Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 77
by Little PandaVolume 3: Courtly Winds and Clouds, Each Finds Their Place
This Palace will help
The Fifth Imperial Daughter didn’t believe such a good thing could exist under heaven.
However, she truly did like other people’s young masters. Her father had passed away when she was young, and she had lacked fatherly love. She had always heard those around her say that her father was a graceful noble young master who stood aloof from the world. Having heard this many times, she developed a particular fondness for such men.
At first, she only wanted to marry Xiao Zhengyun because of his family background. Later, after meeting him once, the image of that noble young master who stood aloof from the world instantly overlapped with Xiao Zhengyun in her mind.
Anyone would be tempted by the chance to marry their beloved.
The Fifth Imperial Daughter stared suspiciously at Ji Qingchi, “Are you telling the truth?”
“Of course. What benefit is there for This Palace in deceiving Imperial Elder Sister?”
The Fifth Imperial Daughter sneered, not falling for her act at all, “The benefits are plentiful.”
Ji Qingchi was rebuffed and also very angry. She had spoken to the Fifth Imperial Daughter nicely, yet the other party didn’t appreciate it at all, making her feel like a fool.
She pulled Su Yi and started to leave, “If we don’t see eye to eye, even half a sentence is too much. Let’s go!”
“Wait.” Su Yi felt that these two sisters seemed to have eaten gunpowder, igniting at the slightest spark. She quickly grabbed Ji Qingchi, “Wait a moment, we should at least finish talking.”
Giving face1 to Su Yi, Ji Qingchi stopped, though she still didn’t turn around.
Su Yi was a little speechless. Seeing her like this, it was clear she wasn’t planning to speak. So, Su Yi had to take over the conversation, saying to the Fifth Imperial Daughter, “What Her Ninth Highness said just now was right. I owe her a favor. If Her Fifth Highness wishes to express thanks, you can directly thank Her Ninth Highness.”
Towards Su Yi, the Fifth Imperial Daughter’s attitude softened considerably, “How should I thank her? It wouldn’t be like what a certain liar said, trying to find a way for This Palace to marry Young Master Xiao, would it?”
Just as Su Yi was about to speak, a thought flashed through her mind. Suddenly, her heart jolted, and she turned to stare blankly at Ji Qingchi.
In fact, with a little thought, one could figure out Ji Qingchi’s scheme.
Now that Xiao Zhengyun was unconscious, she probably wanted to bring the Fifth Imperial Daughter to Xiao Zhengyun’s bed, and then lead people over to catch them in the act.
This would not only ruin Xiao Zhengyun but also damage the Fifth Imperial Daughter’s reputation. The Emperor had always disagreed with the Fifth Imperial Daughter marrying Xiao Zhengyun. With this move, she would definitely make the Emperor dissatisfied with the Fifth Imperial Daughter, greatly reducing the Fifth Imperial Daughter’s chances of succeeding to the throne.
It was self-evident who would benefit the most then.
And Ji Qingchi deliberately getting angry with the Fifth Imperial Daughter was probably just an act. Knowing that the Fifth Imperial Daughter didn’t trust her, she would instead lower some of her defenses against Su Yi, who had helped her. So, Ji Qingchi deliberately pretended to be angry and about to leave, actually wanting Su Yi to help persuade the Fifth Imperial Daughter, to make the Fifth Imperial Daughter fall into the trap she had set.
Truly someone of royal birth; who to use, who to harm, in the blink of an eye, they could clearly think of the most advantageous scheme for themselves.
The Fifth Imperial Daughter had always wanted Ji Qingchi’s life, so Ji Qingchi’s actions were understandable.
But looking at the Fifth Imperial Daughter’s sincere eyes, Su Yi hesitated. Should she, or should she not, help Ji Qingchi realize her plan?
If Ji Qingchi succeeded, the Fifth Imperial Daughter would ultimately die. But if the Fifth Imperial Daughter ascended the throne, Ji Qingchi would also die.
An unsolvable situation.
Ji Qingchi seemed to feel Su Yi’s intense gaze and slowly turned her face.
Meeting Su Yi’s surprised and hesitant eyes, she knew Su Yi must have guessed her intentions.
She had always been ruthless enough, unscrupulous enough. From the despised night watchman’s daughter to the imperial daughter now holding military power, she had clawed her way up to this position. It was impossible without being ruthless.
Initially, she would have used Su Yi without hesitation, disregarding her weak body, and would have tried every means to get Su Yi to bring her back to Jingdu. This was because her heart was ruthless enough, unscrupulous enough.
But now, just seeing the surprise in Su Yi’s eyes made her heart tremble, made her regret.
No one didn’t want to maintain a glorious and upright image in front of their beloved.
She was no exception.
She was afraid of leaving an unscrupulous image in Su Yi’s eyes, afraid Su Yi would no longer want to be with her, afraid Su Yi would break up with her.
Ji Qingchi tremblingly reached for Su Yi’s hand. After finding it, she carefully grasped it and placed it over her heart.
Seeing that Su Yi didn’t struggle, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, slowly pulling Su Yi into her embrace, holding her, and said mournfully, “I’m sorry.”
Su Yi didn’t answer. Ji Qingchi lowered her head, her voice even lower, almost pleading, “I was wrong, I shouldn’t have… shouldn’t have…”
The word “used” dared not escape her lips, fearing that once spoken, it would create a rift in her relationship with Su Yi.
“I… I henceforth… won’t… you… you for…”
The word “forgive” was also very difficult to say, fearing Su Yi would think she wasn’t worthy of saying those two words.
Those caught in love are always plagued by fears of gain and loss, with little rationality to speak of.
Su Yi sighed and hugged her back, using actions instead of words.
Being with someone vying for the imperial throne is like this; they will unconsciously treat you as a tool for power struggles, even if it might not be their original intention, just a subconscious act.
“You two—”
Seeing the two embracing, the Fifth Imperial Daughter’s eyes widened in surprise.
Then she understood, looking at Ji Qingchi with a complicated expression, “No wonder there’s never been anyone by your side.”
The young lady of Marquis Pingyang’s household, perfect in both looks and character; apart from not being able to have children, she was indeed flawless.
To think that a dog thing like Ji Qingchi could also have such emotions, could also be plagued by fears of gain and loss for someone. Truly rare.
The Fifth Imperial Daughter had mixed feelings. After a long while, she snorted coldly and said, “This Palace will do you this favor.”
Ji Qingchi, still holding Su Yi, hadn’t yet recovered her senses when Su Yi in her arms pushed her away, saying in surprise, “Her Fifth Highness, this is?”
“Although This Palace detests that dog thing to death.” The Fifth Imperial Daughter pointed at Ji Qingchi, wishing she could go up and slaughter her.
When she turned to look at Su Yi, her gaze gradually softened, and she smiled, “But This Palace greatly admires Miss Su, so I am willing to do Miss Su this favor. Miss Su can tell This Palace what you need This Palace to do?”
Facing the Fifth Imperial Daughter’s sincere eyes, Su Yi was somewhat at a loss for words.
To be honest, none of these imperial daughters were bad-hearted people. Even the Fifth Imperial Daughter, who opposed Ji Qingchi and wanted to kill her, had never done anything to oppress the common people. Instead, she had always worked diligently for the imperial court and for the commoners. It was written in the book that the Fifth Imperial Daughter resolved every flood disaster in the Yanxue Kingdom, even contracting malaria once and surviving a near-death experience.
Su Yi didn’t want to harm her, but she was also afraid something would happen to Ji Qingchi, putting her in a very difficult position.
“Fifth Imperial Elder Sister.” Seeing Su Yi’s dilemma, Ji Qingchi suddenly spoke, “Setting aside the enmity between us, speaking from conscience, do you want to see the Yanxue Kingdom become strong?”
“A dog thing like you still has a conscience?”
“Likewise, likewise,” Ji Qingchi said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “May I trouble Imperial Elder Sister to use your conscience, which is only the size of a fingernail, to think: do you want to see the Yanxue Kingdom plunged into misery and suffering2?”
The Fifth Imperial Daughter, surprisingly, didn’t argue with her again, saying in a deep voice, “Of course not.”
If the skin does not exist, what can the hair attach to3?
She was an imperial daughter of the Yanxue Kingdom. If the Yanxue Kingdom were to be destroyed, what would she be?
“Alright then.” Ji Qingchi said to her seriously, “What This Palace is about to say concerns the fate of the Yanxue Kingdom. I hope Fifth Imperial Elder Sister will listen carefully.”
And so, she recounted the matter of the spy, piece by piece.
The more she spoke, the tighter the Fifth Imperial Daughter’s brows furrowed, and by the end, her face was already dark and overcast, “You suspect the Chancellor?”
“I have to suspect. Her methods in recent years have been too many, and besides, quite a bit of evidence has been found proving her hands aren’t clean.”
The Fifth Imperial Daughter thought for a moment; indeed, it was true. The Chancellor’s arrogance had been growing more and more in recent years.
However, after hearing all this, the Fifth Imperial Daughter understood Ji Qingchi’s intentions. She sneered, “Well, well, Ji Qingchi! You want This Palace to marry the Chancellor’s son, so you can reap the fisherman’s profit4? You really have a good plan!”
“Doesn’t Imperial Elder Sister like him? This Palace is merely giving Imperial Elder Sister a hand.”
“This Palace doesn’t like him anymore, alright?!”
Seeing the two were about to clash again, Su Yi quickly said, “Your Highnesses, please don’t argue. I’ve thought of a way that can benefit both of you.”
The two spoke in unison, “What way?”
Su Yi rubbed her ears, which were aching from the shouting, and said helplessly, “Your Highnesses, please lean in.”
“Ah!”
A scream made everyone near the guest rooms drop what they were doing and rush over.
The spies planted by the Xiao family and Hua Wushang beforehand felt their hearts sink even more, hurriedly finding excuses to head in that direction.
Inside the tightly surrounded guest room, Xiao Zhengyun clutched a blanket, his upper body bare, tears welling in his eyes. Looking at the person beside him, the tears slowly turned into venomous hatred.
Who on earth disrupted my plan! Who was it! What about the servants I left behind?! What happened, why did the originally planned Ninth Imperial Daughter turn into this person?!
Beside him slept a very unfamiliar woman, still unconscious. Judging by her attire, she seemed to be a maidservant from an imperial prince’s residence.
“Young Master Xiao—”
The Fifth Imperial Daughter, seemingly just waking up from a hangover, hurriedly walked out of the adjacent room. Pushing open the door and seeing such a scene, her eyes widened, and she stumbled back two steps, utterly distraught, “How… how could this happen…”
The Ninth Imperial Daughter also rushed over. Seeing the scene before her, her eyes also widened, and flames of anger seemed ready to erupt from them, “How could this happen?!”
In the crowd, a maidservant wearing a wild ox mask said, “This servant saw that it seemed both the Fifth Imperial Daughter and Young Master Xiao were drunk, and their clothes were wet, so someone had them brought here to change.”
Hearing this, the Ninth Imperial Daughter suddenly flew into a rage. Seeing the Fifth Imperial Daughter in front, she disregarded the dissuasions of those around her, grabbed her, and punched her in the face, “So it was you!”
The Fifth Imperial Daughter’s face contorted in pain. She silently cursed Ji Qingchi, this shameless dog thing, for taking the opportunity to seek revenge even now. Dogs were better than her!
She wasn’t one to be outdone. Clutching her face, she got up and started fighting with Ji Qingchi, “What do you mean!”
“You must have had improper designs on Young Master Xiao, that’s why you brought him here! Young Master Xiao was unwilling, so you retaliated against him!”
“Slanderous accusations! This Palace thinks Ninth Imperial Elder Sister’s head must be filled with water, to dare hit This Palace for a man!”
“This Palace will not only hit you, This Palace will also kill you!”
At first, the two were fighting half-heartedly, but as they cursed and got angrier, they truly wished they could tear each other apart. The onlookers, fearing they would get hurt, quickly made space for the two.
Everyone formed a circle watching them fight. The maidservants and young male servants all shouted at the top of their lungs, “Her Fifth Highness, Your Highness the Ninth, stop fighting!”
They shouted, but no one dared to step forward and intervene. Didn’t you see Her Ninth Highness crack her whip, splitting the rockery in the courtyard in half?
The two fought inextricably, and seven or eight-tenths5 of the things in the courtyard and rooms were destroyed. By the time the three imperial daughters and the Eldest Imperial Prince received the news and arrived, there wasn’t a single good spot left in the courtyard.
The Eldest Imperial Prince’s vision went dark. Heavens, ah, why was his fate so bitter?
The several imperial daughters’ mouths twitched. This was a disaster; they were all going to be reprimanded by their Emperor Mother.
The author has something to say:
The Fifth Imperial Daughter is a bit of a love-brain6. She actually holds a kind of fantasy about love and isn’t very good at judging people, but she’s not the type to dive in headfirst. If it touches upon her core interests, like the destruction of the kingdom, she will also temporarily abandon love.
Footnotes
- 面子 | miànzi | “Face” is a crucial socio-cultural concept representing one’s reputation, social standing, and honor. “Giving face” means showing respect or deference.
- 生灵涂炭 | shēnglíngtútàn | Lit. “living creatures smeared with mud and charcoal”; Fig. the people are plunged into misery and suffering; widespread devastation.
- 皮之不存, 毛将焉附 | Pí zhī bù cún, máo jiāng yān fù | Lit. “If the skin does not exist, where can the hair attach itself?”; Fig. If the foundation is gone, what can depend on it? This implies that one’s own well-being is dependent on the well-being of the larger entity (like the kingdom).
- 坐收渔翁之利 | zuòshōu yúwēng zhī lì | Lit. “sit and reap the fisherman’s profit”; Fig. to profit from the conflict of others, like the fisherman in the fable who caught both the snipe and the clam while they were fighting.
- 七七八八 | qīqībābā | Lit. “seven seven eight eight”; Fig. bits and pieces; almost all; nearly complete; more or less done.
- 恋爱脑 | liàn’ài nǎo | Lit. “love brain”; Slang for someone whose thinking is overwhelmingly dominated by romantic love, often to the point of irrationality or neglecting other aspects of life.
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