Marrying the Crown Princess - Chapter 4

 In the season of early winter, everything seemed bleak. Even the sunlight had lost its warmth, casting only a cold, pale glow over the world.

Su Qiuqiu tightened the pale moon-colored cloak wrapped around her, shielding herself from the occasional biting wind. With Lingxiang’s support, she followed behind Madam Zhang as they walked forward. The familiar yet distant images of her past began to surface in her memory.

The residence before her was designed in that classic garden style—both familiar and foreign. It was vast, even larger than the gardens she’d visited in Suzhou in her previous life. The covered walkways twisted and turned, and every few steps they encountered servant girls and attendants going about their work.

Many of their faces were tinged with weariness and numb melancholy, casting an added shadow over the already somber atmosphere.

They hadn’t gone far when, from the opposite side of the corridor, a group of people approached, surrounding a girl in red who looked about fourteen or fifteen.

“Hmph!” The red-clad girl snorted the moment she laid eyes on Su Qiuqiu, quickening her pace to pass ahead.

Su Qiuqiu smiled faintly. This was the Eighth Miss. She was probably still bitter over the incident where Su Qiuqiu had “threatened death” to make her point. Clearly, she hadn’t fully believed Su Qiuqiu’s earlier words and still bore resentment.

Though Su Qiuqiu could be a bit naïve in certain respects, in her past life, she’d graduated from university and was already a woman in her twenties. Looking at these younger sisters now, she felt more like an older sibling watching children squabble, experiencing not much malice but rather amusement. In fact, she had a strong urge to pinch the Eighth Miss’s soft, round cheeks. But, clearly, now wasn’t the time.

Madam Wang, the Marchioness of An Ning household, was currently entertaining guests in the warm pavilion. Su Qiuqiu and her group walked quite a distance before reaching it. After announcing their arrival, Su Qiuqiu and Lingxiang were led in by one of Madam Wang’s personal maids.

The pavilion had floor heating, and as soon as they entered, Su Qiuqiu could feel the warmth rise around her. She removed her cloak and sleeves, and her fingers quickly regained warmth.

They passed through two layers of curtains before entering a drawing room. At the head of the hall sat two women—one was her stepmother, Madam Wang, and the other was an unfamiliar lady. Below them sat several young ladies; some were familiar, others were not.

Madam Wang, her stepmother, was nearing fifty, an age already considered elderly in ancient times. Although she had taken good care of her appearance, the signs of aging were still evident on her features. Her long face and average features gave her a dignified but not beautiful appearance. Yet, as the matriarch, her presence carried authority—a sharpness that hinted at strong control and ambition.

In her memories of the original Seventh Miss, Su Qiuqiu recalled feelings of fear toward Madam Wang. But seeing her now, Su Qiuqiu felt like she was facing one of those middle school deans who had just hit menopause—stern and always ready to lecture.

In contrast, the woman sitting beside her was much gentler in appearance. Likely in her thirties, she had soft features and carried the grace of a mature woman. The woman gave Su Qiuqiu a kind smile as she walked in.

“Pardon the spectacle, Princess. This is my seventh daughter. Qiuqiu, come and greet the Princess Consort of Zhen’nan.” Madam Wang smiled, motioning her over with motherly warmth.

“Greetings to Mother, greetings to the Princess Consort,” Su Qiuqiu said respectfully, bowing to both.

“What a sweet child. Come closer and let me have a good look…” the Princess Consort said with a kind tone.

Su Qiuqiu glanced at  Madam Wang, who nodded slightly. With that, she stepped forward.

This was something Madam Zhang had warned her about—Su Qiuqiu was now the delicate little white flower. Harmless and gentle.

Madam Wang wanted to marry her off to the Prince of Zhen’nan not only because she was easy to control and lacked influence, but also because she could be molded as they saw fit. If Su Qiuqiu acted too strong, they might change their mind about the marriage. That wouldn’t do.

“I heard you were ill a few days ago. Are you feeling better now?” The Princess Consort gently held her hand.

“I’m much better now. Thank you for your concern, Princess Consort,” Su Qiuqiu replied.

Now that she was close, Su Qiuqiu found the princess consort quite likable—both in looks and temperament. She couldn’t help but develop a bit of fondness for her.

“What a lovely face. Qinyu (Madam Wang), you really are blessed to have such beautiful daughters,” the Princess Consort remarked with a smile. Madam Wang chuckled in response.

Su Qiuqiu listened quietly, but she could feel someone staring at her. When she looked up, she spotted a tall maid standing behind the princess consort.

The maid was slender and exceptionally tall—at least a head taller than Madam Wang-shi’s nearby attendants. Her figure rivaled modern-day supermodels, though her face was plain, with high cheekbones, a slightly flat nose, and a smattering of freckles. Her eyes were narrow and half-lidded, as if perpetually drowsy.

When their gazes met, a brief flash of intensity shone in the maid’s dark eyes—bright and piercing—before quickly fading back into indifference.

A good figure was part of one’s looks too. Su Qiuqiu felt it was a pity the maid didn’t have a prettier face but still admired her physique.

Not bad. If the Princess Consort was this pleasant-looking, then surely the heir she’d yet to meet wouldn’t be too bad either. Even their maids had such figures—marrying into that household might not be boring at all…

Su Qiuqiu smiled faintly to herself and shot the maid a friendly look. The maid’s gaze flickered slightly but quickly turned away.

The engagement between Su Qiuqiu and the Zhen’nan heir had not yet gone through the formal marriage rites. It wasn’t officially settled, so the Princess Consort didn’t treat her with special favor. In fact, the princess had brought a few of her nieces along today to “mingle” with the daughters of the Su household.

As the official “di daughter” (legitimate daughter of the official wife), Su Qiuqiu was, of course, seated beside Madam Wang. The real daughter of Madam Wang, the Fifth Miss (Su Ruofeng), was seated further at the back.

The princess consort’s arrival caused a stir. All the Su family girls grew tense, afraid to stand out too much and catch her attention—lest it be interpreted the wrong way.

Except for one. The so-called “cousin,” Wang Shuanglu, a distant relative of Madam Wang-shi. She was fairly pretty and quite eager to show off. Within a few moments of polite conversation, she’d already demonstrated her embroidery, poetry, and zither skills.

The official daughters looked at her with thinly veiled disdain, but Su Qiuqiu felt the threat. Someone was competing?! And with actual talent?! She had none of those things!

After a while, Madam Wang and the princess stayed behind to chat, while the younger ladies were led to the marquis’ greenhouse to admire the rare winter-blooming flowers.

The atmosphere was lively and filled with youthful charm. Su Qiuqiu was thoroughly enjoying the visual feast of beautiful young ladies.

But suddenly, a cold voice pierced her thoughts.

“Don’t think just because he complimented you once, you mean anything. You’re not even good enough to be his bedmaid. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Startled, Su Qiuqiu turned to see the Fifth Miss, Su Ruofeng.

As the legitimate daughter, Ruofeng was born of Madam Wang-shi. Her looks somewhat resembled her mother’s—elegant but not outstanding. As the old saying goes, “One marries a virtuous wife but takes a beautiful concubine.” With her resemblance to Madam Wang, she naturally paled compared to the other sisters in appearance. Su Qiuqiu hadn’t paid her much attention, but clearly, Ruofeng had an issue with her.

Caught off guard, Su Qiuqiu blinked in confusion. What was she talking about?

Ruofeng gave her a scornful glance, then resumed her ladylike poise and walked away in small, deliberate steps.

“…?” Su Qiuqiu stood there, baffled, before it suddenly clicked—she was talking about the Third Prince.

A year or so ago, the Third Prince Gong Xichao had visited the Su estate with the heir of the An Ning Marquisate. He had seen Su Qiuqiu once and apparently recited a poem—something about “Beauty eclipses the ages; even the lotus blushes in shame”—praising her looks.

The Third Prince was barely in his twenties at the time, handsome and elegant. The Fifth Miss had long harbored feelings for him. Of course she’d be upset about that compliment.

But to still bring it up a year later? That was… bizarre.

“Seventh Miss, the Madam would like to see you at Ningcui Pavilion,” a maid announced just then.

Su Qiuqiu frowned slightly. Was Madam Wang-shi calling her for a private conversation?

Without much choice, she took Lingxiang with her and followed.

Ningcui Pavilion was a bit of a walk. When they arrived, the maid asked Lingxiang to wait outside and led Su Qiuqiu in.

“Please wait here, Seventh Miss. Madam will be with you shortly,” the maid said before leaving.

Su Qiuqiu sat down, resting her head on her hand as she looked at the elegantly furnished room. That poem popped into her mind again—“Beauty eclipses the ages; even the lotus blushes in shame.” Wasn’t that about Xi Shi? That was a pretty lofty compliment. Could it be… was she actually a great beauty now?

She realized that she hadn’t even looked in a proper mirror these past few days. The ones she had used were old bronze mirrors—too blurry to see clearly. Curious, she looked around the room, intending to pour herself some tea and see if her reflection would show in the tea’s surface.

But just as she reached for the teapot, the curtain lifted—and a man walked in.

He looked to be twenty-four or twenty-five, dressed in a deep gray robe, walking with a slight limp. His face bore a greasy, lascivious grin. His eyebrows were crooked, his eyes uneven, and his mouth revealed a row of yellow, jagged teeth.

“Ah, beauty… Such fate, isn’t it? Do you know how long I’ve been thinking of you…?” he said with a lecherous laugh as he walked toward her.

Su Qiuqiu’s expression turned cold.

Without a doubt, they had set her up.

Wasn’t this man the third son of the Duke of Anguo? Wasn’t he the notoriously repulsive Duke of Anguo?

“Men and women should keep their distance. Show some decency!” She snapped, grabbed the teapot, and hurled it at him before attempting to flee; however, her body was too weak, and she felt dizzy from exerting too much force, which led to her being immediately grabbed by the sleeve by the third young master.

Su Qiuqiu panicked and gave a tug — the sleeve of her clothing was torn open.

“Don’t be afraid, beauty. I’m not a bad person. I’m the third son of the Duke of Anguo. If you obey me, I will make you my concubine and favor you every day. It’ll be far more pleasurable than being the principal wife of that impotent Heir of the Prince of Zhen’nan…” He spoke with a lecherous grin.

“Get lost! Even if the Prince of Zhen’nan is impotent, he is still ten thousand times better than you!” Su Qiuqiu was utterly disgusted, goosebumps rising all over her body. Just as she was about to be pulled into the arms of that Third Young Master, a cold sweat broke out all over her body in desperation.

But before she could finish speaking, that Third Master suddenly collapsed to the ground. A shadow flashed by, and Su Qiuqiu felt a force supporting her from behind. Her vision became blurry, and then she was in someone’s arms and being lifted up onto the room’s beam as though she were riding the clouds!