From Cold Palace Princess to Celestial Empress Ch. 108
“From today onward, Xiu’er will reside in the Princess’s mansion. If there is anything, the Princess can discuss it with Xiu’er.”
Prince Wu’an said with a smile.
Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang glanced at Xu Xiu’er, who was sitting obediently to the side, and said slowly:
“Miss Xiu’er is Your Highness’s only granddaughter, and countless eyes are on her. To have her move into my mansion so casually—does this mean Your Highness has already decided to openly break ties with the Second Prince?”
Prince Wu’an nodded:
“The Princess is wise and perceptive. You are not mistaken. The grand competition is about to begin, and it is time to confront the Second Prince. I no longer see the need to continue pretending with him.”
As he spoke.
Prince Wu’an knelt to the ground and performed a respectful bow:
“Previously, due to my negligence, I mistakenly believed the Second Prince’s words and sent assassins to harm Your Highness. I deserve death for this crime, and I humbly beg for Your Highness’s forgiveness!”
Hearing this, Xu Xiu’er was startled. She had no idea that her grandfather had once sent assassins to target Princess Ziwei!
She quickly knelt down, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Xiao Minghuang looked at Prince Wu’an with a calm expression. She had already learned the full details of the assassination attempt in Beiyang City several months ago.
From that moment on, Prince Wu’an had been playing both sides, hedging his bets.
People like Prince Wu’an could be described as pragmatic and knowing when to advance or retreat.
Or, to put it more bluntly, they were like a reed swaying in the wind, bending to whichever side was stronger.
Xiao Minghuang could never truly trust him. For now, she simply wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Once she assumed power, she would undoubtedly take steps to reduce Prince Wu’an’s influence. Otherwise, she would never feel at ease.
At that time, if Prince Wu’an knew his place, she might allow him to retire peacefully. But if he didn’t, then he shouldn’t blame her for being ruthless.
As she pondered, Xiao Minghuang spoke in a calm tone:
“Your Highness’s actions that time were indeed heinous, but this princess will let it slide considering you were misled by villains. Let there be no next time!”
Prince Wu’an breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and took out a storage bag from his pocket, pushing it towards Xiao Minghuang.
“Your Highness, this contains my humble offerings to appease and apologize to you. Please do accept them!”
Seeing Prince Wu’an’s anxious expression, Xiao Minghuang did not refuse and directly accepted it.
If she didn’t take these gifts, Prince Wu’an wouldn’t be at ease, and it might lead to unnecessary trouble.
After accepting the gifts, Xiao Minghuang’s expression softened, and Prince Wu’an’s hanging heart finally settled.
“This princess knows that Your Highness is concerned about the Great Xia’s nation and its people. In the future, you must loyally assist His Majesty. Such mistakes must not be repeated!”
“Your servant obeys!”
Prince Wu’an became even more respectful, his burly figure standing before Xiao Minghuang like a scolded child.
After reprimanding Prince Wu’an, Xiao Minghuang prepared to leave.
“It’s late today, and this princess won’t disturb Your Highness’s rest any longer. Farewell.”
Hearing this, Prince Wu’an quickly pulled Xu Xiu’er and pushed her towards Xiao Minghuang.
“From now on, Xiu’er is entrusted to Your Highness. I sincerely hope Your Highness will treat her well! She is my only granddaughter!”
Seeing Xu Xiu’er standing there timidly, like a little bride, Xiao Minghuang sighed softly. She understood that Prince Wu’an, in order to protect himself, had essentially sold this young girl to her.
He claimed she would serve as a liaison between them, but in reality, how could important matters be handled through a young girl who knew nothing?
In truth, Xu Xiu’er was being handed over as a hostage to ensure peace of mind.
A gentle smile appeared on Xiao Minghuang’s lips as she said:
“Your Highness can rest assured. This princess will naturally treat her well.”
Hearing this, Prince Wu’an relaxed and quickly urged Xu Xiu’er:
“Hurry and thank Her Highness the Princess!”
Xu Xiu’er promptly bowed and said:
“Thank you, Your Highness the Princess!”
Xiao Minghuang nodded, then turned and walked towards the door.
Seeing this, Xu Xiu’er quickly followed.
As Xiao Minghuang stepped out of the courtyard, she noticed two dark figures standing under the corridor. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince.
Sensing her presence, the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince immediately stepped forward.
“Princess!”
They spoke in unison.
A look of surprise crossed Xiao Minghuang’s face. She couldn’t help but feel that these two seemed somewhat worried about her.
Although the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince were nominally her brothers, they hadn’t seen each other in many years and had no real sibling bond.
From the moment they met until now, they had never addressed each other as siblings, hardly different from strangers.
“Thank you both for waiting here. Is there something you need?”
She still remembered that the Sixth Prince had lost a Profound-tier artifact and a Profound-tier sword technique to her.
Sure enough.
The Sixth Prince waved his hand, and a storage bag floated out, hovering in front of Xiao Minghuang.
“I was no match for you, Princess. Here is the Profound-tier artifact and sword technique. Please accept them.”
Xiao Minghuang didn’t stand on ceremony and directly took the storage bag. She knew the Sixth Prince was a swordsman.
If she didn’t accept these items, it would be a sign of disrespect towards him.
The Fifth Prince spoke up:
“Princess, Sixth Prince and I have discussed it, and we wish to stay in the capital.”
“Oh.”
Xiao Minghuang responded indifferently. What did it matter to her if these two stayed in the capital?
Seeing that Xiao Minghuang showed no reaction, Fifth Prince continued:
“We have no roots in the capital and would like to ask the Princess to provide us with a place to stay. In return, we can serve as your guards for three years!”
Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang smiled faintly. As the esteemed Princess Ziwei, did she really need two mere youths at the Spring Realm to act as her guards?
However, since Fifth Prince and Sixth Prince were still princes, she couldn’t voice such thoughts.
“Both of you are princes. How could you stoop to being my guards? Let’s not mention this again.”
With that, Xiao Minghuang, fearing that the two might come up with some other strange ideas, didn’t linger and immediately turned to leave.
Seeing her depart, Xu Xiu’er quickly followed.
Watching Xiao Minghuang’s hurried departure, Fifth Prince and Sixth Prince exchanged glances.
“I told you, if you put it that way, the Princess would never agree,” Fifth Prince complained.
“I didn’t expect it either. It worked quite well when I said it to my junior sister in the sect…”
Hearing this, Fifth Prince scoffed:
“What kind of person is the Princess? How can you compare her to your junior sister? Is she even worthy?”
Sixth Prince didn’t argue. He also felt that even if ten junior sisters were bundled together, they couldn’t compare to a single strand of Princess Ziwei’s hair.
“Forget it. The grand competition is approaching, and we’ll surely meet again. When that time comes, let’s not beat around the bush and just say directly that we want to become the Princess’s followers.”
“Agreed.”
Earlier, while Xiao Minghuang was in the parlor, they had already reached a consensus.
Princess Ziwei’s talent was unparalleled in the southern region. If they wanted to achieve greater growth and not be confined to just the southern region, choosing to follow her was the best option.
Fifth Prince glanced in the direction of the training grounds and then turned back, saying:
“Let’s part ways here. On the day of the grand competition, we must strive to join the Princess’s ranks. As for you… is everything alright?”
What Fifth Prince referred to was clearly the Spirit Sword Sect.
Sixth Prince was an inner disciple of the Spirit Sword Sect. If he were to leave the sect quietly and stay in Great Xia without returning, the strong figures of the Spirit Sword Sect would likely harbor resentment, and unforeseen troubles might arise.
Sixth Prince frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said:
“I’ll personally write a letter to the sect, explaining the situation. That should suffice.”
He remembered the sect’s rule that if an inner disciple wished to leave the sect, they only needed the approval of any inner elder.
As long as he wrote to Elder Xuanjian and explained the situation, given Elder Xuanjian’s regard for him, there was no reason for him to disagree.
Hearing this, Fifth Prince felt that things might not go so smoothly, but since he and Sixth Prince weren’t particularly close, it was difficult for him to offer advice.
“…I hope you don’t bring trouble to the Princess.”
Sixth Prince frowned and said:
“Do I need you to remind me?”
Hearing this, Fifth Prince gave Sixth Prince a deep look, said no more, and turned to leave.
After parting with Fifth Prince, Sixth Prince left Prince Wu’an’s residence directly and headed straight for the inn where he was staying in the capital.
This time, he had come down the mountain with Feng Yi.
The banquet had only invited him, so Feng Yi had been staying at the inn all along.
Returning to the inn.
The Sixth Prince pushed the door open and entered.
Feng Yi sensed the movement, stopped his cultivation, and immediately asked:
“Senior Brother Xiao, did everything go smoothly? Did you defeat Princess Ziwei?”
The Sixth Prince shook his head.
Seeing this, Feng Yi’s pupils suddenly dilated.
“What happened?”
A trace of impatience flashed in Xiao Jian’s eyes as he waved his hand and said:
“I lost, that’s all. What’s there to ask?”
Feng Yi noticed Xiao Jian’s displeased attitude and frowned slightly. He had originally thought that Xiao Jian would be able to defeat Princess Ziwei, which was why he had been so courteous to him along the way. Otherwise, given his status as a True Disciple, why would he need to bow and scrape to a mere inner disciple?
If Xiao Jian had won, he would have had nothing to say. But since Xiao Jian had lost, he no longer had the qualifications to be accepted as a disciple under the sect master, let alone potentially inherit the position of sect master in the future.
With Xiao Jian’s current standing, what right did he have to act so arrogantly in front of him?
“Xiao Jian, the master had high hopes for you, expecting you to bring Princess Ziwei into our sect. Yet you lost to her. You’ve let down the master’s expectations. How can you face him now?!”
Feng Yi raised his voice and questioned.
Hearing this, Xiao Jian paused his movements, turned around, and said indifferently:
“I was just thinking about how to tell you this. Since you’ve asked, I might as well say it now.”
“I won’t be returning to the sect. From now on, I will stay in Great Xia and follow Princess Ziwei.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Yi was stunned. He truly hadn’t expected Xiao Jian to make such a choice. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
“Xiao Jian, have you gone mad?! You’re an inner disciple of the Spirit Sword Sect. How can you abandon the sect for the sake of a mere princess from a small country?”
Xiao Jian remained calm and said:
“Although the Spirit Sword Sect is vast, not a single person there is a match for the princess. Even the senior brother, if he were to fight her at the same level, wouldn’t be able to withstand a single move from her.”
At this point, he paused and then said:
“I will write a letter detailing the events. You can take it back to the sect and deliver it to Elder Xuanjian.”
He took out a storage bag and pushed it toward Feng Yi.
“Inside are a thousand spirit stones. Consider it your payment for running this errand.”
Looking at the storage bag in front of him, Feng Yi was furious. He slammed the table and stood up.
“Xiao Jian! You’re utterly unreasonable! You’re insane!”
Xiao Jian remained composed and said calmly:
“If you’re unwilling, I’ll find someone else to deliver it.”
Hearing this, Feng Yi clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and accepted the storage bag. He gave Xiao Jian a cold glance and spat out a few words:
“Xiao Jian, you’ll regret this!”
Xiao Jian’s expression remained unchanged. Once he made a decision, he would never change it, even unto death.
“Thank you for your trouble.”
This time, he didn’t even address him as a junior brother.
Under the moonlight, a figure in white robes left the city overnight, heading straight for the Spirit Sword Sect.
…
Princess’s Residence.
Xiao Minghuang led Xu Xiu’er into the residence and immediately noticed a figure in a light red dress sitting in a pavilion not far away. Her slender and graceful back resembled a fairy under the moonlight.
“Your Highness, you’re back… Who is this?”
Lin Wanqiu turned around, about to greet them, but her eyes fell on the elegant young girl in a green dress standing beside Xiao Minghuang.
She furrowed her brows, sensing that this matter was not as simple as it seemed.
Xiao Minghuang was racking her brains over how to settle Xu Xiu’er when she spotted Lin Wanqiu. It was as if she had seen a savior, and she immediately went up to her.
She took Lin Wanqiu’s hand and quickened her pace, leading her away from Xu Xiu’er’s line of sight.
Seeing Xiao Minghuang’s actions, Lin Wanqiu grew even more confused.
What is Her Highness doing?
The two of them came to a stop in a long pavilion.
Xiao Minghuang’s expression was slightly troubled as she let out a soft sigh and briefly recounted the events of the evening.
“…She is the only granddaughter of Prince Wu’an, named Xu Xiu’er. Wanqiu, what do you think we should do with her?”
After hearing Xiao Minghuang’s account, Lin Wanqiu understood. She realized that Her Highness had no special feelings for that girl.
In fact, she seemed a bit disdainful?
Lin Wanqiu felt relieved and patted her soft chest, smiling as she said:
“Your Highness, don’t worry. Leave her to me. I’ll make sure she’s well taken care of!”
Xiao Minghuang smiled:
“I trust you to handle it.”
After saying this, she took out a cup of spirit wine from her sleeve and pushed it toward Lin Wanqiu.
“This cup of spirit wine is for you, Wanqiu.”
Seeing the spirit wine before her, Lin Wanqiu was momentarily stunned. With her keen eye, she could naturally tell that this cup of spirit wine was quite extraordinary.
“This is…”
Xiao Minghuang explained:
“This wine is called Daughter’s Brew. It has certain benefits for improving one’s cultivation.”
Lin Wanqiu had never heard of Daughter’s Brew before and thought it was just ordinary spirit wine. She thanked her and accepted it.
At the same time.
A system notification sounded in Xiao Minghuang’s mind.
【Ding!】
【Host has successfully gifted an opportunity!】
【Congratulations, Host, you have triggered a tenfold critical compensation and obtained Daughter’s Brew*10!】
Xiao Minghuang’s lips curled slightly, and a hint of a smile appeared in the corners of her eyes.
Tenfold wasn’t much, but it wasn’t little either.
After accepting the spirit wine, Lin Wanqiu’s cheeks flushed slightly. She looked at Xiao Minghuang with a shy and bashful gaze, her voice soft as she said:
“Your Highness, it’s getting late. Let’s rest!”
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
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