Chapter 424: Your Disciple Fancies Young Master Liu
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Liu Ling was a little puzzled by the two women staring at her.
When she noticed this, Princess Xiangyang quickly averted her gaze.
Then, she said to Qin Xiaoyao, “I’m not just here to freeload. Xiangyang is here to announce the edict.”
At the same time, she felt guilty.
Oh no… her master seemed to know what she was thinking.
“Oh?” Qin Xiaoyao didn’t believe her at all.
“Ahem…” Princess Xiangyang immediately cleared her throat.
“Marquis Xiaoyao, receive the decree,” she continued.
Qin Xiaoyao glanced at Princess Xiangyang and finally stood up.
She cupped her hands at Princess Xiangyang and bowed. “Your servant is ready to receive the decree,” she said in a solemn voice.
“The Empress has decreed that Marquis Xiaoyao should follow Princess Xiangyang into the palace for an audience with the Emperor,” Princess Xiangyang said gleefully. Well, she was not lying.
Qin Xiaoyao’s eyes flickered.
“Your humble servant obeys.” Only then did she straighten up.
Then, she sat back down. “When are we leaving?”
Her disciple had asked for cutlery, so she was obviously not in a hurry to leave.
“Hehe! I’ll leave after breakfast,” Princess Xiangyang replied with a smile.
She plopped herself down beside Qin Xiaoyao.
When she sat down, she didn’t forget to slip a glance at Liu Ling.
If her master had already found out, then so be it. When her master saw that she was so obedient, her master might even help her.
When Qin Xiaoyao saw this, her eyes flickered again.
Just as she suspected, this girl Xiangyang had actually taken a fancy to Liu Ling.
Unfortunately…
When she looked at Liu Ling, who was focused on eating and did not notice Xiangyang’s expression, Qin Xiaoyao sighed in her heart.
It was such a pity. Notwithstanding the fact that their backgrounds and statuses were wildly incompatible, the Liu family had a grudge against Empress Jia. Xiangyang’s feelings would probably be met with disappointment.
The meal was quickly finished.
Liu Ling bid farewell and left quickly.
Qin Xiaoyao looked at Princess Xiangyang, who was watching Liu Ling’s back profile as he left.
“Stop looking. When he turns around later, he will discover you,” she teased.
Princess Xiangyang quickly withdrew her gaze.
Upon seeing Qin Xiaoyao’s smiling face, she felt a little embarrassed and annoyed.
“Master, you’re making fun of me!” She clenched her small fists and was ready to smash them on Qin Xiaoyao.
Qin Xiaoyao retreated in time to avoid the attack.
“Alright. Let’s go to the palace first. We’ll talk about other things on the way.”
Princess Xiangyang glared at Qin Xiaoyao before letting her off.
The two of them left the Marquis’s residence and boarded the horse carriage.
In the horse carriage, Princess Xiangyang stole a few glances at Qin Xiaoyao.
Unfortunately, she realized that Qin Xiaoyao couldn’t be bothered with her at all.
“Master…” Finally, the girl couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Qin Xiaoyao shot a glance at the restless girl in front of her.
She pretended to be unaware and asked, “You have something to discuss?”
Princess Xiangyang nodded shamelessly.
“Yes.” At this point, she couldn’t care less about her own dignity anymore. The right thing to do was to persuade her master to help.
“Oh?” Qin Xiaoyao replied. Her expression was completely uninterested.
Princess Xiangyang became anxious.
“Yesterday at Lord Song’s residence, Master agreed to help!” she immediately said.
Qin Xiaoyao was astonished momentarily.
Only then did she remember that she had indeed teased this girl on that day.
Thus, Qin Xiaoyao said, “Ahem… Isn’t your master allowed to crack a joke?”
The critical point was that, if this girl had her eyes on someone else, it would be fine, but she had taken a fancy to Liu Ling.
There was no way she could help with this, and she didn’t want to either.
“No!” Princess Xiangyang immediately retorted.
Then, she grabbed Qin Xiaoyao’s hand.
“How can you go back on your word, Master?” She had hesitated for a long time before deciding to ask her master for help.
A trace of helplessness flashed across Qin Xiaoyao’s face.
“Then tell me,” she finally said.
Princess Xiangyang’s aggressive expression instantly turned bashful.
Then, she tugged at Qin Xiaoyao’s sleeve and said, “Your disciple… your disciple fancies Young Master Liu Ling.”
Qin Xiaoyao frowned inwardly.
It was as she suspected.
Before Qin Xiaoyao could reply, Princess Xiangyang hurriedly said, “This matter is not difficult for Master to help.”
Qin Xiaoyao frowned and looked at Princess Xiangyang with a puzzled expression.
“Master, you only need to acknowledge Young Master Liu as your sworn brother and then ask my Empress mother for my hand in marriage on behalf of Young Master Liu.
“My mother regards Master very highly and will definitely agree.”
Qin Xiaoyao shook her head after listening to her.
“What? Master, you are not willing to help?” Princess Xiangyang was immediately upset.
“That’s right,” Qin Xiaoyao replied.
Then, before Princess Xiangyang could speak again, she explained, “No matter how highly the Empress regards me, she will never let her most beloved daughter marry a man with a background in the vice industry.”
Princess Xiangyang was silent.
Qin Xiaoyao sighed and continued, “If I really do as you wish and bring up this matter to the Empress…
“I’m afraid that not only will I offend the Empress, but 1 may even bring danger to Young Master Liu Ling.”
Princess Xiangyang got a shock.
Some thoughts popped into her mind then and her face turned pale.
A hint of struggle flashed across her eyes. Then, she finally sat back down with a dejected expression.
After a while, she asked Qin Xiaoyao in despair, “Is… is there no other way?”
As soon as her master said that, Princess Xiangyang realized that she had oversimplified things.
However, she really liked Young Master Liu and only wanted to spend her life with him.
If she couldn’t be with Young Master Liu, she felt that she wouldn’t be able to do as she wished for the rest of her life.
Qin Xiaoyao looked at Princess Xiangyang.
“So, it has to be Liu Ling?” she asked.
Princess Xiangyang nodded.
“Yes, it has to be him.”
Qin Xiaoyao frowned.
After staring at Princess Xiangyang for a while, she sighed again.
“You are a Princess. Only the Empress and the Emperor can have any say in your marriage. However, whether it’s the Emperor or the Empress, they will never agree to this marriage.
“If you want to be with Liu Ling, unless…”
Princess Xiangyang’s eyes lit up.
“Unless what?” she asked hurriedly.
“Unless you are no longer a princess. Or…”
“Or what? Gosh, Master! Just say it quickly!” Princess Xiangyang urged impatiently.
“Or you can remain unmarried until the next Emperor agrees to your request.”
Princess Xiangyang looked at Qin Xiaoyao in shock.
She did not expect Qin Xiaoyao to say such brazen words to her at all.
However, she soon felt relieved.
Master treated her as one of her own and that was why she told her such things.
Then, Princess Xiangyang leaned against the wall of the horse carriage dejectedly.
“I was born a princess. How can 1 not be a princess?” As for the other way… She didn’t even dare to think about it.
Although both Emperor Father and Empress Mother’s health weren’t good, they should still be fine. Besides, she didn’t want anything to happen to them.
Moreover, even if they really passed away in the future, the next Emperor would not be so easy to talk to unlike her Emperor Father and Empress Mother.
Perhaps, when the time came, not only would he not grant her her wish, but he might even make use of her. He might use her as a tool in some marriage alliance.
Besides, even if she could wait, Young Master Liu could not.
She did not want to see Young Master Liu get married and take another woman as his wife.
Qin Xiaoyao glanced at Princess Xiangyang.
“I don’t know about that,” she replied.
That was about all she could say for now.
If she allowed this to continue, she was afraid that this girl would really carry out her plan.
If Liu Ling also had reciprocal feelings for her, it would be fine. However, if it was just this girl’s one-sided wishful thinking, then this girl would probably end up being hurt badly..