Chapter 189
Chapter 189
“Princess, why did we simply lend him clothes?” The palace maid looked nervously at the indistinct figure changing behind the screen.
The Fifth Princess shook her head and whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito, “She’s Sixth Sister.”
The maid’s eyes widened instantly. “Didn’t she say her name was Lei Feng Dumbledore?”
The Fifth Princess: “…” How had someone with this intelligence survived in the palace for so long?
Looking defeated, Shengsheng Zhou finished changing. The skirt was too long and did not fit, but she had no choice but to make do.
It was strange. Shengsheng had thought she and the Fifth Princess were the same height. Looking more closely, however, she realized the Fifth Princess stood nearly half a head taller. Her presence was simply so weak that it diminished her visually by a tremendous amount.
“Ahem… Fifth Sister.” Holding up the skirt, Shengsheng emerged in embarrassment and cleared her throat.
She was no longer wearing a veil, revealing her lovely face. The young palace maid beside the Fifth Princess immediately dropped to her knees. “This servant was blind and failed to recognize Your Highness. Please forgive me.”
Shengsheng waved a hand and offered an exceptionally gentle, apologetic smile. “Oh, it’s fine. I was the one who barged in. I didn’t frighten you, did I?”
Faced with Shengsheng’s mild, warm manner, the young maid grew dazed from being coaxed so sweetly. She nodded repeatedly and barely dared look at her.
*Excellent,* Shengsheng thought. *As expected of the Weiqing Song-style smile. Damned useful.*
The Fifth Princess poked the maid, who finally came back to herself. “Our princess is currently confined to her palace. If Your Highness enters like this, won’t His Highness the Crown Prince punish you?”
Shengsheng shook her head. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. I came today because I felt an instant kinship with Fifth Sister and wanted to become closer to you.”
At those words, the Fifth Princess shrank back, panic in her eyes.
She was entirely different from the person who had bravely fought the Second Princess at the Eighth Prince’s birthday banquet.
The Fifth Princess was the daughter of the late Consort Si. According to what Shengsheng learned, she had been only ten when Consort Si passed away. Before that, the Fifth Princess had been cheerful, outgoing, and extremely lovable.
Consort Si had been generous and kind in life. She got along well with the other consorts, treated palace attendants kindly, and was deeply favored by the Emperor.
After her death, everyone sank into grief. Even the Emperor overlooked the Fifth Princess.
By the time they remembered her, she had already withdrawn into herself and become as she was now.
She was the girl with communication difficulties whom Zhiyu Jiang would later help become cheerful again in the original novel.
Knowing how guarded the Fifth Princess was, Shengsheng did not immediately force the woman to be her friend.
Instead, she paid little attention to her. Shengsheng walked to a folding screen in the room, crouched, and studied its pattern alone.
At first, the slightest movement made the Fifth Princess unbearably nervous. She feared Shengsheng would speak to her and she would not know how to answer.
But when Shengsheng ignored her and crouched there as though the Fifth Princess did not exist, she gradually relaxed and lowered her head to resume her own work.
The room fell quiet. Only the sound of wind striking the closed doors and windows could be heard.
Shengsheng glanced at the Fifth Princess, who was threading a needle with her head bowed, then slowly shuffled closer.
When the Fifth Princess finished embroidering a petal and looked up, Shengsheng’s face nearly scared her to death.
Looking into the Fifth Princess’s tense, constricted pupils, Shengsheng asked whether she had any extra supplies. Shengsheng wanted to embroider too.
The Fifth Princess looked toward her maid. The maid left and returned carrying a tray filled with embroidery tools and thread.
Shengsheng Zhou accepted it. “Thank you, Fifth Sister! I still need to go pick up the child. Once I finish, I’ll bring it back and show you.”
The Fifth Princess watched Shengsheng’s back as she rushed away as quickly as she had arrived. A trace of envy flashed through her eyes.
The young palace maid studied her expression and called, “Princess…”
The Fifth Princess shook her head. Without speaking, she lowered her head and continued embroidering.
Her whole life would probably remain like this. She asked for nothing more.
Having slipped out in secret, Shengsheng jogged back, carrying the tray in one hand and lifting the overly long skirt with the other.
Sharp-eyed attendants who passed her tried to offer help.
But before they could finish speaking, she had already swept past like a gust of wind.
As Shengsheng ran, she wondered why so many people passed without offering her a hand.
Just as her palace gates came into view, Shengsheng spotted a group approaching from the opposite direction.
The man in green at their head possessed an elegant, aristocratic bearing in every movement. In the cool autumn air, he seemed to bring warmth for no reason at all.
Shengsheng sped up, ran toward him, and waved. “Imperial… Brother!… Fuck!!”
Her foot landed on the hem of her skirt. Just as she was about to fall, the man before her–
twisted at the waist and dodged her hurtling body.
Then came a thud.
Something made of flesh hit the ground.
Shengsheng lay facedown, eyes wide.
*My, how the tables have turned, my beloved imperial sister,* Weiqing Song thought.
*Weiqing Song??? Are you human?! Are you human?! Are you?!*
*On this particular matter, I don’t have to be,* Weiqing thought.
He still felt dizzy from the last blow to the back of his head.
If it happened again, the Buddha might truly summon him this time.
Then he would be doomed. Wouldn’t the Buddha discover that Weiqing had wrapped Buddhist scripture covers around his storybooks?
“Oh no, my Sheng’er! Quickly, help the princess up and summon an imperial physician!” Weiqing cried with feigned shock.
Two streams of blood ran from Shengsheng’s nose as she glared murderously at him.
*You can never hide the look in your eyes when you want to stab someone.*
Thus, the Ninth Prince was escorted back by Weiqing’s attendants that day.
The Ninth Prince was somewhat afraid of this Crown Prince Brother. Though Weiqing’s gaze was gentle and carried no aggression, a cool indifference always lingered within his eyes.
“Crown Prince Brother.” Remembering Shengsheng’s words, the Ninth Prince forced himself to perform a salute despite his fear, keeping his voice as steady as possible.
Weiqing looked at the boy who was clearly terrified yet forcing himself to stand firm, then nodded.
“Crown Prince Brother, I’d like to go inside and see Imperial Sister.” When Weiqing stopped paying attention to him, the Ninth Prince forced himself to ask.
Weiqing took a sip of tea. “The imperial physician is applying medicine.”
The Ninth Prince lowered his eyes. “Then Little Nine will wait a little longer.”
Listening to Shengsheng’s exaggerated cries of pain from inside and watching the Ninth Prince anxiously glance toward the room again and again, Weiqing suddenly said, “You cannot remain with your imperial sister forever. Return to your own palace after some time.”
The Ninth Prince whipped his head around. His eyes widened involuntarily as they met Weiqing’s.
After a moment, the Ninth Prince pressed his lips together. His small head drooped, and his voice trembled slightly. “Little Nine doesn’t want to return. Little Nine wants to stay with Imperial Sister.”
He was the son of the supreme ruler. If he liked something, he had to say so. If he disliked something, he had to refuse.
Weiqing arched a brow. He had expected the boy to obey meekly and allow himself to be pushed around.
It had only been a few days. It appeared Shengsheng’s teaching was fairly effective.