"Father, are you summoning me to see that Wutu Gu?"
Inside the palace, Xiao Mingxue nearly lost her footing upon hearing the imperial decree. Had the thing she had been worrying about all day finally come to pass?
"You may leave now. Her Highness the Princess will depart immediately after she has finished dressing." The palace maid beside her was more composed than Xiao Mingxue.
"Please, Your Highness, hurry." The old eunuch's tone wasn't particularly harsh; rather, it carried a hint of regret.
Xiao Mingxue was a very likable child in the harem. She was lively and cheerful when she was young, and gentle and quiet when she grew up. She was kind to her subordinates and never looked down on the eunuchs. Compared to the other spoiled princesses, she was much better.
Consort Xiao cherished this daughter even more than her son, spoiling her from a young age. She used all her strength to secure an internal marriage for her under the cold-hearted emperor. After all, in the twenty years since the founding of the Great Jin Dynasty, many princesses had married into military families, becoming widows, or even being accidentally killed in bed by some frivolous young noblemen.
They carefully selected a scholar, hoping their youngest daughter would live a simple yet comfortable life, but they never imagined it would end like this—a marriage alliance with the Southern Barbarians?
It's likely that no princess of this generation will receive such treatment.
It's truly heartbreaking to see the gentlest child meet such a terrible end.
" Du Niang, what should I do?" Xiao Mingxue was calmer than expected, asking the palace maid in the mirror while doing her makeup.
"Your Highness, please don't be anxious." The palace maid's heart was also ice-cold. She had carefully served this Nüwa for the past six months, spending a lot of money to bribe officials and maintain the little girl's princess treatment. Otherwise, she would have been abused to an extreme degree long ago.
It looks like my money is going to go down the drain.
"Your Highness, are you willing to take a gamble?"
"What do you mean?" Xiao Mingxue stared blankly at the other person.
"Your Highness, you have seen the current situation. If you accept your fate, then this servant has nothing to say. Princess, if you go to the Southern Barbarians, this servant will accompany you through fire and water. But if Your Highness wishes to strive for a better future, then be brave when you meet His Majesty this time."
"Be brave?"
"You are His Majesty's betrothed to the King of Qin of Qin, his principal wife, the future Princess Wutu Gu of King of Qin. What right does that barbarian Wutugu have to covet you? At this time, you must argue your case in court!"
"Argue with reason? In front of Father?" Xiao Mingxue silently looked at herself in the mirror.
"Does the princess dare not?" the palace maid provoked.
"What's there to be afraid of?" Xiao Mingxue suddenly laughed, "Anyway, how bad can the worst outcome be?"
The smile came so suddenly that the palace maid who was doing Xiao Mingxue's makeup was somewhat taken aback.
Looking at Xiao Mingxue in the mirror, she suddenly felt a little unfamiliar. This delicate princess, she originally thought she would have to use a lot of words to persuade her, but she didn't expect the other party to make up her mind so quickly.
Does this little girl have the courage to defy the powerful emperor in front of the court?
"This outfit won't do," Xiao Mingxue, looking at herself in the mirror and shaking her head slightly. "It's too plain."
"Your Highness, don't you always prefer simple and elegant clothing?"
"That's because there aren't many formal occasions on ordinary days," Xiao Mingxue stood up, looking at her figure. "Now I have to go to the court to meet the officials, and I also have to see the prince of the Southern Barbarians. Naturally, I have to be more dignified. After Aunt Mingyue's death, I am the eldest princess of the Great Jin. According to etiquette, I can wear Hundred Birds Phoenix Robe. Go, get one!"
The palace maid was taken aback. "Your Highness, the Hundred Birds Phoenix Robe? That's exclusive to Princess Mingyue. You have to apply for it at Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. Would the Empress Dowager agree?"
"She will!" Xiao Mingxue said calmly. "After all, it was her own decree that ordered me to marry into a foreign land. If I were to make a scene here and cry and cause a scene, it would only embarrass her. As long as I am willing to obey the decree, what is a piece of clothing?"
"But, Your Highness, that will take quite a while, and His Majesty is waiting for you."
"Then just wait."
"Your Highness?" The palace maid looked up upon hearing this, wondering if the other person's tone was a bit too arrogant.
But when he looked up, he was immediately stunned. Xiao Mingxue, although she looked the same as before, seemed to have a completely different aura. Especially her eyes, which were dark with a touch of gold, a burning gold!
"You"
"What's the problem?" Xiao Mingxue asked, looking at the other person.
"No," the palace maid instinctively avoided eye contact, "It's just that... Your Highness seems a little different than before."
"Really?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Mingxue looked at herself in the mirror again. She also felt that ever since the other party said they were willing to take a gamble, for some reason, a surge of excitement had welled up in her heart, and everything seemed different.
The fear and anxiety she had felt before seemed to vanish all at once; for some reason, she wasn't afraid at all at this moment.
Whether facing his own father, the emperor, or those disgusting Southern Barbarians!
--
"Do you want Mingyue's clothes?"
Inside the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, the Empress Dowager looked at the trembling palace maids below and chuckled, "Did I hear that right?"
The palace maid buried her head even deeper. She didn't know what had gotten into her, but she actually listened to that girl and came to ask the Empress Dowager for clothes.
Several old women around couldn't help but cover their mouths and sneer. This fallen princess, what a big face she has!
"Give it to her."
"The Empress Dowager?" The head matron was taken aback, somewhat incredulous.
"After all, she's a pitiful child. A little request before she leaves isn't unreasonable." The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes slightly, seemingly too lazy to argue any further. "However, Xiao Mingyue's clothes aren't something an ordinary woman can pull off. Since she asked for them, don't blame me, this old woman, for not reminding her if she makes a fool of herself later."
"This"
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!" The palace maids below quickly kowtowed in gratitude, fearing that something else might go wrong.
Seeing the Empress Dowager's insistence, the other maids dared not object, but secretly they were secretly hoping to see her make a fool of herself. What was this ignorant, arrogant young girl thinking? Did she think she could change her fate by going crazy one last time?
How pathetic. And yet, how laughable.
"Your Majesty!"
Inside the main hall, a third-rank guard in full armor strode in, knelt below the half-kneeling steps, and reported the latest important news, "The Jiangnan delegation has arrived outside the Vermilion Bird Gate, and Prince Qin, Chen Qing, requests an audience with Your Majesty!"
"Oh??"
At this, everyone, whether civil or military, couldn't help but light up. Today's court session was truly lively! The barbarians from the Southern Barbarians had been summoned, and even Chen Qing himself had come!
This is going to be quite a show! I wonder if His Majesty did it on purpose. Faced with these barbarians who want to steal his wife, what will the recently arrogant King of Qin do?
"Your timing is quite good." The emperor smiled slightly, "Summon them!"
"Summon the King of Qin to the palace!"
All eyes turned to the entrance of the main hall, including Wutu Gu, who had been arrogant since entering the hall.
Soon, figures approached the main hall. The person in the lead was dressed in white, and a female general in black followed beside him.
It is said that only twenty people came from Jiangnan this time, but today, when meeting the emperor, this Chen Qing actually only brought one person!
"Interesting." Wutu Gu rubbed his chin.
Qin Wang Chen Qing entered Liuzhou as a newly appointed Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) three years ago. In just three years, he effectively controlled Jiangnan, defeated Qin Guogong Lu Ming, forced Princess Xiao Mingyue to retreat, solved the Jiangnan zombie incident, and won a great victory under the siege of the court, forcing the Great Jin Dynasty to enfeoff the first non-royal prince since the founding of the dynasty!
Now that she dares to come here with only one woman, she certainly seems more worthy of being collected than Lu Ming.
There's one more chapter, but it'll be around 2 AM soon, haha.