Waking Up to an Imperial Marriage with My Archenemy - Chapter 11

“Her Highness has gone to the Palace and hasn’t returned yet. Before she left, she instructed us to bring you here to wait.”

Qiao Wan followed the maid of the Princess’s Manor deep into the residence.

This was her first time at the Princess’s Manor. Previously, Luo Fengxin had lived within the Imperial Palace; after being deployed to the Northern Border, she had resided in the General’s Mansion at Youyu Pass. This capital residence had been vacant since its completion. Even Luo Fengxin herself hadn’t stayed here long, let alone Qiao Wan.

Qiao Wan looked around curiously. There were few servants; she hardly encountered anyone along the way. Lacking the bustle of life, the sprawling manor felt empty and lonely—strikingly similar to the Yaoquan Palace where Luo

Fengxin used to live.

“We have arrived. After you, Censor Qiao.” The maid pushed open the doors and lit the lamps. The moment the candlelight flared, Qiao Wan was stunned by a sea of green.

This appeared to be Luo Fengxin’s study. The shelves were packed with books, and the central wall displayed two large maps: one of the Yu Kingdom and one of the Northern Border.

But could someone explain the sheer abundance of lotus leaves? The room was filled with over a dozen vases of various sizes, each stuffed with several lotus leaves. From the floor to the desk to the tops of the cabinets, everywhere was a vibrant, verdant green.

Luo Fengxin, are you serious? A single “green hat” (cuckoldry) metaphor wasn’t enough; you had to bring back all those leaves and decorate the whole room with them? If I knew you were going to use them for decor, I would have at least picked a few lotus flowers for you!

Before Qiao Wan could finish her internal rant, the maid pulled a stack of books from the shelf. “Her Highness also instructed that she specifically prepared these books for you to study diligently.”

Qiao Wan flipped through the titles. Aside from Springtime Tales of the Inner Chambers she’d seen that morning, there were Tale of Love in the Inner Chambers, The Merry Rivals, and various other popular “smutty” novels featuring her and Luo Fengxin. There was even one particularly audacious volume titled The Gallant Censor and the Pretty Princess, as if the author feared readers wouldn’t know who the protagonists were.

Fine. Making one of the protagonists sit in a room full of “forgiveness green” to read smut about herself and the homeowner—only Luo Fengxin could come up with this.

Qiao Wan dismissed the maid and sat alone at the desk. Surrounded by a forest of lotus leaves, she silently contemplated the true meaning of “forgiveness.”

“Wait, it’s not like I actually cheated on her!” Qiao Wan flipped through the books in frustration. She found that while the origin stories varied, every single one followed the same trope: the two fell in love at first sight, shared a period of passion, and then Qiao Wan heartlessly abandoned Luo Fengxin for the sake of fame and fortune.

Some were actually well-written. They meticulously depicted how cold Qiao Wan was when she left, and how utterly devastated Luo Fengxin’s heart became afterward. It was the kind of angst that made one’s liver tremble.

Qiao Wan didn’t know what she’d done wrong to deserve such tragic plots in her smut. It was enough to make any reader weep.

After two hours of reading, she was ready to kneel before the authors’ imaginations.

These books claimed that because Luo Fengxin was so despondent after being dumped, she lost all will to live and requested a transfer to the Northern Border, intending to find death. Instead, she made a name for herself and returned vowing to avenge Qiao Wan’s past betrayal.

The endings varied. Springtime Tales of the Inner Chambers suggested that through Qiao Wan’s diligent fawning, the Princess eventually forgave her. But most of the others ended in tragedy.

The cruelest was The Gallant Censor and the Pretty Princess. Despite the bubbly title, the content was dark. It claimed that after the Princess returned, she locked the Censor in a dark room every day, indulging in every madness imaginable. She would toy with the Censor until she fainted, wake her up, and start again. This went on for a full year until the Censor lost her mind, at which point the Princess finally ended her life with a blade.

Qiao Wan touched her neck instinctively, a lingering fear in her heart. Although she had secretly reported Luo Fengxin to the old Emperor and done some less-than-honorable things, she had never toyed with the woman’s feelings.

Looking at these stories, she felt that if she had actually played with Luo Fengxin’s heart, the “imprisonment and murder” ending might actually be something Luo Fengxin was capable of.

Good heavens, that’s terrifying! Looking at it this way, being rivals is much better. I must never have a romantic entanglement with her!

Just as the thought crossed her mind, the real person’s voice suddenly rang in her ear, nearly stopping her heart.

“Finished reading?” Luo Fengxin glanced at the messy pile of books on the desk.

“Finished, next time you come in, could you please knock?” Qiao Wan slumped on the desk, clutching her chest. Her chin rested right on the dark-themed novel she had just finished, her eyes landing on the Princess’s final line before killing the Censor:

“Once, I treated you with a sincere heart, only for my passion to be cast away like flowing water. I returned intending to imprison you for life, but now that your mind is gone, keeping you further is meaningless. I grant you death; the rest of your debts shall be collected in the next life.”

Even killing her wasn’t enough; she wouldn’t even let go of the next life.

Qiao Wan didn’t just feel a pain in her heart now; her liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs all hurt.

“What are your thoughts after reading them?” Luo Fengxin sat down opposite her.

Looking at the room full of green and the stack of heart-wrenching novels, Qiao Wan felt she understood the hint. She replied firmly, “I will strictly follow His Majesty’s decree to support and cooperate with Your Highness. I will never harbor any feelings beyond that of a subject and official, nor will I associate too closely with others. I shall nip the possibility of ‘greening’ Your Highness in the bud!”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Wan saw Luo Fengxin’s chest heave violently. She had likely just finished bathing; she wore only a simple inner robe with a thin cloak draped over her shoulders. Her hair was still damp, and her collar was slightly open, revealing a glimpse of porcelain skin with every breath.

Qiao Wan’s gaze lingered for only a second before she jerked it away. Three years in the North, and she’s picked up such bad habits, Qiao Wan grumbled internally.

In the past, no matter how hot it was, Luo Fengxin always dressed strictly. Even though the Yu Dynasty was socially liberal—with many girls showing ample skin in the summer, Luo Fengxin had always adhered to ancient etiquette.

Comparing the past to the present, were the servants in this manor not people? How did Luo Fengxin have the nerve to scold her for almost showing her calves in public back then?

“Good, very good!” Luo Fengxin’s voice sounded angry again. But that was normal; in Qiao Wan’s memory, Luo Fengxin was always angry whenever they met these days.

Qiao Wan prepared herself for whatever trick Luo Fengxin might play next, but after a moment of silence, the Princess surprisingly let the matter drop. Instead, she asked about the plan.

“Time was tight in the carriage. You only mentioned having me humiliate Zhang Zihe. What follows? Our Yu Kingdom is currently beset by troubles both internal and external. What is your solution?”

Luo Fengxin’s brother, Luo Jinhe, had once asked this same question. Qiao Wan picked up the candle lamp and walked to the map hanging in the center of the room.

“Our dynasty faces three major crises. External enemies are the first. The great aristocratic families led by the Chen family are the second. And the vassal kings of different surnames led by Han Zhao and Yu Sancai are the third. All three are perils to our state.

In recent years, the northern barbarians frequently invaded, but thanks to Your Highness’s achievements, the border will remain stable for a few years. As for the remaining two, we must prevent them from conspiring. If the Chen family joins forces with King Han of the West and King Yu of the South, the Yu Kingdom will face total annihilation.”

“My brother and I are aware of these stakes,” Luo Fengxin said, pointing to a region on the map. “His Majesty intends to send me to guard the Southwest, separating Han Zhao and Yu Sancai while monitoring them to prevent collusion with court officials.”

She indicated the Minzhou region, situated between the two kings’ territories. It was flanked by a dangerous canyon on one side and the Cang River on the other—a strategic stronghold. Aside from its poverty and desolation, it was a perfect military position.

“Furthermore, this area borders the Kingdom of Changhe. Should war break out, we might borrow troops from them.” Luo Fengxin withdrew her hand and frowned. “None of this is difficult. The difficulty lies in how to make the Empress Dowager and Grand Preceptor Chen allow me to lead an army again.”

“If His Majesty proposes it, they certainly won’t agree,” Qiao Wan said, her smile brimming with a confident, clever grace. She looked as if the world were merely a chessboard and she had already mapped every trap. “But what if the Empress Dowager is the one to propose it herself?”

Luo Fengxin looked at Qiao Wan’s profile and couldn’t help but recall that night three years ago. The light had been just as dim, and they had been just as alone.

She loved the way Qiao Wan looked when she discussed politics—radiant and eloquent, like a free eagle soaring high above.

Yet, she also feared this look. She always felt that this eagle, so used to its freedom, would fly away at any moment.

I truly want to break her wings and bind her to my side forever. Luo Fengxin’s heart surged with such intensity that she had to close her eyes to keep listening.