The Crown Princess Is Jealous Again - Chapter 15

Wu Sanqi possessed a naturally dark complexion and a square, stern face that rarely cracked a smile, making him an intimidating presence. Terrified by his aura, Mother Hua took a step back, not daring to argue further, and led them inside.

The moment she stepped through the doors, Song Qingqian’s brow furrowed. The air inside was a stagnant, murky haze of various Qianyuan pheromones.

With a trembling hand, Mother Hua led her to the entrance of the “Rain-Listening Pavilion” and pointed toward the door. “Miss Jiang and her friends are, they are inside.”

“My thanks,” Song Qingqian replied with a polite nod.

“You may go now,” Wu Sanqi commanded, his voice cold as he shifted his sheathed blade to bar her path.

Downstairs, a squad of imperial soldiers marched in, instantly placing the entire establishment under lockdown.

“O-officers, sirs, what is the meaning of this?” Mother Hua stammered, glancing up at the door of the pavilion before scurrying back down to the lobby. The guests were ordered into silence, and every soul in the building was placed under strict control.

Song Qingqian gave a subtle nod to her escort. The guard stepped forward and rapped firmly on the door.

“Enter,” Xiao Lin called out from within, assuming it was a servant bringing more wine.

The guards swung the doors open, then stood at attention on either side.

The three friends, who had been lounging lazily while listening to the music, turned their gaze toward the door. Song Qingqian gathered her skirts and stepped inside.

The trio stared in shock. Linglong, sensing the sudden shift in the room, stopped her fingers on the pipa and turned to look. Though she had never met this woman, her intuition told her immediately that she was connected to “Jiang

Tang.” Linglong had seen countless beauties in this house of pleasure, but never one like this, she looked like a celestial being who had stumbled into the mortal realm, entirely different from everyone else in the room.

Song Qingqian said nothing. Her eyes did a swift, clinical sweep of the room. Her brow twitched almost imperceptibly as she suppressed a wave of nausea from the cloying scent of mixed pheromones.

The three royals were sprawled out, attended by pretty Zhongyong servants. One girl was frozen mid-motion, a grape still held out to Xiao Lin’s lips. The scene was, by any definition, scandalous.

Song Qingqian’s gaze eventually locked onto Xiao Beitang. The Princess looked stunned, a reaction that quickly curdled into a scowl of irritation.

Xiao Lin and Xiao Wanqi were the first to recover. They scrambled to their feet, fumbling to pull their outer robes back together.

“Song, Madam.” The two offered a respectful, hurried bow.

“Forgive me for disturbing your leisure,” Song Qingqian said tonelessly.

The two bowed even deeper.

Qingqian’s eyes crinkled with a faint, chilling smile. “If I may trouble the rest of you to step outside? I have a few words for my husband.”

Her voice was as calm as still water, yet it carried an unmistakable frost. While the others didn’t know her identity, Xiao Lin and Wanqi knew exactly who she was. They practically tripped over themselves to usher the servants and Linglong out of the room.

The moment they left, Song Qingqian ordered the guards to open the windows. The stuffy, pungent air was unbearable.

Now alone, the two faced each other in silence. The room was soon filled with the scent of Oolong tea. Qingqian confirmed then that this specific scent belonged solely to Xiao Beitang. The fact that the Princess was releasing her pheromones so freely was a clear sign of her intense displeasure.

“Your Highness,” Song Qingqian said, performing a formal curtsy.

“What are you doing here?” Xiao Beitang asked, her voice sharp with annoyance.

“Your Highness had not yet returned. I simply came to find you,” Qingqian replied at a measured, peaceful pace.

“Did Imperial Mother send you?”

“This was not Her Majesty’s idea. The hour is late. As your wife, it is only right that I seek you out.” Song Qingqian took a step forward, a faint smile on her lips. “If I have provoked Your Highness’s ire, I ask for your forgiveness.”

Xiao Beitang’s brow relaxed slightly as she sat upright. Because of the summer heat, her inner robes were partially undone and hung loosely about her. Despite her disheveled, rogue-like appearance, her inherent noble aura remained distinct from the commoners of the street.

“I will not punish you for today’s intrusion. Go back. And do not come looking for me again.”

Song Qingqian smirked. “Your Highness, I arrived here with a great deal of fanfare. If I was to give the word, the entire pavilion, nay, this entire street would know your true identity. Even knowing that, does Your Highness still intend to stay?”

The furrow in Xiao Beitang’s brow deepened. A moment later, she reclined again with a look of contemptuous indifference. “So what? My reputation has always been poor. If word gets out, I am not the one who will be humiliated.”

It was clear she was referring to the Emperor and Empress.

Song Qingqian, tired of standing, gracefully found a chair and sat down. She let out a soft laugh. “And does Your Highness no longer wish to use this face, or the name ‘Jiang Tang,’ to walk the streets of the capital?”

Xiao Beitang glared at her. “Song Qingqian, you play your part as the Consort, and I will live my life of pleasure. We don’t interfere with one another. Isn’t that better for both of us?”

“Your Highness, we are married. We share honor and disgrace; our lives are intertwined. How can we not interfere?” Song Qingqian found it almost amusing, the heir to a nation actually thought she could live a life of unbridled hedonism.

“And why not? There is no affection between us. Why meddle in my private affairs? Surely you aren’t going to claim you have feelings for me?” Xiao Beitang laughed heartlessly.

“And if I said I did?” Song Qingqian asked, her tone half-serious, half-mocking.

The laugh died on Xiao Beitang’s face. She swallowed hard.

Song Qingqian chuckled. “Don’t take it to heart, Your Highness.”

Xiao Beitang let out a breath of relief, which quickly turned into embarrassed irritation. Her ears flushed a soft peach color. This woman dared to play with me!

The scent of Oolong tea in the room intensified instantly. Song Qingqian didn’t even need to look at her face to know her mood; the Princess was like a child, using her pheromones to suppress others whenever she was unhappy.

“Your Highness, shall we make a deal?”

Xiao Beitang: “?” Xiao Beitang’s guard went up. “What kind of trick is this?”

“It is impossible for me to let Your Highness go entirely unchecked. However, we can set rules. If Your Highness follows them, I shall follow them as well.”

“Let’s hear it,” Xiao Beitang said, sensing no good intent.

“I know Your Highness does not like me. I cannot help that, as marrying you was not my choice either. However, I can promise you this: I will not hold this title forever. I only ask that for the next three years, you study diligently and become a capable heir.”

Xiao Beitang scoffed. “And why should I agree to anything you say?”

“One must always pay a price to gain something, must they not?”

“Song Qingqian,” Xiao Beitang said, her voice turning icy. “You don’t know me well. I hate being threatened or having conditions forced upon me.”

“Your Highness, why did the Emperor insist you marry? It was to restrain you. From now on, that restraint will only grow tighter. As a Crown Princess, a life of pure play is a fantasy. Furthermore, we are married; it is my duty to manage you. But how I manage you is up to me. Just as today, I could choose to come find you, or I could choose to look the other way.”

Xiao Beitang’s face fell. “Song Qingqian, do you realize that if I wish it, I could have you deposed this very instant?”

Qingqian laughed softly while smoothing her skirts. “I fear it is not as easy as you think. I forgot to mention: before the wedding, I obtained an imperial decree. Only I may initiate a deposition. Whether I am the Consort today or the Empress tomorrow is a decision that rests solely with me.”

“I told you,” Xiao Beitang said, sitting bolt upright, her hands clenched into fists. “I hate being threatened.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Song Qingqian replied, enunciating every word.

“Song Qingqian, if you want this title so badly, then keep it. It is nothing but a hollow name.” Xiao Beitang couldn’t be bothered to argue further. She stood up and dressed herself with jerky, angry movements.

Straightening her robes, she brushed past Song Qingqian. “I’m leaving.”

She strode to the door and yanked it open, only to find the entire building surrounded by soldiers. Guards stood at every door, and all windows were shuttered. The pavilion was eerily silent.

“Your Highness,” the guards said, bowing to her while simultaneously blocking her path.

“Out of my way!” Xiao Beitang barked.

The guards kept their heads bowed but didn’t budge an inch.

“Who gave you the gall to bar my way?”

“Don’t waste your energy, Your Highness,” Song Qingqian said, watching from behind with perfect composure. “The Emperor has placed this unit of Shadow Guards under my command. They take orders from no one but me. Unless I give the word, they will not move.”

Xiao Beitang turned back, her face livid. “I don’t believe they’d actually dare lay a finger on me!”

“Of course they wouldn’t. Clear the way,” Song Qingqian commanded with a smile.

Xiao Beitang let out a cold snort and stormed out. She reached the top of the stairs and looked down. In the main hall, Xiao Lin and Xiao Wanqi were sitting obediently in chairs, while Mother Hua and the rest of the staff were kneeling on the floor.