Chapter 7
As I saw my parents out, my neighbor happened to emerge next door, followed by a male and a female attendant.
Before I could greet him, my father bowed with impeccable formality.
“Greetings, Your Highness, Third Prince.”
Surprise flashed through the Third Prince’s eyes. He looked at me, then at my father.
“Minister Hua? This young lady is…”
“Your Highness, she is my youngest daughter.”
The Third Prince let out a meaningful “Oh.”
As I watched my father converse with the Third Prince in a polite but distant manner, I rubbed my chin.
Our “professionally responsible” author had focused entirely on the women’s quarters and revealed very little about court politics.
But after observing the situation for several days, I had more or less pieced it together.
The Hua family had always supported the Crown Prince.
Third Prince Shen Shuo, meanwhile, was famously at odds with him.
Yet judging by my father’s behavior…
I rubbed my chin again and reached a conclusion:
Something fishy was going on!
Late that night, I tossed and turned after eating too much barbecue.
I finally climbed onto the roof of the pavilion in the courtyard. Looking down from such a height felt wonderful.
Just as I was enjoying the cool breeze on my face, a door opened in the neighboring courtyard.
I followed the sound with my eyes.
Third Prince Shen Shuo emerged beside a hooded figure.
Shen Shuo even thoughtfully tightened the other person’s hood.
Oh my! How considerate!
The mysterious figure did look like a man from his build.
But that was no problem at all! True love above everything!
Just as I was watching with relish, a brick in the pavilion chose that exact moment to come loose.
It made a sharp crack.
I awkwardly met Shen Shuo’s gaze.
After a long silence, I said in a trembling voice,
“Goodness, I don’t know what’s wrong with my eyes lately. One moment I can see, and the next everything is blurry.
“I must consult a physician… I’m off!”
In the blink of an eye, Shen Shuo’s attendant had “invited” me into the neighboring courtyard.
Before anyone else could speak, I seized the initiative.
“Sorry for the interruption!
“The night is dark and the wind is high. Please, carry on!”
Shen Shuo’s mouth twitched.
“What exactly did you see?”
I thought about it and answered sincerely,
“I saw the two of you break through the barriers of gender for the sake of true love.
“Such devotion makes you models for us all.”
In the dim moonlight, I saw a vein throb violently on Shen Shuo’s forehead.
It took him a long moment to catch his breath. Then he quietly told the mysterious figure beside him,
“She is Minister Hua’s legitimate daughter. Her recent divorce caused a great stir.
“All she knows is eating, drinking, and amusement.
“She should pose no threat.”
I took offense.
“What kind of way is that to talk about me?
“I haven’t even confronted you for dressing people as ghosts to drive me away so you could conduct your secret trysts!”
Shen Shuo ignored the words “secret trysts.”
“You had better take what happened tonight to your grave.”
I rubbed my chin.
“Very well.
“Pay me one thousand taels for my silence.”
Shen Shuo ground his teeth.
“That is outrageous extortion!”
I raised an eyebrow.
“One thousand taels to buy my silence about you and the Crown Prince secretly meeting through an underground passage.
“Is that not worth it?
“Besides, that passage runs beneath my property!
“Have you ever heard of a land-use fee?”