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墨書 Inktalez
As Sang Qingxiao entered the Small Tavern from the back kitchen, she found the place cleared out, leaving only the princess standing by the counter.
Oh? This princess, Miss Sang, was surprisingly polite to her. This was quite different from the descriptions given by Lian Baoying and the others. The princess was dressed in a boyish manner, simply attired and courteous. What surprised her most was the princess's appearance; she was only slightly shorter than Qi Xiaomian, and it was hard to distinguish her gender. If she didn't speak or if one didn't know she was a princess, she could easily be mistaken for a graceful young man.
Sang Qingxiao avoided her greeting and smiled. "What would you like to eat, esteemed guest?"
The Huayang Princess was somewhat taken aback by Sang Qingxiao's attitude. After all, rumors about Consort had spread, and wasn't she supposed to be in love with Yongxin Marquis? How could she still smile in front of such a rival?
After a moment's thought, Huayang replied, "A few days ago, my servants bought quite a lot from you. Every dish was delicious and unexpectedly suited my taste. Why don’t you serve me some dishes I haven’t tried yet? I have no dietary restrictions; feel free to arrange whatever you like."
"Have you eaten them all?" Sang Qingxiao feigned surprise. "Your servants said many things that belittled me and my cooking. I thought after being scorned by you all, those dishes would be fed to the dogs. I didn’t expect you actually enjoyed them."
How bold! The informants had said that this Miss Sang was just as fearless in front of Xuande Emperor. She thought the rumors were exaggerated, but now it seemed that Miss Sang indeed had her ways and confidence.
Huayang didn’t get angry upon hearing this. When she spoke again, she directly apologized. "This matter was my prince's idea; I wasn’t aware of it. I apologize on his behalf."
With that, she bowed again.
Sang Qingxiao didn’t avoid it and was astonished. "Didn’t Dayu only send you as a princess? I’ve never heard of a prince being here."
"My prince is hiding among the group under the guise of a high-ranking official’s son," Huayang explained.
Sang Qingxiao was puzzled. "Isn’t this supposed to be a secret? How can a princess tell others?"
"My brother is too unruly and doesn’t listen to advice. He disrespects me as his sister; why should I cover for him? If I don’t mention him, all the foolish things he’s done these days will fall on my shoulders."
Ah, the drama of sibling rivalry.
Huayang shook her head with a bitter smile. "It’s not that serious; I’m just a girl in his eyes, not even qualified to have conflicts with him."
Sang Qingxiao refrained from commenting on their sibling bond and invited the Huayang Princess to sit down. She first served her a bowl of red date milk for her to sip slowly while she went back to the kitchen to prepare several dishes. Each dish was small in portion but beautifully arranged on plates until the entire table was filled. Finally, she brought out a sweet green plum wine.
Without waiting for an invitation, she took a seat beside Huayang Princess and poured her a glass of wine.
Huayang drank heartily but laughed, saying it wasn't strong enough. The princess was so carefree; she truly was a person of character.
"I started studying at three and began martial arts at four. My literary and military skills are no less than any prince's, but because I am a daughter, I am constantly held back and unable to showcase my talents."
Sang Qingxiao remained silent, internally complaining, "Princess, I'm not your close friend, let alone your confidant. Why are you telling me all this?"
She continued, "I thought that coming to see you today would get me kicked out of this Small Tavern."
Sang Qingxiao played dumb, "With a wealthy patron like you, there are hardly any in this Small Tavern throughout the year. Why would I want to kick you out? Besides, I don't sense any hostility from you."
Huayang replied directly, "Miss Sang, haven't you heard? I intend to recruit Yongxin Marquis as my Consort."
"Yes, I've heard."
"Then why aren't you angry?"
"Why should I be angry? You're recruiting him, not me."
"But I've heard that you have feelings for Yongxin Marquis?"
The princess had also heard about it.
"Uh, this girl reacts differently," Huayang thought to herself, feeling somewhat at a loss. She had no choice but to continue, "Miss Sang, my intention in recruiting Yongxin Marquis as my Consort is not to compete with you."
"Oh."
"Uh..."
Huayang had to express her plans all at once. "My ambitions do not lie in romantic relationships. My father often praises Yongxin Marquis. My brothers proposed the idea of me recruiting a Consort to win our father's favor. After hearing this, my father surprisingly nodded in agreement and said it was a good idea. Later on, he privately summoned me and told me to do my best."
I found it puzzling; the idea seemed utterly ridiculous and impossible to succeed. Why would my father agree?
Later, my father showed me all the information gathered by his spies. I thought perhaps it was worth a try. According to their descriptions, the relationship between Yongxin Marquis and Xuande Emperor didn't seem as good as it appeared on the surface. After Xuande Emperor fell seriously ill, his true nature began to show; he became increasingly incompetent.
Yongxin Marquis was young and accomplished; inevitably, he would be questioned by the suspicious Xuande Emperor about his ambitions and might become the next target like the Sang Family.
It would be better to retreat while the situation was still manageable and use my recruitment of a Consort as an opportunity to distance myself from Dayu. In Dayu, we value talent highly; someone like you could join us. When the time is right, I could part ways with him, and you could rekindle your past relationship.
The circle here is indeed quite large, but there’s really no need for it. Qi Xiaomian has long since planned her own way out.
Qi Xiaomian would never betray her country; the princess's thoughts are somewhat laughable.
Huayang, however, said, "Yongxin Marquis, there’s no need for betrayal."
Who would believe the princess’s words? Offering horses, mines, and other costs is nothing more than a ploy to have Qi Xiaomian help expand your territory, right? My father might think that way, but I do not.
Sang Qingxiao looked at Huayang, wondering what the princess meant.
"You help me seize the throne, and I will assist Yongxin Marquis in ascending to the empire. Both sides will achieve their goals, and during my reign, there will be no more wars between Great Jing and Dayu."
Sang Qingxiao was quite surprised upon hearing this. This Highness has quite the audacity and ambitious plans. After carefully examining her expression, it seemed she wasn’t lying.
"Your Highness, the pie you’ve drawn looks quite tempting, but aren’t you afraid of inviting wolves into your den?"
Huayang Princess smiled. "I have studied Yongxin Marquis in detail; he is particularly interesting. In battle, when the enemy follows the rules, he does too. When they cross the line, he retaliates with double the force—always calculating just right, neither too much nor too little."
Sang Qingxiao was also surprised to hear this. Which general doesn’t enjoy expanding their territory in battle? To think that Qi Xiaomian could be so restrained during warfare!
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