"Are you certain? Do you know what the consequences of deceiving this palace would be?"
"Of course. Autumn harvest is only a month away. By then, Your Highness will know whether what I've said is true or not." Qin Ke hadn't eaten pork, but he'd certainly seen pigs run—hadn't all those costume dramas in his previous life been for nothing? Even though the Eldest Princess was dressed plainly today, the authority she carried was unmistakable.
The Eldest Princess cast him a calm glance and said, "Then I shall wait and see."
There was no need to say more. If Qin Ke dared to deceive her, the outcome would naturally be unpleasant. She wouldn't even need to issue orders herself—there would be others eager to handle it for her.
The Eldest Princess and Gu Lanxi did not linger long. It seemed they had only come to take a look and enjoy a brief moment of leisure.
Only after their carriage disappeared into the distance did Qin Ke dare lift his head and rub his chin. From what he had observed just now, the distance between the Eldest Princess and the Gu family head was remarkably small—their sleeves nearly brushed against one another.
His gossip-loving soul stirred restlessly, though he certainly didn't have the courage to indulge it.
Of course, after sending off such distinguished guests, Qin Ke still had a more pressing matter to deal with.
"Are you angry?" Lu Youqing took the initiative to sit in front of him, speaking softly to coax him. "Because I didn't tell you about my background beforehand?"
"No," Qin Ke puffed out his cheeks and turned his face away, refusing to look at her.
Lu Youqing looked at him, his face clearly spelling out 'I'm upset—come comfort me', and smiled helplessly. She stood up and sat back down across from him again, deliberately softening her tone as she explained, "I never spoke of those matters because I wanted to sever myself from the past. They weren't pleasant memories. I thought I'd never encounter anyone connected to that past again."
Qin Ke hadn't truly been that angry to begin with. He was always easy to appease when it came to Lu Youqing. Hearing her explanation, he immediately turned back toward her, still sulking slightly as he said, "I didn't even know you had another name."
Seeing him stubbornly trying to keep a straight face, Lu Youqing knew full well that he didn't blame her. He was just indulging in a bit of childish sulking. She reached out and took his fingers, then turned her gaze toward the night sky outside the window. Her eyes grew distant as she explained, "My given name is Youzhi. My father was Cheng Li, a fourth-rank official and Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. I truly did not deceive you. My mother was the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Rong's household. She married my father, but later the ducal line declined, and the Emperor gradually stripped titles and power. After giving birth to me, my mother's health never recovered, and with her maternal family fallen, she eventually passed away in grief."
Hearing this, Qin Ke tightened his grip on her slightly chilled hand, his heart aching for her.
"Later, my father took a second wife. After my stepmother gave birth to a legitimate son and daughter, my position in the household became awkward. Taking advantage of my father's long absences, they claimed I had caught a cold…"
Lu Youqing spoke tactfully, but Qin Ke could easily infer the rest. The mistreatment of a former wife's daughter by a stepmother was all too common. He suspected her father was no innocent either. A noblewoman marrying down—her father's trajectory was little different from the classic phoenix man. Once such men gained status, the first thing they did was turn their backs on the past. With the Duke's household fallen, any former deference likely turned into resentment, and Lu Youqing herself probably became a thorn in his side. Otherwise, had he possessed even a shred of affection for her, she wouldn't have suffered so much in that household.
"Lu is my mother's surname. 'Youqing' was the pet name my mother gave me. So I truly did not deceive you."
Lu Youqing lowered her eyes slightly. There were things she did not say—such as the childhood betrothal arranged when she was young. She knew that if she mentioned it, the man beside her would instantly puff up like an angry pufferfish.
There was no need to say it anymore. Her younger sister's hostility and jealousy toward her had always stemmed from that very engagement. Half a year had passed—she had likely already replaced her and married into the princely household.
Now, Lu Youqing was living well. She had found someone who genuinely treated her with sincerity and love, and she had truly come to understand what it meant to love someone. And this person did not wish to confine her to the inner quarters to be merely a wife and mother—he supported her ambitions and her pursuits.
Those youthful stirrings of the heart had been nothing more than illusions, like reflections in a mirror—one breeze, and they were gone.
How could Qin Ke still bear to blame her now? If anything, he felt only tenderness and heartache. He wrapped an arm around her soft, boneless waist and deliberately changed the subject. "So what did you talk about with the Eldest Princess today? And that princess—you seems to admire and respect her greatly. Does she still lead troops into battle?"
Lu Youqing laughed softly, left with no choice but to give this halfway-arrived husband a brief explanation.
The Eldest Princess was born of the former Empress. She had been exceptionally gifted from childhood—recognizing a thousand characters at the age of three, mastering poetry and literature by five. She had displayed extraordinary political talent early on and was the only princess ever permitted to attend court sessions. She was specially granted the title Eldest Princess of Jinyang. More than that, when the Tujue launched a massive invasion of Great Yan, capturing several cities and bringing the state to the brink of disaster, it was the Eldest Princess of Jinyang who led the troops to repel the enemy, severely weakening the Tujue and securing years of stability along the borders.
After hearing of the Eldest Princess of Jinyang's achievements, Qin Ke was filled with admiration. He clicked his tongue and said, "That… really is incredible."
"Unfortunately, none of the princes possess even half of her resolve," Lu Youqing said, her tone entirely different when speaking of them. "Before I left the capital, I heard that Zhou State had dispatched troops. The court hadn't yet decided who would lead the army. Seeing the Eldest Princess here today, I believe it will be Her Highness—but why she is concealing her identity and staying at the Gu residence, I do not know."
Qin Ke silently conjured up a dramatic political intrigue in his mind.
"Didn't Great Yan once have a female emperor?" Qin Ke suddenly asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
By now, Lu Youqing had observed that Qin Ke lacked knowledge of many basic historical facts, so she explained patiently, "Great Yan's founding emperor was indeed a woman. At that time, the laws were amended to allow women to sit the imperial examinations and hold office. But in later generations, male officials became the default again. Princesses were denied political authority and excluded from succession. The Eldest Princess of Jinyang is already an exception."
She sighed softly after finishing—there was resignation, and sorrow as well.
Just as she had said regarding the imperial examinations, she knew clearly that the difficulty lay not in the exam papers themselves, but in the lack of equal opportunity. Perhaps she could pass the xiucai examination—but beyond that, advancement would be nearly impossible.
"Has the Eldest Princess never thought about that position?" Qin Ke asked quietly.
Lu Youqing was startled and quickly covered his mouth, shaking her head in warning. "Don't say such things carelessly. It could bring disaster."
Qin Ke blinked innocently.
As for whether the Eldest Princess had ever harbored such thoughts in her heart—neither Qin Ke nor Lu Youqing could know.
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Currently at chapter 204 for advance chapters
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