Zhang Yuanqing immediately saw wariness and hostility in the girl's eyes. This required no Illusionist abilities—only the experience that came from reading countless people.
Their gazes met. The beautiful Chu girl, about fourteen or fifteen, abruptly lowered her head and dropped to her knees with a thud, shouting:
"Welcome, Your Majesty!"
Her voice was youthful and sweet, but her tone carried the same force as Zhang Fei's "Me too!"
What hunter's daughter? She was Zhang Fei's daughter! Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly reached out to help her up. "Rise, my beloved. I arrived in haste and have not yet eaten. It works out perfectly that I can dine here with my beauty."
Before he could finish, Beautiful Chu leaned back and avoided his supporting hand.
Then she swiftly returned to her seat and called out, "This concubine shall serve Your Majesty's meal."
She pushed several dishes of meat in front of Zhang Yuanqing, tore off a chicken leg, and tried to stuff it into his mouth.
"No need, no need." Zhang Yuanqing tilted his head aside to avoid it. "Let the servants attend to me. Beauty, please enjoy yourself."
Beautiful Chu nodded and lowered her head to eat, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster's.
Zhang Yuanqing first gave the two guards a look, signaling them to take several palace maids away for questioning. Then, attended by the maids, he ate slowly and carefully, occasionally turning his head to scrutinize the girl beside him.
Beautiful Chu wore a plum-red palace gown with a front-opening collar. Her face was fair, her cheeks rosy, and her features delicate. Though young, she was indeed a rare beauty in the making. She looked no older than fifteen, and her actual age might have been even younger.
There was definitely something wrong with her.
First, there was