Chapter 338: Princess Xiangyang
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Without this misunderstanding, the Great Jin army wouldn’t have obtained a talented general like you.”
Qin Xiaoyao smiled awkwardly but didn’t reply.
“Then did you find your husband?” Empress Jia suddenly asked.
“Not yet. However, Prince Huaiyin has already given the order to help me find him. He said that there should be news soon,” Qin Xiaoyao replied honestly.
Even though she also wanted Empress Jia to help her find her husband and felt that it might be faster if she enlisted Empress Jia’s help, she was somewhat unwilling.
She wanted to avoid this character. She didn’t want to owe her a favor.
Her intuition told her that it was not good to be involved with this character too much.
Moreover, her husband had a grudge against her.
Empress Jia might not have taken any notice of her husband at first. If she enlisted the Empress’ help and the latter started investigating and found out his identity, it would lead to trouble.
Empress Jia glanced at Qin Xiaoyao and did not persist.
“If that’s the case, then you can wait and see,” she responded.
After she finished speaking, Empress Jia looked at the Emperor.
“We’ve chatted for a while. Your Majesty, why don’t you let Official Qin show you her martial arts skills? 1 also want to take a look,” she said in a petulant manner.
The Emperor was very pleased to hear this.
He immediately turned his gaze to Qin Xiaoyao.
“Official Qin…”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Qin Xiaoyao stood up and cupped her fists.
Then, she looked around her surroundings.
“Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, can you allow your servant to pluck some leaves?”
“Please do as you please, my beloved official.” The Emperor’s expression was somewhat puzzled, but he still consented.
Only then did Qin Xiaoyao go to a tree at the side and pluck a few leaves.
After returning to her original position, Qin Xiaoyao bowed to the Emperor and Empress and said, “It’s a pity that your servant has to be such a killjoy in such an excellent setting.”
The Emperor looked at Qin Xiaoyao with some curiosity and said magnanimously, “Haha! My beloved official, just go ahead without worry.”
Empress Jia, who was next to him, also nodded.
Only then did Qin Xiaoyao turn around.
Then, she injected her special ability force into the few leaves in her hand.
After that, she shot the leaves at a cluster of peonies in full bloom not far away.
An amazing thing happened. The stems of several peonies were cut off and the flowers fell to the ground.
The Emperor was stunned.
Empress Jia stood up in shock.
“Good! It’s so amazing!”
“General Qin, you certainly live up to your reputation as the number one warrior of our Great Jin State!” At this moment, a crystal clear voice suddenly rang out from the pavilion behind.
Qin Xiaoyao turned toward the source of the voice and saw a bright young lady in light yellow clothes clapping her hands as she walked toward them.
Qin Xiaoyao was wondering who that woman was.
Empress Jia and the Emperor looked at each other with a smile and then looked at Qin Xiaoyao.
“This is my youngest daughter, Xiangyang,” Empress Jia introduced.
Qin Xiaoyao hurriedly bowed.
“My greetings to Your Highness,” she greeted Princess Xiangyang.
“Oh, General Qin, you don’t have to be so polite!” Princess Xiangyang quickly walked up to Qin Xiaoyao.
“The leaves are so fragile, yet General Qin can use them as flying daggers to cut off the stems of the peonies. 1 am impressed!”
“It’s just a small trick. Princess, you’re too kind,” Qin Xiaoyao replied.
Indeed, she didn’t use her full strength.
Otherwise, the flying leaves could not only cut off the stems of peonies but could also kill people.
“General Qin, you are too modest!
“I’ve heard people talk about some of those martial arts heroes who can hurt people by shooting leaves, but I’ve never had the chance to meet them. Today, I’ve finally seen it for myself!” Princess Xiangyang looked at Qin Xiaoyao with a look of adulation.
In the face of Princess Xiangyang’s burning gaze, Qin Xiaoyao found it difficult to respond.
“Haha! That’s enough, Xiangyang.” In the end, it was Empress Jia who spoke.
“Official Qin, my youngest daughter doesn’t like the four arts, but she loves sabers and spears, swords and halberds.
“After hearing about your exploits, she kept pestering me and the Emperor, saying that she wants to meet you.
“I hope you don’t mind.”
“Your Royal Highness, you speak too highly of me. It is my honor that the Princess thinks so highly of me.” Qin Xiaoyao cupped her hands in response.
Empress Jia looked at her youngest daughter. When she saw that the girl kept looking at Qin Xiaoyao with admiration in her eyes, Empress Jia felt a little helpless.
If she didn’t know that Qin Xiaoyao was a woman, she would have misunderstood her daughter.
“The Emperor’s intention, and mine as well, is for Xiangyang to acknowledge you as her master. This way, she can learn some real skills, and the Emperor and I will also feel at ease. Official Qin, what do you think?” Empress Jia said.
As soon as she said this, Princess Xiangyang’s gaze toward Qin Xiaoyao became even more passionate.
However, Qin Xiaoyao’s face stiffened.
“Master! Master, please accept me! I promise I’ll train hard with you and not bring disrepute to Master’s reputation!” Princess Xiangyang had already grabbed Qin Xiaoyao’s arm and was even shaking it coquettishly.
“Er… then your humble servant shall do as you wish.” Only then did Qin Xiaoyao consent.
Although Princess Xiangyang was only a Princess, the Emperor and the Empress doted on her the most among all the princes and princesses.
Now that Empress Jia had handed the Princess to her and appointed her to be Princess Xiangyang’s master, it was too obvious that the Empress wanted to win Qin Xiaoyao over.
However, this was also good. Since Empress Jia had the intention to win her over, the former would not do anything to harm her in the short term.
However, she hoped that Prince Huaiyin would not read too much into this event.
“Hehe! That’s great! Master, please accept your disciple’s respects!” Princess Xiangyang’s eyes were filled with wild joy as she bowed to Qin Xiaoyao.
Qin Xiaoyao hurriedly helped her up.
“Princess, you mustn’t. I am too undeserving!”
“No harm! Since Xiangyang has acknowledged you as her master, you should accept her respects!” Empress Jia said with a smile.
After that, she allowed Princess Xiangyang and Qin Xiaoyao to spend some time together.
Princess Xiangyang had a lively personality. Now that she had become Qin Xiaoyao’s disciple, she was like a chatterbox, tugging on Qin Xiaoyao’s arm and talking non-stop to her.
She asked Qin Xiaoyao how she had captured the mountain bandit leader of Mountain Spring Town alive and killed his second-in-command.
She then asked her how she had killed Xiao Tu and Xiao Yuan.
In short, she had already heard about Qin Xiaoyao’s exploits, but she wanted Qin Xiaoyao to tell it to her personally.
What Qin Xiaoyao said was naturally different from what the Princess had heard, but the general gist was the same.
Qin Xiaoyao included her judgment and thoughts on the situation at that time in the story, which made Princess Xiangyang even more excited.
“Master, you’re simply a role model for the women of our Great Jin State! In the future, when you lead your troops to war, how about you bring me along? 1 want to be like you, and fight on the battlefields and make contributions to the Great Jin State!” Princess Xiangyang’s eyes were filled with excitement.
She was a Princess, and she was not destined to sit on the Dragon Throne. She also had no interest in that position.
As for getting married and becoming a woman staying in the back of the house, she was even less interested in that.
She also wanted to make a name for herself and leave her name in history, just like her master. She wanted to become a different kind of Princess of the Great Jin State!
“The swords and sabers on the battlefield have no eyes. Things are not so simple out there, you silly girl. Don’t go and cause trouble.” The Emperor suddenly interjected. The doting look in his eyes was tinged with worry as he looked at Princess Xiangyang.
However, Empress Jia’s attitude was different.
“It’s not impossible to go to the battlefield. However, with your superficial knowledge of martial arts skills, you are still not good enough.
“If you want to go to the battlefield with Official Qin, you have to have at least 20% of her strength, alright?” Empress Jia said with a smile.
As she spoke, she turned to look at Qin Xiaoyao.
“Since Xiangyang has such an ambition, I will have to trouble Official Qin to take care of her.
“If she really has that ability, so why don’t I let her go and expand her
ambitions?”