An Eight-year-old Princess

Chapter 220 Intrigues In The Grand Councilor's Mansion

Hua Jing was absolutely furious. Li Yingying! After hearing Ya Xi's story and assuring him that she

would seek justice for the incident at Suiyu House, Hua Jing had sent an invitation to Li Yingying.

Before picking on her cousin, she wanted to be absolutely certain that Ya Xi had not lied. It would not

do to get into trouble with her father again. However, upon hearing the extent to which Li Yingying had

gone to force Ya Xi, the Princess was infuriated. How dare Li Yingying slobber over her man and

humiliate her! Did Li Yingying think she could do as she pleases simply because she was the

granddaughter of the Grand Councilor? That was absurd!

The chamberlain entered when Hua Jing was fuming over Li Yingying's actions. Hua Jing asked

angrily. "What happened?"

The chamberlain was not expecting such hostility. He lowered his head and spoke nervously. "Your

Highness, a servant from the Grand Councilor's Mansion just arrived. He explained that Lady Yingying

seeks your forgiveness for not accepting your invitation. She went to Jingsi Temple to pray for the

Grand Councilor and Lady Li today, and she is exhausted from the trip. As per the servant, Lady

Yingying thinks it inappropriate to meet Your Highness when she feels worn-out. Lady Yingying has

promised to pay her respect to Your Highness first thing tomorrow morning instead."

Hua Jing's mouth twisted in a contemptuous sneer. "Pray? Humph! She is such a natural liar that I am

questioning my own abilities! All right, since she wants to pay her respects to me tomorrow, I don't

mind. Tell her to prostrate three times, and kowtow thrice at each prostration with reverence."

The chamberlain was surprised as Lady Yingying used to have a good relationship with Her Highness.

Although there was less contact between them in recent weeks, he couldn't understand what Lady

Yingying had done to irritate Her Highness this much. While trying to imagine what had soured the

relationship between the Princess and Lady Yingying, the chamberlain respectfully bowed and

answered, "Yes, Your Highness. I will tell the servant to pass the message to Lady Yingying."

"Wait a moment!" Hua Jing sighed before standing. Her expression was cold. She knew that the facade

of mutual respect between her and Li Yingying would be removed if she really asked her cousin to do

so. After all, Li Yingying had a closer relationship with Grandfather and Grandmother, since she stayed

at the Grand Councilor's Mansion all the time. Although Hua Jing was always respected as a Princess,

she worried that if Li Yingying spoke ill of her every now and then, her grandparents might believe Li

Yingying. Hua Jing couldn't afford to let that happen because she still needed their help.

Hua Jing was smart enough to understand that although her grandparents might be inferior to her in

rank, the Empress and she needed to count on their support.

Hua Jing frowned as she thought it over. "You don't need to reply to the messenger. I'll go to Grand

Councilor's Mansion and visit Li Yingying." Then she said to the maid who had been standing aside.

"Get me dressed."

The light yellow dress selected by the maid softened Hua Jing's appearance. Hua Jing nodded in

approval before asking for a carriage to be prepared. She also asked her maid to inform Ya Xi of her

whereabouts. Then she turned and left for the Grand Councilor's Mansion.

Grandfather should be out at this moment, and Grandmother always felt protective and tender about

her daughter, a noble Empress with no freedom. As a result, Grandmother often spoiled her. It would

be prudent for Hua Jing to start with her grandmother as she would be easier to manipulate.

After pondering over the whole situation, the Princess reached a decision and accordingly, prepared a

speech in her mind. A few moments later, Hua Jing arrived at the Grand Councilor's Mansion.

As she alighted from the carriage, the servant at the door recognized Hua Jing and came to greet her ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

with a bright smile. "Your Highness."

Hua Jing nodded and asked, "Where's Grandmother?"

The servant bowed and answered, "Lady Li is in Jingya* House *TN: meaning tranquility and

elegance)." Hua Jing nodded. Jingya House was her Grandmother's residence, So she headed toward

it. As she walked into the yard, the Princess heard a noise coming from inside. Hua Jing frowned and

wondered who dared to make noise in Jingya House since Grandmother had a preference for peace.

As Hua Jing approached, she saw a woman in a carmine dress standing in the middle of the room. The

woman was smiling with disdain and complaining, "Don't think you can fool me just because I'm from

another country. I know your norms. I'm pregnant and I deserve enough nutrition. You cannot deny me

that! Although I'm just a concubine, my marriage was granted by your Emperor and I now bear a child

of the Li Clan. Moreover, the third Prince of the State of Yelang is still in the Imperial City and I don't

think he will be pleased to learn that I'm being bullied here. If you don't give in to my demands, I will go

to His Majesty."

Hua Jing frowned as she thought about the woman's identity. Could this be Cangyang Yu'er, the

woman who showed an interest in Prince Jing during the Imperial Feast? Hua Jing raised an eyebrow

when she recalled the embarrassing situation when Cangyang was caught having an affair with her

grandfather during a feast to celebrate Prince Jing's birthday... That was how she ended up in this

mansion. Was she pregnant?

Hua Jing walked in with a sneer. "I was just wondering who was so ill-educated to make a fuss here.

So it's you, a concubine from a small country, right? Let me think for a moment. What is your lineage?

You are the sworn daughter of the Yelang Chief Councilor, correct? Or perhaps you are just a bastard

who was adopted by the Chief Councilor. Do you have any idea whom you are yelling at?"

Cangyang Yu'er frowned as she glared at the woman speaking disrespectfully to her. The woman

looked familiar, however, it took Cangyang quite a while to recall that she was Hua Jing, a Princess of

the State of Ning.

"You mean this woman sitting before me?" Canyang turned to point at Lady Li before continuing, "I'm

not a concubine. I'm also the wife of the Grand Councilor." Cangyang became more annoyed when she

heard the word bastard, so she argued impatiently in spite of Hua Jing's status.

Hua Jing looked at her grandmother, who was rubbing her forehead. She curtsied to her grandmother

before turning and glowering at Cangyang. "You are now in the State of Ning. Lady Li, to whom you

were making impolite remarks is the Mother-in-Law of the Emperor. She is the Empress's mother. And

this respectable lady is also my grandmother. You were saying that you are not a concubine but a wife

with equal status. However, the truth is that in the State of Ning you are nothing more than a high-

ranked concubine. And you have no rights to bark here. Believe it or not, even if I kill your unborn child

today, His Majesty will not punish me. Oh, by the way, you seem to brag about the State of Yelang a lot.

But now that you are a concubine in this family, do you think your country would really go to war over a

married daughter? You are a member of the Li Clan now. Behave like one!"

Cangyang Yu'er had always been respected in her country. She hadn't felt that respect since her

marriage to the Grand Councilor. If her attitude wasn't so hard-line, she might have been bullied even

more by these people. Despite all that she had endured, being taunted by a young girl was so

humiliating that she slapped Hua Jing without thinking.

Hua Jing, a Princess who had been raised in the Imperial Palace, had received instruction in many

things like embroidery and the Four Arts. But she knew nothing about fighting. Cangyang Yu'er,

however, grew up in the grasslands where emphasis was laid on strength. So she was a tougher

woman than Hua Jing. And that was why Hua Jing failed to dodge the slap.

Hua Jing's face reddened right away and the shape of a palm appeared. Lady Li was petrified with the

direction the confrontation was taking. She rushed to Hua Jing immediately. "Your Highness, are you

alright? I'll send for the physician immediately."

Hua Jing had never experienced such humiliation. What was worse is that she was suffering at the

hands of a foreign woman in her grandparent's house. Someone as lowly as a concubine dared to slap

her! She was outraged and scowled at Cangyang with a cruel smile. "This woman hit the Princess of

Ning. Arrest her and take her to the Fuya* with my token. *TN: Government office in Ancient China)

Several guards sprinted to Hua Jing's side and bowed. "Yes, Your Highness." Then they grabbed

Cangyang and began dragging her out as ordered.

Cangyang Yu'er was bewildered. She had acted on impulse and didn't realize that she had hit a

Princess.

Panicked, she struggled with the guards as she shrieked. "How dare you? I'm the wife of the Grand

Councilor!"

But the guards turned a deaf ear to her and took her away promptly. Though Cangyang was a strong

woman, she couldn't outfight several trained guards. Soon she disappeared from sight.

Lady Li sighed and gently caressed Hua Jing's face. Hua Jing cried out in pain. Lady Li drew her hand

back at once and asked the servant to send for the physician. Lady Li frowned, "Jing'er, you didn't have

to provoke her. She was sent here by His Majesty. And she's pregnant. What if your grandfather

blames you?"

Hua Jing straightened her sleeves and answered coldly. "So what? When Grandfather returns, I will tell

him about Cangyang's audacity and insolent behavior. That rude woman will only bring chaos into this

family. Imprisonment is the best thing that could happen to her considering I want her to die for hitting

me. Before she hit me, she should have known that I would not go easy on her."

Although Lady Li was pleased that Cangyang was finally removed from her residence, she was worried

about Hua Jing. Lady Li frowned and went back to her seat.

After a while, the physician appeared and applied medicine to Hua Jing's face. Hua Jing grabbed a

mirror and looked at herself carefully. The swelling on her face looked even worse with the medicine.

Annoyed that others would notice and gossip over her humiliating moment, Hua Jing began detesting

Cangyang Yu'er even more. Hua Jing smashed the mirror on the ground. "I will implore Grandfather to

award an appropriate punishment to that woman!"

Lady Li sighed. "What brought you here today, Jing'er?"

Reminded of her purpose, Hua Jing smiled. The action brought her more pain. She grimaced and

cursed Cangyang before answering, "Oh, Grandmother. Thank you for reminding me. I had almost

forgotten. Earlier, I was speaking with some ladies and one of them mentioned that her eldest son was

of marriageable age. She knows that my cousin, Yingying hasn't married yet and was wondering if I

would introduce them. I wanted to ask for cousin's opinion, so I sent servants to invite her. But she said

that she was praying in Jingsi Temple. And then I thought that I should consult elders in matters of such

importance. Therefore, I came here to ask for your opinion."

Lady Li listened attentively. "Yingying does need to find a suitable husband. She received several offers

when she was younger. To our surprise, she rejected them all. I have always spoiled her. So I didn't

take her rejections too seriously. I thought she would eventually find the right person and accept an

offer. It's been a while, however. Almost in the blink of eye, she's turned twenty. Soon, she will be too

old to marry beneficially. It would be reassuring if she could find a good husband."

"Of course, cousin's lineage allows her to pick whomever she wants. I'm just worried that if she is not

satisfied with this match, she might blame me." Hua Jing looked down to hide the anger reflecting in

her eyes. She recalled Li Yingying's actions at Suiyu House and fumed. 'Why did you have to choose

the same man that I fancy? I will not forgive you for what you've done!'

"Nonsense. It's for her own good. How could she blame you? I will tell her about it. You haven't visited

for a while. Stay and have dinner with us. Your grandfather will be back in an hour. I'm sure you miss

him and would want to meet him." Lady Li said softly.

Hua Jing forced a smile. She was petrified of her grandfather. However, from a very young age, she

had pretended to be brave in front of him. Today, she had to accept the invitation because of Li

Yingying.

The women spent the rest of the day catching up. When the Grand Councilor returned, he was

informed that Princess Hua Jing was in the mansion. He promptly made his way to Jingya House. As

he entered, he was shocked to see Hua Jing's swollen face. "What happened to you? Did you get into

trouble again?"

Hua Jing pouted at the accusation. She forced herself to cry to seem more pitiful. "I didn't do anything

wrong, Grandfather. When I arrived, I happened to see Cangyang Yu yelling at Grandmother. She was

being insolent and disrespectful to Grandmother. Even though she was terribly upset, Grandmother

was too kind to handle the situation assertively. Considering Cangyang's marriage was granted by His

Majesty and she's now bearing Grandfather's child, Grandmother tolerated all humiliation quietly. But

Cangyang went so far that I couldn't help but speak up for Grandmother. When I told her that

Grandmother is the Lady in this mansion and it was inappropriate to be so rude to her, Cangyang

slapped me on the face. I was totally unprepared and ended up so embarrassed."

Then Hua Jing lowered her voice. "Maybe I shouldn't have been harsh to her, but if we keep indulging

her arrogance, she might cause us huge trouble someday. She is from the State of Yelang after all. If

she says something improper in public, Grandfather would also be implicated."

Hua Jing narrated what her grandmother had instructed her to say. Hua Jing admired her grandmother

tremendously. She had thought her grandmother was suffering because Cangyang Yu was so arrogant

and bossy. But now, it seemed that her grandmother still had control over everything.

The Grand Councilor frowned and turned to Lady Li. Lady Li feigned embarrassment and looked away.

He was surprised and more convinced of Hua Jing's story. Maybe she had exaggerated the truth, but

the injury on her face was enough evidence. Aware of Cangyang Yu'er's temper, he believed that Hua

Jing had been hurt by her.

The Grand Councilor sighed and asked. "What did you do to her?"

Hua Jing harrumphed before answering, "I didn't do anything to her. Instead, I asked the guards to take

her to Fuya. She offended Grandmother and has no respect for anyone. What's more, she hit a

Princess. She should be on trial at Fuya."

The Grand Councilor frowned as he found this action inappropriate. It would be a complete disgrace if

his family issues were exposed at Fuya. However, he also knew his granddaughter's temper well. Hua

Jing could have killed or beaten Cangyang, but she didn't, which was already a miracle. So he had to

consider her feelings in this matter as well.

Then he said. "I understand how angry and upset you are now. But it's really inappropriate to involve

Fuya. Why don't we let her out and punish her by our family rules?"

Hua Jing shook her head. "Please don't pacify me with that promise, Grandfather. She is pregnant. I

don't think you will really punish her when she returns."

The Grand Councilor frowned and glanced at Lady Li, who appeared to be quite pale. Having reached

a decision, he spoke, "I was never really sure if the child was mine. Let's see if the child is lucky

enough to survive her punishment. It was her fault from the start anyway. Once she's in this mansion,

she needs to obey our rules."

The Grand Councilor was not a coward and he was aware of how the situation affected his family. He

also knew how poorly Cangyang had behaved ever since her arrival at the mansion, even though Lady

Li never complained. However, he had been reluctant to take action since this marriage had been

granted by the Emperor, and Cangyang Yu'er was from the State of Yelang. Given his dilemma, he had

chosen to keep silent.

Nevertheless, now that they had already made a scene, he couldn't play innocent anymore. Lady Li

was also from a noble family. If he didn't tread lightly there would be endless trouble from her family.

His big plan was going to be implemented soon and he couldn't afford any risks. A foreign woman

wouldn't make much difference no matter what.

Hua Jing felt more reassured after hearing the Grand Councilor's explanation, and agreed to his

suggestion reluctantly.

At that moment, she heard Li Yingying's voice. "Is Grandfather home?"

A ruthless look flashed across Hua Jing's face. She lowered her head and suppressed her anger. Then

she looked up and saw Li Yingying enter. Li Yingying was wearing a pink dress with a white chiffon

coat. There were a few plum flowers embroidered on the tail of her dress. With a casual bun, she

looked elegant and radiant. Hua Jing felt envious when she saw how full of youth her cousin looked.

Upon studying her cousin, the Princess realized that Li Yingying was dressed unusually well today. Did

she dress to impress Ya Xi? Was she so sure that Ya Xi would be hers soon? Hua Jing became furious

at this thought.

"Good to see you, cousin." The angrier Hua Jing was, the more brightly she smiled.

Li Yingying looked at Hua Jing and was surprised by her injured face. Li Yingying asked immediately,

"What happened to your face, Your Highness?"

The she greeted the Grand Councilor and Lady Li.

Li Yingying sat beside Hua Jing and explained, "I received Your Highness's invitation once I returned

from praying. As I was too tired today, so I didn't come to visit. What did Your Highness need to see me

for?"

Hua Jing smiled as she answered, "Nothing special. It's just that I haven't met with you for a while, and

I heard people talking about you today. That was why I wanted to invite you over."

"Talking about me?" Li Yingying asked in confusion. "What did they say about me?"

Hua Jing smiled. "I will tell you later."

After the dinner with the Grand Councilor and Lady Li, Hua Jing went for a walk in the garden.

Li Yingying had no idea what Hua Jing needed to speak with her about, so she followed the Princess

cautiously. While walking around the garden, Hua Jing dismissed the servants before quietly speaking,

"I was chatting with some ladies today, and one of them said she saw you in an indecent place. I found

it a serious matter as it was about your reputation. So I came here to speak with you."

Li Yingying panicked. "Wh... What? Where did she see me? Is it possible that she might be mistaken?"

Hua Jing turned to her cousin and looked into her eyes as she spoke. "Suiyu House."