CHAPTER 586: CHAPTER 586: PLEASING TO THE EYE

In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.

For these two days, Xie Jingchen was busy, and Su Jin was even busier.

Ever since Princess NanAn and her entourage came to offer congratulations, Princess Nanzhang had fallen ill.

No one knew how the news spread.

People coming to the Prince Mansion came one batch after another.

Half were to congratulate the Princess Consort, and half were to visit Princess Nanzhang.

Hmm.

This half and half referred to the gifts they brought.

Half were congratulatory gifts for the Princess Consort.

Half were for nursing Princess Nanzhang back to health.

With all these visits, Princess Nanzhang’s illness worsened.

Already burning with rage and overwhelmed with grief, she fell ill, and it became an excuse for those people to curry favor with the Princess Consort.

How could Princess Nanzhang swallow this frustration?

If it was just one or two, she could bear a grudge and find a chance to get back at them later.

But if everyone was doing this, whom could she retaliate against?

There’s an old saying: the law does not punish the majority.

With this pent-up frustration, Princess Nanzhang’s condition worsened.

This made things difficult for Su Jin; the weather was hot, the Princess Consort was experiencing fetal movements, and the Prince didn’t allow her to leave the house, so the task of receiving and seeing off guests fell on Su Jin.

However, it was fortunate that the Second and Third Madams were there to help.

Of course.

Their intention wasn’t to ease Su Jin’s burdens but to take the opportunity to connect with those noble ladies.

Usually, when they came to the mansion, they gravitated around Princess Nanzhang and never paid attention to them.

Now that Princess Nanzhang was ill and the Princess Consort was too busy to care for them, they began to fawn over the Second and Third Madams.

It’s a classic case of the sandpiper and the clam clashing while the fisherman gains the advantage.

Princess Nanzhang and the Princess Consort are destined to fight to the bitter end.

Who can guarantee that the position at Prince Zhenbei Mansion won’t eventually fall to the Second or Third House?

After seeing off the last batch of guests, Su Jin returned to her room with a weary face.

Exhausted, she flopped onto the Imperial Concubine’s Couch pretending to be dead.

After resting for a short while, footsteps approached.

Su Jin felt her head swell, "Please, no more visitors."

A young maid stopped outside the bead curtain and said, "Heir’s wife, the embroidery room sent clothes for you."

"What clothes?" Xingxing asked.

"For tomorrow when the Beimo Envoy enters the Capital, the dress for you to wear to the palace banquet," the maid replied.

Xingxing remembered and said, "Bring it in."

Soon, the embroidery room manager came in.

Behind her followed a maid carrying a tray.

The newly-made dress was placed on the tray.

"Heir’s wife, please try it on to see if any adjustments are needed," said the embroidery room manager.

"No need, just leave it there," Su Jin replied.

She was too tired to move.

Xingxing took the tray from the maid’s hands.

Since Su Jin didn’t want to try on the dress, the embroidery room manager didn’t dare ask her to get up.

She curtsied and took her leave.

As she reached the drapery, she glanced back, her eyes showing a slight gleam.

"This dress is beautiful," Xingxing said, touching the embroidery on the dress.

"Young lady, you really don’t want to try it on?"

"No matter how beautiful, I don’t want to try it," Su Jin said with her eyes closed.

By this time, it was already late.

Although Su Jin could lie down on the small couch, Xingxing wouldn’t let her sleep.

If she slept now, she’d likely miss dinner.

If she woke up hungry and ate, she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.

Tomorrow is the first time the young lady will attend a palace banquet; she mustn’t look exhausted.

Xingxing had resolved not to let Su Jin sleep, so Su Jin couldn’t sleep even if she wanted to.

After dinner, she went to take the Princess Consort’s pulse, then returned and soaked in a hot bath before going to bed.

When she opened her eyes again, it was already midmorning.

Outside the city gates.

Xie Jingchen and Prince NanAn went out of the city to greet the Beimo Cheng King.

The sun blazed overhead, and Prince NanAn fanned himself with a jade fan, saying, "What kind of world is this?"

"Our Daqi soldiers have captured the King of Beimo alive, the Beimo Cheng King should come with his tail between his legs to sue for peace."

"But instead, he’s strutting about, and we have to go out of the city to meet him."

If this task hadn’t been assigned by Marquis Dongxiang, Prince NanAn would’ve certainly dropped it.

They stopped their horses at Three Miles Pavilion.

Then they waited for the Beimo Cheng King to arrive.

Unlike their plan, they waited a full half-hour before they saw the Beimo flag.

When they drew nearer, Xie Jingchen rode forward.

Prince NanAn and others followed.

From a distance, it really was as pleasing to the eye as could be.

The Beimo Cheng King was at the front. He was the king’s uncle from Beimo, not young anymore, but imposing.

Behind him closely followed two people.

One was a young man, about eighteen years old, handsome in appearance.

A young lady, about fifteen or sixteen, was charming in appearance. She held a long whip in her hand, and when she saw Xie Jingchen, she instinctively tightened her grip.

Xie Jingchen cupped his hands in salute to the Beimo Cheng King, "We are ordered to be here to welcome the Beimo Cheng King."

"What a fine young man," the Beimo Cheng King praised.

"Could it be you are the heir of the Late Duke Chong, the Lieutenant General of the Flying Tiger Army?"

Mistaken identity.

"I am the heir of Prince Zhenbei," Xie Jingchen replied.

Before the words could finish, a coquettish voice came, "Are you the heir of Prince Zhenbei?!"

Following the voice, Xie Jingchen saw the girl behind the Beimo Cheng King swing her whip and lash it toward Xie Jingchen.

Xie Jingchen leaned back, and the whip missed its target.

After the girl retracted the whip, she lashed out again.

This time, Xie Jingchen caught the whip.

She had already done it once, yet she still didn’t know restraint.

Infuriated because she couldn’t retrieve the whip, the girl said angrily.

"Let go!" she shouted.

"We’ve never met, yet you strike at me; you should at least give me a reason?" Xie Jingchen said coldly.

"I am Princess Jing Mountain!" the girl exclaimed.

She looked at Xie Jingchen, raised her chin, and said justifiably, "Isn’t it true in your Daqi that if a woman likes someone, she can capture him and marry him?"

"Your Daqi wants my Beimo for a political marriage, and I’ve taken a liking to you!"

Prince NanAn and his peers all wore helpless expressions.

They had just assumed this Beimo Princess didn’t like Brother Jingchen, so she lashed him with a whip.

Surprisingly, it was because she liked him too much that she made her move.

"These days, even men aren’t safe when they go out," Prince NanAn sighed.

Who knows who told this Beimo Princess that Daqi women would snatch someone they liked?

In the Capital all these years, only the eldest sister-in-law ever forcibly took a man from the streets.

Most tragically, the man she took a liking to was being eyed by someone else.

Whether this Beimo Princess truly fancied Brother Jingchen or was just picking a fight is unclear.

Thinking of how Princess Shouning had angered Su Jin and was now sitting in the palace under house arrest, reciting palace rules.

Prince NanAn and his companions couldn’t help but be curious about how the Beimo Princess would meet her downfall against Su Jin.

Her father was already captured and a prisoner.

Coming all the way to rescue him, yet still this arrogant?

Could it be that this Beimo Princess forgot to bring her brains?

Rumors say the eldest sister-in-law’s luck wasn’t ordinary, as there were always people foolish enough to deliver themselves for her to take her frustrations out on.

With a movement of Xie Jingchen’s hand.

The Beimo Princess felt a numbness in her hand holding the whip.

Letting go with a flick of her wrist.

The whip fell into Xie Jingchen’s hands.

With a casual toss, Xie Jingchen threw the whip to the ground.

"You!" The Beimo Princess’s face turned cold.

Xie Jingchen ignored her and looked at the Beimo Cheng King, saying, "Cheng King, please."