Chapter 21

Chapter 21

[Prince Consort, the Princess Has Been Beaten to Death – 20]

In all his twenty years, Lü Xiuzhen had always been held up as the model son of a great clan, pure as a bright moon in a clear sky. When had anyone ever criticized and berated him this way?

His face grew hot and flushed as anger gradually rose in his heart. After stewing for a long while, he returned to the earlier subject. “If that is so, then may I ask why the princess fell out with Miss Gao all those years ago?”

Princess Qinghe took a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped away the tears brought on by her fury. She glanced at him and said coldly, “When I say her conduct was dishonorable, it was dishonorable. Do you imagine I would falsely accuse her? Greed blinded her heart. To gain wealth and status, she used my name as cover and plotted against my elder brother. Fortunately, someone discovered her and stopped her halfway. Otherwise, how could I ever have faced my legitimate mother again? When she did such a thing, where did that leave me? Did she ever consider what would happen to my mother and me afterward? How could I continue associating with a friend like that?”

Nonsense!

Lü Xiuzhen thought, How could Yanyan be such a person?!

You are plainly slandering her!

Princess Qinghe knew nothing of the thoughts in the man before her. She looked at him suspiciously. “The Lü Family had no close dealings with the Gao Family. Why would you suspect me so deeply over Gao Yanyan? Did you already know that she was the girl from those old events?”

To admit that would mean Lü Xiuzhen must have met Gao Yanyan or someone who knew what happened. It might expose the fact that she had escaped custody. For Gao Yanyan, alone outside, that would be exceedingly dangerous.

Alarmed, Lü Xiuzhen feared that Princess Qinghe would harm Gao Yanyan. His mind turned, and he immediately denied it. “The Gao Family has already been condemned. I never saw Gao Yanyan after that. How could I know?”

Suspicion remained in Princess Qinghe’s eyes, so Lü Xiuzhen fabricated a lie. “A close friend of mine loved her, and she loved him in return. The Gao Family’s fate grieved him. Gao Yanyan also told him that she and the princess had been close as children. When he saw the princess refuse to save her, anger rose in him. He mentioned the affair to me, which led to my suspicions…”

Princess Qinghe rose and casually adjusted the silk stole draped around her arms. “In my judgment, this man is no decent person. The Prince Consort would do well to associate with him less.”

This supposed friend was entirely Lü Xiuzhen’s invention, while the words attributed to him were Lü Xiuzhen’s own thoughts. Hearing Princess Qinghe judge him in this fashion felt like two vicious slaps across the face, leaving it hot and stinging.

Hatred rose in Lü Xiuzhen’s heart. His fists clenched before he noticed. After a long silence, he forced out a smile and said hoarsely, “Thank you for the warning, Princess.”

Princess Qinghe said, “I hope the Prince Consort means that sincerely.” Without another glance at him, she turned and walked out.

Court Lady Du was waiting outside and looked faintly startled when she emerged.

Night was falling, the hour late and the dew heavy. Court Lady Du removed her outer robe and placed it around Princess Qinghe’s shoulders. “Is something wrong with the Prince Consort? Why did the princess come outside without putting on another layer?”

Princess Qinghe stood beneath the veranda. Moonlight poured across an endless night, and cold slowly climbed from her ankles to her knees, gradually cooling her fevered anger as well.

What should she do?

What could she do?

She had believed the Prince Consort distant and cold because he was unaccustomed to living here, or because his nature made him poor at expressing himself. She had thought she could warm him, that sincerity could purchase sincerity. In the end, she discovered it had all been wishful thinking.

A few words from a supposed friend had been enough for him to suspect her and treat her with such coldness.

They had been married for days, their hair bound as husband and wife, yet he had refused to ask even one question. He preferred to estrange his wife with that cold and heartless manner.

Such cowardly cruelty was no conduct for an honorable man!

Now that matters had reached this point, what should she do next?

Return to the palace and tell Father and Mother, asking them to avenge her? Let everyone know that Princess Qinghe and her Prince Consort had been married for days without consummating the union, their relationship cold and distant?

Or announce a separation less than one month after the wedding, after which husband and wife would become strangers?

How could she possibly find the face to say it aloud?

Court Lady Du saw Princess Qinghe’s desolate expression and silence, and concern appeared on her face. When she touched the back of the princess’s hand, it was icy cold.

She was badly startled. “Princess? Princess! Why will you not speak?” She touched Princess Qinghe’s forehead and felt a faint heat. Panic seized her. She hurriedly ordered someone to summon an Imperial Physician.

Princess Qinghe was helped to the couch in a daze. Only after a long while did she return to herself. Looking more closely, she saw the Imperial Physician seated on a low stool and taking her pulse, while Princess Zhaoyang sat beside the bed with worry covering her face.

Tears suddenly spilled from Princess Qinghe’s eyes. Hiding her face behind her sleeve, she said softly, “Did I not tell you not to come? The room is full of sickness. The servants are thoughtless…”

“Elder Brother-in-law was one thing, but you are my own sister. We live so close together. If you fall ill, how could I possibly stay away?”

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and took her sister’s hand. “Stop hiding. Whether I should have come or not, I am already sitting here.”
Moved, Princess Qinghe lowered her hand and said helplessly, “You.”

At that moment, the Imperial Physician withdrew his hand and reported respectfully, “The princess is in no serious danger. She has merely exhausted herself recently and caught a slight chill. Some warming medicine and several days of rest will restore her.”

Court Lady Du led him into a side room to write the prescription. Princess Zhaoyang looked around and could not resist muttering, “We should ask the Directorate of Astronomy to calculate again and see whether the feng shui here is poor. How long have you lived here? People keep falling ill one after another-first Elder Brother-in-law, now you…”

A person had caused this. What did feng shui have to do with it?

Princess Qinghe mocked herself inwardly but did not wish to create more trouble. She discouraged her sister. “It is only a coincidence. Why involve the Directorate of Astronomy and turn it into a great affair?”

Princess Zhaoyang sighed. “Very well. We will wait and see. I only pity Consort Xian. She has been waiting forever for you and Elder Brother-in-law to enter the palace together. Just when he was finally recovering, you took your turn.”

Princess Qinghe grew worried as well. She hurriedly caught her sister’s arm. “The Imperial Physician said it was nothing serious and that a few days of rest would be enough. Do not tell the palace about this. Mother cannot leave the palace to see me. Knowing would only make her worry for nothing.”

Princess Zhaoyang nodded. “I understand.”

The sisters exchanged private words for a while. Then a servant reported that the Prince Consort was waiting outside and wished to know whether it was convenient to enter.

Princess Zhaoyang had met Lü Xiuzhen only twice, both before the marriage. Although propriety separated men and women, there was no need for excessive avoidance among family. She glanced instinctively toward the door and teased, “When Elder Brother-in-law was ill, Elder Sister cared for him diligently. Now that he is nearly recovered, it is his turn to look after you. The wheel of fortune truly comes around.”

Princess Qinghe had quarreled with Lü Xiuzhen not long ago, and the resentment in her heart had not faded. The mere mention of him irritated her. Unwilling to let her sister know of this family shame, she declined. “He has not fully recovered. What would he do here? If we meet and fall ill again, this will never end. Thank the Prince Consort for his concern, but for the next few days we should not see each other. It is better for each of us to rest and recover.”

The servant acknowledged the order and went outside with the reply.

Princess Zhaoyang sensed something. She watched the servant leave, and the smile on her face dimmed. Waving everyone from the inner room, she moved closer and asked with concern, “Elder Sister, does the Prince Consort treat you badly?”

Princess Qinghe did not wish to discuss her marriage with her younger sister, so she answered vaguely, “I cannot call it good, but I cannot call it bad either. It simply is what it is.”

Princess Zhaoyang’s eyebrows shot upward. “What do you mean, you cannot call it good? Did he bully you? His skin must be itching for a beating!” She immediately prepared to go outside and find trouble with Lü Xiuzhen.

Princess Qinghe felt amused and warmed at once. She hurriedly caught her. “It is nothing so serious. We only exchanged a few angry words.”

The smile on her face was faint. After a while, she added, “Perhaps this is simply what marriage is. Maybe matters will improve after some time.”

Princess Zhaoyang asked suspiciously, “You truly do not need me to deal with him?”

“If he needed dealing with, I would do it myself. Why trouble Your Highness? We will leave matters as they are for now.”

Princess Qinghe reached out and rubbed her cheeks, joking, “Do not worry. If I suffer, I will say so. Just keep your ears raised in your residence and listen carefully. The day you hear me cry for help, assemble your forces and charge over…”

Princess Zhaoyang burst out laughing and pulled her sister’s hand from her face. “Do not rub randomly! I have powder and makeup on. You will smear it!”

Princess Qinghe gave a surprised little sound and studied her carefully. Then she laughed. “Have you not always found cosmetics troublesome and refused elaborate adornment? Why are you willing now?”

Princess Zhaoyang cupped her cheeks and smiled brightly. “A woman dresses for the one who delights in her!”

A small pain pierced Princess Qinghe’s heart. Once it passed, happiness for her sister took its place.

She patted her sister’s hand and said gently, “Since you and your Prince Consort live in harmony, cherish the life you have and do not betray such a fortunate match.”

Only after saying the words did Princess Zhaoyang realize how inappropriate they were. Her sister had just spoken of a marital quarrel, yet she had displayed her own happiness. It was too hurtful. She looked over apologetically, but before she could speak, Princess Qinghe bent a finger against her lips. “You and I are sisters. We have no need for empty courtesies.”

Princess Zhaoyang remained for half an hour and watched her sister take the medicine before leaving.

Before she departed, Princess Qinghe instructed her, “I told those things only to you. Do not repeat them outside. It is nothing serious, and there is no reason to enlarge the matter.”

Princess Zhaoyang promised, “Do not worry. I am no longer a child. I understand.”

…

Before Lü Xiuzhen’s illness had fully passed, Princess Qinghe took her turn.

Lü Xiuzhen had deliberately made himself ill to avoid consummating the marriage with Princess Qinghe. Now Princess Qinghe used illness as her excuse to sleep apart from Lü Xiuzhen.
Before the wedding, Princess Qinghe had held hopes for her husband and looked forward to married life. Lü Xiuzhen was young, handsome, and imposing, so she naturally treated him with every tenderness, hoping husband and wife would live in harmony and lasting love. After their bitter quarrel, however, her heart went cold. She no longer had any desire to lower and humble herself in pursuit of mutual affection.

The Princess Manor belonged to her. Naturally, she would not be the one to hide elsewhere. After Princess Zhaoyang left, Princess Qinghe summoned Court Lady Du and instructed her, “Since I am ill and the Prince Consort remains unwell, we should not meet for the next several days. Have him move into a side room. Once we have both recovered, we can discuss the rest.”

Court Lady Du had repeatedly witnessed how solicitously Princess Qinghe cared for the Prince Consort. She did not imagine that affection between them had cooled and assumed the separation was truly meant to avoid spreading illness. After acknowledging the order, she sent servants to gather the Prince Consort’s daily robes and belongings and move everything into a side room.

At the sight, Lü Xiuzhen felt humiliated and furious.

During the quarrel with Princess Qinghe, her retorts had left him speechless and stripped him of all dignity. Then she repeatedly declared Gao Yanyan dishonorable and no decent person, giving him the absurd sensation that someone had defiled the pure snow within his heart.

Yanyan is no decent person? And you are?

To steal all the credit for what happened years ago, what lie would you not invent?

Besides, the husband had always been honored above the wife throughout the realm. What wife behaved like her, sharp-tongued and utterly lacking in submission?

Was she not simply using her birth to suppress him?

In an ordinary family, a wife who dared act so overbearing would have been repudiated and sent back to her parents long ago!

Lü Xiuzhen’s belly was filled with rage, but he dared not show it. His nails bit into his palms as he forced himself to lower his head and apologize. The humiliation and resentment in his heart only deepened.

Not long after Princess Qinghe left, servants hurried away to summon an Imperial Physician. Princess Zhaoyang soon arrived as well.

Lü Xiuzhen was not deaf. He naturally heard the commotion and instinctively decided that Princess Qinghe was deliberately feigning illness to make the quarrel into a public affair. She wanted the palace to learn of it and punish him.

Uneasy and afraid of imperial authority, he mastered himself and went to the door to request an audience. To his surprise, Princess Qinghe refused to see him and dismissed him with a few words.

To Lü Xiuzhen, that naturally became another offense.

In an ordinary family, did a husband need to have himself announced before seeing his wife?

And after being announced, could he still be refused, dismissed without even seeing her face?

His anger grew. He forced it down and returned to rest. Before long, servants arrived to gather his belongings and move him into a side room, leaving the principal bedchamber to Princess Qinghe for her recovery.

This was intolerable bullying!

Lü Xiuzhen could no longer contain his rage and nearly charged into Princess Qinghe’s presence to argue the matter through. Then he glimpsed the armed household guards in the courtyard and remembered the emperor’s instructions on the wedding day. In the end, he clenched his teeth and endured it. He allowed the servants to collect his daily belongings, then threw a cloak over his shoulders, mounted a horse, and rode furiously toward the Lü Family home.

The Patriarch of the Lü Family had been invited out to drink by a colleague that evening, while Madam Lü had not yet retired. When she heard that the Second Young Master had returned, she was both startled and delighted. Only when he entered did she realize something was wrong.

No one knew the son who had crawled from her own belly better than she did. She dismissed the servants, hurriedly pulled him to her side, and asked with concern, “What happened? Why is your expression so terrible? I sent someone to check on you yesterday, and they said you were nearly recovered. Has your illness worsened again?”

Lü Xiuzhen’s heart contained ten thousand flames of anger and ten layers of grievance. He could say none of it in the Princess Manor, so he could only pour it out to his own mother.

He naturally did not mention that he had refused to consummate the marriage on their wedding night. Nor did he say that he deliberately made himself ill afterward to avoid it.

He spoke only of Princess Qinghe’s arrogance and unreasonable tyranny. First, she pretended to be the benefactor who had saved his life years ago. Then, when flaws appeared in her story, shame turned to rage. Humiliated because he exposed the truth, she immediately began feigning illness and drove him into a side room.

Madam Lü had disliked the marriage from the beginning. Her earlier scheme to persuade Princess Qinghe to live with the Lü Family had also been refused, deepening her resentment. Now, after hearing her son’s account, she felt both angry and regretful. “I said long ago that the two of you were not well matched. But…”

Seeing no one nearby, she complained bitterly, “The palace is overbearing. They settled the marriage without a word of discussion. No one wanted their daughter, so they forced her on another family!” She had entirely forgotten the face she and her husband had worn while calculating the hereditary favor and titles their children would receive after their son married a princess.

Mother and son complained to each other for a while, their faces twisted as they spat out bitterness. Then Madam Lü said, “Chang’an is no good place for you. The slightest disturbance reaches the palace. You would be better off seeking a post outside the capital. With the emperor far away and the sky high, you would live more freely. As husband to the Grand Princess, surely an outside appointment would make you the chief civil or military authority of an entire region?”

Light flashed in her eyes. Madam Lü continued earnestly, “Have a child soon as well. His Majesty currently has only one grandchild, the Crown Grandson, and treasures him dearly. The princess may be concubine-born, but she married on the same day as the legitimate daughter, and their honors and gifts were nearly equal. Clearly, she too is deeply favored. Whether she bears a son or daughter, the child will surely receive a noble title. Her children will bear the surname Lü. Would that not bring glory to the whole family?”
Bitterness filled Lü Xiuzhen’s heart.

Princess Qinghe had indeed mentioned securing him a post outside the capital, but the two of them had only just quarreled. How was he supposed to raise the subject now?

As for children, they had not even consummated the marriage. Where could a child possibly come from?

His mouth felt as astringent and numb as if he had bitten into an unripe persimmon. He forced himself to brush off the questions, then went to the rear courtyard to visit Gao Yanyan.

Madam Lü dared not let word spread that her son was harboring the daughter of a convicted official, so naturally she dared not assign many servants to Gao Yanyan. No one was in the inner room just then. Looking in from outside, Lü Xiuzhen saw Gao Yanyan dressed in plain robes, her figure slender and frail, kneeling before the lamp with needlework in hand.

The candle flame swayed gently. Its hazy golden light played across her face, lending the scene a quiet, tender beauty.

His heart softened. He entered without a sound and, upon looking more closely, discovered she was making a garment. Judging by the color and pattern of the cloth, it appeared to be an outer robe for a young man.

His shadow fell across her from above. Gao Yanyan sensed it and turned in confusion. The instant she saw him, dazzling light like a river of stars burst into her bright eyes. “Lord Lü?!”

The sight sent heat through Lü Xiuzhen’s heart. His anger receded for the moment, replaced by boundless tenderness. “Yanyan.”

After her initial delight, worry clouded Gao Yanyan’s face. “Why have you come back? You said you were ill. Have you completely recovered?”

Tears then filled her eyes. “I was so worried, but I could not visit you. All I could do was pray for you in my heart and make you a winter robe.”

Deeply moved and overcome with emotion, Lü Xiuzhen reached out and gathered her into his arms. “Say no more, Yanyan. I understand your feelings!”

Gao Yanyan wrapped her arms around his waist and nestled against him with all her heart.

They clung sweetly to each other for quite some time. As though only then realizing herself, Gao Yanyan blushed, pushed him away, and asked shyly, “Why did you come back? Is everything all right with the princess? I am doing very well here, so you need not worry. If you keep coming and the princess discovers me, she may report it to the palace. It matters little if I die, but if I bring harm upon you, even beneath the earth my heart would know no peace…”

At the mention of Princess Qinghe, Lü Xiuzhen frowned. Hearing the ominous turn in her words, he raised a hand to cover her mouth. “What nonsense are you saying?”

Her lips were so soft and faintly warm, her breath brushing his palm. As though scalded, he snatched his hand back and hurriedly changed the subject. “You have no idea. Today she actually brought up what happened all those years ago!”

Gao Yanyan’s heart began to race. She stole a glance at his expression and, realizing she had not been exposed, relaxed a little. Feigning bewilderment, she asked, “How could that be? Why would she do such a thing?”

“You cannot imagine how shameless she is.” Lü Xiuzhen’s features filled with cold mockery as he spoke. “Thinking I knew nothing of what truly happened, she claimed all your merit as her own. Every word implied she was my benefactor. I truly admire her ability to lie with her eyes wide open!”

Gao Yanyan’s heart eased, but a timely trace of sorrow crossed her face. She said wistfully, “Perhaps the princess merely hopes that you will live well with her and enjoy harmony as husband and wife.”

Lü Xiuzhen looked at the considerate Gao Yanyan before him, then recalled Princess Qinghe’s imperious face. His disgust deepened. Taking the beauty’s delicate hand, he said softly, “Do not be afraid, Yanyan. I will not abandon you. I have already decided to find an opportunity to take a post outside the capital. Once the emperor is far away and the sky is high, you and I can live as a pair of immortal lovers…”

Joy lit Gao Yanyan’s face. She gazed at him with shining eyes and said tenderly, “Truly? Lord Lü, you must not deceive me!”

Lü Xiuzhen raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. “Yanyan, trust me. I will never fail you.”

If he wished to live with Yanyan as a pair of immortal lovers, then he had to leave Chang’an. As his mother had said, once the emperor was far away and the sky was high, the palace’s reach would no longer extend so easily to them.

But when it came to leaving Chang’an…

There was no avoiding Princess Qinghe.

The thought made Lü Xiuzhen restless. Remembering what Princess Qinghe had said that evening, he could not help regretting that he had not feigned agreement and placated her at the time. He should have left the capital with her first, then made other plans.

Agreeing then would have required no more than following the current. Now husband and wife had all but torn away every pretense of civility. If he wished to turn back, it would take some effort.

His gaze fell upon the half-finished winter robe Gao Yanyan was sewing for him. Lü Xiuzhen suddenly remembered the garment Princess Qinghe had once made with her own hands. They had not yet married then, yet she had worked tirelessly to finish it in haste. Surely that meant she had feelings for him?

If so, lowering himself and coaxing her into changing her mind should not be too difficult.

For Yanyan and for their future, could he not endure a moment’s humiliation?

Having reached this conclusion, Lü Xiuzhen did not remain at the Lü Family home. After a lingering farewell with Gao Yanyan, he mounted his horse and rode back to the Princess Manor.

…

Court Lady Du knew nothing of the quarrel between princess and Prince Consort. She had merely seen the princess fall ill after caring for him, while he ran off to the Lü Family without a word. Inevitably displeased, she sat beneath the corridor watching the servants decoct medicine. Then the Prince Consort came hurrying toward her, beads of sweat still on his forehead. He drew a wooden box from his sleeve and held it out.

“I remembered there was a century-old mountain ginseng at home, and indeed there was. Please have the Imperial Physician examine it, Aunt, and see whether it may help the princess’s condition.”
Court Lady Du’s expression eased. “So the Prince Consort went to the Lü Family to fetch this mountain ginseng?”

“What else would I have gone for?” Lü Xiuzhen asked in return. “The princess fell ill because of me. Since I cannot remain beside her to care for her, I can only do what little I am able and hope she soon recovers.”

“The Prince Consort is thoughtful.” Court Lady Du’s cloudy expression cleared. She nodded with a smile. “But there will be no need for century-old mountain ginseng. The princess is suffering from a passing indisposition, not bodily weakness. Its medicinal strength is too potent and may be more than she can tolerate.”

She then ordered someone to put the ginseng away. “Since it represents the Prince Consort’s sincere concern, I shall accept it on the princess’s behalf. Should the Lü Family ever need it, you may simply come and retrieve it. His Majesty and Her Majesty dote upon the princess and included many such things in her dowry. The Imperial Physician said she was too young to need them, so they have all been gathering dust in the storehouse.”

Stung by this master of the humblebrag, Lü Xiuzhen squeezed out a stiff smile. “Then I am relieved.”

He went to rest in the side room, while Court Lady Du entered the inner chamber and told Princess Qinghe what had happened. “The Prince Consort does care about you.”

Princess Qinghe gave a faint, mocking smile and said nothing.

When Lü Xiuzhen had fallen ill, Princess Qinghe had cared for him at his bedside. Their situations were now reversed. With Princess Qinghe ill, Lü Xiuzhen came to her door three times a day to inquire after her, all solicitude and tenderness.

Court Lady Du remarked to the servants, “It is perfectly true that every heart is made of flesh. The Prince Consort seemed so cold before, yet now that the princess is ill, he has become gentle and attentive. Evidently the princess’s sincere devotion has indeed moved him.”

Princess Qinghe had never been seriously ill. After several days of recuperation, she made a full recovery.

That evening, she bathed in the adjoining chamber and then sat by the bed leafing through a book. Her servants used soft towels to dry her long hair. Candlelight glowed gently over the peaceful room.

Lü Xiuzhen slipped inside without a sound. The two maids were about to salute him when he gestured for silence, waved them away, and stepped forward to dry Princess Qinghe’s hair himself.

The two maids exchanged knowing smiles and quietly withdrew.

Princess Qinghe noticed nothing unusual. Only after turning several pages did she sense that something was wrong. She looked back and saw Lü Xiuzhen, and her elegant brows immediately drew together. “What are you doing here?”

Lü Xiuzhen smiled. “I was worried about the princess and wished to see you.”

Princess Qinghe set down her book. “You have seen me now. You may leave.”

His smile stiffened slightly. In the flickering candlelight, his handsome face possessed a natural romantic charm. “Is the princess still angry with me?”

“Perhaps.” Princess Qinghe neither confirmed nor denied it. “I do not particularly wish to see you at present. Please return to your room, Prince Consort.”

Lü Xiuzhen frowned almost imperceptibly, then quickly smoothed his expression.

He bent down, placed both hands on Princess Qinghe’s shoulders, and leaned close to her ear. “I know the princess doubts me and is angry with me, but you truly have misunderstood. I did drink too much on our wedding night, and falling ill afterward was hardly my wish. Now that I have recovered and the princess is well again, shall we make up for our wedding night tonight?”

He lowered his head to kiss her fair neck.

Gooseflesh rose across Princess Qinghe’s skin. She thrust a hand against his face. “Let go! Who gave you permission to touch me?!”

Lü Xiuzhen was pushed away, and anger flashed through his eyes. He seized Princess Qinghe by the shoulders and forced her down onto the bed. “We are husband and wife. This is only natural and proper. What could be wrong with it? The princess need not be afraid…”

Princess Qinghe had once been a maiden filled with hope, shy and joyful as she anticipated her wedding night. But when she discovered that the Prince Consort she loved was merely a phantom born of her own imagination, all those tender feelings vanished. Now Lü Xiuzhen had her pinned to the bed through a mixture of coaxing and force. She felt only revulsion and resistance, without the slightest trace of romantic expectation.

She did not have the strength to contend with a man. After several brief struggles, she stopped moving and said coldly, “Release me.”

Lü Xiuzhen was growing impatient. When he felt her cease resisting, he softened his voice to coax her. “Princess, I will be gentle…”

The sharp crack of a slap answered him.

“You are courting death!”

Princess Qinghe struck his face aside and snapped, “Lü Xiuzhen, if you dare lay another finger on me, I will summon my people this instant, have you dragged away, and beaten to death! I am your sovereign and you are my subject. Without my permission, who gave you the right to touch me?!”