The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 63

Eldest Miss, Where Are You Going?

After Feng Qi left, Lin Xizhao looked up at Qu Sheng, her bewilderment over Qu Sheng’s clear and fluent speech only deepening.

“Sheng’er.”

Lost in thought, Qu Sheng heard Lin Xizhao call her name. She looked down, her eyes asking what was the matter.

“When did you start speaking so…” Lin Xizhao wanted to ask why Qu Sheng was suddenly speaking with such clarity, but after a moment’s reflection, she felt it was improper. She changed her question. “You were always one to cherish words like gold¹, but now you seem more willing to talk.”

Qu Sheng was deliberately resuming normal conversation, but unless it was with someone she was close to, she was still unwilling to say much.

“Mm,” Qu Sheng simply hummed in acknowledgment, not revealing the fact that she was not a fool.

Hearing Qu Sheng once again become brief and reticent, a guilty expression crossed Lin Xizhao’s face.

It was true that Qu Sheng had not initiated a kiss in the past few days. She knew Qu Sheng had already guessed that she had caught a cold on purpose.

At night, Qu Sheng still held her as they slept and would kiss her on the forehead, but she no longer kissed her on the lips. Lin Xizhao had not expected to be ill for so long; it seemed she had been overconfident in her own constitution.

Her original plan was to use her illness as a pretext to sternly reject Qu Sheng a few times. Qu Sheng was a well-behaved girl and cared deeply about her dignity. If she spoke a few harsh words, she was confident Qu Sheng would never try to kiss her on the lips again.

But since Qu Sheng had not made a move, she never had the chance to say those words. It was just as well that Qu Sheng had seen through her plan. As long as they no longer did things that filled her with guilt, they could stay together.

As for whom they would marry in the future, and when they would part, she would leave that to fate.

The two were enjoying the warm sun outside when Qu Ming arrived shortly after.

Having heard from Feng Qi that Lin Xizhao had mostly recovered, Qu Ming had brought some nourishing supplements with him.

Qu Sheng had Feng Qi stay with Lin Xizhao while she went with Qu Ming to the reception hall.

Sitting in the courtyard, Lin Xizhao watched Qu Sheng and Qu Ming walk away before turning to Feng Qi with a smile in her eyes.

Feng Qi had grown up in the Qu family, and all of his skills had been taught to him by their household. When he first came to the capital, he was only a teenager. So many years had passed in a flash. If anyone understood Qu Sheng best, it was undoubtedly him.

“If the Eldest Miss has a question, please ask,” Feng Qi, being clever, said. Seeing Lin Xizhao look at him like that, he knew she had something to ask him.

“Does Sheng’er always speak like that when she talks with her adoptive parents?” Lin Xizhao was still puzzled. She wanted to ask Feng Qi how Qu Sheng spoke with others when she was not around.

She could not believe that someone could change a habit of more than ten years overnight.

“My lady is not a person of many words, but her speech has always been normal.” Qu Sheng had not told Feng Qi that she intended to alter her persona in Lin Xizhao’s presence, so he could only give an ambiguous answer confirming that her speech was normal.

Regardless of whether Qu Sheng was a fool or not, in Feng Qi’s eyes, her words were always able to clearly express her thoughts. Therefore, in his view, Qu Sheng had always been normal.

Lin Xizhao listened to Feng Qi’s answer, her gaze fixed on him. She had come to understand him over the years. Like Qu Sheng, he was a man of action rather than words. However, when Feng Qi had to say something he preferred not to, his demeanor would become even more gentle.

Lin Xizhao noticed that his expression at this moment was very gentle indeed.

She did not press further. She had been sitting in the sun for quite a while. Raising a hand to shield her eyes, she glanced at the sun and said, “It is almost noon, and it is getting hotter. I am done sunbathing.”

As she spoke, she lifted the thin blanket from her lap. Seeing this, Feng Qi quickly said, “This slave² will go call my lady to carry you back inside.”

Propriety dictated that unrelated men and women should not have physical contact³. Now that they were grown, Feng Qi would not touch Lin Xizhao unless it was an emergency.

Lin Xizhao held the blanket out to Feng Qi, her voice gentle. “You can just help me with this.”

Her illness had mostly passed; it was Qu Sheng who had insisted on carrying her out. Feng Qi’s current concern must be because Qu Sheng’s excessive care had made him mistakenly believe she was still seriously ill.

“I am fine. Did the doctor not say I have already recovered?” Lin Xizhao said as she stood up.

Feng Qi watched her rise, and after a moment’s observation, he took the blanket from her hands.

He followed behind Lin Xizhao. They were originally heading back to the bedroom in the courtyard, but after a few steps, Lin Xizhao changed direction.

“Eldest Miss, where are you going?” Feng Qi, walking behind her, saw that she was heading toward the reception hall and quickly called out.

Lin Xizhao turned back. “It is nothing. I am just going to take a look at the reception hall. You can take the blanket back to the room first.”

After she spoke, she saw Feng Qi standing there, clutching the thin blanket, a look of urgency on his face. She smiled, her eyes curving. “I am going to see Sheng’er.”

As Lin Xizhao walked on, Feng Qi stared at her back for a few moments before hastily handing the blanket to a nearby servant and hurrying after her.

Feng Qi followed Lin Xizhao toward the reception hall. As they neared, he suddenly raised his voice. “The Eldest Miss is still ill! If you walk around like this, my lady will surely punish this slave again if she finds out!”

Hearing his words, Lin Xizhao stopped and looked at him with a puzzled expression. If she were not already suspicious, she would not have thought much of it. But now, with Feng Qi deliberately raising his voice like this, she suddenly felt that Qu Sheng and Qu Ming were hiding something from her.

She did not know what kind of trouble Qu Ming could have that he could not solve himself and had to seek help from his little sister. Qu Sheng was intelligent, and though she was not a fool, she was indeed a little different from most people.

When Qu Ming had arrived, he could have easily spoken in front of her, but instead, he had used the pretext of going to the reception hall. She knew they were intentionally avoiding her, but she did not know what they needed to discuss.

Shortly after Lin Xizhao stopped, the door opened from within. Qu Sheng emerged, her gaze first falling on Lin Xizhao, then shifting to Feng Qi.

Feng Qi met Qu Sheng’s eyes for a moment before lowering his gaze and bowing. “The Eldest Miss said she was coming to find you, my lady.”

He did not explain why he had not stopped Lin Xizhao. If Lin Xizhao was determined to go somewhere, he could have talked until his lips wore thin⁴ and still would not have been able to stop her.

Qu Sheng looked back at Lin Xizhao. The moment she had heard the door open, Lin Xizhao had already turned around. Seeing Qu Sheng, her face broke into a radiant smile.

Lin Xizhao did not ask what they were discussing inside, and Qu Sheng did not ask why she had come looking for her.

Qu Sheng walked to Lin Xizhao’s side and took her hand. “It is cold out here. It is warmer inside.”

The sunbathing spot was enclosed by a small courtyard wall, but this area was open.

Lin Xizhao let Qu Sheng lead her into the room. After they were seated, Qu Sheng turned to Qu Ming, who was standing to the side. “Second Brother, please continue.”

Inside, Qu Ming had heard Feng Qi’s voice and had grown worried. But now, seeing Qu Sheng bring Lin Xizhao directly into the room and ask him to continue their conversation, he was completely baffled.

He looked at Qu Sheng, his eyes filled with concern.

“It is all right. Jiejie will not speak of this to anyone,” Qu Sheng said with a calm expression.

Hearing this, Qu Ming’s gaze shifted between the two of them. After a moment of thought, he lowered his eyes and resumed where he had left off. “The man’s silhouette was extremely similar to the deputy general who served under Eldest Brother back then. I was going to have him arrested on the spot, but he disappeared after entering a gambling den.”

“Have you posted men to watch the place?” Qu Sheng asked at a normal pace.

“Yes, they have been watching for three days. We have not gone in to search, to avoid beating the grass and startling the snake.”⁵ Qu Ming did not need Qu Sheng’s help, but there were some things she needed to know.

Qu Sheng lowered her eyes in thought for a moment, then blinked and looked up. “He has likely already fled. But as long as he is in the capital, I doubt he can stay hidden forever.”

Lin Xizhao sat to the side, listening in the clouds and mist⁶, but she could grasp the general meaning of their conversation.

The eldest Qu brother, Qu Ce, had been an invincible general on the border, and it was said his subordinates followed his every command. The Imperial Inspector⁷ dispatched by the emperor had tried to interfere, taking a hard line and using an imperial edict to threaten the army into following the emperor’s orders: first annihilate the rebels, then eliminate the mountain bandits. Qu Jinian had been intimidated by the Inspector and wore a troubled expression.

In warfare, decisions must be made by maximizing the analysis of pros and cons. The bandits, though not a major force, were a scourge upon the local populace. The best decision was to eliminate the nearby bandits first. However, because the border tribes were taunting and insulting the court, the emperor had ordered Qu Jinian to destroy the rebels first before returning to deal with the bandits.

But doing so meant forsaking the near to seek the far⁸, and it also meant a roundabout path that would hinder the army’s speed.

Seeing his father’s worried face, Qu Ce had immediately berated the Inspector and had him beaten with a plank for the crime of disrupting military morale. Afterward, Qu Ce wiped out and assimilated a portion of the bandits before leading his troops to quell the rebellion. The rebels were defeated, but Qu Ce also died.

His death was inexplicable. He was not killed by the enemy on the battlefield, nor did he die in the military camp. He fell ill and died suddenly on the road while leading his troops back to Shoulin.

Generals and soldiers fear a meaningless death above all else. Thus, at the emperor’s behest, the Qu family announced to the public that Qu Ce had died from an illness contracted during the campaign.

Qu Ming nodded. “I have already had people watch the city gates. If he shows up again, we will definitely catch him.”

Qu Sheng nodded and said no more on the matter. She lowered her head slightly, then looked at Lin Xizhao, who was sitting beside her, listening. Though she had questions, she knew this was not the right time to ask.

After Qu Ming left, Qu Sheng instructed the kitchen to prepare some food, including the supplements Qu Ming had brought.

Qu Sheng carried Lin Xizhao back to the bedroom again, making no move to explain her conversation with Qu Ming. Lin Xizhao sat on the bed, watching as Qu Sheng bustled about, washing her face and hands, then bringing a small table before her. She took the food from a maid and sat down to feed her.

“Sheng’er, I can do it myself,” Lin Xizhao said, a little exasperated.

For the past few days, she had tried to refuse, but Qu Sheng had insisted, using her illness as an excuse. They had agreed she was better today, so why was she still feeding her?

Hearing her words, Qu Sheng glanced down at the dishes on the small table, then looked up and handed the bowl of rice to Lin Xizhao.

Lin Xizhao took it, and Qu Sheng handed her the chopsticks.

“If you do not have an appetite for these, I will have them make something else,” Qu Sheng said. When she had asked Lin Xizhao earlier, she had just told her to let the kitchen decide. Qu Sheng remembered several of Lin Xizhao’s favorite dishes, which were now on the table, but a sick person’s appetite could change, so she worried Lin Xizhao might not like them.

“No need, these are all my favorites.” Lin Xizhao knew Qu Sheng had specially ordered her favorite dishes. If even these did not suit her appetite, what else would she eat?

Qu Sheng watched Lin Xizhao’s gentle smile and her own lips curved into a faint smile. She served herself a bowl of rice and began to eat with Lin Xizhao.

Many of Lin Xizhao’s favorite dishes were also Qu Sheng’s. Lin Xizhao placed some food in Qu Sheng’s bowl. When she noticed Qu Sheng’s chopsticks pause as she stared at the food, her expression grew tense for a moment. “What is wrong?” she asked in a small voice.

Although Qu Sheng did not lose her temper, her silence could sometimes be more nerve-wracking and frightening than an outburst.

Lin Xizhao had never felt this way before, but ever since she had deliberately made herself sick and been found out by Qu Sheng, she had become a little afraid of her.

It was not that she feared Qu Sheng would get angry with her, but rather that Qu Sheng would think less of her and want to distance herself.

“It is nothing,” Qu Sheng said calmly, picking up the food Lin Xizhao had given her and eating it.

After finishing the bite, Qu Sheng looked up at Lin Xizhao. She saw Lin Xizhao eating with her head lowered, a healthy color returning to her cheeks. It seemed her cold was mostly gone.

A small smile touched Qu Sheng’s lips as she lowered her head and continued to eat.

That day, Lin Xizhao had deliberately asked the doctor in front of her how to prevent a cold from spreading. The doctor had given a long list of advice, saying it was best not to share meals or a bed, to ventilate the room periodically, and so on.

Of course, aside from not kissing on the lips, they had not missed a single one of those things.

Lin Xizhao, who had made herself sick just to prevent her from kissing her, now seemed to have forgotten that sharing food could also spread germs. Although the doctor said she was much better, a person is most contagious right as they are getting over a cold.

Since Lin Xizhao felt she was fine now, perhaps it was time for her to do something tonight?

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Zhao Residence.

Ever since Chengxi had kissed Xiao Bingying, Xiao Bingying had not set foot in Chengxi’s room. For the past two days, Chili had been relaying messages between them.

The medicine Xiao Bingying had prescribed was almost finished, and it was time for another pulse diagnosis to see if the prescription needed to be changed.

That day, Xiao Bingying was in her room reading miscellaneous books. She was just a few pages from the end of a book when there was a knock on her door. Without thinking, she knew who it was.

The maids in the Zhao Residence usually knocked and called her name immediately. Only Chili would knock and wait.

Xiao Bingying got up and opened the door. When Chili saw her, she bowed respectfully. “Miss Bingying, it has been some time since you have checked my princess’s pulse. I was wondering if today would be convenient?”

If Xiao Bingying would not go, then Chengxi would have to come to her.

Xiao Bingying’s mind raced for a moment. She then said in a gentle voice, “Oh, please ask Miss Chengxi to wait a moment. I will go out and fetch a physician for her now.”

She would not go herself. The physician she hired would be just as skilled, and she could just ask about the diagnosis afterward.

Hearing that Xiao Bingying was still unwilling to see her princess, the hopeful look on Chili’s face fell. Xiao Bingying knew her actions were improper, but she truly could not face Chengxi.

Although Chengxi had initiated it that night, if she herself did not harbor improper feelings for her, why would she have responded instead of pushing her away?

She admitted that her feelings for Chengxi were different from those she had for Lin Xizhao and the others. But feeling it was one thing, and acting on it was another. Right now, she simply could not face Chengxi.

As Xiao Bingying stepped out of her room to fetch the physician, she saw Chengxi standing just outside her door.

Chengxi watched the flicker of surprise in Xiao Bingying’s eyes, followed by an instinctive avoidance, and her heart sank.

Xiao Bingying gave her a slight nod of acknowledgment and said softly, “It is cold outside. You should go back to your room and wait.” She was sure Chengxi had overheard her conversation with Chili.

Xiao Bingying’s tone was not cold, but it carried a trace of distance. Chengxi nodded, taking a long moment before finally pulling her gaze away from Xiao Bingying. “Alright,” she said.

Chengxi turned to walk back to her room without any attempt to press the issue, but this made Xiao Bingying’s heart ache terribly.

She knew it was wrong to love a woman; she was the one who could not control herself. But Chengxi loved her too, did she not? If not, then what was that kiss that night?

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Lin Xizhao had been in high spirits all day. In the evening, Qu Sheng had the kitchen heat water for her own bath before returning to their room.

The moment Qu Sheng entered, she draped a thick cloak over Lin Xizhao’s shoulders, took the book from her hands, and lifted her from her reclining position on the couch into her arms.

“What are you doing?” Lifted up, Lin Xizhao instinctively wrapped her arms around Qu Sheng’s neck.

She had grown accustomed to being carried by Qu Sheng these past few days and wondered what she was being carried for today.

As Qu Sheng walked, she looked down at the girl in her arms. Seeing Lin Xizhao’s curious but unguarded expression, a smile tugged at her lips. “Time for a bath.”

Upon hearing the word “bath,” Lin Xizhao smiled. “Why am I permitted to bathe today?”

For the past few days, the maids had only been giving her sponge baths. Because she had been so ill, Qu Sheng had forbidden her from bathing. She had asked several times, but the answer was always no. Today, however, she was taking her for one herself.

“Mm, I will help you, jiejie,” Qu Sheng said, a deliberate smile playing on her lips.

When Lin Xizhao heard Qu Sheng offer to help her, the smile on her face somehow slowly vanished.

Seeing Lin Xizhao’s budding nervousness, Qu Sheng quickened her pace.

She carried Lin Xizhao into the bathing chamber, where the maids were busy adjusting the temperature of the water in the tub.

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The author has something to say:

Qu Sheng: “I remember seeing everything years ago. What is there to be shy about?”

Lin Xizhao: “Mm, then we will wash together later.”

Qu Sheng: “……”

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