Chapter 4

Chapter 4

My Younger Brother is truly good to me.

He sent half of his private treasury to the Ye Family, hoping that Ye Weilan would treat me well.

Unfortunately, Ye Weilan took it as an insult.

Since that is the case, have it all carried back to This Princess.

This Princess is quite short on money.

Ye Weilan was completely stunned.

He was dazed for a moment, then gritted his teeth, cupped his hands in a salute, and galloped away on his horse.

My eyes narrowed slightly as I watched his retreating figure, lost in thought.

Xiangnu gently cupped my face, his pearly teeth biting his lip as he said softly, “Princess, look at me!”

He was indeed beautiful.

Like a ball of passionate fire, he was entirely different from Ye Weilan.

I pinched his cheek, my fingers resting on his waist, kneading it rhythmically. I watched him endure the itchiness in front of others, not daring to make a sound as a crimson flush crept up his snow-white face.

He looked so delicate.

My heart was filled with delight.

I instructed the Chief Steward of the Princess Manor:

“Find a Censor to impeach Ye Weilan. Galloping is forbidden in the capital. Is he planning to rebel?”

The Chief Steward was slightly surprised, but he immediately went to handle it with excitement.

I felt much better.

Ye Weilan is no longer the Imperial Son-in-Law of This Princess, yet he still expects to enjoy the privileges This Princess granted him.

He must be dreaming.

I asked Xiangnu, “Do you know how to ride a horse?”

“Ah, this servant does not.”

“Do you want to learn? This Princess will teach you. Once you’ve learned, you can ride for This Princess to see.”

“Princess-”

His voice trailed off with several melodic turns, making my heart flutter along with it.

To die beneath the peonies and remain a romantic ghost-I finally understood the sentiment.

…

I took Xiangnu to the military camp.

This was the newly formed Imperial Guard. Half were selected from the fallen nobility, while the other half were commoners chosen from reputable families in the capital.

A month of training wouldn’t produce much in the way of results.

However, it was enough to let them know who their master was.

I stood on a high platform, holding a pigeon in my arms.

I said coldly, “Wherever the arrows of This Princess land, that is your target to kill. Those who hit the mark will be heavily rewarded by This Princess.”

I released the pigeon.

Then, I shot an arrow toward it.

My aim wasn’t precise, but my intent was clear.

Thousands of long arrows shot toward the pigeon simultaneously. The bird fell from the sky, and someone went to retrieve it for the tally.

I waited patiently, giving rewards to everyone who hit it.

Next, I released a fighting rooster.

It was one I had raised in the palace. The noble youths of the capital loved cockfighting; a good fighting rooster was worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.

This one was the renowned Chicken King, and the armor it wore bore the mark of my Princess Manor.

A commotion broke out among the crowd as everyone grew uneasy.

They were likely unsure if I truly intended to kill this priceless fighting rooster or if I was just playing around.

I loosed an arrow.

Many hesitated; only a few people shot their arrows.

I calmly rewarded them just the same.

Immediately after, I released a hawk.

It had a golden ring shaped like a dragon on its leg; it was my Younger Brother’s favorite pet.

Perhaps sensing that something was wrong, it immediately flew high.

My arrow fell short from mid-air, but thousands of arrows followed right after it.

It plummeted down, looking like a pincushion.

Finally, I had a condemned prisoner pushed forward. When the arrow of This Princess fell, the man’s body erupted into a spray of blood from thousands of arrows…

Xiangnu let out a startled cry and covered his mouth, the corners of his eyes turning red. He was clearly terrified.

I took his slightly cold hand.

“Are you scared?”

He nodded in panic.

“This servant… this servant is so scared!”

He hid in my arms like a large cat…

Back at the Princess Manor.

Xiangnu fell ill. He had a high fever and was talking in his sleep:

“You little bitch… acting so arrogant… one day, I’ll make you speak while kneeling.”

As he spoke, he even started singing a tune.

“It is not that my nature is stubborn and refuses to obey, but thinking of the past breaks my heart…”

I let out a short laugh and kissed his mouth to make him be quiet.