【Second Update Today】
It must be said that Chu Qiao had always held a poor impression of Jing Han. From their first encounter at the training grounds, this wicked man had formed an inextricable grudge against her. In their subsequent meetings, the two had always been at daggers drawn. This influential prince seemed to have a particular animosity toward Yan Xun, and by extension, he had consistently regarded Chu Qiao with disdain, repeatedly confronting her with unreasonable hostility.
He had been absent from the palace during Emperor Xia's birthday banquet, thus avoiding the ensuing turmoil. Regarding Prince Jing's relationship with the court, Chu Qiao had always been in the dark, so she had never managed to figure out this young prince's true motives.
For instance, at this moment, she couldn't comprehend why this man had impulsively decided to stay at the Zhan residence. He clearly knew who she was yet hadn't exposed her. However, one thing was certain: this man undoubtedly harbored ill intentions toward her.
After moving all his belongings out and arranging them piece by piece, by the time she finished, night had fallen and the boat had docked. Chu Qiao's inner frustration was palpable, but she forced herself to turn around and look at Jing Han's infuriating face, patiently asking, "Young Prince, is there anything else?"
"Yes," Prince Jing replied with a sly smile, his expression devilishly charming. His hair was tied up with a white jade crown, making him appear both sharp and handsome. "Now put everything back exactly where it was."
Chu Qiao didn't move, not even bothering to force a smile. She stood her ground, dropping the items in her hands with a loud thud. Frowning coldly at him, she said in a low voice, "Just say it. What do you want?"
Jing Han snorted arrogantly. "Since when do servants speak to their masters like that?"
"Since when do masters act as unreasonably as you?"
"Tsk, tsk," Jing Han stood up, shaking his head with a smile as he walked forward. "Xiao Qiao, you should be grateful you've encountered a master as unconventional as me. If it were someone like Zhao Che or that scoundrel Zhuge, you wouldn't be alive to tidy up right now."
Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow. "Why haven't you exposed me?"
"Why should I expose you?"
"I've heard the bounty outside has risen to five hundred gold. Besides, killing a traitor like me would be a great merit, wouldn't it?"
"Not interested," Jing Han shook his head with a laugh. "I'm just curious—how did a slave Yan Xun picked out of the garbage heap turn into such a treasure?"
He looked her up and down, smiling. "You look quite good in men's clothing, little girl. After not seeing you for months, not only have you made the Zhao family eat dust, but you've also made this prince's heart flutter."
Jing Han suddenly stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Chu Qiao's waist and glancing downward. "I particularly admire these legs of yours."
Chu Qiao frowned, leaning back slightly, and said sternly, "Let go!"
Jing Han gave a wicked smile, his hand on her waist squeezing slightly as he shook his head. "No."
"If you don't let go, I won't be polite."
"What are you going to do?" Jing Han chuckled. "Beat me up like you did to Li Ce?"
Jing Han narrowed his phoenix eyes, a teasing glint in them as he lightly scoffed. "Don't you think comparing me to that low-class philanderer is a great insult to me?"Chu Qiao let out a cold snort and immediately raised her leg to kick. Jing Han had anticipated this long ago—his hand shot out like lightning, his right hand grabbing the thigh she had raised and lifting it forcefully to his waist. He gave it a hard pinch, then put on a mesmerized expression: "Feels amazing."
"Hmph!" Chu Qiao instantly flew into a rage. This man usually played the fool to deceive others, often stirring up trouble and causing chaos. Who would have thought he was actually so skilled? She had truly underestimated him before.
She withdrew her hand and lunged forward, delivering a sharp chop with a small grappling technique. Unexpectedly, Jing Han threw his entire body at her. The distance between them was too close, and Chu Qiao had no time to push him away. In an instant, he shoved her onto the bed, pinning her firmly beneath him. Jing Han leaned in, parting his lips as if to kiss her earlobe. Chu Qiao swiftly dodged to the left, causing him to miss, but his expression remained unchanged as he took a deep sniff and said, "So fragrant."
"You're asking for death!" Chu Qiao snorted coldly, bending her knee to kick him in the groin. Jing Han blocked it with his hand, exclaiming in shock, "Xiao Qiao, are you trying to ruin my happiness for the rest of my life?"
"I want you dead!"
Jing Han countered every move she made. Whether it was because Chu Qiao had been frequently injured recently and lacked strength, or because he was all too familiar with such close-quarters combat, he managed to hold his own without suffering much in their relentless struggle.
"As the saying goes, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' Today, I’ve truly experienced it firsthand."
Just as the two were locked in their intense back-and-forth on the bed, the door was abruptly and unexpectedly pushed open. Startled, they lifted their heads from the tangled mess of blankets and looked up in disarray. There, standing at the doorway, were the Sixth Miss of the Zhan family, Zhan Ziyun, and Liang Shaoqing, both wide-eyed and dumbfounded, staring in disbelief at the scene inside the room.
After all, Prince Jing was someone long accustomed to being in a position of authority, and he wasn’t very familiar with the young girl who always stood behind Zhan Ziyu. For a moment, he grew irritated, slowly furrowing his brows and saying in a low voice, "Who gave you permission to enter?"
"You two? You two?" Zhan Ziyun’s delicate, pale finger trembled as she pointed at them, her eyes instantly reddening before she suddenly cried out, "How could you do this?"
Liang Shaoqing, equally indignant, boldly pointed at Jing Han and shouted, "You beast!"
As soon as these words left his mouth, Chu Qiao was instantly alarmed. Sure enough, Jing Han’s expression darkened drastically, his eyes turning gloomy as he said coldly, "How audacious!"
Jing Han was not like Li Ce—he couldn’t be trifled with so casually. At this moment, her life was in his hands. That was why, as long as she couldn’t fully escape, Chu Qiao didn’t dare to strike too hard for fear of provoking him. And now, this bookworm Liang had recklessly blurted out such words—wasn’t he just asking for death?
"She is the Sixth Miss of the Zhan family, and he is my friend. You cannot harm them!"
Jing Han slowly turned his head, his cold gaze fixed on Chu Qiao as he gave a sinister smile. "Give me a reason. Why shouldn’t I harm them?"
Sure enough, Chu Qiao was left speechless. After all, even she herself was nothing more than a lamb waiting to be slaughtered in someone else’s hands.
Chu Qiao took a deep breath. "Because they are my friends."
The young woman’s gaze was resolute as she stared steadily at Jing Han and said slowly, "Unless you kill me right now, even if you hand me over to the Zhao Clan of Daxia, as long as I live, I will come back for revenge. I mean what I say."Jing Han gazed intently at Chu Qiao for a long moment before suddenly smiling. "Xiao Qiao, I find myself growing more reluctant to part with you."
Just then, Zhan Ziyun suddenly covered her mouth and ran out. Chu Qiao frowned and was about to follow when Jing Han's calm voice came from behind. "You'd better not think about escaping. My men have this ship under tight surveillance. Even if you could leave, you certainly couldn't take your scholar friend with you. Besides, the young master of the Zhan family has treated you well - don't bring trouble upon him."
Chu Qiao stood still, slightly turning her face to glance at Jing Han's bewitching eyes from the corner of her own. The man sat on the bed with an infuriating smile.
"As long as you stay obediently by my side and accompany me to Tang Capital for some excitement, I guarantee your safety."
Without a word, Chu Qiao turned and walked out of the cabin.
At this moment, she suddenly understood Jing Han's intentions.
Yanbei's independence was a heavy blow to the Daxia Empire, but for the feudal lords who had long faced the threat of having their power reduced, it was a fortunate event. Prince Jing wielded immense influence and had been a thorn in the side of the Zhao imperial clan for many years. Now with Yanbei taking the lead, they could catch their breath and wait for the right moment while watching the tigers fight. And Chu Qiao happened to be a key figure between the two sides. With her in hand, they could restrain Yan Xun if Yanbei gained the upper hand, or claim credit and rewards if Daxia prevailed - why wouldn't they take advantage of this?
But why was he taking her to Tang Capital? Wasn't he afraid of being discovered harboring a wanted criminal? Shouldn't the best course of action be to secretly imprison her in Prince Jing's territory?
By now, Chu Qiao had reached the deck. Looking around, she couldn't see Zhan Ziyun anywhere.
But the servants passing by kept giving her strange looks, quickly lowering their heads when she glanced their way, afraid of being noticed.
Chu Qiao smiled wryly in resignation. It seemed the rumor that she was Jing Han's male favorite had already spread far and wide, and was deeply ingrained in people's minds.
"Xiao Qiao!"
A call came from behind. Liang Shaoqing approached with a strange expression, asking in a low voice, "Did he do anything to you?"
Chu Qiao impatiently pushed him away. "Don't bother me."
Chu Qiao was already upset, and her words carried no particular meaning. But to Liang Shaoqing's ears, they sounded completely different. The bookworm suddenly looked as grief-stricken as if someone had stolen his money, searching around until his eyes lit up. He grabbed a stick and turned to head toward Jing Han's room, saying as he walked, "I'll fight him to the death!"
"Have you gone mad?" Chu Qiao grabbed him, frowning as she scolded, "Is there something wrong with your head?"
Liang Shaoqing's eyes were red, looking as if he was about to cry. "He bullied you!"
"He didn't bully you!" No sooner had these words left her mouth than Chu Qiao realized their implication. She snatched the stick from the man's hand and said, "How are you going to fight him? What do you have to fight him with? You can't even beat me alone, how are you going to fight all his subordinates? He's a prince!"
"So what if he's a prince? He should be reasonable! Even the emperor is not above the law, let alone a mere prince!"Chu Qiao shook her head, deeply convinced that communication with this man was impossible. She wanted to ask him if he had ever heard of an emperor being beheaded or imprisoned for breaking the law throughout history, but felt it was pointless to discuss such matters with a bookworm. Shaking her head, she shoved the stick back into his hand and waved dismissively. "Go fight him if you want. One less troublemaker would be a relief."
With that, she turned and headed toward her cabin. But as soon as she rounded the corner, she saw the maid named Xiaoyun slap Jin Lian across the face. Jin Lian, who had been carrying a bucket of water, dropped it with a loud crash, spilling water all over herself and looking utterly disheveled.
The anger Chu Qiao had been suppressing all day finally erupted. She could no longer hold back. Storming forward, she grabbed Xiaoyun by the collar and landed three sharp slaps across her face, leaving the arrogant maid dizzy and bruised.
"If you dare bully her again, I’ll kill you!"
After kicking Xiaoyun to the ground, Chu Qiao pulled Jin Lian up and strode back to her cabin, ignoring the buzzing whispers behind them.
Back in the room, Chu Qiao was still seething. She wet a cloth and handed it to Jin Lian to wipe her face. Without Zisu around, Jin Lian seemed intimidated by her sister—a young woman disguised as a man, skilled in martial arts, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time and who was rumored to have an unusual relationship with the young prince. Jin Lian merely watched her cautiously, not daring to utter a word.
Chu Qiao sat fuming for a while before gradually calming down. Her temper had been foul all day, and she hadn’t felt this way in years. Perhaps it was because her recent life had been peaceful, free from worries and schemes, that she had let her guard down around this down-and-out Biantang noble. She had never considered what obstacles might arise if she tried to leave. The sudden disappointment had left her deeply frustrated.
The situation was dire—so much so that even she felt at a loss. She glanced at Jin Lian across from her, and a wicked thought surfaced: perhaps she should abandon everything here, slip away quietly, and hurry back to Yanbei immediately. The idea hissed in her heart like a venomous snake, tempting her until her palms grew sweaty. They were docked ashore, and night was falling. She didn’t believe that, with her skills and familiarity with the terrain, she couldn’t escape Jing Han’s surveillance. But then she thought of Jing Han’s ruthless methods. If she truly fled, Zhan Ziyu might escape unscathed, but Liang Shaoqing would undoubtedly suffer. At that thought, she took a deep breath and suppressed the urge.
If she were to leave, she would have to find a way to take Liang Shaoqing with her.
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Startled, Chu Qiao opened it to find the terrifyingly smiling face of the Zhan family’s eldest daughter.
Zhan Zifang stood beaming before her, holding a large tray. "Young Brother Liang," she said cheerfully, "I knew from the start you were talented. It’s been so long since Uncle Qing passed, and we still haven’t found a steward for the estate. After discussing it with everyone, we all agree that you’re the perfect candidate for the position."
With that, she pulled away the red cloth covering the tray, revealing a heavy set of keys and account books.Chu Qiao froze for a moment, turned to exchange a bewildered glance with the even more stunned Jin Lian, then pointed at her own nose and asked, "Me?"
"That's right," Zhan Zifang replied, accompanied by a crowd of servants, with even Gu Gongen and others visible in the distance. "Who else is more suitable than you? Don't decline."
Shoving the tray into Chu Qiao's hands, Zhan Zifang smiled and said, "Now I can rest easy."
Strange occurrences happen every year, but this year, it seems, they are especially abundant.
Zhan Zifang's smile was radiant, and for a moment, the lamplight behind her cast a somewhat divine glow.
Suddenly, a series of horn calls sounded in the distance. Zhan Zifang turned and smiled, "It's Fifth Sister returning. Steward Liang, let's go greet the Fifth Young Miss."
As Chu Qiao picked up the tray and was about to refuse, a rapid, urgent shout echoed from afar, growing louder and closer: "Young Master! Something terrible has happened!"
I know you all want to scold me, ah
The characters you've been waiting for will basically appear in the next chapter. Delayed again—still haven't gotten to it
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