Your Highness

“Ah!” Lin Shan cried out from her dream. She was drenched in cold sweat.

“What’s wrong? What happened? Is there a thief? Fire? Flood? Earthquake? We have to run!!!!” Xiao Lu was awaken by Lin Shan and started running around the room like an agitated housefly. It took her a while before she calmed down and looked at Lin Shan.

Xiao Lu noticed Lin Shan was staring at her with her eyes opened wide as she sat upright with a fearful expression on her face. Lin Shan’s forehead was covered in small beads of sweat.

“Pffft….” Xiao Lu breathe out a sigh of relief, “Master, you were dreaming? You almost scared me to death….” She went over to cover Lin Shan with the blanket. But the moment she was within close proximity, Lin Shan grabbed her by the wrist.

“Xiao Lu, I’m worried about Lian Feng.”

Xiao Lu laughed: “Ai ya, Master! Lian Superior only left for two days and you’re already like this. If he found out, he would tease you.”

Surprisingly, Lin Shan didn’t have a rebuttal. Instead, she got up for the bed: “This will not do. My heart is shaken. I am going to go out for a walk. Don’t follow me!” Then, before Xiao Lu could react, she draped an outer garment on her back and left the room.

-------

The rain had finally stopped.

Lin Shan felt like her dream had transformed into a knot of air and it wouldn’t go away. She aimlessly walked around the Palace by herself. Slowly, she began to feel better, but Lian Feng’s last expression remained in her mind. It wouldn’t disappear.

He’ll be fine. Stop over thinking! Stop over thinking, you hear me? Lin Shan was trying to comfort herself. Subconsciously, she ended up by the pond in the middle of the night. It was quiet and calm. The curved moon hung from the sky; shining a faint light on the peaceful pond.

Coincidentally, Lin Shan actually saw someone familiar at this time. Originally, she was staring blankly at the pond. But suddenly, she heard voices behind her. Lin Shan turned around and saw two Imperial guards dragging the drunken Du Jing. Clearly, he had just came back from indulging in sensual pleasures.

How can anyone be so shameless? Your dad is dying and you are still in the mood to party? What a scumbag!

Lin Shan said all this inside, but Du Jing’s sharp eyes noticed her: “Oh? Isn’t that the Prince Consort?! Are you waiting for me specifically? You want to drink together? Come, let’s go and have a drink….”

What? Pah! *spitting sound out of contempt*. Without reason, Lin Shan felt disgusted from within. She rolled her eyes at Du Jing and turned to leave. But Du Jing pulled her back: “Brother, don’t go. Drink with me. Ohhhhh, I am wrong… I should say sister instead…..”

Although Du Jing was mumbling vaguely, Lin Shan reacted right away. She grabbed hold of him and before the two guards could hear Du Jing say anything else, she said: “You can leave the Third Prince with me. You may leave now.”

“But Prince Consort, the Highness ordered….” The guards looked conflicted.

“Bullshit. What order? You can’t even trust me with the Third Prince? The Prince Consort?”

“Yes. Your servants will leave now!” The two Imperial guards were afraid of messing with the Prince Consort and quickly left Du Jing behind.

The Imperial guards weren’t far off when Lin Shan heard Du Jing’s voice: “Not bad. You’ve been Prince Consort for so long that you actually have some attitude.”

Somehow, Du Jing had reverted back to his normal state. He looked amused as he taunted her with a smile.

“You’re not drunk?” Lin Shan was a bit surprised.

“Of course not.” Du Jing straightened his posture and fixed his hair and clothing. Then he grumbled: “That guy thinks the Palace belongs to him. Letting out so many dogs to watch us. Ugghh so annoying.”

“Are you talking about the Eldest Prince?”

“Who else can it be?”

Lin Shan couldn’t help but crinkled her brows. Xiao Lu had mentioned that ever since the Eldest Prince returned, he had placed a lot more guards everywhere. His reasoning was to protect the Emperor. In addition, he didn’t allow people to walk around the Palace freely at night. It turned out Xiao Lu’s words were true.

“Hm.. It’s so late at night. Why are you here?” Du Jing suddenly asked.

“None of your business!” Lin Shan glared at him.

“Of course it’s my business.” Du Jing smiled like a sly fox as he lowered his head and whispered in her ear: “Because I like you.”

His voice was soft as he stretched out the words. It was quite charming. However, his next line wasn’t that pleasant to listen to: “It must be fate that we met. Since I like you, why don’t you bring me to check out that Heaven stone? What do you think?”

Huh? Pah! Lin Shan nearly spat. Wow, he never learns! How can anyone be so shameless? It’s truly against the Heaven’s law. Humans and Gods are angered! As a modern female, I must protect the minds of the weak and punish you in the name of the Universe!

“Ok.” Lin Shan nodded. “I don’t need that shitty rock anyway. I can give it to you.”

Du Jing didn’t expect Lin Shan to agree so easily. He was on alert as he said: “Really?”

“Really.” Lin Shan nodded. Her face was serious. “However, as an exchange, you have to help me find the Princess. You promised me before.

“No problem.”

“Okay. Come here.” Lin Shan waved him over.

Du Jing leaned over.

“The stone is at ^$%$*&%&amp…..”

“What?”

It’s at ^$%$*&%&amp……”

“Speak louder.”

“I said! The stone is at—”

*Dong!* Lin Shan lifted her leg and kicked Du Jing into the pond.

“In the pond!” Lin Shan yelled at the soaked Du Jing. Seeing his expensive embroidered robe drenched and his hair a mess, she felt very accomplished and proud. Her terrible mood instantly flipped.

Wow! It turns out if you’re depressed, jumping into the pond is no use. You have to kick someone into the pond! Lin Shan waved at Du Jing: “Third Prince. Take your time to search. It’s at the bottom. If you can’t find it, don’t bother coming out!” Then, she hummed a folk song as she cheerfully left.

Poor Du Jing was left alone as he climbed to shore. He gnashed his teeth: “Song Luo, you just wait. One day you will be under my control!”