Su Xiaoqi grumbled internally, as Emperor Xingzhao had already asked her to raise her head.
Su Xiaoqi had been thinking too deeply and missed his words.
Suddenly, Emperor Xingzhao reached out and cupped her chin.
Su Xiaoqi's head was forced upward, meeting Emperor Xingzhao's gaze directly.
His slightly graying eyes, which shone with a cloudy light, were filled with lust and possessiveness.
Su Xiaoqi's heart jumped, and she instinctively recoiled.
The Princess, who was observing from the side, finally understood what was happening.
No wonder her father had summoned Xiaoqi without informing her.
So this was his intention.
She felt a pang of displeasure.
Even though the man before her was her father, who had always doted on her.
She found it hard to believe that he would treat someone she brought to him this way.
Moreover, no one knew the Emperor's health better than those who frequently visited him.
Xiaoqi had also told her that the Emperor's foundation was ruined, and he was only being kept alive by medication.
At such a time, instead of focusing on recovering, he harbored thoughts of defiling a court official's wife.
Just then, an eunuch announced softly from outside that the Emperor's medicine was ready.
The Princess had it brought in.
She stepped forward silently, pulled Su Xiaoqi away, and kept her at a distance.
Then, smiling, she said to Emperor Xingzhao:
"Father, you seem to have much more energy today, but you still need to take your medicine."
As she spoke, she took the soup medicine from Xiao Dengzi's hand, tasted it herself as usual, and then fed Emperor Xingzhao spoonful by spoonful.
Emperor Xingzhao lowered his head and drank the medicine in silence.
He knew that his Man'er had seen through his intentions.
He didn't mind anything else, except that Man'er would see him this way.
He immediately restrained his thoughts and focused on taking his medicine.
Encouraged by the Princess's gaze, Su Xiaoqi stepped forward to check his pulse.
The pulse was clear, and there was nothing significant to report, but she couldn't say that.
She had to say that he was improving after taking his medicine.
Emperor Xingzhao sighed and said, "There's no need to say anything more. I am old and should be ascending to heaven."
Su Xiaoqi's heart skipped a beat. "Uh, how am I supposed to respond to that?"
She was just an ordinary woman and lacked the ability to discuss such sensitive topics with the Emperor.
She lowered her head and remained silent, only to hear the Princess leaning into Emperor Xingzhao's embrace and cooing:
"I haven't even grown up yet, Father, how can you be old?"
The Princess's words successfully pleased Emperor Xingzhao, and he laughed heartily, "Heh heh..."
However, despite his laughter, his gaze involuntarily drifted back to Su Xiaoqi.
Looking at such a young face, such a vibrant body, he could feel that he was alive.
Alas...
He suppressed the thoughts in his heart and waved for them to withdraw.
Today was not a good time.
After leaving the palace, the Princess pulled Su Xiaoqi into a carriage.
She gripped Su Xiaoqi's hand tightly and said apologetically, "Xiaoqi, I didn't think this through, and I've caused you such fright."
She knew her father's character best.
To say he was devoted, yet he had taken many concubines over the years.
But if one were to say he was unfeeling, all the concubines he took, from Noble Consort Huang down to the lowest-ranking ladies and attendants, bore a resemblance to that one person.
The Princess had hesitated before inviting Su Xiaoqi.
But she thought her father was so ill that he wouldn't remember those things, but unexpectedly...
She felt both ashamed and helpless at this moment.
But what could she do? This was her own father.
And he was the most esteemed person in the entire Daliang Dynasty.
As long as he spoke, who would dare to disobey?
The Princess felt exhausted, but more so, she didn't know how to face Su Xiaoqi.
Su Xiaoqi had come with good intentions, out of consideration for her, to treat her old father, yet she had brought such humiliation upon her.
"Xiaoqi..." The Princess's heart felt heavy just thinking about her father's gaze.
She wanted to say something to vent her emotions.
"Last time, it was fortunate you were there to help me expose that slut Concubine Yan..."
With a sense of guilt, the Princess began to talk about how Su Xiaoqi had helped her expose Concubine Yan last time.
Previously, the Princess had not told Su Xiaoqi how she had dealt with Concubine Yan, but this time she did not hide it.
She told Su Xiaoqi that she knew there was someone behind Concubine Yan.
So she deliberately confined Concubine Yan to the back courtyard of the Princess's mansion, appearing as unguarded as ever.
But in reality, she had gathered her trusted guards and borrowed锦衣卫 from the Commander of the锦衣卫 to guard her.
As expected, she caught a big rat.
The Princess, intending to ease the atmosphere between them, asked with a smile, "Guess who it was?"
Su Xiaoqi was silent for a moment and then said, "The驸马."
Logically, she should have been more tactful.
But she had been thoroughly frightened by Emperor Xingzhao today and had lost the mood for gentle handling, so she blurted out the answer directly.
After speaking, she suddenly realized she might have said something she shouldn't have.
She lowered her head, feeling embarrassed, and was about to try and smooth things over when she was interrupted by the Princess's wry smile.
"That person wasn't Liu Junsheng, but it was no different from him."
This was because the person who came was Steward Wu, Liu Junsheng's most favored subordinate.
Steward Wu was originally a servant brought by Liu Junsheng from the Liu family, and he had always managed Liu Junsheng's personal affairs.
Capturing him was no different from capturing Liu Junsheng.
Su Xiaoqi hesitated for a moment and, under the Princess's encouraging gaze, asked:
"Then, has the Princess had a falling out with the驸马?"
"No, I followed Commander Ji's advice and turned that Steward Wu into my person, so he could monitor Liu Junsheng for me at any time.
I also had him tell the驸马 that Concubine Yan had been dealt with and that no one would discover his attempt to harm me."
Su Xiaoqi's eyes widened as she looked at the Princess.
At this moment, her face remained dignified and graceful, noble and elegant.
Only the childlike innocence in her eyes had disappeared, replaced by cunning.
But Su Xiaoqi knew that she couldn't blame the Princess for this.
Who wouldn't tolerate such a scumbag husband as Liu Junsheng?
Relying on the Princess's influence, yet constantly plotting against her.
And not just once or twice, but repeatedly.
Anyone would reach their limit.
Su Xiaoqi smiled and said, "So Your Highness just needs to wait for the net to close."
The Princess nodded and said that it was true, she had been too naive before and didn't know that things could be handled this way.
Su Xiaoqi tentatively asked, "Was it Commander Ji of the锦衣卫 who told you this?"
The Princess nodded directly in confirmation.
"You are young and may not know about my relationship with him."
Su Xiaoqi thought to herself that she indeed didn't know, but she could guess.
The锦衣卫, a notorious intelligence agency in Daliang, was constantly spying on the private lives of court officials.
They were like the wind, like rain, like air, all-pervasive.
And Ji Chenggang, as the head of this intelligence agency, was described in books by the author as deeply trusted by Emperor Xingzhao and wielding immense power.
Moreover, she could see that there seemed to be some history between the Princess and him.
"He and I have known each other since childhood. He was initially my father's Imperial Guard with a sword, and he entered the palace for training at a young age. We grew up together, like childhood sweethearts, as they say in the common folk."
Leaning against the carriage wall, the Princess suddenly fell into a memory.
When they were young, they caused trouble together in the palace.
They would cut the Emperor's favorite peony flowers in the imperial gardens and catch the golden carp that the Empress liked to feed by the koi pond.
They also enjoyed bullying the young Liang Xinran...
In short, besides learning princess etiquette and studying, the happiest part of her childhood was being with Ji Chenggang.
When she was young, she had fantasized about marrying him one day and having him as her驸马.
Unfortunately, before she could confess her feelings, she heard that he had joined the锦衣卫 and become a minor clerk.
He had also left the capital to undergo rigorous training at a secret base of the锦衣卫.
Five years later, when he returned, she had grown up, and he had become a mature and steady Deputy Commander of the锦衣卫.
At that time, she still thought they had a chance.
But from then on, he never came to see her again. Even when she went to look for him, he always found a way to avoid her beforehand.
She tolerated it once or twice.
She endured it three or four times.
But after more instances, her courage was finally worn down by his indifference.
Since he didn't care for her, why should she force it?
She personally requested the Emperor to grant her marriage and married Liu Junsheng, who was then the third-ranked scholar.
Who knew that this would be the beginning of a tragedy.