The Crown Princess Is Jealous Again - Chapter 1

“Your Majesty, the Grand Preceptor requests an audience.”

Why is he here at this hour? Emperor Jing hesitated for a moment before flicking her wrist to set the scroll aside. “Send him in,” she commanded in a low voice.

“Your Majesty, you must grant me justice!” Grand Preceptor Li Hanzhang burst in, tears streaming down his face, and collapsed into a heavy kneel.

“Speak slowly, dear Minister.” Seeing him so discomposed, Emperor Jing hurried down from the dais to assist him. “Stand up first.” She took him by the arm.

“I will not!” He was stubborn, keeping his head bowed against the floor as he wailed, his face a mess of tears and snot.

“Then tell me: what on earth has happened?”

“Your Majesty, I humbly submit my resignation!” His voice trembled as he performed a deep, formal bow.

“Everything was fine, why the sudden resignation?” The eighth one this year! A sense of foreboding washed over Emperor Jing. Surely, Xiao Beitang had caused trouble again.

“I have no face to meet Your Majesty; I have failed your expectations!” He cried piteously, his mournful wails echoing through the Great Hall.

Still patient, Emperor Jing tried to haul him up. “Get up first, and tell me exactly what goaded you into resigning.”

He pulled a few times to no avail. Finally, she caught the eye of the palace guards. Two golden-armored guards stepped forward and, as easily as if they were hoisting a pair of chicks, hoisted him up by the armpits.

“This.” Emperor Jing’s eyes widened. Behind her, she heard a muffled snort of laughter.

Her temper flared instantly. “Did she do this?”

Li Hanzhang’s beard had been hacked into a ragged mess and smeared with colorful pigments. Streaks of paint crisscrossed his face; combined with his naturally tanned skin, he looked exactly like the legendary Zhang Fei from the history books.

Seeing the others stifling their laughter, he felt even more aggrieved. Tears welled in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks like large beans. His lips quivered. “Your Majesty, I truly can no longer serve as the Grand Preceptor. I beg your leave to resign.”

Emperor Jing didn’t know how to comfort him. These scholars valued their dignity and “backbone” above all else; given he looked like a circus act, it was a miracle he hadn’t jumped into a river yet. After a moment of hesitation, she said,

“Minister, go home and rest for a few days first.”

“My thanks to Your Majesty. I shall take my leave.” Li Hanzhang wiped his eyes and bowed once more. As he turned to leave, he stumbled; a guard reached out to steady him, but he pushed the hand away in a polite but frantic refusal. He was a picture of utter wretchedness.

“Where is the Crown Princess?” Emperor Jing took a deep breath and sat back at her desk, struggling to suppress her fury.

Despite her efforts, Zhao Yan could hear her knuckles cracking. A chill ran down the eunuch’s spine. “Her Highness is not in the palace at the moment, and this servant does not know her whereabouts.”

An icy huff escaped the Emperor’s nose. “Who permitted her to leave?”

The surrounding attendants all lowered their heads deep into their chests.

Zhao Yan stammered, “In reply to Your Majesty, no one dared to stop her.”

His words left the Emperor speechless. With a heavy sigh, she stood up and walked briskly toward Kunning Palace.

At the entrance, she paused to straighten her robes, swapping her scowl for a pleasant expression in a heartbeat. She raised a hand to signal the servants not to announce her.

The Empress was reclining, lost in a book. The servants noticed the Emperor first and knelt in unison to offer greetings. Only then did the Empress look up. Seeing the Emperor’s slightly sycophantic smile, she rose leisurely, set her book on the table, and performed a casual, half-hearted curtsy. “This consort greets Your Majesty.”

“No need for such formalities.” Emperor Jing hurried forward to support her, leading her to a seat with a beaming smile.

“Why has Your Majesty come at this hour?” the Empress asked languidly.

Emperor Jing slid an arm around her waist, letting out a dry, nervous chuckle. “I just, I missed you. I came to see you.”

She left Kunning Palace only this morning; who would believe that? It was obvious she had something to say but was too embarrassed to speak in front of the help. The Empress didn’t pry, simply waiting for her to break.

Emperor Jing sat in silence for a while. After a servant, Lyu Wu, served tea, the Emperor took a few sips and cleared her throat with feigned nonchalance.

The Empress shot her a look and signaled to Lyu Wu. Understanding the hint, the maid led the retinue of servants out of the room.

Emperor Jing rested her hands on her knees, rubbing them twice as she watched the servants depart.

Looking at her like this, the Empress couldn’t help but want to laugh. She suppressed the urge and lowered her voice. “Well? Out with it. What happened?”

As soon as they were alone, Emperor Jing scooted closer. She was dressed in a black greatcoat embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons—a dignified and noble sovereign who, at this moment, was nuzzling against her wife like a large black cat.

The Emperor chose her words carefully. “Li Hanzhang was just here. You didn’t see the state of him, utterly humiliated. Tang’er went too far this time.”

The Empress turned away and picked up her book with indifference. “Then you should go find Tang’er. Why come to me?”

The Emperor stood and circled around to face her, speaking with earnest frustration. “Yan’er, you know as well as I do that she and I can’t exchange two sentences without a fight. And you always protect her! This is the eighth Grand Preceptor she’s chased away this year.”

She grumbled under her breath, “If this keeps up, even men like Li Hanzhang won’t be willing to take the job.”

The Empress looked up. “Is Your Majesty blaming me?”

Emperor Jing quickly crouched down beside her, looking sheepish. “I didn’t mean that. It’s just, Yan’er, Tang’er is sixteen now. She spends her days neglecting her studies and acting recklessly. How can she inherit the throne like this?”

“Tang’er is nowhere near as incompetent as you claim. So, what do you want to do?” The Empress furrowed her brows, clearly displeased.

Emperor Jing pondered for a moment. “I’ve actually wanted to appoint Song Lian as her tutor, but she’s so headstrong. I worry she’ll play the same tricks on the Prime Minister.”

The Empress raised a hand to cut her off. “Don’t you dare. If Song Lian was treated like that and resigned his post, you’d be the one crying.”

Emperor Jing pressed her hand down and said, “That’s exactly why I didn’t ask him. But, I have a better candidate now.”

“Let’s hear it.” The Empress eyed her lazily. She didn’t believe for a second there was a “better” candidate—the previous ones were all the Emperor’s picks, and each had suffered a worse fate than the last.

“Song Lian has a daughter named Song Qingqian. She’s been a teacher at the Boya Academy in the capital.”

“Stop right there!” The Empress rolled her eyes. As expected, it was a terrible idea.

“Listen to me first.”

The Empress waved her off. “No need. If I recall correctly, Song Qingqian is a Kunze, isn’t she? You want a Kunze to teach her? Heaven knows what kind of bullying she’ll endure!”

So, you do know your daughter is a bully! Emperor Jing complained inwardly. Outwardly, she maintained her smile. “But what if it works? A miracle cure, perhaps?”

“Stop dreaming. Minister Song wouldn’t agree anyway.” The Empress dismissed her, hiding her face behind her book again.

“Oh, Yan’er.” The Emperor gently pulled the book down. “I’ve read the essays Song Qingqian has written. She is a great talent! Moreover, I hear she is a strict teacher. Many parents send their children to Boya Academy, and they all return reformed.”

“What do you mean ‘reformed’? Are you saying my daughter is some sort of criminal?” The Empress slapped the book onto the table.

“A slip of the tongue! I meant ‘turned a new leaf.'”

“You’re the one who—”

The Emperor swept her wide sleeves aside and sat down next to her, pulling her into a coaxing embrace. “Alright, Yan’er, that’s not the point. The point is, Tang’er truly cannot go on being this ridiculous. She spends all day loafing around outside, frequenting pleasure districts, gambling dens, and brothels. People may not know her identity yet, but if the world finds out the Crown Princess behaves this way, imagine the scandal!”

The Empress sighed. “Even so, I still think appointing Song Qingqian is unwise. Tang’er is defiant because none of the tutors you’ve found have earned her respect. At least the previous ones were Qianyuan; no matter how she bullied them, nothing truly catastrophic could happen. Besides, can’t you see? She only pranks them because she wants them to give up. Song Qingqian is a Kunze and the Prime Minister’s daughter. If something happens.”

“Your concerns aren’t baseless.” Emperor Jing frowned, her resolve wavering.

The Empress added, “Tang’er’s heart is clear as day. She’s acting out because she’s angry with you. Even when she goes to those places, she doesn’t actually do anything. She’s just trying to spite you.”

Emperor Jing sighed. Fine.