Chapter 17: The Two Lions left open
Jingfei was seated on the patio on a floor mattress and looked at herself in the mirror. The beautician that she had appointed had brought the pearl powder that was the secret of the beauty of the Queen, her Royal Mother.
Beautician Mu forwarded the box filled with pearl powder to Jingfei, who thanked her for arranging it.
“First Young Mistress, the son of the First General will not be able to take his eyes off you. This pearl powder will give a radiant glow to the young mistress’s skin,” Lin Jie said with a smile.
Jingfei looked at the mirror and admired her smooth skin. “What about the moonmilk cream? Did you bring it?” She asked and gracefully extended her hand out. Beautician Mu handed her another box which had the moonmilk cream.
Jingfei asked her to apply that on her face. Beautician Mu rose to her feet and asked the Princess to lay down on the floor mattress. Jingfei laid down while Beautician Mu sat on her left. She took the cream in her fingers and gently applied it to Jingfei’s cheeks.
Gently she massaged the Princess’s cheeks. “The First Young Mistress’ skin is the most glowing one after the Royal Queen,” she praised Jingfei, who felt proud of herself.
“First Young Mistress!” Lin Jie said with a shocking expression.
.....
Promptly Jingfei opened her eyes and found the troubled expression on her face. Beautician Mu had also widened her eyes and pulled her hands back.
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“What happened?” Jingfei asked.
“Y-your face,” Lin Jie said with a stutter. Jingfei immediately sat up and picked up the mirror.
“Ahhhhhhh!” She screamed and tossed the mirror on the table. She put her hands on her face. “Why did it happen to my face?” She asked and again picked up the mirror and saw the red pimples all over her cheeks and even her forehead. Wherever the cream was applied the pimples had appeared.
At that moment, they heard a laugh and everyone looked toward its source. Lóng Wei was laughing loudly, while holding his stomach.
He continued to laugh until his cheeks hurt. “Princess Jingfei’s face looks no less than a red monkey’s face,” Lóng Wei, after controlling his laughter, remarked. He wiped the tears from the edges of his eyes and walked to Jingfei, who had tears in her eyes. Her blood boiled with anger, and she decided to slap Lóng Wei for his mischief.
A Princess was not supposed to slap the Prince. She could have been punished for doing so, but she did not care. Lóng Wei should not have played with her face.
She rose to her feet and marched to Lóng Wei, who was still giggling. She raised her hand to slap him when Lóng Wei caught her hand in the middle of the air. Lin Jie and the other maidservants on the patio lowered their heads.
“Leave my hand, Sixth Brother,” Jingfei said.
“I told you not to play with me. It’s nothing in front of what you did in the morning, despite my warning. You are so proud of your face, so this is a small gift from me to you. Now, seduce the son of the First General as much as you want,” Lóng Wei pronounced and twisted his lips into a smirk. He pushed her, and she almost fell to the floor but managed to stand straight.
“The Sixth Brother did this to me for that petty servant!” Jingfei was infuriated that Lóng Wei harmed her face because of Li Hua. “You will be punished for what you did along with that whore,” Jingfei screamed at him, forgetting to use a formal tone with him.
Lóng Wei’s facial expressions darkened as he heard the word ‘whore.’ He fisted his palms and took another step towards her. “Whom are you calling a whore?” Lóng Wei frowned.
“Li Hua. Isn’t she a whore like your mother!?” Jingfei crossed her limits, and it enraged Lóng Wei. He strangled her neck, and the maidservants rushed to them.
Jingfei’s nails dug into Lóng Wei’s hand, who was glaring into her eyes. “Li Hua is not a whore. She is not like her,” he spat at her and gritted his teeth.
“Your Highness, please leave the First Princess,” Lin Jie said and grabbed his arms when he pushed her away. Lin Jie’s head banged against the edge of the wooden table, and it started to bleed.
“You should not have provoked this ferocious dragon, Jingfei,” Lóng Wei said, forgetting his sister was four years older than him. Jingfei closed her eyes, but Lóng Wei did not leave his grip on her neck. He would not even flinch to kill her.
Suddenly, a hand grasped Lóng Wei’s arm and pulled him back. Jingfei fainted and landed on the floor while Lóng Wei turned to find, who stopped him.
“First Young Mistress,” Lin Jie ran to Jingfei and asked the maidservants to help her carry her inside the chamber.
The Sixth Prince was slapped across the face, and he shot his glare at the person.
“Did the Sixth Brother have lost his mind?” The Fourth Prince, Qiu Mingquan growled at Lóng Wei. The Fourth Prince was one of the five finest swordsmen in the Kingdom.
“Yes, I have lost my mind. Jingfei should not have used the wrong word against her,” Lóng Wei said, and he left the patio in anger.
Mingquan went behind him and grabbed Lóng Wei’s arm, who yanked it off. They faced each other like the two lions left open for a fierce fight.
“Don’t forget your manners, Sixth Brother,” Mingquan told him, with a stern tone.
“The Fourth Prince should not lecture me. I am in a terrible mood, and I swear, I won’t hesitate to kill if anyone tries to stop me,” Lóng Wei warned Mingquan and turned to leave.
The Fourth Prince rested his palm on Lóng Wei’s shoulder, who turned and grabbed the collars of his hanfu dress. “I let you slap me. I can break your hand for what you did,” Lóng Wei said with annoyance.