Queen O's Timid Fugitive A - Chapter 10
10
“Cough! Cough!”
In an exquisite two-story house, a figure dressed in a pale gray Taoist robe leaned weakly against a mahogany chair by the window. Sunlight filtered through the lattice, casting stripes of light that illuminated a clean, delicate face—pale with a hint of sickness. This was Jiang Ciqing, who had been kicked into the river the night before and had waited a long time before daring to climb out.
The coughing wouldn’t stop, and with a guest present, she could only cover the lower half of her face with her hand.
“Ciqing, what’s wrong?” the guest asked, leaning forward. His golden hair was slicked back, his resolute features framed by deep blue eyes. Even during leisure time, he dressed impeccably, holding a serpent-patterned cane inlaid with gold and mother-of-pearl—elegant and refined.
“Cough! It’s nothing…” Jiang Ciqing forced herself to suppress the unbearable itch in her throat and explained, “Last night, I got carried away playing by the river…”
At this, a faint flush of shame crossed her face. “I lost track of time and didn’t return until midnight. When I woke up this morning, the coughing started.”
Liang Ankai burst into laughter, comforting her, “Ciqing, you’re still young. When I was your age, I often sneaked out of the palace to wander the streets until curfew, only to slink back the next day and get punished by my father to kneel in the ancestral hall.”
He then sighed nostalgically, “Now that I’ve moved out of the palace and live alone in my princely residence, I find myself constantly wanting to go back.”
Before Jiang Ciqing could respond, he added with concern, “The riverside is cold and damp. Since you’re already feeling unwell, you should take better care of yourself.”
Jiang Ciqing nodded, coughing a few more times before replying, “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I won’t go out these next few days.”
Liang Ankai smiled like an elder brother doting on a younger sibling. “I’m glad you understand. The physician from my residence has rushed over overnight. He’ll examine you later and bring some tonic I had prepared.”
“I’ve troubled Your Highness,” Jiang Ciqing said, feigning gratitude, her voice tinged with emotion.
But when she turned her head to cough, her eyes darkened with wariness.
This eldest prince of Southern Liang was far more troublesome than the Third Princess. His schemes and calculations were top-tier, his every move flawless.
But this was to be expected. As the eldest son groomed to be the crown prince, how could he not possess the skills to evade the repeated conspiracies of his younger siblings?
In the contest for the throne, while it appeared to be a three-way standoff, Liang Ankai had always suppressed his siblings, leaving them unable to lift their heads. His maternal and wife’s families held substantial military power in Southern Liang, controlling two-thirds of the nation’s forces. And since Southern Liang prioritized martial prowess over civil affairs, Liang Ankai was practically the people’s chosen successor.
Yet, precisely because of this, he incurred the suspicion of the current Southern Liang monarch, who frequently criticized and suppressed him. Though he had the substance of a crown prince, he lacked the title.
Jiang Ciqing didn’t dare let her guard down, carefully navigating the conversation despite her illness.
Yet Liang Ankai circled the topic for a long time, his words filled only with concern for Jiang Ciqing’s well-being, leaving her increasingly puzzled.
Logically, this wasn’t the right time for him to visit her. The house they were in was part of the Third Princess’s private estate in the royal gardens. Liang Ankai and his entourage hadn’t planned to stay here initially, nor had they arranged for their own residence to be cleaned. Thus, they had no choice but to lodge in Liang Anchen’s estate.
In other words, they were now on Liang Anchen’s turf, surrounded by her spies. Every word and action between them would be recorded and reported.
This was hardly the ideal moment to win Jiang Ciqing over.
“I tend to ramble. I hope you don’t mind, Ciqing.”
“Not at all. Your Highness means well.”
Their exchange was like a game of push-and-pull, neither willing to yield.
“Ciqing, what are your thoughts on General Chen Ya leading the troops to war?” Liang Ankai suddenly shifted the topic, his piercing gaze fixed on her.
Jiang Ciqing froze. Outside, the wind rustled the forest, sending waves through the trees.
“Leading troops to war?” Her pale face flushed with shock and fear. “How would I know about such things?”
Liang Ankai’s smile was perfectly measured, as if carved from a mold of etiquette. “You didn’t know?”
“Of course not!” Jiang Ciqing turned to stare at him, her composure slipping in her astonishment.
“Is that so…”
Liang Ankai lifted his teacup, taking a sip before explaining, “I misspoke. I assumed you were already aware.”
He sighed heavily, his tone laced with pity. “Ever since I learned about the impending deployment, I’ve been tossing and turning at night. I thought you knew and wanted to discuss it with you…”
Jiang Ciqing quickly replied, “The Jiang family has never involved itself in politics. How would I know about this? Besides, military deployments are state secrets. Even if someone were willing to tell me, I wouldn’t dare listen.”
“I overthought it. I assumed you agreed to forge a blade for General Chen Ya because of this matter,” Liang Ankai smoothly laid another trap.
Jiang Ciqing’s brow furrowed. A sharp glint flashed in her downcast eyes, anger simmering within her.
First, the news of her gifting a blade to a friend had been leaked and widely publicized. Now, her agreement with Chen Ya had been exposed before it could even materialize. The first incident could still be explained away—perhaps Li Zhile had flaunted the blade everywhere, making it common knowledge.
But Chen Ya…
After their verbal agreement, Jiang Ciqing and Chen Ya had had no further contact. The general wasn’t in a hurry to request the blade, and Jiang Ciqing was happy to delay.
Yet even such a tightly guarded secret had been uncovered. It was as if the Jiang family was a sieve, every word and action leaking out for outsiders to scrutinize.
“I truly only learned of this today. As for forging the blade, General Chen Ya once saved Zhile’s life. I consider Zhile my closest friend, so I naturally owe the general a debt of gratitude. Forging a blade for him is the least I can do,” Jiang Ciqing declared righteously, her tone even carrying a hint of anger, as if the other had insulted her sense of honor.
Though Liang Ankai didn’t covet Jiang Ciqing’s allegiance as desperately as the Third Princess, he still valued the Jiang family highly—hence why he had personally delivered precious tonics from his residence.
Hearing her response, he quickly backpedaled. “I understand your character, Ciqing. It’s just that I’ve been overthinking things lately and wanted someone to discuss this with.”
The decision to deploy troops lay with his father. Mobilizing soldiers and supplies required the approval of his maternal grandfather and father-in-law. How could Liang Ankai claim there was no one to talk to?
It was laughable—or perhaps a testament to the thick skin of royalty, that he could say such things without batting an eye.
Jiang Ciqing blinked, her shock and anger fading as she offered gentle comfort. “Your Highness need not worry too much. Southern Liang’s military is strong, our weapons advanced. No enemy army that faces us will leave unscathed.”
“Ciqing, you…”
Liang Ankai hadn’t expected such a response.
With a tone of exasperation, he said, “You’ve been immersed in the art of blades for so long that you don’t understand the current state of the empire. Southern Liang is in danger.”
“Why would you say that?” Jiang Ciqing countered, baffled. “Southern Liang is prosperous, society is stable. We have Prime Minister Yang Chengyu reforming laws and innovating, General Zheng as our military pillar, and General Chen Ya willing to lead troops to defend our borders…”
As Jiang Ciqing launched into a lengthy monologue, Liang Ankai grew both speechless and frustrated. How had she become so obtuse? Such platitudes might fool the common folk, but to people like them, it was utterly ridiculous.
The emperor was incompetent. The court was divided between civil and military factions. The crown prince’s position remained undecided, with every prince coveting the throne. And beyond their borders, enemy nations watched hungrily.
By no stretch of the imagination could this be called “prosperous and carefree.”
But then again, perhaps Jiang Ciqing’s naivety and foolishness were for the best. The Jiang family’s stubborn adherence to tradition and outdated rituals had been carefully cultivated by successive emperors.
Even the finest blade needed a smooth, comfortable hilt.
So he smiled. “I overthought it.”
“Your Highness is a prince. It’s only natural for you to consider such matters,” Jiang Ciqing lifted her teacup, her lips barely grazing the surface before she looked up again.
Liang Ankai had no desire to continue this conversation and deftly changed the subject. “Ciqing, do you have some past grievance with Xu Fusheng?”
He chuckled, explaining, “You two seemed quite confrontational at dinner…”
Jiang Ciqing waved a dismissive hand, her expression puzzled. “I’d never met her before. I only saw her at the banquet hosted by the Third Princess two days ago. She was standing with Zhile, and I thought she was just some noble family’s Omega out for fun…”
“I had no idea she was the infamous Xu Fusheng. I even danced with her. Later, when the Third Princess personally invited Xu Fusheng to the floor, I left.”
This matched the intelligence reports perfectly.
Liang Ankai nodded, his fingers tapping lightly on the mother-of-pearl inlay of his cane.
“I don’t know what I did to offend her. I shouldn’t have accepted her dance invitation,” Jiang Ciqing grumbled, her brows knitting together.
Liang Ankai laughed heartily, consoling her, “It must have been a misunderstanding.”
Jiang Ciqing shook her head, her tone tinged with disdain. “Your Highness should keep your distance from her. She’s eccentric, moody, and holds grudges—who knows when you might accidentally provoke her again.”
Her words dripped with unmistakable aversion, as if she couldn’t wait to put as much space between them as possible.
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Liang Ankai smoothly shifted to other topics. The two chatted for a full hour before parting.
Outside, a strong wind had picked up, dark clouds pressing low over the mountain range. Coughing, Jiang Ciqing closed the door behind her before returning to her chair. Like an unsheathed sword without a target, her sharp jawline exuded a cold edge, her eyes deep and inscrutable.
Then, faint footsteps sounded outside—light, hurried, deliberately quiet—fading into the distance.
Jiang Ciqing listened impassively to the rain beyond the window.
Another set of soft footsteps, carefully avoiding puddles, retreated silently.
Jiang Ciqing sipped her tea, her expression unreadable.
Another shadow had left.
She waited a while longer, until the downpour eased into a drizzle, before rising and walking to the door. Her knuckles rapped lightly against the wood in a deliberate rhythm.
Outside, a guard stood stiffly, blocking half the doorway as he knocked back in the same pattern.
A moment later, Jiang Ciqing murmured, “Tell Guan Qian to station men at the mountain pass.”
The guard was about to acknowledge when she added, “Do it discreetly. No unnecessary commotion.”
The guard tapped the door in confirmation.
Jiang Ciqing schooled her expression and turned back inside.
They had returned to the mountains via the main road, where merchant caravans came and went. No one would dare attack there. And Bamboo Mountain was Jiang Ciqing’s territory, with patrols constantly circling. If someone intended to harm her, the only opportunity would be the short stretch of road leading into the mountains.
Jiang Ciqing sighed, gazing out the window for a long moment before lifting a hand to touch the inhibitor patch on the back of her neck.
The faint scent of bamboo mingled with liquor, like a drop of sweet wine lingering on the fingertips.