offering congratulations to Prince Xian’s newborn, without any deliberate steering from Deng Shi, the conversation naturally turned to the little princess, who was currently the talk of the town. Given their status, the attending women’s families had either received copies of the book from the Emperor or had managed to buy it early due to well-connected sources. Thus, their praises often included mentions of well-turned phrases from the travelogue.

Whether the compliments were genuine, flattering, or simply a way to break the ice, the atmosphere made it difficult for Qingyang to bluntly stop them.

Her mind was no longer on the socializing at the banquet.

She was thinking about the long-standing friction between Deng Shi and her eldest sister, about Deng Shi’s veiled criticism aimed at her, her eldest sister, and even her eldest brother, about the discomfort of her eldest brother and sister-in-law, and about Zheng Geer’s look of resentment.

Resentment…

This seemed to be the first time Qingyang had been looked at with such hatred.

As the Emperor’s daughter, the palace maids and eunuchs always regarded her with respect. Her three royal brothers had always treated her as a younger sister. Even when her short-tempered second brother occasionally argued with her, he would at most be angry, never resentful or hateful. Her eldest sister had spent the least time with her and might have felt envy or jealousy, but certainly not hatred.

The court officials had even less reason to hate her. They usually treated her with deference and respect. Yan Xizheng and Nie Ao might have opposed her presence in court matters, but that was official business—there was no personal grudge between them.

Two years ago, her nephew Fu Ming had scolded and glared at her, but in his eyes, Qingyang had only seen childish willfulness. In contrast, Zheng Geer, merely six years old, had gone from disliking his aunt to resenting her.

Qingyang had always been seen as precocious by others. She wouldn’t dismiss Zheng Geer’s hatred just because of his youth.

As his aunt, she couldn’t ignore Zheng Geer’s hatred. As a court official, she especially couldn’t overlook the hatred of the Crown Prince’s eldest son, who was very likely to become the next Crown Prince.

Did he hate her for overshadowing his father?

Then what about her eldest brother? Did he truly not mind her current reputation for talent and virtue?

Before today, Qingyang had never considered this question because she had received so much sibling affection from him. In the past, when their father praised her, her eldest brother had always been genuinely happy for her. Even before *Southern Tour Travelogue* spread among the people, her eldest brother had gone to Jiuhua Palace to chat with her for over half an hour, discussing the travelogue.

But she had forgotten that she and her eldest brother were not just siblings—they were also the Crown Prince and a princess.

As history shows, when a Crown Prince’s reputation in the court and among the people was overshadowed by another royal sibling, it was inherently dangerous, whether he realized it or not.

Perhaps if she weren’t a princess but a prince born as a potential heir, her eldest brother or those around him would have long been on guard against her.

Qingyang picked up her tea bowl, gazing at the small reflection of her face on the water’s surface.

Because she had never coveted the throne, had she failed to foresee that publishing the book might pose a threat to her eldest brother and danger to herself?

Then, if others saw her as a threat, did that mean she…

The tea trembled slightly, and the blurred reflection on the water transformed into the face she knew best—her father’s.

She was inexperienced and had missed these implications, but what about her father? Had he genuinely not considered it, or was it…

“Ah, Your Highness, a bug fell into your tea bowl. Let me fetch you a new one.”

Noticing that her young mistress had been holding the tea bowl in a daze for too long and that others were beginning to glance their way, Fuliu, her attendant, quickly stepped forward and dared to take the tea bowl from Qingyang’s hands.

Qingyang snapped out of her thoughts and smiled before even looking up, addressing her third sister-in-law, who was watching her: “No matter. Just replace it.”

.

After the full moon banquet ended, Qingyang had no intention of lingering at her brother’s residence. She walked toward the main courtyard alongside Aunt Deng Shi, her eldest sister Yong Kang, and her second sister-in-law Meng Yao.

In the short time it took to leave the estate, Qingyang watched as Uncle and Aunt Deng, her eldest sister and Fu Kui, and her second brother and Meng Yao each boarded their respective carriages. When Zhang Su, waiting beside her carriage, helped her inside, she turned to say goodbye and saw her third brother and sister-in-law standing side by side.

Once she was seated, the carriage set off.

Fuliu followed her into the carriage and placed a silk-covered pillow in one corner so the little princess could lean back comfortably.

Qingyang instinctively rested against it, her mind replaying the reactions of her eldest sister and her three pairs of siblings-in-law during Deng Shi’s provocation.

Her eldest sister, who always looked up to her eldest brother, naturally wouldn’t be pleased that he had been overshadowed by her.

Her second brother was simple-minded and likely hadn’t noticed the underlying tensions. Meng Yao, like her third brother and sister-in-law, was worried about a rift forming between Qingyang and her eldest brother.

Her third brother and sister-in-law had coordinated their efforts, her second sister-in-law had pulled her second brother into cooperating halfway through, and her eldest sister-in-law had shared in her eldest brother’s embarrassment. As for her eldest sister, although Fu Kui hadn’t accompanied her, her nephew and niece stood protectively on either side of her.

For the first time, Qingyang clearly realized that all five siblings had truly grown up, each with their own families.

Suddenly, Qingyang lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.

Almost as soon as she caught sight of Zhang Su riding alongside, escorting her back to the palace, he turned his head to look at her.

Their eyes met. Qingyang didn’t speak, nor did she lower the curtain.

Zhang Su urged his horse closer, his gaze lingering briefly on the little princess's less rosy cheeks than when they set out, and asked softly, "Is Your Highness feeling unwell?"

Qingyang smiled. "What makes you say that?"

Zhang Su detected unhappiness in the little princess’s smile.

Before he could figure out how to respond, he watched as the little princess withdrew that insincere smile, lowered her eyelashes, and asked, "I've heard that my reputation for virtue is the talk of every street and alley. What do you think of this?"

Zhang Su suddenly recalled the strained expressions of the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, the Eldest Princess, and others when they emerged, and he guessed that the little princess might have experienced something during the banquet.

But that had nothing to do with his answer. Zhang Su replied truthfully, "Your Highness cares deeply for the people, so it is a well-deserved reputation."

During the nine months of the southern tour, while the Emperor even took Consort Li to sightsee, the little princess spent her days either engaging with officials or pondering how to improve governance across Great Qi’s lands to benefit the people in various regions. Only in the early mornings, evenings, or on rainy days, when the officials were resting, would she satisfy her desire to explore.

Where there is virtue, fame will naturally follow—it was only a matter of time.

Qingyang smiled again, looking at him and said, "Since our engagement, you’ve become increasingly good at flattery."

Only then did Zhang Su lower his gaze. "I speak from the heart."

Qingyang could tell, but she reminded him, "Sometimes, a great reputation can bring unwanted complications. Your family should be careful in the coming days."

Zhang Su replied, "My father has already given his guidance. Your Highness, please take care of yourself and do not worry about us."

Qingyang looked at the prospective imperial son-in-law on horseback and remembered that he was a general who had returned with military merits from the battlefield in Biao State. His father, moreover, was the only surrendered minister to be enfeoffed as a duke—a renowned general indeed. That put her mind at ease.

Just as Qingyang was about to end the conversation, Zhang Su held up the curtain as it started to fall. Looking at the surprised little princess, he asked, "Next month is Your Highness’s birthday. May I, in my own name, send a gift directly to the palace?"

In previous years, he had always entrusted the Third Prince to deliver gifts on his behalf. But now, the Third Prince had married and started his own household, and he himself held the status of prospective imperial son-in-law, giving him the proper standing to present gifts to the princess.

With everything so hectic lately, Qingyang had nearly forgotten her own birthday. She smiled and said, "Of course you may."

The palace gate had arrived.

As Zhang Su helped the little princess alight from the carriage, the Crown Prince’s family of three ahead were getting out one by one.

Qingyang smiled at Zhang Su, then turned and walked to her elder brother and sister-in-law, who were waiting for her.

Qin Hong wished he could smile as naturally as his younger sister, but he wasn’t sure if she would believe that he truly didn’t mind.

Lü Wenrong tried to steer Zheng Geer by his shoulders to stand between her and the little princess, but the six-year-old boy resisted with all his might.