The Eldest Princess A Relies On Kissing Me Everyday To Prolong Her Life - Chapter 59

While Lin Moran was away at the Guozijian for her studies, Qin Yuci had actually been quite busy.

Following the stabilization of the war in the Northwest, shifts in official positions were inevitable. However, such matters were of great significance, the Emperor needed to weigh opinions from various sides and deliberate deeply before making any final decisions.

Everything required a balance of power preventing any single faction from becoming too dominant while ensuring influence wasn’t spread too thin. This delicate calibration was time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Yet, for Qin Yuci, such moments often presented the perfect opportunity.

Even before the military campaign, she had been keeping a close eye on these matters. She had instructed her subordinates to make arrangements and connect with certain officials, laying the groundwork so that when the reshuffling began, she could elevate her own people into key positions.

The Emperor doted on her, yet he remained wary of her. Qin Yuci understood this well. Thus, she had specifically requested to go on a leisure trip to relax, using it as a pretext to distance herself from the political fray and ease the Emperor’s suspicions.

Though she was physically away from the palace, her eyes and ears remained. As soon as she returned, the intelligence gathered during her absence was promptly presented to her.

For as long as Lin Moran was gone, Qin Yuci remained in her study, reviewing the reports. The situation unfolded much as she had initially anticipated, and the results were largely the same.

The Emperor had his own considerations and remained inherently suspicious. Naturally, the outcome did not entirely align with her wishes, even where officials were replaced, those promoted were mostly those clearly aligned with the Emperor.

Aside from the major offices, the remaining positions were those of high rank but little actual power, essentially figureheads. Still, having them was better than having nothing at all.

Furthermore, this campaign had not been without its rewards.

The Hu family had been completely eradicated, replaced by the Liu family who, for now, had no clear political alignment but possessed distinguished military merit. Aside from the Liu family’s own forces, a large portion of the remaining soldiers were retained, including those Qin Yuci had brought with her.

Perhaps a single person couldn’t stir up much of a wave, but with enough numbers, opportunities would grow. The border was different from the imperial court, it valued merit above all else. As long as one could endure and bide their time, promotion was only a matter of time.

Nothing could be rushed.

Qin Yuci raised her hand to burn all the secret correspondence. As she looked out the small window, she caught sight of a breathtaking sunset.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the horizon, staining the surrounding clouds a deep, vivid crimson. It was a sight that commanded awe and reflection.

To one in a joyful mood, it was exquisite beauty; yet to one feeling low, it held a trace of unspeakable bitterness and sorrow.

For some reason, Qin Yuci suddenly recalled the time she was titled the Grand Princess.

Because she had achieved a great feat, and because she was the only legitimate daughter of the Emperor and Empress, she was granted this exceptional honor.

At that time, her younger sister had been gone for over a year, and the palace had been steeped in mourning. It was only her investiture that finally brought a sense of liveliness back to the halls. Dressed in full ceremonial regalia, standing atop the high platform to recite her oaths, it had felt as though every eye and every ounce of glory was focused solely on her.

That was one of the few truly happy days Qin Yuci had experienced in all those years.

Yet, she was the only one who was happy. Her father and mother shared none of that joy.

To the Emperor, it was merely an account to be settled, a gesture for the Empress, for the noble families, for his legitimate daughter, and for himself. Above all, it was a way to soothe his own conscience.

And as for the Empress…

As Qin Yuci thought of it, a mocking smile gradually touched her lips.

Even now, she remembered a time when Empress Xiao, in a rare moment of drunken vulnerability, lost her usual poise and dignity. She had wept uncontrollably, her voice full of grief and regret as she spoke of her deceased daughter.

She had even spoken with a hint of venom, sharply cursing that everything Qin Yuci now possessed should have belonged to her sister.

It was truly heart-wrenching.

From that day on, Qin Yuci realized that although she stood atop a high mountain, bathed in the wind and sun that others could never reach, she also bore a loneliness and pain that others could never imagine.

She was alone at the summit, with only herself to rely on, forever isolated and without aid, forced to deliberate meticulously and proceed with caution in everything she did.

Thus, for the sake of self-preservation, the number of times she “fell ill” increased. A few bowls of bitter, poisoned medicine were a small price to pay for a period of peace and security. It was a sound choice.

But no one can remain lonely forever. In this world, there is always one person destined for you, someone to light up your life and become your savior.

At this thought, Qin Yuci slowly stood up, blew out the candle on her desk, and stepped into the courtyard.

She changed into new clothes, brought some flower seeds, and then specifically tucked some candies into her sleeve.

Having lived through so much bitterness, she always found herself wanting to give those around her a bit of sweetness.

Qin Yuci kept those candies hidden until she entered Changle Palace. Only then did she ceremoniously pull one out and offer it, saying, “Ranran, this is for you.”

“What is it?” Lin Moran asked. Having kept a serious face all the way back, her smile finally returned now that she was in a safe place. “Let me see.”

Looking down, she saw a small candy lying in Qin Yuci’s palm.

It was a specialty candy found only in Baili City. Lin Moran had loved them dearly and had intended to buy some before returning, but in the rush of the journey, she had completely forgotten.

Seeing it now in Qin Yuci’s hand filled her with joy.

“I saw that you liked them back then, so I made sure to have some bought and brought back,” Qin Yuci said softly.

First the incense last night, and now the candy, just how many things had she secretly bought?

“Thank you, Yinyin,” Lin Moran said. She reached out to take the candy, but her expression was one of clear greed, wanting more. “Um… aside from this one, are there any more?”

Qin Yuci couldn’t help but laugh.

She remained silent for a moment, not rushing to answer, but instead asked, “What did Ranran learn today? Could you keep up with the lessons?”

“I could,” Lin Moran nodded immediately, a hint of pride welling up, though she made sure to praise the woman beside her first. “It’s all because Yinyin taught me so well.”

“I was a bit worried at first,” she chirped like a little bird, her eyes sparkling. “But once the professor started lecturing, I realized I had already learned much of the material before.”

“Yinyin, you are truly amazing!”

“Ranran is amazing too,” Qin Yuci smiled, accepting the praise graciously. After entering the bedroom, she told Lin Moran to change her clothes, and they shared dinner together.

Afterward, she said, “Since you’re so confident, why don’t I test you before bed?”

She actually wanted to quiz her.

Lin Moran nodded in agreement, feeling no fear. Just as she was about to speak, Qin Yuci added, “If you get them all right, I’ll give you all the remaining candies. How about it?”

That sounded great.

Lin Moran agreed instantly, then asked, “And if I get them wrong?”

“That’s easy,” Qin Yuci said, a smile playing in her eyes. “We’ll just replace the candies with the incense from last night.”

So she wanted to do that again.

Lin Moran’s face flushed red. While being intimate with the person she loved was indeed wonderful, doing it every single day was a bit much. She paused, her reflex being to shake her head.

However, she forced herself to endure, fearing Qin Yuci might look down on her or think she was pretending to know more than she did. After a moment of silence, she gritted her teeth and agreed: “Fine then.”

“Ask away, Yinyin!”

Her tone was firm, full of bravado.

Seeing this, Qin Yuci’s smile deepened. She stopped the small talk and began to pose several questions.

Lin Moran handled them all with care. She answered everything, the difficult and the easy alike and successfully avoided all the traps Qin Yuci set for her, proving beyond a doubt that she “really knew her stuff.”

After a moment, Qin Yuci’s voice rose along with her applause. “Ranran, you truly are impressive,” she said earnestly.

“Hehe,” Lin Moran smirked, her eyes brimming with satisfaction. She reached out her hand toward Qin Yuci for the prize. “Fair is fair. Yinyin, hand over the reward.”

“Mhm,” Qin Yuci murmured. She stood up and searched through the cabinet for a while, before suddenly shaking her head with a look of regret. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint Ranran.”

“I just remembered that while I did have people buy candies on the way back to the capital, I gave them all away to the staff to compensate them for their hard work on the journey.”

“As of now, that single piece was the only one left.”

That was truly heartbreaking news.

Lin Moran froze, her eyes filling with disappointment. After a moment of silence, she nodded understandingly and said softly, “Yinyin did the right thing. Everyone did work very hard on the road.”

As soon as she spoke, Qin Yuci arched an eyebrow and smiled. “Ranran doesn’t find it a pity?”

“It is a little bit of a pity,” Lin Moran nodded, looking into her eyes. “But since they were given away, there’s nothing to be done.”

She was truly far too sensible.

“I have wronged Ranran,” Qin Yuci said, lowering her gaze. It seemed she had anticipated this response and had her follow-up ready. “But a promise made must be kept.”

“However… how about we change the method?”

She looked into Lin Moran’s eyes with a smile, her voice dropping to a soft, lingering tone full of intimacy and suggestion. “Let’s make a deal.”

“Why don’t I use ‘pleasure’ as collateral and pay back everything I owe Ranran that way?”

“What do you think?”