Accidentally Married the Princess [Time Travel] - Chapter 35.2

Gong Yu sighed softly, watching the group of officials fawning over the Fourth Prince. At least the Fourth Prince had people around him, which was better than being completely alone.

At least someone would surely remind the Fourth Prince when needed.

“Why is Little Nine standing here all alone in a daze?” the Sixth Prince asked gracefully as he approached, holding a folding fan.

Gong Yu turned and greeted him, “Greetings, Sixth Imperial Brother.”

“I was just thinking about how reasonable Fourth Imperial Brother’s words in court today were.”

The Sixth Prince smiled and said, “I’ve heard that Fourth Imperial Brother has taken in many strategists at his residence. Perhaps he’s been inspired by them.”

As for the Sixth Prince, who had always been a gentle and refined gentleman, Gong Yu couldn’t find any fault in him so far.

Although the Sixth Prince had faced some setbacks because of Zhou Wencai, Gong Yu had never seen him disheartened. It seemed he was steadily establishing his footing in court.

It was worth mentioning that the Sixth Prince did not rely on marriage alliances; all the officials he associated with were those he had met at poetry gatherings.

This could truly be called making friends through poetry, relying on genuine literary talent.

Gong Yu glanced sideways at the officials who were gradually dispersing. Beside him, the Sixth Prince suddenly sighed and said, “But Fourth Imperial Brother has always been rather arbitrary. I fear there may be complications with the grain distribution matter.”

“Sixth Imperial Brother, don’t worry. Fourth Imperial Brother is surrounded by capable people; they will surely handle the grain distribution properly.”

“Little Nine, you seem much more talkative than when you were a child,” the Sixth Prince remarked with a smile. “I remember when you were young, you often hid at the back. In the blink of an eye, you’ve grown so tall.”

Gong Yu was startled, thinking he might have revealed something.

After exchanging a few more words, they each took their sedan chairs and left the palace. Passing through the bustling market, Gong Yu suddenly heard a commotion. Lifting the curtain, he saw many beggars on the street.

“What’s happening outside?”

A servant outside replied, “Your Highness, it’s refugees looting the rice shops. This has been happening every day lately.”

The beggar clutching a bag of rice was caught after only a few steps, as if he hadn’t even considered resisting.

The servant driving the carriage said, “These refugees deliberately steal things just to get caught and have a full meal in prison.”

Gong Yu lowered the curtain and said, “We won’t go to the shops today. Let’s return to the residence.”

“Yes.”

As the carriage approached the residence gate, it suddenly halted, nearly causing Gong Yu to stumble.

He heard the old steward outside urgently shouting, “Let His Highness in first!”

Only then did the carriage pass through the crowd blocking the entrance. Gong Yu stepped out and asked, “Why are refugees surrounding our residence?”

“Your Highness, you may not know, but it’s not just our residence. Every prominent household in the capital is being surrounded,” the old steward replied, wiping sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

Listening to the noise outside, Gong Yu hadn’t even turned around when he realized there was also a group of matchmaking women in the front hall.

“Old Steward, what is this?”

“Just now, when the refugees rushed in aggressively, these women took the opportunity to slip inside. I couldn’t drive them away, Your Highness.”

What kind of world was this? There were even people forcing marriage proposals at the door!

Gong Yu sidestepped, intending to slip away through a side path, but someone behind him called out, “Ah, the Ninth Prince has returned!”

“Don’t run away!”

As Gong Yu hurried along the corridor, he hadn’t expected these women to stubbornly follow him all the way. Left with no choice, he had to order the guards to stop these cunning women.

The women fought back fiercely, scratching and clawing, while the guards couldn’t use their weapons and ended up bruised and battered.

“Stop!” Gong Yu declared with a commanding tone. “You’ve trespassed into this residence and even resorted to violence—do you want to end up in the magistrate’s court?”

His intention was to intimidate these women, but unexpectedly, one who seemed to be the leader stepped forward. Holding a round fan, she smiled ingratiatingly and said, “Oh, I’d heard the Ninth Prince was gentle and mild-mannered, but seeing you today, it seems you’re nothing but a gilded exterior hiding rotten insides!”

Madam, please don’t misuse idioms like that!

“But I, Xu Niang, have arranged marriages for countless nobles and officials in the capital, and I’ve never seen a man of the Ninth Prince’s age with so few concubines.” After speaking, the woman gave Gong Yu a peculiar look and added:

“Could it be that the Ninth Prince has some… unspeakable difficulty?”

Gong Yu’s face flushed with anger. “Guards, escort them out at once!”

“Who dares!” The woman produced a golden token and declared, “See this? This is the Golden Matchmaker Token, personally bestowed by Prince Rong. Even if you don’t respect the monk, you should at least honor the Buddha!”

Suddenly, several mute maidservants stepped forward. One of them snatched the golden token from the woman’s hand, and with a sharp crack, the woman’s wrist bone was twisted. Piercing screams filled the air.

Gong Yu winced at the sound, while the old steward and guards stared wide-eyed. The other matchmakers, who had been so bold moments before, quickly lost their nerve.

“Stop hitting me! My back…!”

The cries cut off abruptly, and Gong Yu hurriedly interjected, “Enough! Don’t take it too far.”

The maidservants halted immediately. The leader, Biyu, clapped her hands lightly and asked, “You’re Xu Niang, right?”

The woman, pale with pain, nodded frantically. Biyu, holding the golden token, said coldly, “For a so-called Golden Matchmaker, you can’t even recognize which household I serve?”

“I know, of course I know.” The woman forced a smile and replied, “Who wouldn’t recognize someone from Lady Dai’s side? Only the blind would fail to see.”

Biyu tossed the token back to her. “Then don’t show your face at this residence again. Don’t you know the people here are already under Lady Dai’s protection?”

Uh…

Such boldness from Biyu left even Gong Yu stunned.

The woman hastily slapped her own face several times and pleaded, “This lowly one has failed to recognize a great person.”

“Then leave at once!”

“Yes, yes! I’m going right away.”

As the woman was helped away, Biyu sighed in relief and turned back. The guards around them fell into a hushed silence.

The old steward quietly approached Gong Yu and whispered, “Your Highness, Lady Dai may seem gentle, but her maidservants are truly ruthless.”

Gong Yu nodded silently. Just then, Biyu walked over and said, “Ninth Prince, my lady is waiting for you inside.”

“Alright.”

As they walked along the corridor, Gong Yu turned to the old steward and said, “Steward, please take the silver notes from the shops and the residence to purchase grain. Set up porridge stations and distribute food to the needy.”

The old steward nodded. “There’s plenty of silver in the residence. This old servant will see to it immediately.”

Upon entering the rear courtyard, Gong Yu found Dai Ru Yan sitting in the waterside pavilion. He lifted the gauze curtain and stepped inside.

“Ayan, what brings you here today?” Gong Yu approached and sat beside her.

A little rabbit, hearing his voice, hopped over to nestle by his legs. It had grown noticeably plump, making it a bit of an effort to pick up.

Dai Ru Yan took a sip of tea and said calmly, “If I hadn’t come, your residence would have been in chaos for quite some time.”

Gong Yu, feeling guilty from the words, put down the little rabbit and touched the tip of her nose, saying, “I only realized how formidable Biyu is today.”

“Are you scared now?” Dai Ru Yan poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Gong Yu. “That noisy woman deserved a good lesson. She wouldn’t dare to spread nonsense outside anymore.”

“What nonsense was she spreading outside?”

Gong Yu held the teacup, blowing on it lightly, still too afraid to take a sip because it was too hot.

Dai Ru Yan tilted her head to look at Gong Yu and asked, “You wander around outside all day, yet you don’t know what unpleasant things that woman was saying?”

Gong Yu shook her head, taking a small sip of the tea. “I attend the morning court session every day, then return to my residence to rest for a while. After that, I inspect the shops, and the rest of the time is spent checking the account books. I simply don’t have any spare time.”

“That woman was wagging her tongue, spreading rumors everywhere that the reason you don’t get close to women is because…” Dai Ru Yan suddenly stopped speaking.

Gong Yu looked at her, puzzled, and asked, “Because of what?”

Dai Ru Yan’s expression turned slightly strange as she said, “Because you have a penchant for men.”

“Where did such nonsense come from?” Gong Yu suppressed a laugh. “I’m not the only one in the capital. The Sixth Prince hasn’t married either, has he?”

“The Sixth Prince is different from you. He was supposed to marry, but his mother passed away, so he’s observing the mourning period and hasn’t taken a wife for now.”

Gong Yu took another sip of tea and said, “Even so, they shouldn’t spread such rumors. Not long ago, there were rumors about you and me, and now they’ve changed the story again.”

“You’re still laughing?”

Miss Dai said with utmost seriousness, “You’re always with that Mr. Qin, so it’s no wonder people are suspicious. You should keep your distance.”

Not expecting Dai Ru Yan to speak so sternly, Gong Yu lost her smile and quickly nodded. “But lately, aside from matters related to the account books, I haven’t had any other interactions with Mr. Qin.”

“Then how do you explain your visit to the brothel?”

Uh… How did Dai Ru Yan find out about that?

Gong Yu sat cross-legged, like a criminal under interrogation, stealing glances at Dai Ru Yan’s furrowed brow. “The Fifth Prince dragged me there for no reason.”

“So you went?”

“No, no! I just stood at the entrance and took a look inside.” Gong Yu shook her head hurriedly in explanation, then said with frustration, “I never expected even that would be spread as gossip.”

Dai Ru Yan tightened her grip on the teacup and said softly, “Brothels are full of women. If an ordinary man were curious, it might make sense, but you, Little Nine…”

“What were you curious about? Why did you have to go to such a place?”

Seeing that Dai Ru Yan seemed genuinely angry, Gong Yu quickly moved closer and said, “Ayan, don’t be angry. Actually, I just went to retrieve a lucky charm.”

“A lucky charm?” Dai Ru Yan turned to look at Gong Yu, her eyes growing even more scrutinizing as she questioned, “Why would your lucky charm end up in a place like that?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

“I…” Gong Yu grew increasingly flustered under Dai Ru Yan’s stern tone and decided to be straightforward:

“That time on the Second Princess’s pleasure boat, the lucky charm I always carry somehow ended up being picked up by a woman in red.”

“Really, I’m definitely not lying to you, Ayan.” Gong Yu gently tugged at Dai Ru Yan’s sleeve. “The woman in red said she placed the lucky charm on the signboard of a brothel in the capital.”

“That’s why I wanted to secretly check each one. I never expected to run into the Fifth Prince, who tried to drag me inside. But I absolutely refused to go in.”

Dai Ru Yan slightly tilted her head to look at Gong Yu, her expression seeming to soften a bit. Gong Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

But the next moment, Dai Ru Yan pinched Gong Yu’s smiling cheek, saying sternly, “But with all this commotion you’ve caused, the entire capital now knows you love visiting brothels. Even I almost… believed it.”

“It hurts, Ayan.” Gong Yu winced, leaning her head toward Dai Ru Yan in pain, and asked in confusion, “Ayan, don’t be angry. How could someone as obedient as me ever go to a brothel?”

“Oh? Then why don’t you tell me which brothel you were planning to visit tonight?”

“Tonight…”

“Of course, I’ll stay properly at home. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Really?”

Gong Yu reached out and held Dai Ru Yan’s hand, which was still pulling at her cheek, and nodded. “Of course, it’s true.”

“So, you’re not going to the red-dressed woman’s invitation?”

“I’m not going.”

Dai Ru Yan loosened her grip slightly and began gently rubbing Gong Yu’s cheek. Only then did Gong Yu relax.

“How did Ayan know the red-dressed woman sent me a letter?”

“I naturally know everything about you.”

Gong Yu rubbed her cheek and sat beside Dai Ru Yan. Seeing that she didn’t seem angry anymore, she said, “I promise I really won’t go tonight.”

“Even if that red-dressed woman plays with the lucky pouch in her hands, I won’t go ask for it back.”

“Silly.” Dai Ru Yan looked at Gong Yu helplessly and whispered, “That red-dressed woman was clearly teasing you with the lucky pouch. How could you fall for it?”

“But that lucky pouch was a gift from you, Ayan. I can’t just leave it with her forever.” Gong Yu rubbed her cheek and playfully lay half across Dai Ru Yan’s lap, replying, “I just didn’t expect that red-dressed woman to be so despicable!”

“Has the bee sting healed a bit?” Dai Ru Yan’s fingertips gently lifted Gong Yu’s loose sleeve, revealing the swollen red bump underneath.

“It doesn’t itch or hurt anymore. It’ll slowly go down in a few days.”

Dai Ru Yan’s fingers lightly traced the skin on Gong Yu’s arm and said, “If that red-dressed woman’s identity weren’t so unclear, I’d make sure she tasted some of this suffering too.”

Gong Yu nodded in agreement, “Yes, Ayan should avenge me.”

“Ouch… Ayan, it really hurts.”

Dai Ru Yan pressed lightly on the red bump and raised an eyebrow. “Who said I’d avenge a little fool like you?”

“You brought this on yourself, sneaking off to climb that brothel’s signboard.”

Gong Yu mischievously stretched her arms and half-embraced Dai Ru Yan, saying, “Ayan doesn’t even feel sorry for me. I went through so much hardship just to get back the lucky pouch you gave me.”

Only then did Dai Ru Yan smile. She looked down at Gong Yu nestled in her arms, her fingertips gently stroking Gong Yu’s cheek. “You’re lucky the bees didn’t sting your face. Otherwise, you’d probably hide away for months, too embarrassed to see me.”

“Exactly.”

The woman in red has a vicious heart,” Gong Yu said earnestly. “The bee sting was unbearably itchy and painful at first. Luckily, I used ice to soothe it.”

“Such a clever trick.”

Gong Yu lay back, laughing. “Clever is still clever, isn’t it?”

Dai Ru Yan pressed her fingertip against Gong Yu’s upturned lips and said seriously, “But if you go to the brothel again, I will truly be angry.”

“Ayan, this isn’t anger. It’s called jealousy.”

“Jealousy? What does that mean?”

Gong Yu smiled, her eyes crinkling. “If Ayan kisses me, I’ll tell you.”

Dai Ru Yan gently stroked Gong Yu’s cheek, studying the brightness in her eyes, then leaned down to press a light kiss to Gong Yu’s forehead. “Can you tell me now?”

“No, it has to be a kiss on the lips,” Gong Yu teased, blinking playfully.

“You didn’t say that earlier,” Dai Ru Yan replied, eyeing her with exasperation.

Gong Yu laughed, unbothered. “But I never said just one kiss would be enough. This is only the second one.”

Dai Ru Yan bent closer, her cool lips brushing against Gong Yu’s—once, then again, lingering before pulling away, repeating the motion several times. Gong Yu felt her head spin, her fingers clumsily clutching at Dai Ru Yan’s sleeve.

“Is that enough?”

“Not yet.” Gong Yu’s fingers trailed along Dai Ru Yan’s sleeve, sliding beneath to trace the hidden skin of her arm. Then she murmured, “Jealousy means only I can kiss Ayan, and no one else is allowed. In other words, Ayan can’t let anyone else kiss me either.”

Dai Ru Yan gazed down at Gong Yu’s flushed face, her fingers tangling in Gong Yu’s hair as she said solemnly, “That sounds more like possessiveness.”

“Yes, it’s almost the same as possessiveness.”

“Xiao Jiu…” Dai Ru Yan called softly.

“What is it?” Gong Yu blinked up at her.

Dai Ru Yan’s eyes were clear and mesmerizing as she declared with quiet dominance, “I don’t like you kissing anyone but me.”

Gong Yu stared dumbly at her, heart pounding wildly. This side of Dai Ru Yan was utterly breathtaking.