“Who’s the woman in a pink dress beside her? I find her disposition much more impressive than the woman in the red dress.”
The commoners continued to chat as some stayed outside the entrance of the restaurant to look up at the second floor. Only when the guards chased them away did the crowd dissipate.
~~~
Inside the private room, the two women sat facing each other with the door tightly closed, and the windows shut. The only things on the table were a pot of tea and some snacks.
Su Xi-er went straight to the point. “You don’t have to keep referring to yourself as ‘this Princess’ while we’re in here.”
Du Rin watched her quietly for a long time before she indifferently replied, “Su Xi-er, do you know where we first met?”
In Su Xi-er’s memories, the first time they had met was at the entrance of the imperial palace’s Imperial Household Department.
“The first time I saw you was when you entered the Beauty Palace; at the time, you didn’t know who I was. I had thought that I would either catch Prince Hao’s eyes, or stay in the Beauty Palace forever. In the end though, the Beauty Palace was dissolved, and I was chased out.” Du Rin’s gaze became distant.
“Some of the women entered song or dance houses, while others went to the villages. They could be considered lucky, while those less fortunate ended up like He Xiangyu who committed suicide by running straight into a wall. When Prince Hao favoured them, they were like you. Oh, but I apologize; you’re much better than them. At least you have a title.”
I have heard many methods of provocation, but it’s my first time hearing one that is so poor. A-Jing and I have given our first time to each other. Even A-Jing’s kiss to me was his first. As one of the purest men there could ever be, how many other women could he have doted on in the past?
“Tan Ge, what’s the point of saying this? Why don’t you talk about the present instead?”
Du Rin chuckled, ridicule evident in her voice. “Alright, I’ll talk to you about the present then. I suffered many hardships because of Xie Yun, and now I want to take my revenge. You said that you wouldn’t interfere, but what exactly are your intentions now?”
“You have already punished him. Xie Yun will be sitting in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. The move you made last night, has caused his body to suffer another blow. If he doesn’t recover properly, his lifespan will be shortened. He’s already suffering both physically and mentally.”
Du Rin slapped the table. “You want me to let him off?”
“Tan Ge, your days in the Western Region were probably rough, right? Without the acknowledgement of the Western Region’s King, so what if you have pulled the Grand Empress Dowager to your side? What kind of power do you have? Who can you defeat?”
Hearing her flurry of questions, Du Rin’s heart sank. Although I possess some combat skills, they aren’t very impressive. And, despite using my body to rope in the left faction’s leader, I only hold a third of the Western Region’s military power, and half of the left faction’s influence. As soon as I clash with Su Xi-er, she can still crush me effortlessly.
“Su Xi-er, what do you want?” Du Rin enunciated each of her words.
“Not long ago, I told you to scram back to the Western Region, but now…” Su Xi-er paused and glanced at Du Rin before standing up. “You can return to being yourself. Your life will be safe, but everything else will be forfeit.”
I initially wanted to give her a way out and not take the identity of imperial princess back, but letting her keep it will only result in things getting out of hand. I have no choice but to turn her back to who she originally was.
Du Rin’s eyes darkened as one word firmly escaped from her lips. “Impossible.”
“I just need to meet with the Western Region King and the truth will naturally be revealed.” Su Xi-er laughed and knocked the table. “I’ll give you one day. Disappear as fast as you can; others will only treat it as you absconding to avoid punishment. You can then lead your days free of worries, and I will also guarantee your life.”
With that, Su Xi-er turned to leave the private room without a glance at Du Rin, who was left with a pensive expression.
