Chapter 4: Could You Bear This Princess To Guard An Empty Room?
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
The water vapor is thick and the heat lingers on the bathing pool, which actually adds a hazy beauty and mist to the petals on the water.
Meng Chang'an lifted the corners of her robe and sat barefoot on the edge of the bathing pool. With a slight touch of her toe, she skimmed the water surface, causing a few peony petals to float.
"This Miss Yuechu is quite something," Meng Chang'an couldn't help but sigh as she looked at the pool full of petals, "Is it not just taking a bath, is it necessary to make it so grand?"
Unfortunately, at this moment, the girl named Yuechu, who was wholeheartedly dedicated to removing any obstacles for her mistress, had already excitedly left with the other attendants carrying prepared water, so, she didn't hear the Young Master Meng's question.
In this large clear spring pool, apart from Young Master Meng, the Princess is the only one left who can speak out.
The Princess' eyes had been lingering on the smooth ankles of Young Master Meng for a long time. When she heard the girl's voice, she restrained herself and made an effort to avert her gaze.
No matter how long she stayed by the screen looking at the scene in a daze, after gathering her thoughts, the Princess continued to hang the sleeping robe prepared for the girl on the screen without changing her expression, and walked towards the edge of the bathing pool.
"Perhaps she was used to preparing for me like this."
Although Li Qiubai's answer contained a bit of a smile, it still sounded perfunctory and far-fetched to Meng Chang'an's ears. However, she didn't mind and just responded with a casual smile: "It seems that this little lady has benefited from Her Highness' grace."
It was just a joke. Meng Chang'an didn't take it seriously, and Li Qiubai wouldn't take it seriously.
Having said that, Meng Chang'an didn't care what Li Qiubai would think, she just casually untied her belt and took off her blood-stained wedding robe.
Although she didn't like the messy blood stains on her wedding robe, she wasn't to the point to be disgusted yet. However, the layers of fabric wrapped around her to conceal her female identity inside her undergarments made her very uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, sometimes, it's precisely when you're in a hurry that you can't eat hot tofu.
*Acting too hastily will only lead to failure
The more she wanted to bathe in the water as early as possible, the less things went as she wished.
Before Meng Chang'an could continue unfastening the ties on the side of her inner garment, a glimpse of red in her peripheral vision made her stop her movements.
After only pausing for a moment, Meng Chang'an did not mince words, turned her head and looked directly at the owner of the bright red clothes, squinted her eyes, and asked with a smile: "What, Your Highness, are you not going out yet?"
Thinking that she is a Princess, is she going to be kicked out on her turf like this?
How can she live up to her honor and her dignity as a wife?
Li Qiubai raised her brows, she decided to abandon her original thought of returning to her room after delivering the sleeping robe. She lowered her head and looked at Young Master Meng with a questioning tone, "Does the husband think that such a large bathing pool is not enough for the two of us to bathe together?"
Take a bath together?
What a joke!
The smile on Meng Chang'an's lips froze instantly. At the same time, her gaze towards Li Qiubai became increasingly strange. "Your Highness, do not tell me you want to bathe with me…"
"Is there a problem?"
As if afraid that Meng Chang'an wouldn't believe it, Li Qiubai lowered her head and slowly untied her own belt.
Her slender fingers hooked and lifted, and the belt was loosened.
Seeing that the wedding dress had become loose and crumbling, Meng Chang'an couldn't care less. She hurriedly stood up before Li Qiubai could proceed to the next step and held Li Qiubai's wrist, her mouth stiffly twitched, "This... is it not inappropriate?"
"Inappropriate? What is inappropriate about it?"
Li Qiubai didn't struggle, just let Meng Chang'an hold her wrist tightly, her eyes gradually moved down from Young Master Meng's thin lips, through the beauty's slender neck, slowly down, past the snow-white collar, and landed in front of the seemingly flat chest.
"Anyway, you and I are both women. I have everything you have, perhaps not less than you. Why can we not bathe together?"
Meng Chang'an: "..."
Why does this sound more and more wrong, the more I hear it?
After briefly glancing at the rise and fall of Li Qiubai's chest, Meng Chang'an did not argue, regardless of whether the Princess had lost to her. She only tried her best to look calm and collected and said seriously: "Your Highness, you may not know, but it is because my master taught me from a young age that not only should men and women not be too close, but women with women should also maintain their distance. So, the matter of bathing with someone else, even if it is among women, I find it inappropriate."
"Oh, so that is it. I thought..."
Seeing that Li Qiubai was hesitant to speak, Meng Chang'an couldn't help but frown and followed her words and continued to ask: "Thought what?"
In this way, the Princess, who had succeeded in her little idea, raised her lips with satisfaction, stood on tiptoes and leaned into Meng Chang'an's ear, and smiled softly: "I thought that Young Master Meng was interested in women, which is why you had these wild thoughts and fears bathing with women."
Wild thoughts?
Who is thinking wildly?!
Your Highness, what misunderstanding is this?!
A blush gradually spread to Meng Chang'an's earlobes. Before she could think about how to explain, the person in front had already distanced themselves, returning to their original position, and gently said, "It seems that I have been overthinking."
That calm and composed demeanor showed no trace of deliberate teasing.
Meng Chang'an finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Is that not right? It is good to know that you know you are thinking too much!
Before Meng Chang'an could express her thoughts, Li Qiubai quickly added, "In that case, this Princess will not blame you for wanting to have this bathing pool all to yourself. It is getting late now, and tomorrow, you will need to go to the palace early to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. Do not delay for too long."
That magnanimous attitude was really unlike this woman's usual style.
As if afraid of someone changing their mind, Meng Chang'an quickly tapped her head.
The person who disturbed her bathing was leaving, which was what she wanted.
"Your Highness, please walk slowly, I will not be seeing you off!"
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
After saying this with joy, Li Qiubai did not leave as agreed. This made Meng Chang'an couldn't help but look curiously at the expression of the Princess. To her surprise, this glance allowed her to spot an extremely ambiguous smile on the face of the woman in front of her.
Immediately, a voice full of laughter fell on Meng Chang'an's ears.
"Then why is the Consort not willing to let go? Could it be that the Consort's words do not match her heart, and she cannot bear to let this Princess go alone to guard an empty room?"
Meng Chang'an:...
The Young Master suddenly had an ominous premonition in her heart.
Sure enough, in the next moment, the Princess raised her hand. On her delicate wrist, what was covered was none other than the hand of the Young Master Meng who had just tried to stop the Princess from undressing.
Meng Chang'an: ???
Sure enough…
Meng Chang'an hurriedly retracted her hand, and quickly took a step back before she had the nerve to say: Ahem, Your Highness, you are really joking. After my bath, I am not staying away forever! How could I leave you to guard an empty room alone?!"
As a result, the smile on Li Qiubai's lips became deeper and deeper.
"Mm, as long as this Princess does not have to guard an empty room alone."
After that, Li Qiubai didn't care whether Meng Chang'an understood the meaning of her words, and left neatly after laughing.
It wasn't until the door closed that Meng Chang'an breathed a sigh of relief.
She couldn't figure out the reason for the deep smile that couldn't go away from the Princess' eyes, so she simply stopped thinking about it.
After taking off her middle coat and untying the chest binding that was wrapped around her, Meng Chang'an finally felt somewhat relieved.
It’s really uncomfortable for a woman to pretend to be a man!
Meng Chang'an decided that even if the Princess had withdrawn the people searching for her elder brother to keep appearances, and even if she knew that her elder brother was just kidnapped without any threat to his life, she still had to find him as soon as possible for the sake of her own freedom!
The hot water gradually covered Meng Changan's shoulders. After sitting down in the bath, Meng Chang'an relaxed and leaned back. She leaned against the edge of the bath and began to think about what had happened in the past few days.
The fact that her brother was getting married came too suddenly, and there was no news beforehand. By the time the wedding invitation came to her, the wedding was already approaching.
In the martial world, it was rare for someone to marry into the imperial court. No matter how Meng Chang'an thought about it, she couldn't understand why her elder brother, a talented swordsman from a prestigious martial arts family, could think of getting into the muddy waters of the imperial court.
But whether Meng Chang'an understood it or not, her twin brother was getting married, so why should she not come to congratulate them?
Originally, Meng Chang'an had only intended to come to offer her congratulations, but to her surprise, while she was on her way to the capital, she heard about her brother's abduction.
The person who did such ridiculous things was none other than Ye Wuyou, the master of the Wushang Palace who fascinated countless young talents. During the abduction, she declared that she would keep the young man by her side for life. This incident not only spread throughout the martial world but also spread into the imperial city and reached the ears of the current Emperor.
How dare someone snatch the marriage granted by the majestic Emperor himself?
Where does this put his face? Where does this put the imperial court’s face?
The Wushang Palace has always behaved strangely. No one in the world knows where the Wushang Palace is located. The only one left to bear the Emperor's wrath is the innocent Qingyang Clan.
Such a crime of defying the imperial decree, if it fell on the Qingyang Clan, might lead to more than just executing the whole clan.
Those sects with good relations with the Qingyang Clan would also be implicated. At that time, the martial world in the Central Plains would surely be in turmoil.
Meng Chang'an knew the key and truth of this, so when her father, whom she had not seen for many years, came to find her, she only hesitated for a moment before agreeing to his request.
Although marrying on behalf of her brother is a crime of deceiving the Emperor, compared with the consequences of the whole family being slaughtered, it seems to be a better fate especially when the Princess is aware and willing to cooperate.
After all, everyone in the martial world only knows He Changping of the Qingyang Clan, but they don’t know that he also has a twin sister who grew up in the Demonic Sect.
Meng Chang'an has already thought about it. If this matter is exposed, she can bear the consequences of it and take the blame for the Qingyang Clan, to repay the debt of love by her mother back then.
*emotional disputes, entanglements, debts owed, and emotional debts to others (mostly in love).
Meng Chang'an is not afraid of anything else. She is just afraid that her master, who has always protected her shortcomings, will not let it go.
But now... this is a difficult matter, and for the time being, can only be taken one step at a time.
She was only temporarily upset. After taking a comfortable hot bath, Meng Chang'an felt much more comfortable all over. After getting rid of all the worries in her head, her steps became much more brisk even when she returned to the sleeping chamber.
The red lanterns on the corridor were covered with wedding papers and hung one after another, lighting up her way back.
By the time Meng Chang'an returned to the chamber, the Princess had already changed into a pair of sleeping garments and was leaning on the bedside, reading the book in her hands with relish.
She doesn't know whether her footsteps were too light or whether the Princess was too absorbed. She didn’t even notice that a living person as big as her entered the room.
"What are you looking at so seriously?"
At this time, the Princess suddenly heard the voice of Young Master Meng, which made her feel panicked and guilty for a moment.
It was just a moment and before Meng Chang'an noticed anything strange, the Princess had already concealed her emotions, swiftly closed the book in her hand, and said calmly: "It is just a military book."
Is it really a military book?
Meng Chang'an always felt that something was not right. What she had glimpsed earlier was clearly a pattern, not text. It just didn't look like a military book no matter how she examined it.
Unfortunately, before she could get closer to take a closer look, the Princess had already put the book into the old box beside the bed.
If Young Master Meng was more discerning, she might be lucky enough to learn some of the postures described in the "Book of War."
If Young Master Meng was more discerning, she might have had the chance to see the bright red brocade pouch with a pattern of mandarin ducks playing in water that was pressed under the "military book," along with the dagger engraved with the word "Chang'an."
Unfortunately, Young Master Meng failed to see any of it clearly, so she had no idea what the Princess was thinking.
