Volume 1: Gathering Winds of Splendor Chapter 57: Overestimating Oneself

  "Xin'er, sister, Ling Xieran is the princess that the Emperor Grandfather likes. Now we've both offended her thoroughly. What if the Emperor Grandfather blames us?" Ling Yihen thought of Ling Xieran crying as she went back and felt that the situation was not good.

  "You usually seem so carefree and uninhibited, how can you have a day like this where you're afraid of everything? What are you afraid of, the sky falling down...?" An Xin paused for a moment, then gave a sly smile, "With you taking the fall for me, I'll be leaving tomorrow, the Emperor won't be able to punish me."

  Ling Yi Hen looked at An Xin's mischievous grin, somewhat speechless. After a while, he muttered, "Xin Mei and Yu Lan Hua are learning bad things now, starting to learn how to cheat people."

  Upon hearing this, she felt at ease for a moment, blinked her eyes in annoyance, and thought to herself for a while. "No, that's because you don't understand my true personality. Actually, I'm full of evil intentions."

  Le Jie Wan had never heard anyone describe themselves like that before. She blinked her eyes a few times, wanting to laugh but not making a sound.

  Le Zheng's smile deepened as he suddenly heard some unusual sounds coming from the corridor of the wine tower, and he said with a hint of profundity, "The troublemaker has arrived."

  As soon as the words fell, the door of the room was kicked open by one foot. Ling Xian, who had gone and returned, led a small team of guards to walk in with a momentum.

  "The Princess of Chang'an is being disrespectful to me, take her down." Ling Xieran stormed in with a furious face and shouted.

  "This little king dares to look at who!" Ling Yihen's face sank for an instant, his thin lips curled up, and he casually stretched out his hand to smooth the hem of his clothes that didn't have any wrinkles.

  It was this simple action that caused the guards surrounding him to change color in unison and retreat one step.

  "The entire imperial palace, who doesn't dodge and run when they see me? What's going on, who borrowed your courage to dare point a sword at me?" Ling Yihen said slowly, glancing at Ling Xianyan with an angry expression. "You think having Ling Xianyan backing you up is enough?"

  The last sentence was light, even with a hint of a smile, but the atmosphere in the room suddenly turned gloomy.

  "Trash, don't you dare make me anxious! Hand it over to me at once!" Ling Xieran noticed that the guard standing behind her took another step back after hearing Ling Yihen's words, and she was clearly enraged.

  Those guards' bodies were slightly trembling, and the hands holding their swords were almost unable to hold steady, but because Ling Yihen was too close to An Xin, they didn't dare get closer, so they could only surround the few people inside the room.

  "Do you think I'm easy to bully or something? You're picking on the soft persimmon, aren't you? It's written all over my face in eight big characters: 'Free bullying service, no charge'?" An Xin said with a carefree sigh, half-joking and half-serious.

  Le Zheng sat still, unchanged in his expression, with a gentle smile on his face. "Perhaps it's because Xiner looks weak and is easy to bully!"

  "Don't try to be clever and confuse the issue. I am your superior, and you have been disrespectful to me. It is only right that I punish you. Be sensible and don't resist, or you will suffer even more!" Ling Xian had always been pampered and spoiled, with everyone catering to her every whim, including the Emperor himself. When had she ever been spoken to harshly before?

  At the age of four, she was scolded by her father for being too kind-hearted. It was also her first time being scolded. Originally, he wanted to take advantage of today to humiliate her thoroughly, but unexpectedly, he was ridiculed by An Xin instead. After returning, she felt more and more resentful, so she called up her guards to prepare to forcibly take An Xin to the heavenly prison, to avenge her past shame!

  "Hey, Auntie, do you admit that your beauty has faded with age? Or are you still clinging to the past?" An Xin smiled slyly. "I, a junior, just paid my respects to you earlier, didn't I? I consider myself well-mannered and respectful of my elders, so why are you still being so stubborn, Auntie?"

  Le Jie Wan's mouth twitched slightly, was her just now four-not-like ceremonial etiquette already perfect? The palace's etiquette teachers' rice bowls would probably all be smashed.

  "Xin'er meimei, Huang Xiaojie is a beauty in her twilight years, you're wrong." Ling Yihen said with a straight face.

  "Ling Yi Hen, don't think that just because Father Emperor gave you some face, you can look down on everyone. Father Emperor is spoiling you, but you're just his grandson. I am Father Emperor's most beloved daughter, and offending me will not be good for you!" Ling Xian's spring-breeze-and-autumn-moon-like face flushed with anger, her big eyes seeming to bulge out of their sockets, her twisted expression striking fear into the hearts of those who saw it.

  Unfortunately, such threats are not enough to enter the eyes of people like An Xing. Who among those present is not in a high position and has great power? And who would take Ling Xiuran's warnings to heart?

  "Does the princess also know that you are just the emperor's daughter? The most important thing is the male heir, and I really want to know which one the emperor values more, Ning Xiao Wangye or his own daughter who will be married off after coming of age!" Le Zheng Xi was disturbed by Ling Xianyan's sharp voice, and he couldn't help but speak out, his cold tone cruelly pointing out a fact.

  "Will you still speak human words tonight?" An Xin's words hit the nail on the head, striking Ling Xian's weak spot.

  In ancient times, even if a princess was favored, she could not escape the fate of marriage alliance. Those who were lucky married into prominent officials or generals in the imperial court to form alliances, while those who were unlucky were directly sent to foreign countries and spent the rest of their lives unable to return.

  No mother's help, no friend's company, in a foreign land, alone and married far away, how many people can get the true heart of their husband to wait for them, and live a happy life until old age? One of the four great beauties known as "平沙落雁" (Flat Sand Fallen Wild Goose), Wang Zhaojun, could not escape her fate either. After more than ten years of good days, she still died in sorrow, resentment, and despair.

  It's comforting to think of ancient history, but it's inevitable that there's a hint of desolation in my heart. Let's not mention the distant past, just talking about my mother, the emperor married her off to An Liancheng, no more than being wary of his military achievements, using the identity of the son-in-law to bind An Liancheng, making him loyal to the monarch and fight for the country on the battlefield.

  As expected, as soon as Le Zhengxi spoke up, Ling Xianyan's face changed drastically. Even if she was foolish, she understood what Le Zhengxi meant. The Emperor had few children, three sons and three daughters. Eldest Princess Ling Susu married General An when she was not yet fourteen years old. Eighth Sister Ling Baidou married the current Grand Chancellor as a concubine ten years ago.

  General An is the leader of the military, and Chancellor is the most powerful among civil officials. The two princesses married into such a household, Ling Xi thought for a moment and knew that this was to consolidate imperial power and not let the Eastern Ling forces fall behind.

  Both literary and military talents have been grasped by the Emperor, so how will he arrange for this princess who is still in the boudoir?

  A thread of panic rose in Ling Xier's heart, this panic made her hands and feet numb, and her mind was in a state of great disorder.

  "Le Zheng Xi, don't speak such frightening words, the Emperor dotes on me the most, how could he possibly marry me off recklessly?" Ling Xian Yan saw that several people in the house were looking at her with pitiful and sympathetic eyes, and she, who had been hurt by their words, shouted out in anger.

  "This young master doesn't bother with such things, just don't make a racket and disturb the young master's ears." Le Zheng Xi said with an easy expression.

  "Don't try to change the subject, I'll deal with An Xin now. What can she do? I don't believe Father Emperor will get angry!" But what really couldn't be tolerated was that her arch-nemesis, An Xin, looked at her with such eyes, just thinking about it made people go crazy.

  She is the most revered little princess of Dongling. Father Emperor is old, and it's possible that he won't have any more children in this lifetime. So she is Father Emperor's youngest child. How can Father Emperor bear to use her marriage as a political alliance?

  Thinking of this, Ling Xian's confidence was boosted again, and her high-and-mighty expression reappeared on her stunning face. "Guards, bring me An Xin! I'll take full responsibility for everything!"

  How obstinate! Yue Zheng shook his head in the evening and didn't speak again.

  Digression

  Many V-shaped endings have been concluded, and once this book is on the shelves, it will be updated immediately.