Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Venomous Eldest Princess

“Imperial sister, will you pick me up one day?” Yu Ziming asked.

“Definitely,” Yu Xiaoxiao said while wiping the little beansprout’s tears. “I mean what I say.”

Yu Ziming raised his little arms and rubbed at his tears. Yu Xiaoxiao placed him back on her shoulders and said, “Don’t cry. Just pretend going to Zhuri is studying abroad. When I have time, I’ll go visit you.”

“You’re not lying to me?”

“I’m not lying to you. A gentleman’s word and all that.”

“Okay,” Yu Ziming hugged his sister’s head, still crying. But he’d stopped sobbing out loud.

Yu Xiaoxiao walked like the wind to bring Yu Ziming back to the imperial study. When Xianzong saw his tearful son, his heart ached. “Have you seen your imperial mother?”

“Tch,” Yu Xiaoxiao muttered.

Yu Ziming nodded once.

Xianzong caressed his son’s head before telling Yu Xiaoxiao, “You’ve worked hard, picking up your little brother from the Zhao Estate.”

“Ah?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked. “Little Sixth said he wanted to find–”

“He wanted to find his imperial mother, Zhen knows,” Xianzong didn’t wait for Yu Xiaoxiao to finish. “Zhen has already taken Zhao Beicheng into custody. That scoundrel, Zhen won’t forgive him this time!”

“That’s right,” Yu Xiaoxiao agreed. “Beat him until he can’t provide for himself!”

“W-what?” Over the past few days, Xianzong had found himself having a headache whenever he tried to understand Yu Xiaoxiao’s words.

Jing Mo rose at this point. “Your Majesty, shall I take His Sixth Highness out of the palace now?”

Yu Xiaoxiao carried Yu Ziming to Jing Mo’s side and said, “I’ll have to trouble you.”

Xianzong assumed that Yu Ziming would refused to be carried by Jing Mo, but his sixth son obediently entered Jing Mo’s arms and even thanked him in a tender voice.

Jing Mo looked at Yu Ziming and smiled. “Your Sixth Highness, you’ll be living with me from now on. Are you willing?”

“I’m willing,” Yu Ziming nodded.

“Good child,” Jing Mo pinched Yu Ziming’s rather thin cheeks.

Xianzong suddenly felt something was off. Why did it feel like his son had ran away1 with someone else?

Yu Xiaoxiao turned to look at Xianzong with her usual disdain. “You have so many women by your side, so you should pay more attention to the little girls. Aren’t you sick of pressing against the same one all the time, imperial father?” She didn’t bother calling out Consort Zhao as a wretch because the biyatch’s methods had thoroughly confounded this fatuous ruler. Saying anything more would just be a waste of time.

I might as well encourage him to sleep with other women instead. Maybe he’ll even sleep out a true love in the process?

The hall grew exceptionally quiet. Yu Ziming looked at the big thigh his imperial sister wanted him to hug, then at his own imperial father, then at his brothers-in-law. The little beansprout didn’t understand why nobody was talking anymore.

Xianzong gaped at his daughter, his jaw almost hitting the floor. Did I get up on the wrong side of the bed again? What did Linglong just tell me?

Gu Xingnuo held back for as long as he could before he forced a smile at Xianzong. “Esteemed Empress was virtuous and kindhearted. She must have told Her Royal Highness the principles of spreading one’s rain and dew. Her Royal Highness is offering Your Majesty advice on behalf of Esteemed Empress, ah.”

Whaa? Yu Xiaoxiao looked at Gu Xingnuo in surprise. What does this have to do with the empress? What’s spreading rain and dew?

Gu Xinglang was first alarmed by his wife, then stunned by his brother. He looked at Gu Xingnuo, speechless. You can even say stuff like that, big brother? Have you abandoned all pretense of face after sitting in the imperial prisons?

Jing Mo looked at Yu Xiaoxiao’s small and tender face and decided to forget everything he just heard. It was too disillusioning to pair those words with Her Royal Highness’s looks. Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei hung their heads and pretended to be wallflowers. We didn’t hear anything just then.

Prime Minister Zhao felt blood dripping from his heart. Yu Linglong and Jing Mo had teamed up against his Zhao Clan, but now they wanted to interfere with His Majesty’s monopoly on his daughter? Too venomous!

Xianzong remained sitting for awhile in silence before raising his hand to slap his forehead. He told Yu Xiaoxiao, “You should withdraw.” It was better for him to find a little girl later to relieve himself.

L-little girl?

Xianzong’s gaze on Yu Xiaoxiao twisted at the thought.

Yu Xiaoxiao spun on her heel and left. Even an extra look was too much for this fatuous ruler. Jing Mo held Yu Ziming and left with her from the palace. At his horse, he stopped and told Yu Xiaoxiao, “Princess, I’ll be returning to my nation in two days.”

“Oh,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied. “Smooth journeys.”

“I’ll be giving a banquet tonight at Complacent Winery. Will you and Royal Son-in-Law deign to show your faces?” Jing Mo asked.

Of course Yu Xiaoxiao was happy to be asked out for a meal, but when she heard it was Complacent Winery again, she grew unhappy. “Why are you living in that almost bankrupt place?”

“That place won’t go bankrupt,” Jing Mo replied.

“Impossible,” Yu Xiaoxiao protested. “It’s so big with so many floors. If you’re the only customer, the boss will starve to death.”

“Complacent Winery is…” Jing Mo stopped halfway. He refused to believe a girl as intelligent as Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t realize what Complacent Winery was!

“Let’s go to Big Bowl Restaurant,” Yu Xiaoxiao suggested. “That’s the place to bring guests.”

“Alright,” Jing Mo agreed. He looked at Gu Xinglang and asked, “What does Royal Son-in-Law think?”

Gu Xinglang nodded. “This one would rather accept deferentially than to decline courteously.”2

Jing Mo laughed out loud and mounted his horse with Yu Ziming in his arms. “Princess, when the evening lights are lit tonight, Jing Mo will be awaiting you respectfully at that restaurant.”

Yu Xiaoxiao wanted to ask when the evening lights were lit, but Jing Mo had already whipped his horse and galloped off. Gu Xingnuo watched him and his retainers leave before muttering to Gu Xinglang, “He didn’t bring up Gu Li with me in front of His Majesty today. I’m grateful that he chose not to sow discord.”

“Eldest brother?” Gu Xinglang creased his eyebrows.

Gu Xingnuo patted Gu Xinglang on the shoulder, then turned to Yu Xiaoxiao. “Princess, shall we go home?”

“Oh,” Yu Xiaoxiao agreed.

—

Consort Zhao was currently looking dejected as she faced Jing Zhong in Morning Skies Palace. “You should return to His Majesty’s side.”

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“Esteemed consort,” Jing Zhong said. “What will you do now?”

“Just say that I’ve been sobbing terribly at Morning Skies Palace,” Consort Zhao replied. “Have Prime Minister Zhao come to see me.”

“Esteemed consort!” Jing Zhong cried.

“Go on,” Consort Zhao didn’t look him in the eye once.

Once Jing Zhong left, the momo fell on her knees and sobbed, “Esteemed Consort, His Sixth Highness?”

“This son will definitely distance me in his heart,” Consort Zhao said frostily.

“His Sixth Highness is still young. If he was told–”

“Do I have any more chances to speak with His Sixth Highness?” Consort Zhao interrupted. “Think of other ideas.”

At this time, a court lady entered the bedroom with a bowl of medicine to kneel in front of Consort Zhao’s bed. In a respectful tone, she said, “Esteemed consort, the Imperial Physician Courtyard has sent over medicine.”