202 Win the Heart
Li Hua bowed upon encountering Jingfei. Lóng Wei averted his gaze from Jingfei.
“You two returned safely from the journey. That’s a relief,” Jingfei said.
“I have a long life to live. So if you were praying to heaven for my sudden death, then that’s of no use,” Lóng Wei impudently said.
“I might have differences with Brother Lóng Wei, but I don’t pray for such a thing,” Jingfei stated and glanced at Li Hua. “You look beautiful. Do tell me what kind of beauty practises you use. Come to see me in the morning after having breakfast. I will wait for you.”
Li Hua agreed to her but Lóng Wei refused.
“She cannot come as she has to go somewhere with me,” Lóng Wei affirmed.
“Then what about in the evening?” Jingfei asked.
“No. We will return late in the evening,” Lóng Wei stated.
Jingfei realized that Lóng Wei didn’t want Li Hua to see any of his half-sisters. However, she didn’t give up. “Li Hua can come the day after tomorrow,” she proclaimed. Li Hua opened her mouth to speak, but again Lóng Wei didn’t let her speak.
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“We are newlyweds. Let us enjoy our time together at least for a month,” Lóng Wei said, dragging Li Hua with him.
Jingfei turned to look at him and made a face at him. “Brother Lóng Wei, I won’t give up this easily,” she mumbled, and walked ahead to see her mother.
Eunuch Lianying informed Zhu Liling about the visit of Princess Jingfei.
“Bring her in,” Zhu Liling said, settling into a floor chair.Jingfei walked in, followed by her personal attendant, and gave the evening greetings to her mother.
“Take a seat, Princess Jingfei,” Zhu Liling told her daughter, who sat down at the floor table. “Why did my daughter visit me out of the blue?” She asked.
“Mother, Commander Huang Xi has returned from the journey. I wanted to visit him, but that would be awkward, right?” Jingfei asked her mother.
“If Princess Jingfei visits Commander Huang Xi for no reason, then it will indeed be awkward,” Zhu Liling replied and gestured to Eunuch Lianying. It was time for her tea, which she took every day for good skin.
Eunuch Lianying bowed and walked out to fetch the tea.
“Mother, you know that I desire to marry Commander Huang Xi. We haven’t been able to meet properly until now.If this continues, then I am afraid that he will find someone else. Before that happens, I want my mother to help me. I request my mother to do something so that I can spend a day around Commander Huang Xi,” Jingfei said. She had carried a lot of hope. Last time, she got insecure when she found Huang Xi agreed to accompany Ai Fen.
“Princess Jingfei, currently I am stressed about your elder brother’s marriage. Can Princess Jingfei not wait for some time?” Zhu Liling wanted Jingfei to wait a bit because Xiaoming had yet to find a woman.
“Brother Xiaoming has said that he would find a suitable woman for him. Mother doesn’t need to worry about it,” Jingfei opined.
“Has the Princess lost her mind?” Zhu Liling suddenly got angry at her. Eunuch Lianying had arrived with a tea server. However, he stopped her as the Queen had suddenly turned furious.
Jingfei clutched her dress tightly and lowered her head.
“Xiaoming doesn’t know anything. The selection of the Crown Princess is crucial for him. If he selects any random woman from a family that does not benefit him, then everything will go against him. For the time being, Princess Jingfei should not be concerned about her marriage. She can wait for a while,” Zhu Liling told her.
“Yes, Mother. I apologize for troubling my mother,” said. Her eyes filled with tears as it was after a long time, she got scolded by her mother.
Zhu Liling realized that she scolded Jingfei too much. So, this time, she softly said, “Princess Jingfei, you are destined to marry Commander Huang Xi. However, for now, I cannot focus on you. Your brother rejected Kang Cha Ying and it has given me a headache. Apart from this, he has turned rebellious.” Zhu Liling recalled the words of Xiaoming. He always acted calm around her. Jingfei gazed into the eyes of her mother and found she was anxious.
“Serve the tea,” Zhu Liling told the tea server, who stepped up. She brewed the tea for them and went back to her place.
“Forgive me, Mother, for bringing up this topic and troubling you,” Jingfei apologized.
“It’s fine. Forgive your mother for raising her voice at you,” Zhu Liling also apologized and asked her to drink the tea. Jingfei nodded and gracefully picked up the cup.
“Princess Jingfei shall take some perfume for the wife of General Hei tomorrow,” Zhu Liling said, after a while. “She will like those perfumes. That way, she can meet Huang Xi.” Zhu Liling gave an idea to Jingfei, who was delighted to hear her. She thanked her mother for suggesting such a wonderful idea to her.
“When I stood for the Crown Princess’ position, I first won the heart of the late Empress Dowager. Do the same with Huang Xi’s mother. In a noble household, a mother holds the highest power. Her son does what his mother says.” Zhu Liling made Jingfei understand, who keenly listened to her mother.
“Eunuch Lianying, prepare a basket of some rare perfume for the wife of the General,” Zhu Liling said. She realized that she could not neglect her daughter amidst all the chaos that was happening in the life of Xiaoming.
“Just win the heart of the wife of General Hei tomorrow. Then, things will go according to you,” Zhu Liling advised her daughter, once again.
“Yes, Mother,” Jingfei said and happily drank the tea with her.
She returned to her manor and asked her personal attendant to call the royal tailor. “My appearance tomorrow will matter the most,” Jingfei mumbled while looking into the mirror and shyly smiled thinking about Huang Xi.