Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 21

In the fifth year of Taihe, late at night, Princess Zhao Qingsui was urgently summoned to the palace.

Spring was nearing its end in the capital, but the late-night chill still seeped into one’s bones.

Even with a thick cloak draped over her shoulders, Zhao Qingsui’s lips remained colorless.

Someone was already approaching from afar at the foot of the steps.

“Your Highness, this servant has been waiting for you.”

Zhao Qingsui lifted her gaze slightly, her steps never pausing. “How is Father?”

“The Emperor had a slight cough earlier tonight. This servant has already summoned Imperial Physician Liu, who diagnosed it as a common cold.”

Hearing this, Zhao Qingsui frowned. The speaker’s legs trembled, and with a sharp clatter, he dropped to his knees on the stone tiles, his voice filled with panic. “Your Highness, please forgive me! It was my negligence in caring for His Majesty!”

Zhao Qingsui pressed her lips together and stopped in front of the hall. Behind her, Su Rui stepped forward to remove her cloak, then bowed slightly and retreated.

The young eunuch, who had been notified in advance, bent at the waist and pushed open the hall doors. Zhao Qingsui stepped inside, bypassed the screen, and saluted the man lying on the bed.

“Father, I have come late.”

Zhao Cong struggled to sit up and beckoned her closer. “Sui’er, come here.”

Zhao Qingsui stepped forward, and Zhao Cong took her hand, letting out a soft cough. She immediately supported him. “I will summon Imperial Physician Liu at once.”

“No need.”

Zhao Cong waved his hand and patted Zhao Qingsui’s hand. “I am fine. I called you here tonight because I have something to tell you.”

His face was pale, and deep wrinkles marked his brow.

Beside the bed, the lampwick burned, making faint crackling sounds. The candlelight pierced through the paper lampshade, casting Zhao Qingsui’s elongated shadow at her feet.

The moment she received the urgent summons and rode the wind into the palace, she had already anticipated that something was amiss tonight.

Though the rebellion in Great Tai had been recently quelled and the country unified, much work remained to be done.

Moreover, remnants of the traitors had yet to be eradicated. The imperial court was divided into three factions: the noble faction led by the Prime Minister, the royalist faction led by the princes, and the neutral faction. These opposing forces restrained one another, but they also made the court unstable.

Recently, Zhao Qingsui received news that the neutral faction’s Grand Tutor Lu had been in frequent contact with the Prime Minister, making the relationship between the two families rather delicate.

For both her and Great Tai, this was not good news. A broken balance would bring changes.

“…When I was young, I made an oath with Lu Zheng and promised a betrothal by bl00d.”

Zhao Qingsui’s brows furrowed slightly, but the expression disappeared in an instant.

“My health is deteriorating by the day, and among my children, you are the one I worry about the most.”

Zhao Qingsui lowered her eyes and bowed. “Now that Your Majesty is unwell, yet still troubled by concerns for your child, I feel deeply uneasy.”

*Cough, cough…* Zhao Cong held her hand and sighed. “The affairs of the state can be handled by Zhe’er, but you—there is only one of you. Before your mother passed away, she entrusted me to find you a good support. I have considered it, and he is a suitable choice in court.”

His chest rose and fell with each breath, his voice slow, as if every word took immense effort.

“Have you met him?”

Her gaze landed on the corner of the bed, where the candlelight flickered, causing the shadows to sway slightly.

“I have not.”

—

Zhao Qingsui boarded the carriage with Su Rui. Inside, the enclosed space shut out the chill from the outside.

Su Rui handed her a hand warmer.

The warmth drove away the lingering cold. Zhao Qingsui spoke slowly, “Did the reports say that the Prime Minister’s contact was with the eldest son of the Lu family?”

“Yes, Your Highness. It was Lu Mu, the eldest son of the Lu family.”

A gust of wind lifted the carriage curtain, letting in the cold air. The warmth she had just regained dissipated again.

Su Rui immediately reached out and secured the curtain.

Zhao Qingsui traced the outline of the hand warmer with her fingertips, pausing when she felt the raised engravings. The heat coiled around her fingers before she pulled her hand away.

Her expression remained calm. “Su Rui, send someone to find a set of fine antiques.”

“As you wish.”

Zhao Qingsui took a teacup from the side and lightly sipped. The pale green tea leaves clung together at the bottom of the cup, reflecting her faintly upturned eyes.

“In that case, I find myself rather interested in the Prime Minister’s banquet.”

Lu Mu was known for his ruthless nature and erratic temperament. Her father sought to use marriage to restrain him, but in Zhao Qingsui’s eyes, this was akin to raising a wolf beside the bed—far from a wise strategy.

The capital at night was different from its lively daytime self. It was more like a slumbering lion, and the carriage gradually disappeared into the wide streets.

The moonlight was sly, casting a long, slender shadow of Zhao Qingsui as she passed through the gates of the Princess’s residence. The attendants at her sides all bowed respectfully.

Under the soft glow, the nameplate of the residence was faintly visible—**Guangling Princess’s Manor.**

—

The golden light surrounding Lingxi gradually faded. When she opened her eyes again, she was lying on a bed.

“You’re awake, my lord! That’s wonderful! I’ll go call the doctor right away!”

A boy of about ten, overcome with joy, turned and ran out before Lingxi could even see his face.

When she sat up, a sharp pain shot through her forehead. She reached out and touched the bandages wrapped around her head.

In the mirror, she saw herself dressed in a man’s long robe, but her frame was smaller than that of an average man, with a delicate bone structure.

The original owner of this body had been unconscious for days, leaving her physically weak. Lingxi poured herself a cup of water from the table, wetting her lips to soothe her dry throat.

By the time she arrived, the original owner had been on the brink of death. As Lingxi received her final wish, the white light that had enveloped her gradually disappeared.

“I want to stand at the top, to look down upon the entire Lu family.”

That was the dying wish the original owner had entrusted to Lingxi.

Just then, hurried footsteps approached from the door. The young boy returned, bringing a middle-aged man with a wooden medicine chest and a neatly trimmed beard.

“My lord, you’re awake!”

“Why are you up? You must lie down!”

The boy reached out to support her, but Lingxi lifted a hand, stopping him.

“I am fine. Doctor, please take my pulse here.”

The boy froze in place, startled.

“Understood.”

The doctor placed his fingers on her wrist, his expression briefly puzzled before smoothing out. “My lord, your health is robust. After several days of unconsciousness, your pulse has steadied—truly a sign of divine fortune. I will prescribe some medicine to help regulate your body. Take it three times a day, and you should recover soon.”

“Thank you for your efforts.” Lingxi then turned to the boy. “Chai Gao, accompany the doctor to fetch the prescription and express my gratitude for his care these past days.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The doctor bowed in thanks before leaving with Chai Gao.

Lingxi exhaled softly. From now on, she would have to navigate this world in the guise of **Lu Mu, the young magistrate of the Court of Judicial Review.**