Chapter 90: We Are Still Outside, Do Not Make Trouble  

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too. 

Two years ago, Nanjiang took advantage of the Great Chang Dynasty facing war with another country and launched a sneak attack, seizing three cities in succession.  

Nanjiang was originally a small country. Compared to the Central Plains, it had less land and fewer people, so it was not a real threat. They took the cities, but they might not be able to hold them.  

Unfortunately, at that time, the Great Chang was too caught up in war to deal with Nanjiang. Moreover, its military strength and financial resources were insufficient to support another hostile country.  

To prevent the Central Plains from collapsing, the court had no choice but to agree to Nanjiang’s marriage alliance proposal, allowing them to cease hostilities.  

And Li Shuyao was the princess sent for the marriage alliance.

The imperial family had originally intended to use this as a temporary measure, planning to regain strength before dealing with Nanjiang. If things went smoothly, they could even bring Li Shuyao back.  

Meanwhile, Nanjiang wanted to use Li Shuyao as a hostage. Once she married the Nanjiang ruler, she would eventually give birth to a child belonging to Nanjiang. By then, both mother and child would surely become Nanjiang’s protective umbrella.  

The marriage alliance negotiations had dragged on for several months.  

Both sides had their own plans, but on the surface, things had not turned too ugly.  

Nanjiang had waited bitterly for several months, finally awaiting the marriage alliance entourage. Yet, no one expected that Li Shuyao would meet with an accident on the way, "dying in a sea of fire" right before the Nanjiang envoys’ eyes.

One day, the princess died on the way back. All the maids and soldiers from Great Chang who escorted her perished, yet the Nanjiang envoys remained perfectly fine.  

This made many believe that Nanjiang had done it on purpose. At that time, no matter what they said, Nanjiang could not explain it away.  

The original peace agreement was thus annulled.  

A princess represented the dignity of Great Chang. Yet she died so inexplicably on the way back. That year, the entire court, both civil and military officials, were furious.

Whether Nanjiang did it or not, the result was undeniable—Nanjiang had humiliated Great Chang. No country would tolerate such an unbearable disgrace. At that time, Nanjiang had already caused public outrage. 

Even in those times, when enemy nations surrounded them, the pro-war faction in court far outnumbered those who advocated for peace.  

Nanjiang was truly guilty back then. They had indeed failed to protect her, and losing the marriage alliance princess meant losing their shield. After that, they no longer dared to confront Great Chang head-on. They could only retreat to Nanjiang in disgrace, offering generous reparations to avoid a direct war.  

After that incident, relations between the two countries fell into a deadlock. Though war did not break out at the time, once Great Chang ended its conflicts with other nations and regained its strength, the Grand Prince led troops to guard the border and reclaimed the three cities that Nanjiang had seized.  

If Li Shuyao had truly perished in the sea of fire that year, Nanjiang could only suffer in silence. Now that Nanjiang had been defeated, they were desperately seeking ways to offer tribute and make peace with Great Chang.

But now, someone was actually telling them that Li Shuyao had faked her death to escape!  

How could they possibly endure that?  

If the incident of the Great Chang princess perishing in the sea of fire had never happened, Nanjiang could have gained a marriage alliance princess, established friendly trade relations with Great Chang, and brought countless benefits to their people.  

Yet because their princess had faked her death, not only did they lose those benefits, but they also had to swallow their pride, pay reparations, and offer tributes. For the past two years, the constant battles at the border had thrown the people into unrest, leaving them without peace.  

Especially after the prince of Great Chang reclaimed the three cities, the Nanjiang imperial family had lost even more of the people's trust.

Upon receiving this news, all the grievances the Nanjiang imperial family had endured over the past two years erupted at once.  

Now that they knew the truth and looked back on the events of that year, they were convinced that the Central Plains had clearly deceived them. It was a case of a thief shouting to "stop the thief," making Nanjiang seem at fault. Truly, they had lost both their princess and their soldiers—suffering double the loss.  

That very night, in a fit of rage, the Nanjiang ruler ordered a delegation to be sent to the capital to demand an explanation, using this as leverage in the negotiations following their defeat.  

Li Xinyi thought she had made things clear enough—surely, Li Qiubai would now be deeply concerned for Li Shuyao.  

Yet unexpectedly, after an initial dark expression, Li Qiubai still managed to smile once she had finished speaking.

"Li Xinyi, do not forget—the commander who reclaimed those three lost cities was my imperial brother. The present is not the past. If the court desires, it can seize another three cities from Nanjiang just as easily. What can the Nanjiang people do by coming to the capital? As long as A'Yao has not returned to the capital, if I say she is dead, then she is dead. Do the Nanjiang people truly expect our court officials to impeach me on their behalf? The shame of their past defeat is still fresh. The court would likely seize this opportunity to take Nanjiang in one fell swoop."  

At this, Li Xinyi also laughed. "Oh? You are quite confident. Yes, indeed—Nanjiang is nothing worth mentioning now. But what about your father? Do you think he is blind? Do you really believe he would not plant spies around you? If this matter reaches him, do you think he would not know whether Li Shuyao is dead or alive?"

After scoffing, Li Xinyi recalled the scene she had just witnessed—Li Shuyao tightly embracing Shen Lingyun. She chuckled again and said, "Moreover, you saw it too. She actually dares to tangle herself up with a woman now, whispering sweet nothings. Do you think your father would allow her to disgrace the imperial family like this?"  

Even a princess whose dignity had been damaged, even one who had become a discarded pawn in the eyes of the imperial family, would still be caged within the palace like a gilded bird. That was the fate the imperial family deemed fitting for them.  

If this matter blew up, Li Shuyao wanting to abandon her status and roam free outside would not be an easy thing to achieve.

Li Xinyi was gloating. Every word she said was meant to make Li Qiubai angry.  

But after Li Shuyao lost control at the start, she never got what she wanted again.  

"So what?"  

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too. 

Li Qiubai looked calm. She rarely felt like explaining but still said, "My father is not stupid. Someone clearly trying to use Nanjiang to cause trouble—do you think he cannot see that? Also, does our A'Yao have no hands or feet? Can she not run? Or what? The sky is high and His Majesty is far away. Now that she has left the palace, do you think she can be taken back so easily?  

Li Xinyi, if this is all you have, then talking to you this long was a waste of my time. If you do not say why you are really here tonight, then forget it. I do not feel like playing with you so I will not stay."  

After saying that, Li Qiubai turned and left.

Not far away, Young Master Meng had been lowering her head, kicking the stones by her feet, playing idly. When she noticed the movement over here, she quickly lifted her head and looked over.  

Seeing the Young Master’s expectant expression, the Princess could not help but curl her lips into a smile.  

"Wait!"  

Seeing that Li Qiubai was really about to leave, Li Xinyi finally got anxious. She quickly caught up and grabbed Li Qiubai’s sleeve.  

"Then have you ever thought… what if someone helps Nanjiang and collaborates with them from the inside?"

Only then did Li Qiubai stop walking.  

Li Xinyi was in such a hurry to catch up that she failed to notice the fleeting look of satisfaction in Li Qiubai’s eyes.  

After making a gesture to Young Master Meng, signaling her to wait a little longer, Li Qiubai slowly turned around and asked with apparent disdain, “Help? Who could possibly help them? Your father? The mere few thousand private soldiers of the Prince of Yu’s Manor? Or the jianghu sects that the Prince of Yu has bribed and raised?”  

Now, Li Xinyi could clearly see that Li Qiubai was trying to get information out of her.

That wicked woman was as cunning as ever!  

Li Xinyi rolled her eyes at her. Afraid that she might really just leave, she could only speak reluctantly.  

“The Military Commissioner of Lingnan* East Circuit, Shi Hongzhang, is currently in Yecheng. He is sitting with my father at the viewing pavilion. Originally, my father wanted me to find a way to bring you there.”

*old term for south China, esp. Guangdong and Guangxi

The Military Commissioner of Lingnan East Circuit commanded an army of 150,000 troops, making him the most powerful among the Military Commissioners in the southern half of Great Chang’s territory.  

The Prince of Yu was overly close to him—what kind of wolf’s ambition* was that? How could Li Qiubai not know?  

*wild and evil ambitions

Li Qiubai smiled ambiguously. “Oh? A Hongmen Feast*?”  

*(fig.) banquet set up with the aim of murdering a guest./ A trap. In reference to a famous episode in 206 BC when future Han emperor Liú Bāng [劉邦] escaped attempted murder by his rival Xiàng Yǔ [項羽]

Li Xinyi could not help but provoke again, “If you do not go, then it is just an ordinary banquet. If you go, then perhaps it will become a Hongmen Feast. Well? Do you dare?”  

“What is there to fear? What is meant to come will never be avoided.”  

Li Qiubai seemed to pay them no mind, nor did she take Li Xinyi’s provocation to heart.

She looked directly at Li Xinyi and bluntly stated, “An honest person does not speak in riddles. Just be straightforward and tell me—why are you telling me this? What do you want to gain?”  

If what Li Xinyi said had not been almost the same as what she already knew, Li Qiubai truly would not have believed a single word of it.  

Even though she had only clashed with this person a few times in childhood scuffles, Li Qiubai had never forgotten her past temperament. She knew that unless Li Xinyi had something to gain, she would never be so kind as to take the initiative to tell her these things.  

“Imperial Sister is really straight forward.”

Li Xinyi took a step forward, lowered her voice, and continued, “I am giving you this information so you will not be caught off guard by those people. In return, how about you help me keep my eldest brother in the capital a little longer? This deal should not be a loss for you, right? One month, just one month will do. This small matter should not be difficult for you to handle, right?”  

Hearing this, Li Qiubai became a little more interested. “Oh? Do you hate your brother that much? Are you not afraid that I will turn around and sell this information to your father, so he can deal with you first?”

“You are also of the imperial family. You should know that in power struggles, is there really any true kinship left?”  

Li Xinyi forcibly suppressed the hostility in her eyes, revealing nothing more in front of Li Qiubai. Then, she looked at Li Qiubai with certainty and said, “I believe you will not. If you were willing to be involved with my father in any way, you would not have maintained this attitude all this time. Besides, with my eldest brother unable to assist my father, and with me no longer troubling you, should this not be a good thing for you?”  

Li Qiubai raised an eyebrow and slowly stated her own terms, “Just this bit of information is not enough for you to strike a deal with me. However, I can help you—but you will have to do something for me in return.”  

“You…” Li Xinyi gritted her teeth, forcibly swallowing the word “shameless” before it could leave her lips, then changed her words. “Say it first.”

While Li Qiubai was negotiating with Li Xinyi, Young Master Meng quietly stood not far away. She idly kicked at the small stones by her feet, playing around while secretly glancing at the Princess and that woman from time to time.  

Several times, when she saw that woman trying to lay hands on the Princess, Young Master Meng nearly lost control and was about to rush forward.

Seeing that Li Xinyi truly did not seem to have any intent to harm, and that the Princess also did not appear to need her, Young Master Meng forcibly held back her impulse and refrained from going over to interrupt the Princess' discussion.  

In truth, Meng Chang'an had yet to recover from the events of tonight.  

When she heard Li Xinyi’s words, saw Shu Yao’s extreme loss of control, and then noticed the Princess' distressed expression along with Shen Lingyun’s chilling coldness, Young Master Meng felt her thoughts had become a tangled mess. She could only stand there, wide-eyed, like an outsider, watching the confrontation unfold between them.

Not until Li Qiubai dragged Li Xinyi away, not until Shen Lingyun carried Shu Yao and set off on the journey back, did Young Master Meng dare to voice the confusion in her heart. She could only hold it all in, absentmindedly following the Princess to a secluded spot, keeping her guard from afar.  

“What are you standing there dazed for? Move along.”  

She did not know how long she had been lost in thought, but the moment she heard the Princess’ voice, Young Master Meng abruptly lifted her head.  

Li Xinyi had already left first. Now, by the riverbank, only Li Qiubai remained, arms crossed, smiling at Young Master Meng.  

“Do you know what you looked like just now, standing there all dazed?”

From the corner of her eye, Young Master Meng caught sight of Li Xinyi’s departing figure. Seeing that no one else was around, she boldly stepped forward, took the Princess’ hand, and naturally leaned in, tilting her head toward the Princess in sync with her movements. She asked, “Mm? Like what?”  

Li Qiubai acted as if she had not noticed Young Master Meng’s attempt for a kiss. She simply raised a hand, gently stroking the wound at the corner of Young Master Meng’s mouth, and chuckled. “Like a wife-watching stone.”  

*望妻石 (wàng qī shí), an extended usage of 望夫石 (wàng fū shí/husband-watching stone), a historic scenic spot located in various places which are all tied up in folklore. The most popular ones are in Bengbu City, Anhui Province, and the Amah Rock in Hong Kong. It is a boulder in a mountain that is shaped like a human. The folklore (of many versions) is about a wife steadfastly waiting for her husband's return, she waited and waited until she eventually turned into a stone. (the husband had to leave for various reasons but mostly, he was sent to war. Symbolizes the undying devotion of a wife to her husband.

“A wife-watching stone, huh?” Young Master Meng pursed her lips and teased deliberately, “There is no such thing as a wife-watching stone. People only ever talk about husband-watching stones.”

The wound at the corner of the Young Master's mouth had already scabbed over. The Princess struggled to restrain herself from leaning in to take a bite. She only tapped the Young Master's lips with her fingertip, hinting, “If you want to be under every day, that is not impossible. Just treat yourself as a ‘husband-watching stone,’ then?”  

The Young Master's face flushed red. She quickly grabbed the Princess' hand and refused with all her might, “No, no, that definitely will not do!”  

Although she did not mind being on top or bottom, if the Princess wanted, she would gladly yield. But if she could only be under every day and could not touch the Princess, she would probably crave her body to the point of going crazy…

Seeing the Princess laugh in astonishment, the Young Master finally realized that she had been tricked again, mistaking a joke for the truth. She immediately let out a cold snort, released the Princess' hand, and then aggrievedly changed the subject, “Why did you talk with her for so long?”  

At this, the Princess stopped teasing her, withdrew her smile, and asked with concern, “What is wrong? Are you unhappy?”  

The Young Master deliberately puffed up her cheeks and glared at her, “What do you think?! The fireworks are all over, and you watched them with her. How could I be happy?”  

Everyone else had been happily enjoying the fireworks with their loved ones or close friends. But she could only stay far away, all alone, pitifully watching her beloved whispering secrets to another woman that she was not allowed to hear.

Now that the fireworks had ended and the joyous occasion of the night felt incomplete, how could she possibly be happy?  

Only after thinking it through did Li Qiubai feel a sense of regret. Earlier, in her urgency over Shu Yao’s matter, she had been too focused on pulling Li Xinyi away to prevent her from further provoking Shu Yao and had completely forgotten to take the Young Master's feelings into account.  

The Princess had given all of her patience and kindness to the Young Master.  

Seeing her upset, she immediately admitted her mistake and coaxed her in a gentle voice, “I was wrong. Consider this firework display as something I owe you. Next time, I will make it up to you with a private fireworks show just for you, alright?”  

The Princess silently made a note in her heart—she must make it up to the Young Master with an even grander fireworks spectacle in the future.

The Young Master had not been truly angry to begin with, but she had not expected that throwing a little tantrum would bring an unexpected delight.  

Being coaxed by the Princess, she was instantly overjoyed.  

“Ahem, considering the large flower lantern you gifted me tonight, I will reluctantly forgive you. However, just making up for it with a fireworks show is not enough. You must also promise that I will not have to be under every day in the future…”  

The Princess was briefly stunned before realizing that the Young Master had thrown this little fit all because of her earlier joke. She could not help but shoot her a playful glare.  

“You…”

Before the Young Master could respond, the Princess had already left her behind and stepped into the crowd ahead.  

Seeing this, Young Master Meng quickly caught up and hooked onto the Princess’ hand. “Why did you not wait for me?”  

Li Qiubai's lips curved slightly, yet she did not look at the Young Master again.  

If she kept talking with her like this, she feared she would not be able to resist devouring her on the spot.  

At this moment, the Lantern Festival was at its liveliest. The streets were bustling with people, and the crowd was packed tightly. The Young Master could only quietly wrap her arm around the Princess’ waist, shielding her from being jostled by the people around them.

Meng Chang'an's mood for enjoying the festival had already been ruined by Li Xinyi for the most part. Now, seeing that the Princess was not following the crowd toward the river to watch the flower boats, nor was she taking the road home, she could not help but ask again, “Where are we going now?”  

“To attend a Hongmen Feast. What do you say? Do you dare to go with me?”  

“You know it is a Hongmen Feast, yet you still dare to go?” The Young Master could not help but mutter. She reached for the hidden weapons she carried, ensuring they were all in place before feeling slightly at ease. “You are practically running to your death. If I do not go with you, who else can protect you…”  

Thinking of how awful Shu Yao and Shen Lingyun’s expressions had been earlier, the Young Master could not help but ask again, “But should we really not go back to check on Shu Yao and the others?”  

Li Qiubai smiled meaningfully. “No rush. With Lingyun by her side, A'Yao will be fine. At a time like this, it would be even more inappropriate for us to disturb them. Instead, let us go win some ground back for A'Yao.”

Even though the Princess had already made it so obvious, the Young Master still could not help but want to hear her personally confirm it. “Then… she really is your imperial sister?”  

The Princess finally glanced at her, smiling faintly as she asked, “What else? If she were just someone else, why would I care?”  

Thinking about how much jealousy she had swallowed today, how many times she had sulked over this, the Young Master felt so frustrated that her teeth itched with anger.  

“You… then why did you not tell me…”  

The Princess tilted her head with a smile. “But you never asked me, did you?”  

The Young Master instantly annoyed.

That was true. Why did she not ask back then…  

Before she could speak, the Princess smiled and said, “You getting jealous over A’Yao was rare to see. It was adorable.”  

Oh, it turns out the Princess knew.

Exposed, Young Master Meng's face turned even redder. She got angry from embarrassment and glared at the Princess. “It is all your fault. I barely gave her a good face these days. Who knew she was your sister… If she gets mad at me in the future and does not approve of us, what should we do…”  

Her anxious little thoughts were like honey to the Princess, filling her heart with sweetness and joy.  

“This is between you and me. Should you not care about whether I approve? Why are you more worried about my sister? If I do not approve, does it matter even if she does?”

The Princess' teasing was too obvious.  

“You…” Young Master Meng was so angry that she simply pinched the Princess’ waist. “You even gave me a lantern. Are you trying to go back on your word?”  

The sudden touch, along with the ticklish sensation reaching her heart, made the Princess instinctively shrink back.  

Li Qiubai's face turned slightly red. She quickly grabbed the mischievous hand at her waist and admitted defeat. “I was wrong, I was wrong. How could I bear to go back on my word? We are still outside, do not make trouble…”  

Only then did Young Master Meng retract her hand in satisfaction.  

Mm, that is more like it.

The two were deep in their affection, and no matter how they tried, their lingering feelings could not be hidden. Little did they know that their playful flirting had long fallen into the eyes of others.  

Near a vendor selling candied hawthorn, two middle-aged women stood.  

One of them had been happily biting into her candied hawthorn, but when the Princess and Young Master Meng flirted their way past, she was so shocked that she froze, unable to even swallow the candy in her mouth.  

Not until Young Master Meng had led the Princess away did she hurriedly spit out what was in her mouth and frantically slap the shoulder of the woman beside her.  

“Hey, hey, look, look! Did you see that?!”

The two beautiful women were none other than Liu Sanniang and Leng Shaoying, who had just finished handling affairs for the Bloodflame Sect and happened to be passing through Yecheng.  

Originally, Leng Shaoying had no interest in joining the festival’s bustle, but she could not resist Liu Sanniang’s persistent coaxing. Annoyed by her pestering, she had no choice but to agree to accompany her to the lantern festival—only to unexpectedly witness such a scene.  

After being slapped a few times by Liu Sanniang, Leng Shaoying, still in shock, finally snapped back to her senses. She immediately smacked Liu Sanniang’s hand away and shot her a glare.  

“Nonsense! I am not blind. Of course, I saw it!”  

Liu Sanniang was not the least bit annoyed at her yelling. Instead, she rubbed her hand where it had been smacked, then sheepishly leaned closer and asked, “Ahem, then tell me, was that Chang’an or Changping?”

Leng Shaoying sighed helplessly, rubbed her forehead, and pushed away Liu Sanniang’s head that had leaned in too close. She said irritably, “What do you think? That shy, lovestruck expression—could Changping, that man, ever make such a face?”  

The half-face mask only covered Young Master Meng’s eyes and nose. To outsiders unfamiliar with her, it might have been difficult to recognize her. But Leng Shaoying was one of the elders who had cared for Young Master Meng since childhood—how could she possibly fail to recognize her?  

Of course, if Liu Sanniang had not rarely seen Young Master Meng dressed in men’s attire, she would not have struggled to recognize her either.  

Reminded by Leng Shaoying, Liu Sanniang finally nodded in agreement and pondered, “That does seem right… But I have never seen that girl look so shy before. This is clearly… something going on here…”  

Although both of them remained single even at their age, they had seen plenty of love stories among their friends. Especially within their sect, relationships between women were even more common.

In the past, even when Young Master Meng played with peers of both genders, she always appeared indifferent, untouched by matters of love and desire. When had she ever shown such an expression to anyone?  

This was far too unusual.  

So, after seeing Young Master Meng flirting with that person and the deep emotions in her eyes that she could not hide, how could these two still not understand?  

That was clearly the look of someone in love!  

"Mm... This is truly like seeing a ghost..."

Leng Shaoying frowned, recalling the fleeting expressions that had crossed their Young Master Meng’s face just now.  

Her rapidly shifting emotions—one moment joyful, the next annoyed—stood in stark contrast to the constant, gentle smile of the person beside her.

The Young Master's emotions shifted between joy and annoyance in an instant, forming a stark contrast to the ever-present smile on the person beside her.  

That dazed and foolish look, utterly lost in the other’s teasing, clearly showed that their Young Master's entire heart was held hostage by the person next to her!

It was as if she were being played with in the palm of their hand...  

With just a slight tug on the string, their Young Master would eagerly lean forward.  

And with just the loosening of that string, their Young Master would be left anxious and uncertain.

This situation was not good at all.  

Moreover, their Young Master had never liked women since childhood, so how could she fall so deeply for one in such a short time?  

The more Leng Shaoying thought about it, the more she felt something was off. This seemed like their Young Master had been tricked, unable to distinguish between affection and love, which was why she was so swept up by the person beside her.  

Thinking of this, Leng Shaoying could not even continue strolling the streets. She hurriedly shoved the candied hawthorn back into Liu Sanniang’s hands, deeply worried.  

“No, that woman beside her is clearly not an easy one to deal with. I need to follow them and see if she takes advantage of our Young Master. You hurry and send word to the Sect Leader about this, so they know what is happening. We cannot let our naive Young Master be fooled so easily!”

“Hey, hey, wait a moment!” Liu Sanniang hurriedly pulled her back, stopping her. “Chang’an is already an adult. Why do you still need to worry about her? You know her skills well—how could she possibly suffer any losses? If anything, we should be worried about whether that girl beside her will suffer instead!  

Besides, if you rush over like this and ruin their moment, what will you do then?”  

Seeing Leng Shaoying calm down slightly, Liu Sanniang carefully continued persuading her. “Ahem, you do know what day it is today, right? What if—do not get mad, I am just saying what if—what if this is something Chang’an has planned for a long time to take that girl out for a date?  

If you suddenly barge in and scare the girl away, making Chang’an lose her future wife, where will she go to cry about it? How about we send someone to gather information, and then decide what to do?!”