Queen O's Timid Fugitive A - Chapter 53

53

“Sir?”

The spring light outside the window was radiant, with sunlight filtering through lush green branches into the room. The person at the tea table snapped back to attention, glancing at the figure across from her.

The golden-haired, blue-eyed Fifth Prince wore a face full of frustration, devoid of his usual arrogance. Clearly, his defeat at the spring hunt had dealt a heavy blow to the Alpha who prided himself on his rank.

In the autumn hunt, he had lost by a single prize to his elder sister, a female Alpha. In the spring hunt, he was utterly crushed by his elder brother, who was a rank below him.

How could he have imagined that the First Prince, always presenting himself as gentle and magnanimous, would be so formidable in archery and horsemanship? He had hidden his true abilities for years, never once revealing them despite Liang Anmu repeatedly stealing the spotlight. If this spring hunt hadn’t been tied to military merits, who knows how much longer he could have kept up the act.

Liang Anmu picked up his teacup, only to slam it back down in frustration. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, one sleeve left undone. A closer look revealed that his usually meticulously styled hair was slightly disheveled, with a few strands sticking up. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, a clear sign he hadn’t slept, likely fuming all night.

“That Liang Ankai!” His tone was venomous, but just as he was about to unleash a tirade, he stopped himself, cautiously glancing at the person across from him. He remembered that Jiang Ciqing was known for her conservative, traditionalist stance.

Jiang Ciqing merely smiled and shook her head, her tone warm and forgiving. “Your Highness, don’t let anger harm your health.”

She then took the lead as if she were the host, reaching for the purple clay teapot and pouring tea into the empty cup. The rich brown liquid flowed smoothly, filling the air with a delicate, elegant fragrance.

Only after setting the teapot down did Jiang Ciqing speak again. “Who could have guessed the First Prince’s cunning runs so deep, to hide his true self under everyone’s noses for so many years?”

Seeing this typically neutral figure take his side, Liang Anmu’s expression softened slightly. Still seething, he spat, “You don’t know how much of a hypocrite he is! When we were children, he never hesitated to bully us younger siblings. But when Father asked, he’d put on this gentle, caring big brother act—utterly despicable!”

Jiang Ciqing raised an eyebrow, unsure whether to scold or laugh. Logically, the ones who should know the First Prince best were his siblings, yet this naive Fifth Prince had genuinely believed his brother’s facade for years.

Ever since the Emperor named the First Prince as Marshal and sent him to lead troops, Liang Anmu had been nursing a grudge. Before Jiang Ciqing’s arrival, he had already smashed several objects in his study. Now, seeing her join him in criticizing his elder brother, he lost all restraint, launching into a full-blown rant against Liang Ankai.

Jiang Ciqing sipped her tea, listening intently, occasionally nodding or adding a word of agreement to fuel his fervor.

Tch, who would’ve thought the First Prince had such a volatile temper? He once pushed the young Fifth Prince into a pond and only called for help when the boy was too weak to struggle.

A man who now appeared so steady had, as a child, frequently torn up others’ textbooks and forced his younger siblings to do his homework.

Tch, tch, the First Prince was quite the charmer in his youth, wasn’t he? Even within the palace, he had several maids exchanging flirtatious glances with him. Yet, the First Princess Consort somehow managed to tame him and make him willingly mark her.

In his frustration, Liang Anmu spilled every detail about his elder brother, cursing and ranting as if he wanted to drag him back and beat him up on the spot.

Jiang Ciqing listened with relish. Though the Jiang family had eyes and ears throughout Nanliang, their informants seemed to share the family’s inherited sense of propriety and righteousness. Their reports were always stiff and formal, lacking any of this juicy gossip.

Besides, what blacksmith could access such scandalous tidbits? Far better to rely on the Fifth Prince, who kept a constant eye on his elder brother and knew every detail crystal clear.

Jiang Ciqing offered another word of agreement, her thoughts drifting to a certain Omega. She wondered if she knew about these things. Then again, most of the information she received came from the beast-fighting arena, so she likely wasn’t short on such gossip.

Jiang Ciqing occasionally sat in the audience at the arena, and with a tilt of her ear, she could pick up all sorts of half-true rumors.

She didn’t know what she was up to at the moment. Jiang Ciqing lowered her head to sip her tea. The rare, highly sought-after leaves tasted underwhelming, barely quenching her thirst.

Her eyelids drooped, hiding her expression. Beneath her wide robe, her knees itched and ached. It was her first time being punished, and she hadn’t known to slack off. Kneeling for half a day without moving had left her knees bruised and swollen, making it impossible to straighten her legs properly. She felt like a rusted gear, desperately in need of oil.

“The Fourth Prince thought following Big Brother was such a great idea. He bullied all of us just to be his loyal lapdog, and now he’s differentiated into an Omega,” Liang Anmu sneered coldly.

“The Third Princess even suggested to Father that he be sent to Beidi to marry some old lord. And Big Brother didn’t say a single word in his defense.”

“Tch, I hear that old Alpha has some perverse habits and has tortured plenty of Omegas to death. Doesn’t he love bullying others? Let him experience what it’s like to be bullied,” Liang Anmu said through gritted teeth, as if the person he spoke of wasn’t his own brother.

Jiang Ciqing’s expression remained neutral. She was long accustomed to the arrogance of self-entitled Alphas revealing their baser instincts. As his words grew increasingly vile, she finally spoke up, “Your Highness, let’s focus on the matter at hand.”

Liang Anmu paused, realizing his breach of decorum. He reined in his anger but showed little remorse, saying only, “I lost control of myself.”

Jiang Ciqing smiled as if she hadn’t noticed his shift to the imperial “I” (referring to himself as gu, a term used by royalty to assert their status). It was amusing—royalty, with their shared bloodline, loved to flaunt their noble status by using gu, yet they also wanted to appear magnanimous and approachable, switching to “I” (wo) when trying to win over ministers or nobles. But every so often, gu would slip out again.

It was like a nouveau riche wearing a Rolex—eager to show it off by rolling up their sleeve, yet pretending to be modest by hiding it, only to “accidentally” flash the logo on their wrist.

“I had hoped Your Highness could find another path, avoiding the power struggles in the capital. But I didn’t expect the First Prince to beat us to it…” Jiang Ciqing paused, noting the timely flash of regret on Liang Anmu’s face.

“But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” she continued, her tone shifting to one of reassurance. “Your Highness needn’t be so troubled.”

The joint military campaign between the two nations aimed to weaken Nanliang’s strength, preventing it from surpassing other countries too quickly. The First Prince’s pursuit of military glory might not come as easily as he hoped.

Jiang Ciqing had previously encouraged the Fifth Prince to campaign, thinking that with the court already divided between the First Prince and the Third Princess, neither would rashly head to the border. But she hadn’t anticipated the Emperor’s high regard for military achievements. He had praised and rewarded the Fifth Prince, even subtly building momentum for him.

Meanwhile, the First Prince’s camp was growing restless. Coming from a military background, his followers valued strength and rank. If not for Liang Ankai’s maternal family’s military influence, the Fifth Prince, an A-rank Alpha, would undoubtedly have been their choice. Whatever his advisors had said spooked the First Prince, prompting him to reveal his long-hidden skills and rush to the border.

“Now that His Majesty is in poor health and the First Prince will be absent from court for some time, Your Highness might consider paying visits to the residences of various ministers…”

Liang Anmu wasn’t dim. His eyes lit up as he said, “You mean I should win them over?!”

Jiang Ciqing nodded slightly and added, “Leave the Zheng and Xia families alone.”

The Xia family was tied to the First Prince through marriage, and the Zheng family was his maternal clan. Together, they controlled two-thirds of Nanliang’s military power, forming the First Prince’s greatest support and confidence.

“What about the Chu family, then…” Liang Anmu hesitated, glancing cautiously at Jiang Ciqing.

Everyone in Nanliang knew Jiang Ciqing had taken a liking to the Chu family’s young lady. But the Chu family’s attitude was peculiar.

They had initially agreed to let Chu Nongxi meet Jiang Ciqing for a potential match, and there seemed to be some sparks between the two. Yet, later, the Chu family grew reluctant. They claimed Chu Nongxi had done something wrong and was confined as punishment, but this confinement only applied when Jiang Ciqing came down from the mountain. Otherwise, Chu Nongxi was free to go out.

Over time, people realized the truth: the Chu family looked down on Jiang Ciqing.

Jiang Ciqing froze, only then registering what he was hesitating about. If the Fifth Prince hadn’t mentioned it, she might have forgotten about Chu Nongxi entirely.

Her momentary pause was, in Liang Anmu’s eyes, clear evidence of heartbreak.

Jiang Ciqing gave a bitter smile, her voice tinged with sadness. “Your Highness needn’t worry about me. It’s only natural for the Chu family to object. Who would want their daughter tied to a short-lived ghost?”

Every Jiang family head had died young, a stark contrast to the long lifespans typical of the Imperial Star. The Jiangs were indeed a family of short-lived ghosts. But Liang Anmu couldn’t agree with her words and hurriedly comforted her, “How can you say such things about yourself, Madam…”

Their conversation continued, its faint echoes drifting outside before dissipating in the breeze. As the sun set, the white-robed Alpha stepped over the threshold to leave, her face betraying signs of exhaustion. The morning had been spent kneeling and talking, the afternoon consumed by scheming and acting. Even a robust Alpha like her couldn’t endure it easily.

Liang Anmu escorted her to the door, where Ah Fu and the others were waiting by the carriage. The previous night, while staying at the Princess’s residence, she had instructed them to pretend she was heading back to the city today and to come pick her up. Now, with the added step of visiting the Fifth Prince, everything seemed even more legitimate.

Jiang Ciqing had no illusions that her support for the Fifth Prince could be hidden from Liang Ji. The spies the Jiang family had planted weren’t just for show. She didn’t try to stop them; in fact, she deliberately let them report to Liang Ji.

This served two purposes: it concealed her search for Xu Fusheng, and it reassured Liang Ji that the Jiang family remained the same incompetent clan, with Jiang Ciqing’s attempts to take sides still firmly under royal control.

The carriage rolled slowly into the street. Jiang Ciqing gazed into the distance, letting out a helpless sigh.

Ah Fu, perched on the carriage frame, lowered his voice and asked, “Family Head?”

Jiang Ciqing leaned back into the soft cushions, lifting her gaze with a wistful tone. “Ah Fu, how about you spend another night at the forge?”

The implication was clear: she wanted to spend another night at a certain Omega’s residence.

For once, Ah Fu didn’t respond immediately. After a long pause, he said flatly, “The Family Head’s health is delicate. It’s not suitable to spend days and nights at the forge. Besides, the Liu family sent someone yesterday to ask when the blade will be ready.”

Jiang Ciqing, knowing the answer already, pouted and grabbed a nearby pillow, kneading it in frustration. “I’m already twenty!”

Twenty, and still being nagged about coming home!

If Di Changjie were here, he’d probably have mocked her for half a day. But Ah Fu, ever stoic, merely replied, “The pastries you asked me to buy earlier have been delivered to the Princess’s residence.”

Jiang Ciqing was about to nod in agreement when Ah Fu continued in his cool, even tone, “Miss Xu liked them very much and sent you a jar of bruise-healing ointment in return.”

Though his tone remained neutral, Jiang Ciqing somehow felt he was teasing her.

“Family Head, why would Miss Xu send you bruise-healing ointment?”

Jiang Ciqing silently buried her face in the pillow, refusing to make a sound.