Volume One, Chapter Eleven: I Shall Take Responsibility for the Prince

Zhao Huainian’s face turned ashen. "Is the Grand Princess’s bedchamber a place where anyone can enter at will?" He attempted to block their path.

The Prime Minister remained stern. "You and I certainly cannot barge in recklessly, but surely the imperial consorts may enter? Given their noble status, there would be no impropriety."

Just as the crowd was abuzz with speculation, Consort Liu arrived, draped in magnificent robes. Seeing her, everyone bowed in unison, shouting, "Greetings, Your Ladyship!"

Consort Liu raised a hand to signal them to rise. After scanning the area, she asked, "I heard quite a commotion here. What is the meaning of this?"

Someone stepped forward and replied respectfully, "Your Ladyship, it is rumored that the Grand Princess is hiding someone in her chambers. We were discussing how to handle this and implore you to investigate the truth."

"There is no need to trouble Consort Liu," Xiao Qingyu said, opening the door. Her clothes were disarrayed, the hairpins were missing from her hair, and a shadow on the bed was clearly visible from the doorway. "She is right. So what if I am hiding someone in my chambers?"

"You..." It was Censor Li Jiangming, who had always despised Xiao Qingyu’s conduct. He pointed at her face and raged, "A dignified Grand Princess, yet you commit such an outrageous act! How dare you..."

Zhao Huainian’s brows furrowed, his eyes filled with deep anxiety.

"Censor Li, I find it hard to agree with your words. A man and a woman in love—what should be a beautiful romance—why must it be labeled an outrageous act?"

The Prime Minister demanded in a loud voice, "Who is the person lying in that room!"

Xiao Qingyu curved her lips into a faint smile. "It is none other than the Regent!"

The crowd gasped in disbelief. What? The Prime Minister refused to believe it. It was impossible! It could not be him!

"How could it be the Regent?"
"Perhaps the Grand Princess is just making excuses for a secret lover!"
"Why would the Regent ever fancy the Grand Princess?"
"She must have seduced him with that alluring face of hers."

Deputy Commander Zhang barked, "Grand Princess, stop your nonsense! The Regent has already returned to his estate; it cannot be him!"

These vile words stung Zhao Huainian, his expression growing increasingly dark. Could it really be true? He refused to believe it; he could not believe she would do such a thing.

Just then, movement stirred within the room. As the crowd craned their necks to see, Li Chaoyang walked out with calm, steady steps, fully dressed.

The moment they saw his face, the clamor died instantly into silence. Seeing Li Chaoyang appear, everyone realized that Xiao Qingyu’s words were no falsehood.

"Your Highness..." Deputy Commander Zhang stood stunned, his anger extinguished in an instant. He truly had not expected it to be Li Chaoyang.

Seeing this, Censor Li huffed, his face purple with fury, and he swept his sleeves and stormed off. The Prime Minister glared fiercely at the maidservant before the crowd dispersed, grumbling in indignation.

"Disgraceful to the imperial name!"
"Northern Qi will be destroyed by the Grand Princess sooner or later."

Xiao Qingyu did not argue; their words were not entirely without merit. Nearby, Liu Ran’s eyes trembled with a trace of worry.

Xiao Qingyu asked, "Consort Liu, how is His Majesty doing now?"

Liu Ran frowned slightly and said softly, "His Majesty drank too much today and has been vomiting incessantly. I have already ordered medicine to sober him up."

"Thank you for your diligent care, Consort Liu."

Liu Ran bowed. "It is my duty. If there are no other commands, I shall return to attend to His Majesty." With that, she turned and left.

Only Zhao Huainian remained, staring at Xiao Qingyu with concern. "Your Highness, did the Regent force you into this?"

Xiao Qingyu nodded, then stepped toward him. "Inspector, set your heart at ease. I am fine. Please, return now."

"Are you truly unharmed, Your Highness?" Zhao Huainian asked, his emotions stirred.

Xiao Qingyu shook her head, reassuring him, "Do not worry so much. I am well. I will explain everything to you tomorrow."

"Since that is the case, I shall take my leave!" He turned and walked away. As he passed Li Chaoyang, their eyes met—the air crackling with hostility. Li Chaoyang merely offered a disdainful smirk.

Once they were all gone, Xiao Qingyu could not summon the courage to turn and face Li Chaoyang. The events of the moment played back in her mind like a clear sequence of images. The dull ache in her lower back was a vivid reminder. She had been the one to initiate it; she had been the one clinging to him. She remembered it all.

Li Chaoyang, standing to the side, seemed unsatisfied, his lips curling upward. "Should the Grand Princess not offer me an explanation?"

"This was an accident. Someone drugged the wine," Xiao Qingyu explained. "I will take responsibility for the General."

Li Chaoyang lifted his gaze. "Oh? And how does the Grand Princess intend to take responsibility?"

Xiao Qingyu parted her lips. "The officials of the court and the common people outside the palace walls must know of this by now. I fear no woman will be willing to marry you in the future. Since that is the case, I shall humble myself and let you become my consort. What does the Regent think of this?"

Li Chaoyang’s lips curled. "How do you know that I do not already have someone I hold dear in my heart?"

"Even if you do, you can simply marry her after we annul our union. It should not cause much delay."

Li Chaoyang’s gaze turned cold. "And what if I refuse?"

Xiao Qingyu smiled lightly. "If you refuse, it is your own reputation that will be ruined. As for me, my reputation is already foul; a little more damage will not matter."

Li Chaoyang stared at Xiao Qingyu for a long time before finally speaking. "Fine. I agree."

Xiao Qingyu was stunned. She had not expected him to agree so readily.

Looking back, she had actually woken up long before the maid entered. She had feigned sleep, intending for others to stumble upon the scene and force Li Chaoyang to become her consort. This would not only weaken the actual power he held but, since he now held a handle over her, she could use this opportunity to enter the Regent’s estate and search for that crucial imperial decree.

If he dared to threaten her or cross the line of propriety, she would not let it go. If it came to it, she would fight him until they both perished—what did she have to lose?

"I shall go and prepare everything at once, so that I may 'warmly' welcome the Grand Princess into my estate." He emphasized the word "welcome" with a sharp edge.

Xiao Qingyu returned to her chambers, her steps unsteady and weak. Thinking back, it was clear the Prime Minister had drugged the wine. But why had it been Li Chaoyang who entered her room? Was it a coincidence? It seemed too convenient. She could not understand why he had agreed so quickly. She had expected a long struggle.

Did he want something from her? Or was it... because he truly favored her?

Xiao Qingyu immediately dismissed the thought. How could that be? It was absurd. Why would such a thought even cross her mind?