The Seventh Princess Insists on Making Me Be a Kept Woman (GL) - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: All Blame the Osmanthus Flowers

It was Gao Jingxi who used her index finger to block the momentum of the arrow. With a slight exertion of force, she reversed the direction of the iron arrow, sending it straight toward Gao Hu’s seat.

It all happened in an instant. The deadly force of the arrow arrived right in front of Gao Hu’s heart. In the nick of time, the Stellar Energy on the arrow dissolved into dust, scattering onto the table, after which the tabletop ignited. The flame nearly singed Gao Hu’s eyebrows.

Gao Jingxi’s phoenix eyes slightly lifted, staring coldly at Gao Hu:

“First Imperial Brother, the Osmanthus tree is not in this direction.”

The fire on the table gradually extinguished. Although furious internally, Gao Jingxi still smiled faintly on the surface. “First Imperial Brother, you should be clear that my Consort was bestowed upon me by Imperial Mother’s decree. Is your dissatisfaction with the Consort a reflection of a grudge against Imperial Mother?”

Her words were powerful and resonant. Gao Hu was intimidated by Gao Jingxi’s gaze and barely managed to stop his body from trembling.

His heart instantly swelled with resentment. In his view, the power of the Duke of Yan’s house had been weakened over a decade ago, and now there was no one who could lead troops into battle. Only Lian Pingyou, a scholar, had a slight claim to prestige.

And he was a Prince supported by the Mighty General; the throne would be his sooner or later. Thinking this, Gao Hu straightened his posture again.

“Haha, a temporary mistake. I beg the Seventh Imperial Sister not to hold it against me. Since the Consort is unharmed, His Majesty will surely not hold it against me either.” Gao Hu laughed for a moment, then drew his bow again and shot down the petals from the tree.

Others were also quite surprised by Gao Hu’s blatantness. However, the First Prince Gao Hu had powerful backing at court, so no matter how astonished everyone was, they could only pretend that nothing had happened.

Looking around, petals were scattered all over the floor, intensely fragrant. The arrow shot by Gao Hu strung the Osmanthus petals together.

Servants quickly stepped forward to record the number of petals on the arrow.

Seeing his good score, Gao Hu gave a light snort, said he needed to change his clothes, and temporarily left the hall.

Meanwhile, Gao Jingxi tightly frowned and gripped Lian Liejin’s hand. “Consort, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Lian Liejin smiled calmly, her eyes gleaming.

After a moment, Lian Liejin touched her cuff and whispered, “Your humble servant wishes to go out for some fresh air.”

“Good, come back as quickly as you can,” Gao Jingxi was slightly surprised to see Lian Liejin show no fear—

With a difference in rank, Stellar Energy could generate immense pressure. The oppression and suppression from this pressure could even affect a person’s mind.

Even if she had blocked the arrow for Lian Liejin, the Consort shouldn’t be completely unaffected.

Lian Liejin walked quickly, brushing past Gao Hu at the doorway.

At this moment, everyone’s attention was drawn by the commotion of Gao Qing shooting her arrow.

It was widely known that the Fifth Princess’s aptitude was mediocre, and the power of her mother’s family was weakening, making her not a strong contender for the throne.

Gao Qing seemed to understand what everyone was thinking. She obligingly shot down only a few Osmanthus flowers, shrugging her shoulders with indifference, and returned to her seat.

The Osmanthus flowers on the tree seemed to bloom even more brilliantly, and the banquet hall was filled with the rich scent of the flowers.

“Seventh Imperial Sister, it’s your turn.” The First Prince Gao Hu’s eyes, like venomous snakes in the darkness, shone with malicious light.

The bow in Gao Jingxi’s hand was very ordinary, without excessive decoration. The black-gold colored bow subtly radiated an ancient, mysterious aura.

She exerted a gentle force. The bow drew into a full moon. The arrow began to glow with starlight; bright golden Stellar Energy, like tiny bubbles, rotated around the arrow shaft.

A dragon’s roar was heard, and a shooting star flew straight. All the Osmanthus flowers on the tree were enveloped in starlight, gradually floating in mid-air, forming one massive cluster of petals.

The Seventh Princess’s arrow blew all the petals from the tree, collecting and condensing them around the arrow shaft. The Stellar Energy on the arrow emitted an extremely dazzling light, causing everyone’s eyes to turn red and water from the glare.

Gao Jingxi usually acted with restraint, prioritizing patience. But today, she wanted to make it clear to Gao Hu with this arrow—that she, Gao Jingxi, could take his life at any moment.

The door to the banquet hall was suddenly pushed open. Lian Liejin stepped into the hall, standing under what seemed like a giant umbrella of Osmanthus flowers.

Starlight and Osmanthus illuminated her face.

After a long silence, everyone finally reacted, rising to their feet and cheering loudly.

“Her Highness the Seventh Princess is truly deserving of her reputation. The three Imperial Princes and Princesses have set a great precedent for this year’s Poetry Conference!”

Bathed in the golden radiance, Lian Liejin seemed to really love the Osmanthus flowers, lingering for a long time before returning to her seat.

With the Star-Plucking Ceremony complete, and Gao Jingxi’s Osmanthus flowers now preserved in an eternal state by the Stellar Energy, everyone suggested sending them to the Imperial Palace as a gift to the Emperor.

“You like Osmanthus flowers?” Gao Jingxi asked, raising an eyebrow. She remembered that Guan Xie planted many Osmanthus flowers in her small courtyard on Qingyue Mountain.

“Mmm,” Lian Liejin nodded sincerely. “Osmanthus cake is delicious.”

“Alright, you love to eat them, do you?” Gao Jingxi had intended to use this subtle question to get Lian Liejin to admit that she was Guan Xie. Now, it seemed the person was just feigning ignorance!

She put on a half-smile. “A You, bring fifteen plates of Osmanthus cake to the Consort. Consort, only after you finish the Osmanthus cake will I take you back to the Princess’s residence.”

Lian Liejin looked confused. After careful consideration, she said, “But your humble servant didn’t want to go back to the Princess’s residence.”

“Enough. Clear the Osmanthus and serve the food.” Gao Jingxi was exasperated. She immediately turned and sat straight, giving the order while calming her temper. She continually reminded herself that perhaps she was just overthinking things, that Lian Liejin wasn’t Guan Xie, and that she couldn’t harbor such a strong obsession.

The Poetry Conference always started with a meal, followed by the actual competition of poetry and prose. Therefore, there were always several rounds of song and dance performances. This year, countless singing girls performed as usual.

Servants filed in, carrying platters of exquisite delicacies. Lian Liejin recognized dishes like Yan Du Xian (bamboo shoots and cured meat soup), Phoenix Stewed Peony (a chicken dish), and Taibai Duck…

She took a bite of the Golden Silk Beef Crisp that was served; it was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with meat juices.

“Why is there a duck dish?”

Lian Liejin had just swallowed the beef crisp and was about to pick up a duck neck when she heard Lian Pingyou’s slightly angry voice. “Your Highness, you never eat duck meat. Why is Taibai Duck specially served today?”

There was a story behind the duck. When Gao Jingxi was just five years old, someone poisoned her duck soup. The Seventh Princess nearly died that time and only recovered after a year or two.

Consequently, she rarely ate duck dishes after that incident.

“Pingyou, you are making too much of this,” Gao Jingxi gently shook her head. “That was years ago. What does it have to do with the duck now?”

Lian Liejin placed the duck neck back in the bowl, a little confused by their conversation. “Your Highness, are you allergic to duck meat?”