The Pampered Impostor Princess (5)

Jade City was a long way from the capital. By carriage, a round trip would take at least three months.

And so Jiang Xuefu settled down at the Jimo Residence.

Everything was wonderful there, except that she had to go to school with Jimo Chi every day.

Whenever she tried to slack off, Jimo Chi would come to her courtyard in person to fetch her.

The young boy would say nothing, merely standing by her bed and staring at her with icy eyes until she was wide awake. Or he would have someone bring the Three Character Classic and recite it in her ear, filling her sweet dreams with mosquitoes.

Jiang Xuefu was annoyed to death, but she couldn't retaliate. Jimo Chi was a sickly boy. What if she accidentally angered him and made his illness worse?

Besides Jimo Chi, the teacher here was also extremely strict. If they failed to finish their assigned schoolwork, he would strike their palms with a ruler: once for the first offense, twice for the second, and so on.

Whether Jiang Xuefu acted coquettish or went complaining, nothing worked. Jimo Cheng adored her, but on this matter he was unexpectedly adamant.

After having her palm struck three times, she finally began to behave and listen to the teacher. She never slept in class again.

Time flew by in this fashion, and when the people sent by the emperor to fetch her arrived at the Jimo Residence, Jiang Xuefu was overwhelmed with emotion.

I'm finally escaping this sea of suffering, sob sob sob...

On the day she set out for the capital, Jimo Chi gave her a bracelet.

"This is a token of my mother's Li family. With it, you can buy things at any Li family shop and put them on my account."

Speaking of Jimo Chi's mother, Li Yarou, she was a legend in her own right.

An overlooked daughter of a concubine, she had shattered the prejudices of the world one step at a time to go into business, transforming the fallen Li family into the wealthiest in Dachang, with businesses across the Nine Provinces Continent.

Even after marrying Jimo Cheng, she had refused to give up her career, though it meant being separated from her husband and son.

Jimo Chi had originally stayed with Li Yarou in the capital, but his health was poor, and the physician had said the dry climate in the west was better suited to his recovery.

So he had come to Jade City with Jimo Cheng.

Every few months, Li Yarou returned to spend some time here with her family. Jiang Xuefu had arrived at the wrong time, however, and hadn't seen her once in her two months here.

Jimo Chi said, "Once you reach the capital, you can visit my mother at the Li Residence first. I've already written to her and asked her to look after you."

Jiang Xuefu was taken aback, and felt that he was just about loyal enough to pass muster.

She ran up to him and hugged him tightly. "Jimo Chi, remember to miss me."

The little girl looked small, but she was surprisingly strong. Perhaps she only seemed strong to Jimo Chi; after all, because of his health, he spent his days convalescing at the residence and rarely even went out.

Jimo Chi's arms ached from her tight embrace. He frowned, but he didn't want to dampen her spirits.

"Once you get to the capital, remember to listen to His Majesty. And you mustn't be late for school again."

Jimo Chi had always been a man of few words, even in front of his parents, yet today he had uncharacteristically said so much. Jimo Cheng gave him a surprised look. Is this really my son?

Jimo Chi's face turned suspiciously red, bringing some color to his pale complexion. "Ahem, you... loosen your grip a little."

Only then did Jiang Xuefu notice something was wrong. She hurriedly stepped back twice. "Sorry! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"All right, why do you two children have so much to say? Fu'er, hurry along. Any later and you'll miss your departure time, and I'm afraid you won't reach Wu Town before dark."

"When I have some time, I'll take Little Chi back to the capital. You two can see each other again then."

Jimo Cheng interrupted the two of them, then bent down and lifted Jiang Xuefu into the carriage himself.

Once the procession began to depart, he couldn't help calling instructions to her through the carriage window. "Xiao Fu'er, if anyone wrongs you in the capital, tell your imperial uncle, or write to me. Even if the Heavenly King himself comes, I'll go to the capital and stand up for you!"

His words made Jiang Xuefu laugh. Her beautiful big eyes curved into crescents, and dimples flickered in her cheeks. She was as adorable as a child of ice and snow.

She rested her hands on the carriage window and stuck almost her entire head outside. Waving her little hand, she called, "Uncle Jimo, I'll wait for you in the capital!"

After the long farewell, the grand procession finally set out on the journey back to the capital.

The journey should have taken a month and a half, but to accommodate Jiang Xuefu, it dragged on for more than another half a month.

They reached the capital at the end of September, while the last traces of summer heat still lingered.

The emperor had arranged for Jiang Xuefu to live in the Splendid Palace, the most luxurious palace in the imperial grounds. Though she should have held the rank of county princess, she was exceptionally granted the title of Princess Fu'an, and her food, clothing, and every other provision were all supplied at the highest standard for a princess.

The emperor had few consorts and scant offspring. Including the empress and the noble consort, there were only around ten women in the harem, and even fewer imperial children: at present, there were only the eldest prince, Qi Mujing, born to the empress, and Princess Qi Hua, born to the noble consort.

With both a rank and a title, Jiang Xuefu could do almost as she pleased in the palace, outranked only by the emperor and empress.

When she first arrived at the imperial palace, everyone liked the exceptionally beautiful and adorable little girl. She had a sweet smile and a knack for charming people with her words.

The gifts sent by the various palaces nearly filled the Splendid Palace's entire little storeroom, yet even so, a constant stream of imperial rewards poured in every day.

Jiang Xuefu finally got a taste of what it felt like to strike it rich overnight. Unlike at the Jimo Residence, everything bestowed on her in the imperial palace was hers! She had a treasure vault of her own now!

The first thing Jiang Xuefu did after settling down in the palace was to beg the emperor to change her name.

There was no particular reason. She simply disliked the character "Fu." Although the pronunciation was the same, she still found it unbearably unpleasant and disgusting.

It was as if it reminded her every moment that her identity was stolen, and that nothing she possessed belonged to her.

She wanted Jiang Xuefu to cease to exist in this world from that day onward!