USWHC -Chapter 509 Alliance (Part 9)

“Ah, Princess Lanyi, have you forgotten? Our princess was telling you over and over—it’s her newly invented folding stool! You wouldn’t know, but it scared me out of my wits at the time! I didn’t even dare take a breath, for fear she’d crush Jieyue!” Wan Yue said, putting on a perfectly serious expression, chattering incessantly.

Zhu Jie immediately put on an embarrassed look as well, shaking her head repeatedly. “Oh dear, look at me, getting so drunk! Jieyue isn’t hurt, is she?”

“My waist’s sprained!” Wan Yue said with deep regret.

“Huh? Am I really this heavy now?” Zhu Jie chimed in, still a bit flustered.

Wan Yue sighed repeatedly. “Not just you, Miss. Princess Lanyi probably thought it looked fun and rushed to sit on it too. Jieyue’s frame is so small—even with the princesses being light, she couldn’t hold it!”

“Huh? Even my little sister is this naughty? Did she have sweet rice wine this morning too?” Zhu Jie blinked, looking genuinely concerned.

Listening to them chatter back and forth like a comedic duo, Princess Lanyi found herself unable to get a word in. Finally, Zhu Jie asked her, and she couldn’t help snorting coldly. “You two just make things up! Go ask around—do you think anyone downstairs would believe that’s Jieyue?”

“If not Jieyue, then who else? Don’t tell me it’s some man sitting there! Ah, I wouldn’t even dare imagine that!” Zhu Jie feigned shock, eyes unblinking on Lanyi.

Indeed! In this era, not to mention princesses, even ordinary women could not sit on a man casually.

Wan Yue hurried to clarify, “Princess, it’s not a man at all—it’s really Jieyue. You can call her over and ask. Besides, what man could be in this palace? The only ones here would be eunuchs!”

Hearing that, Lanyi could only snort in annoyance—her protest empty, as there really was no one else in the room. It wasn’t like she could accuse anyone of wrongdoing in broad daylight, and Jieyue was part of Princess Lanqin’s household; even if she dragged her here, nothing more would come of it.

“That’s true!” Zhu Jie gently held her chest and exhaled deeply. “Good thing it was Jieyue. Otherwise, I wouldn’t want to marry without knowing what happened!”

Yes, if one were unlucky enough to sit on a man, marriage would be inevitable. Of course, one could refuse, but then marriage might never happen. Princesses had another, harsher option: they could simply eliminate the person!

“My sister is going to marry into Qi as a queen. How could she just marry anyone?” Lanyi teased on purpose, aiming to needle Zhu Jie’s pride.

Zhu Jie just smiled mysteriously, her voice airy and distant. “Who knows if I’m lucky enough for that?”

“You will be, definitely!” Lanyi gritted her teeth and said, then turned to leave.

Suddenly, Zhu Jie called after her. “Wait, little sister, my bed curtain!”

“Why’s it so flimsy? It fell before I even touched it! Could it be the Interior Ministry thought you were leaving soon and cut corners?” Lanyi teased, deliberately speaking nonsense.

“Really? Then I’d better ask them properly!” Zhu Jie said with a cold laugh.

Lanyi just laughed loudly and didn’t respond, strutting away with a haughty air, head held high, though her disheveled state made the pose look more like a begging performer than a princess—truly comical.

Seeing them retreat, Zhu Jie and Wan Yue exchanged smiles. Wan Yue quickly shut the door, making sure the troublesome ones had gone far enough, then turned back.

Zhu Jie laughed. “You’re getting better at making up lies, aren’t you?”

Wan Yue knelt gracefully, laughing. “It’s all thanks to my master’s guidance!”

“Cheeky!” Zhu Jie gently pinched her nose, covering her mouth to hide a laugh.

Wan Yue leaned closer, whispering, “Master, what about Mr. Ji?”

“Under your butt!” Zhu Jie replied with a faint smile.

Wan Yue jumped back in shock. “Huh? Where?”

“Under the bed!” Zhu Jie lifted the sheets—and sure enough, Ji Yi was sound asleep under the bed! He really thought he was at home!