Chapter 35: What If She Likes Women? Part 1

Third Young Master Sima’s furious attack didn’t even touch the hem of Xunqi’s clothes. Wuming raised her foot and kicked him to the ground.

Xunqi stood with her hands behind her back, looking down at him from above. “With you? You’re not even worthy of touching my clothes.”

She leaned down, her eyes vicious, a smile on her lips, yet she still looked soft. She looked down at the pathetic man. “Third Young Master Sima, don’t think you can act with impunity just because your aunt is Her Majesty. I can still take you down. Do you see? Your father is dead.”

“Xunqi, what grudge do I have against you that you treat me like this?” Third Young Master Sima scrambled up from the ground, his white mourning clothes stained with dust.

The two faced each other. Xunqi looked at him calmly. “Because you disgust me. Because your eyes hold that predatory look men have for women. That look disgusts me the most.”

As she spoke, she looked at the others, her gaze scrutinizing. The others all lowered their heads, not daring to meet her eyes.

“Don’t act so virtuous! Do you think my Sima family wanted this marriage? It was Her Majesty who arranged it. I had no choice but to meet you. Who knew you were such a tigress.” Third Young Master Sima felt humiliated. This woman and her mother were both madwomen and tigresses.

“Then what are you? What you have today, you owe to your father and the Sima family. What do you have now? Without them, would Her Majesty have arranged a marriage for you? Third Young Master Sima, you’re a drowned dog now.” Xunqi stepped forward, looking at the man. “Her Majesty arranged the marriage, but I don’t like the look of you.”

After she spoke, her gaze traveled from the man’s face down to his legs. Third Young Master Sima flew into a rage, clenching his fists. “Get out of my Sima residence!”

“Third Young Master Sima, I’ve suddenly taken a liking to this residence. If I go and ask Her Majesty to buy it, what do you think she’ll say?” Xunqi got straight to the point. “I’ve taken a fancy to this residence.”

Third Young Master Sima’s face turned red with anger. The Heir of Duke Dingguo hurried in and quickly bowed to Xunqi. “Young Mistress Yan, Third Brother is unruly and too willful. He has offended you. Please, be magnanimous and forgive him this once.”

“Brother, she’s here to gloat!” Third Young Master Sima angrily reminded his elder brother. “She’s the one who made me into this inhuman state.”

The Heir frowned, walked over, and kicked his brother’s knee, speaking sternly. “Kneel. Apologize.”

“Brother!” Third Young Master Sima was unwilling. “I did nothing wrong.”

The Heir looked at him and said earnestly, “You did wrong. You were wrong to offend the Young Mistress Yan.” Of all people, he shouldn’t have provoked Xunqi.

Third Young Master Sima knelt stubbornly, refusing to speak. Xunqi glanced at the funeral hall, smiled faintly, turned, and left.

The master and servant mounted their horses and galloped away.

“Young Mistress, why did you come here?” Wuming didn’t understand her mistress’s intention. Why come to the Duke Dingguo’s Residence for no reason and provoke Third Young Master Sima?

Xunqi reined in her horse, looking at the majestic residence. “I want to make sure no man in the entire capital dares to marry me, no one dares to have designs on me. Third Young Master Sima is the perfect example.”

Wuming: “…”

The master and servant returned to the residence. Yan Zhi’an had just come back and was talking with Chen Qingrong.

Chen Qingrong sat to one side, a hint of sorrow in her brows, holding a white, chubby cat in her arms, her beloved pet. “You say, how can he just die like that? Zhi’an, I’m scared.”

“Mother, rest assured, the Yan family won’t.” Yan Zhi’an sat down, comforting her mother, gently holding her hand. “Rest assured.”

Chen Qingrong was afraid. She had lived a life of leisure for most of her days. Her husband died, and she was brought to the capital by her daughter to enjoy her old age. But now, one person dies today, another tomorrow, making her nervous. She nervously gripped her daughter’s wrist. “Will Xunqi be alright?”

“Rest assured, even if everyone else dies, she won’t.” Yan Zhi’an smiled, reaching out to stroke the fat cat’s head. “She’s clever. I bet she’s gone to the Duke Dingguo’s Residence to pick a fight.”

Sima Xun had brought this upon himself. Prince Ji had asked for the young girl’s hand in marriage for the Crown Prince, and Her Majesty couldn’t refuse. But the Sima family hadn’t refused either, which made Her Majesty unhappy.

If Sima Xun didn’t die, was she supposed to just watch him and Prince Ji conspire to grow stronger?

Her Majesty wasn’t a young girl anymore. She had held power for years and had the mind of an emperor. How could she allow such a thing to happen?

She had many brothers. She didn’t need Sima Xun. This was also a way to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.

“Alas, you never know what tomorrow will bring.” Chen Qingrong sighed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Xunqi at the door. “Oh! Little Xunqi is back.”

“Mm.” Xunqi strode in. “I went to the Sima residence, kicked Third Young Master Sima, and came back. Mother, I think the Sima residence is quite nice.”

Yan Zhi’an understood her meaning in an instant. “You like it? I’ll buy it for you.”

“Really?” Xunqi’s eyes lit up. She happily stepped forward and hugged her mother’s waist, nuzzling against her affectionately. “I knew you’d agree. How will you get it?”

“That’s my business, not yours.” Yan Zhi’an frowned slightly. The girl’s body was too hot, like charcoal, burning her heart until it trembled. But she didn’t push her away immediately. Instead, she calmly patted her back. “Alright, go wash up.”

Xunqi bowed respectfully to the two elders, then turned and ran out of the room.

Chen Qingrong leaned against her chair, watching Xunqi’s carefree manner, and muttered, “Who does she take after? She doesn’t look like you at all, Zhi’an. Does she look like her father?”

“She should… look like her father.” Yan Zhi’an casually brushed it off and turned to leave.

Chen Qingrong was puzzled. Like her father? What did her father look like? This son-in-law had died before she could even meet him. Died too early.

She sighed in regret, having to face reality. Her daughter was truly unlucky, meeting such an early-dead son-in-law.

After Duke Dingguo’s suicide, the Female Emperor confiscated his residence and bestowed another one. She also enfeoffed his second brother, Sima Zhan, as Marquis Anguo, and gave him a residence as well. The eldest brother, Sima Xun’s, noble rank was inherited by his son, but was reduced from Duke Dingguo to Marquis Dingguo. But the Sima family now had two marquises in one nation, a household of great prominence.

After Sima Zhan was enfeoffed as Marquis, he was humble and courteous to scholars. He stopped Yan Zhi’an and brought up the matter of a marriage alliance between the two families.

Compared to Sima Xun’s arrogance, Sima Zhan’s attitude was friendly. Yan Zhi’an refused. “To be honest, Marquis, my daughter is quite averse to the word ‘Sima’.”

“This…” Sima Zhan hadn’t expected things to become so difficult. What did ‘averse’ mean? He immediately said, “My son is not talented, but he greatly admires the Young Mistress and wishes to form a bond between our two families. If you are willing, my son will put the Young Mistress first.”

His meaning was: my son is willing to marry into your family!

Yan Zhi’an lowered her eyes. She hadn’t expected Sima Zhan to be so humble. She feigned regret. “I am pleased by your words, Marquis. But as you know, Third Young Master Sima was truly excessive. She can’t accept it for the time being. Why don’t we wait a while?”

Waiting was just a stalling tactic. Sima Zhan had no choice but to turn to his sister, saying he was willing to let his son marry into the Yan family.

When the Female Emperor heard this, she was displeased. “Do you think Yan Zhi’an would still look at your son? She’s already bought the Sima residence, dug up the old foundations, and stepped on the Sima family. In her eyes, you’re nothing but trash.”

Sima Zhan was scolded until his face was red. The more Her Majesty said this, the more he wanted to seek the marriage for his son. He shamelessly continued. “Your Majesty, our Fifth Young Master is also your nephew. Please help him. The Young Mistress Yan is beautiful and talented. They are a perfect match.”

“Perfect match?” The Female Emperor sneered. With your son’s cowardly demeanor, how could he be worthy of Xunqi?

Since the incident with Third Young Master, she was very dissatisfied with these young lords. In broad daylight, without any help from servants, Xunqi had not only beaten Third Young Master but also severed his manhood. How useless was Third Young Master?

All show, no substance.

“Your Majesty, you’ve watched Fifth Young Master grow up. He’s now of marriageable age. Since the Yan family doesn’t like Third Young Master, let Fifth Young Master try. He’s the eldest son and will naturally know how to cherish a woman.” Sima Zhan eagerly tried to persuade the Female Emperor. “As long as you issue the decree, this marriage will be settled.”

Last year, the Female Emperor had been overjoyed to arrange a marriage between her nephew and Xunqi. Now, she was completely opposed, because she had seen Xunqi’s abilities. She was no ordinary person.

An ordinary young lord was no longer worthy of Xunqi. Furthermore, the Sima family’s power had been dismantled by the Left and Right Prime Ministers. The remaining Sima Zhan’s household wasn’t worth a marriage alliance with Xunqi.

She waved her hand, once again rejecting her brother’s request. “I’m afraid my grand hall will be torn down by the Left Prime Minister.”

Sima Zhan refused to let it go. The Female Emperor waved her hand slightly. “If Fifth Young Master wants to marry, Prince Ji’s residence has several Commandery Princesses. I can arrange a marriage for you. How about that?”

“Your Majesty, no, no. I was just talking. I’ll take my leave.” The moment Sima Zhan heard the words ‘Prince Ji’, his legs went weak. He could marry anyone’s daughter, except Prince Ji’s.

Sima Zhan fled the grand hall.

The weather was beautiful that day. Xunqi followed the Left Prime Minister and others out of the city to inspect the spring plowing. In the mountains, the scenery was beautiful, with green branches and straight trees.

Xunqi lagged behind, listening to the people ahead constantly flattering the Left Prime Minister. She sneered. Then she heard someone say, “Two years ago, people were still going to the Left Prime Minister’s residence to propose marriage. These past two years, it’s been very quiet.”

“Two years ago, people thought the Left Prime Minister was pure and chaste. Who knew she already had a child?”

“Yes, who could have guessed? Last year, some people said the Left Prime Minister, to avoid marriage, had picked up a child and claimed her as her daughter to shut us up. This year, it seems that was false. The Yan family has invested a lot of effort in this Young Mistress.”

Xunqi listened quietly, finding it interesting. She pulled Wuming over to listen with her. She even asked, “Who proposed to the Left Prime Minister?”

“Many people. After Third Master of the Sima family lost his wife, he wanted to marry the Left Prime Minister as his second wife. Later, he was chased and beaten.”

“And there was the Marquis of the Du family. He had never married, and after returning from his travels, he saw the Left Prime Minister and couldn’t forget her. He threw a tantrum to marry her, but it came to nothing. I heard he became a monk.”

Xunqi listened excitedly, then asked curiously, “Has the Left Prime Minister ever indicated who she likes?”

“Likes? I heard she’s pure and desireless. This Young Mistress is probably the child of one of her brothers, adopted by her, and she claims it as her own. Let me tell you, I have a friend who works in the Imperial Medical Academy. One year, the Left Prime Minister was sick, and he happened to be on duty. He rushed to the Left Prime Minister’s residence to take her pulse. He said he remembered clearly that the Left Prime Minister’s pulse showed no signs of having given birth. A woman’s matters are all in her pulse.”