The Prince Consort's Secret (GL) - Chapter 17

We didn’t linger at Zhen’an like the other patrons to watch the spectacle—whether or not Han Wu’er was recaptured would surely make headlines across the capital by tomorrow anyway. Once in the carriage, we split ways with the others and returned to the Princess Residence. Seeing Yinger breathe a sigh of relief and Qiu Wen fussing dramatically, I finally relaxed completely and let the maids help me wash up and change.

Even though I made it back safe, Yinger remained unwavering in her stance: never visit brothels again and never go out late at night. Fortunately, I had anticipated their dislike and sent them back early. If she’d known I was captured, she’d be nagging me day and night.

After washing up, I lay in bed, thoughts racing. The Crown Prince had already submitted a confidential memorial to the palace tonight. Father Emperor was known for his diligence, and it wasn’t too late by imperial standards. Now that Khitan involvement was confirmed, this became a matter of state. But to avoid drawing attention, he couldn’t summon us overnight. Tomorrow, he would use my situation as a pretext to gather us.

The Next Morning – Chongzheng Hall

The Crown Prince, Ning Guangshi, Qin Huaiyu, and I all stood with solemn faces, gazes lowered, accepting the Emperor’s scolding without a word. His Majesty was clearly not in a good mood—possibly because of us.

The reprimands ranged from: the Crown Prince being idle and setting a poor example, dragging his sister into mischief; Ning Guangshi lacking leadership on the battlefield, letting discipline slide, and having questionable personal conduct; the imperial physician Qin Huaiyu, seemingly steady, surprisingly joining the chaos despite his rapid promotions; and finally me, behaving nothing like a proper princess—what other royal lady in history ever gained notoriety this way?

We listened silently. Interestingly, the Emperor didn’t criticize the fact that we entered a brothel—it was high-class, and partly state-run. Had it been a low-class bordello, we’d have been scolded thoroughly. My offense was cross-dressing and running around at night, shaming the royal family, while the three men who failed to stop me were equally at fault. Fair enough.

As for punishments…

The Crown Prince was assigned to the Ministry of Personnel as an assistant minister and ordered to attend court daily. Clearly, the Emperor still valued him and wanted him to prove himself—but judging by his anguished face, it was a punishment indeed.

Ning Guangshi was stripped of his post overseeing the Bianjing defenses and sent to the northern front at Hejian to fight the Khitan. Still, this wasn’t a bad fate—opportunities for merit and promotions abound there, and the war wasn’t currently tense. Yet his expression was one of mourning. Truly, men without ambition.

As for me? I was grounded for a month. Court-appointed female officials would come to the residence daily to teach me etiquette in the morning and the four arts (qin, chess, calligraphy, painting) in the afternoon.

I wasn’t allowed to leave the residence until deemed “reformed.” A month of isolation, and I barely knew how to paint or play weiqi (go)… I could write, yes, and my guqin was passable, but the rest? Total novice.

When it came to Qin Huaiyu, the Emperor seemed to struggle with how to punish him. After pacing for a moment, he simply waved us off, leaving only Qin behind.

Clearly, His Majesty felt there was no need to include us in further deliberations—the memorial had said it all. As for who would investigate the matter or look into Mu Han’s identity, that was no longer our concern. But since the consort in question was my husband, surely Father would inform me of the outcome.

As we exited the hall and rounded a corner, I noticed palace guards and eunuchs pouring out of Chongzheng Hall. It seemed Qin Huaiyu’s personal inquiry was already underway—how odd.

Ning Guangshi was grumbling about being sent north again just after returning, complaining he hadn’t had enough time to enjoy himself. Still irritated from last night’s fiasco, I was about to snap at him when a group of officials ahead caught my eye.

Among them was Mu Han, surrounded by others laughing and joking. His expression, however, looked awkward. No doubt they were teasing him—probably at my expense.

A pang of guilt struck me. I couldn’t hear the rumors outside, but Mu Han had to endure them all alone. And now we were about to bump into each other—how lovely. They wouldn’t say anything to my face, of course, but how could I look calmly at the man I wronged and all those witnesses?

I tugged at the Crown Prince’s sleeve and quickly told Ning Guangshi we were off to visit Mother Empress in the harem, excusing ourselves. Then, suppressing the urge to bolt, I walked steadily toward the inner palace.

The Crown Prince tried to stifle a laugh. “If you regret it this much, maybe don’t misbehave next time?”

I gave him a withering look. “Oh yes, unlike my good brother who cherishes his wife. Crown Princess must be the luckiest woman alive~” Watching him choke on that one was so satisfying I nearly burst into laughter, only managing to suppress it by clutching my stomach like it was a cramp.

At Kunning Hall, we stayed until lunch before returning to the Princess Residence. Strangely, all the servants were on their best behavior. Could it be the rumors hadn’t reached them yet?

But the moment I stepped into my room and saw Qiu Wen’s knowing wink, I knew better. Unsurprisingly, I had to endure Yinger’s gentle lecture again.

To change the topic, I asked about Han Wu’er. Qiu Wen lit up, describing how Han Wu’er defeated all the guards in three moves before fleeing. But I suspected no one actually caught up with her—judging by her speed last night, they probably didn’t even land a hit.

With such skills, why did she stay in Zhen’an brothel for a whole month only to flee last night? Suspicious. But I wasn’t particularly interested—just wanted to divert attention.

Still, Yinger went on. I finally said in exasperation, “Yes, yes, I was wrong. But I’ve already been punished—house arrest for a month, and court ladies will come teach me etiquette and the four arts. What I really need to worry about now is learning go and painting. How was I before with the four arts?”

Yinger finally smiled. “Your Highness’s guqin and calligraphy are excellent. Go you never particularly enjoyed but were decent at. As for painting… well, while you’re not skilled in it, the Crown Prince’s influence made you good at appreciating it.”

So that’s the priority—learn go first. If I play terribly, so be it. Just another spoiled princess failing in her studies.

But who could teach me? Predictably, it was Yinger.

Soon she brought out a go board and began teaching. I picked up the rules in ten minutes and we began playing, with her teaching basic strategies along the way. By the time I grasped the fundamentals, it was already past 3 p.m.—three hours had flown by.

I got up and headed for the study. Next, I had to deal with painting. While walking, I thought: Mu Han should be off duty now and coming to teach me martial arts.

The events of this morning still made me nervous. Only three days into our marriage and I had already caused her trouble…

Speaking of “her”—can I really trust what that assassin said? They mistook me for the consort. If they said the consort was a woman, could it be true?

Why would a woman enter court service and even become consort? Taking office as a woman meant death if exposed. Unless it was some desperate necessity or a twist of fate… perhaps she didn’t plan to become consort at all.

Should I confirm her gender? She must’ve considered being exposed. Killing me wouldn’t be wise—the Emperor’s beloved daughter is not worth silencing. And besides, she could tell I wanted her to be a woman.

But maybe it’s best to let it come out naturally. Entertainment was scarce. Watching someone squirm to keep a secret could be very fun.

At the study, the maids prepared brushes and ink. I began to draw. In my previous life, I liked sketching character portraits, so I was comfortable with a brush—but even in a realistic world, my art was laughable.

In this expressive ancient world, even more so.

I dropped the brush and sighed. The maids were already snickering. Yinger struggled to keep a straight face. “Princess, this portrait… has some spirit to it, ahem.”

Of course it did—it was based on the old lady from the game Chinese Paladin! That imposing expression—classic.

I murmured, “Tomorrow, someone just like this will come teach me etiquette.” After two more glances, I sighed. Ink just couldn’t match pencil sketches. I set the paper aside and began painting bamboo and landscapes.

Watching me struggle, Qiu Wen suggested I copy the Crown Prince’s ink paintings. Great idea.

We painted for who knows how long until a maid announced that the consort had arrived. I ordered the destruction of my “masterpieces” and went to greet her—time to stretch my legs anyway.

In the side wing, Mu Han rose politely from her tea when she saw me. “Greetings, Princess.”

So composed and pleasant. Truly refined.

I smiled. “No need to be so formal.” I was about to commend her dedication—working all day, then coming here to be my teacher—when she suddenly said:

“Congratulations, Your Highness.”

I blinked. “For what?”

Her smile remained gentle as spring breeze. “‘A thousand threads, ever unbroken; let them gather or part as they may.’ Congratulations on being crowned the most talented lady in the capital.”

I froze.