Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After the Shanyan Assembly, Mother immediately pulled me into the inner chambers. She pinched my little face, looking me over from left to right.

I pulled her hand away and rubbed my cheeks, which had nearly been squashed into buns. “Mother, what are you looking at?”

“I’m checking to see if you’re actually my daughter. How did you suddenly become so smart?”

Me: …

Listen to that. Is that something a biological mother should say?

“Mother, did I say something wrong? Did I cause trouble for you?”

That Emperor uncle of mine-my maternal uncle-was not a magnanimous man.

He was incredibly petty. When the Imperial Tutor criticized him a few times, he waited until the man died and then proceeded to seize his entire estate.

My words today could be considered a direct accusation against him. Although I was defending Mother, I was indeed afraid of bringing disaster upon her.

Mother, however, burst into laughter.

“You spoke very well. It makes me happy that you protected me. I would only be heartbroken if you didn’t. It’s just… where did you learn all that? How did you even understand what was happening?”

Me: …

This really didn’t seem like something a six-year-old should understand.

I had no choice but to act like a spoiled, unreasonable child.

“I just heard it here and there. Mother, I’m very smart!”

“Is that so?”

Mother looked suspicious, but she finally stopped teasing me and told me to go out and play.

However, the moment I stepped out the door, I heard a soft sigh from inside: “To be so wise is almost uncanny.” My heart felt inexplicably heavy.

Sigh, it’s all my fault for being too smart.

If I were a bit stupider, Mother wouldn’t have to worry so much.

Hehehehehehe!

As soon as I came out, I was blocked by Zhao Jinsheng.

He was only eight years old, but his small face already bore the seeds of the refined, jade-like appearance he would have later.

Thinking of my past life, he was the one who ran a sword straight through my heart.

As much as I loved him then, I loathed him now.

And the words coming out of his rosy mouth weren’t very pleasant either.

“Jiaoluo, it was unwise of you to contradict the Great Scholar today.”

I vaguely remembered that he had said similar things in my past life.

“My position is precarious right now. Your extravagance makes things difficult for me.”

“Father rules the world with filial piety. Instead of serving the Empress, you clamor to go home. What am I supposed to do?”

“I have only just become the Crown Prince. You must be even more careful with your words and actions in the future to avoid giving people leverage. Only when the inner palace is peaceful can the court be stable.”

There were many such instances.

Strictly speaking, he wasn’t wrong.

That is, if using one extra pearl on a hairpin counted as “extravagance.”

If his mother, the Empress, hadn’t intentionally fallen ill on the day I was supposed to visit my family.

If he himself hadn’t been so careless that the Grand Secretary caught him in a scandal.

He could be informal and lax with himself, but he applied every rule in the book to me.

In my past life, I couldn’t break free from the shackles of love. My heart was set on him, so I swallowed my pride and endured it.

Now, why should I endure anything?

I was just about to curse him out when I remembered Mother’s sigh about being “almost uncanny.” I forced myself to hold it back.

My little mouth puckered, and I burst into tears.

I wailed loudly.

Zhao Jinsheng panicked, waving his small hands frantically. “I didn’t say anything! Please don’t cry!”

Mother rushed out immediately, kneeling down to wipe my tears with a pained expression.

I didn’t waste a second and filed my complaint: “Mother, he scolded me! He said I shouldn’t have talked back to that scholar, and he said I’m not smart!”

Mother was furious.

Zhao Jinsheng was dumbfounded.

Mother asked him to leave and told him he didn’t need to come to the Eldest Princess’s Mansion anymore.

Seeing Zhao Jinsheng’s dazed expression, my heart bloomed with joy.

My Emperor uncle wasn’t very bright, and what little wit he had was mostly used on Mother.

He had his two sons run to the Eldest Princess’s Mansion every few days, hoping to foster closeness-and likely intending a marriage alliance.

To ensure the eternal succession of his throne, he was willing to use his two sons as gambling chips.

In my past life, I had ignorantly chosen Zhao Jinsheng.

He later became the Crown Prince and ascended the throne in glory.

But what about me? I got the Eldest Princess’s Mansion wiped out to the last, the whole household executed.

In this life, Zhao Jinsheng can forget about ever ascending the throne.

I slowly wiped my tears, a smug smile touching the corners of my lips.

As I smiled, my eyes caught the hem of a robe fluttering in the corner.

The owner of the robe slowly stepped out-it was Zhao Pinyan.

Expressionless, he held up a stick of candied haws in his hand. “Do you want some?”

Me: …

The twenty-year-old Qi Jiaoluo wouldn’t crave candied haws.

But the six-year-old Qi Jiaoluo was starving for them.

Even if I died of craving, I wouldn’t eat them.

“Only children eat candied haws.”

Under Zhao Pinyan’s stunned gaze, I turned around with my head held high.