The Crown Princess Is Jealous Again - Chapter 60
Song Qingqian only left after exchanging a glance with Zhang Dingqing.
When she returned to Zichen Palace, Xiao Beitang was nowhere to be found. Qingqian figured she had gone out of the palace again.
For some reason, she really wanted to see Xiao Beitang at that moment. During the cuju match, Xiao Beitang had played with great effort and intense focus. She even collided with opponents a few times and took a kick to the leg. It was rare to see her so serious.
Qingqian wondered if her leg had bruised. She had clearly been in pain, yet carried on as if nothing had happened, fully absorbed in the game.
She had declined the handkerchief offered by Yuwen Yuan—rejecting not just the gesture, but also the person behind it.
Yuwen Yuan’s intention in offering that handkerchief couldn’t have been clearer. Was she truly in love with Xiao Beitang?
And then there was Yuwen Yue—she had acted strangely today as well…
Song Qingqian’s mind was full of tangled thoughts.
That afternoon, she left the palace as planned to meet Zhang Dingqing. Yuwen Yue had arrived in the capital a few days earlier; they needed to find out exactly what she had been doing.
…
Zhang Dingqing escorted her all the way to the palace gates.
Meanwhile, Xiao Beitang stood atop the palace wall, a wine flask in hand, watching coldly from a distance as Qingqian approached.
As they neared the gates, Xiao Beitang cast a disappointed look and turned away, heading back to Zichen Palace.
She staggered into the entrance and made her way to Fuhua Courtyard.
The smell of heavy wine clung to her. She didn’t look pleased. Baixue timidly bowed and said, “Y-Your Highness, Her Ladyship isn’t in.”
“She’s not here, so I’m not allowed in?” Xiao Beitang let out a cold laugh. It wasn’t really a question—it was a challenge.
Sensing something wrong, Baixue quickly dropped to her knees. “I wouldn’t dare…”
“Then get out of my way,” Xiao Beitang said in a low voice. It had been a long time since she’d spoken with such weight.
Trembling, Baixue knelt aside to clear the path.
Xiao Beitang stormed in. She glanced around the room—it lacked the usual feminine trappings, instead filled with the quiet presence of books and scrolls.
She walked over to the desk, picked up a book lying there, flipped through it, then casually tossed it back down.
Lifting her head, she took a long swig of wine, a guttural sigh of satisfaction escaping her lips, and then she stumbled deeper into the room.
The bedchamber remained as neat and simple as ever. In the white jade vase by the window sat a branch of plum blossoms. Like Qingqian herself—meant to bloom proudly in the snow—yet now confined to the warmth of the inner chambers, still refusing to lose their integrity.
Xiao Beitang sat on the bed, drained the last of the wine, then let the flask fall to the floor with a clatter.
From afar, Baixue saw Song Qingqian return and rushed forward. “Your Ladyship, you’re back.” Her expression was uneasy, even anxious.
Qingqian asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Her Highness is in your chambers. She seems to have drunk quite a bit… I think she’s upset…”
Drinking? Qingqian led them toward the western wing.
The main hall was empty. The door to the bedchamber was ajar.
As she stepped inside, the scent of strong black tea filled the air. A wine flask lay by the door. Lifting her eyes, Qingqian saw Xiao Beitang staring at her with a deeply displeased expression.
Xiao Beitang spoke coldly, “All of you, get out.”
Xiaotao jumped, hurriedly retreating with the others, leaving only the two of them in the room.
Qingqian studied her calmly.
Xiao Beitang tapped twice on the edge of the bed with her fingers, visibly irritated. “Where have you been?”
“Outside the palace,” Qingqian answered.
“Oh? Is that so?” Xiao Beitang sneered.
She was half-drunk, half-sober, and full of arrogance. Qingqian found it annoying. Yuwen Yue was still in the capital, yet as the crown princess, Xiao Beitang was more concerned with getting drunk?
Qingqian could tell she was looking for a fight, and her own temper flared. She frowned and asked, “And what is Your Highness doing in my chambers?”
Xiao Beitang scoffed. “This entire Zichen Palace is mine. Is there anywhere I cannot go?”
“If Your Highness has no further business here, then please return to your own quarters.” She paused, then added, “Or… does Your Highness intend to stay the night?”
“Why shouldn’t I?” Xiao Beitang asked with a slow, mocking tone.
“Of course you can. Then by all means, stay.”
Qingqian left those words hanging in the air, turned on her heel, and swept out without waiting for a response.
Xiao Beitang leapt to her feet and shouted, “Stop right there!”
She demanded, “Where are you going?”
Qingqian turned back calmly, unafraid. “Does Your Highness still have something to say?”
Xiao Beitang frowned, her voice sharp. “I asked you where you’re going.”
“If Your Highness is staying here, then naturally I should give you some space.”
“You hate being with me that much?”
“I’ve never said that!” Qingqian snapped. She had been the one worrying and working for her, and now she was being accused?
“We are married in both name and title. Sharing a bed—do you find it beneath you?” Xiao Beitang let out a bitter laugh. “Or do you just prefer being with Zhang Dingqing?”
Her tone turned sour. Qingqian’s mood darkened further.
“What did you say?” she asked coldly, using the impersonal “you,” her eyes filled with disappointment.
Xiao Beitang faltered, guilt flickering in her eyes. “Isn’t it true? She returns and you rush to meet her. You left the palace today to see her again. You dare say there’s nothing between you two?”
“Heh…” Qingqian’s clear eyes were now filled with quiet fury.
So, in Xiao Beitang’s eyes, all her efforts had been nothing but an illicit affair? How absurd.
A sudden chill gripped Xiao Beitang’s heart.
Qingqian spoke in a quiet, detached tone, “Then what does Your Highness wish to do? Strip me of my title? Sentence me to death?”
Xiao Beitang swallowed hard, lost for words. She was scared—Qingqian’s tone didn’t sound like guilt. It sounded like heartbreak. Like despair.
Xiao Beitang stammered, “If you’re truly innocent, why won’t you explain?”
“I only heard Your Highness ask how I would be punished. So, I’m here to accept my sentence,” she replied coldly.
Xiao Beitang’s eyes turned misty. Her voice trembled: “Song Qingqian… you’re always like this. Always treating me like a child. Never speaking to me as an equal. Never trusting me. You could explain, but you won’t. Maybe I am just a child to you, but we are married. I am your wife. Can’t I even ask questions? Can’t I even be angry when I see you with another person?”
All her bottled-up frustration finally burst forth.
Earlier that day, Xiao Beitang had gone to a music hall but found the melodies grating, her mind restless. Even her favorite tune couldn’t soothe her.
She left in agitation and wandered the streets, unable to stop thinking of Song Qingqian. She rushed back to the palace only to learn Qingqian had gone out. Her gut told her she’d gone to see Zhang Dingqing. She waited. When night fell and she finally saw Qingqian returning—sure enough, Zhang Dingqing was right beside her. A tidal wave of jealousy and heartache crashed through her.
“I have never had an improper relationship with Zhang Dingqing. Believe it or don’t, Your Highness,” Qingqian said flatly. “But you are the Crown Princess. You should put national affairs above personal feelings.”
“Don’t lecture me about duty,” Xiao Beitang snapped. “All I know is, you are my Crown Princess Consort!”
“I’ve never denied that.”
Hope lit in Xiao Beitang’s eyes. “Then… from today on, stay with me. Let’s…”
Qingqian shook her head, resigned. “Being your Crown Princess Consort doesn’t mean I must share a bed with you every night. In the future, won’t you also take concubines? Will you sleep only with me forever?”
So that was it? All this fuss over sharing a bed?
“Don’t brush me off with that!” Xiao Beitang pressed. “If that’s the case, can I… exercise the rights of a wife?”
She was cautious in her wording—she knew Qingqian’s temper and feared crossing a line. Her voice was small: “Like… like performing the rites of the Duke of Zhou?”