Chapter 9: Rumors

A big event occurred in Feng Ling City today.

A rumor spread from an unknown source, saying that at yesterday’s selection banquet, a young master from the Prime Minister’s family publicly confessed his love to the Seventh Princess. However, his love was not reciprocated and he was harshly rejected, leaving in tears with his sleeves covering his face.

As soon as this news came out, the entire Feng Ling City was abuzz with excitement.

Some were shocked by the Prime Minister’s son’s actions: “This young master from the Prime Minister’s family is quite bold! To be able to set aside his male pride and reserve like this, it’s clear he truly admires the Seventh Princess.”

Some scholars looked down on it: “Tsk! And he calls himself a young master from the Prime Minister’s family! This is too shameless! How can a young master from a good family behave like this? Indeed, he’s just a concubine-born son, not fit for polite society!”

There were also those who envied: “The Seventh Princess is really quite romantic! With so many beautiful husbands in her back courtyard, and still attracting love confessions from many young men!”

…

At this moment, in the Imperial Study of the Palace

Prime Minister Xu was kneeling on the ground, crying with snot and tears: “Your Majesty! Yue truly admires the Seventh Princess, that’s why he disregarded male reserve like this! I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and fulfill his wish! His reputation is now ruined, I fear no one will dare to marry him. This old minister doesn’t dare to hope for anything else, only begging Your Majesty to let the Seventh Princess take him in!”

The Emperor, sitting in the main seat, had a somber expression: “Is Prime Minister Xu trying to force me?”

Prime Minister Xu hurriedly kowtowed in fear: “This old minister wouldn’t dare! I only hope Your Majesty, considering this old minister’s years of diligent service, could fulfill my son’s infatuated heart! As a mother, I truly can’t bear to watch him continue to waste away!”

The Emperor saw her face full of sorrow, as if she had aged more than ten years in an instant.

After all, she was a minister who had followed her for so many years. Hearing her speak like this, she felt some sympathy.

Moreover, he was only asking to be taken into the household, not as a primary husband or secondary husband, and wouldn’t need to be recorded in the imperial genealogy. She also didn’t want to disappoint her ministers.

Thinking this way, the Emperor opened her mouth, about to speak more leniently.

Just then, a voice came from outside: “Your Majesty, the Seventh Princess requests an audience!”

Hearing this, the Emperor couldn’t help but frown slightly, but still allowed her to enter.

Feng Bai Su wore a dark red brocade robe today, which somewhat suppressed her usual frivolous air.

She raised an eyebrow slightly when she saw Prime Minister Xu kneeling below.

Then she knelt on one knee and bowed to the Emperor: “Your child greets Mother Emperor!”

“Rise.”

“Thank you, Mother Emperor!”

After Feng Bai Su stood up straight, the Emperor looked at her and said in a deep voice: “Why have you come?”

This daughter of hers had been troublesome since childhood, without any ambition. If she wasn’t her own offspring, she wouldn’t even bother to look at her.

Every time she appeared before her, there was never anything good!

Therefore, the Emperor was used to frowning unconsciously when she saw Feng Bai Su.

Feng Bai Su showed no awareness of being unwelcome. After glancing at Prime Minister Xu prostrating on the ground, she spoke in a lazy voice:

“Oh, it’s nothing really. Your child just came to say that I would rather die than take in this young master from the Prime Minister’s family.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Prime Minister Xu forgot for a moment that the Emperor was still present and looked at Feng Bai Su in disbelief.

The Emperor, looking at the disdainful Feng Bai Su below, couldn’t help but have a throbbing vein on her forehead as she shouted loudly: “Insolent!”

Feng Bai Su lifted her robe and knelt down again, looking at the Emperor with a face of determined resistance: “This has nothing to do with your child in the first place! It’s Prime Minister Xu who couldn’t control her own son, actually making such a shameless move in public. And he calls himself a young master from the Prime Minister’s family? He has no male reserve at all. Your child doesn’t like such a promiscuous man!”

She deliberately belittled him with a series of words, successfully making Prime Minister Xu, who was kneeling beside her, turn pale, feeling as if her old face had been slapped several times.

The Emperor looked at the humiliated Prime Minister Xu below, and then glanced at her troublesome daughter who made her eyes and liver ache.

Somehow, she felt a strange comfort in her heart. It seems that this troublesome daughter of hers wasn’t intentionally targeting her. Look at how she opened her mouth and almost made Prime Minister Xu faint from anger!

She coughed lightly a few times to clear her throat, and looked at Prime Minister Xu below, persuading: “Well, Prime Minister, you’ve seen it too. This seventh child is unwilling… I can’t force her to death for the sake of your son. Moreover, as the seventh child said, if we forcibly push him onto her, it might not be good for your son’s happiness.”

“How about this…” Her voice paused, then suggested: “I’ll grant you an imperial decree for an arranged marriage. You can go back and take a good look at the noble ladies in Feng Ling City. If there’s a suitable one, I’ll immediately grant a marriage for the two of them. How does that sound?”

The Emperor’s words were actually subtly saying, give up on her daughter’s path! Go and pursue other noble ladies instead!

Although it was in an inquiring tone, Prime Minister Xu knew that the Emperor had made her decision.

She endured the frustration in her heart, not daring to show any dissatisfaction on her face, and could only grit her teeth and accept the decree: “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your imperial grace!”

After Prime Minister Xu left with a belly full of suppressed anger, Feng Bai Su, seeing that the matter was perfectly resolved, also cupped her hands to take her leave: “Then, Mother Emperor, your child will take her leave first.”

“Stop right there!”

However, the Emperor coldly rebuked her, looking at her carefree appearance and scolded: “Look at your appearance, hanging around like a hooligan all day. Apart from that face of yours, what else do you have? It’s strange that the Prime Minister’s son was blinded and actually took a liking to you. In the future, get rid of those bad habits of yours for me! There happens to be a vacancy for a deputy officer in the Jing Ji Camp. From now on, you will learn well under the Northern Marquis and change that ruffian air of yours for me!”

Feng Bai Su didn’t expect that while scolding her, she would also arrange a job for her.

She looked at the Emperor with a face full of bewilderment, and for once was at a loss for words: “Mother Emperor, your child…”

Before she could finish speaking, she saw the Emperor looking at her with disgust, speaking impatiently: “Alright, get out! Tomorrow you will report to the Jing Ji Camp for me.”

Feng Bai Su saw her lower her head to look at the memorials in her hand, unwilling to pay her any more attention.

She opened and closed her mouth, but finally retreated: “…Your child takes her leave.”

As she turned to leave, the Emperor raised her head and looked at her. Seeing her somewhat dispirited back, a trace of pleasure flashed through her eyes.

She didn’t believe she couldn’t deal with this troublemaker daughter of hers!

—

The Jing Ji Camp, as the name suggests, is the army that guards Feng Ling City. Its main task is to protect the safety of the palace and the citizens of Feng Ling City.

After receiving the imperial edict to return to Feng Ling City, the Northern Marquis has been in charge of this army.

Feng Bai Su remembered that when a position became vacant in the Jing Ji Camp, the Emperor had clearly entrusted this matter to the female protagonist Feng Bai Wei.

She looked a bit dazed, wondering if she had remembered wrong.

But it shouldn’t be!

Feng Bai Su frowned slightly. She used to be a fan of the female protagonist’s career, and might not remember the details of the romantic plot. But she had firmly memorized everything about the female protagonist’s career. This job was indeed given to the female protagonist Feng Bai Wei.

She pressed her forehead in frustration, feeling annoyed and distracted.

She couldn’t help but curse: How the hell was she supposed to realize her dream of being a lazy bum now?

Tomorrow when she reports to the Jing Ji Camp, this news will definitely spread throughout Feng Ling City immediately.

Those troublesome sisters of hers and the female protagonist will probably have their eyes on her. After all, this Jing Ji Camp is a good place, and it’s under the Northern Marquis’s command.

Cong Bai saw that her princess had been lying listlessly on the soft couch since returning from the Imperial Study.

Her whole body was emanating an air of having no desire to live.

She asked with some concern: “Your Highness, what’s wrong? Did the Emperor not agree?”

But in her heart, she was a bit gleeful: It’s good that the Emperor didn’t agree. Although this young master from the Prime Minister’s family is a bit promiscuous, he’s just a small attendant. Maybe after taking him in, if he seduces her a few more times boldly, her princess might learn about the pleasures between men and women? Then she and Gui Jun wouldn’t have to worry about the princess dying alone in the future!

Feng Bai Su shook her head and murmured: “It’s not that…”

“It’s just that, tomorrow I have to report to the Jing Ji Camp.”

“Ah?”

Cong Bai was a bit disappointed at first, but after hearing the latter half of her sentence, she became happy again: “The Jing Ji Camp? Isn’t that the place under the Northern Marquis’s command! It seems the Emperor still values Your Highness highly, this is a good position!”

She looked at Feng Bai Su with some excitement: “Your Highness, do you want to share this good news with Gui Jun?”

Feng Bai Su looked at her jubilant appearance, but felt desolate inside. She forced a smile: “No need to hurry, maybe Mother Emperor will change her mind tomorrow?”

Her peach blossom eyes showed some hope, “Don’t you think so, Cong Bai?”

But Cong Bai scratched her head and looked at her, “Your Highness is overthinking it. After all, an emperor’s word is law. The Emperor probably won’t change it again, you can rest assured!”

Crack!

After Cong Bai’s very sincere analysis, Feng Bai Su wasn’t reassured, but her heart was completely shattered!

“Let me be alone for a while…”

—

Early the next morning, Cong Bai excitedly called Feng Bai Su to get up.

“Your Highness, it’s time to get up! Today is your first day at the Jing Ji Camp, you can’t be late!”

Feng Bai Su’s drowsy brain, upon hearing the three words ‘Jing Ji Camp’, instantly sat up from the bed.

She looked expressionlessly at the excited Cong Bai, already feeling exhausted all over her body just after waking up.

Since she was reporting to the military camp, Cong Bai brought out a set of neat and refreshing robes.

Feng Bai Su’s gaze lingered on the robes in her hands for a few seconds, suddenly her eyes moved, and the corners of her lips slowly curled into a smile.

“I won’t wear this…”

After Feng Bai Su finished getting ready, she prepared to leave.

Behind her, Cong Bai looked at her attire and hesitated: “Your Highness, isn’t this outfit a bit inappropriate for the military camp?”

Hearing this, Feng Bai Su lowered her head and took a glance.

A peach-red brocade robe, how playful!

She narrowed her peach blossom eyes in great satisfaction: “Inappropriate? I think it’s quite suitable.”

She raised her hand and tapped the conflicted-looking Cong Bai, grinning freely: “Alright, wait for me at home. This princess is off to work!”

With that, she strode forward, her back view very dashing.

The Jing Ji Camp was a hundred meters outside Feng Ling City, requiring a horse ride to get there, so naturally, Cong Bai wasn’t suitable to accompany her.

She walked with lazy steps, her peach blossom eyes half-closed, red lips curled into a smile, looking languid and relaxed.

Her silky long hair was held by a jade crown, with a few playful strands escaping to fall at her temples.

As a gentle breeze passed by, the fine strands of hair lightly brushed across that alluring face, captivating the soul.