Chapter 22: Where There Is Life, There Is Hope.
It was mid-noon when Princess QingLuan woke up, she glanced around and realized she was already back in her own living quarters.
She sighed and pushed her sore body up from the bed, she realized that her clothings were changed and her body washed.
She called out gently for her handmaidens, who had been standing guard outside her room. Immediately, JingShu and NiShang entered the room with a young girl in tow, all three of them holding a bowl filled with medicine.
The young girl bowed before Princess QingLuan, “LingYao was sent by Lord Pei to serve the princess,” she said respectfully, “Lord Pei also mentioned that princess had been very dehydrated lately, please drink this medicine.”
Princess QingLuan blushes furiously, understanding what she had meant by her being dehydrated. She glanced at JingShu and NiShang, both of them were each holding a bowl too. She took each bowl one after another and gulped them all quickly before the bitterness spreads.
She knew that LingYao was his way of claiming her, just like how the other two men sent JingShu and NiShang.
But the medicine tastes really bitter and nasty, she frowned unhappily. JingShu, who had noticed her frowning, immediately gave her a honeyed candy to wash off the taste.
“I will enter the palace today to meet the king, please dress me up,” She commanded
As she sat staring her herself in the mirror, she noticed that the love bites from before were gone, perhaps it was the medicine Pei JingZhi used on her when she was unconscious.
But how did he get his hands on such medicine?
Princess QingLuan shook her head to clear herself from such thoughts, for it is of no use. She does not know them well even though they had bedded her many times.
In her past life, the only thing that she knew about them was their ending, Fu SiNian had been stripped of his title, You HanGuang, who had insisted on marrying her, had been thrown into the royal prison and Pei JingZhi had been casted out of the kingdom. Sadly, this was all she knew about her rapists.
JingShu watched the princess went into a daze as she fixed the princess’s long silky hair. She’s so pretty, she sighed in admiration, It is not surprisingly that the three lords are head over heels for her.
There were three men but only one princess, how will they share her? Who will be the winner that will marry the princess?
Princess QingLuan was in a dilemma, she felt the need to confess to her brother but she’s worried for his health, as his weak body had almost collapse after the big shocking news of her incident.
And from the looks of the three crazy men, someone outside will eventually know that she had been sleeping with them.
In that case, she may as well straight up confess to her brother so that he could be mentally prepared.
Perhaps her brother could even think up a plan to save her from this torture.
Xie Zhao, due to his weak body since young, hadn’t been able to take full control as king. The recent dispute with the Queen Mother regarding his concubines had left him exhausted.
When she reached her brother’s living quarters, he was lazing tiredly on the couch.
His eyes shone bright the moment he saw her, “Big sis, thank goodness you’re here! That crazy old woman has been giving me so many problems lately, I’m really sick of it all..” He grumbled as he ran towards her and pulled her towards the chair.
“Big sis, you haven’t visited me in a while, what have you been up to lately?” He asked curiously while munching a fruit.
“Little brother, big sis has something to tell you but you must promise to keep calm,” Princess QingLuan answered with a worried look on her face, she did not want him to fall ill from the news.
“Big sis, what is it?” He nodded curiously.
“Your big sis had taken in three gigolos,” She said softly under her breath.
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhao choked on his fruit, she patted his back as he forcefully swallowed the fruit, “Big sis… took in a gigolo? And three at that???” Xie Zhao stared at her, shocked.
She watched him silently, hoping that her brother wouldn’t get mad at her after the initial shock.
“Big sis, although I’m not sure why you would do something so outrageous, but I’m truly happy for you! You finally freed yourself from the clutches of Yan Gui!!” Xie Zhao exclaimed loudly as he happily patted her hand.
“Little brother, why is it that you still don’t like him after all these years?” Princess QingLuan asked speechlessly.
Xie Zhao’s expressions became very serious as he explained, “Isn’t it obvious? He’s not the right man for you, I would rather you taking in as many gigolos as you want than to see you get married off to that damn man in that damn place!”
Princess QingLuan frowned as she recalled how Yan Gui looked like, he was a handsome child back then and he had the air of a gentleman, why would her brother say he’s not her mister right?
Xie Zhao noticed the look of doubt on his sister’s face, “Big sis, as a man, I can’t feel his affections for you…”
“But of course! We were only ten years old back then and he was already sixteen, he would not have felt any affection for a child,” She answered tiredly.
“Big sis, I decided that I will take Li Li as my queen when I was ten years old…” Xie Zhao sighed at his sister’s naivety.
Princess QingLuan: “…”
“So… big sis, can you tell me who the three gigolos are?”
“Fu SiNian, You HanGuang and Pei JinZhi” She whispered softly into his year.
“Wow… big sis, your taste in men isn’t just heavy, it’s also really diverse…” He stared at her, dumbfounded. “Do they treat you well?”
“Yes… yes they do. They treat me really well, obedient and gentle…”
“Big sis, if it is as you said, then I approve of this. But you might need to consider how to settle Yan Gui, he is after all your fiancee.”
“Little brother, Yan Gui and I are not meant to be. Let’s just cancel off the engagement…” Princess QingLuan said as she sighed sadly, no matter how faint her feelings were for Yan Gui, he was after all her fiancee. The fiancee that she had prepared herself, physically and mentally, to marry all these years.
She would admit that she had indeed looked forward to the wedding, but alas, it was not meant to be.
“Hmm, how about this, I’ll send an imperial doctor to your living quarters in a few days and he will diagnose you will a life threatening illness. After that, we’ll send him a letter saying that you had been unwell for many years and that you refuse to continue wasting his time.” Xie Zhao said excitedly, happy that his sister will no longer be engaged to Yan Gui, “What do you think?”
Princess QingLuan nodded in agreement, as this plan sounded legit.
“Big sis, I’m really thankful for you. I know that you chose these three men due to their power and authority in this kingdom, I have a feeling that you’re doing this for me.” Xie Zhao grabbed her hands, his eyes were filled with gratitude, “But since you are unwilling to let me know the exact reason, I will not force you to. But please be careful, you are my only family left.”
Princess QingLuan stared at her little brother, tears filling up her eyes. She was glad that he’s still well, that her incident had not affected him like it had in her past life. Their parents had passed when they were thirteen, they only had each other left. She would do anything to keep her little brother safe.
Plus, as long as her little brother is king, she would still be the royal princess of the country. As long as they live on, there’ll always be hope.
Perhaps after the three men got bored of her and abandoned her, she could finally leave on a vacation, just like how her parents had.
And if she was lucky enough to find a man who would love her as she loved him, they would visit the world together. If not, being alone isn’t so bad too.