Obsessively Raised by My Doll 35

Chapter 35

When she left the Library Pavilion, Zheng Xuening had only left Lu Dieqing with one sentence.

“Only when your doll can truly fight on the battlefield will you be able to help me.”

“I will help you find the Yushan bamboo. The deal is thus for now, we will speak of it again in the future.”

This sentence was calm and steady, but it left a great vortex in Lu Dieqing’s heart, like a huge stone suddenly thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a great ripple that could not be calmed for a long time.

When Lu Dieqing was making her doll, she had, of course, fantasized.

One day in the future, her little doll would become very powerful, even comparable to the great puppeteers recorded in the history books. But this “powerful” was just a vague yearning, not specific.

She had never specifically thought about what her little doll could do once it could move freely.

She only knew that she had to become a puppeteer, to have a being that could protect her, so that she and her parents would no longer be bullied, and perhaps even return to the Shan Kingdom one day.

But she seemed to have never truly thought deeply about all the specific details of this plan.

Until today, when the Crown Princess told her that she would have to wait until her little doll could go to the battlefield to complete their deal.

Lu Dieqing suddenly realized that she had been a little naive in the past.

Going to the battlefield was such a grand matter. Although Lu Dieqing was born in the imperial palace, she had heard her mother tell her many things about the Shan Kingdom. Although the Shan Kingdom respected women, and women lived very happily there, with peace and prosperity, they were not good at warfare.

So when the powerful Chaoying Kingdom attacked, the Shan Kingdom was almost powerless to resist, suffering defeat after defeat on the battlefield, losing cities, until it finally became a subordinate state of the Chaoying Kingdom, willingly sending hostages.

Lu Dieqing couldn’t help but think, if one day she could really let her doll fight on the battlefield and become a very powerful fighting force.

At that time, should she help the Shan Kingdom or the Chaoying Kingdom?

Logically, she was from the Shan Kingdom, so she should naturally serve the Shan Kingdom.

But today, the Crown Princess had made a deal with her, saying she would find the Yushan bamboo for her. Then she would owe her a favor and a promise.

If the Crown Princess needed her in the future, how should she conduct herself?

Aiya, it’s so annoying. Just thinking about these things makes my head hurt.

Lu Dieqing tapped her head, forcing herself to stop thinking so much. She would take it one step at a time and get through the current obstacles first.

When she left the Library Pavilion, A’Sang smiled at her.

“Did you see the Crown Princess just now? I saw Her Highness go to the third floor as well.”

Lu Dieqing nodded.

Seeing her admit it, A’Sang bustled over and asked mysteriously, “I heard that you accompanied the Crown Princess out of the palace on business yesterday. Is that true?”

After all, yesterday, Lu Dieqing had been carrying a lot of candied haws on her shoulder. As she walked, all the palace staff had seen it. This matter had caused a lot of discussion. After all, the person involved was the Crown Princess.

And now there were rumors that the Crown Princess had no interest in political affairs, that her headaches were so severe was one thing, but she had even acted like a three-year-old child, taking a palace maid out of the palace to play. It was truly improper, and she had even brought those filthy things from the common folk into the imperial palace, which was a great loss of face for the royal family.

It was unknown who had started these rumors, but they had spread like wildfire, becoming more and more rampant in private.

A’Sang usually didn’t pay much attention to these things, but when she heard that a palace maid was carrying candied haws, she instantly thought of Lu Dieqing, who had given her candied haws yesterday.

A’Sang looked at Lu Dieqing’s expression. Seeing that she was as approachable and easy to talk to as before, she cautiously asked, “Was the palace maid they were talking about you?”

Candied haws were a common thing among the common folk, not worth mentioning, but they were rare in the imperial palace.

Faced with A’Sang’s question, Lu Dieqing did not hide it and answered truthfully.

“Mhm, the palace maid you were talking about should be me.”

However, Lu Dieqing subconsciously concealed the matter of the waist token and the Crown Princess taking her out to eat and stroll around.

Hearing her answer, A’Sang asked curiously, “The Crown Princess actually allowed you to bring candied haws in from outside the palace?”

“The last time I saw her enter the Library Pavilion, I was scared to death. If she had run into you and punished you, we would both have been killed. I never thought we would both be fine.”

A’Sang grinned foolishly.

“Hehe, I never would have thought. The Crown Princess is not like what I knew before.”

A’Sang rested her chin on her hand, speaking as she thoughtfully recalled all the past rumors about the Crown Princess.

Lu Dieqing smiled at her and spoke up for the Crown Princess.

“Perhaps some things have to be seen to be believed.”

She had also misunderstood the Crown Princess before.

“Oh, right, this is for you.”

After chatting for a while, A’Sang looked around. Seeing that no one was paying attention and no one was passing by the Library Pavilion, she bent down and took a food box from the side, handing it to Lu Dieqing.

“These are some pastries. Take them back and try them.”

A’Sang really liked this Little Princess of Shan.

It was just that her status was ordinary. She was just a lowly palace maid with little ability, unable to help much. Otherwise, how could she bear to let Lu Dieqing live such a hard life in the palace?

Everyone knew that the life of a hostage was not easy. Just looking at the clothes Lu Dieqing wore, you could tell that they didn’t match her stunningly beautiful face at all, which made people feel sorry for her.

But even in her poverty, nothing could hide the Little Princess of Shan’s romantic heart and kindness. In A’Sang’s heart, Lu Dieqing was a typical example of a beautiful person with a kind heart, who deserved to live a good life.

“…A’Sang, thank you.”

Accepting A’Sang’s gift of pastries, Lu Dieqing was very embarrassed. Her face flushed red, and she thanked her softly.

“Don’t, don’t.”

A’Sang waved her hands repeatedly and patted her on the shoulder, telling her not to be so polite.

“If we’re going to be so particular, it’ll seem distant. You brought me candied haws yesterday, which is much rarer than the pastries I’m giving you. Anyway, the most important thing between friends is the thought that counts.”

“Oh, right. I heard a matron say today that your Shan Kingdom will be sending an envoy to have an audience with His Majesty in a few days. It seems they’re already on their way.”

A’Sang said this excitedly.

“Do you think that if the envoy comes and proposes to take you back to the Shan Kingdom, you’ll be able to leave?”

“After all, when they asked for hostages, they only asked for your father and mother. You were born here. The Chaoying Kingdom shouldn’t need so many hostages. It would be good if you could go back.”

A’Sang was genuinely thinking of her friend. With such beauty, intelligence, and kindness, she felt that it was a great waste for her to be hiding away in the Chaoying palace.

The Shan Kingdom is so much better. Women have a high status and can do whatever they want. There are even many female officials. I wish I could be reborn there.

Lu Dieqing froze. The smile on her face faded, and her expression was no longer as happy as before.

“If it’s just me alone, I’d rather not go back,” she said softly.

This puzzled A’Sang. “Why? One is better than none.”

Lu Dieqing just shook her head and didn’t speak.

She and her parents were a family forever. Since they were a family, how could they be separated?

Her mother had been abandoned by her own mother, the Empress, and sent to a foreign land for seventeen years. How could there not be bitterness in her heart?

Lu Dieqing had seen her mother’s depression all these years. If she also left like this, wouldn’t she be abandoning her parents and becoming an unrighteous person?

No matter how good the Shan Kingdom was, without her parents, it had nothing to do with her. It was no longer her root.

She longed for the Shan Kingdom only because it held her parents’ beautiful memories; it was their homeland.

With this matter on her mind, Lu Dieqing hurried back to her quarters. But unexpectedly, she ran into a group of palace staff, and among them was a familiar person.

“Matron Li, walk faster. Let’s not even talk about you mistreating the hostages from various countries. You’ve taken several palace maids’ lives in defiance of the law. No one is wronging you.”

A guard was escorting an old woman.

Lu Dieqing subconsciously looked up and stopped.

Matron Li did indeed look sick. She staggered as she walked, and her face seemed to have aged a dozen years. She didn’t look as fierce as before, but instead had a pitiful look.

As they passed each other, Matron Li saw Lu Dieqing, shrank back, and lowered her head, avoiding her gaze.

Lu Dieqing tightened her grip on the food box, a complex feeling rising in her heart.

She should be happy that the person who had bullied her had fallen on hard times, but she couldn’t feel happy. Instead, her heart felt a little heavy.

If Matron Li’s son hadn’t died on the battlefield, would she have hated them so much? Would her personality have changed so drastically, and would she have bullied so many people?

Are bad people born bad?

The girl was a little dazed, her head lowered as she thought, and then she bumped into a soft wall.

“…” Lu Dieqing held the food box in one hand and covered her forehead with the other, subconsciously looking up.

The Crown Princess, who shouldn’t have been here, was looking down at her, her expression complex.

“Not looking where you’re going?” What if you had bumped into someone else instead of my arms?

“What are you holding in your hand?” Who gave it to you?