Chapter 382: It’s Good Luck If Prospective Wife Is Three Years Older
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Su Ying’s expression froze as she turned to look in the direction of the man-made rockery.
After a series of slight movements, there was no more unusual movement inside.
Su Ying picked up a stone from the ground and slowly approached the man-made rockery.
There were many gaps in the man-made rockery, and people could hide inside.
Su Ying raised the stone and threw it viciously into a crack.
“Argh!”
Suddenly, a cry of alarm came from the rockery. A figure jumped out of the man-made rockery in a panic.
Su Ying took a look and saw that it was Princess Pingling.
When their eyes met, Princess Pingling was also stunned. When she came back to her senses, her eyes were filled with fear.
“Your Imperial… Imperial Highness… 1… I’m just… pass… passing by…”
The corners of Su Ying’s lips curled up. “Last night, the Imperial Guards were looking for you. They almost went crazy searching for you. Yet you are telling me that you are just passing by the inner courtyard of the Imperial Palace early in the morning?”
Princess Pingling pursed her lips tightly and looked at Su Ying with reddened eyes. “1 beg Your Imperial Highness. Please spare my life. 1 have seen enough of the Imperial harem fighting for power. I… I really don’t want to come to the Chu State after breaking free from the prison-like confinement of the Nan State’s Imperial Palace. I beg Your Imperial Highness. Please let me off.”
“Alright, 1 will let you off.”
Princess Pingling was astounded. She raised her head in shock and looked at Su Ying in disbelief. “What… what did Your Imperial Highness say?”
“I said, you are free to go.”
Princess Pingling revealed a joyful expression when she heard this. “Thank you, Your Imperial Highness. Thank you, Your Imperial Highness.”
Su Ying took out a jade token and threw it to her. “Take my jade token and follow the path behind the rockery to the Imperial kitchen. There’s a side door there. As long as you have the jade token, you can enter and exit as you please.” Princess Pingling thanked Su Ying profusely.
“Leave quickly. Go while it’s still early and there are not many people in the Imperial harem’s quarters.”
“Yes, yes.”
Princess Pingling gripped the jade token in her hand tightly and turned toward the direction Su Ying had pointed out.
Su Ying watched her leave and shook her head before turning around and returning to Conjugal Phoenix Palace.
When Bai Shuang saw that Su Ying had returned, she immediately asked Lin Zhuyu to get hot water for Su Ying to wipe herself. She then helped Su Ying change into a clean dress before serving her breakfast.
“Where are Ji and Ling?”
“Your Imperial Highness, the First Young Prince and the Young Princess have already gone to class.”
Chu Yun stayed in Sky Alpha City. After returning to the capital, Xiao Jin personally taught the two little ones. However, he had too many things to do recently, so he found a new teacher for the two of them. After they had caught up on their lessons, they would then follow the other kids to school.
The two little fellows had gone to class so early. It was a little boring for Su Ying to eat breakfast alone.
Although it was boring, there was not a single bit of food left on the table after she was done.
As soon as she put down the chopsticks, Lin Zhuyu walked in with an unpleasant expression. There was a hint of resentment in her eyes as she said, “Your Imperial Highness, Princess Pingling has been found.”
Su Ying cast her an odd look. “So what if she was found? Why are you so agitated?”
Lin Zhuyu stomped her feet in anger and said, “I heard from those people that the Emperor bumped into her and has brought her to the main hall now.”
Su Ying still didn’t quite understand why Lin Zhuyu was so upset.
“Got it.”
Lin Zhuyu almost jumped when she saw Su Ying’s calm reaction. “Your Imperial Highness, she’s clearly seducing the Emperor!” That scumbag man! If he dared to betray the Empress, she would definitely put rat poison in his food!
“And then?”
Lin Zhuyu stepped forward and took a dress for Su Ying to change into. “She was found in the Imperial harem’s quarters. The Imperial harem’s quarters are within the Empress’s sphere of influence. It’s not too much for Your Imperial Highness to go and watch.”
Su Ying thought about it and concurred. She didn’t have anything to do later anyway, so it didn’t hurt to take a look.
When Su Ying arrived, she saw Princess Pingling kneeling on the ground with a fragile-looking demeanor. Prince Yu said angrily, “Your Majesty, she hid in your Imperial harem’s quarters for one night and her reputation is already ruined. The Nan State originally planned to marry the Princess off in a marriage alliance. So why don’t Your Majesty pick an auspicious day to bring her into the palace?”
Princess Pingling raised her head and shook her head in resistance. “Big Brother, 1 beg you. 1 really don’t want a marriage alliance…”
However, Prince Yu slapped Princess Pingling’s face angrily. “How dare you! Do you think a big matter like marriage is something you can decide yourself?”
When Su Ying walked in, Prince Yu’s slap just landed. Slap! That sound was exceptionally crisp and loud.
Xiao Jin turned around and saw Su Ying walking in. “Why are you here?”
Su Ying glanced at Princess Pingling, then walked over to a chair and sat down. “I’m here to plead for Princess Pingling.”
Everyone present was shocked when they heard her.
Xiao Jin was puzzled. “Why are you pleading for her?”
Su Ying pointed at Princess Pingling with her finger. “Your Majesty, please let her go. She’s quite pitiful.”
Prince Yu’s expression immediately changed. “What does Your Imperial Highness mean? Why is the Princess pitiful?”
Su Ying ignored him. Instead, she looked at Xiao Jin and said, “What does Your Majesty think?”
“Indeed, she is quite pitiful. Then I’ll let you go. I will not let you enter the palace.”
Prince Yu did not expect Xiao Jin to agree so easily. Even Princess Pingling remained frozen in the same spot in shock. Her ambivalent expression of whether she should exit gracefully or not was really funny.
“Your Majesty, you must not. The marriage alliance is to bolster the friendly ties between the Chu State and the Nan State even further. How can it be destroyed by her foolish selfishness? Your Majesty, please reconsider.” After saying that, Prince Yu glared at Princess Pingling.
“You idiot, explain clearly to the Emperor and Empress at once! Are you so selfish and only thinking about yourself? Are you not thinking about the people of the Nan State?”
Princess Pingling lowered her head as if she couldn’t raise her head after being scolded by Prince Yu.
“The Nan State is the homeland that gave birth to you and raised you. The Emperor of the Chu State is young and promising. What are you still dissatisfied about?”
After a round of scolding, Princess Pingling looked embarrassed and ashamed. She looked at Xiao Jin with tears in her eyes, and her expression was almost dripping with sorrow. “Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Please forgive me, Your Imperial Highness. I agree with the marriage alliance. I’m willing to enter the palace to serve Your Majesty and Your Imperial Highness. Please grant my wish.”
Prince Yu’s expression softened when he heard her say that.
Prince Yu raised his head and saw Su Ying and Xiao Jin both holding half a muskmelon in their hands as they watched the show the two people were putting up.
An invisible sense of humiliation instantly rushed to Prince Yu’s head. He suppressed his displeasure and said through gritted his teeth, “Please forgive her for her nonsense, Your Majesty and Your Imperial Highness. Our Nan State has already prepared a dowry for the Princess. We will definitely let her enter the palace in glory, as a sign of the friendship between the two states.”
Su Ying took a bite of the muskmelon. Crunch-squelch! The munching sounds on the muskmelon could be heard and the muskmelon sounded very delicious.
Xiao Jin handed the melon rind to Zhang Shuming and said somewhat languidly, “I heard that the melon 1 ate just now was forcefully twisted off. It’s not sweet. 1 don’t want it.”
Prince Yu became annoyed at once and almost couldn’t catch his breath. “Your Majesty, sweet or not, it’s still a melon that needs to be eaten!”
Xiao Jin’s dark eyes sank as he frowned slightly. “How old is she this year?”
“Fifteen.”
“Hmm. Then I’ll bestow her to the Third Prince in marriage. It’s good luck if the prospective wife is three years older..”