Chapter 89: I Said, I Want You
Jadeite fell on her knees before Yu Xiaoxiao. “Your Royal Highness, spare me.”
Yu Xiaoxiao blinked. I didn’t say anything about killing her, ah.
Jing Zhong only stood gaping from the sidelines. Princess Linglong could murder without blood! If the eldest princess’s words spread beyond the palace walls, it’d turn into the secret scandal of a palace consort using a surrogate to bear a child. Consort Zhao was in bad straits now and hemmed in on all sides by the other concubines. If they caught wind of this rumor, she’d be completely trapped.
“What does she mean?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked Jing Zhong, who laughed hollowly and said nothing. The head eunuch was in no frame of mind to help the princess stab Consort Zhao right now.
“Let’s go, ah,” Yu Xiaoxiao saw that Jing Zhong was clueless about Consort Zhao’s companion and went on to urge Jadeite. The servant girl clambered to her feet and went to lead the way. By the time they left Brightness Palace, Yu Xiaoxiao grew impatient. She always walked as if flying, so she couldn’t stand their pacing.
Turning to Jing Zhong, she declared, “She walks as if she hasn’t eaten a meal. I’ll bring Little Sixth to Morning Skies Palace first.”
“Your Royal Highness!” Jing Zhong only had time to call out her title before she broke through the bushes lining the path and vanished from sight with the sixth prince.
Jadeite was still shaking with fear. “H-head Eunuch, this means no one will be able to announce Her Royal Highness at Morning Skies Palace.”
All of the court ladies and eunuchs present fell silent. If Consort Zhao was forced to face the eldest princess without any mental preparation, it would be too cruel. Jing Zhong shot Jadeite a nasty look before hurrying after Yu Xiaoxiao as fast as his legs would let him.
—
Yu Xiaoxiao could reach the same place without problems after visiting it once. Yu Ziming only felt the wind whooshing past his ears for a while. By the time he opened his eyes, they were already at his imperial mother’s palace. Yu Xiaoxiao stopped in front of the building she’d struck with lightning before, which was now nothing more than an empty lot. Numerous plants and flowers had been planted in the area, the sight of a future garden.
“Imperial sister, where’s my imperial mother?” Yu Ziming looked around, unable to recognize the surroundings as his mother’s dwelling.
Yu Xiaoxiao cocked her ears to listen before heading for the back. At this time, Consort Zhao was lying on the bed of her new bedroom. She had dismissed all of her servants except a momo who had waited on her since her debut at the palace. Yu Xiaoxiao took Yu Ziming to one of the bedroom windows and prepared to jump inside.
“Later, His Sixth Highness will come,” the momo spoke at that instant. “Esteemed consort must speak well with His Sixth Highness. He’s still young, so it’ll be bad if you scare him.”
Yu Xiaoxiao stopped her movements. Why did she that the two people inside were discussing dastardly things? Yu Ziming looked up at her questioningly.
“Shhh,” Yu Xiaoxiao murmured. “We’ll listen to your imperial mother talking without letting her know.”
Yu Ziming assumed that this was another game by his sister and nodded in agreement.
Consort Zhao then spoke up. “Will His Majesty’s heart soften if His Sixth Highness told His Majesty he couldn’t bear to part with me?”
The momo replied, “Esteemed consort, as long as His Sixth Highness cries hard enough, His Majesty would definitely remember your good points based on your deep motherly affection with His Sixth Highness.”
Consort Zhao laughed coldly. “Consort Hua and the rest must be thrilled.”
“Esteemed consort,” the momo coaxed. “Being angry will hurt your body. You cannot lose your temper right now.”
“His Sixth Highness is still too young,” Consort Zhao said. “Does he know how to put on a show in front of His Majesty? If His Majesty doesn’t forgive me, how will I be pregnant with another prince?”
“Esteemed consort!” the momo’s tone grew heavy. “You still have His Sixth Highness.”
“I can’t expect anything from him now,” Consort Zhao said icily. “How much fatherly affection could His Majesty hold for a son that doesn’t grow up by his side? His Majesty is inconstant in love. It’s all to easy to make him like someone. Do you think His Sixth Highness still has a chance to win His Majesty’s love?”
“Then what if His Sixth Highness returns from Zhuri one day?”
“How long will that take?” Consort Zhao asked. “We’ve already offended Jing Mo, so it’s wishful thinking to expect His Sixth Highness back soon. Rather than bother with him, you should help me figure out ways to lure His Majesty here so we can reconcile.”
“And His Sixth Highness?”
Consort Zhao fell silent for a while, then said, “I can’t be blamed for being cruel. He’s the one with a bad life, so I can’t bother with him anymore.”
“Esteemed consort, ah!” the momo lamented.
Consort Zhao laughed again, then said, “Jing Mo will definitely force my father to help him deal with Jing Qian, but my father’s already lost the chance to win Jing Mo’s trust. As things go, flatly refusing Jing Mo to gain Jing Qian’s trust and gratitude is a chance for our Zhao Clan. How could I allow my father to be threatened by Jing Mo? I will have another son,” Consort Zhao touched her stomach as she spoke. I must have another prince. Only then can I and the Zhao Clan survive.
Outside the window, Yu Xiaoxiao glanced down at Yu Ziming. The sixth prince didn’t understand everything his mother said, but ‘I can’t bother with him anymore’ was loud and clear. His imperial mother really didn’t want him anymore.
Yu Xiaoxiao wanted to go in and beat Consort Zhao again. But the sight of the little beansprout hugging her neck in silence only made her sigh deeply and turn to leave without a word.
“Your Royal Highness?” Jing Zhong had just reached Morning Skies Palace gates when he saw Yu Xiaoxiao carrying Yu Ziming on her shoulder and heading back out.
Yu Xiaoxiao looked at him coldly.
All the hairs stood up on Jing Zhong’s body at the killer glare. It felt as if the eldest princess was an experienced veteran of the battlefields. In silence, Yu Xiaoxiao swept past Jing Zhong and out of sight.
Jing Zhong didn’t see anything stirring at Morning Skies Palace and feared that Consort Zhao had already fallen under Her Royal Highness’s venomous hands. He quickly ran inside to see what was the matter.
—
Yu Xiaoxiao brought Yu Ziming far away from Morning Skies Palace before she told him, “It’s okay if she doesn’t want you. I want you.”
Yu Ziming didn’t know what it meant to be abandoned by Consort Zhao, but the little prince was very sad and sat on Yu Xiaoxiao’s shoulder while crying. Yu Xiaoxiao let him weep for a while. When people were sad, it was good to let them cry. After the tears were spent, one could keep on living one’s life.
“Imperial sister,” Yu Ziming sobbed. “Why does imperial mother not want me anymore?”
Yu Xiaoxiao plucked Yu Ziming off her shoulders to meet him eye-to-eye and said, “I already said, I want you.”
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