Chapter 066: Female Supremacy (7)

For several days after returning home, Liu Qingyun seemed like a soul detached from his body. He was at times conflicted, at times disdainful, sometimes joyful, and sometimes sorrowful. Occasionally, he could be seen muttering to the fish in the pond, and passing servants would catch snippets like “good-for-nothing,” “no ambition,” and “like.” This left Liu’s father deeply worried, and at last, unable to bear it any longer, he pulled his son aside to ask what was wrong. Liu Qingyun only shook his head. “Father, I’m fine.”

The truth was, he couldn’t accept that the person he liked was the very Crown Princess he had always looked down upon. Hadn’t he declared before that he would rather die than marry her? Yet, he truly liked her. In hindsight, it was fortunate he had never sworn that vow to the heavens; otherwise, he might have been struck by lightning when he eventually married the Crown Princess. What luck.

After days of inner turmoil, Liu Qingyun finally came to terms with it: it didn’t matter if his future spouse lacked ambition. At worst, they wouldn’t inherit the throne, but living leisurely on the imperial stipend wasn’t a bad fate. Once relieved, he stepped out merrily—only to stop short. Three days ago, upon learning that Sister You was the Crown Princess, he had been so startled that he had turned and fled, never telling her his real name or identity. No wonder she hadn’t sought him out these past days.

While he was pondering how to sneak into the palace to reveal himself, an opportunity presented itself. Spring in the capital was a time of unrivaled beauty. Besides the imperial spring banquet, noble families held their own feasts and flower-viewing gatherings under various pretenses. The servant delivering the invitation this time explained that many of the capital’s elite were on the guest list. The hostess, an old matron, had once been the Empress’s tutor and, after retirement, now tended flowers and lived quietly with her spouse. The Empress always held this lady in high esteem, and members of the royal family would certainly be in attendance.

On the day of the banquet, the matron’s residence was filled with scions of the great families. Young ladies and gentlemen clustered in groups, chatting. Liu Qingyun, distracted, glanced often toward the entrance.

“Her Highness is here!” a sudden cry rang out. At once, Liu Qingyun’s eyes lit up and he ran forward, only to halt abruptly when he saw who had arrived: not the person he hoped for, but the much-admired Third Princess. Disappointment clouded his face.

The Third Princess was always approachable in public. She waved off the formalities. “The true stars of today’s banquet are the flowers in the garden. Please, enjoy yourselves without restraint.”

A chorus of assent followed, and many of the young nobles, well-acquainted with the princess, crowded around her with invitations:

“Your Highness, the camellias in the east garden are exquisite—shall we admire them together?”
“Your Highness, I discovered a rare bloom earlier—would you care to see it?”
“There are many exotic treasures that way, Your Highness...”

As the crowd buzzed around her, Hong Anle frowned slightly, thinking to herself that one should never be too gentle. She glanced around and spotted, not far off, a young man standing motionless, as if rooted to the spot, and felt he looked familiar. After a moment’s thought, she recalled his name and called out, “Young Master Qingyun, please wait a moment.”

Now, both acquaintances and strangers turned their attention to Liu Qingyun. The Third Princess quickly extricated herself from the throng and approached him. “Young Master Qingyun, might I have a word with you?”

At that, the stares directed at Liu Qingyun seemed sharp enough to pierce him a hundred times over.

Liu Qingyun, thus dragged into the spotlight, was speechless.

Le Yixian and Hong Anle had arrived together, but after greeting the old matron, Le Yixian was detained for conversation while Hong Anle went ahead to the garden. When she later escorted the matron to the garden, they found many of the young men looking rather dejected.

The matron called over a servant. “Where is the Third Princess?”
“In reply, madam, the Third Princess is at the fish pond with the second young master of the Liu family.”
“The second young master? The very one whom the Third Princess rescued from the water during the spring banquet?”
“Yes, madam.”
“It appears your royal family will be celebrating a wedding soon,” the matron said, beaming at Le Yixian. “When will you be marrying your consort, Your Highness?”

Le Yixian, reflecting on her daughter’s prodigious talent for attracting admirers, replied, “I’m in no hurry.”

“You’re of age; it’s time you married a capable husband.” The matron patted her hand affectionately, speaking as someone who had watched her grow up. “With a good husband, the rest will fall into place.”

“I’m really not in a rush,” Le Yixian answered with a smile.

“Not in a rush? Your second sister’s children are already running about, and even the Third Princess has several male favorites. Only you remain alone, without even a single companion.”

That last remark was laden with disapproval.

Le Yixian said, “I’ve already found someone I like, and I’ll soon bring him home.”

The old matron brightened at this. “From which family is this fine young man?”

Le Yixian merely smiled mysteriously. “You’ll know when the time comes.” Privately, she thought, I wish I knew which family he’s from. He ran off so quickly that day, I couldn’t even stop him.

The matron could only sigh and let the matter drop as they strolled on, mostly with the matron testing Le Yixian’s knowledge. Though the latter struggled with questions of statecraft, she was thankfully able to rely on what she had learned in later years.

Suddenly, the matron stopped and pointed toward the waterside pavilion by the fish pond. “Look, Your Highness, the Third Princess and the second young master of the Liu family do make a fine couple.”

Le Yixian looked up with a smile, but as she recognized the young man in white, her smile froze on her lips. The second young master? That was her beloved. No matter—even if he were destined for her daughter’s harem, she could not allow anyone else to lay claim to him.

With this thought, she excused herself and strode briskly toward the pavilion. Even from a distance, she could see the two of them conversing cheerfully.

It was the Third Princess who noticed her first, surprise flitting across her face as she called out, “Elder Sister.”