The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 9

Why Must You Debase Yourself?

Cheng Mianrong treated Zhao Jiayu’s words as if they were unheard, craning her neck to glance inside the room. Everyone inside, except for Qu Sheng, was looking this way. After her gaze met Lin Xizhao’s questioning one, she retracted her line of sight, sized up Zhao Jiayu, her eyes rolling upward for a moment, and deliberately avoided looking directly at her as she said, “It seems the beating was very light.”

“You!” Zhao Jiayu was in her own estate, where State Uncle Cheng had forced her father to hold her down on a long bench and give her a beating with the plank¹. Although she could endure it, she was, after all, a young lady, and being beaten with the plank in public within her own estate was enough to make her cry her eyes out. Now, to be mocked by the instigator of it all, a surge of fury made her want to give the person before her a violent thrashing.

“Jiayu.” Lin Xizhao came out from inside, calling Zhao Jiayu’s name in a soft voice.

Zhao Jiayu heard the voice and turned to look. Lin Xizhao met her gaze and said, “Weren’t you going to the Xiao Manor? You should go quickly.”

Zhao Jiayu’s anger subsided somewhat. Thinking of Xiao Bingying, she suppressed the foul mood in her chest, snorted at Cheng Mianrong, and left.

Watching Zhao Jiayu leave, Cheng Mianrong stood at the doorway. As the young lady of the host family, Lin Xizhao naturally had to come out and ask.

“Mianrong-meimei, what brings you here today?” Lin Xizhao’s tone was very polite.

Lin Xizhao’s voice was gentle, and she was the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister. Cheng Mianrong also put away the high up above² expression she had just been wearing. She replied, “I heard that Old Master Guo is profoundly learned, so Father specially had me come to study under him as well. My father and mother are currently in the main hall speaking with Uncle Lin and Aunt Lin.”

Hearing this, Lin Xizhao nodded, seemingly unconcerned, and asked, “Since you are here to study, you must be here to see the teacher. Do you need me to take you to him?”

Cheng Mianrong’s gaze shifted to Qu Sheng, who was sitting inside still eating meat jerky, then she looked back at Lin Xizhao and replied, “I just came to have a look today. I will formally enroll tomorrow.”

Cheng Mianrong already felt it was a matter of course that she would be attending classes here tomorrow.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xizhao said no more and stepped aside, allowing Cheng Mianrong to enter the schoolroom.

Just a moment ago, Lin Xizhao had carefully torn the meat jerky into small pieces for Qu Sheng, but Qu Sheng finished it in just a few bites. Now, she reached out and grabbed another piece herself. The meat jerky was a bit tough, and her teeth were still young. As she tore and pulled at it, her little head bobbed and shook for a moment.

Cheng Mianrong let out a scornful laugh and muttered under her breath, “A fool, just as I thought.”

Qu Sheng heard the voice but didn’t turn around. She wasn’t afraid, because Feng Qi was right beside her. This guard had been chosen from a thousand candidates. Though young, his martial arts were not lacking. He was loyal and devoted to the Marquis’s Manor, and toward Qu Sheng, he had a loyal heart with no second.

Lin Xizhao watched Cheng Mianrong sit down in front of Qu Sheng, her gaze scrutinizing. She quickly understood why she had come.

Without moving in sound or expression³, Lin Xizhao walked over, helped Qu Sheng tear the meat jerky in her hand again, and fed it to her piece by piece.

Qu Sheng seemed to have grown accustomed to Lin Xizhao’s care by now. She didn’t resist at all when Lin Xizhao took the meat jerky from her hand. Instead, she stared eagerly as the jerky in Lin Xizhao’s hands was turned into strips and then brought to her lips.

Cheng Mianrong had originally wanted to ridicule Qu Sheng a few more times, but seeing Lin Xizhao taking care of her so attentively, not minding the mess, she felt that Lin Xizhao was no different from those who liked to fawn and flatter. Her tone became somewhat contemptuous as she said, “A fool can’t become the Crown Princess. Why must you debase yourself like this?”

Hearing this, Lin Xizhao lifted her gaze to glance at her. Her lips moved slightly as she looked at Qu Sheng, who was still smacking her little lips while eating the meat jerky. Qu Sheng was young, with fine skin and tender flesh⁴. When she opened her mouth, her lips were red and her teeth were white⁵. Her thin little lips puckered together, moving constantly. How could caring for such an adorable child, whom she couldn’t even dote on enough, be considered debasing herself?

“The selection of the Crown Princess is a matter to be decided by His Majesty and the imperial court. Mianrong-meimei, isn’t your current statement a bit inappropriate?” Lin Xizhao didn’t take Cheng Mianrong’s disdainful words to heart; instead, she reminded her to watch her words.

Although the Qu family hadn’t been in the capital for generations, she knew a little about their power.

The Qu family had only been in the capital for three years, yet they had already caused some of the capital’s officials and nobles to lean in their favor. Qu Jinian had no intention of currying favor, yet he already made the established powerful nobles in the capital wary. Even someone like the Cheng family’s Lord State Uncle, who was used to acting mighty and blessed⁶, did not dare to provoke them lightly.

If Cheng Mianrong’s words from today were to reach the ears of the Qu family, and if Qu Jinian had a mind to make trouble, the State Uncle Cheng would definitely have to suffer a bit.

Listening to Lin Xizhao’s not warm, not hot⁷ words, Cheng Mianrong subconsciously looked at the guard beside Qu Sheng, Feng Qi.

Feng Qi’s gaze was cold and sharp, making Cheng Mianrong’s heart tremble with fear. She blinked her eyes, her body unconsciously wanting to move further away from him.

Cheng Mianrong had come here because she had long heard that Qu Sheng would be studying here, and she had timed her visit today perfectly. Qu Sheng had only enrolled at noon, and she had come to visit with her father and mother in the afternoon. And none of this was her own idea; it was the Empress who had intentionally sent her to confirm whether Qu Sheng was truly a foolish child.

Qu Sheng was young; if one were to judge her as a fool based solely on her current childish behavior, it would be far too arbitrary. And the Son of Heaven’s plans inevitably included bringing Qu Sheng into the imperial family. Since there was a plan to bring her into the imperial family, with Qu Jinian’s position as the Marquis Zhengyi of the Southeast, she naturally could not just become a side consort.

But if Qu Sheng truly was a fool, and if the engagement was set now, they feared that reneging on it later would cause Qu Jinian to harbor resentment, potentially reigniting war in the southeast. So, after thinking it over and over, the Son of Heaven set the matter aside and had the Empress find a way to probe Qu Sheng’s intelligence.

But Qu Sheng was young, and it wasn’t something that could be determined in a short time. Only by accompanying her long-term, as she grew a few years older, could they know for sure.

“Xizhao-jiejie, if you enjoy serving her, then by all means, continue. I imagine my father is about done chatting with Uncle Lin, so I’ll take my leave now.” Cheng Mianrong had been sitting here for a while. Qu Sheng just ate and drank, not even deigning to look at her, and next to her was a guard who, while handsome, was staring at her coldly.

She had been frightened by Qu Yu last time. Everyone in the Qu family knew martial arts, and she hadn’t brought a guard with her. She was scared, and there was nothing more to see here, so it was better to leave early.

Lin Xizhao nodded and stood up, saying, “I’ll see you out.”

Not long after Lin Xizhao saw Cheng Mianrong out of the room, Zhao Jiayu returned with Xiao Bingying following behind her. Seeing them return and noticing the simmering anger on Zhao Jiayu’s face, Lin Xizhao figured that Xiao Bingying must have been punished.

“Xizhao, let me borrow your room,” Zhao Jiayu said loudly to Lin Xizhao as soon as she came over.

Lin Xizhao didn’t ask any questions upon hearing this. She nodded, intending to have a nearby maidservant take them, but then she heard Zhao Jiayu say, “It’s inconvenient for me. You do it.” She still has injuries on her bottom.

Hearing this, Lin Xizhao glanced down at Qu Sheng. Qu Sheng was still eating, but her attention had also been drawn by the sound of Zhao Jiayu’s voice.

Xiao Bingying’s complexion was alright, but it looked like she was injured. Qu Sheng lowered her head, and Feng Qi said in a gentle voice, “I will look after the young miss. Miss Xizhao, please go ahead without worry.”

Lin Xizhao heard this and glanced sideways at Feng Qi. Qu Sheng didn’t have a maidservant with her, and when Jin Yunfei left, he had entrusted Qu Sheng to her. It was just that she had to step away for a moment.

Lin Xizhao nodded, then bent down to say to Qu Sheng, “Sheng-meimei, be good. Xizhao-jiejie will be back in a little while.”

Listening to Lin Xizhao’s gentle words, Qu Sheng’s little mouth moved, but she didn’t answer.

Lin Xizhao took Xiao Bingying and the others to her room. Zhao Jiayu then said irritably to Xiao Bingying, “Take off your clothes.”

Lin Xizhao listened to Zhao Jiayu’s displeased tone and didn’t interrupt. It was only when Xiao Bingying took off her outer robe, revealing her shoulder blades, that she understood why Zhao Jiayu was so angry.

The whip marks on Xiao Bingying’s back were fresh. In some places, even though they were covered by clothing, the skin had been broken by the lashes, and blood had soaked through her white inner garment.

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The author has something to say:

Qu Sheng: “Ababababa, can you let me speak.”

Author: “Okay~”

Qu Sheng: “My wife is already starting to covet my beautiful looks.”

Lin Xizhao: “Don’t let her speak anymore.”

Author: “……”

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