Please Call Me Your Highness (GL) - Chapter 14

When the banquet ended, it left behind a distinct sense of desolation, like the curtain falling on a play—people dispersed, and the lingering air was heavy with melancholy.

The Second Princess, Dong Yanning, stood with her hands behind her back by a dimly lit pond, her figure almost blending into the night.

Her attendants stood far off, leaving only a single shadow guard by her side.

“You saw what happened today?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“If that day really comes… how should I carry myself?”

“Your Highness is a princess of the realm. There will always be a place for you.”

“You know that’s not what I want.”

“Perhaps Your Highness might speak with the Third Princess. Two voices are better than one.”

“That makes sense. Where is my third sister?”

“I saw Her Highness heading to the Empress’s quarters earlier. She should have returned by now.”

“Very well. Let’s go visit my dear third sister.”

Before long, they arrived at the residence of Third Princess Dong Muning. The attendants were stationed far away, creating a deliberately loose perimeter. There was no concern about their conversation being overheard.

Dong Yanning took a sip of hot tea and spoke slowly, “Good tea. Tribute tea, isn’t it? I wonder if we’ll have such luxuries in the future.”

Dong Muning glanced at her. “What do you want to say, Second Sister?”

At that moment, Dong Muning’s face was cold, like a volcano on the verge of eruption—but she was holding it back, trying to remain composed.

Dong Yanning, of course, saw this and went straight to the point. “If the one who sits on the throne is not our sister, then what happened tonight will keep happening, won’t it?”

Dong Muning fell silent. She knew exactly what Dong Yanning meant, but for the longest time, she had never needed to think about such matters. Her eldest sister, Dong Ruining, had been Crown Princess. Everything that was due would have come naturally. But now Dong Ruining was gone, and everything had changed. Still captivated by the Ming family’s honeyed words, Dong Muning had not actively considered how the shifting power dynamic might harm her.

Dong Yanning continued, “As a Beta, I cannot bear children. I am destined to walk this life alone. Prince Kangning has always been my role model. I hoped one day to wield military power, to inherit a princely title. Once, that seemed inevitable. But now—”

She deliberately paused before continuing, “Zhexiu has many sisters, and the Ming family has many members too. By contrast, our royal bloodline is sparse—we need allies.”

Her tone became light and casual, as if the conversation could end here or continue. In the end, she stopped and looked intently at Dong Muning.

Dong Muning’s expression shifted—she was angry. She snapped, “You just want to bring back the Fourth Princess, make her Crown Princess, and repeat the story of Mother Empress and Prince Kangning all over again. Sounds nice, but she’s missing, presumed dead. What can we even do?”

Dong Yanning narrowed her eyes. Clearly, her younger sister had received new information. She asked, “Didn’t Mother Empress secretly send people to search for her? Still no word?”

Dong Muning, irritated, replied, “Nothing.”

Dong Yanning said, “Fourth Sister has always been noble. Except for her time in exile, she’s barely known hardship. If she’s alive, she’ll find her way back. But…”

Something troubling crossed Dong Yanning’s mind, and her brow furrowed. “People say she’s changed completely. If she really is dead… what then?”

Neither of them had ever seriously considered the worst-case scenario. When Dong Yanning voiced it outright, both were stunned.

It was not a pleasant topic.

After a long silence, Dong Muning finally spoke, “If that’s the case, we can only hope Ming Zhexiu is a person of loyalty and feeling. If not… then perhaps we should find a young Qianyuan from the imperial clan for Mother Empress to raise. What do you think?”

Dong Yanning’s brows remained furrowed. “The closest relative in the royal family is Princess Chengyu, but she’s just been stripped of her title and placed under house arrest. That’s impossible. If we look further out in the clan, those families have many members—none better than Ming Zhexiu.”

At the very least, they shared real bl00d ties with Ming Zhexiu.

Dong Muning fell silent again. She could only accept that. In her heart, she resented the situation—if only she had a Qianyuan sister, none of this would be necessary.

Then Dong Yanning’s eyes flashed with sudden thought. “What if we ask Mother Empress to take a concubine?”

“You!” Dong Muning was furious, nearly exploding on the spot—but she couldn’t voice her rebuttal. She realized that, in a practical sense, it was a viable solution. Yet emotionally, she couldn’t bear it.

“Mother Empress was injured giving birth to Fourth Sister. That’s why she only had the few of us. Perhaps that’s also why she resents Fourth Sister so deeply. But now, the situation is dire. If Ming Zhexiu ascends to the throne, will Mother Empress truly enjoy her later years?”

“You have a point, but to ask a Kunze to give up her Qianyuan—how could that be allowed?”

“To produce an heir, it is tacitly accepted among the nobility that a Qianyuan may have more than one Kunze. Compared to losing everything, I believe Mother Empress would choose the lesser pain.”

“I… Third Sister, I really can’t bring myself to say it.”

“Then let’s go together and persuade her.”

“…Why don’t we ask the Emperor Mother first?”

“To have her own bloodline become the heir—Mother Empress would not refuse that. Right now, it is only her own heart plagued by resentment that has led her to suppress Fourth Sister in such a muddled way.”

“You…”

Dong Muning wanted to say more but was at a loss for words. In the end, she tacitly agreed to Dong Yanning’s proposal.

They had originally planned to leave at daybreak, but Xiao Fu’s condition could not support such a decision. Holding onto Dong Xiaoning, her face flushed, Xiao Fu murmured in shame, “It’s my fault…”

A Kunze’s special condition was like an illness—there was simply no way to resist it through sheer willpower.

How could Dong Xiaoning bear to see Xiao Fu suffer? She quickly said, “How can this be your fault? It’s the author’s fault for insisting on this kind of setup.”

Xiao Fu blinked in confusion. “Author?”

Realizing her slip, Dong Xiaoning hastily kissed her, trying to cover it up.

Xiao Fu, already teetering on the edge of losing herself, didn’t resist or question. She simply yielded to Dong Xiaoning’s affection.

Only now did Dong Xiaoning truly understand the phrase “to crave after one taste”. In the presence of mutual love, this most primal pleasure could indeed make one feel as if they had transcended everything, forgetting the world entirely.

The sound of fine porcelain shattering against the floor echoed sharply, making hearts race.

Inside the palace chamber, all attendants had been dismissed. Dong Yanning and Dong Muning knelt side by side on the floor, not daring to breathe too loudly.

Empress Ming paced in place, her chest heaving violently—clearly in a state of furious rage. Moments ago, her two daughters had suggested that the Emperor take a concubine, even implying that for the sake of the Ming family’s interests, this concubine could come from the Ming clan itself.

For Empress Ming, this was utterly intolerable. From the depths of her heart, she abhorred the idea of sharing her Qianyuan with another Kunze—and even more so hearing it from her own daughters. Yet the reasons they gave were painfully realistic, demanding to be acknowledged.

Given recent events, Empress Ming could already foresee that the Emperor was likely to accept such a proposal. And she—she had no means to prevent it.

To act impulsively now would only throw away everything she had achieved. Empress Ming knew well that her current position of power was hard-won. But her foundation was now shaking—she had to find a way to save herself.

Bringing back the Fourth Princess, Dong Xiaoning, the idea surged with overwhelming intensity, surpassing even her long-standing hatred for the girl.

After a long silence, Empress Ming finally made her decision. She said to her daughters, “Yanning, take people and search outside the capital. Muning, search the surrounding areas. No matter what, bring her back.”

“Yes, Mother Empress!”

Dong Yanning and Dong Muning responded in unison. Previously, Empress Ming had sent agents discreetly. This time, the search could be open. The manpower and resources involved—and the potential results—would be vastly different.

After her daughters left, Empress Ming still could not calm herself. Agitated, she ordered, “I’ve heard there’s a miracle physician in Xiangbang Prefecture, known for curing all ailments, especially fertility issues. Send someone to find him—bring him here quietly. Do not alert anyone.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Xiao Fu’s condition was worse than expected. The frequent marking had Dong Xiaoning deeply worried whether their bodies could endure much more.

Yet if she did nothing, Xiao Fu would suffer even more.

Touching Xiao Fu’s forehead, Dong Xiaoning found it even hotter than before—she was running a fever. In this era of primitive medicine, even a cold could be deadly, let alone a fever.

“I must find a doctor.”

Dong Xiaoning gritted her teeth and made up her mind. She knew that if she entered the city, she risked exposure. The consequences could be unpredictable. But she could no longer stand by and watch Xiao Fu suffer.

Even if the worst happened, Xiao Fu had to survive.

“Xiao Fu, we’re going to see a doctor.”

As she spoke, Dong Xiaoning dressed Xiao Fu and quickly gathered their belongings.

Xiao Fu made faint, slurred sounds. In her hazy state, she instinctively tried to protest—unwilling for Dong Xiaoning to put herself in danger. But in her current condition, how could she stop her?

Xiao Fu could no longer walk. Dong Xiaoning intended to carry her, but as soon as she lifted her, she quickly set her back down.

She had heard faint footsteps—coming from outside the cave.

All this time, they had seen no one else. It had lulled Dong Xiaoning into a false sense of isolation. She should have known—that was impossible.

Holding her breath, Dong Xiaoning fixed her gaze on the narrow passage between the inner and outer caves, slowly tightening her grip around a piece of firewood.