Chapter 115: You Smell Like Her Scented Powder?

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 Li Xinyi stepped out of the secret prison cell, Ye Wuyou was sitting at a small table outside, drinking tea and chatting with Li Qiubai and Ying Siling.

The moment she saw what Li Xinyi was holding in her hand, Ye Wuyou could not hold it in and immediately sprayed out the tea she had yet to swallow.

"Pu..."

Fortunately, Ying Siling, who was closest to her, reacted quickly and raised her sleeve to block it, narrowly avoiding disaster.

"Ugh..."

After shooting Ye Wuyou a disgusted glance, Ying Siling turned her eyes toward the person standing at the dungeon entrance.

She saw that Li Xinyi was holding none other than the Prince of Yu’s bloody head.

Ying Siling felt her scalp go numb at once.

Not to mention her—even Ye Wuyou, who had taken quite a few lives herself, found the sight somewhat unsettling.

After all, what she was holding in her hand was the severed head of her own biological father.

Ye Wuyou suddenly coughed several times before barely recovering from the painful choking. She gave an awkward laugh and said, “You really are... quite ruthless…”

Li Xinyi paid her no mind. She held the head forward, and the trusted attendant who had come with her immediately stepped up to take it, calmly placing it into the box prepared in advance.

With her hands now free, Li Xinyi smiled and walked toward Li Qiubai.

“How was it? I was fast, was I not?”

Before she could touch Li Qiubai, Ye Wuyou had already raised her sword to block her path. She pointed toward the basin of clean water nearby and suggested, “How about you wash the blood off your hands first?”

Li Xinyi lowered her eyes to look at her bloodstained hands and did not refuse Ye Wuyou’s suggestion.

Mm, these hands were indeed a little dirty.

Had she known earlier, she would not have done the beheading herself.

Li Xinyi rubbed her palms harder and harder.

She turned her hands over again and again in the water, yet still felt they were filthy.

“That is enough.”

Just as she was about to rub her skin raw, someone pressed down on her wrist.

What followed was a clean brocade handkerchief.

The owner of the handkerchief, as always, did not show her much of a kind face.

“Stop washing. Wipe them off instead.”

It was rare for Li Xinyi to sense even a trace of warmth from Li Qiubai’s words. She did not turn down this rare kindness. After taking the handkerchief, she raised her brows and smiled. “Thank you, Imperial Sister.”

Li Qiubai let out a light sigh. “If you are not happy, then do not force a smile.”

The smile on Li Xinyi’s lips froze for a moment.

What kind of joke was that? How could she possibly not be happy?

She had finally killed the man she had hated all her life. Why would she not be happy?

Thinking of his final moment before death, that desperate struggle, that look of pain and fear—she still felt incredibly pleased! How could she not be happy?!

Even after stepping out of the Jinwei Camp’s prison, Li Xinyi was still recalling his miserable state right before death.

But she was clearly very happy, so why did her heart still feel so empty?

“Now in the Prince of Yu’s manor, you are the only one left who can make the decisions. Once the court’s army arrives, you will scatter the private soldiers on Mount Qingcheng and merge them into the imperial army. You will go into battle with me. There should be no problem, right?”

It was only when she heard Li Qiubai’s voice that Li Xinyi came back to her senses in a daze.

That was right. After all, the private soldiers on Mount Qingcheng were originally considered rebel forces. Back then, they disguised themselves as mountain bandits to avoid detection.

If all fifty thousand of them were to be deployed at once, not to mention Li Qiubai, even she herself would be afraid.

Li Xinyi understood and replied, “Rest assured. The generals who pushed me to break into the prison have already been made an example of by my hand. Now that Father is dead, even if someone wishes to rebel, there is no one bold enough to lead them. Besides, you are even willing to spare their lives this time and give them a chance to atone through service. Merging those private troops into the court’s army register and letting them receive court rations—although most of the soldiers are orphans from all over the land, they are still the sons of our Great Chang Dynasty. As for what the enemy is fighting for, I believe they know very well in their hearts. They will not do anything foolish or seek death again.”

Li Qiubai slowed her pace and walked side by side with Li Xinyi, heading together toward the carriage ahead.

The way they got along harmoniously now made it hard to tell how fiercely they had once opposed each other.

“This is good. Have you thought of what to say when you bring his severed head to the military camp?”

“Of course.”

Li Xinyi stopped walking and, right in front of Li Qiubai, instantly changed her expression. She put on a look of unbearable grief and cried out in sorrow, “Father knew his sins were grave and has taken his own life to atone. My heart is in deep pain. I hope all the soldiers will reflect on themselves! Understand righteousness, fulfill the duty of a soldier, protect the land and the people, and bring comfort to my father’s spirit in heaven!”

This way, those who believed her would naturally obey her commands.

As for those who did not believe her, once they saw that the Prince of Yu’s body was beyond recognition, they would not dare act rashly either.

Only then did Li Qiubai nod in satisfaction.

In these past three days, she had not killed the Prince of Yu right away. Instead, she used him as bait and managed to capture quite a few people who had tried to break into the prison.

Among the Prince of Yu’s subordinates, most of those who were truly loyal to him had already been captured. The rest, the grasses atop the wall*, had already been taken in by Li Xinyi. As for those still left, they were scattered like sand and no longer a threat. This round of progress was much faster than what the Princess had originally expected.

*fence-sitters

As for the various sects that had once been bought off by the Prince of Yu’s manor, ever since the Master of Qingyang Clan, under the order of the Martial Alliance Leader, led several major sects to purge the martial world, they no longer dared to scheme as they had in the past—not when they were now so deeply tied to the imperial court.

And all of this was thanks to Li Xinyi’s help behind the scenes.

Before parting, just before boarding the carriage, Li Qiubai still gave Li Xinyi a formal word of thanks.

“For what happened this time, I truly thank you.”

Li Xinyi was stunned for a moment, then smiled with curved eyes.

“It was just a deal. You do not owe me anything, so what are you thanking me for?”

Li Qiubai wanted their power, while Li Xinyi wanted their lives.

It was a mutually beneficial deal. To Li Xinyi, no one owes anyone anything.

What was rare was that now, their relationship had eased a lot.

Taking this chance, Li Xinyi could not help but ask a question that had long troubled her heart.

“Tell me, if I had not gone against you all the time when we were young, could we have become good sisters? Would you have treated me as well as you treated Li Shuyao?”

When she was young, Li Xinyi did not only hate the Prince of Yu. She also hated Li Qiubai and Li Shuyao.

She hated that they could reach out and pluck the stars, while she could only live in a bottomless abyss.

It was not until she grew up that she understood—everyone was just as pitiful.

People of the imperial family had never been able to choose their own path.

A princess like Li Shuyao, who could cast everything aside and chase after freedom, was truly rare.

Most of the imperial clan could not let go of the power in their hands, so they could only keep using blood to forge the steps they walked on.

Facing Li Xinyi’s hopeful gaze, Li Qiubai still shook her head without mercy and answered truthfully, “No.”

One was the daughter of the Prince of Yu, the other was the daughter of the Emperor.

They were never people walking the same road. How could there be any real feelings between them?

No matter if the Li Xinyi of the past had been arrogant and willful, or gentle and virtuous, their bond as sisters had only ever existed as names on the imperial clan’s family register.

Li Xinyi was so annoyed by her that she turned her head away.

“You really do not know how to comfort someone! Can you not even lie to me a little?”

Who said she could not comfort people?

If it had been Young Master Meng, never mind comforting—the Princess would have racked her brains to coax and care for her.

But that was only toward others. The Princess' patience and tenderness were never the same as when she faced the Young Master.

Li Qiubai was amused by her and finally lifted her hand to rest on Li Xinyi’s shoulder, giving it a gentle pat.

“Enough. What is past is past. Stop thinking about the old days. No one knows how things would have turned out if we could do it all over again.”

That at least sounded somewhat human...

Only then did Li Xinyi feel a bit better.

At this moment, the two of them stood quite close. The knot in Li Xinyi’s heart had yet to fade, and for a moment, she could not hold it in. Feeling wronged, she lowered her head and gently rested her forehead against Li Qiubai’s shoulder.

“I wish you were my real sister.”

Li Qiubai’s whole body stiffened.

The head resting on her shoulder was light as a feather.

That careful, cautious touch seemed as if it were ready to pull away at any hint of rejection.

Such a guarded gesture still managed to soften Li Qiubai’s heart for a brief moment.

She had already noticed something was off when this person had scrubbed her hands vigorously back in the prison.

And yet, she had managed to keep up the act all the way till now.

This time, Li Qiubai did not push her away. Instead, she raised her hand and gently patted Li Xinyi’s back, as a gesture of comfort.

Li Qiubai said nothing, so Li Xinyi kept talking to herself.

The voice coming from her shoulder was low and muffled.

“Tell me, why is it that even after I killed him, I still feel so much hate?”

“Mother will not come back to life, will she…”

“But what else can I do…”

“Was it because he died too easily, that I still do not feel satisfied…”

Each question sounded lost and filled with regret.

A life built upon hatred would always feel hollow once vengeance was fulfilled.

After the hate and the grudge were gone, they no longer knew what to rely on to keep moving forward.

Li Qiubai could understand what she was feeling now, but she did not know how to comfort her. She could only stand silently and let her lean on her shoulder.

The sun was setting in the west, and the air was turning cool.

After letting out the stuffiness in her chest, Li Xinyi had already calmed down quite a bit. As she withdrew from Li Qiubai’s shoulder, she left a sigh beside her ear.

“But still… I have to say… the taste of personally killing one’s father… is truly something one can never forget for a lifetime.”

At this moment, Li Xinyi was smiling again. When her eyes met Li Qiubai’s, she followed up with a probing question.

“Do you want to try it too?”

Li Qiubai shot her a sideways glance, half-smiling as she replied, “What, do you want to experience your father’s fate of dying without a whole corpse yourself?”

Li Xinyi shrank her neck and gave an awkward laugh. “How would I dare.”

With that, she leapt into the air and landed neatly on the horse that had long been waiting with hooves kicking.

Leading the horse by the reins past Li Qiubai, Li Xinyi stopped again and said to her, “By the way, I have already bought the brothel where my mother lived back then. It is in Jiangnan. If you have free time later, remember to come visit me there. You can pick a few girls to drink with, and I will not charge you a single coin!”

A brothel?

If Young Master Meng knew this, would she not skin her alive?

Li Qiubai laughed in anger and immediately gave her one word on the spot: “Go!”

Only then did Li Xinyi happily urge her horse and ride away.

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. 

Ye Wuyou, who had been sitting on the carriage with her feet hanging and head resting, watching for a long time, saw that the Princess had finally returned and teased, “Oh wow, Our Highness finally decides to come back? How does the feeling of holding a beauty in your arms feel? I wonder how much  Young Master Meng, left alone at home by you, will be heartbroken when she finds out.”

Li Qiubai: “...”

By the time Li Qiubai returned to Young Master Meng’s residence, the sky had already turned completely dark.

Letting Ye Wuyou go have dinner on her own, the Princess herself had not eaten yet and went straight to Young Master Meng’s room.  

Since receiving the agreement from that Sect Master’s wife, the servants and guards of this villa no longer stopped her openly or secretly.  

This allowed her to slip smoothly into Young Master Meng’s residence.  

Standing guard at Young Master Meng’s door was Meng Muxin.  

Remembering how she had bluntly called her "Mother" during the day, Li Qiubai blushed again when she saw her this time.

Just as the Princess was quietly thinking how to address her this time—whether to keep boldly calling her mother or not—she saw Meng Muxin leaning by the door warmly approaching her.  

“You came back just at the right time.”  

Meng Muxin smiled gently, without keeping distance from the Princess. She immediately grabbed her wrist and quietly whispered in her ear,  

“That girl is shy. She just took a medicinal bath and would not let me take care of her inside at all. Now with her condition... I am not very at ease either. Fortunately, you are back. Could I trouble you to watch over her inside?”  

The Princess was stunned for a moment.  

Trouble?

Such a chance was something she longed for, how could it be trouble?  

Li Qiubai gladly replied, "Do not worry, leave it to me."  

Meng Muxin did not think much either. She just felt that compared to herself as a mother, who only exposed her body before her beloved, Chang'an would not resist so much.  

She carefully told Her Highness the locations of all the medicines prepared for Chang'an inside the room and the order to apply them. After confirming that Her Highness had memorized everything, she led her to knock on the door.  

"Chang'an, it is me."

Hearing the Princess' voice through the screen, the Young Master’s face instantly flushed red.  

Why did she have to come at a time like this...  

Thinking that her mother was still outside, Young Master quickly refused, "Do not come in yet... I am almost done..."  

Having raised her daughter for more than ten years, Meng Muxin clearly saw her daughter's shy hesitation.  

Before the Princess could speak again, Meng Muxin said, "It is just me and Her Highness here. Pick one to come in to apply the medicine for you."  

Meng Chang'an: "..."  

Why must this person force her to make such a choice...  

If the Princess was not outside, she really wanted to say she wanted Aunt Jinyi to apply the medicine, just to tease her mother.  

But the Princess is still there.  

So, she dared not.

After a moment of silence, she shyly and annoyed agreed, "Then let Her Highness come in..."  

Hearing the muffled laughter from her mother outside, the Young Master was deeply embarrassed.  

After all, this was a close lover she had been honest with before. It was not like they had never done anything intimate. Applying medicine was nothing compared to being half-naked in front of her mother at this age.  

With permission granted and no angry outburst from the child, Meng Muxin felt relieved and let the Princess enter the room, then quietly left.  

Inside the room, the scent of medicine was strong.

Li Qiubai stepped slowly past the screen and finally saw the scene inside.

Behind the screen was a bath tub filled with a mix of medicines.

The dark liquid covered the Young Master's shoulders.

Earlier that day, the Princess had not seen the Young Master's wounds clearly. Now, with the bandages gone, seeing the flesh missing on the Young Master's shoulder for the first time, she felt a sharp pain in her heart.

Hearing the door and footsteps but no voice, the Young Master felt panic for a moment.

"Your Highness? Is that you?"

Those who lost their sight always lacked a sense of security.

Worried the Young Master might be scared, Li Qiubai quickly spoke to comfort her, "It is me. Do not be afraid."

Li Qiubai then sat down beside the bath tub and held the Young Master's left hand, which was resting on the tub's edge.

As their fingers intertwined, Meng Chang'an quietly breathed out in relief.

Though blind, the Young Master's other senses were sharper.

Before, the strong smell of medicine covered everything, so she did not notice it.

Now, with the Princess sitting beside her, she could faintly smell the scent of blood.

"You... where did you go today?"

Meng Chang'an took the Princess' hand and held it close to her nose to smell again. 

Worried her words might sound too blunt and make the Princess feel she was interfering and not giving her freedom, she quickly added, "Why did you come back smelling so much of blood... Are you hurt?"

Li Qiubai was startled. When she noticed the blood stains on her clothes, she realized the Young Master meant the smell of blood, not the stains.

Feeling a little regretful, the Princess thought she should have changed her clothes before coming to see her.

With no choice, she told the truth, "I went to kill someone. The blood is from another person."

Only the Princess could say such cruel words in such a gentle tone.

Meng Chang'an paused, then sniffed up the Princess' sleeve while asking, "Oh? Was it a man or a woman you killed?"

Her attitude was like a wife at home, questioning her husband who just came back from flirting outside.

The Princess smiled helplessly but answered, "It was a man."

As Meng Chang'an sniffed the scent, the wound that had been underwater slowly rose above the surface.

The scenery is hidden and about to emerge.

Li Qiubai quickly looked away, not daring to stare. She only carefully shielded the Young Master’s shoulder to keep her from slipping out of the tub.

At this moment, the Young Master's wet nose, stained with medicinal water, touched the Princess' shoulder and kept sniffing.

That exact spot was where Li Xinyi had rested her forehead earlier that evening.

“Oh? What kind of man smells like scented powder?” 

That mocking tone made Li Qiubai feel a moment of guilt.

Now she regretted it even more—why had she not changed her clothes before coming?

Not hearing any reply, the Young Master grew annoyed and bit hard on the Princess' shoulder.

“Hiss…”

Well then, she had not even visited a brothel yet and was already about to have a layer of skin bitten off by the Young Master.

Snapped back to her senses by the bite, the Princess instinctively coaxed, “Chang’an… let me explain…”

There it was—was that not the exact line those scummy men in storybooks always used to fool women?

And the usual response from the deceived women would be—

“I will not listen, I will not listen!”

Hearing the Young Master’s rebuttal, the Princess suddenly froze.

Li Qiubai: “???”

Just what exactly was going on in that little head of hers?

The Princess could not help but burst out laughing.

She lowered her head and looked, only to see that the one leaning against her shoulder could not help but laugh either, letting out a soft chuckle.

It had been a long time since the Princess last saw the Young Master smile so brightly. For a moment, she found herself dazed.

She stared blankly at the Young Master, then raised her hand and gently caressed her cheek.

The rising steam had already turned the Young Master's once pale face flushed and rosy with warmth.

It only made her look all the more alluring.

Unfortunately, before the Princess could make any move, the Young Master had already pulled her head back, leaning against the edge of the tub again. She held back her laughter and forced a straight face.

“Then Your Highness had better explain why you smell like someone else’s scented powder!”

“…It was Li Xinyi…”

Seeing the Young Master’s surprised look, Li Qiubai did not dare to waste the chance to explain or tease her further. She quickly told everything that happened inside and outside the prison that afternoon.

As the Princess spoke, the Young Master’s small head leaned on her shoulder again.

This time, she did not bite her.

But her fingers were already feeling around and hooked onto the Princess’ collar.

“Alright, but even so, this smell is still very bad. I do not like it!”

That little gesture made the Princess’ heart itch with desire.

She lowered her eyes, lifted her hand, and held the hand on her collar, then asked in a low voice, “Oh? Then what do you want to do?”

The Young Master could not see and did not have to face the Princess’ deep, teasing gaze. She boldly and firmly ordered, “Take off your clothes and come in to keep me company!”

If one ignored the Young Master’s ears red as if bleeding, the Princess might really have believed her excuses.

“Alright.”

Li Qiubai’s mouth curved into a smile. She raised her hand and placed it on her belt.

With a flick, her belt fell to the ground.

“Then I will do as you say.”

Author's Note:

Friends, please collect the pre-collection article "The Imperial Tutor Wants to Escape Today"*! Are there any dears who want to know more about the weak and pitiful Green Tea?

*Now entitled, “After Failing To Escape And Getting Captured By The Empress”

Jun Xunhuan was ordered by her master to go down the mountain to train a suitable heir for the Great Yi Dynasty and become the new Imperial Tutor of the Great Yi Dynasty.

The eldest prince is gentle as jade, the fourth princess is smart and clever, and the sixth prince is both civil and military...

Each of them respects the teacher, is well-behaved and obedient, and is her favorite good disciple.

There is only one exception, that is the delicate and weak little princess deep in the palace, who coughs every few steps, gentle and kind.

The little princess was born from a maid, losing the qualification to become the heir. Her miserable situation does not fit with the other favored children of heaven. Even the palace servants look down on her.

Jun Xunhuan felt pity and took good care of her.

Often stood up for her when the other princes bullied the little princess.

But the little princess timidly pulled on her clothes, with red eyes she said quietly, "The Imperial Tutor favors me so much. If the elder brothers and sisters know, they will surely be jealous. Imperial Tutor should stay away from someone unlucky like me..."

That night, the little princess was pushed into the lake by the other princes as revenge. She had a high fever and was close to death, yet she still endured the pain to plead for others.

Feeling heartbroken, Jun Xunhuan severely punished her good disciples. But she did not notice the cold smile in the little princess’ eyes.

After the injury healed, the little princess stayed by Jun Xunhuan’s side, eating and living together.

Having a new disciple is good, but every night before sleep, Jun Xunhuan always has some indescribable dreams...

The protagonists are her and the little princess...

This is really damaging to a teacher’s virtue!

Jun Xunhuan felt very guilty. After giving all the lessons to the princes and princesses, she planned to escape quickly.

——————

On the eve of the new emperor’s ascension, the brilliant and stunning Imperial Tutor disappeared without a trace.  

Countless young boys and girls in the capital were heartbroken.  

But unexpectedly, in a dark room, the girl wearing the dragon robe kissed the bound person again and again, her eyes deep and serious.  

“I have made the Imperial Tutor think only of me day and night. Why does the Imperial Tutor still want to escape?”  

Jun Xunhuan gasped coldly, “Could it be that you put something in my calming tea...”  

Could it be that those nightly pleasures were not just dreams...  

“It is not too late for the Imperial Tutor to know now.”

The little princess no longer had the pitiful, tear-filled look of the past.  

She coldly pressed the jade seal onto her body, saying, “Now, the world belongs to me, and the Imperial Tutor belongs to me as well...”