Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Qi State was powerful and prosperous, with a flourishing economy and exquisite fashion.

Xiao Qi had ascended the throne recently. Young and successful, he was arrogant and full of self-confidence.

He told me that my life was far better than that of my eldest sister, who had married into the Yan Region.

I only said one thing: “You grew up eating scallions.”

That was enough to make him completely lose his cool.

Once you’ve done it, it gets easier; provoking Xiao Qi was incredibly simple.

Before long, he told me to go wherever I pleased, as long as it was away from him.

Since the Chu State was a pleasant place, I went to stay there.

When I married into the Chu State, the King of Chu was gentle, polite, and meticulously attentive.

Having heard the rumors from Qi and Yan that Miss Su was extremely picky, he had made every possible preparation.

The clothing, food, and utensils were all the finest in the world.

He even prepared a famous Chu dish for me-grilled fish.

I really didn’t have the heart to do it, but I still finished the meal in silence and set down my chopsticks.

“Tell me, this fish… has it ever eaten that person who drowned himself in the river?”

Xiao Chu’s hand, which was holding his chopsticks, suddenly froze.

His gentle expression cracked instantly.

I estimated he wouldn’t touch fish for at least a year.

My fourth time was marrying into the Zhao State.

The Zhao State was strong in both military and agriculture, a powerhouse that kept a low profile.

Xiao Zhao himself was introverted and a man of few words.

He set down his wine cup, looking uneasy, yet he still sat close to me.

Slowly, he reached out to pull me down onto the bed.

As I lay on the pillow, I pressed two fingers against his lips.

“Before we do this, could you perform the Handan Walk for me?”

While he stared at me in shock, I firmly used my two fingers to “walk” a few steps across his lips.

Xiao Zhao didn’t say a word. His face turned bright red, and he fled in a panic.

For the next several days, whenever I saw him, I asked for a performance; whenever he saw me, he turned and ran.

Next was the Wei State, located right in the center of the world.

Xiao Wei had peach-blossom eyes with a faint mole at the corner.

He spoke in an easygoing, witty manner without a hint of pretension. We chatted casually, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

Before I could even launch an attack on him, Xiao Wei stood up, took his leave, and told me to get some good rest.

This man certainly had some discernment.

I tested Xiao Wei several times afterward. He didn’t care about my whereabouts at all; instead, he granted me the freedom to come and go as I pleased, even without needing to notify him.

The last one was the Han State, the weakest of them all.

I could be as perfunctory as I wanted with this one.

Even if I were discovered one day, I could just egg on the other five to wipe this place out.

I was fully prepared to humiliate the Lord of Han.

Hmph. A tiny country with no army and no wealth, yet he dared to marry me.

But plans can’t keep up with changes.

When Xiao Han pushed the door open and entered, he looked to be about nineteen. Dressed in white, he had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, brows like distant mountains, and eyes like stars.

Ah… this younger brother was exactly my type.

“My father has been gravely ill for years. As the Crown Prince, I welcome Miss Su as my bride.”

He bowed slightly with his hands clasped, his posture humble.

Presumably, he had heard about the overbearing behavior of the five previous Su daughters on their wedding nights.

Xiao Han held no high hopes for me.

He pursed his lips and sighed dejectedly.

“My country’s power is meager, our military is weak, and we are not wealthy. We can only survive in the cracks between giants. Marrying me… you are being wronged.”

Wasn’t this the classic setup? A chronically ill father, a poor home, and a broken, beautiful man?

I gazed at him for a long while, then slowly lowered my head, the tips of my ears turning red and hot.

I couldn’t help but soften my voice into a sweet, delicate tone.

“Actually, I’m not like my five sisters.”

Xiao Han was stunned for a moment, then he took my hand.

The candlelight flickered.

His grip tightened and then loosened.

The temperature of his fingertips went from cold to burning hot.

Under my father’s expert guidance, I was actually doing quite well in the Six States.

I bickered with the cold Xiao Yan, mocked the easily triggered Xiao Qi, bullied the gentle Xiao Chu, and forced the introverted Xiao Zhao to perform.

I maintained a respectful distance with Xiao Wei.

And with Xiao Han… cough, cough, no more needs to be said.

With thirty days in a month, each man only got five days. Subtracting the time spent traveling on horseback, only three or four days remained for each.

During those three or four days, I worked hard to make my presence felt.

The rest of the time, I spent “recovering from illness.”

If I feigned illness, Yan, Qi, and Zhao wouldn’t come to check on me.

Only Xiao Chu and Xiao Han were deeply concerned about my health.

Fortunately, I had enough money to bribe the physicians.

As for Xiao Wei, he sat by my bed and felt my “feverish” forehead.

Then he pulled the warm heater I had hidden under the covers out into the open.

He told me I could go wherever I wanted and that there was no need to fake being sick.

It seemed Xiao Wei knew something.

I asked my father what I should do.

My father said, “Marriage is an alliance. Perhaps the Lord of Wei is sharp-eyed and saw through it long ago, but what good would it do to expose it?”

If the truth had to be told, the Su Family would have to choose one out of the seven.

It was actually quite nice that Xiao Wei was sensible; it saved me some trouble.

After only six months of my busy and exciting rotation through the Six States, the internal strife in the Qin State ended.

My father called me back from Xiao Han’s side.

“Daughter, the seventh one is here.”

I did the math on my fingers.

That meant each person would only get four days. What a challenge this would be for me!

My father looked helpless as well. “If we don’t marry into the Qin State, wouldn’t we be leading the charge in isolating them?”

True. You don’t have to like them, but you can’t isolate them.

It was just a pity that I’d have to see Xiao Han one day less.