APSIL -Chapter 192 Arch-Enemies

Around noon, on the bustling Xuanwu Gate Street, a two-story teahouse with an elegant exterior had not a single customer inside. It had been surrounded and guarded by a group of guards long before.

As time passed, carriages and sedan chairs from all directions gradually gathered there. Young ladies in exquisite clothing, some wearing veiled hats and others openly showing their faces, stepped down from the vehicles one after another. Some brought maids with them, while others came up the stairs alone.

Before long, laughter and chatter could be heard coming from the second floor. Although many passersby on the street stopped to watch, the bamboo curtains hanging from the upper floor and the guards stationed outside clearly showed that this was a gathering of wealthy and noble people. Ordinary folk could only glance a few times before moving on.

Thus, when the final carriage arrived and two similarly dressed but distinctly different young women stepped down and entered the teahouse one after the other, they attracted little attention.

However, the moment they reached the second floor, the lively chatter among the girls suddenly fell silent.

Zhu Ying, who had been talking with someone, immediately raised her willow-like brows and stood up angrily.

“What are you doing here? I didn’t invite you!”

Princess Yongping gave a mocking smile.

“If I didn’t come, who knows whether you would sell off my second sister?”

Behind her, Princess Deyang hurriedly lowered her voice to persuade her.

“Third Sister, Yingying only kindly invited me out to relax…”

“Right now, you came out of the palace alone to clear your mind. Father may have agreed, but if Grandmother and Mother find out later, you’ll definitely be scolded. Even your own mother concubine will be blamed. I came along with you so that if we get scolded, you’ll at least have someone to share the burden.”

As Princess Yongping spoke, she strode forward and directly sat down opposite Zhu Ying.

When she and Princess Deyang had just arrived, all the young ladies from the various families had stood up to greet them. But after Princess Yongping’s sarcastic remark, Zhu Ying had angrily sat back down.

Now, seeing this annoying rival casually take the host’s seat without asking, Zhu Ying slapped the table unhappily.

“Fine. Today, regardless of status, she is an uninvited guest. Everyone sit down. No need for all those formal greetings!”

“Today, everyone is Yingying’s guest. We only care about friendship, not rank,” Princess Deyang quickly stepped in to smooth things over. She was naturally timid and gentle. “Third Sister is just worried about me, so she accompanied me here. Later, Eunuch Chu will come to take her to Moonflower Pavilion.”

The words “Moonflower Pavilion” immediately made everyone understand.

So the princess’s literary gathering was about to begin again!

Thinking that Princess Yongping would be leaving soon, the other girls naturally relaxed. But Zhu Ying ruined the atmosphere by raising her brows and asking: “This time, it seems like it’s been more than a month since the last gathering? Since when has your Eight-Legged Essay competition become so unenthusiastic?”

Faced with such a sharp question, Princess Yongping did not even twitch her eyebrows.

“Essays naturally require time to cultivate emotions and be carefully polished. Besides, last time Xu Fengyang was mocked by your Zhang Shou until he was completely humiliated. The literary critics of the capital were thrown into chaos for a while. If I had immediately invited judges again, the quality would inevitably have suffered. So I simply paused for a month. That’s all.”

Zhu Ying had originally intended to mock her further, but when she heard the words “your Zhang Shou”, it felt as though she had drunk a cup of iced water in the middle of summer. Her entire body instantly felt refreshed.

She immediately lost interest in arguing with Princess Yongping.

Meanwhile, Liu Qing, who had already settled her lifelong marriage arrangement, brought up a new topic. With Princess Deyang trying hard—but somewhat awkwardly—to help carry the conversation, the other young ladies naturally gathered around them.

After all, neither side was someone they could afford to offend.

Since they couldn’t provoke either one, they could only avoid both.

Watching the girls happily chatting on the other side about their daily interests—from cooking, cosmetics, embroidery, to family matters involving brothers and sisters—Princess Yongping, who was extremely unused to such an atmosphere, finally could not endure it anymore.

She stood up and walked to the window covered by bamboo curtains.

Looking outside, she asked without turning around: “What exactly are you planning with all these inexplicable banquet invitations these past few days?”

“Why do you care?”

Zhu Ying walked behind her, her tone unfriendly.

“I haven’t even asked you yet! That previous incident couldn’t possibly have been such a coincidence. You did it, didn’t you?”

Although Zhu Ying did not explicitly say what she meant, Princess Yongping’s expression changed instantly.

She quickly turned around. Seeing that Liu Qing and Princess Deyang were discussing some amusing story while the group of girls laughed so hard they were leaning backward, clearly paying no attention to them, she glared angrily at Zhu Ying.

“Do you have any sense at all? How dare you bring this up here?”

“You dared to do it. Why can’t I talk about it?”

Zhu Ying pressed forward aggressively.

“You acted on your own and nearly ruined everything. Do you even know what you almost caused?”

Naturally, Princess Yongping refused to back down.

“Where was I supposed to know you would be so reckless? If the Lu family and Liu family hadn’t stepped forward and admitted that they arranged the meeting, do you think you could have escaped? Besides, without that fearless Lu Sanlang, at most Second Brother would have lost his temper on the street. Then Eldest Brother would have discovered it and scared him away. It would never have become such a huge mess!”

“Oh? Listen to you—calling them ‘Eldest Brother’ and ‘Second Brother’ so sweetly.”

The two lowered their voices unconsciously.

They stared at each other.

Their gazes were no longer ordinary anger, but hostility and killing intent, as if their argument might turn into a physical fight at any moment.

However, they were no longer children.

After glaring at each other for a long while, Princess Yongping finally looked away first and said stiffly: “I warn you, don’t become too arrogant.”

“You don’t need to lecture me.”

Zhu Ying smiled dismissively.

“I know exactly what I’m capable of. That’s why after what happened with Lu Sanlang, I immediately went into the palace and told His Majesty. As for today’s matter, I also informed His Majesty beforehand. He said that if it truly succeeds, then it proves I have good judgment, and I can proceed however I want!”

Princess Yongping could hardly believe her ears.

Father actually allowed Zhu Ying to behave this recklessly?

Even as his own biological daughter, she herself still had to obey countless complicated rules and etiquette. Why could Zhu Ying, merely the daughter of the Duke of Zhao, ignore all those restrictions and act however she wished?

Seeing Princess Yongping’s unwilling expression, Zhu Ying sneered.

“I dared to tell His Majesty about my matter. What about you?”

Princess Yongping immediately became both shocked and furious.

Zhu Ying’s matchmaking matter was something Father would naturally treat as entertainment and laugh off.

But her own schemes?

How could she reveal those?

Although Father loved her mother concubine and cherished her as his daughter, if he discovered that she had secretly plotted against her two elder brothers, he would absolutely not forgive her.

Seeing Princess Yongping fall silent, Zhu Ying proudly continued: “So according to the idea I originally gave you, you were merely playing a prank on your two brothers. At worst, they would fight, make a scene afterward, and leave the Empress caught in an awkward position.”

“But now you deliberately fanned the flames. If Grandmother or His Majesty finds out…”

“Heh.”

“Do you still have the nerve to say I’m arrogant?”

Princess Yongping gritted her teeth.

But she could only endure and say: “I never expected that one of them would scheme like that, and the other would act so impulsively… I only indirectly let Eldest Brother learn about this matter…”

“Enough. I don’t care about what happened before.”

Zhu Ying interrupted impatiently.

Then she issued a cold dismissal.

“Aren’t you supposed to go to Moonflower Pavilion? Go be your talented and noble scholar princess. I’ll remain the unreasonable and domineering young lady of the Duke of Zhao’s mansion.”

“We’ll stay out of each other’s way.”

“As long as you don’t scheme against A-Shou or my family, I don’t care what you do!”

Although Princess Yongping knew that Zhu Ying was merely stubborn on the outside but soft-hearted inside, and that she had never reported their arguments or conflicts to the Empress Dowager or Emperor before, hearing such harsh words still annoyed her.

Yet she also knew that even if she refused to admit involvement in that previous incident, it would be useless.

The person who understood her best was indeed this rival standing before her.

She turned away with a dark expression.

But just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard Zhu Ying’s surprised and delighted voice behind her.

“A-Shou!”

Princess Yongping froze slightly.

Turning around, she saw Zhu Ying had already pulled open a large gap in the bamboo curtain and was leaning out, smiling brightly as she waved toward someone below.

Thinking that if she left now, she would probably run directly into Zhang Shou outside, Princess Yongping simply stopped.

Then she turned around and walked behind Zhu Ying.

Looking down from above, she saw Zhang Shou sitting on horseback, raising his head and smiling at Zhu Ying.

His clothes were merely a simple ink-gray robe, but on him they somehow highlighted his upright and elegant figure.

Even though he had raised a hand to shield his eyes from the intense midday sunlight, the sincerity in his smile still seemed to overflow from his brows, eyes, and lips.

“Yingying, what a coincidence. Are you holding a gathering here?”

Although Princess Yongping had always believed that those who fought through countless trials in the imperial examinations were the true pillars of the nation, she felt Zhang Shou’s current rapid promotions were built on an unstable foundation and doubted how far he could ultimately go.

She also scoffed at the rumors that Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying were a perfect match.

Yet, at this moment, seeing the two of them speaking so naturally as if no one else existed, she still felt an inexplicable discomfort.

She had never been someone who valued appearance over talent.

But she had to admit—

Aside from his face comparable to Pan An, Zhang Shou truly possessed a unique brilliance and talent unlike ordinary people.

And yet, such a young scholar with great ambitions and wisdom actually liked someone like Zhu Ying, a girl whom she viewed as nothing more than a beautiful vase with little substance.

Although Princess Yongping had never admired any man, there had been many noble young men who had tried to court her. Whether they were sincere or not, she believed she could tell.

Zhu Ying had been held in the palms of her family, her brothers, elders, the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor since birth.

And now she had even found such an ideal husband…

Her luck was simply too good.

Of course, Princess Yongping did not know how much envy and jealousy she was feeling behind her.

Even if she did, Zhu Ying would have simply replied: “So what if my luck is better than yours?”

At that moment, Zhu Ying smiled brightly while leaning against the railing.

“That’s right. I invited a group of sisters here for tea. The Yangzhou pastries here are especially famous! Where did you come from?”

Zhang Shou glanced at the pairs of curious eyes peeking through the gaps in the bamboo curtain.

Then he calmly replied: “I just took Zhang Chen, Lu Sanlang, your second brother, and seven or eight others to Tingyu Pavilion. We settled something important.”