The Princess Who Married The Crown Prince(GL) - Chapter 17

Lu Fangting only realized how far they had run after Su Qiuqiu had already dragged her a considerable distance. It wasn’t that her reaction was slow—rather, it was Su Qiuqiu’s sudden action that had completely caught her off guard.

“Don’t panic…” Lu Fangting gently pulled Su Qiuqiu to a stop and said calmly.

“Don’t panic? If we don’t run, are we just going to stand there and get beaten?” Su Qiuqiu tugged at her anxiously, but Lu Fangting wouldn’t budge.

“Turn around and look,” Lu Fangting said quietly.

Su Qiuqiu was stunned by her composed tone. She looked back—and saw the old coachman who had been driving their carriage earlier walking toward them.

The coachman had a disability—his right leg was shorter than the left, making him limp—but his driving skills were excellent, steady, and reliable.

Su Qiuqiu frowned. The man looked honest and plain, in his forties or fifties, not very tall, and limping at that. How was he supposed to win a fight? Wasn’t he just asking to be beaten up? She was about to step forward when she saw the coachman’s brows knit tightly together. An unexpected fierceness suddenly surged from his frame as he swung his whip with practiced precision—snap! The lash struck the ruffians one by one, sharp and ruthless, making them howl in pain and tumble to the ground.

“Open your eyes and look clearly—this is the future Princess Consort of the Prince of Zhen’nan!” The coachman barked; his gravelly voice was full of authority.

“Forgive us, my lady! We were blind and didn’t recognize nobility when we saw it… Madam, please spare us! We deserve to die…” The ruffians, hearing those words, instantly turned pale with fear. Terrified and trembling, they scrambled toward Su Qiuqiu and kowtowed repeatedly, their foreheads hitting the ground until bl00d stained the dirt.

“Scram,” Lu Fangting said coldly, pulling Su Qiuqiu—who was now utterly flustered by the scene—behind her. The thugs didn’t dare hesitate. They bowed and fled in a panic.

Su Qiuqiu stared in awe. The Prince of Zhen’nan’s household… was truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

Just a moment ago, those thugs had been strutting about like tyrants. Now they were groveling at her feet, as if she were someone to be worshiped. That sudden shift made her feel, for the first time, that marrying into the Lu family might actually be… an honor.

“Uncle Fu, thank you for your help,” Lu Fangting said with a respectful cupped-fist salute as they returned to the carriage.

“It was my duty,” Uncle Fu muttered humbly. He said no more, returning to his seat at the front of the carriage. The deadly aura from moments before had vanished—he was once again just a quiet, unassuming old coachman.

“Big Sis Qingli… Was Uncle Fu a soldier?” Su Qiuqiu asked as they boarded the carriage, her voice soft.

“Mm… He used to be a commander under the Prince himself,” Lu Fangting replied. Soldier? He had led soldiers. Back in the day, he was a force to be reckoned with.

Su Qiuqiu said nothing more. It wasn’t that she wasn’t impressed—it was just that “impressive” didn’t quite capture the weight behind it. There was something deeply sorrowful in his silence and humility.

For the first time, Su Qiuqiu became truly curious—what kind of family was the Lu family of the Zhen’nan Prince’s household, that even someone like Uncle Fu would willingly serve as their subordinate?

“Was it wrong for me to go out today? Did I cause trouble?” she murmured, twisting her handkerchief nervously. She’d been so excited to explore and have fun that she’d forgotten how striking her looks were—like a fairy descending to the mortal realm. Going out without covering her face? She could have easily been a victim of theft.

“It’s fine. Things like this won’t happen again,” Lu Fangting reassured her.

“They won’t?” Su Qiuqiu blinked, confused.

“The Prince of Zhen’nan’s household may have declined, but it was once bestowed a royal title by the previous emperor. Do you think mere street thugs would dare provoke us?” Lu Fangting paused, then added meaningfully.

“Even so, I should still be more careful. What if we run into someone crazy—or someone even stronger than us, like last time? That’d be a disaster…” Su Qiuqiu nodded thoughtfully. She didn’t doubt Lu Fangting’s words, but caution was always a good thing.

With a face like hers—something out of a painting—there were bound to be people who’d think, “Even if I die for touching her, it’d be worth it!” She couldn’t afford to be careless. (Hey hey, let’s tone down the narcissism just a little…)

After that, Su Qiuqiu stayed put and didn’t go out again. Eventually, they arrived at Aunt Qin’s.

******

Aunt Qin, who ran a silk shop, welcomed Su Qiuqiu with great warmth. As the Seventh Miss, Su Qiuqiu had met her a few times before. Aunt Qin had helped their family a lot—if not for her, they’d have had an even harder time getting by on their meager monthly allowance at the marquis’s residence.

Aunt Qin was a true businesswoman. Despite her small business, Aunt Qin was well-versed in the capital, knowing where to buy what, where to find nobles or commoners, which shops were reputable, and which places had the best thread or cosmetics. After just a short chat, Su Qiuqiu felt like she’d toured half the capital.

“If you’re thinking of opening a clothing shop, be careful. It’s a tough business. All the rich families have their own seamstresses. My husband’s family used to run a clothing shop too, but it didn’t make money. Silk is a simpler trade.”

“Perfume and powder shops? There is an abundance of hidden knowledge in those shops. Without an insider, you won’t get far. Old shops are stable; new ones struggle to survive…”

Hearing that Su Qiuqiu wanted to open both a clothing and cosmetics shop, Aunt Qin gave her some honest advice—without something unique, both ventures would be hard to profit from.

But Su Qiuqiu didn’t go into detail. Explaining her plan would just sound insane. What she intended to do… no one here had ever done before.

She was relying on creativity—and knowledge born from thousands of years of scientific progress.

Her cosmetics shop wouldn’t be selling the usual powders and fragrances. She’d be introducing skincare products, handmade soaps, and beauty items based on modern science and technique.

Reflecting on her past, she was appreciative of her tendency towards cleanliness. She’d tried DIY face masks and moisturizers, even handmade soaps. Most weren’t great, but she had seen the processes and remembered the principles. Now, with some local ingredients, she could recreate and even improve them with a bit of chemistry and experimentation.

After getting some insights from Aunt Qin, Su Qiuqiu promised to source materials from her if the clothing shop opened and then returned home.

Lu Fangting watched Su Qiuqiu deep in thought, her delicate face scrunched into a frown. He found her increasingly fascinating. He wanted to see how this clever little wife of his would manage her plans…

But lingerie, no matter how well-made, was too private and too easy to copy. As soon as someone saw one set, it would be replicated.

Things like whitening creams and moisturizers? People had to try them to see the effects. Convincing others to buy the products was a significant challenge due to their novelty.

Su Qiuqiu kept busy with her experiments, while Lu Fangting continued to observe her in secret, switching identities as needed.

He gradually realized that Su Qiuqiu treated everyone warmly—genuinely friendly and respectful even to the Princess Consort and even toward Qingzhi, her “love rival.” She would gift her little trinkets and joke around without a hint of jealousy. She didn’t suppress Lanxiu either. She had the poise of a true legal wife—a textbook example of nobility.

She seemed genuinely happy with everyone… except when she interacted with the “heir” (Lu Fangting). Then, despite her respectful and composed demeanor, there was a subtle sense of distance. Even holding hands, she seemed reluctant.

Which made Lu Fangting all the more certain—this little wife of his didn’t like him.

Even though Su Qiuqiu treated her “Qingli” persona like a best friend—her closest confidant—it still made Lu Fangting uncomfortable. After all, he was the heir. Why didn’t his own wife like him? Was it… because of his rumored condition?

“Your Ladyship, in the next few days, you must nourish your body. The Princess Consort has found a divine physician and acquired medicine to help the Heir recover. She wishes for you two to consummate the marriage soon, and hopefully have a child, to continue the Lu family line…” Lu Fangting assessed her reaction by using Madam Mo as an intermediary.

“…Huh?” Su Qiuqiu went pale. What did she just say? Consummate the marriage? No way!

“Your Ladyship must be speechless from joy. Truly, the gods have blessed us! When I heard, I wanted to kneel and offer a hundred prayers in thanks!” Madam Mo beamed.

Su Qiuqiu wanted to cry. What was this nonsense?! She specifically married the Heir because he was impotent! That was the selling point!

Depressed, she even gave up her experiments for a while. She started planning to find the Heir a beautiful maid to… “take care” of things.

Watching Su Qiuqiu scheme to find him a concubine made Lu Fangting feel inexplicably bitter…

******

Soon, it was the end of the year. With all the ceremonies, greetings, gift exchanges, and social obligations, Su Qiuqiu was too busy to worry. The so-called “consummation” was pushed back again.

As the New Year approached, princes from their fiefs and foreign envoys arrived in the capital. The atmosphere in the city grew tense, and Lu Fangting became occupied with state affairs.

The rumors about Lu Fangting’s impending death—and Su Qiuqiu being married off to bring good fortune—had been deliberately spread by Lu Fangting himself. He remembered Su Qiuqiu’s words about her hardships in the marquis’s residence and wanted to help her escape early. The story also served to mislead their enemies. Now, with the New Year arriving and her still alive, a new rumor spread: her health had improved, thanks to a folk physician the Princess Consort had found. The narrative shifted—she could live a few more years, not just a few months.

The bride had brought good luck—“marrying to ward off misfortune” had worked! A textbook example!

Su Qiuqiu, who had been mentally preparing to become a widow, was stunned. Wait, wasn’t I supposed to be widowed by now?

Ahem… that sounded a bit unkind. But even a living widow was acceptable—just not the consummating kind, please…

She couldn’t say this out loud, of course, so she kept her worries to herself.

Soon it was the Lantern Festival. As Lu Fangting had said earlier, the palace would host a grand banquet—an annual gathering of the capital’s most prominent families, essentially a massive aristocratic matchmaking event.

Su Qiuqiu had been upset about missing the festive lantern fair outside. But upon entering the palace banquet, her eyes lit up. So many beautiful ladies!

Noblewomen, palace consorts, maids, princesses, ladies of all ranks—even professional dancers and musicians from the entertainment bureau—dazzled the hall with their beauty and grace. Su Qiuqiu couldn’t look away.

Lu Fangting glanced at the girl beside her with cheeks flushed red and sparkling eyes. He wasn’t sure what she was looking at—but she sure looked happy about it.

Naturally, Lu Fangting attended the banquet. Although the Prince of Zhen’nan couldn’t walk and would not be attending, Lu Fangting felt obligated to show up—especially after she had publicly announced her recovery.