Princess Huai'an Was the Truly Audacious One

The inner court of the Great Qi imperial palace.

As Xiaoyun led the way, she stole glances at Gu Yuan's face, a blush rising to her cheeks from time to time.

The palace maids they met along the way also stopped in their tracks, casting flirtatious glances at Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan wasn't nervous in the slightest and responded warmly.

He couldn't help being so charming.

"Heir Gu, with your handsome bearing and carefree nature, you've become famous throughout the inner palace. Even Her Majesty the Empress Dowager wants to meet you."

Gu Yuan frowned at that.

The empress dowager... that old hag.

She bore half the responsibility for the empress falling into demonic cultivation!

Now she had her eye on him too... that was no good sign.

"You flatter me, Xiaoyun."

"I'm merely an ordinary guard. How could I possibly catch the empress dowager's eye?"

"Hehe, a guard who has earned so much of Her Majesty the Empress's attention can hardly be called ordinary." Xiaoyun smiled. "Word has spread throughout the palace. Everyone says you're a martial arts prodigy who appears once in a century, Heir Gu. It wouldn't be surprising even if Her Majesty took you as her disciple."

"Why wouldn't the empress dowager want to meet someone like that?"

"..."

Word really traveled fast... it probably wasn't just the palace. The entire imperial court must have heard by now.

First, the empress had personally appointed him a sixth-rank guard. Then, at court, she had personally chosen him to receive the heirs of the provincial princes alongside the Duke of Wei'an's heir... those old foxes at court had probably already investigated every last detail of his background.

Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

This was probably why the princess had invited him to dine...

"The princess's residence is just ahead. Beyond it is Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's bedchamber. She should be resting at this hour, so please don't shout like you did that morning, Heir Gu, or you'll disturb her."

Gu Yuan coughed awkwardly.

"Thank you for the reminder, Xiaoyun."

"You're welcome."

"Xiaoyun, why was the princess's residence built inside the inner palace?"

Xiaoyun explained, "This was originally where the late emperor's consorts lived."

"When Her Majesty the Empress first took the throne, the palace treasury wasn't well supplied, so she ordered the palace staff reduced. She even dismissed all the late emperor's consorts outright and sent them back to their families. The once-lively inner palace emptied out overnight."

"I heard that the empress dowager and many court officials submitted memorials opposing it. The very next day, Her Majesty struck Shuming Palace, the residence of Consort Ming, the late emperor's favorite, with one palm. The entire palace collapsed in an instant, and not a single intact brick or tile could be found..."

Gu Yuan opened his mouth, unable to hold back his amazement.

"The empress is fierce."

Xiaoyun smiled. "The empress used palace renovations as an excuse to silence the officials and the empress dowager. No one brought it up again after that."

"Later, Shuming Palace was rebuilt as the princess's residence and bestowed upon Her Highness."

Of course no one dared bring it up again... whose head was harder than a building?

The image of Qi Yueli blasting the palace to pieces involuntarily appeared in Gu Yuan's mind.

That sight... must have been incredibly satisfying!

"Princess, Heir Gu has arrived."

In the courtyard of the princess's residence, Huai'an, who was practicing her swordsmanship, brightened and looked toward the entrance.

Standing there was the fellow who had dared kick her yesterday.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Gu Yuan stepped forward and bowed. He had no idea what Huai'an was planning, so he could only sound her out first.

"You may dispense with the formalities."

"Were you practicing your swordsmanship just now, Your Highness?"

Huai'an made a graceful flourish with her sword and slid it into its scabbard.

"That's right. What do you think of my swordsmanship?"

"Your moves are nimble and flawless."

They just can't kill anyone... Gu Yuan added silently.

"Hehe, you know what to say. I've had guidance from a renowned master." Huai'an put away her treasured sword, which was encrusted with pearls and jade and plainly worth a fortune.

"Have you eaten lunch?"

"Not yet."

"Good. Eat with me. Xiaoyun, tell the kitchen to serve the food."

"Yes, Princess."

The palace maids at the residence then cleaned the stone table in the courtyard and brought out one exquisite dish after another.

"Sit."

Gu Yuan: ...

"If Your Highness wants to have me beheaded, it would be better to be more direct."

Huai'an: ???

"I don't want to have you beheaded!"

Gu Yuan couldn't help smiling. "Your Highness, if word reaches the empress and the empress dowager that an outside official ate at the same table as a princess, I could lose my life..."

Huai'an snorted softly. "You're a fellow who even dared kick a princess, yet you're afraid of that?"

"Or should I have another table brought out for you?"

"That won't be necessary."

With that, Gu Yuan sat down across from the princess, picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of fish in his mouth, just as though he were at home.

"Why aren't you eating, Princess? The food won't taste good once it gets cold."

"This fish is good. Have a taste, Princess. Don't stand on ceremony with me."

"Ah... oh..."

Looking at the fish Gu Yuan had put in her bowl, Huai'an was lost in thought for a moment.

Why did it feel as though he were the one hosting her?

The palace maids standing nearby were already dumbstruck.

Audacious!

Simply audacious!

How could an outside official dare use his own chopsticks to put food in the princess's bowl?

Did he have a death wish?

Huai'an found it somewhat novel.

Everyone here treated her with the utmost respect; only Xiaoyun ever joked with her. Now here was Gu Yuan, afraid of neither heaven nor earth. He really was interesting.

She picked up the fish head in her bowl and took a bite, finding it much tastier than usual.

"This sujin meat is delicious. Try some too."

Huai'an picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in Gu Yuan's bowl.

The palace maids all froze where they stood.

The princess had put food in an outside official's bowl?

They hadn't seen it. They hadn't seen anything...!

Gu Yuan was stunned too.

Why had she put food in his bowl?

Wasn't she angry at all?

He had originally planned to anger the princess, be severely punished, and find a chance to stay away from the imperial palace... but things seemed to have gone off course now?

"Why aren't you eating?" Huai'an looked at him expectantly.

She had never eaten a meal like this before.

"I'll eat."

"The princess serving me food? That's the treatment a princess's husband receives. How could I not eat it?"

One dared serve it, and the other dared eat it.

The palace maids attending them turned deathly pale and shut their eyes.

Gu Yuan and Huai'an served each other food, growing more enthusiastic as they ate. Before long, they had swept the table clean.

"I'm so full." Huai'an rubbed her belly. This was definitely the most she had ever eaten at one meal.

"It's time to discuss proper business."

"All of you, withdraw."

The palace maids around them relaxed. They had long wanted to leave.

Gu Yuan frowned slightly. "Your Highness, what exactly did you summon me here for?"

Huai'an rose and looked around warily. Only after making sure no one was there did she walk over to Gu Yuan and speak softly:

"Gu Yuan, I know you're bold, and you've been assigned to receive the princes' heirs from the various provinces, so I wanted to ask you for a favor."

"As long as you agree, I promise I'll absolutely have your back from now on!"

"What does Your Highness want Gu Yuan to do?"

Huai'an glanced warily around and beckoned him closer. "Come here and listen."

"..."

Gu Yuan leaned his head toward her.

Huai'an took a deep breath:

"While you're receiving them, I want you to find a chance to... castrate the heir of the King of Qingzhou!!"

Huh?