The Princess Who Married The Crown Prince(GL) - Chapter 29

“You don’t like it either, do you? It smells awful. What terrible taste! Let’s just throw it away…” Su Qiuqiu said, frowning and waving her hand in front of her face as she watched Lu Fangting grimace. The scent was overpowering, and Su Qiuqiu, who preferred delicate fragrances, found it particularly unpleasant.
“I’ll give it to Uncle Fu to dispose of,” Lu Fangting replied.
Su Qiuqiu handed the sachet to Lu Fangting (still disguised as Qingli), who left the carriage. She wrapped the sachet in oiled paper and gave it to Uncle Fu, the coachman, to hold onto.

“Sister Qingli, does my face look bruised? It feels like it’s burning, as if someone slapped me…” After returning to the carriage, Su Qiuqiu asked Lu Fangting with a worried frown, concerned about how her beautiful appearance might be affected by the bruises.

“It’s a bit red and swollen. It should improve with some ointment when we get back,” Lu Fangting observed, noticing the angry red marks on Su Qiuqiu’s fair skin. Her fingers twitched slightly before she tucked her hands back into her sleeves, a strange light flickering in her eyes. Su Qiuqiu had endured so much humiliation today, more painful than all the years Lu Fangting had spent suppressing her own talents and enduring humiliation.

Exhausted and aching, Su Qiuqiu yawned, feeling drowsy. She lay down on the carriage seat, wrapped herself in her cloak, and drifted off to sleep.

Lu Fangting hadn’t inhaled much of the poison, so her condition was relatively stable. Fearing a delayed reaction, she remained silent and focused on regulating her breathing.

They soon arrived at Prince Zhen’nan’s Manor. Lu Fangting didn’t wake Su Qiuqiu but carried her out of the carriage and back to the Crown Prince’s Courtyard.

Eager to assess Su Qiuqiu’s injuries, Lu Fangting personally undressed and bathed her. Su Qiuqiu, drowsy and trusting, simply kept her eyes closed and passively cooperated.

Su Qiuqiu’s skin was strikingly pale, her body was soft, and her flesh was so delicate that it seemed ready to tear at the slightest touch. Aside from the wound on her face, bruises of varying sizes mottled her legs, knees, arms, and back. The stark contrast against her fair complexion sent a chill through Lu Fangting, darkening her gaze with concern.

After wrapping Su Qiuqiu in a nightgown, Lu Fangting entrusted her to a maidservant. She then stepped out to the Crown Prince’s chambers and switched places with Qingli.

As Su Qiuqiu drifted in and out of sleep, she felt something cool brush against her face and inhaled a soothing fragrance. Opening her eyes, she saw Lu Fangting, now fully transformed into the Crown Prince, her long hair cascading down her back, her long lashes lowered. Her slender index finger, coated with green ointment, gently smoothed it onto Su Qiuqiu’s wound.

“Elder Sister…” Su Qiuqiu murmured, her eyes curving into a soft smile as she recognized Lu Fangting.
“Qingli told me you were hurt. Are you okay?” Lu Fangting asked softly.
“It hurts… my whole body aches…” Su Qiuqiu mumbled, her eyes looking around. She had initially wanted to deny the pain so Lu Fangting wouldn’t worry, but such a rare opportunity for affection was too good to pass up. Pretending to be brave wouldn’t earn her any treats. After all, she was still a child, and of course it hurts
“This is an excellent healing ointment. Applying it will help. Let me put it on for you,” Lu Fangting said, gently stroking Su Qiuqiu’s hair with her free hand.

“The ointment isn’t working… it still hurts…” Su Qiuqiu blinked innocently. “Elder Sister, if you kissed me, I wouldn’t hurt anymore…”

Lu Fangting paused, gazing at Su Qiuqiu’s starlit eyes. She lowered her head and kissed her forehead.

“I feel much better now… Elder Sister, you’re so kind to me…” Su Qiuqiu murmured softly, her voice hazy with emotion, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Looking at Lu Fangting, her heart melted completely. My husband, my Goddess Elder Sister, she thought, is truly beautiful inside and out. She kissed me, she indulged me, and now she’s even kissing me again just because I asked. It’s wonderful…

“Are you hungry? I had the kitchen prepare something. Would you like to eat before you sleep?” Lu Fangting asked softly, her heart skipping a beat as she watched Su Qiuqiu’s radiant smile, content with just a small kiss.

“You didn’t mention it, Elder Sister, and I’d completely forgotten. My stomach is actually growling,” Su Qiuqiu said, patting her flat belly.

Lu Fangting signaled for Lanxiu to bring in the food box and place it on the small table beside their bed.
It was already late when Su Qiuqiu finished his meal. She hugged Lu Fangting and snuggled under the covers, requesting that she stay and sleep with her, without bothering to get out of bed again.
The soup Su Qiuqiu had drunk contained calming herbs. She fell asleep quickly after saying only a few words. Once she was asleep, Lu Fangting carefully tucked her in and rose quietly.

From the wardrobe, Lu Fangting retrieved a set of black martial attire. She secured her hair with a hairpin, masked her face with a black cloth that revealed only her sharp, narrow phoenix eyes, and leaped silently out the window into the darkness.

Under the cover of night, where ordinary eyes struggled to see, Lu Fangting moved with the stealth of a cat, darting through the darkness as easily as in broad daylight. She swiftly arrived at the main courtyard of Prince Zhen’nan’s Manor, where the prince and princess consort resided.

“Greetings, Father!” Lu Fangting entered the inner chamber and bowed deeply before the man seated behind the mahogany desk, who was writing. This was Lu Chenzhou, her father, a burly figure with rugged features. Their resemblance was minimal, limited to the shape of their noses; otherwise, they looked strikingly different.

“Why are you dressed like that? Remember, we’re not in the Southern Territory anymore—eyes are everywhere,” Lu Chenzhou remarked calmly, showing little surprise at his daughter’s arrival.

“Last time, the Princess’s sachet triggered my poison. Today, I retrieved it and am on my way to deliver it to Master Zhongli. I stopped by to inform you… Also, Gong Luoyun struck the Crown Princess today and vowed to exterminate her entire lineage,” Lu Fangting reported gravely.
“Exterminate her lineage? It should have been done long ago!” Lu Chenzhou muttered dismissively.

“I shall take my leave,” Lu Fangting said, cutting short the conversation.

“Be careful,” Lu Chenzhou said, his gaze lingering on his daughter before waving her away.

Lu Fangting slipped out of the room and vanished into the darkness with a few swift movements, her speed surpassing even the patrol carriages rolling through the capital’s streets. She raced toward Quiet Void Temple, located on the outskirts of the city.

Quiet Void Temple was a Daoist temple exclusively for women, said to have existed since the previous dynasty. Despite the mystery surrounding its origins, Quiet Void Temple has endured over time.
In a small, secluded room within the temple, thick with the pungent aroma of medicinal herbs, Qingzhi tearfully watched Zhongli Yao preparing medicine. Beside Qingzhi, a beggar-like figure clung to her leg, squatting on the floor like a dog. Matted hair obscured their face, leaving only a visible pair of strikingly clear, black-and-white eyes.

“I told you not to meddle in others’ affairs, but you insisted. Now you’ll have to deal with the consequences yourself. I’m not running a charity here. Return to the Prince’s Manor tomorrow. I can’t afford to keep you,” Zhongli Yao said, glancing disdainfully at the beggar.

“He’s so pitiful… Please, Master Zhongli, help him,” Qingzhi gestured frantically.

“I don’t understand your hand signals,” Zhongli Yao replied, continuing to prepare the herbs.
“Master Zhongli…” Lu Fangting entered the room and witnessed the scene. Seeing the stranger, she didn’t remove her mask.

“Elder Sister, you’re finally here!” Qingzhi exclaimed, gesturing excitedly at Lu Fangting.

“What’s going on?” Lu Fangting asked.

“Qingzhi, with her heart of gold, went out for a walk and brought back this… thing,” Zhongli Yao said coldly without looking up.”
“He’s not deaf or mute, just… mentally unsound. Completely out of his mind.”

“Mentally unsound? Qingzhi doesn’t bring just anyone back. Who is he?” Lu Fangting signed.

“Elder Sister, you’ve met him before. He’s from the Prince’s Residence, a native of Yan State. I don’t know how he ended up like this…” Qingzhi replied.

“Take him to wash up first. It’s impossible to recognize him in this state,” Lu Fangting instructed, a sudden suspicion forming in her mind.

Qingzhi dragged the little beggar out of the room.

“Did you retrieve the item? Your efficiency is appalling,” Zhongli Yao demanded.

“Yes, it’s in this bundle,” Lu Fangting replied, handing over the package—the very sachet she had wrapped and entrusted to Uncle Fu.

“Hmm, good. As long as you have it,” Zhongli Yao nodded curtly.

“Master Zhongli, if I’m not mistaken, that boy was Ji Dan, the Fifth Prince of Yan State. He used to be perfectly normal, but something happened to him while he was being held hostage in Great Chu. I implore you to examine him and tell me what’s wrong,” Lu Fangting said to Zhongli Yao.

“I’m only helping you because of Meng Ruo. You wouldn’t have earned my favor otherwise,” Zhongli Yao replied coldly, her words a stark contrast to her alluring beauty.

“I’ll pay your consultation fee,” Lu Fangting offered after a pause.

“My fees are quite high. An examination costs one thousand taels of silver, and a full cure will cost one hundred gold pieces,” Zhongli Yao stated.

“Agreed. Thank you, Master Zhongli,” Lu Fangting said, bowing gratefully.

“You dare to gamble! You’re quite like her in that since,” Zhongli Yao murmured, her gaze drifting as if she were looking through Lu Fangting at someone else.

“Master Zhongli, here’s a silver note for one thousand taels. Please accept it now and examine him later. If you can cure him, I’ll personally present one hundred gold pieces with both hands,” Lu Fangting said.

Zhongli Yao remained silent while continuing to prepare medicinal herbs. After a moment, Qingzhi entered, leading a girl about her own height, around fourteen or fifteen years old.
The girl was dressed in Qingzhi’s own women’s clothing, her hair styled in twin coiled buns. Her features were delicate and fair, but her eyes held an almost vacant look, tinged with fear. She clung tightly to Qingzhi’s arm, refusing to let go.

“She’s a woman?” Lu Fangting frowned.

“Yes, yes! I bathed her and discovered she’s a girl… Elder Sister, please help her! She’s so pitiful… She grabbed my leg and cried when she saw me… She even recognized me!” Qingzhi gestured frantically while explaining the situation to Lu Fangting.

“I’ve already spoken to Master Zhongli,” Lu Fangting replied after a moment’s hesitation. She remembered the girl’s face—it was indeed the Yan State hostage from the Prince’s Residence. But this hostage, like herself, had been disguised as a man, and now she seemed to have lost her mind.

Lu Fangting had originally hoped to use the Yan State hostage to establish connections with Yan State. Now, that possibility seemed greatly diminished. Still, seeing Qingzhi’s pleading eyes, Lu Fangting decided to take the risk anyway.

“Tsk, tsk! How is it that women are so easily devalued? They send women disguised as men to fight battles, to die in war, and now they make women pretend to be men to endure the suffering of being a hostage!” With a thud, Zhongli Yao threw down the object in her hand—her face flushed with anger.
“Master Zhongli, please quell your anger and honor your promise to examine her,” Lu Fangting said, bowing deeply.

“I never break my word. Bring her here,” Zhongli Yao replied impassively, gesturing for Qingzhi to lead Ji Dan to her. She took Ji Dan’s pulse.

“There’s a blockage of stagnant bl00d in her brain. She needs acupuncture… I haven’t fully cured myself yet, so I can only provide temporary relief,” Zhongli Yao explained briefly after the examination.

“Thank you for your trouble, Master Zhongli,” Lu Fangting said, bowing again.

“Master Zhongli, do you happen to have any medicine that causes impotence? I’d like to purchase some,” Lu Fangting asked as she prepared to leave.

“Impotence medicine? I have plenty. Take it for free,” Zhongli Yao replied, a rare smirk curling the corner of her lips. She turned to the medicine shelves and retrieved a white porcelain vial, handing it to Lu Fangting.

“One pill will cause impotence for a month. Ten pills will guarantee permanent impotence,” Zhongli Yao said with a faint smile, her bewitching aura finding an outlet and radiating dazzlingly.

“Ahem, thank you. I won’t trouble you any further,” Lu Fangting said, offering another bow. After giving Qingzhi a few parting instructions, she finally departed.