Princess Xiangsi - Chapter 3
"Thank you for the gift, Your Highness." The steward tilted his head back and drank the Luohua tea in one gulp. He immediately felt a chill surge from his heart and spread throughout his body. It was so cool that it was truly a top-grade royal tea.
"Steward, how are you feeling?"
"The name 'Ice Fairy' is truly fitting," the steward exclaimed.
“Hehe…” Feng Xue suddenly laughed.
Upon hearing the laughter, the steward felt a strange sense of unease, as if something was about to happen.
Stopping her laughter, Feng Xue said seriously, "Luohua (洛花) originally grows in the hottest part of Fengxi. If you brew it with water to make tea, although it will be refreshingly cool, it will leave a slightly bitter aftertaste. However, Luohua tea brewed with lotus leaf dew will be sour at first and then sweet, with an excellent taste that leaves a lasting impression..."
He paused briefly, then his sharp gaze fell upon the steward. "Steward, do you know your crime?"
The bitter taste in his mouth, along with fear, spread throughout his body. The head steward knelt down with a thud and hurriedly kowtowed, saying, "Your Highness, this old servant knows nothing!"
"What a fine steward!" Feng Xue suddenly stood up. "Qingyi, where is the lotus leaf dewdrop now?"
The woman in green turned around, lowered her head, and replied, "At...at Lady Ruyue and Lady Yueru's place."
“Oh—” Feng Xue drawled out, looking coldly at the steward.
As if sensing that cold gaze, the steward shivered, kowtowed vigorously, and said repeatedly, "This old servant has mismanaged people and caused the dew on the lotus leaves to fall on Lady Ruyue and Lady Yueru. This old servant knows his crime and will accept the Princess's punishment."
"Qingyi has served me since I was a child, and I have always regarded her as family. Now, she is covered in two marks, which were inflicted by Ruyue and Yueru." She paused for a moment, then continued, "Steward, what is the punishment for those who harmed the princess and took my belongings?"
"This old servant dares not make a decision."
"Expelled from the royal palace, and never allowed to enter the capital again," Feng Xue said, enunciating each word clearly.
"But... what about the Prince..."
"As for the Prince, I have my own plan. " Her tone suddenly lowered, but it carried an imposing aura. "Chief Steward, convey my message: from this day forward, anyone who dares to harm those around me will suffer the same fate as Ruyue and Yueru." She wanted to make an example of them, to let the people of the Prince's mansion know that although she, Feng Xue, was the unfavored Princess Consort of Pingyan, she was still a princess of Fengxi Kingdom.
"Yes, this old servant obeys."
"Step back!"
After the steward left, the Snow Pavilion was quiet, so quiet that you could hear even your own breathing.
Feng Xue removed her veil and said, "Qingyi, if you are bullied next time, you must speak up, understand?" Her voice was soft and gentle, completely different from her previous tone.
"Hmm. Princess." The woman in green offered a smile. It seemed the princess only spoke gently when she was with her. Suddenly, as if remembering something, her face paled instantly. "Princess, when the Prince returns tomorrow, then...that..."
"What can Situ Xingyun do to me, Feng Xue?" Feng Xue blinked and smiled, "Are you worried that I'll be bullied by Situ Xingyun, Qingyi?"
The woman in green shook her head. She knew the princess possessed extraordinary skills and would not be inferior to any man.
“…But then the prince will dislike the princess even more.” She hesitated for a moment before saying this.
"Qingyi, although Situ Xingyun is every woman's dream in Fengxi, I, Feng Xue, have no interest in him. Besides, there are only two people in this world who catch my eye. One is the current martial arts master, Jun Wuhen, and the other is..."
"Secondly, there's the nameless young man the princess met when she was a child," the woman in green said, covering her mouth with a smile. "The princess has mentioned him countless times."
"When the time is right, I will make Situ Xingyun take the initiative to divorce his wife." Feng Xue clenched her fists and pursed her lips.
Outside the Snow Pavilion, lotus flowers bloom in the pond. A lotus leaf trembles gently, as if someone had just stood on it. Ripples spread across the water, and a sigh seems to come from above the lotus pond.
Volume One: A Woman of Famous Name Among the People, Chapter Three: Situ Xingyun
Chapter Three: A tranquil scene unfolded within Situ Xingyun's Snow Pavilion.
Feng Xue lay comfortably in bed, covered with a thin blanket, her delicate eyebrows slightly arched, a look of pleasure on her face, as if she were lost in a beautiful dream. A ray of morning light quietly streamed in through the slightly open window, gently and softly illuminating her face, as if afraid to disturb her sweet slumber.
On the sandalwood table beside the bed sat a cup of steaming rose tea. Everything seemed so peaceful and harmonious.
But then—a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the Snow Pavilion, almost without stopping. The Snow Pavilion's doors were pushed open in a panic, followed by a voice in green: "Princess, Princess, it's terrible, it's terrible..."
Feng Xue frowned slightly, yawned, and then opened her eyes with displeasure. "Qingyi, your princess is still here! What a mess!"
"Princess...Princess...The Prince is back..." the woman in green said breathlessly.
"So what if she's back?" Feng Xue rolled her eyes at her, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.
"Your Highness...Your Highness...cough cough..." Speaking too hastily, Qingyi choked on her saliva and coughed repeatedly, her face turning red.
"Sigh!" Feng Xue gently patted her back and said helplessly, "Qingyi, don't get anxious every time Situ Xingyun is mentioned."
"Princess, the Prince wants you to see him." Qingyi took a deep breath before speaking. She didn't know why she became nervous and afraid whenever she was around the Prince.
Feng Xue raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in her expression. Since their marriage, he seemed never to have actively asked her to come see him.
"Princess, does the Prince know that you have driven Lady Ruyue and Lady Yue Ru out?" Qingyi asked with a mournful face, her features scrunched up.
"So what if I know?" This girl loves to overthink. Suddenly, a strange smile appeared on her lips. "Qingyi, does the Prince want to see me?"
The woman in green nodded.
“Since the prince wants to see me, his princess, how can I face him, the Prince of Pingyan, if I don’t dress up properly?” She got up from the bed. “Qingyi, help me with my hair and makeup.”
"Your Highness, why hasn't my sister arrived yet?" A beautiful woman with delicate features stood close to Situ Xingyun, her eyes glistening with tears, like a lake of spring water in Jiangnan.
"Yes! It's been an hour already." Another beautiful young woman massaging Situ Xingyun's shoulders said with a hint of impatience.
Situ Xingyun remained silent, simply savoring the fine tea in his cup. His handsome face showed no impatience, but a fleeting hint of annoyance flashed in his phoenix eyes.
After he finished his tea, the steward's voice came from outside the door—"Your Highness, the Princess Consort has arrived."