Chapter 151 Morning, Imperial Study

Ding Suian sat cross-legged in a corner of the Imperial Study. Only when the sunlight became blinding did he realize it was already broad daylight outside.

He leaned back against the bookshelf and let out a long sigh.

If the Southern Zhao version of history was true, then the alterations to the Great Wu history were far too extensive. The entire ‘History of Xia’ had almost entirely deleted all records regarding ‘demonic evils’.

The two-hundred-year ‘Era of Seven Tribes and Thirteen Kingdoms’ between the fall of the Xia and the establishment of the Ning Dynasty was glossed over with just a few simple words: ‘regional separatism and warlord chaos’.

He guessed that the history of the ten thousand demons causing chaos had been deliberately hidden, and it had inextricably close ties to the State Religion.

“Your Highness~”

“Is she still there?”

“The Dutou is still inside~”

Through the lattice door, the low-voiced conversation from outside faintly drifted in.

Immediately following a slight creak of the door hinges, a slender figure walked in.

Yi Yiyi was wearing a peach-red satin jacket today, paired with a pearl-grey pleated skirt, and a snow fox fur draped over her shoulders.

The collar and cuffs were trimmed with a circle of snow-white silver mink fur.

In the deep winter where one’s breath turned to mist, the cold air dyed her cheeks a crimson red, which instead added a touch of delicate beauty.

Perhaps because she didn’t see the person she expected, she stopped at the doorway, looking around in confusion.

“Over here~”

Ding Suian, who was sitting on the floor in the corner, raised his arm and waved.

Yi Yiyi walked over following the sound. Her first two steps were a bit too quick, but after realizing it, she hurriedly slowed down; she always wanted this ‘chance encounter’ to appear casual.

“I just went to the front court to deliver official documents for Father, and since I was passing by the Imperial Study, I just came in to take a look.”

The first sentence she spoke was to indicate that she hadn’t come specifically to see him.

But this statement seemed a bit abrupt, so Ding Suian just let out an “Oh.”

“Did you find the book you wanted to read?”

“I found it.”

“.”

After that simple exchange, the two fell into silence, as if there was nothing left to talk about.

Yi Yiyi thought for a long while, then suddenly said: “Have you eaten break—”

“Have you moved in—”

Both spoke at the same time, then both stopped.

When not speaking, they wouldn’t say anything, but when they did speak, they fought to be the first.

Ding Suian looked up and smiled: “What did you want to say?”

“You go first.”

“I was just about to ask, how does it feel to move into the Eastern Palace?”

At this moment, Yi Yiyi was standing while Ding Suian sat on the floor.

Perhaps feeling that chatting like this was uncomfortable, she slowly squatted down to be at eye level with him.

This made things feel a bit more equal.

She calmly straightened her skirt, placed her hands on her knees, lowered her eyelids slightly, and then softly said: “Everything is as usual.”

“As usual? That shouldn’t be right. Yesterday when I went to the Crown Prince’s residence, the carriages of visitors blocked half the street.”

“It is a bit different.”

After Ding Suian pointed this out, she couldn’t help but think of the invitations and letters that had been flying in like snowflakes recently, and she specifically added: “Recently, I have received many letters from talented young men.”

Originally, after saying this, she wanted to secretly check Ding Suian’s reaction.

However, she panicked a little herself, glanced at him quickly, and then hurriedly added: “But I don’t like any of them.”

The window lattice cut the sunlight into patches of light that shone on Yi Yiyi’s profile. Her slightly trembling eyelashes were distinct, and her eyes, half-closed, flickered with a gaze that seemed to hide thoughts she wanted to speak but hesitated to say.

Waiting for a moment without hearing a response, Yi Yiyi stared at the floor and whispered: “Say something…”

Ding Suian knew what she wanted to hear, but he couldn’t say it.

To prevent Yi Yiyi from continuing to press him, Ding Suian simply blocked her mouth.

“Mmph~”

Yi Yiyi, who was squatting on the floor, was caught off guard and leaned backward. In her panic, she grabbed his shoulders and whispered: “No!”

While saying words of refusal, she actively closed those clear, charming apricot eyes.

It was clearly a case of refusing while actually welcoming.

After some bickering, Yi Yiyi kept her eyes closed the whole time, feeling as if she had fallen into the clouds, dazed and hazy.

“Ah~”

Feeling her body suddenly lighten, Yi Yiyi couldn’t care about her embarrassment and opened her eyes to look. She had been lifted up horizontally by him and was being carried toward the dragon-carved brocade couch behind the large desk in the Imperial Study.

“No!”

Shame and anticipation mixed into a hazy mist in her eyes as Yi Yiyi struggled slightly to show her opposition.

Ding Suian placed her on the bright yellow satin cushion, but encountered trouble when trying to remove her clothing.

The buttons of the peach-red satin jacket were all tied under her ribs.

The buttons were already hard to undo, and the position was tricky; he couldn’t see clearly, and he couldn’t exert any strength.

“Don’t!”

Yi Yiyi’s face was flushed red, and she kept refusing, but when she realized he had been trying to undo the buttons for a long time without success, she tilted her body slightly and reached out with one hand.

The five buttons, which to Ding Suian were even more annoying than that dead ghost Prince Rui, were easily undone by her nimble fingertips.

She was still more proficient at taking off her own clothes! She did it quickly and well.

“No!”

But even until her lapels were spread open, Yi Yiyi didn’t forget to add another line to express her firm stance.

What a chaste and determined young lady!

While brushing ears and rubbing temples, Yi Yiyi suddenly whispered in Ding Suian’s ear: “Will you stay, will you stay in Great Zhao, okay?”

“.”

The words she had wanted Ding Suian to say, he hadn’t said.

In the end, Yi Yiyi couldn’t hold back and asked it herself.

Mid-morning.

Since the traitorous prince was executed at the Vermilion Bird Gate, Emperor Zhao had almost never presided over the morning court session again, leaving the regency to the Crown Prince.

After the court was dismissed at mid-morning, the Prince of Nanshun kept important officials such as Chancellor Xie Yi, State Preceptor Zhou Beihuai, and Minister of Honglu Temple Xue Fang to discuss the matter of peace talks with the State of Wu.

“…We need to come up with a plan as soon as possible to facilitate the peace talks; it is what the people of both nations desire, but remember, we must not be weak.”

In the corridor leading from the Chengtian Hall to other places, the Prince of Nanshun set the tone for the peace talks. Try to reach an agreement, but do not concede too much.

“Your Highness, how should we handle the matter of the prisoners of war?”

Xue Fang, who was a step behind, asked in a low voice. The Prince of Nanshun did not stop walking. “The prisoners of war can be released back to the State of Wu, but the reparations must not be lacking. Lord Xue, you can calculate a sum based on the number of people and their military ranks, show it to me, and then take it to discuss with Lord Li. You can set it a bit high; after all, one should ask for a sky-high price and negotiate down to earth.”

“Yes.”

These were easy enough to handle; the key was the issue of the status of the two nations. This was also the main point the Prince of Nanshun wanted to discuss with the ministers.

“Why are you here?”

As they spoke, the group had already walked to the outside of the Imperial Study, only to see Zhao Ning’s personal little maid guarding the door.

“Your-Your Highness, she is inside reading!”

A Qi lowered her head, her hair standing on end, her voice trembling slightly.

Imperial Study.

“Why are you here?”

Yi Yiyi, still intoxicated by the aftertaste, sat up with a start the moment she heard her father’s voice, looking around in panic as if it were the end of the world.

“Quick! Quick, hide!”

Although the Imperial Study was spacious, it lacked furniture like cabinets or chests where one could hide.

In her desperation, her wit was sparked. The pale-faced Yi Yiyi hurriedly put on her clothes while urgently saying: “Under the couch, hide under the couch~”

“How about we say we are discussing matters in the study?”

Ding Suian suggested.

A princess summoning a minor Dutou from another country, locking the door, and being alone in the room—what kind of “discussing matters” would that be? Besides, there was clearly more than just her father outside the Imperial Study. Her father knowing about the two of them was one thing, but being caught in the room in front of outsiders? Where would he put his face?

Yi Yiyi shook her head repeatedly and pleaded in a low voice: “I beg you~”

“Zhao Ning~ Zhao Ning?”

The calls of the Prince of Nanshun had already sounded outside the door.

“Mm~ Father, your daughter is here.”

Yi Yiyi replied with a slightly hoarse, sleepy voice. Seeing there was no time left, she hurriedly shoved both of their boots and socks under the couch.

Finally, she leaned over and whispered to Ding Suian under the couch: “You must not make a sound!”

“Mm.”

At a time like this, in such a situation, since he was already hidden, only a fool would voluntarily make a sound.

“Zhao Ning?”

“Coming~”

Yi Yiyi quickly straightened her slightly messy hair bun and tugged at the wrinkles pressed into her clothes. Her pair of small feet, which she didn’t have time to put shoes and socks on, were hidden under her skirt.

‘Creak~’

“Greetings, Father.”

The door opened.

The Prince of Nanshun was slightly stunned. Although Yi Yiyis childhood nickname (A Du) looked composed, her face was flushed, her hair bun was slightly loose, and she looked very different from her usual self.

“Father, please forgive me. Your daughter was reading in the Imperial Study just now and accidentally fell asleep.”

Oh, so she had fallen asleep.

“If you are tired, go back to your room to rest. I have some things to discuss with these officials.”

The Prince of Nanshun didn’t think much of it for the moment and stepped inside.

“.”

Her father’s words were already very clear: the adults were going to discuss matters in the study, so she should go back.

But how could she dare to leave! There was still someone hidden in the room.

Yi Yiyi’s mouth was dry, her head was dazed, and she mechanically followed her father back into the Imperial Study.

“.”

The Prince of Nanshun turned his head in confusion, looking at Yi Yiyi who was following closely by his side.

His daughter was usually very sensible; the upcoming occasion was clearly not suitable for her to stay, so why was she lingering and refusing to leave?

Xue Fang and Xie Yi were also a bit curious, but Xie Yi, as an old official, could easily come up with polite remarks to resolve the awkwardness. He smiled and said to Yi Yiyi: “I have long heard that the Princess is upright and graceful, and seeing you today, it is indeed so. My son at home likes to pretend to be cultured and is organizing a poetry gathering these days. I heard an invitation was sent to the Princess.”

“Hehehe~”

The Prince of Nanshun looked at his daughter, who had been standing in front of the dragon couch with her head bowed. There was a clear look of suspicion in his eyes, but he still smiled and continued: “Zhao Ning has loved quiet since she was young. When we were in Central Heaven, she never left the house, and apart from reading, she spent her time tending to flowers and plants.”

Xie Yi stroked his beard and smiled, his voice gentle and carrying the unique praise of an elder: “The Princess is quiet and polite, chaste and tranquil. But now that you have just returned to Yunzhou, it is only right to socialize with talented peers. On the twentieth of this month, I hope the Princess will grace my humble home with her presence.”

Yi Yiyi kept her head down, fearing that others would see the clues from her flushed face.

Her bare feet under the skirt gripped the floor uneasily.

Hearing Xie Yi’s words of praise and thinking of the person under the dragon couch, she felt that the sincere compliments of others had turned into sarcasm. Her face burned hotly, and she subconsciously said: “Okay~”

Behind them, the State Preceptor Zhou Beihuai remained silent. From the moment he walked to the door of the Imperial Study, he had already sensed that there was more than one person in the room. At this moment, seeing Zhao Ning’s abnormal reaction, he had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth.

“Your Highness, the Imperial Study is vast and cannot hold the warmth. I am old and sensitive to the cold. Why don’t we go to the warm pavilion to discuss matters?”

“.”

Yi Yiyi’s tears almost fell out. At the critical moment, it was her teacher who helped her out of the predicament.

The Prince of Nanshun looked at his daughter suspiciously again and nodded: “Alright.”

A moment later.

The Imperial Study returned to tranquility, and Yi Yiyi’s legs went weak, and she sat down on the floor.

Behind her, after coming out from under the couch, Ding Suian put on his boots, stepped forward, and reached out to pull her up.

Yi Yiyi looked up, but didn’t take the hand he offered. Instead, she turned her head to look at the lingering sunlight streaming through the window lattice.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and a hazy mist rose in her clear, charming eyes. Both aggrieved and confused, she said, “I… how did I become like this now?”

After saying this, the corners of her mouth curved downward, and the mist in her eyes gradually gathered into tears that pooled in the corners of her reddened eyes. These words seemed to be asking Ding Suian, and also seemed to be asking herself.