Chapter 99: Trade
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.
That night, under the moonlight, they pledged their lives to each other.
The next morning, when Meng Chang'an woke up, she found the space beside her on the bed already empty.
In that fleeting moment of not seeing the Princess, the Young Master could not help but feel a small pang of disappointment in her heart.
With a soft sigh, she climbed out of bed, tidied herself up, and stepped out of the room.
The painted boat had already docked. After searching around and failing to find any trace of the Princess, Meng Chang'an made her way to the bow of the boat. She poked Ye Wuyou, who was busy directing the crew to move wooden crates.
“Where is this? And where is Her Highness?”
“Tsk tsk, Chang'an, you cannot go on like this.”
Ye Wuyou’s gaze swept over Young Master Meng, and she gave a suggestive smile before saying,
“How long has it even been since you last saw her, and you are already so distracted? At this rate, that woman will eat you alive. How easy it will be for you to suffer losses.”
Just those few words were enough to bring a flush of red to Young Master Meng’s cheeks.
She pressed her lips together, turned her head to avoid Ye Wuyou’s scrutinizing gaze, and refused to look her in the eye anymore. With a cold snort, she replied,
“If you will not say anything, then forget it. Why do you care so much?”
“Alright, alright. You really have a bad temper, little ancestor. It is a wonder she can handle you.”
Seeing Young Master Meng’s embarrassment turn to irritation, Ye Wuyou only laughed more heartily. After teasing her, Ye Wuyou decided not to make things harder and directly pointed in a direction, informing her,
“This is just outside Yecheng. If you walk ahead, you will see a post station. Her Highness is there meeting with someone.”
Upon learning the Princess’ whereabouts, Meng Chang'an’s expression finally softened a little. After awkwardly thanking Ye Wuyou, she leaped into the air, using her qinggong to head in the direction Ye Wuyou had pointed.
In no time, she was bounding lightly from branch to branch, disappearing beyond Ye Wuyou’s line of sight.
Watching her departure, Ye Wuyou could only smile helplessly before returning to stand guard at the riverbank, her sword in hand.
Meanwhile, inside a tearoom at the post station not far from the riverbank, two figures occupied the space, one sitting, one standing.
The one leisurely sipping tea was none other than the Princess, whom Young Master Meng longed for in her heart.
The one pacing back and forth was none other than Xu Zhian, the visiting scholar from the Prime Minister's residence, who had traveled all the way from the capital.
“Mr. Xu, you should sit down. You have been pacing for so long that it is making my eyes ache.”
Xu Zhian froze mid-step and turned to observe the Princess’ expression. Seeing that she bore no sign of impatience or disdain, just a slightly sharp tone in her words, his own expression softened slightly.
In the Prime Minister’s residence, Xu Zhian was held in high regard by the Prime Minister. Not only did all the visiting scholars in the household look up to him, but even the young masters and misses of the residence, as well as the Fourth and Seventh Princes who often visited as guests, would respectfully address him as "sir." How could this Princess be so discourteous?
Still, given that he was here representing the Prime Minister’s interests, Xu Zhian did not dare to engage in a war of words with her. Let alone a slightly sharp tone—were she to insult or scold him outright, he would still have to endure it with a forced smile and complete the task for the Prime Minister.
Of course, that was on the condition that the Princess’ words were truthful.
“My apologies. It is my fault. I was too anxious earlier and ended up bothering Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will not take offense.”
Xu Zhian offered an awkward smile, smoothing his long beard, before finally sitting down across from the Princess. Glancing again toward the door, he cautiously probed,
“May I ask if what Your Highness previously promised still holds? It has already been the time of two sticks of incense, and there has been no news.”
Li Qiubai remained calm and unhurried as she leisurely pushed a cup of tea toward Xu Zhian and said,
“Mr. Xu, rest assured. Since I have invited all of you here, I naturally have the confidence to handle this. You will not have come all this way for nothing. Just wait patiently.”
The Princess’ composed and confident demeanor managed to ease Xu Zhian’s faint unease.
However, even so, as a strategist who had served the Prime Minister’s residence for so long, the lingering doubts in his heart remained difficult to dispel.
Members of the imperial family were all cunning by nature. When dealing with the Princess, Xu Zhian dared not employ the same roundabout tactics he used with others. He figured such an approach would only exhaust himself and yield no useful results. Hence, he decided to get straight to the point and directly said,
“Your Highness, I have complete faith in your actions. However, I still cannot understand—why would such a monumental achievement be delivered to our Prime Minister’s residence, rather than to the Grand Prince? After all, you and the Grand Prince are full siblings born of the same mother.”
He could guarantee that in the current situation, where the Grand Prince was enjoying growing influence, obtaining this accomplishment would undoubtedly compel those wavering and observing from the sidelines to wholeheartedly support the Grand Prince as the Crown Prince.
The reason he had traveled such a great distance to Yuzhou was because, some time ago, Li Qiubai had sent a handwritten letter to the Prime Minister’s residence.
The letter contained only a few brief sentences. After reading it, the Prime Minister hesitated for a long time but ultimately decided to send someone to attend this meeting.
This was simply because, if what was stated in the letter was true, it could certainly resolve the urgent crisis currently faced by the Prime Minister’s faction.
First, there were suspicious circumstances surrounding Su Sheng’s case. The Fourth Prince’s current house arrest was largely tied to this matter. If Su Sheng was indeed, as the letter claimed, merely a scapegoat, then overturning the case would allow the Fourth Prince to make a comeback. It would clear him of the suspicion of harboring a criminal, prevent him from losing more officials who supported him and shield him from further suppression by others.
Moreover, the letter informed the Prime Minister that this merit was to be given solely to the Fourth Prince, enabling him to regain imperial favor.
Second, the Prince of Yu had shown subtle signs of rebellion, yet the Emperor remained unaware. Evidence had already been gathered and could be handed over directly to the Emperor by the Fourth Prince, but it required the Prime Minister to send someone to Yuzhou to retrieve it in person.
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.
When the Prime Minister received the letter, he was naturally hesitant. Such a great opportunity—how could it simply fall into their lap without cost?
After all, Li Qiubai and the Grand Prince were full siblings born of the same mother. He couldn’t believe that Li Qiubai would suddenly turn against her brother and commit such an act of betrayal. There had to be a catch.
However, later, the spies he had initially sent to Yuzhou to gather information brought back an unexpected revelation:
As it turned out, the He family had not only given birth to one son, He Changping, all those years ago, but to twins—a dragon and phoenix pair.
It turned out that back in the capital, the one Li Qiubai had married was not the He family’s son, but their daughter.
As it happened, Li Qiubai had fallen in love with the He family’s daughter during their days spent together, an act that brought shame to the imperial family and created deep rifts between her and the Grand Prince.
Thus, the Prime Minister no longer hesitated and immediately dispatched Xu Zhian along with others to Yuzhou.
Since Li Qiubai’s affair with a woman had not yet reached the Emperor’s ears, the Prime Minister’s residence had effectively grasped her weak point.
Furthermore, the spies had not missed Li Qiubai’s intimate gestures while traveling alongside that woman. With such leverage, it was more than enough to assure them to proceed with the deal confidently.
When Xu Zhian asked so bluntly, Li Qiubai only pulled out a smile that appeared somewhat forced and said, with a touch of self-mockery,
“In the imperial family, is there really any true affection? It’s all driven by gain and loss. Since my elder brother cannot give me what I want, why should I sacrifice my life for him?”
After a brief pause, she delicately asked Xu Zhian,
“If my elder brother cannot give me what I want, could the Prime Minister and the Fourth Prince?”
With that, Xu Zhian finally set aside the last trace of caution in his heart.
He feared not those who sought something from them, but rather those who sought nothing at all.
After all, there were no free lunches falling from the sky—only transactions, give-and-take, which made for the fairest deals.
“That is only natural. I have come with the utmost sincerity from the Prime Minister’s residence. May I ask what it is that Your Highness desires at present?”
Meeting his probing gaze, Li Qiubai lowered her eyes and simply replied,
“I am but a worldly person. What I desire is nothing extravagant—only to be able to stay by the side of the one I love, never to part.”
The Princess’ appearance at that moment, in Xu Zhian’s eyes, was that of a pitiable figure longing for what she could not attain.
And rightly so—after all, the one she loved was a woman. If she had been a commoner, perhaps things would have been different. She might have had enlightened elders willing to turn a blind eye. But to the Son of Heaven, such a thing was utterly unacceptable.
To the imperial family, it was an absolute disgrace. It was no wonder the Grand Prince refused to help her and had fallen into discord with her over this matter.
While Xu Zhian inwardly chuckled, his expression outwardly softened into one of sympathetic concern and tender affection.
“This humble Xu has heard about Your Highness’ situation. You have truly suffered these past days. Surely, you understand that what you desire would have been easy to achieve were you a commoner. But as a noble of the imperial family, this has undoubtedly become a luxury. After all, should this matter reach His Majesty, it would be exceedingly difficult to resolve.”
Having observed Li Qiubai’s increasingly displeased expression as he expected, Xu Zhian hurried to change his tone to avoid provoking her further. He continued,
“However, Your Highness can rest assured. Since the Prime Minister’s residence has come with utmost sincerity this time, we will not let you suffer losses in this matter. Even though your relationship with a woman defies the norms and challenges societal conventions, the Prime Minister has said that as long as it makes you happy, that is all that matters. Even if the Grand Prince is obstinate, and His Majesty might not understand for the moment, the Prime Minister is willing to assist you. The Prime Minister has numerous disciples who owe him favors, and the Empress is also unlikely to stand idly by. When the time comes, they will ensure the safety of both you and the young lady.”
Seeing the smile return to Li Qiubai’s face, and believing she was falling step by step into his trap, Xu Zhian finally dared to subtly reveal his true purpose for coming.
“Of course, our Fourth Prince holds great respect for his imperial sister. He naturally hopes to see you joyful and at ease. Should the Fourth Prince manage to escape his current predicament, Your Highness’ contribution will be indispensable. Whatever Your Highness desires in the future, the Fourth Prince will certainly not forget to repay you.”
The implication behind Xu Zhian’s words was already clear—he was just shy of outright asking Li Qiubai to assist the Prime Minister in supporting the Fourth Prince’s ascension.
Li Qiubai curved her lips into a faint smile and cheerfully replied,
“With such a promise from Mr. Xu and the Prime Minister, I can rest assured.”
With that, she retrieved a wooden box from beneath the desk and pushed it toward Xu Zhian.
“This contains the evidence of the Prince of Yu’s treacherous intentions. How to use it is entirely up to the Prime Minister.”
As Xu Zhian reached out to take it, Li Qiubai pressed the box down and pulled it slightly back toward herself.
“However, I am not a naive child. Empty words cannot be trusted by anyone. If the Prime Minister’s sincerity is limited to this, then it seems the transaction will go no further today.”
Failing to deceive Li Qiubai, Xu Zhian did not lose his temper. On the contrary, he chuckled and cheerfully drew something from within the folds of his sleeve.“This is the Prime Minister’s token, along with a list of Yuzhou officials and merchants who can be commanded by the Prime Minister. Should Your Highness have anything you wish to accomplish within Yuzhou, these people are all at your disposal.”
“Oh? And beyond Yuzhou, they are no longer usable?”
“Beyond Yuzhou, I presume Your Highness would have safely returned to the capital, and these would no longer be necessary.”
Similarly, before Li Qiubai could reach out to take it, Xu Zhian imitated her gesture and withdrew the token slightly. With a smile, he said,
“I trust Your Highness will keep your promise. Once Su Sheng writes his confession and agrees to return to the capital with me, then this will belong to Your Highness.”
Li Qiubai narrowed her eyes briefly before readily responding,
“Of course. Exchange goods for goods—that is only fair.”
After speaking, she tapped the bell that had been placed to the side earlier.
Soon, the guards stationed outside knocked on the tearoom door, bringing Su Sheng with them.
Accompanying Su Sheng was Su Zian, who had met with the Princess yesterday at Linyuan Tower.
