Gu Qingtong secretly glanced around. A girl around fifteen years old sat in the main seat, her round face still looking childish, with rosy lips and white teeth, but her eyes were full of mockery and disdain—truly a girl raised in the palace.
“This servant Gu Qingtong pays respects to the princess. May the princess live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand and ten thousand years,” Gu Qingtong bowed respectfully.
“Are you Gu Qingtong?”
“Yes.”
“Raise your head and let this princess take a look,” Princess Wan’qiu lifted her chin, yet was somewhat curious, staring with her slightly small eyes.
Gu Qingtong carefully raised her head, glanced at her, and then lowered her eyes again.
“Hmm, indeed quite good-looking, much more pleasing to the eye than that Liang Luoxian.”
“Thank you for the princess’s praise.”
Princess Wan’qiu laughed lightly, “Say one nice thing, and you really think this princess is praising you?”
Gu Qingtong’s just-curled mouth immediately drooped, laughing awkwardly.
“Besides the marriage trial, what else can you do?”
“This servant knows a few musical instruments.”
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Princess Wan’qiu suddenly became interested, calling to a matron nearby, “Li Nanny, go fetch my xun and let her play it.”
Gu Qingtong thought she would be asked to do something else. Fortunately, it was playing the xun, which was easier for her compared to the xiao.
Unexpectedly, Gu Qingtong was happy to receive the instrument and immediately played a tune. Most xun melodies are ancient, lingering, and heroic, evoking nostalgia. Princess Wan’qiu disliked ethereal, plaintive tunes and only loved joyful sounds, so she waved her hand and had Li Nanny bring a suona instead.
Holding the suona, Gu Qingtong was speechless: this princess’s taste was truly unique.
“Princess, the Crown Prince has arrived.”
Just as she was at a loss, someone announced the Crown Prince’s arrival, and Gu Qingtong felt an indescribable sensation.
The Crown Prince Yuan Hongren entered the hall, and Gu Qingtong turned to bow deeply, but he stopped her.
Before she could speak, the Crown Prince addressed Princess Wan’qiu, “Wan’qiu sister, is this the famous Gu Qingniang?”
“Yes,” Wan’qiu responded casually, unsure of his intentions.
“Isn’t the ceremony tomorrow?”
“Mm.”
“Then there’s probably nothing to do today. May I borrow her to play for a while?”
The princess’s face immediately darkened, but Xin Guifei was an Imperial Noble Consort, one rank higher than her mother, the Virtuous Consort. Moreover, she was not particularly favored, so in front of the Crown Prince, she did not dare refuse: “If the Crown Prince wishes to borrow her to play, but she must be returned tomorrow.”
“Yes, thank you, Wan’qiu sister,” the Crown Prince was extremely respectful, but had already instructed a matron to take Gu Qingtong away.
Gu Qingtong followed the matron, realizing this twelve-year-old boy was actually her half-brother. They say the Crown Prince is benevolent and beloved by the people—she couldn’t see that, but he was indeed courteous and polite, at least on the surface.
Gu Qingtong took a look; the largest flower in the middle required her to take a few more steps, which would tear not just her skirt. However, whatever the Crown Prince said was what it was. She sighed imperceptibly and parted the flowers to move towards the center.
“Hiss—”
“What’s wrong?”
Gu Qingtong saw that she had accidentally scraped her palm, but she still answered, “It’s nothing.”
Yuan Hongren heard her say this and gave a light laugh, continuing to direct her to another side. He watched as several bloody scratches appeared on her hand without letting her stop, instead becoming increasingly excited.
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Gu Qingtong’s hand was itching and hurting; she was about to rub it when the Emperor arrived. She had heard Ji Chen call him the old Emperor and thought he would be an old man, but now he seemed to be only in his forties. However, his expression was fierce, his skin waxy yellow, and his eyes slightly red, with dark circles under his eyes, indicating illness. But when he approached, his steps were vigorous, and his voice robust.
The Emperor looked at Yuan Hongren, called him over, and stared at Gu Qingtong.
Gu Qingtong was still standing among the flowers, unsure whether to bow or not.
“Are you Gu Qingtong?”
“Long live the Emperor.” Gu Qingtong saw his face darken and knelt down with a thud.
“Indeed very similar,” the Emperor said, causing Gu Qingtong to tremble and not dare to raise her head.
The Emperor looked at her and sneered, stroking Yuan Hongren’s hair: “Your Highness, shouldn’t this Gu Qing’s mother be in Wan’qiu? How is she with you?”
“A few days ago, the Li Ying in my palace was released. I noticed her expression was somewhat similar. Since Sister Wan’qiu’s ceremony is tomorrow anyway, I brought her here to play for a while.”
“Play for a while?”
“Yes, Father Emperor, look at her, she’s both stupid and timid.”
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Whatever this Prince tells her to do, she does. Her hand got scraped but she didn’t dare to make a sound.
The Emperor heard this and laughed heartily: “Your Li Ying has left the palace. How about Father Emperor grants her to you as a maidservant?”
Yuan Hongren stared at her for a while, then shook his head: “Father Emperor, she’s just a lowly Qing maiden. How could she possibly be worthy of this Prince? No matter how beautiful she looks or how similar her expression is to Li Ying, keeping her would be useless. Right now, I’m just treating her like a cat, playing with her.”
The Emperor heard this and nodded satisfactorily: “Mm, well said, Your Highness. Remember, you are the Crown Prince. You must know who you should and shouldn’t interact with. Since you treat her like a cat, let her play with you for a while. I’m going to see your mother.”
Yuan Hongren happily smiled and bowed: “Farewell, Father Emperor.”
Gu Qingtong remained kneeling on the ground, only breathing a sigh of relief when the Emperor was far away: She thought she would be kept in the palace, but it was just a false alarm.
“Get up, little cat.”
Gu Qingtong twisted her mouth: He called her a little cat, but she was actually older than him, and his sister at that.
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He had already said he was the noble Crown Prince, and she was just a lowly Qing maiden, far beneath him.
Yuan Hongren saw her get up and waved his sleeve: “Follow me back to the Eastern Palace.”
“Yes.” Gu Qingtong thought he would take her to see Consort Min, but unexpectedly turned towards the Eastern Palace. However, since the Emperor had already gone to Consort Min’s place, he probably wouldn’t take her there to feel uncomfortable.
Gu Qingtong looked at Yuan Hongyan, who made things difficult for her but not excessively so. With him protecting her, the princess would not dare to do anything to her. Without having to follow the etiquette, she was happy to relax and felt at ease.
However, early the next morning, a maidservant from Princess Wanqiu came to summon her. The Emperor reprimanded the Crown Prince for wanting to keep her cat around and sent her to Princess Wanqiu’s residence, even if she was injured. It was just a minor scratch that would heal in two or three days.
With the Emperor’s decree, even the Crown Prince could not intervene. Gu Qingtong saw his gloomy expression and was happy, but Yuan Hongyan glanced at her and said, “You’re happy now, but when you go to the Liang family, you’ll only have tears to cry.”
