The Flirtatious Beauty Decides to Steal the Princess - Chapter 19

“Why does Father Emperor, who already has so much, still remain unsatisfied?” Little Wen Ying sat on a small wooden stool, gazing outside with a helpless expression on her delicate face. Yet, Fu Qingyin didn’t know why Emperor Wen was so hypocritical and devoid of human warmth she only hated him more than Wen Ying did.

But now, seeing Wen Ying’s aggrieved look, her heart ached. She stood by the window, her pale pink robes fluttering gently in the breeze, making Wen Ying appear like an ethereal fairy ready to ascend at any moment.

Fu Qingyin stepped forward slowly, gently stroking Wen Ying’s hair, feeling the warmth beneath her palm.

The two leaned against each other in silence.

After what felt like an eternity, just as Wen Ying was about to rise and leave, she spotted two palace maids in court attire whispering on the floor below.

“Is this place safe?” The maid on the outside had a shifty look about her, her eyes darting around as if she were up to no good.

Wen Ying pulled Fu Qingyin into a blind spot where the maids couldn’t see them. Whatever was happening, it wouldn’t hurt to listen.

“Don’t worry, just say what you need to. I still have to return to serve the Third Princess.”

The Third Princess? Wasn’t that Wen Yunrou’s maid?

Wen Ying immediately perked up, tilting her head to listen. What the other maid said next was especially important.

“The Spring Banquet is the day after tomorrow. All the noble ladies will be attending, it’s the most significant banquet since the start of spring. Our mistress intends to humiliate the Third Princess so she can become the first princess this year to establish her own residence.”

The conversation ended abruptly there. Though Wen Ying rarely involved herself in such matters, she understood the implications.

Every year, the first princess to establish her own residence received the most advantageous location and the richest fief. As a result, if one wasn’t the first, the other princesses would rather wait until the following year.

Originally, princesses could establish their residences after their coming-of-age ceremonies, but because of these schemes, the privilege had only just reached the third and fourth princesses. Naturally, such underhanded tactics arose.

Wen Ying didn’t know her fourth sister well, but she was somewhat familiar with Wen Yunrou’s temperament she would never stoop to such scheming for personal gain. Who would have thought the Fourth Princess would take the initiative to strike first?

The two maids left in a hurry without revealing any further details. Wen Ying pulled Fu Qingyin back to the window.

“What should we do to warn Third Sister?” Wen Ying asked anxiously.

For once, Fu Qingyin didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she lowered her head, deep in thought, recalling the key words from the maids’ conversation.

“Her dress? Preparations? Humiliation?” After a long pause, Fu Qingyin finally seemed to piece it together, voicing these terms. Wen Ying followed the trail of thought: “So, they plan to tamper with Third Sister’s new clothes?”

Fu Qingyin nodded. That was likely the case. If they wanted to humiliate Wen Yunrou, the easiest way would be to sabotage her dress especially since this was the embroidery pavilion, and the maid in question served Wen Yunrou. Making discreet alterations would be all too simple.

Wen Ying was still anxious, while Fu Qingyin had thought of something even more important if the tampering was done on the clothing then surely, Matron Gu would also be implicated.

After Fu Qingyin voiced this concern, Wen Ying belatedly realized it as well. She paced frantically around Fu Qingyin, utterly helpless.

Fu Qingyin watched Wen Ying’s emotionally charged expression and suddenly felt as though she herself was emotionally stunted only when near Wen Ying did she feel like a person with genuine feelings.

Instinctively, she grabbed Wen Ying’s wrist, forcing her to stop. Her voice was slightly hoarse as she said, “Little A-Ying, if you keep spinning around, your sister really will get dizzy.”

Fu Qingyin’s complexion was naturally pale, and paired with that voice, it startled Wen Ying, who immediately reached out to check Fu Qingyin’s forehead, fearing she might be unwell.

Seizing the moment, Fu Qingyin pulled Wen Ying into her arms, rocking her gently as if soothing a child. “Be good, don’t be afraid. Your sister will handle this matter. Just stay in my arms for a while, alright?”

Wen Ying nestled in Fu Qingyin’s embrace, tense for reasons she couldn’t quite understand.

The crisp, refreshing scent of Fu Qingyin’s perfume filled her senses, and Wen Ying’s mind involuntarily conjured images of Fu Qingyin bathing. Her face burned crimson, and she buried it in the crook of Fu Qingyin’s neck only for Fu Qingyin to whisper softly, “A-Ying’s cheeks are so warm, they’re making your sister’s neck burn too.”

At those words, Wen Ying’s mind blanked out completely, overwhelmed by a deafening buzz.

“Sis, sister?” It took her a long moment to stammer out the word. Finally, Fu Qingyin released her, helping her up.

Fu Qingyin let go of Wen Ying, gently ruffling her hair before rising and heading downstairs. She had been counting the time, if that palace maid intended to tamper with the dresses, now would be the perfect moment.

But Fu Qingyin wouldn’t let her off so easily, nor would she allow her to succeed.

The third floor of the embroidery pavilion was where the garments were hung to dry. After being made, the clothes were first washed by the Laundry Bureau before being brought to the pavilion for light ironing and airing, awaiting their owners.

Thus, anyone wanting to sabotage the clothing would naturally head there. Earlier, while following Wen Ying upstairs, Fu Qingyin had noted the purpose of each floor.

Wen Ying, however, loved to chat and had pulled Fu Qingyin into lively conversation, completely oblivious to the distinctions between floors, assuming they all merely stored clothes.

Since the embroidery pavilion not only crafted garments for the palace consorts but also handled the seasonal uniforms for the palace maids, it housed far more clothing than even the Laundry Bureau.

Thus, Wen Ying hadn’t paid attention to these details only Fu Qingyin had noticed and could now act at the critical moment.

Wen Ying, aware of her own clumsiness, simply stood on the top floor, watching Fu Qingyin’s movements below.

Fu Qingyin moved as silently as a shadow, so even when she appeared right behind the two maids, they remained unaware. She watched as one of them carefully slit a seam in the dress before lunging forward to seize the maid’s wrist.

“Ahhh, who’s there?!” The palace maid, caught in the act of mischief, was so startled that she immediately fell to the ground. The embroidery workshop was deserted above the third floor, so the entire level was empty. Having her wrist suddenly grabbed out of nowhere naturally scared the wits out of her.

Fu Qingyin lazily covered the maid’s mouth and dragged her into a corner, her face icy cold. “This palace had no idea the embroidery workshop allowed such tampering with garments at will.”

Fu Qingyin used the royal self-address “this palace” precisely because she’d never seen this maid anywhere before and assumed the maid wouldn’t recognize her either. The priority now was to intimidate the maid with her status.

The maid took the bait immediately, kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly. “This lowly servant didn’t realize she was offending a noble consort! This servant admits her wrongdoing today and begs Your Highness not to spread word of this matter.”

Fu Qingyin laughed coldly. “This palace shares no connection with you. Why should I keep your secret?”

The implication was clear enough for any intelligent person to understand Fu Qingyin was proposing a trade.

Having survived the harem for years, the maid quickly caught on. She scrambled closer to Fu Qingyin. “Your Highness, this servant is willing to devote her life to you.”

Fu Qingyin’s lips curved. At this moment, she had the maid firmly in her grasp. While the maid could theoretically deny everything later, right now she believed Fu Qingyin was an imperial consort. If a consort wanted her dead, her word would carry far more weight than a mere maid’s.

Thus, the maid had no choice but to promise Fu Qingyin this favor in exchange.

Fu Qingyin was dressed simply today, which initially made the maid suspicious. But Fu Qingyin’s face was so breathtakingly beautiful and noble, her mere gaze exuding the same intimidating aura as the Emperor himself, that the maid didn’t dare gamble with her life.

“What this palace wants is your cooperation. It’s nothing major just place this sachet in Consort Xin’s clothing immediately. It merely contains something that turns foul when exposed to incense. This palace wants to humiliate her. Well?” Fu Qingyin admitted she’d momentarily considered learning more about Consort Xin, but keeping this fool around might prove more useful.

Throwing Emperor Wen’s harem into chaos was just the first step in Fu Qingyin’s revenge plan.

Only after personally watching the maid hang the sachet on Consort Xin’s garments did Fu Qingyin relax. She couldn’t risk carrying the sachet for long, so this task had to be delegated.

The maid scurried away as if granted amnesty, while Fu Qingyin suddenly smiled at her retreating figure.

She smiled because this person’s days were numbered, and because Emperor Wen’s harem was full of such useless ornaments.

Women should support each other, yet these fools lacked even half of Wen Ying’s kindness. Then they shouldn’t blame her for being merciless.

No sooner had the maid left than Wen Ying finally descended, looking puzzled at Fu Qingyin for letting her go. “Elder Sister Beauty, aren’t you going to arrest her?”

Having just been thinking about Wen Ying, Fu Qingyin now saw her approach. Wen Ying studied Fu Qingyin’s inscrutable expression, curious why she chose to spare the maid.

Fu Qingyin simply said the truth would be revealed soon. Wen Ying wasn’t impatient for some reason, she trusted Fu Qingyin implicitly from the bottom of her heart.

Wen Ying walked slowly to the dress that belonged to Wen Yunrou and reached out to touch the fabric, sighing inwardly.

Why must people always vie for favor and scheme against each other over trivial matters? Could things gained that way truly bring happiness?

For fifteen years, Wen Ying had never done anything to trouble her conscience, sleeping soundly every night. She cherished this state of being. As her thoughts settled, she simply smiled and took Fu Qingyin’s hand.

“Then Wen Ying believes in Fu Qingyin.”

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