Consort of a Thousand Faces

Su Xi-er dodged before replying, "This servant shall not trouble Crown Prince Chu."

 

"Avoiding this Crown Prince?" Chu Linglong blinked, his lips curving into a smile, as an alluring aura exuded from his crescent-shaped eyes. If it weren't for his Adam's apple, he would really have looked like a beautiful maiden under the moonlight.

 

"Crown Prince Chu, it's fortunate that I am a woman. If you were to act like this in front of a man, which man wouldn’t have strange thoughts running wild?" Su Xi-er chuckled, the implications of her words being extremely obvious.

 

Chu Linglong's smile froze. She actually said I… How dare she! I have always liked women, not men! There had once been a time that I had become secretly infatuated over a particular woman for a long time. Unfortunately, this woman disdained me for looking too effeminate, and didn’t accept me.

 

As a result, he was forced to bury his feelings for her, and got a Crown Princess Consort and Side Consort instead. Now, his Side Consort was also pregnant. 

 

"Su Xi-er, you have gone too far with your jokes!" Chu Linglong showed his discontentment, by raising a hand, wanting to pull her over.

 

Su Xi-er made use of her nimble footwork, dodging his attempts to grab at her. Chu Linglong’s face darkened in response, his actions growing more and more aggressive until finally, he resorted to using martial arts techniques.

 

Su Xi-er didn't know that her words before had tugged at Chu Linglong's lovesickness. The woman that he loved for many years, and still loved even now, had rejected him. This was...

 

Su Xi-er saw that he had begun to get sloppy, and decided to get a bit more serious. After deflecting his moves for some time, she furrowed her brows and kicked Chu Linglong in the back.

 

Two successive kicks had forced him to the side of the hull. All of a sudden, Chu Linglong was falling over the side of the boat because of his own large and exaggerated movements.

 

Plop! There was a splash.

 

"Oh no, someone fell into the river!" A palace maid saw what happened from a distance and shouted out.

 

The imperial guards heard her and immediately ran to the stern. Only once they had arrived did they catch sight of Chu Linglong swimming towards the Dragon Boat.

 

What in the world happened? The imperial guard looked at Su Xi-er puzzledly.

 

The commotion was too large to be ignored, drawing over a huge crowd in an instant.

 

When Ning Lianchen saw Su Xi-er, he was slightly stunned, before looking towards Chu Linglong who was swimming back to the boat. Imperial Elder Sister pushed Crown Prince Chu into the river?

 

A cold glint flashed across Yun Ruofeng's eyes. "Miss Xi-er, can you explain what happened?"

 

"What happened? We will know when Crown Prince Chu is back on the boat." An even colder voice replied before Su Xi-er could say anything.

 

Everyone's gaze landed on Pei Qianhao as he walked over slowly. Though his steps were light, many felt that the Dragon Boat was trembling with each step he took.

 

"Come here," Pei Qianhao called out softly. His cold aura had dissipated, and there was a hint of tenderness in his voice.

 

Ning Lianchen's heart skipped a beat as he looked towards Pei Qianhao. He hadn’t missed the hint of tenderness in his voice. Is Prince Hao sincere towards Imperial Elder Sister? Can he protect her for the rest of her life? Even if the whole court were to object, would Prince Hao still strive on without hesitation?

 

Ning Lianchen thought of the current situation in Beimin and wasn't assured. Prince Hao has great influence and power, but he was from a lowly background, and an adopted son of the Pei Family.

 

Having risen up from the bottom, his thirst for power wouldn't be beneath that of Yun Ruofeng, and may even surpass it.

 

Su Xi-er walked to Pei Qianhao's side, step by step, and said in front of everyone, "Crown Prince Chu made a mockery out of this servant before trying to attack me. This servant accidentally kicked him into the lake."

 

Her voice was clear, and her words were distinct. Everyone else was startled. Prince Hao's maidservant kicked Crown Prince Chu into the lake. Based on Crown Prince Chu's character, he definitely won’t let Prince Hao's maidservant off.

 

Pei Qianhao wore the same expression as he spoke nonchalantly, "Since you have kicked him, so be it. For a man to lose against a woman... Crown Prince Chu should work hard on his fighting skills when he returns to his country."

 

It was at this moment that Chu Linglong managed to climb onto the Dragon Boat. His purple robes were drenched, and his black hair stuck to his cheeks. The river water slowly dripped onto the deck of the boat as he stood frozen in place.

"Who said that she was the one who kicked this Crown Prince? This Crown Prince fell into the river by accident," Chu Linglong said slowly before making a gesture. "This Crown Prince shall go have a change of clothes." This time, I won’t wear purple clothes. I have to wear clothes that show my masculinity!