Chapter 197
Chapter 197
The way Weiqing Song looked at him changed.
“If I tell you to withdraw, the people’s hearts will grow cold? Since when did Lord Zhang represent the people as the Zhen Kingdom’s mascot? I had no idea.”
Lord Zhang: ? What in the world was a mascot?
“No… Wasn’t Your Highness planning to stand by and do nothing?”
Weiqing frowned. “When did I say that? Lord Zhang must be getting on in years if you’ve begun hearing things. Why bother attending court tomorrow? You may as well retire and return home.”
Lord Zhang was nearly in tears.
Why did the Crown Prince’s words seem especially barbed today?
Knowing the man had misunderstood, Weiqing shook his head. “I intend to send the State Preceptor to bring rain. Lord Zhang need not trouble yourself. Go home, pack your things, and prepare for retirement.”
As a result, when Shengsheng Zhou arrived, she found a minister barely in his thirties kneeling outside Weiqing’s study and calling over and over, “This subject is still in the prime of life! Please reconsider, Your Highness!”
Shengsheng examined his hair, which did not contain a single black strand, then considered his words. She entered without even saluting and said to Weiqing, “Imperial Brother, did you finally go blind in secret without telling Sheng’er?”
The eunuch replacing Weiqing’s tea trembled, almost spilling the water.
After receiving a dagger-like glare from Weiqing, he retreated with a miserable expression. When he passed Shengsheng, he looked profoundly relieved.
No wonder everyone said the Sixth Princess’s path to favor could not be imitated.
Who would dare?!
Did they not want their heads anymore?!
“Imperial Brother! Sheng’er wants to leave the palace!”
“No. Not a chance. There isn’t even a window.” Weiqing refused without thinking the instant she finished.
Shengsheng: “…”
Looking at his impregnable iron expression, Shengsheng coughed and walked to his side. Under Weiqing’s *let’s see what scheme you have* gaze, she leaned close to his ear. “Imperial Brother, I hear a new storybook came out. Jian Zhang isn’t here, and you’ve finished your current one, haven’t you?”
Weiqing: “…Don’t try to tempt me. Even so, I won’t let you leave the palace.”
Shengsheng gave a crooked smile. “What a pity. I heard the new series even has illustrations commissioned from an artist. Only fifty collector’s editions are available for preorder. If you’re late, they’ll be gone.”
Weiqing: !
He pressed his lips together and looked at Shengsheng’s regretful face, struggling inwardly for several moments.
At last, he said stiffly, “Buy it and get your ass straight back here.”
“Order received!” Shengsheng saluted.
Watching her leave in style with his waist token, Weiqing spun the prayer beads in his hand furiously.
“Scheming Shengsheng Zhou.”
…
The Second Princess stood outside the Eastern Palace gates. The gatekeeping eunuch repeatedly asked, “Second Princess, do you have business with His Highness the Crown Prince?” Each time, she shook her head.
The eunuch: Speechless.jpg
The Second Princess was hardly friendly to palace attendants. He did not dare tell her, *You’re blocking the Eastern Palace gates.*
After pacing for a while, she spotted a familiar figure emerging and hurried forward in delight. “Sixth Sister, what a coincidence.”
Shengsheng looked surprised. “Hmm? Second Sister, what brings you here?”
The Second Princess smiled. “I happened to be passing and ran into Sixth Sister.”
The eunuch: “…” What nonsense are you spouting?!
Sixth Princess, don’t believe her! She arrived the instant after you went inside!
“Well? How did it go?” The Second Princess affectionately pulled Shengsheng’s arm, her manner enthusiastic.
Shengsheng Zhou blinked. “Don’t worry, Second Sister. When this princess takes action, she never fails.”
The Second Princess’s smile grew even brighter. Imitating Shengsheng’s earlier words, she declared, “Sixth Sister, you are my god.”
“Shall we leave now?” the Second Princess asked.
Shengsheng shook her head. “First, let’s visit Fifth Sister. I want to take her out with us.”
The Second Princess frowned, reluctant to agree. Then she remembered that leaving the palace depended entirely on Shengsheng and suppressed her princess temper.
Together, they went to the Fifth Princess’s palace.
When the Fifth Princess first heard they were leaving the palace, she decisively shook her head like a rattle drum.
Shengsheng pulled her aside and persuaded her. “If you want to overcome social anxiety, of course you need to interact with people. Besides, no one outside the palace knows you. You could break a boulder on your chest in front of everyone if you wanted.”
The Fifth Princess: “…” No, she did not especially want to.
In the end, the secret to convincing the Fifth Princess had nothing to do with overcoming social anxiety.
She wanted candied hawthorn.
Some time ago, Xiaogong told her that candied hawthorn from the Zhu Kingdom had somehow become wildly popular, to the point that vendors expanded into the Zhen Kingdom. (Chapter 99: Little Ming single-handedly drove the entire candied-hawthorn industry.)
The craze had recently passed and business was gradually slowing, but she had thought about the snack ever since and remained intensely curious.
The three disguised themselves and left.
The Second Princess stared speechlessly at the two patches of false mustache stuck to Shengsheng’s face. “Sixth Sister, are you certain about that disguise?”
Shengsheng stroked the false mustache above her lip and deliberately lowered her voice. “What’s wrong, Second Brother? Weren’t you the one who said we should dress as men?”
The Second Princess glanced speechlessly at herself and the Fifth Princess.
At least the two of them looked like delicate young gentlemen in male attire.
Mosheng Song, on the other hand, had not stopped at a mustache. She had smeared her pale face dark and drawn her eyebrows thick.
It was too painful to behold.
Shengsheng knew what she was thinking, but she had no choice. Weiqing had inexplicably stared at her face for several seconds, then issued an absolute order that she disguise herself this way or remain inside the palace.
“What powder do you normally use, Sixth Sister? Even your red mole has disappeared.”
Shengsheng always kept the red mole concealed. No one knew what substance the makeup artist Weiqing assigned her used, but once covered, the mole would not reappear for at least half a month, no matter how much she washed.
The Second Princess saw the mole beneath her eye once by chance. She stared for ages and said something about why Shengsheng was not a man.
Since then, Shengsheng had grown accustomed to hiding it.
Come to think of it, Fusheng Duan did not know about it yet…
“Sixth Sister?” The Second Princess waved a hand and brought her back to herself.
“What are you thinking about? Your lover, perhaps?” she teased.
Shengsheng curved her lips. Not bad, Second Sister. She had guessed correctly.
Seeing her smile without answering, the Second Princess and Fifth Princess fell silent.
Then the Second Princess leaned close with a gossip-hungry expression. “Sixth Sister, I didn’t believe it before, but now–”
“You truly pledged yourselves to each other in secret with the Lord State Preceptor?!” she demanded, looking heartbroken.
Shengsheng: ???
Faced with such an outrageous claim, Shengsheng did not rush to deny it. Instead, she rubbed her chin with wicked intent. “Right, right. The State Preceptor and I… have that kind of relationship.”