Xu Qi An felt extremely frustrated!
Yesterday, when he received the jade pendant from the Second Princess, he had considered that one day he might face such a situation. He just didn’t expect retribution to come so quickly.
If this situation had happened in his previous life, it would have been resolved with a simple statement: “Only children make choices!”
At worst, it might have earned him a couple of slaps.
But in this ancient world, it might result in a scar as wide as a bowl.
“This humble official came to seek guidance from the Elder Princess regarding the Sangbo case,” Xu Qi An turned and cupped his hands towards Biaobiao, hinting that he was here on official business.
But he had overestimated the Second Princess’s intelligence or underestimated her willfulness and capriciousness. She put her hands on her hips and snorted coldly, “Can’t you come to consult me instead!”
Princess Huaiqing, upon hearing this, immediately gave a cold laugh: “Lin’an’s greatest virtue is her self-confidence.”
Even a fool could hear the sarcasm in her words.
The Elder Princess has taken the heat for me… Xu Qi An breathed a sigh of relief. You two can argue all you want, just treat me as invisible.
The Second Princess and her elder sister had a long-standing conflict, from childhood fights to their current overt and covert struggles, they were always at odds.
“Huaiqing, Xu Qi An is my man. He accepted my waist jade and has already agreed to serve me,” the Second Princess said with her hands on her hips. At this point, she gave a cold laugh:
“A good bird chooses a tree to perch on. Some people are just too stingy. They want the horse to run but won’t give it grass. I’m much more generous.”
Seeing that the Elder Princess didn’t respond, she walked to Xu Qi An’s side. Her beautiful eyes first glared fiercely at Xu Qi An, then she declared her ownership: “If you want to use my man, you can, but only if I agree first. Today, this princess is in a bad mood and doesn’t want to let you order my man around.”
Princess Huaiqing took a sip of tea, smiling without saying a word, appearing very confident.
The Second Princess hated this attitude of hers the most. Her clear black and white eyes glared at her, then she said to Xu Qi An: “Why aren’t you following this princess!”
Xu Qi An didn’t move, not looking at either the Second Princess or the Elder Princess: “Your Highnesses, this humble official is a night watchman, loyal to His Majesty.”
“Shut up!” Both princesses spoke simultaneously.
“…”
Xu Qi An understood. The conflict between the two princesses was so great, and it wasn’t one-sided. Biaobiao, the Second Princess, liked to stir up trouble, while the strong and domineering Elder Princess welcomed all challenges.
He was just a lowly sycophant caught in the middle.
It was like two wealthy young ladies fighting over a toy, then letting the toy choose who to follow.
Meeting the gazes of both princesses, Xu Qi An let out a breath and looked at Lin’an: “Second Princess, please forgive me, but this humble official still has official matters to discuss with the Elder Princess.”
His words were polite, but he had already made his stance clear. He chose the Elder Princess.
Suddenly, the Second Princess bit her lip, her peach blossom eyes glistening with tears. She gave Xu Qi An a deep look, then turned and left.
She had lost again, once more losing face in front of Huaiqing, who sat there haughtily, letting a mere night watchman slight her.
The proud and arrogant Princess Lin’an had never felt so wronged or so defeated before.
She left without a word.
Xu Qi An ignored the Second Princess’s departure and calmly exchanged a few words with the Elder Princess. Suddenly, he touched his chest, as if remembering something, and said with a helpless smile:
“Oh dear, I haven’t returned the jade pendant to the Second Princess yet. Should this humble official take his leave first?”
The Elder Princess, in a good mood, gave an “Mm” in response, her voice melodious.
Xu Qi An leisurely left the elegant courtyard and caught a guard at the door, asking, “Where did the Second Princess go?”
The guard pointed him in a direction.
Xu Qi An, like an unleashed hound, quickly gave chase. A few minutes later, he saw the Second Princess’s fiery red figure, leading two palace maids, walking briskly, her delicate shoulders visibly trembling.
“Second Princess, please wait!” Xu Qi An called out as he caught up.
Princess Lin’an heard him but didn’t acknowledge him. Instead, she walked even faster, her slender waist swaying, her skirt fluttering.
Xu Qi An quickly caught up and blocked Princess Lin’an’s path. Before he could speak, he was startled: “Your Highness, have you been crying?”
Her emotional resilience is poor…
Princess Lin’an immediately turned her head away, giving him a beautiful profile, and said coldly, “You dog of a slave, why are you following this princess? Do you have ulterior motives?”
Her eyes were red and swollen, and traces of tears remained on her snow-white cheeks. She had been crying out of frustration just now.
However, it only made those peach blossom eyes even more enchanting.
Seeing that Princess Lin’an hadn’t left or called for help, Xu Qi An was immediately delighted, feeling that the situation could still be salvaged. He said solemnly:
“This humble official is utterly loyal to Your Highness, without any second thoughts.”
Princess Lin’an suddenly turned her head, sneering, “Xu Qi An, do you take this princess for a fool?”
This loyal dog of Huaiqing, two-faced and trying to have it both ways, was simply detestable.
If it weren’t for his good poetry-writing skills and Huaiqing’s favor, she wouldn’t bother with such a stinking man.
Princess Lin’an’s opinion of Xu Qi An had hit rock bottom.
“Perhaps, in the Second Princess’s eyes, this humble official is a shameless opportunist,” Xu Qi An sighed:
“This humble official cannot refute that. Please take back this jade pendant, Your Highness. Such a fine jade should not be buried with me.”
The Second Princess already disliked Xu Qi An and was about to take back the jade pendant when she heard the last sentence and paused: “What did you say?”
Xu Qi An didn’t answer, lowering his head to caress the jade pendant, and said: “The Second Princess is generous. No other important person has ever been willing to bestow their waist jade upon me. This humble official was deeply moved. The Second Princess treats people with sincerity, how could this humble official be ungrateful?”
He sighed dejectedly and offered the jade pendant back: “Perhaps there is no fate between the Second Princess and me. Please take it back.”
The Second Princess was slightly moved, but she hadn’t forgiven him yet. After all, as Emperor Yuanjing’s most beloved princess, she had heard plenty of flattering words.
However, this man’s eyes seemed quite sincere, and his tone was also earnest. The Second Princess was willing to hear more of his explanation, so she asked:
“What did you mean earlier by ‘buried with you’?”
Xu Qi An smiled bitterly and said: “I thought the Second Princess would have investigated my background…”
She hadn’t… Princess Lin’an felt a bit guilty for a moment, then remembered something and asked in surprise: “The crime of being cut in half at the waist?”
She had been present when Huaiqing recommended him that day.
She heard Huaiqing say that he had been sentenced to being cut in half at the waist for beheading his superior… Princess Lin’an pursed her red lips, taking the opportunity to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Her tone softened slightly, but her little temper was still there as she snorted: “What does this have to do with Huaiqing?”
“The Elder Princess is very curious about the Sangbo case and hopes to stay informed of the latest developments. She said that as long as I report to her regularly, regardless of whether I can redeem myself through meritorious service or not, she would plead with His Majesty on my behalf when the case is closed,” Xu Qi An said, gazing sincerely at the Second Princess:
“This humble official just thought that the Second Princess has treated me with sincerity, but I am a criminal and unable to repay the Second Princess’s favor. So I thought I’d agree to the Elder Princess’s terms, and after I’ve cleared my name, I would then serve Your Highness with utmost loyalty.”
If sincerity could be quantified, the sincerity in Xu Qi An’s eyes was like a tidal wave, softening the Second Princess’s heart considerably.
She said angrily: “Why didn’t you tell me? Father dotes on me the most. If I plead for you, wouldn’t it be more reliable than Huaiqing?”
As she finished speaking, she saw intense emotions flicker across Xu Qi An’s face, seeming both moved and shocked.
Then, she heard this lowly night watchman’s trembling voice: “Your Highness… you would be willing to plead with His Majesty for a mere night watchman you’ve just met?!”
So he thought I wouldn’t help him, that’s why he clung to Huaiqing as a lifeline… Princess Lin’an felt both angry and amused. What she had just said was merely spoken in anger, but now that things had come to this point, she felt a bit cornered. She nodded and said:
“Of course! This princess never mistreats her people.”
Xu Qi An gazed at her for a long while, then cupped his hands and said, enunciating each word: “Your Highness, this humble official now only wishes to buy a piece of land.”
Lin’an didn’t understand and asked in bewilderment: “Buy land?”
Xu Qi An said solemnly: “Its name is called ‘unwavering loyalty’!”
Princess Lin’an was stunned, feeling a bit touched. This was something she had never heard before.
In an instant, her aversion towards Xu Qi An dissipated completely. If before she had thought of competing with Huaiqing over a toy, now she truly felt that having such a subordinate wasn’t so bad.
But remembering how this lowly night watchman had made her cry earlier, she snorted and scolded softly: “You dog of a slave!”
…Mission accomplished!
Xu Qi An breathed a sigh of relief internally.
When faced with such a situation where one must choose between two options, never think about solving the problem. Instead, think about how to deal with the person creating the problem.
The key element: is divide and conquer.
The Elder Princess was a woman with a strong and domineering personality, and she was intelligent. So in relatively public settings, one should lean towards her, giving her face.
The Second Princess was capricious and willful, both a victim and a troublemaker who liked to provoke and cause issues. But she lacked depth, being a spoiled princess with many small tempers, yet easy to coax.
As long as one was silver-tongued, one could turn her anger into joy. She was a woman who needed sweet words.
Based on the different personalities of the two princesses, Xu Qi An, caught in this predicament, quickly devised what he considered a perfect strategy.
Not only did he turn danger into safety, but he also got the Second Princess to agree to plead for him, securing a form of insurance for the future.
And it didn’t cost him a penny.
In front of the Second Princess, Xu Qi An carefully put the jade pendant back into his bosom, as if it wasn’t just a pendant, but a precious treasure.
The Second Princess’s gaze immediately softened considerably.
“Well, this humble official shall take his leave now?” Xu Qi An intended to slip away.
“What’s the rush!” Princess Lin’an gave him a coquettish glare. “You are this princess’s subordinate, and this princess still has tasks for you.”
She had stolen Huaiqing’s man, of course, she wanted all her other brothers and sisters to see. This way, she would gain face, and Huaiqing would lose face.
“Your Highness, please give your orders,” Xu Qi An said helplessly.
The carefree Second Princess realized she didn’t have anything for him to do. She tilted her head and said, “Hmm, the weather is nice today, and that annoying Huaiqing isn’t around. This princess wants to go play with the Spirit Dragon. You follow this princess, and I won’t bring any guards.”
…
Emperor Yuanjing stood at the edge of the high platform, examining the Spirit Dragon sprawled on the shore, meeting its gaze with those black button-like lively eyes.
“What’s wrong with you? Lin’an has been playing with you since she was little. Why did you suddenly flip her into the water the other day for no reason?” Emperor Yuanjing reprimanded the Spirit Dragon.
Spirit Dragons, being ancient mystical beasts, fed on purple qi to survive and were not in the same category as demon beasts. If one had to find a “similar kind,” it would be the Gu God, another ancient mystical beast.
Spirit Dragons were extremely rare and long-lived, having always existed as the royal family’s companion divine beasts.
Whether it was in Great Feng or the previous dynasty, the palace always raised these mystical beasts.
“Achoo…”
The Spirit Dragon lazily sneezed, lying listlessly on the shore, indifferent to Emperor Yuanjing’s scolding.
Its black button-like eyes glanced at Emperor Yuanjing.
Are you going to ride or not?
The Crown Prince beside him observed the Spirit Dragon. He remembered that at the time, the Spirit Dragon was also lying on the shore like this, but it seemed more respectful and more apprehensive than now.
He was quite far away at the time and couldn’t see the Spirit Dragon’s expression and demeanor, only having a vague impression, so the Crown Prince didn’t dare to be certain.
The Spirit Dragon was the water mount of emperors throughout the generations. Legend had it that in ancient times, the realms of demon beasts and humans were not as clearly separated as they are now, but rather in a relatively mixed state of coexistence.
Therefore, humans were often eaten by demon beasts, or demon beasts were hunted by humans.
Humans were not good swimmers and were helpless against river demons. Only the Human Emperor could easily enter the water to fight demon beasts.
The reliance was on amphibious mystical beasts like the Spirit Dragon.
Today, the emperor of Great Feng certainly doesn’t need to enter the water to fight demon beasts, so the water mount has become an ornamental creature.
Since he began cultivating the Dao, Emperor Yuanjing hadn’t visited the Spirit Dragon for many years. He couldn’t help but recall the grand scene of when he first ascended the throne, riding the Spirit Dragon on a tour of the capital’s river.
“It’s been many years since I’ve been close to you. You must have been quite lonely,” Emperor Yuanjing sighed, lightly leaping onto the Spirit Dragon’s armored back and gripping its horns with both hands.
The Spirit Dragon let out a joyful roar, its four limbs paddling, its body twisting gracefully, carrying Emperor Yuanjing as it swam in the lake.
…How enviable! The Crown Prince watched this scene, imagining that one day in the future, he would ride the Spirit Dragon, with his princes and princesses standing on the shore, eagerly observing.
Just then, the Spirit Dragon, which had been swimming joyfully in the lake, suddenly let out a roar, as if stimulated by something. It raised its head high, emitting an ear-splitting roar while shaking its neck, throwing Emperor Yuanjing off.