After finishing her impression of Prince Hao, Ye Qingzhu’s expression returned to normal before she faced Su Xi-er again. “Everyone in Beimin was shocked to hear that the Beauty Palace was dismissed, and there were numerous rumours amongst the civilians. So Prince Hao has never said anything loving to you?”
“You seem to know a lot about the subject; why don’t you tell me what loving words he should’ve said to me? Maybe you’ve been reading too many dramas in your free time?” Su Xi-er faintly smiled, causing Ye Qingzhu to blush and the tips of her ears to turn red.
It’s true that I’ve read a lot of dramas, but none of them said anything about forcefully kissing someone; I was just being impulsive. Everyone says that men are very responsible; you either boil the raw rice into cooked rice[1] by doing the deed first, and not just kiss, but also… Ye Qingzhu vigorously shook her head. Why are my thoughts so dirty!
“Miss Qing, if Wu Ling is willing to accept you, then he will properly talk with you after he has thought over it. He can hide for a little while, but not forever. For now, you should just patiently wait and let things take their course. If he is destined to be yours, then fate will tell, but if he isn’t, then that’s just how it’s meant to be.”
Ye Qingzhu shook her head. “If you had said this to Prince Hao, he would definitely have been unhappy. In his eyes, there are only things that he wants, and things that he doesn’t want. He doesn’t care about fate or what belongs to who; if he likes it, he will take it, even if it belongs to others.”
Su Xi-er couldn’t disagree. Pei Qianhao’s personality is like that. “Prince Hao is an exception. It won’t work for you. Now that you know where Wu Ling is, you should pause for a moment to think about what to do next. If that is all, I will be taking my leave first.”
After that, Su Xi-er turned and walked forward, leaving Ye Qingzhu with a vexed expression. I am even more perplexed about what to do after finding out where Elder Brother Wu is. Should I listen to Su Xi-er and wait for him to come and talk to me?
Su Xi-er didn’t think that Ye Qingzhu had come to the Imperial Library just to ask about Wu Ling, but she did manage to find out that Prince Hao had dissolved the Beauty Palace because of her.
Gradually, she realised that Pei Qianhao had already become a part of her life. Every step I have taken is intertwined with him. Even when I assisted Lianchen in seizing power, he simply offered his assistance without any fuss.
Is this love? Because he loves me, he can unquestionably support me in everything?
Suddenly, Su Xi-er felt warmth enshrouding her heart, and her heart wildly thumped along with it. However, she couldn’t help but lose the feeling when she thought of the Poetry Classics book that had disappeared.
She was sure that Pei Qianhao had taken the book, and that the engagement had been real.
~~~
Of course, Pei Qianhao was currently busy at the army barracks, and had no idea that any of this was going on.
Wu Ling noticed that Prince Hao was a bit distracted, and couldn’t help but lightly cough. “Prince Hao, did you not sleep well last night? Do you need this subordinate to withdraw?”
“No need.” Pei Qianhao responded in his usual deep tone before turning his attention back to the military formation diagram in front of him.
“Prince Hao, we have streamlined the military formations by your previous order.” Wu Ling stretched his hand out and pointed at a few spots as he explicated.
Pei Qianhao’s eyes looked carefully at the diagram before pointing at a certain spot. “Make changes here; we are penned in by valleys, so our enemy will use boulders against us. If we enter using this formation, only a few soldiers will come out alive.” After that, he made a few strokes on the diagram, and Wu Ling immediately understood.
“Prince Hao is wise! This subordinate will improve on it again!” Wu Ling took the diagram and walked out of the tent.
As he left, another soldier entered the tent. “Reporting to Prince Hao, Commandery Prince Xie has arrived at the army barracks and has requested to see you.”
1. This phrase means that what’s done is already done, but it is often used to refer to another meaning in Chinese romance novels, which is doing the deed first so that the male has to take the responsibility for the female’s chastity. In certain cases where the female actually gets pregnant, it’s almost impossible for the male to shirk responsibility.
