The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 76

Gu Qing was still a bit dazed, but seeing Xie Zhizhen huddled in her arms and trembling with fear, her heart softened. Xie Zhizhen’s teeth were lightly biting her pale lips; instinctively, Gu Qing reached out and brushed her thumb against them, helping her release the sharp grip of her teeth.

Even though it was summer, Xie Zhizhen’s lips were icy cold. The stark difference in temperature instantly pulled Gu Qing back from her daze.

She looked at Xie Zhizhen, quickly patting her and pulling her closer into her embrace. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, she whispered, “It is okay, it is okay. I am here.”

Xie Zhizhen burrowed deeper into Gu Qing’s arms, pressing herself tightly against her as if trying to draw every bit of security from Gu Qing’s presence. Her head rested in the crook of Gu Qing’s neck, and her fearful breath fanned against Gu Qing’s skin.

Gu Qing tried to soothe her by patting her back, using her own body heat to let Xie Zhizhen feel the presence of a living person, rather than letting her mind stay filled with the image of that female ghost.

This comfort caused Xie Zhizhen’s racing heart to steady a little, but it was not enough. Her feet kept retracting further into the blankets. Gu Qing noticed this immediately; remembering Lin Daidai’s ghost stories from earlier, there had been one about a female ghost who grabbed people’s ankles.

Gu Qing understood at once. Her hand slid beneath the covers along Xie Zhizhen’s leg, taking those delicate but icy-cold feet into her warm palm. The bells on Xie Zhizhen’s ankles chimed softly with the movement.

When her hand first made contact, Xie Zhizhen instinctively flinched, but she quickly realized it was Gu Qing’s warm hand holding her, not some ghost. Her heart finally eased.

“It is alright. I am protecting you. With me here, no one can take you away.”

Gu Qing’s gentle voice was like a clear spring flowing into Xie Zhizhen’s heart. Now, fully nestled in Gu Qing’s arms and surrounded by the faint scent of fresh grass, with her feet held in Gu Qing’s calloused hands, she felt safe.

Though the hands were a bit rough and the texture was not exactly comfortable, they provided Xie Zhizhen with an indescribable sense of security at that moment. Gradually, she fell back asleep in Gu Qing’s arms.

When they woke the next day, they learned from Su Juan that the Consort Dowager Shu had been deposed. However, because the Emperor took pity on his biological mother and acknowledged her merit in raising Princess Roujia, he only stripped her of her title and sent her back to the Grand Tutor’s manor. She was to be educated by the Grand Tutor and was forbidden from leaving the manor for the rest of her life without an imperial decree.

To outsiders, Xie Zhibai’s punishment seemed both severe and lenient; he stripped her of all honors but caused no physical harm. Since she was his biological mother, most officials could not raise objections. Filial piety came first, and even if she had wronged the late Emperor, the ministers could not expect the Emperor to execute his own mother.

The matter of Consort Dowager Shu thus came to an end.

When Xie Zhizhen learned of the result, she remained silent and simply dismissed Su Juan.

When Gu Qing returned from her morning exercises, she saw Xie Zhizhen sitting by the bed, looking fragile as she lost herself in thought. Gu Qing guessed she must have heard about her Aunt. Some things Xie Zhizhen had to figure out on her own; even though they were married, personal realizations required one’s own time.

Gu Qing put on a smile, pretending not to know, and sat down beside her. She took Xie Zhizhen’s soft hand in hers. “If you are that afraid of ghosts, do not force yourself to listen to those stories next time. Look how scared you were yesterday.”

Xie Zhizhen’s attention was instantly pulled back to reality. Her eyes widened, and she looked a bit disgruntled. “What do you mean? I… I was not afraid!”

As if to prove her point, she stood up and looked out the window toward the swing. Trying to bolster her confidence, she stood tall and proud. “I am the Eldest Princess of the Geng Dynasty. How could I be afraid of such ethereal, imaginary things!”

Gu Qing found her stubbornness quite amusing. She stood up, using the light from the window and her height advantage to block Xie Zhizhen’s view. She stroked her soft hair and kissed her lips. “The noble Eldest Princess would never be afraid. It must have been my own dream last night.”

Her tone was teasing. Xie Zhizhen curled her lip, feeling like Gu Qing was coaxing a child. But since Gu Qing had given her a way out, she took it.

“Why are you up so early today?” Xie Zhizhen asked, a bit surprised.

Gu Qing found the question odd. “Do I not always get up at this hour to exercise?”

It was her habit. She had only missed it yesterday because of the “special circumstances.”

Wait!

Gu Qing’s body stiffened as a thought struck her. At that moment, the look in Xie Zhizhen’s eyes turned suspicious.

“Are you not feeling unwell?” Xie Zhizhen was not as thick-skinned as Gu Qing; when mentioning nighttime matters, she was instinctively more tactful. “You went out to exercise while feeling unwell?”

Caught red-handed, Gu Qing’s voice lost its confidence. “I… I am just… u-used to it.”

Xie Zhizhen could see right through such obvious guilt. She narrowed her eyes, studying Gu Qing. “Tell the truth.”

Gu Qing’s lip twitched. She wanted to find an excuse, but meeting Xie Zhizhen’s gaze, she sighed and gave a dry explanation to avoid responsibility. “I never said I felt unwell.”

Xie Zhizhen’s brow furrowed in confusion. “But… but the first time I did it, I… why are you fine?”

She remembered her own first time; she could barely get up the next day, her body was sore, and her voice was raspy. She felt it was unfair!

Gu Qing looked at Xie Zhizhen with an expression she could not quite read, leaving her even more puzzled. “It is better if you do not know.”

Xie Zhizhen was not satisfied. She grabbed the hem of Gu Qing’s robe, preventing her from leaving. “I want to know the reason!”

Why was it that whether she was on top or on the bottom, she was the one who ended up exhausted?

Gu Qing sighed. She really did not want to say it, knowing Xie Zhizhen would probably make a fuss. But Xie Zhizhen kept clinging to her like a koala, blocking her path.

Feeling helpless, Gu Qing looked down at her. “You truly want to know?”

Xie Zhizhen nodded firmly.

“Then promise you will not get angry.”

Xie Zhizhen nodded again.

Gu Qing finally explained, “Perhaps you should compare our stamina and energy.”

With Xie Zhizhen’s small frame, she could only last about half an hour on top. Before Gu Qing could even fully enjoy it, Xie Zhizhen was already spent.

Xie Zhizhen’s face stiffened. Although she thought herself quite “mighty,” compared to Gu Qing… it seemed she truly did fall short.

Seeing her expression, Gu Qing knew she understood. Just as she was about to offer some comfort, Xie Zhizhen glared at her fiercely.

“Last time was an accident! Next time, I will definitely last ‘seven times in one night’!”

Gu Qing’s lip twitched. She had no idea which trashy novel Xie Zhizhen had learned that phrase from. She arched an eyebrow and said suggestively, “What? You want to do it during the day as well?”

Realizing it was broad daylight, Xie Zhizhen’s face turned beet red. Recalling her own bold words, she began to stutter. “Th-then tonight. We will try again tonight.” She refused to lose her momentum.

Gu Qing took Xie Zhizhen’s hand, her own slightly calloused hand holding the delicate one. Her eyes held a trace of mischief. “Zhenzhen, have you forgotten? You dyed your nails.”

She blinked innocently. “Doing that sort of thing while wearing nail polish… is that not a bit inconvenient?”

Xie Zhizhen looked at Gu Qing and realized in an instant why Gu Qing had refused to dye her own nails yesterday. She was furious but knew she could not argue, so she turned her back to sulk.

Gu Qing gave a soft laugh, picked Xie Zhizhen up in her arms, and took her to wash up for breakfast—even though Xie Zhizhen was still pouting.

Today, Gu Qing’s treatment was the polar opposite of yesterday’s. Yesterday, Xie Zhizhen had food in Gu Qing’s bowl before she could even move her chopsticks. Today, as soon as Gu Qing moved her chopsticks, Xie Zhizhen was quick to snatch her food away.

As she snatched the food, Xie Zhizhen thought about how her supposed “soft little bottom” was actually a “top,” and how she had been the one digging for answers. She felt a mix of shame and dissatisfaction.

Hmph, so what if your stamina is good?

Gu Qing intentionally picked up the dishes Xie Zhizhen liked so she could “steal” them. Watching her eat with such determination, a smile naturally touched Gu Qing’s lips.

When breakfast was finally over, Xie Zhizhen rubbed her bulging stomach, feeling bloated. Usually, her appetite was poor in the summer, but today, out of spite, she had eaten twice her normal amount.

Gu Qing noticed and reached over to gently rub her soft belly, helping her stand up. “Let’s take a walk to help your digestion.”

Xie Zhizhen patted her hand away and huffed. Thinking that Gu Qing was the reason she was uncomfortably full, her tone grew even sharper. “Since the General is feeling perfectly fine, you should stop being lazy and head to the morning court.”

Gu Qing raised an eyebrow, finding Xie Zhizhen’s anger adorable. “Did you not request leave for me for a few days?”

“That was because…” Xie Zhizhen stopped, not wanting to bring up the previous topic. “Anyway, I have already had Su Juan cancel your leave. You are going to court today.”

Gu Qing had not expected her to be so fast, but she did not mind going. However, it was getting late, and she had to change into her official robes.

Before leaving, Gu Qing instructed Su Juan, “Make sure your Highness walks around a bit to settle her stomach.”

A full stomach was uncomfortable. Su Juan nodded, and Gu Qing departed.

The court session was as boring as ever, like a formal routine, and Gu Qing stood among the crowd, her mind drifting. However, an unexpected person appeared today.

It was the leader of the previously defeated army, the Elemental Master of the Yu Dynasty.

The patterns on her robe were not flowers, birds, or insects. Instead, they looked more like an English word?

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