The Crown Princess Is Jealous Again - Chapter 2

“Miss Jiang, leaving already? It’s still early,” Madam Hua said with a smile, stepping aside to let Xiao Beitang pass.

“Yes, I’m heading out,” Beitang replied calmly.

Madam Hua chuckled, her face blooming like a flower as she teased, “Every time Miss Jiang visits, you leave before nightfall. Is it because my girls here don’t serve you well, or is your family keeping too tight a leash?”

Xiao Beitang only smiled and leisurely waved her folding fan as she strolled out.

She was only sixteen, yet already tall and statuesque. A silver crown held up her thick, jet-black hair, cascading behind her. With bright eyes and perfect teeth, she wore a dark robe embroidered with elegant orchid patterns. Her features were chiseled like those of Emperor Jing himself, and she carried none of the youthful naivety typical of girls her age. Claiming to be twenty, no one had ever doubted her.

“Leaving already, Miss Jiang?” Wu Fu, the young servant who welcomed guests at the brothel, called out cheerfully.

Beitang swung herself onto the horse, grinning. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

…

“Whoa—” Before the horse had even stopped, she leapt off gracefully, flinging her whip aside.

Liuzi rushed to catch it. “Your Highness, you’re finally back!”

Liuzi was her personal attendant at the palace, but she disliked being followed when she ventured out, so he usually waited for her at the palace gate.

She ignored him, striding briskly toward the inner court.

He jogged behind her. “Your Highness, His Majesty instructed that you go directly to Kunning Palace upon your return.”

Naturally, she refused. Casting a sidelong glance toward Kunning Palace, she turned and headed instead for Zichen Palace.

Liuzi sighed, glancing in the direction of Kunning Palace. He dared not say more and simply followed.

“Xing’er, I’m hungry,” she called as soon as she stepped through the gates.

“Right away, Your Highness. I’ll have the kitchen prepare something.” A young maid in green palace robes answered cheerfully. She was no more than sixteen, her round little face full of warmth and good fortune.

Xiao Beitang smiled at her and walked inside.

Liuzi hurried in behind her, speaking quietly, “Your Highness, Eunuch Zhao is here.”

Just as he said this, Eunuch Zhao entered with a smiling face and bowed. “Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence for dinner at Kunning Palace.”

She leaned lazily against the armrest, speaking without much interest. “Tell him that I—”

Before she could finish, Xing’er rushed back in, her cheerful face now tinged with irritation. “Your Highness, I went to the kitchens just now. They said no meal has been prepared for us today…”

As she lifted her eyes, Xiao Beitang saw Eunuch Zhao standing there with his usual smile and fell silent.

Beitang’s expression didn’t change. She slowly fanned herself with one hand, the other tapping rhythmically against the table.

Zhao Yan squinted with a grin like a jolly Buddha and coaxed gently, “Your Highness, why not join Their Majesties for dinner at Kunning Palace? His Majesty and Her Majesty are both waiting.”

“Ah, since that’s the case, let’s go,” she said, snapping her fan shut and rising to her feet.

________________________________________

In Kunning Palace, Emperor Jing sat with a dark expression. The Empress glanced at him and reminded him gently, “When Tang’er arrives, don’t let your displeasure show.”

The emperor gave a humorless laugh. “After what she did to Li Hanzhang, you expect me to greet her with a smile?”

The empress’s expression cooled. “Xiao Jing, I will handle Li Hanzhang. But you’d better not wear that sour face tonight.”

“Fine,” the emperor sighed, pouring himself a drink and downing it in one gulp.

“Her Highness has arrived,” Zhao Yan announced shortly after.

Beitang entered with an air of laziness, bowing slightly. “Greetings, Mother Empress. Greetings, Royal Mother.”

“Tang’er, come, sit with us,” the empress said warmly, beckoning her over.

The emperor’s mouth twitched into a stiff semblance of a smile—if one could call it that.

Beitang took a seat, never once lifting her eyes.

At the empress’s subtle signal, Zhao Yan bowed silently and led the attendants out. Only the three of them remained in the hall.

The empress glanced between father and daughter and decided to break the silence. “We’re all hungry—let’s eat first.”

She filled Beitang’s bowl, then added some food to the emperor’s plate.

Xiao Beitang was famished and immediately began eating, one mouthful after another.

The emperor, however, barely touched his food. Watching Beitang, his scowl deepened.

The empress cleared her throat. “Tang’er, where did you go? Why are you returning so late?”

Beitang offered no reply, continuing to eat loudly, as if she hadn’t heard.

“Slow down, Tang’er. Don’t choke.” The empress handed her a bowl of soup.

Beitang drank it down. Once full, she stood and bowed. “I’m done. Mother Empress, Royal Mother, please enjoy your meal. I’ll take my leave.”

Before they could respond, she turned on her heel to leave.

“Stop right there,” the emperor commanded.

She froze in place, exhaling slowly.

His tone was sharp. “Did you not hear your Royal Mother’s question just now?”

The empress reached out, tugging at his sleeve to calm him.

He ignored her. From the moment Beitang walked in, he had been suppressing his fury. Now, it broke loose.

She turned around, unfazed, her tone flippant. “Asking what you already know—is that supposed to be clever?”

“What did you say?” the emperor’s brows knit together.

She smirked. “I went to a brothel to have some fun. Didn’t the shadow guards following me report that to Their Majesties?”

“Xiao Beitang! How dare you speak such shameless words so openly?!” The emperor slammed his hand on the table.

“If I dared to do it, why wouldn’t I dare admit it?”

“You—!”

“Enough! Can you both say one word less?” the empress said, feigning a headache as she pressed her temples.

“Yanyan, are you in pain again?” The emperor rushed to her side.

She shook her head, smiling gently at Beitang. “Tang’er, it’s still early. Stay and chat with me for a while, won’t you?”

Xiao Beitang noticed the act but still returned to her seat. “Is your head hurting again, Royal Mother? It’s my fault.”

The empress took her hand and smiled. “It’s nothing serious. Don’t worry.”

Beitang looked down, guilt in her eyes, and let out a quiet sigh.

The emperor sat down as well, his anger slowly fading.

“Tang’er, is it that you dislike Li Hanzhang as your Grand Tutor?” the empress asked, hesitating slightly.

Beitang spoke plainly. “He talks about ‘virtue and righteousness’ with every breath. I can’t stand him.”

“Then you should have told us, instead of humiliating him.”

“I said from the start I didn’t want a Grand Tutor.”

The empress tried to reason with her. “Tang’er, you’re already sixteen. For someone of your status, you’ve started your studies quite late. As the Crown Princess, you can’t continue to be so willful.”

Beitang said nothing.

“Then tell me, who would you like as your tutor?”

Beitang leaned against her arm affectionately. “Royal Mother, I just don’t like those pedantic old scholars who quote classics all day and reek of sour ink. You don’t know this, but Li Hanzhang keeps several concubines outside the palace. I’ve seen him in brothels more than once. Yet he parades himself as a moral paragon. The thought of such a man being my tutor makes me sick.”

The emperor frowned—he hadn’t known that.

“And that Mr. Zhang—he’s been bragging about being my tutor since day one just to secure favors for his useless son. I won’t be used like that.”

The emperor’s expression darkened further.

The empress glanced at him before turning back to Beitang. “My Tang’er is cleverest of all. But you should have told us.”

Beitang cast a sideways glance at the emperor. “Royal Mother, how about we just drop the matter of the Grand Tutor altogether?”

“No can do. Tang’er, I know you’re smart, but a good teacher is still essential.”

Even though the empress doted on her, she knew where to draw the line.