Chapter 11：Mini Villainess

In the next few days, the excitement in the imperial city also died down but that didn't mean the talks in tea houses desisted.

Nevertheless, inside the Gao Le palace, everything was tranquil.

In a courtyard filled with carefully grown flowers and other herbs with lush and trimmed grass all around.

Two of the most dignified young misses of Da Xia sat across each other on the beautifully carved stone tables and stools.

The younger one looked at everything around her in distaste as though nothing could par her standards in this world.

But her ire was mostly caused by the older lady in front of her.

The lady was gracile and none of the things happening around her seemed to matter. Her long and slender fingers were wrapped around some etching tools.

Her eyes were only spared for the jade in her hand. Dust was all over the table as she sculpted the piece of jade to perfection.

Yin Hua Lei had shut herself inside her palace since the announcement of the new title bestowed to her. She only showed her face in very short intervals for the highest ranking madams and princesses who visited her.

As a result, Xia Luyoung was forced to also be isolated from the world.

The tenth princess was bored to death and felt no difference living here or inside the imperial palace.

The juvenile Luyoung pouted and looked at the almost finished jadeite in the other's hand.

It was an alluring red begonia flower and she instantly knew it was meant to adorn the hair. But one must have to praise Yin Hua Lei's craft for every detail of the flower is very life like.

One would even have the illusion of seeing the morning dew hanging down the petals.

Finally, being an impatient youth, Xia Luyoung couldn't hold back her remark.

"That is one fine creation, Gao Le princess. Pray tell, do you perhaps have a secret jewelry shop where you sell these things?"

At first Xia Luyoung called her princess with great sarcasm and reluctance but she unknowingly got used to it after several days.

Yin Hua Lei's hands halted in their expert actions. She raised her line of sight and Xia Luyoung was greeted with a confused gaze.

For once, the celestial and unreachable lady looked a little lost as though she had forgotten where she currently was.

But her gaze soon became clear again as she focused on the tenth princess.

"Secret jewelry shop? Where does tenth sister get such unconventional ideas?"

Yin Hua Lei altogether stopped carving and put her attention on her charge.

"There's a trend in the novels nowadays. The heroines are unexpectedly not the usual damsels in distress, instead would have unimaginable powers and abilities. There was one heroine this princess read that actually owns a lot of businesses but doesn't reveal it until the end. This princess has taken a liking to those stories."

Xia Luyoung animatedly told.

There was no change in Yin Hua Lei's emotions and remained unmoved at the younger one's lively narrative.

By the end of Xia Luyoung's long tale, she was red in the face due to her excitement and was slightly embarrassed to let Yin Hua Lei see such a side to her. Sometimes, she really couldn't shut her mouth.

"Such stories written by dreamy scholars who failed the imperial exam, should a dignified princess be reading them?"

There was the usual faint curve at the corners of princess Gao Le's lips which only made one uneasy for one didn't really know what its meaning was.

But Xia Luyoung only understood that the other woman didn't approve of her reading such novels.

"Hmph, Gao Le princess is just like the old mama inside the imperial palace. No wonder you're not married yet!"

After finishing her words, she also realized her mistakes. With wide eyes, she waited for anger to erupt but she was only answered with silence.

Xia Luyoung saw the other lady get back to her handiwork.

Once again, she was quite amazed by this Princess Gao Le but her young pride wouldn't admit it.

How could she remain composed at such insulting words? If it were her older sister, the seventh princess, Xia Luyoung would spend the night without supper and kneeling outside mother Empress' palace.

In her mind, she knew that Yin Hua Lei had the authority and didn't lack the courage to do so. Gao Le princess even ignored almost everyone who visited her palace, what more with punishing a yet to be titled princess like her?

Xia Luyoung always thought that the rumors of the then imperial daughter Gao Le being immovable as a mountain deity was false, only now had she seen it.

She couldn't help but ask the pressing question in her mind.

"Princess Gao Le, aren't you restless? Without even a fiancé at your age, do you really plan to be a spinster?"

Indeed, the tenth princess was still a child. Although her mother was the ambitious empress, she was still a princess who was sheltered, surrounded by those high walls.

Yin Hua Lei was even surprised the Empress only brainwashed the girl to a certain degree and hadn't instilled treasonous ideas in her mind.

"Tenth sister, you are only seeing me like this but as we speak, we don't even know how many marriage tokens have been sent to the Yin fu."

The tenth princess suddenly grew thoughtful, knowing that Yin Hua Lei had a point. In this Gao Le palace, everything looked undisturbed but could the same be said outside?

With the same reserved tone, Yin Hua Lei decided to educate her a bit: "Since tenth sister likes stories, then this princess will tell one."

She gave Xia Luyoung no time to respond and started, "Once, there was a mighty immortal dragon who ruled the vast heavens, fertile lands, and deep seas. But none of the lower inhabitants knew just how great the lord dragon was.

They thought they could be better at ruling and strove to replace the lord dragon.

And so, lord dragon decided to test the unfilial children on earth. From a lump of clay, he breathed a woman to life and blessed her since birth. Blessings upon blessings, the lord gave to the lady.

Humans soon became greedy and wanted to own the woman who seemed to be a precious treasure.

Alas, they didn't know that once they became ensnared by what they see and the lord dragon saw their true hearts, the humans burned to ashes, never to be seen again."

Once again, Xia Luyoung's eyes widened. The girl might be ignorant at some things but her intelligence as a princess was not to be questioned. She understood what the older lady was alluding to.

"This.... why is princess telling Luyoung?"

The words' meaning was clear for the two of them. Xia Luyoung was the daughter of the Empress and it went without saying that if Yin Hua Lei knew some of the Emperor's secrets, the person that she should least tell it to was the Empress' daughter.

In the hidden struggle for the throne between the two camps, there were many more secrets but knowing the other party more was both advantageous and dangerous.

Yin Hua Lei's lashes were lowered, her eyes focused on the carved flower in hand.

"This princess is merely telling a story for entertainment. It's up to tenth sister whether to like it or not. Tenth sister is young but should be able to tell what's wise and not."

After saying these cryptic words, she left Xia Luyoung alone in the courtyard like the lone red begonia flower on the table.

In truth, she wanted the tenth princess to grow up faster when it came to her mental facilities. If she could stray the girl's mind from her fanaticism to her brother, maybe Xia Luyoung wouldn't do something stupid.

Yin Hua Lei had mulled over the part of the plot about the tenth princess who adored her ninth brother to no end. They didn't come from the same mother but Xia Yu Heng had been nice to her since childhood so she grew dependent on him.

The girl didn't like other women getting near her brother so she hated the fact that the ninth prince married a seemingly ordinary third class noble lady with a catastrophic beauty.

At first Xia Luyoung only watched because she knew that imperial daughter Gao Le would be the first to harm Bai Chen Rong. But Yin Hua Lei failed and got her family executed so she decided to get matters done with her own hands.

The young princess developed a malicious heart and ordered for men to defile Chen Rong when the ninth prince was away from the capital to do a task given by the Emperor.

But the female lead obviously escaped this attack and couldn't forgive such an atrocious act against her.

Days later, people would only receive news of Da Xia's tenth princess who forcefully lost her chastity to ten ruffians in a bamboo forest on the edges of the capital. Faced with such humiliation, Xia Luyoung hanged herself from a beam of her own chambers inside the imperial palace.

Such fate, Yin Hua Lei couldn't help but slightly pity. A bud that was yet to blossom was thoroughly crushed. Although it was the tenth princess' fault to begin with, what could be avoided should be avoided.

It was up to Xia Luyoung now whether to continue her antics or face more important matters such as being Da Xia's tenth princess, a daughter of the Emperor Du Liang.

The girl who was left there sitting stiffly finally moved after a long while.

Her gaze contained indecipherable meanings as she eyed the now finished flower. The begonia contained many meanings but she understood what princess Gao Le wanted to say.

She was supposed to learn etiquette, paint, play the guqin, Da Xia's history and line of nobilities and more but Yin Hua Lei who was seven years older than her was free to roam the Sacred Sky hall where the Emperor resided.

She thought back then, 'Aren't I imperial father's daughter? Then why is Yin Hua Lei there and not me?'

Now, Xia Luyoung knew.

Affections could as very well mean political advances for the royal family. Should she be thankful that her father was neither warm nor cold towards her? But what about her mother who endlessly pampered her?

For once, the tenth princess decided to see past the luxuries of being a royal princess. If her imperial father was the great lord dragon and everyone couldn't see it and only believed him to be a lizard, what should be her, Xia Luyoung's role?

She, as his daughter, always wanted to stand by his side.

Xia Luyoung's eyes suddenly brightened as she looked at the direction Yin Hua Lei had gone off to.

Imperial Father sent me here, meaning he wants me to follow Princess Gao Le's steps. Imperial Father is finally looking at me!

The tenth princess had a point but her juvenile mind still had a long way to go.

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Begonia here means being cautious.