The Promotion Record of a Crown Princess Chapter 12

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Chapter 12: Bringing the Prince Back Home (4)

Qi Sheng closed the book with a “pa” and conveniently threw it into the drawer inside the carriage before saying: “They say that you’re closest to this little girl, once you meet her, don’t tell her about this.”

I carelessly waved my hand: “Relax, if I can’t even fool a silly little girl, I’ll hang myself on the southeast branches once we return!”

Qi Sheng was originally about to leave the carriage but when he heard this he stopped. He turned around to look at me: “Behind your palace there’s a tree on the west side, the height and thickness is very fitting!

I had no idea he had this kind of cold humor, and was temporarily unable to reply.

Qi Sheng looked at me and gave a faint smile before turning around and exiting the carriage.

At the moment I was unable to ponder over his expression as I raised my hand to wipe my cold sweat, my heart still a bit afraid.

Apparently, pretending to be a fool and pretending to be a woman were equally not easy to do.

Female comrades, you really don’t have it easy.

Following the Crown Prince closely as we came out of the carriage, Lu Li was long waiting by the side. Taking the chance as she helped me down, she leaned in close to say: “That slut arrived here early!”

Hearing this I raised my head. Behind a gaggle of orderly dressed men was a forever dressed in white Jiang–shi.

Ah! Why is this girl always wearing all white everyday?

Wouldn’t this be……dirty!

I suddenly thought of that Qi Sheng. It couldn’t be that his brain wasn’t getting enough blood again?

Turning my head to look, I only saw Qi Sheng’s gaze linger on Jiang-shi’s figure for a moment, before he finally changed it to look at the Zhao wang who was standing beside her.

Lucky, lucky, his big head was only temporarily deficit of blood and it didn’t all completely go to his little head¹.

As a brother I understand him. After all, this person only knew how to command weapons and use weapons to command other people. This was just a momentary event.

After a tedious show of etiquette was done, Qi Sheng and Zhao wang remained in the outer courtyard as Jiang-shi followed me to the two doors.  Although originally there was a soft sedan chair prepared, the moment I thought about how women would be the ones to carry it, my heart felt a bit uncomfortable and I just decided to not use them.

The Crown Princess did not sit on a sedan chair, thus Zhao wangfei could only follow in suit and walk as well. The whole way there, she was very quiet.

I couldn’t help but turn around to give her a glance, though I did not think I would be caught by her red-handedly. Jiang-shi smiled softly as she called me: “Da biaojie².”

I promptly turned back……this call really shocks people ah.

Yet I was unbearably curious, for exactly what did Qi Sheng like about Jiang-shi?

Her face? It could only be considered as elegant, and there were more than enough beauties prettier than her in the Eastern Palace.

Her figure? She was already dressed in spring clothing, yet you still couldn’t see what she had.

Her personality? A woman’s personality only had a few types, how much could her’s differ?

I really thought it was weird, what exactly did Qi Sheng like about her? To let a whole Palace of women live like they were widows……

I again turned around to cast Jiang-shi a glance, but I still could not puzzle out the reasons.

It couldn’t be……because of her inner qualities?

But when I thought of this, I couldn’t help but first laugh.

Jiang-shi had always been very calm.

Behind the two doors, all the womenfolk of the Zhang family were waiting. I finally saw the pretty and jealous Yan-shi.

Ah, very disappointing, the painting was better. The real person was already past her prime.

There was also Zhang-shi’s mother, Fan-shi whose eyes started to redden just by looking at me.

Everyone who saw me all began kneeling down and saluting me as per etiquette. I really could not bear to watch as this grandmother kneeled to her granddaughter, and the mother kneel to her daughter. Quickly, I let Lu Li tell them that they are all excused, and only after that did all the women stand up.

I even put on an act of giving Grandmother Zhang and Fan-shi a salute. The grandmother pulled me close with one hand, crying as she yelled: “Big girl ah!”

The people around us all took out their handkerchiefs in coordination. Most of them immediately started crying while those who didn’t used their handkerchiefs to moisten the corners of their eyes in vain.

I just felt my head ache as I repeatedly said: “Quickly stop crying, stop crying.”

Who would have thought that the moment I did, the original crier also began to choke up. This time, beside me, Lu Li had also begun to cry.

If there was one woman who was crying at me, I may have been able to coax her a bit. However a group of women were all crying at me, I almost wanted to raise my hand to the sky and swear……I, I, I……really didn’t do anything bad to you guys!

I was watching helplessly when the head of a little girl around five or six years old popped out from behind an adult’s back and stared at me with her big, wide eyes. I saw that she looked cute, and couldn’t help but bend down to tease her: “Little girl, how are you?”

The little girl gave me a sweet smile before calling: “Big aunt!”

I immediately pulled the 囧 face.

Zhang-shi’s sister-in-law quickly pulled the little girl to her as she apologized with a low whisper: “Crown Princess please forgive her, Qing Er is young and ignorant.”

I waved my hand as I laughed: “She didn’t call me anything wrong, forgive what sin?”

Everyone also followed me and laughed. After this interruption, a lot of the handkerchiefs were finally put away.

Ah, women, sure enough they’re all temperamental creatures.

Grandmother Zhang seemed to have cried too much as she turned around to urge Fan-shi: “You should also stop crying, the big girl coming home once isn’t something easy, you two should have a proper chat together later on.”

Fan-shi nodded and stated yes before turning her head to look at me affectionately.

Being stared at like this, I felt my hair raise. After all, I wasn’t really this person’s daughter, so I really couldn’t stand such a look.

It was Jiang-shi who broke up my encirclement. The Jiang-shi who had been hiding behind people until now finally came up to salute Grandmother Zhang. Grandmother Zhang became emotional once more, and she began to reminisce with Jiang-shi as she held her hand.

I finally understood now. So it turns out Jiang-shi was actually this Grandmother Zhang’s biaojie’s granddaughter.

What Lu Li had said before was right. By the time it got to Zhang-shi’s generation, it really was several rounds of cousin’s cousin.

This time around, the women around us did not dig out their handkerchiefs in coordination, but only advised the grandmother not to be sad. It could obviously be seen that the attitudes of the woman of the Zhang family weren’t that good towards Jiang-shi. Some even seemed contemptuous. The grand Zhao wangfei was standing over there, but everyone pretended not to see!

The house had only produced a Crown Princess and they were already like this. If I were to succeed in being promoted again, wouldn’t they all tap their hands with small bamboo sticks when appearing?

That expression, must be adjusted!

But this day, I was really bored.

The parties of historical women weren’t really much. Drinking some wine, listening to the show, all done while everyone kept flattering me. After all of this it was already dark, and Fan-shi only had the time to pull me over, but she hadn’t said even a few intimate words before there was a message from outside from an inner servant who reported that the Crown Prince Qi Sheng was already resting in the Feng Yi Courtyard, and that I should go over there.

F***, Qi Sheng, I stayed in the Eastern Palace for more than eight months and you never called for me. After we return to Zhang-shi’s home, you actually started calling for me.

Fan-shi quickly wiped her tears before saying: “Before we were only told that your health was not good. The family wanted to come and visit you but we couldn’t enter that place. Now that I can see you’re fine, I finally feel relieved. You should quickly go, in any case you’ll be living in that courtyard for a few days, let’s talk together again tomorrow.”

Seeing that the colour of my face wasn’t good, Fan-shi quickly advised: “Child ah, you cannot continue to show your temper, no husband wouldn’t like a compliant wife, if you only follow him, for sure he will come to know your good qualities.”

I guess my face sank even more as Fan-shi softly laughed and said: “His Highness is sticking to you, this is a good thing! You silly girl, what are you being stubborn for? Unless you think that it’s fine for His Highness to always be chasing after that Jiang-shi?”

I looked at Fan-shi, feeling a bit lost for words.

Ah, if only you were to know that your daughter was no longer a daughter, and that your son-in-law hadn’t taken a fancy to your daughter but was just scared I would spill the beans.

You……would you still be able to laugh?

Dismissed by Fan-shi, Lu Li supported me as we slowly walked over to the Feng Yi Courtyard. Who would have thought that halfway there, we would once again encounter that white clothed Jiang-shi who was entering the courtyard beside Feng Yi Courtyard.

Lu Li angrily said: “I don’t know who here was in charge of assigning the courtyards, so insensible as to let Jiang-shi that slut live as our neighbour!”

I took a look at the purple bamboo forest between the two courtyards and inwardly praised: it’s a great place to carry on a love affair ah!

In the end, who was it that arranged the courtyards? They’re too f***ing talented!

Entering the courtyard, an inner attendant came over to report that Qi Sheng was in the study room.

I pondered for a moment before deciding not to let Lu Li and the others follow. I followed the inner attendant over there by myself.

There were some issues ah, that you really couldn’t let women know about. They generally couldn’t keep anything secret regardless of how unswerving she was to you.

The light in the study room was lit very brightly, and Qi Sheng was reading a book again.

In contrast, my heart relaxed. I guessed that the reason Qi Sheng was always reading was the same reason as to why bodyguards always wore sunglasses.

One, he doesn’t want me to see his expression which means that he doesn’t want to expose his state of mind.

Two, this youngster was pretending to be calm.

Sure enough, Qi Sheng’s eyes didn’t leave his book as he faintly asked: “How was it?”

“It was okay.” I replied.

Qi Sheng raised his head to give me a glance.

I immediately criticized myself. My tone was too cheerful, and I definitely had to change that in the future.

However, Qi Sheng didn’t speak and began looking like he was concentrating on his book again, flipping a page every now and then. However, looking at his flipping speed, his mind was obviously elsewhere.

As a result, I also became calm as I found a chair to sit on before quietly watching Qi Sheng read.

At my calm gaze, Qi Sheng finally could not stay calm any longer and suddenly asked me: “Do you have something to say?”

I thought a bit before tentatively asking: “What do you want to hear about?”

Qi Sheng looked at me: “Why can’t you recognize even your own family?”

I asked in reply: “Why do you even have all of the Zhang family’s biographies memorized?”

Qi Sheng’s lips twisted as he deflected the question: “There was once a matter that was recorded in <>, in which Nan Hang Qiao-shi had a daughter who changed one night. She couldn’t recognize her friends, could not recognize her parents, and her words and actions differed from her past ones. Her excuse was that it was because of amnesia. A monk said that this woman’s body was unchanged, but her heart had been switched, an evil spirit had entered her body, and it would only rest after it had taken a life. Only by burning it with flames could the problem be solved.”

I was shocked: “I’m a living person, I’ll burn to death.”

Qi Sheng continued to say: “The parents of Qiao-shi were reluctant because they loved her, and so they threw that monk out. Afterwards it was peaceful within the Qiao family, but people began fearing that Qiao-shi would take away someone’s life and so no one dared to marry her. This lead to Qiao-shi being unmarried even by the time she was twenty.”

I suddenly felt a bit depressed in my heart. How good it would have been if I had transmigrated here a few years earlier. Becoming an old unmarried woman is still better than marrying a guy ah!

I asked Qi Sheng: “But I’m already married here, so what to do? Can I……still fix this?”

^{1. AKA, the blood didn’t flow from his head to his…um, ‘little junior Qi Sheng’.”↩}

^{2. Older female cousin from the female’s line.”↩}

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