Chapter 11
After three years of war, we finally returned to court in triumph.
I counted heads and discovered that everyone who’d gone with me was still there. Not one missing.
I was immensely pleased.
Sure enough, the rod produces turtles!
The emperor made me Princess Who Secures the Nation, Grand General of the Right Martial Guard, and his personal guard.
For his strategic contributions, Ye Cangfeng became vice minister of revenue.
The others received rewards as well.
But I wasn’t much good at being an official. Mostly, I guarded the door for my new adoptive father, slept, or slipped away to the Ministry of Revenue to play with Ye Cangfeng.
The crown prince already disliked me. After repeatedly catching me arriving late and leaving early, he absolutely loathed me.
Then, one day, we became mortal enemies.
It started because the emperor loved gossiping behind people’s backs.
That day, he returned from court and complained to me. “Ling Lin is going to be the death of Us! Does he even acknowledge Us as emperor? If this continues, We might as well give up the throne!”
“Father,” I asked, “has Ling Lin been bullying you?”
“Yes!” he said aggrievedly.
I nodded. “Your daughter understands.”
“Wait, no. What exactly do you understand? Hold on! Come back!”
I had already charged to the government offices, seized an official by his collar at the entrance, and hoisted him into the air.
“Your Highness,” he quavered, “who are you looking for?”
“Ling Lin!”
“I don’t know…”
“You don’t know? Fine. Then it’s you! Come on, you’re coming outside!”
The official screamed in terror. “I’m not Ling Lin! Boss, don’t you remember me? I’m Bighead!”
Just then, the chief minister walked out.
“Wu Zheng, this is a place of government business. How dare you behave like this!”
I released the official and grabbed the chief minister’s collar instead. “You’re Ling Lin, then?”
He was speechless. “You’ve been beating my son for four years, and you still don’t know my name? I’m not Ling Lin!”
I let him go and rushed inside, looking around. “Ling Lin! Ling Lin, get out here!”
At that moment, a young man emerged surrounded by officials. He stopped at the sight of me.
I stared at him and frowned. “You’re Ling Lin?”
“Wu Zheng, are you ill?” asked the crown prince.
I exploded. “How dare you bully my adoptive father!”
I went straight up and punched him.
The crown prince: What?
Holding his face, he couldn’t decide which was more shocking: that I’d dared hit him, or that after all this time I still didn’t know the reigning crown prince’s name.
The emperor came scrambling over to stop the fight.
The crown prince was so angry his eyes reddened. “Father, where on earth did you find this mons—”
The emperor covered his mouth. “Don’t you say that about her!”
Wiping his tears, the emperor said, “Your sister is… she’s just too devoted to her father. Don’t worry, Lin. We’ll speak to her when we get back!”
“My loss,” said the crown prince.
After the emperor dragged me away,
the crown prince suddenly stepped into the crowd and took Ye Cangfeng’s hand. “Cangfeng,” he said sincerely, “you’ve had to hold this monster back for four years. You’ve suffered!”
Ye Cangfeng frowned. “Your Highness, Little Zheng isn’t a monster. She simply cares too much about her family.”
The crown prince immediately dropped his hand. “You’re seriously ill too.”