Queen O's Timid Fugitive A - Chapter 58
58
The breeze swept across the lake, and the elongated willow branches dipped into the water. On the stone bridge, vendors lined up in a long row, shouting loudly, while the crowd bustled around them, creating a lively scene.
In an elegant lakeside pavilion, a group of people sat by the railing. A refined tea set was placed on the table before them, and a graceful maid knelt beside, skillfully brewing tea with practiced movements, each gesture polished and poised.
This was the most fashionable pastime in the Imperial Star: gathering with a few friends in a teahouse, sipping tea, sampling pastries, and perhaps ordering a pipa tune, emulating the refined elegance of past dynasties.
As the weather in Southern Liang warmed, Jiang Ciqing dressed lightly today in a simple cyan riding outfit, her wrists adorned with hollow silver bracers. Her hair, partially burned, had been trimmed shorter, barely reaching her shoulders. Leaning against the railing with a smile, her eyes sparkled like a gentle breeze, exuding an air of refined nobility and serene charm.
Beside her sat the Fifth Prince in casual attire, his shirt cuffs fastened with ornate gold-and-sapphire cufflinks, his golden hair meticulously styled with gel—seemingly carefree but clearly deliberate.
On either side were older heads of noble families and an up-and-coming military figure whose allegiance seemed wavering. Some sat in silent contemplation, others clapped in agreement, while a few sipped tea with smiles, each displaying a different demeanor.
Jiang Ciqing’s gaze drifted over them, lingering briefly on the clear tea in her cup, betraying a trace of irritation.
In recent days, she had been busy soothing an Omega in heat, unable to return to Bamboo Mountain for several days. Fortunately, Ah Fu and others had covered for her, claiming she was staying at the back mountain. Since Jiang Ciqing often stayed in the village during her youth, Aunt Sun hadn’t grown suspicious.
However, the impatient Fifth Prince had sent an invitation, urging Jiang Ciqing to join him in rallying support from these influential figures.
Previously, the two had tried to keep their alliance discreet, letting others assume at most that they were slightly closer than with the other two royal siblings. But the situation had grown urgent. The Eldest Prince, as the legitimate heir, already had military backing and, despite the Emperor’s unclear stance, was widely seen as the likely successor. If he also returned with significant military achievements…
What chance would the Third Princess or Fifth Prince have left? Thus, both had grown anxious, frantically meeting with court officials and noble families. The Third Princess’s residence was lit up day and night, with music playing from evening to dawn.
The Fifth Prince no longer bothered hiding anything, openly waving the Jiang family’s banner to align with his cause, dragging Jiang Ciqing to every gathering.
“Your Highness is too modest. Even Emperor Wu didn’t achieve such feats at eighteen…”
“General, you flatter me. Anmu merely got lucky defeating the enemy. How could I compare to Emperor Wu?” Despite hearing such praise repeatedly, the youthful and spirited Liang Anmu managed a humble response.
“Your Highness is too humble. Even His Majesty has praised you…”
The back-and-forth flattery continued. Jiang Ciqing felt fortunate to be a person of few words, her reputation for aloofness sparing her from joining in. For now, she could simply sit quietly.
This teahouse was renowned in Southern Liang, its regular seats booked months in advance, let alone the coveted window spots. Only two seats by the third-floor lakeside railing, separated by white gauze curtains, were reserved. Since only the Fifth Prince’s group was present, the atmosphere was serene, with only the spring breeze stirring the curtain edges.
The maid before them wore a white qipao with green patterns, a jade bracelet loosely adorning her wrist. She didn’t seem like an ordinary tea server but rather a noble lady. Rumor had it the teahouse owner, wary of inadequate service for such distinguished guests, had sent his own daughter to attend them.
A qipao…
Jiang Ciqing’s gaze wavered, her thoughts drifting to a certain Omega—the scattered clothes, the draped bed curtains, the faintly furrowed brows during moments of distress, those misty peach-blossom eyes, and a slender, soft waist trembling like a flower stem in the wind, fragile as if it might snap.
The porcelain cup in her hand was scalding. Jiang Ciqing lowered her eyes, taking a sip. The tea was bitter, with no trace of the supposed lingering sweetness, only adding to her frustration.
If not for the Fifth Prince’s urgent summons and Ah Fu coming down the mountain to fetch her, Jiang Ciqing would have lingered at the Princess’s residence for days. What kind of Alpha leaves right after an Omega’s heat ends, even for important matters? It felt improper.
“Sir?” A voice called out beside her.
Jiang Ciqing snapped back to reality, turning her head.
Liang Anmu, with his bold brows and bright eyes, smiled and asked, “What do you think of the tea, sir?”
Looking around, Jiang Ciqing realized the conversation had somehow circled back to tea. All eyes were on her, but she remained unfazed, responding calmly, “The tea is clear and orange-red, with a lingering, mellow fragrance and a rich, sweet aftertaste. It’s not yet the May tea-picking season, yet the teahouse offers such quality leaves. They’ve put in great effort.”
The group laughed, and even the two stern-faced men nodded in agreement. Along with the general who had spoken earlier, these three were today’s main targets—military leaders who hadn’t fully committed to the Eldest Prince.
The leader among them was Chu Nongxi’s elder brother, the current head of the Chu family and its public figurehead.
A commotion rose from downstairs, followed by the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs, suggesting a sizable group was approaching.
Liang Anmu frowned slightly but quickly smiled, teasing playfully, “I thought you were staring at that young lady, sir, but it seems you were truly savoring the tea.”
During her earlier distraction, Jiang Ciqing’s gaze had lingered briefly on the tea server. Though not for long, everyone’s attention was subtly on her, so how could they not notice?
Jiang Ciqing froze, glancing discreetly at the Chu family head. His expression stiffened, his eyes darkening as if her response mattered greatly.
She quickly pieced it together. Last year’s failed blind date wasn’t hard to decipher. The Chu family appeared loyal to the Eldest Prince but harbored hidden ambitions. Compared to the other two families, their closeness to him was lacking. Meanwhile, Jiang Ciqing had been forcibly pulled into the Eldest Prince’s camp by those two families.
If the Eldest Prince ascended, the balance among the three families would tilt. The Chu family, unlike the maternal family that consistently supported the prince or the in-laws who married their daughter to him, wouldn’t naively believe Liang Ankai would treat them equally.
Thus, while the Chu family supported the Eldest Prince, they secretly served the Emperor. That blind date had been the Emperor’s move to curb the Third Princess’s rising influence, as she had been hosting lavish banquets, inviting both Xu Fusheng from the wild lands and Jiang Ciqing, stealing the spotlight.
The Emperor orchestrated the blind date to bolster the Eldest Prince, but hadn’t anticipated that Miss Chu genuinely liked Jiang Ciqing, nor that Jiang Ciqing showed signs of reciprocating.
This crossed the Emperor’s line.
The Jiang family forged blades, the Chu family commanded troops. Together, they were a threat the Emperor couldn’t ignore, making their union impossible. Thus, Chu Nongxi was promptly confined.
Jiang Ciqing forced a bitter smile, looking helplessly at the Fifth Prince as if pleading, “Please don’t tease me, Your Highness. I have no such intentions…”
She paused, lowering her gaze with a sigh, “She just reminded me of someone, so I looked a bit longer.”
Her words prompted everyone to glance at the tea server.
The woman had delicate brows and a slender figure, bearing no resemblance to Chu Nongxi. The only faint connection was that both were considered charming in appearance.
Recalling the rumors of the Jiang family’s genius bladesmith pining for Miss Chu, only to be rejected for her frail health, the group nodded silently. The rumors seemed true—Jiang Ciqing’s lingering gaze and longing for Miss Chu confirmed her deep affection.
Liang Anmu’s face lit up briefly before he masked it, feigning concern and sighing, “Why must you torment yourself, sir?”
“There’s no shortage of…” He paused, as if realizing the phrase was inappropriate, then tried, “If love is true…”
Struggling for words, he finally blurted, “Why must you do this, sir?”
He glanced at the Chu family head, closely observing his reaction.
For Liang Anmu, this situation lacked the Emperor’s concerns. With his claim to the throne in jeopardy, he cared little for future consequences. If the Chu and Jiang families allied through marriage, they’d fully join his camp, giving him leverage against the Eldest Prince. He strongly supported this.
“I understand,” Jiang Ciqing said heavily, her eyes dimming. Her naturally sharp features, usually cold and distant, now carried a sorrowful weight, making her appear more heartbroken than those perpetually melancholic.
“A broken body…” She fell silent, then turned to the Chu family head, forcing a bitter smile and raising her cup. “A toast to General Chu!”
This was no teahouse etiquette. No one mistook Jiang Ciqing for ignorant of tea customs; they saw her treating the tea like bitter wine, masking her pain.
Under everyone’s gaze, the Chu family head looked embarrassed. His family had indeed handled the matter poorly. He could only raise his cup and clink it with hers.
After downing her tea, Jiang Ciqing leaned back against the carved railing, her expression listless. The Zhou family head also looked somber, setting down his cup as if deep in thought. The lively atmosphere plummeted.
As the host, the Fifth Prince didn’t intervene to lighten the mood. Instead, he sipped his tea, subtly pleased with the scene, clearly hoping to push the Jiang-Chu alliance.
Just then, the chaotic footsteps from the stairs grew closer.
Jiang Ciqing frowned, one particular set of steps sounding eerily familiar.
“Please, come this way,” the teahouse owner’s voice came from the stairwell, followed by the Third Princess, several civil officials, and Xu Fusheng in a qipao…
They had run into each other!
Jiang Ciqing’s expression froze, her body tensing like a mouse spotting a cat, unsure how much of their conversation the newcomers had overheard.
The silver-haired woman, her hair pinned back with a wooden hairpin, glanced over with a smile. Her peach-blossom eyes shimmered with a playful, captivating charm.
Though her qipao was the same style as the tea server’s, differing only in color and pattern, it looked entirely different on her. Every inch exuded an alluring charm, like a ripe, juicy peach swaying on a slender branch, teasingly enticing.
Jiang Ciqing’s breath hitched, and she turned to look out at the railing, feigning indifference.
Xu Fusheng, seemingly glancing over casually, also looked away with a sly smile, like a Persian cat that had caught a mouse.