Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 35
After dismissing the other young maids, Chunxi looked at her princess with furrowed brows. “Princess, did something good happen today?”
Why did she feel that her princess was particularly joyful today?
Although nothing had been said, the delight and excitement hidden in her expressions were more apparent than ever before.
Something felt off—very off!
Jiang Libai put down her bowl and chopsticks and touched her face. “Do I… look that happy?”
Chunxi nodded emphatically. “Not just happy—extremely, incredibly happy! You’ve never eaten this much before!”
Was it that obvious?
Jiang Libai quickly adjusted her demeanor.
No one could find out about her and Gu Yun.
“Perhaps it’s because I’m eating for two now, so my appetite is larger,” she casually made up an excuse.
Chunxi believed her. “There’s still a late-night snack later, so if you’re hungry, you can eat then.”
Helping the Seventh Princess to her feet, Chunxi escorted her out, instructing other palace maids to take the dinner to the consort in the main room.
While walking through the garden to aid digestion, Chunxi briefly reported the day’s events.
“… The Ministry of Justice couldn’t uncover the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on the consort, but the assassin died from excessive torture. So, that lead is now a dead end.”
This was the latest update from the Ministry of Justice.
The assassin hadn’t uttered a single word before dying.
At this point, Minister Li Chongxian of the Ministry of Justice had already entered the palace to report the matter to Emperor Yu.
Hearing this, Jiang Libai curled her lips slightly.
There was indeed an accomplice within the Ministry of Justice who supported the assassin. The assassin was most likely silenced to eliminate evidence.
The question was, after hearing this news, would her father order a thorough purge of the Ministry of Justice to root out infiltrators?
Knowing her father’s temperament, Jiang Libai thought it was unlikely.
Her father was too skilled at glossing over conflicts.
This incident wasn’t severe enough to provoke his anger, so he probably wouldn’t shake the court’s structure for Gu Yun’s sake.
After committing the matter to memory, Jiang Libai shifted her focus. “What about the Anyang Earl household?”
“Since all eyes are on the Anyang Earl household, it’s difficult for our people to infiltrate,” Chunxi explained as she helped the princess sit on a stone bench. “Also, Yun Yan has been staying inside the Anyang Earl household and hasn’t come out, making it hard for us to get close to her.”
“There’s some progress with the Yan Residence, though.” At this point, Chunxi’s frown relaxed slightly. “Last night, a man in black sneaked into the Yan Residence intending to silence Yan Qiao’er…”
Jiang Libai’s expression turned cold. “What happened to Yan Qiao’er?!”
“She’s fine, just frightened. The imperial concubine’s men arrived in time to save her. The man in black has been captured.”
After hearing all this, Jiang Libai felt exhausted.
She truly detested all this scheming and deceit.
But as someone born into the royal family, these things were unavoidable.
“I just hope they can extract some useful information from that man in black.”
In truth, when all these events were pieced together, Jiang Libai had her own suspicions.
She suspected that her father and mother shared the same suspicions.
But whether her father would again choose to gloss over the situation was something she couldn’t be sure of.
—
With a belly full of frustration, Jiang Libai returned to the bedroom.
As soon as she entered, she saw Gu Yun sitting at the table, having her dinner.
Quietly, Jiang Libai sat down beside her. The familiar scent around her eased much of the irritation in her heart.
“Does the princess want to eat more?” Seeing Jiang Libai sit next to her, Gu Yun assumed she might still be hungry and offered her chopsticks.
Jiang Libai looked at them with mild disdain. “You’ve already used those chopsticks.” They’re covered in saliva, after all…
As she spoke, she pushed Gu Yun’s hand away.
Gu Yun silently retracted the chopsticks and said accusingly, “Princess, you’re still looking down on me.”
Perhaps it was rare to see Gu Yun looking so dejected, but Jiang Libai felt a rare twinge of guilt. “They’re just chopsticks… Don’t act like this, or people might think I’m bullying you.”
When Gu Yun didn’t respond, the frustration in Jiang Libai’s heart began to bubble up again.
Feeling exasperated, she slapped the table, turned Gu Yun’s face toward her, and, after staring into her almond-shaped eyes for a moment, shut her own and leaned in to give Gu Yun a quick kiss.
Her face reddened as she pulled away, speaking in a deliberately fierce tone, “Is that enough? Does this prove I don’t look down on you anymore?”
Seeing Gu Yun’s lips curl into a smile, Jiang Libai pinched her cheek. “From now on, don’t give me the cold shoulder! Or else I won’t kiss you again.”
Gu Yun, who had been teasing Jiang Libai, hadn’t expected her to kiss her voluntarily.
“Alright, I’ll never be ungrateful again,” Gu Yun promised, her tone soft.
Once she sensed that Jiang Libai’s mood had calmed, she gently asked, “Did something happen earlier when you went for a walk after dinner?” She had sensed something was off the moment Jiang Libai entered the room.
Hearing this, Jiang Libai sighed and shared the updates Chunxi had reported earlier.
In the end, she summarized, “…To have infiltrated the group responsible for fixing up your house and to have planned this so early, all to make me divorce you… The only ones capable of this are my brothers.”
In the royal family, sibling relationships were almost nonexistent—merely tools for mutual manipulation and power struggles.
“You know, my mother only gave birth to me and has no sons.”
Jiang Libai thought of her maternal family’s influence and shook her head. “So, in their eyes, winning the support of my maternal family and mother would greatly increase their chances of taking the throne.”
Gu Yun, sensing her discomfort, gently pulled her into an embrace. “The emperor and imperial concubine must also be aware of this. What are their thoughts?”
They would likely choose a prince who had closer ties to the Seventh Princess to inherit the throne.
But which one they favored remained a mystery.
“In the past, Mother and Father never mentioned these things to me. They didn’t want me involved and said they’d pave the way for me.”
Back then, Jiang Libai obeyed and stayed out of it. But now, with their schemes targeting Gu Yun and aiming to take her life, she could no longer remain indifferent.
Moreover…
Thinking of her incident, Jiang Libai took a deep breath, struggling internally over whether to tell Gu Yun.
“Why is the princess looking at me like that?” Gu Yun asked, unaware of Jiang Libai’s internal turmoil.
Her calm gaze gave Jiang Libai some courage.
“You know, I’ve been pregnant for more than three months now,” Jiang Libai said hesitantly, biting her lip. “Do you want to know how I got pregnant?”
Gu Yun had never asked before, and Jiang Libai assumed it was because Gu Yun depended on her and didn’t dare to.
Now that they had grown closer, Jiang Libai wanted to know if Gu Yun cared about the child she carried.
Gu Yun was momentarily speechless. How was she supposed to respond to this?
Jiang Libai noticed the flicker of complexity in Gu Yun’s eyes and began to regret bringing it up.
But it was too late to back down now. If they didn’t clear the air, it might become a thorn in their hearts.
“On my birthday, I drank too much and… somehow ended up with someone. When I woke up, I was so scared that I fled before dawn,” Jiang Libai said, her expression darkening. “Fortunately, the people Mother sent found me and brought me back to the palace…”
“Later, I felt unwell, and the imperial doctor discovered I was… pregnant…”
Jiang Libai closed her eyes, gripping Gu Yun’s sleeve tightly. “Mother tried everything to terminate the pregnancy, but this child is like a monster—it refused to be removed!”
To protect the royal family’s reputation, her father had hastily arranged her marriage.
The trembling figure in her arms filled Gu Yun with a pang of guilt. She gently supported Jiang Libai’s waist, soothing her with a calming presence.
“I think that night must have been part of their plan,” Jiang Libai said with a bitter smile. “They wanted me to lose my purity, marry me, and secure my maternal family’s support…”
“But…” A flash of cold determination lit her eyes. “Mother’s men dealt with that person. Their scheme was ruined.”
Gu Yun froze momentarily at this revelation.
So, the person from that night had been sent by Imperial Concubine Yuan?
Luckily, Gu Yun had fled in time. Otherwise, she might have been “dealt with” as well.
Still, judging from Jiang Libai’s words, it seemed the concubine’s story was likely meant to comfort her.
“Do you hate that person?” Gu Yun hesitated briefly before asking softly.
“Of course,” Jiang Libai said, turning her face away. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be mocked by others or so easily dismissed by Father…”
Gu Yun felt as if her heart had been struck.
If she confessed that she was the one from that night, their newly formed bond might shatter entirely.
As Gu Yun wrestled with her thoughts, Jiang Libai stared at her intently. “Do you mind that I have a child with someone else?”
Gu Yun: “…”
“Do you mind?” Jiang Libai’s voice wavered with disappointment as she noticed Gu Yun’s hesitation.
Gu Yun opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words.
How could she respond to this?
She couldn’t admit to being the person from that night, nor could she lie to Jiang Libai.
Seeing Gu Yun remain silent, Jiang Libai’s sadness deepened.
She removed Gu Yun’s hands from her waist and stepped out of her embrace.
“If you mind, then… let’s not continue. Let’s pretend the past two days never happened.”
As a proud royal princess, she couldn’t cling to someone who resented her situation.
Panic seized Gu Yun as she grabbed Jiang Libai’s hand. “Princess.”
“What else do you want to say?” Jiang Libai didn’t turn around. “Don’t worry. I’ll deal with those who framed you, and your reputation will remain intact.” She assumed Gu Yun wanted to address this matter.
“Princess, I don’t mind at all.” Gu Yun stood abruptly, pulling Jiang Libai into her arms. “Not even a little. Your child is my child. I’ll cherish you both. How could I ever mind?”
For this novel one Kofi is two extra chapters. I’ll be updating 3-4 chapters a week for free. Ko-fi link: ko-fi.com/mitake55760
dadin
awkward lol