Gluttonous Crown Princess

“Of course, it’s the best if His Highness doesn’t begrudge my lady,” said Zishuang resentfully. “Now that my lady has married into the Eastern Palace, don’t do those foolish things again. If my lady really doesn’t like His Highness, you can just take in two concubines for the crown prince after some time has passed, and divert his attention. We can then live peacefully then.”

At these words, Tao Ti’s eyes flickered; she looked at Zishuang thoughtfully.

When Zishuang met Tao Ti’s gaze, her heart lurched and she said uneasily, “Why are you looking at this servant like this?”

“It’s nothing.” After a moment’s silence, Tao Ti said, “I don’t need anyone to serve me now, you may be dismissed.”

Zishuang did not move immediately.　　

Tao Ti raised her eyebrows and squinted at her, “Is there anything else?”

Zishuang was taken aback, “N-no, my lady. Then, this servant shall take her leave.”

“Oh yes, hold on.”

“Eh?”

“Now that I’ve married into the Eastern Palace, you should also change your address from now on. Do not address me as ‘my lady’ anymore. You may call me Crown Princess, or Mistress instead.”

“……Yes, this servant will do so,” replied Zishuang with her head lowered. When she walked out of the inner room, she couldn’t help glancing back.

Strange, why did her lady look different today? Her entire spirit had become bright and open, no longer complaining endlessly with a bitter face like she always did before. Could marriage cause such a big transformation in a person?

By the time Tao Ti finished looking through her dowry booklet and the Eastern Palace’s ledgers, it was already dark outside.

She stretched out her arms and asked Linglong leisurely, “It’s almost time for dinner, right?”

Linglong said, “If Your Highness is hungry, this servant will go call for the meal to be delivered.”

“Is His Highness busy with his duties? Will he come to dinner with me?” asked Tao Ti casually.

“Um……” Linglong did not dare to give a definite response and only said, “Crown Princess may send for someone to invite His Highness, and perhaps His Highness would come?”

Tao Ti pondered for a moment. “All right. Find someone to send the invitation then.”

Thinking of Second Princess Pei Lingbi’s attitude today, she felt it necessary to warn Pei Yan. Alas, a pure and kind-hearted person like the crown prince wouldn’t know how sinister this world was.

She had to give this poor little thing some pointers.

*****

[ Eastern Palace, Zixiao Hall ]

A bright round moon hung high in the sky; the bright white light shone diagonally on the desk through the open window like a light veil.　　

Cutting a handsome figure, Pei Yan sat at the desk, flipping through the book with one hand and tapping the desk from time to time, deep in thought.

The guard, Zhan Ping, stepped forward and whispered, “Your Highness.”

Without looking up, Pei Yan said mildly, “What is it?”

“Crown Princess has sent someone to ask if Your Highness would go to her place for dinner?”

Hearing that, the flipping of the book halted for a moment. After a moment’s silence, Pei Yan said, “Say that I still have some affairs to deal with, so I won’t be going over… Tell her to eat well by herself, I will go to see her later.”

Hearing that the crown prince was sending such a gentle response, Zhan Ping’s thick brows knitted as he said angrily, “Your Highness, you are simply too kind. That woma… Crown Princess doesn’t deserve your kindness. If this subordinate marries such a wife, I’d surely leave her alone and let her cry by herself.” 

As the Eastern Palace’s Left Guard and the commander of the crown prince’s personal guard, Zhan Ping had always been close to the crown prince. When the crown princess committed suicide by poison yesterday, he had run to call for the imperial physician himself. Therefore, he did not have a good impression of this crown princess at all, and felt she was simply ungrateful.

Zhan Ping continued, “Your Highness, you can’t spoil her. Women can’t be spoiled. Who knows if she will take advantage of your kindness and become even more arrogant, and do something even more outrageous…”　　

Seeing that he was getting increasingly worked up as he spoke, Pei Yan raised his head and kneaded his heavy temples, saying in a low voice, “Ah Ping, you talk too much.”

Eastern Palace’s well-known chatterbox was taken aback. Seeing that the crown prince wasn’t looking too well, he shut his mouth hurriedly.

Pei Yan put aside the volume in his hand, as if thinking back on something. After a long time, he said softly, “She has become a little different.”

Zhan Ping, “???”

No way, had His Highness fallen for the charming ways of the fairer sex in just one night? No, Your Highness, don’t be deceived by a woman’s appearance!

Pei Yan did not elaborate. He lowered his long lashes and said, “Go and deliver the message, don’t let others wait.”

Zhang Ping pursed his lips, bowed and clasped his fist in a salute. “Yes, the subordinate will go right away.” 

As his footsteps faded, Zhan Ping turned his head to look out the window.

The bamboo outside rustled in the gentle night breeze; several spring peach blossoms bloomed brilliantly in the moonlight.

The congratulatory gift sent by Grand Mentor Song yesterday came to mind. The first few lines of the congratulatory message were “The peach tree is young and elegant; how brilliant are its flowers. This maiden is going to be a bride, and will order well her chamber and home.”1

While her move to bestow silver to the three courts and five bureaus today was somewhat simple and crude, it was still an effective means of assuming control. 

From this point of view, she did indeed have some ability to ‘order well her chamber and home’, and it seemed like she would be able to serve as a good Crown Princess…

When Pei Yan became aware of his thoughts, he frowned and raised his hand to press at the corner of his forehead.

His fatigue was probably making him muddle-headed; why was he thinking about such things for?

That woman was nothing more than an insignificant chess piece.

————————————————————————————————————————
The author has something to say:

Now: An irrelevant chess piece.

Later: My life is yours

Footnotes:

1 The starting lines of a poem, “桃夭” (tao yao) , from The Classic of Poetry, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, comprising 305 works dating from the 11th to 7th centuries BC.