After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 8

Princess Bao’an, Yang Fu, was captured by the Li family after they took control of Daming Palace following the fall of the Chu Kingdom. She was the only princess of Chu left in Da Chen. When Emperor Chenming ascended the throne, he spared her, a frail woman, and allowed her to continue living in the Luanyi Pavilion with her old title as Princess of Chu.

Perhaps due to her extraordinary beauty, both Prince Yan and the Crown Prince treated her with courtesy and respect.

Still, as a princess of a fallen dynasty, her position was both fragile and humiliating. Yang Fu rarely left the pavilion, until one day, she received a secret message from the Southern Chu spies hidden in the palace: Qun Qing had not perished, but instead had become a spy and would soon return. From that moment on, Yang Fu tore at her almanacs in anticipation, clinging to the hope of seeing her former servant once more, as if grasping at her last lifeline.

After much waiting, the day finally arrived for selecting new palace maids. Her goal was simple—to have Qun Qing assigned to Luanyi Pavilion. She believed that the end of her humiliation was near.

Instead, what she received was a devastating blow.

The gazes around her were like cold arrows, freezing her in place. Tears welled up in Yang Fu’s eyes, and she nearly lost her balance in the chair. “What… did you say?”

Qun Qing bowed deeply, her voice unwavering. “This servant only knows that Your Highness’s status is directly tied to my survival. Bao’an Princess may be a princess of Chu, but Chu has fallen. How does Your Highness intend to secure her position? If I stay by your side, what will happen if one day His Majesty no longer acknowledges your title? This servant fears it would cost me my life.”

Everyone knew that the issue of her title was Yang Fu’s most painful wound. The maids gasped. Lady Zhang dropped the palace registry in shock and rushed to cover Qun Qing’s mouth. “How dare you speak such nonsense!”

Lady Zhang quickly tried to reassure the princess, her voice panicked. “Your Highness, please don’t take offense. She’s not fully recovered and is speaking out of turn!” What kind of illness made such a well-behaved girl lose her senses at the worst moments?

Yang Fu stood frozen, like a statue carved from ice. Qun Qing’s words were familiar, but her demeanor was completely foreign. The fierce loyalty that once shone in her eyes was gone, replaced by a cold, bottomless well that made Yang Fu’s heart sink deeper and deeper.

How could these words have come from her mouth? Yang Fu’s face turned pale, her thoughts spinning. The sudden change was far beyond anything she had expected—there could only be one explanation. This had to be an act. Something must have shifted in the plans of Southern Chu, something she wasn’t aware of. Unable to endure the gazes around her and too afraid to act rashly for fear of ruining everything, she remained seated stiffly, like an ice sculpture. Yet, the doubt gnawed at her heart, and without realizing it, she had clenched her skirt tightly in her hands.

“Who says she’s speaking nonsense?” A mocking laugh echoed through the hall—Zheng Zhiyi, her voice like a spark igniting a flame. “I think she’s perfectly clear-headed.”

Zheng Zhiyi paced confidently across the grand hall, her sharp gaze settling on a vase of flowers that Li Xuan had trimmed for the princess. With a smirk, she pulled them out. “She’s just voicing what everyone here is already thinking. It’s a pity when even the servants look down on you. Why deceive yourself?”

Yang Fu’s eyes turned cold and sharp. “Who gave a country bumpkin like you the right to act out in my palace? Get out.”

Zheng Zhiyi froze for a moment, dropping the flowers. Normally, Yang Fu, relying on her title, would simply look at her with disdain, never bothering to argue, as if even speaking to her would sully her with vulgarity. But today, for some reason, Yang Fu had lost her restraint. Publicly humiliated, Zheng Zhiyi’s face flushed with anger.

“My palace? Who says this is your palace?” Zheng Zhiyi sneered, sweeping the vase aside with a crash. “This palace was won by my father-in-law. It belongs to our family. You dare to tell me to leave? I won’t. I’ll go wherever I please! Even if I relieve myself on this carpet, it’s none of your business!” She stomped heavily on the carpet, grinding the broken flower branches beneath her feet.

Yang Fu seethed with rage. Someone who, in the past, wouldn’t have even been allowed near the palace gates was now causing chaos in her chambers. Enraged, she threw the sachet from her sleeve at Zheng Zhiyi.

The sachet grazed Zheng Zhiyi’s cheek, her eyes widening in shock. Furious, she rolled up her sleeves, ready to pounce on Yang Fu, but Lady Zhang quickly intervened, grabbing her arm: “Lady Zheng, you mustn’t resort to violence!”

The tension between the two had simmered for a long time, and now it was about to explode. As tempers flared, Princess Bao’an’s maids gathered protectively around her, while Zheng Zhiyi’s two attendants rushed forward to pull Lady Zhang away. The room descended into chaos.

“I should step in and stop them…” Outside the hall, raindrops fell slantwise as Shouxi held an umbrella, watching the commotion inside. He turned to the Crown Prince, who had been quietly observing through the window.

Li Xuan’s cheeks were a bit sunken, his eyebrows sharp and long, with pale skin and thin lips. Though he appeared fragile, his narrow phoenix eyes were strikingly alert.

“How could Yeting Court choose such a foolish girl who dares defy Princess Bao’an to her face?” Shouxi scolded. Everyone knew Princess Bao’an was deeply cherished by both the Crown Prince and Prince Yan.

Amid the chaos in the hall, Qun Qing remained kneeling, her head bowed, indifferent to the turmoil around her.

A flicker of disdain passed through Li Xuan’s eyes.

Anyone who could cause such a stir and remain untouched wasn’t foolish at all. Quite the opposite—they were clever and calculating.

Li Xuan coughed twice, and Shouxi quickly tilted the umbrella towards him. Gesturing for Shouxi to continue, Li Xuan listened as Shouxi spoke: “Many things have happened in Chang’an since Your Highness received the envoys from the Liuli Kingdom.”

“That assistant of Third Brother, Lu Huating, was working with the Dali Court on an investigation and somehow uncovered a hidden mistress at Meng Guanlou’s private residence in Chang’an. The news quickly reached His Majesty and the Empress. In fact, during the day, Minister Meng was still trying to arrange a marriage between Meng Guanlou and Princess Danyang. But His Majesty was so enraged that he smashed a teacup, calling off the marriage. And according to regulations, officials of the fifth rank and above aren’t permitted to keep concubines, so Meng Guanlou’s mistress was sent to Yeting Court.”

Li Xuan closed his eyes briefly in thought.

“Meng Guanlou has a notorious temper, and Your Highness knows it well. Unable to swallow the insult, he stormed over to Lu Huating’s residence, poured a bucket of black dog bl00d at his door, and even wrote on the door that Lu Huating was a ‘jinxed orphan.’”

Li Xuan’s eyes snapped open, his face pale and damp with cold sweat. “He dared trespass into Prince Yan’s residence? What was Lu Huating’s reaction?”

“No reaction at all,” Shouxi responded carefully. “I heard that Assistant Lu was resting at his desk when Meng Guanlou started shouting. After being woken up, he didn’t say a word. Instead, he quietly flipped through the memorials on his desk, pushing them aside one by one.”

“And then?”

“Then Assistant Lu did come out to face Meng Guanlou. But all he did was stand at the doorstep, touch the black dog bl00d smeared on the door, look up at the sun, and then stare at Meng Guanlou as if he’d never seen him before.”

Li Xuan’s brow furrowed deeply at this strange behavior.

“Meng Guanlou went too far this time; he must have hit Lu Huating’s sore spot. You don’t understand—this man holds grudges, and if it turns into a life-or-death feud, he’ll retaliate with full force,” Li Xuan remarked.

Shouxi was startled. “Meng Guanlou used to be more restrained, but ever since he came to Chang’an, he’s become reckless. At this rate, he’s going to drag Your Highness down with him. Should we warn Minister Meng to rein him in?”

Li Xuan shook his head slightly.

He motioned for Shouxi to look inside the Luanyi Pavilion. Shouxi caught sight of Bao Shu pulling Princess Bao’an away and exclaimed, “Bao Shu? When did she enter the palace? She didn’t even inform me.”

Li Xuan smiled. “This young lady just arrived from Longyou. Instead of enjoying a comfortable life in Chang’an, she insisted on becoming a palace maid, specifically to serve the temperamental Princess Bao’an. Can you make sense of that, Shouxi? I believe it’s her father’s doing. It seems Minister Meng is placing his bet on the princess for the position of Crown Princess.”

His smile faded slightly, replaced by a hint of disdain.

With the new dynasty’s rise, everyone scrambled to secure an advantage. Chancellor Meng’s son already held an official rank, yet he still pushed his daughter into the palace to connect with powerful figures. It all reeked of excessive ambition.

Li Xuan, by nature, distrusted easily. He couldn’t bring himself to fully rely on anyone, even those close to him.

“What’s there to see in petty palace squabbles?” Li Xuan lost interest and turned to leave. His light words scattered in the wind: “Take care of the mistakes Meng Guanlou made during his palace examination; don’t let Lu Huating seize on them.”

Shouxi shivered at Li Xuan’s tone. His golden sash fluttered by, still carrying a faint scent of sandalwood from when the Crown Prince had recently escorted foreign envoys to Biquan Palace for a Buddhist ceremony.

–

Inside the hall, Yang Fu sneered, “I’ve known Xuan for a long time, and not once has he mentioned you—his abandoned wife. You look like a muddy monkey, dark and graceless. What face do you have to walk around? You’re nothing but a concubine. Don’t you know that everyone in the palace is laughing at you?”

Lady Zhang quietly muttered, “Amitabha,” while the enraged Zheng Zhiyi grabbed her by the collar. “You think I don’t know you Yeting people are in cahoots with this wretch? You stop me but not her—clearly, you don’t take me seriously!”

Lady Zhang protested, “I did stop you!”

Yang Fu’s voice floated over like a ghost, “Don’t stop her. Let’s see if she dares come at me.”

Zheng Zhiyi flung Lady Zhang aside, sending her tumbling like a kite caught in the wind.

“When it comes to being a laughingstock, at least I was married to Li Xuan properly. And you? Even before marriage, you were already with Prince Yan…” Zheng Zhiyi’s brows furrowed in rage.

Before she could finish, Yang Fu lunged at her, grabbing her hair. Zheng Zhiyi, ready to fight, charged forward, but someone intervened.

A figure darted between them with remarkable speed, pushing them apart.

Yang Fu blinked, recognizing that familiar, slender silhouette standing before her. A wave of emotion surged through her.

Still seething, Zheng Zhiyi reached out to shove Qun Qing aside, but found her arm caught, unable to break free no matter how hard she tried. Stunned, Zheng Zhiyi staggered backward, incredulous. “You dare push me?!”

Without hesitation, Qun Qing lifted her skirt and knelt where Zheng Zhiyi had been. “Madam Zheng, please calm down. This servant only wishes to serve you.”

Zheng Zhiyi, about to hurl more insults, suddenly paused, caught off guard by the shift in tone.

“You… are the one who was acting out earlier?”

She opened her mouth, her anger momentarily stilled.

“I wasn’t having a fit,” Qun Qing said calmly. “Everything I said was sincere. I dare not serve at Luanyi Pavilion because of the uncertainty that lies ahead. You, however, are the Crown Prince’s appointed concubine, favored by His Majesty. It would be my honor to serve you, and I am entirely willing to do so.”

Who else could speak such flattering words so effortlessly?

Zheng Zhiyi harshly lifted Qun Qing’s face. She had a gentle, clean appearance, especially her eyes, which seemed like clear pools, calm and without a trace of malice.

No one had ever praised Zheng Zhiyi so openly in front of others, and she felt her face flush.

Zheng Zhiyi’s anger subsided, replaced by a hint of fear. The issue of Princess Bao’an’s lost chastity had been strictly forbidden by the Crown Prince from being discussed in the palace. If not for this servant’s intervention, she might have landed herself in trouble with her sharp tongue. “… You’re quite clever after all.”

Lady Zhang quickly stepped in to mediate. “In that case, why not let her serve you, Madam Zheng? You now have five maids, second only to the Empress in the inner court.”

Zheng Zhiyi snatched the coveted register from Lady Zhang, satisfied at having taken Yang Fu’s maid right under her nose.

So, when Princess of Yan, Xiao Yunru, returned, she was greeted by the sight of a disarrayed hall—overturned chairs, Yang Fu holding back tears, and Zheng Zhiyi looking smug, though slightly disheveled.

She paused for a moment, uncertain of what had just transpired.

However, being the daughter of a general, Xiao Yunru maintained her composure. She gracefully sat down, taking the register as though nothing had happened and looked it over. “Very well, the maids not chosen by the noblewomen shall be assigned to other palaces by Jingchun for general duties. Today, all twenty Yeting Court maids have found their places.”

Xiao Yunru’s features were dignified, her jaw slightly broad, and her voice steady. While not as strikingly beautiful as Princess Bao’an, she commanded an air of authority. “His Majesty has shown great kindness, abolishing the old law that bound Yeting maids to servitude for life. Now you have a chance to enter the inner court—this is your fortune. Serve the noblewomen well, and perhaps one day you will rise to the Six Shang ranks.”

A chorus of grateful voices filled the hall, drowning out Xiao Yunru’s light coughing. Qun Qing noticed her red eyes and the way she discreetly covered her mouth with her sleeve, taking a pill with the help of a maid. She appeared unwell, yet was clearly forcing herself to maintain composure.

Qun Qing’s thoughts drifted momentarily. Xiao Yunru, as she recalled, passed away in the second year of Shenglin.

In her youth, Qun Qing often heard Xiao Yunru’s name mentioned—a famous noble lady from Chang’an, known not only for her beauty but also for her intelligence and skill in managing a household.

Now, seeing Xiao Yunru in person, she truly exuded an extraordinary aura, though her choice in men was perhaps a little questionable. After the Li family took control of Chang’an, Xiao Yunru had led the Xiao family’s forces and sought marriage with Prince Yan, becoming his princess by imperial decree.

Qun Qing remembered that in her previous life, after marrying Li Huan, Xiao Yunru often stood against Prince Yan’s warlike tendencies, advocating for more benevolent governance. To some extent, her advice had an impact. Sadly, she passed away too early.

Had she lived longer, perhaps Li Huan would not have been so quick to wage war against Southern Chu…

Qun Qing resolved that in the future, when she burned incense, she would say a prayer for Xiao Yunru as well.

Before moving to Qingxuan Pavilion, Qun Qing needed to return to Yeting to gather her belongings. She hurried, worried about Su Run’s condition.

However, upon reaching the cluster of low, tiled houses, she noticed a group of eunuchs gathered in front of the Palace Academy Scholar’s quarters, their expressions grim, as if something terrible had happened.

She moved closer, and soon saw the eunuchs carrying a body from the quarters. Eunuch Pei announced loudly, “Make way, Palace Academy Scholar Su Run of rank nine has suddenly died.”

Qun Qing felt as though she had been struck by lightning, stepping back to the side of the road, her gaze fixed on the litter as it passed by.

A pair of feet, caked in sand, and hairy calves poked out from under the white cloth. The limbs were discolored, a bluish hue of lifelessness.

She stared at the body for what felt like an eternity, her mind struggling to process what she saw.

Hadn’t she just changed Su Run’s dressing earlier that morning? But… was Su Run’s leg hair really that thick? She then focused on the corpse’s stiff, curled fingers—cold and rigid like stone. Something was off… the body looked as though it had been dead for more than half a day.

Before Eunuch Pei noticed her, Qun Qing quietly slipped away. She returned to the northern storage for a quick check, and everything appeared undisturbed—no signs of forced entry. Her earlier anxiety must have clouded her judgment. After all, Su Run had even lent her money, suggesting he had headed straight to Prince Yan’s residence. He had no reason to return to that dirty, chaotic place unless he was foolish.

The body taken from the scholar’s residence, therefore, wasn’t Su Run’s—it belonged to someone else.

Qun Qing’s temples began to bead with cold sweat as the realization sank in.

There was no scheduled food delivery at this hour, so why would a body suddenly be brought out unless someone had broken into the scholar’s quarters and discovered the victim already dead? If she had once thought of Meng Guanlou as merely brutal, today’s events revealed him as someone daring enough to kill witnesses. Had she sent Su Run back to his quarters, he would’ve met the same fate today.

The wind stirred the leaves, and a cold chill crept into her sleeves.

To remove Eunuch Pei in just a few hours, to subtly slip in a body resembling Su Run’s, all while avoiding suspicion—such a feat couldn’t be accomplished by just anyone.

In the first year of Shenglin, Lu Huating’s responses and schemes had already proven to be this swift and meticulous.

Without realizing it, Qun Qing had played a part in a seamless exchange with an unseen adversary from afar.

She quickly gathered her belongings into a bundle.

While she had initially worried whether Su Run would be able to find refuge at Prince Yan’s residence, it turned out that Lu Huating’s dedication had surpassed her expectations.