Chapter 49: Teasing
The First Imperial Princess narrowed her eyes and answered irrelevantly, “The Second Sister’s hair dries quickly.”
The Second Imperial Princess said calmly, “It’s not as long as the Imperial Eldest Sister’s, so of course it dries quickly. The Imperial Eldest Sister has not yet answered my previous question.”
She was a little shorter than the First Imperial Princess, and at this moment, she was slightly raising her head, her gaze meeting the First Imperial Princess’s, calm and silent.
The First Imperial Princess let out a light laugh and looked away, “What question? You misheard, I didn’t say anything just now.”
“Oh, is that so?” The Second Imperial Princess nodded. “Then perhaps there were other attendants who were gossiping and talking a lot of nonsense. I didn’t think much of it, but if our mother-empress had heard it, she would probably be angry. So the Imperial Eldest Sister must take care of those servants who serve you. If those words reach our mother-empress’s ears and she gets angry with the Imperial Eldest Sister, that would be bad.”
The First Imperial Princess’s smile did not reach her eyes, “There’s no need for the Second Sister to worry, I have my own sense of propriety.”
“That’s good,” the Second Imperial Princess said in a gentle voice. “Speaking of which, I am going to the palace tomorrow to pay my respects to our mother-empress. Does the Imperial Eldest Sister want to go with me?”
“Tomorrow?” The First Imperial Princess sighed pretentiously. “I have to practice swordsmanship tomorrow, I’m afraid I won’t be free. The Second Sister goes to the palace so frequently, I advise the Second Sister to spend more time on studying and practicing martial arts. I heard that our mother-empress criticized the Second Sister’s horsemanship and archery a while ago. The Second Sister should practice more, so as not to be just a pretty face in the end and disappoint our mother-empress.”
The Second Imperial Princess cupped her hands and said, “Thank you for your concern, Imperial Eldest Sister. This younger sister will follow your teachings.”
The First Imperial Princess was about to say something else when there was a sudden commotion outside, and four or five voices overlapped, coming from afar and into the room.
“What’s the commotion?” The First Imperial Princess was a little impatient and asked in a loud voice.
An attendant hurriedly lifted the curtain and came in, reporting, “The Seventh Highness just finished her bath and ran over. The attendants who serve her are chasing after her.”
As she spoke, the commotion got closer, and only then did the people in the room hear the content clearly—
An attendant shouted loudly, “Oh my little ancestor, your hair is not dry yet. It’s so cold outside, it will freeze if you run!”
The First Imperial Princess and the Second Imperial Princess exchanged a look and both frowned.
The two of them stepped out of the room together and saw a small white ball rolling over from not far away.
The Seventh Imperial Princess’s cloak was wide and covered her entire body. The attendants following behind her were out of breath and said in a chorus, “Your Highness, slow down. If the Empress finds out, we will be punished, and Your Highness will surely be ordered not to go out.”
The Seventh Imperial Princess snorted, “If you don’t say it and I don’t say it, how can our mother-consort know?”
“Then… oh my, Your Highness must take care of your health!”
The First Imperial Princess stood under the eaves with the curtain lifted and shouted, “Little Seven!”
The Seventh Imperial Princess shot over and stopped at the door, raising her face and saying, “The bathroom in my little aunt’s place is really too boring. There’s nothing to play with, it’s like being in prison. After I finally finished washing, they wouldn’t let me out. They insisted on drying my hair before they would let me run out. I said, how can there be such a tormenting principle? So while they weren’t paying attention, I wrapped myself in my cloak and ran over to find you. I’ve been practicing every day recently, and my skills have improved. Imperial Eldest Sister, quickly praise me—oh my!”
Before she could finish her sentence, she was lifted up by the First Imperial Princess and dragged into the steaming room.
The Seventh Imperial Princess’s eyes widened, “What’s wrong, Imperial Eldest Sister?”
“I’ll go and complain to the Pure Consort when I go back today,” the First Imperial Princess frowned. “You shouldn’t have been allowed to leave the palace. Why are you so reckless? Look at your hair that’s exposed outside your cloak, it’s almost frozen!”
The Seventh Imperial Princess pouted, and perhaps because she was a little guilty, her voice became softer, “I’ve been much stronger recently, I won’t get sick…”
“Even if you’re strong, you can’t be so reckless,” the Second Imperial Princess said in a gentle voice. “Even General Shen, who just took a nap in the pavilion in the evening a few days ago, caught a cold.”
Shen Zhishu, who had just reached the door and heard herself being used as a negative example to educate a child: …
Jiang Yu’s eyes had been carefully covered with an ice towel, and there was no trace of her having cried. She stopped at Shen Zhishu’s back and stopped the attendant who was about to lift the curtain to announce her.
Shen Zhishu muttered softly, “I wonder who spread that.”
Jiang Yu said in a faint voice, “There were many people in the manor that day, and it was a rare thing for the General to get sick. It’s normal for it to spread if someone just treated it as a harmless and novel thing to gossip about.”
“Then… what about me staying at your manor?”
“I don’t know, it has probably spread a little,” Jiang Yu tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “But the General doesn’t have to worry. There’s a legitimate reason for you to stay at my manor, and it has also been approved by the Emperor. I suppose that if Minister Shen finds out, it won’t be a big deal.”
“That’s true…” Shen Zhishu paused. “Forget it, there will be a way when the time comes.”
Jiang Yu glanced at her, “What, is the General still worried about Minister Shen’s attitude?”
Shen Zhishu turned around and walked towards the courtyard, “Oh, you don’t know my Mother Shen. She loves to tease me and also loves to meddle. I suddenly found out last night that she had arranged for me to meet someone this afternoon. I had to go, but fortunately, the other party had no intention of marriage, so I escaped. If she finds out that I slept somewhere else at night, she will surely scold me.”
“Oh? The General actually went on a blind date this afternoon?” Jiang Yu’s attention was completely diverted to this. “With whom? How was it?”
“The second daughter of the Zhang family. I don’t know if you know her. Her older sister is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Zhang Yunzhong.”
Jiang Yu nodded and said calmly, “I know her older sister, she is of upright character. I don’t have a deep impression of her herself, but the Zhang family has a strict family style, so she should be a good person too. Is the General interested?”
“Even if I say I’m interested, you will definitely not believe me,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “Didn’t I say before? I will not have a sweetheart.”
“The General is quite firm.”
“Of course,” Shen Zhishu suddenly stopped and looked down at the person beside her. “Even if I do have one one day, I will probably keep it to myself and not harm others.”
Jiang Yu also stopped, slowly and methodically pulled her sleeves tighter, and raised her face to meet her gaze.
The cold north wind swayed and blew away the stray hairs on her forehead. Jiang Yu blinked very lightly and suddenly looked away.
She did not answer this question and suddenly started another topic, “What does the General usually eat to grow so tall?”
Shen Zhishu said without thinking, “People.”
Jiang Yu: ???
Shen Zhishu changed the subject, “—I eat everything except.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve traveled all over the Kingdom of Nan’an from south to north. What haven’t I eaten?” Shen Zhishu smiled. “From birds in the sky to grass, insects, and tree roots on the ground, I’ve probably only not tasted human flesh.”
Jiang Yu was quiet for a moment and then asked, “Then what does the General think is the most delicious?”
“Let me think… actually, I don’t have a favorite. I just think that beggar’s chicken in winter and watermelon in summer are not bad. I don’t know if Your Highness has ever had the watermelon from the west. The temperature difference between day and night there is large, so the watermelon is especially sweet. I’ll take Your Highness to try it there another day.”
“Alright,” Jiang Yu nodded and changed the subject. “But I have had it.”
“That’s right, I didn’t think of that,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “The watermelon from the Western Regions is sent to the Forbidden City by eight-hundred-li express, so of course the Eldest Princess’s Manor will not be left out.”
“Mm,” Jiang Yu replied and asked in a faint voice, “Does the General have any other favorite foods?”
“There are too many to think of. Or…” Shen Zhishu wanted to make a joke, “They say that what you haven’t eaten is the most delicious. By that logic, the most delicious thing in my heart should be human flesh.”
“Then the General can try it today,” Jiang Yu said with a blank expression. “I’ll cut a piece of meat and feed it to you.”
“No, no,” Shen Zhishu shook her head with a feigned deep voice. “Your body is so small and thin, the meat must be tough and will get stuck in my teeth.”
“Is the General being picky?”
“Hiss, there’s really nothing to be picky about,” Shen Zhishu said with a smile. “I’ve lived for so long, and this is the first time someone has offered themselves to me to eat. Since Your Highness is so kind, I will reluctantly have a taste—”
After speaking, she held out her five fingers to Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu paused, and in cooperation, she lifted her sleeve and placed her forearm in Shen Zhishu’s palm.
The smooth and fair skin met the calluses on her palm, and it was so thin that it seemed as if it would break with a single squeeze.
Shen Zhishu’s eyes were lowered, and she raised that arm and made a chewing motion.
“How is it?” Jiang Yu asked in a faint voice.
“It’s a little dry, but…” Shen Zhishu released her hand and watched as that arm hung loosely. She said with a serious air, “Forget it, it’s still delicious.”
Jiang Yu turned her head to look at her, then suddenly started walking forward along the stone path.
She walked faster and faster.
Shen Zhishu strode after her, a little baffled, “Are you trying to race me or something? The road is slippery, be careful not to fall.”
Jiang Yu did not slow down, and as she walked, her shoulders trembled.
…Hmm? Crying again?
It couldn’t be. The atmosphere was just so relaxed.
But if it wasn’t crying, then—
Shen Zhishu narrowed her eyes, quickened her pace, and walked to Jiang Yu’s side, “Did you just laugh?”
“No,” Jiang Yu denied flatly.
“You’re still denying it,” Shen Zhishu stared at her and said faintly. “The curve of your lips is still there.”
Jiang Yu: …
Jiang Yu suddenly pulled the corners of her mouth back.
Perhaps it was because she was guilty, or for some other emotion, she did not turn her head to meet Shen Zhishu’s gaze.
She could feel that person’s gaze on her, turning back and forth.
A few breaths later, two light laughs sounded in the wind, and then a clear and bright voice, filled with a smile, came to her ear.
“Your Highness,” Shen Zhishu called her and asked, “Are you a little happier?”
Jiang Yu thought for a moment and nodded lightly and heavily twice.
“Then quickly have the small kitchen serve the food,” Shen Zhishu wailed. “I’m starving, I’m just short of really eating Your Highness!”
Jiang Yu thought for another moment and said in a faint voice, “It’s not impossible to eat. You can rest in my room tonight, and I’ll let you eat.”
Shen Zhishu: ???
Shen Zhishu: …
Ayyy~ that what I thought so😋