The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 209
by Little PandaThis Palace Is the Ruler, You Are the Subject
The two of them arrived at the courtyard of the reception hall, where the two elders had already had tea served.
Zhao Dian was a general of the Quzhao Dynasty, and though this Supreme General of the Haichao Kingdom had not come on the orders of his monarch, Zhao Dian still treated him with due courtesy.
“May I ask what important matter brings General Ge here to seek my daughter?”
Ge Chuan let out a faint, scoffing laugh and said, “I have heard that General Zhao’s second daughter married a prince of the current dynasty. To be favored by the imperial family, she must indeed be an exceptionally gentle and virtuous lady.”
Zhao Dian merely smiled. Applying those words to Zhao Jiayu always felt a bit off. His daughter was anything but gentle; as for virtuous, she barely scraped the margins of the definition.
Seeing that Zhao Dian did not reply, Ge Chuan cast a sidelong glance at him and continued, “From such a reputable and clean household, I cannot help but wonder why your eldest daughter acts like stray gulls and wild herons1, breaking up other people’s marriages—”
Zhao Dian’s face darkened instantly upon hearing this. Before he could ask what was going on, Xiao Bingying’s voice drifted in from outside.
“General Ge.” Xiao Bingying’s expression was laced with anxiety. Even from outside the courtyard, she had heard Ge Chuan loudly uttering his foul words.
Hearing her, Ge Chuan fell silent and looked toward the door. The personal guards he had brought immediately drew their blades, blocking Xiao Bingying’s path.
When Zhao Jiayu saw these men blocking their way inside her own family’s residence, combined with what Xiao Bingying had told her on the road—that this Ge Chuan had caused no end of trouble for her back in the Haichao Kingdom—her temper flared instantly. She leaped forward, kicking out with both feet at the two guards. However, they blocked her with their scabbards, sending her rebounding backward.
Seeing Zhao Jiayu thrown back, Xiao Bingying reached out to catch her, landing them both steadily on the ground.
“Are you all right?” Xiao Bingying asked, her expression full of worry.
Zhao Jiayu had no time to answer her. Those two guards had completely made her bristle with anger. She spat, “How dare you run wild in my home! Xu Jiang!”
The bodyguard Zhao Jiayu summoned, Xu Jiang was a reckless fellow who didn’t care who the opponents were; he only took orders from Zhao Jiayu. He leaped forward and, with a single kick, sent both of them crashing to the ground.
Just as Zhao Jiayu was about to haul them up for another beating, the other two guards nearby stepped forward. Seeing this, Xiao Bingying pulled Zhao Jiayu behind her. The two guards stared at Xiao Bingying, hesitating, and dared not strike.
No one could defeat Xiao Bingying in a fight. This was not a matter of mere hearsay; they had been beaten into absolute terror.
In the past, Ge Chuan had led men to intercept Xiao Bingying, only for every single one of them to be beaten by her with a casually grabbed stick until they clutched their faces and held their bruised legs. Although Xiao Bingying had never exposed Ge Chuan, she knew in her heart that those masked men had been sent by him.
Because of this, Cheng Xi had remained virtually inseparable from Xiao Bingying during their time in the Haichao Kingdom.
At this moment, Ge Chuan emerged alongside General Zhao and Mother Zhao. Looking at his two fallen men, Ge Chuan frowned and turned his gaze toward Xu Jiang.
Xu Jiang remained expressionless, not even deigning to look him in the eye. When Zhao Jiayu called him, he stepped back behind her.
“Xu Jiang.”
Xu Jiang bowed to the Zhao couple and walked over to Zhao Jiayu’s side.
With the corners of her mouth curled in a victorious smirk, Zhao Jiayu looked up at Ge Chuan, her expression filled with disdain.
“Jiayu,” Zhao Dian scolded her softly in reprimand. Zhao Jiayu pouted and, alongside Xiao Bingying, bowed. “Father, Mother.”
Zhao Jiayu was now a Princess Consort of the Quzhao Dynasty, and by rights, Ge Chuan should have bowed to her. Zhao Dian did not press the matter, and Ge Chuan merely stared at her, his expression extremely displeased.
“General Ge, you came seeking me. May I know what important business you have?” Xiao Bingying looked up at him.
Though Xiao Bingying held no official post in the Haichao Kingdom, everyone knew she was an indispensable talent. Otherwise, she would not have been appointed as the commander-in-chief when they sent reinforcements to aid Qu Sheng.
Ge Chuan sneered. “Eldest Miss Zhao has abducted my fiancée all the way to this place. What, am I not even allowed to come looking for her?”
While in the Haichao Kingdom, Xiao Bingying had always gone by the surname Zhao. However, Cheng Feng had never made her full name public, so most people only knew that there was a woman surnamed Zhao by Cheng Xi’s side.
“Bah! Cut the nonsense. Your betrothal to Cheng Xi was canceled eight hundred years ago! Cheng Xi loves my Ajie2 now. Stop flattering yourself and making such a senseless scene!” Zhao Jiayu spat, launching into a fierce rebuttal before Xiao Bingying could even speak.
How could she not see how deeply Cheng Xi adored her older sister? And her Ajie’s eyes were constantly fixed on Cheng Xi. The two of them shared such true and deep affection that no one would ever believe Cheng Xi could still care for this ill-mannered man standing before them.
“The betrothal was never canceled!” Ge Chuan bellowed, his voice rising sharply after being mocked by Zhao Jiayu.
Zhao Jiayu was startled for a split second by his sudden outburst, but her face quickly contorted in anger. Just as she was about to shout back, Cheng Xi’s voice rang out.
“Ge Chuan!”
“Xi’er.” Ge Chuan froze for a second upon hearing her voice, then quickly looked up.
Cheng Xi and Lin Xizhao walked over from a distance. Lin Xizhao surveyed the crowd in the courtyard, not quite understanding what was happening.
At that moment, everyone turned to look at Cheng Xi and Lin Xizhao. As Cheng Xi drew closer, she saw that Ge Chuan had brought men and seemed fully prepared to cause trouble. Her willow-leaf brows knit together in a frown as she asked, “Who permitted you to come here?”
“I wanted to see you,” Ge Chuan said, the hostility in his voice instantly dissolving.
Cheng Xi glanced around at everyone, then looked at General Zhao and Mother Zhao. Bowing her head in a formal greeting, she said, “I have alarmed Father and Mother. This newlywed wife is at fault, and this newlywed wife will take them away at once.”
The moment Cheng Xi spoke, even Lin Xizhao beside her was somewhat surprised. Cheng Xi and Xiao Bingying had not even held a wedding ceremony yet, but she was already referring to herself as a newlywed wife. It was plain as day that she was saying this specifically for Ge Chuan’s benefit.
Zhao Dian was also stunned, but his wife was quicker to react. She quickly smiled and said, “It’s no trouble at all. A guest is a guest.”
“Mother, how is he a guest? He’s clearly here to cause trouble,” Zhao Jiayu interjected from the side.
Hearing this, Mother Zhao glared at her to keep her quiet. No matter what, this man knew Cheng Xi; even if their betrothal was dissolved, they were still acquaintances.
Cheng Xi nodded, her eyes flashing with apology before she turned a cold, stern gaze back onto Ge Chuan. “Leave this place immediately.”
Her tone was aloof and distant, carrying the weight of an absolute command. Cheng Xi was the Princess of the Haichao Kingdom; even if Ge Chuan was the Supreme General, he was still obliged to obey her.
“Wait a moment,” Xiao Bingying called out just as Ge Chuan, suppressing his simmering rage, was about to leave.
Cheng Xi looked at Xiao Bingying, confusion written across her face. Previously in the Haichao Kingdom, Ge Chuan had caused similar scenes at her residence, but Xiao Bingying had always ignored him.
“I must ask General Ge to step into the side courtyard so we can have a few words.” Xiao Bingying’s tone was no longer gentle. Today, Ge Chuan had brought his disruptions directly into her family home. If she didn’t resolve this matter once and for all, she feared there would be a second and third time.
Xiao Bingying cast a glance at Cheng Xi. Cheng Xi’s eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded gently.
Seeing them heading toward the side courtyard, Zhao Jiayu wanted to follow, but Lin Xizhao held her back.
“Xizhao, aren’t you worried my Ajie will get the short end of the stick?” Zhao Jiayu asked, her expression laced with anxiety.
Xiao Bingying was a quiet soul who swallowed all her grievances in silence; what could she possibly say over there?
“She won’t. We must have faith in Bingying.” Lin Xizhao didn’t believe Xiao Bingying would suffer any disadvantage. Even if she wasn’t good with words, wasn’t Cheng Xi there beside her?
Just yesterday, Lin Xikuan had stopped Lin Xizhao to ask about Cheng Xi. He’d always carried deep guilt over the harm he’d previously inflicted upon Cheng Xi, so he’d begged Lin Xizhao to let him apologize to her in person to lay his lingering obsession to rest.
As for Lin Xikuan, Cheng Xi had only met him a handful of times and could barely even recall his face. Furthermore, that past incident had been entirely within her control; even if Xiao Bingying hadn’t arrived, she would’ve been perfectly fine.
Cheng Xi had originally not wanted to go, but since Lin Xizhao had agreed to convey his message, it was undoubtedly a sincere gesture. It wouldn’t do to reject Lin Xizhao’s kindness. After breakfast, she’d accompanied Lin Xizhao to Nanting Courtyard.
For a younger brother to enter his older sister’s courtyard wouldn’t cause any gossip, so Cheng Xi went to meet him there. Along the way, she also brought back several hand-copied medical manuscripts from her master, intending to show them to Xiao Bingying.
The side courtyard.
Xiao Bingying, Cheng Xi, and Ge Chuan stood in the quiet space. Having dismissed all the servants, Xiao Bingying cut straight to the point. “General Ge, your betrothal to Xi’er was voided long ago, following the passing of the late King and when Xi’er entered the capital of the former dynasty. I hope you won’t use this matter again to lay any accusations upon Xi’er.”
Cheng Xi stood quietly by her side, listening without interjecting. But upon hearing Xiao Bingying’s words, Ge Chuan turned his eyes directly to Cheng Xi, seemingly intent on ignoring Xiao Bingying entirely. “Xi’er, I don’t understand why you’d love a woman. If you’re doing this just to punish me, it’s already enough. I’ll never leave you again.”
“Xi’er, was our past really all a lie?”
“It was half true and half false,” Cheng Xi replied. Looking back, she’d lived a pampered life of luxury where everyone doted on her. Everyone, including her royal father, believed she loved Ge Chuan. Yet, she’d never truly known what it felt like to love someone.
To her, Ge Chuan had been nothing more than a familiar relative. Yet even that familial bond had faded after she was sent to the Tiansheng capital, while the Ge family remained active in the Haichao court.
Ge Chuan hadn’t even once gone to the Tiansheng capital to search for her.
“What do you mean by half true and half false?” Ge Chuan asked, his eyes clouded with confusion.
Cheng Xi lowered her eyes for a moment before turning her head to look at Xiao Bingying beside her. The true feeling of loving someone was something she had only ever experienced through Xiao Bingying.
Constantly worrying about losing her, her emotions were perpetually swayed by Xiao Bingying, and she cared about her happiness at every single moment.
Cheng Xi turned back to Ge Chuan and replied, “It’s true we once had a betrothal, but I’ve never loved you.”
She’d once believed that was love, too, but only after meeting Xiao Bingying did she realize it was merely a comfortable reliance on someone who was always around.
“Xi’er, why do you have to say such cruel things?” Ge Chuan muttered, still unwilling to let go.
“Please address me as Princess. This Palace is the ruler, and you are the subject.” Cheng Xi deliberately drew a sharp line between herself and Ge Chuan; she didn’t want Xiao Bingying to feel insecure ever again.
Back in Haichao, it wasn’t that Cheng Xi didn’t want to deal with Ge Chuan. It was just that with him around, anyone else who had designs on her would be targeted by him, which ultimately meant fewer people came to trouble them.
But today, Ge Chuan had tracked her down to this spot, claiming they still had a betrothal. This was something she couldn’t tolerate.
Even if Xiao Bingying hadn’t brought him to the side courtyard today, she still would’ve gone to warn Ge Chuan after he left.
“Furthermore, you’re not allowed to set foot in the Zhao household ever again.” The anger in Cheng Xi’s heart was mostly because Ge Chuan had come to the Zhao Residence without permission.
Xiao Bingying had originally intended to make things clear to Ge Chuan, but Cheng Xi had beaten her to it. Hearing these words from Cheng Xi’s own mouth, however, the lingering knot in her heart seemed to untangle completely.
Cheng Xi had only ever loved her.
Cheng Xi had always stayed in the royal palace. Ge Chuan had hoped to use this opportunity to have a proper talk with her and win her back, only for his hopes to be dashed by her flat denial—she’d never loved him.
His chest burning with suppressed fury, Ge Chuan stared intensely at Xiao Bingying for a long moment before finally turning to leave.
Once Ge Chuan departed from the Zhao Residence, Zhao Jiayu quietly dispatched men to tail them, ensuring they wouldn’t play any tricks. However, after leaving the estate, they headed straight out of the city gates, seemingly on their way back to Haichao.
Later that evening, in the Imperial Study, Qu Sheng listened to Lin Xizhao recount the encounter with Ge Chuan, her eyes lowered as she pondered the matter for a long while.
Lin Xizhao ladled a bowl of sweet soup for her. Seeing her lost in thought, she asked in a gentle voice, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” Qu Sheng said as she took the bowl of soup from Lin Xizhao’s hand.
Watching Qu Sheng take small sips of the soup, Lin Xizhao couldn’t help but worry that her busy schedule lately would wear out her body.
She’d been out for the entire day, and Qu Sheng had stayed in the Imperial Study the whole time.
Once Qu Sheng finished the soup, Lin Xizhao had the servants clear the bowl and remained by her side. As the weather was starting to grow increasingly warm, Lin Xizhao stepped to the side to gently fan her.
A gentle, cool breeze drifted over, bringing the temperature to a perfect comfort. Qu Sheng looked back and smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
Qu Sheng continued reviewing memorials until the end of the xu hour3, after which she and Lin Xizhao bathed and returned to the bedchamber together. Lying on the bed, Qu Sheng held Lin Xizhao close. Lin Xizhao looked up at her, sensing that Qu Sheng had been weighed down by heavy thoughts lately.
Lost in her thoughts, Qu Sheng noticed Lin Xizhao’s steady gaze. She looked down, a smile playing on her lips, and leaned in to kiss Lin Xizhao’s soft lips.
A light, fleeting kiss was far from enough. As their lips met again and again, desire slowly kindled within her. The yielding softness beneath her palm only heightened her resolve to break their recent period of abstinence tonight.
Qu Sheng gently nibbled at Lin Xizhao’s pale, porcelain skin. The warmth of her breath sent a slow heat spreading through Lin Xizhao’s body, drawing soft, involuntary whimpers from her throat.
After a thoroughly passionate and exhausting coupling, Qu Sheng held her now even more radiant wife, her heart filled with absolute contentment. Pressing her warm lips behind Lin Xizhao’s ear, brushing against her skin in feather-light kisses, she murmured softly, “Wife, in a little while, let’s visit the Haichao Kingdom.”
Half a month later, following the imperial Hundred Flowers Feast held in the palace, a spectacular grand wedding took place, sending shockwaves through both the Quzhao Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty.
By imperial decree, Princess Wanyi of the Jin Dynasty arrived for an alliance marriage, wedding the Quzhao official, Zhu Ming’an. Qu Sheng issued a decree to hold a grand, lavish wedding for them, inviting all the court ministers and noble gentry.
Once Qu Sheng’s imperial decree was promulgated, the entire Quzhao court erupted into an uproar. Many officials submitted memorial after memorial, protesting that the union was utterly preposterous and should not be celebrated so publicly, lest it encourage unhealthy winds and evil influences4.
The author has something to say:
Qu Sheng: “Wife, let’s go. We’re going to Haichao to stir up some waves!”
Lin Xizhao: “…”
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Footnotes
- An idiom literally translating to 'idle gulls and wild herons,' used metaphorically to describe loose, wandering individuals or interlopers who disrupt domestic order.
- Ajie (阿姐) is a colloquial pinyin term representing an older sister or an older female relative, used here by Zhao Jiayu to refer to Xiao Bingying.
- Xūshímò (戌时末), a traditional unit of time indicating the end of the xu hour, which corresponds to around 9:00 PM.
- Wāifēng-xiéqì (歪风邪气) is an idiom translating to 'unhealthy winds and evil influences,' used by conservative officials to criticize negative social trends or departures from traditional morality.
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