The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 39

The simple morning exercise finally came to an end. Xie Zhizhen felt as though she had completed it solely on a lingering thread of sheer willpower. Once finished, she collapsed onto the floor, no longer caring for her royal image. After a morning of running and training on an empty stomach, her belly had already begun to protest loudly.

Gu Qing found the sight rather amusing. She was just about to have Su Juan prepare breakfast when Zhizhen unexpectedly insisted on bathing. Looking down at her sweat-soaked robes, Zhizhen felt a wave of self-disdain; although the fabric had absorbed most of the moisture, she felt “smelly” and couldn’t stand it.

The Princess’s Manor kept the baths ready at all times, so Zhizhen led Gu Qing toward the bathing area. Gu Qing looked bewildered. “I have to bathe too?”

Her exercise today had consisted of a single lap around the manor—hardly a tenth of her usual routine. While she had broken a light sweat, it was far from needing a full bath. In sharp contrast, Zhizhen took it as a given. “Of course you do.” Seeing Gu Qing’s hesitation, she puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. “If you don’t wash yourself clean, you aren’t allowed to touch me.”

Sweaty and no bath? Dirty!

Gu Qing rubbed her nose, realizing she was being “shunned” yet again. However, looking at the bath, she wasn’t quite sure what Zhizhen had in mind. Were they taking turns, or bathing together? The thought of bathing with Zhizhen—seeing her without the barrier of a screen—made Gu Qing’s mind wander toward her delicate skin and soft curves. She quickly shook her head to dispel those distracting thoughts; with how easily Zhizhen blushed, a joint bath seemed impossible.

Sigh… I wonder when I’ll finally get to “eat meat.”

“Come on, hurry up!” Zhizhen called out, frowning as she saw Gu Qing dazing off.

“Aren’t you going first?” Gu Qing asked, confused.

A rosy hue crept onto Zhizhen’s cheeks. She avoided Gu Qing’s gaze, looking toward a corner as she snapped with mock ferocity, “When I tell you to come, just come! Stop dawdling—you don’t act like a General at all.”

Gu Qing wasn’t offended by the scolding; instead, she followed Zhizhen in with a silly grin. She understood—Zhenzhen was just shy.

Upon entering, Gu Qing discovered the large pool had been divided in two. A thin, plain silk gauze hung across the middle, partitioning the water into two areas. Zhizhen tilted her head up proudly, her face practically begging for a compliment. “See? Am I not clever? This way, we can bathe ‘together’.”

Gu Qing admitted to a tiny bit of disappointment, but this was much more in character for Zhizhen. Being able to accept this level of closeness was already a great step forward for the shy princess.

They entered the water on opposite sides of the gauze. Gu Qing watched the flower petals drifting on the surface and the blurred silhouette of the woman behind the silk. she reached out, swirling the water to send ripples toward Zhizhen’s side.

“What are you doing?” Zhizhen asked. Although she couldn’t see clearly, being naked in the same pool made her incredibly nervous. She worried the gauze might fall or that a stray breeze might lift it.

Gu Qing chuckled, watching the petals dance. “Don’t you think it’s fun? I’m sending you a petal.” She picked up a beautiful petal, folded it slightly, and placed it on the water, using a gentle push to send it toward the gauze.

As the petal crossed the boundary, Gu Qing smiled. “Zhenzhen, did you see it?”

Zhizhen found the half-petal near the gauze. Her slender, white fingers picked it up, water droplets trailing from her hand to her wrist and down her arm. “I found it.”

“Mm.” Hearing Gu Qing’s voice so close, Zhizhen realized they were now separated only by the thin fabric. She could vaguely make out the fairness of Gu Qing’s skin, a sight that made her face burn with shyness. Realizing that if she could see Gu Qing, Gu Qing could likely see her too, Zhizhen hastily covered her chest, letting the petal fall back into the water.

They didn’t soak for long since they had only broken a light sweat. After dressing and sitting down for breakfast, Su Juan noticed a strange atmosphere between her masters—specifically, the Princess seemed particularly flustered. Being a tactful maid, she led the others away to give the couple their privacy.

Just as Zhizhen was brooding over the “eyesore” that was Gu Qing, the new Emperor—Xie Zhibai—summoned Gu Qing away. It was only then that Zhizhen learned of the whirlwind of events that had occurred in a single day.

With her father’s passing, her aunt had used the final edict to place Zhibai on the throne. With General Yin providing military support and the Grand Tutor and Prime Minister providing civil backing, the other princes were powerless to resist. The transition was seamless, and the coronation was set for three days later. Zhizhen was officially titled the Grand Princess Roujia, Consort Shu became the Dowager Consort Shu, and her late mother, Consort Xian, was posthumously honored as Empress Dowager Heyi.

Another shocking development was the return of Pei Fang, Consort Xian’s original husband. After the late Emperor had stolen his wife, Pei Fang had been exiled to a remote post. Now, Zhibai had brought him back under the guise of honoring a mentor and appointed him Minister of Rites.

Zhizhen didn’t understand why Zhibai needed to take Gu Qing away right now. Despite her stubborn words “Stay away as long as you like, I’m happier alone!” she clutched Gu Qing’s sleeve with clear reluctance. Gu Qing laughed softly, kissed the top of her head, and coaxed her gently before finally leaving.

Left alone and bored, Zhizhen headed to the study. She wanted to read the military books Gu Qing usually read, hoping to understand the side of her wife that she had missed during their two-year separation. The guards at the door, having been instructed by Gu Qing, allowed her to enter freely.

As she browsed, a folded piece of Xuan paper fell from a book. Thinking it was related to military strategy, she opened it, only to find a portrait of a woman.

The woman in the drawing shared a slight resemblance to Zhizhen around the eyes. She wore a simple hairstyle with a crude wooden hairpin and plain maid’s clothing, yet she carried an air of grace. Zhizhen froze. A flood of buried memories rushed back, stinging her mind like a thousand needles.

Why does Gu Qing have a portrait of this woman?

Then it clicked. The woman looked strikingly like someone she had seen recently, the maid sent from Xie Zhili’s manor. It was Xiao Lan! A few days ago, Xiao Lan had knelt in the study, asking Gu Qing to help find her sister. This must be the sister’s portrait.

Xie Zhizhen hurried out of the study, her eyes filled with urgency and her steps frantic. “Where is Xiao Lan?!”

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