Willow on the Palace Wall (Lily ABO) - Chapter 9

009: Hiding a Beauty

“Military grounds are no place for riding or driving!” Four soldiers at the gate crossed their spears, blocking the caravan of grain wagons.

Unlike the usual cavalry that escorted grain supplies, this time there were three large carriages. Although they looked ordinary, they were pulled by eight horses each—all well-fed, strong, and priceless.

Accompanying the three carriages were five guards. At the front, a woman rode a pure white steed. She had a graceful, curvaceous figure and was dressed in a sheer, fiery red silk robe. A matching silk scarf covered her face. In the wind, she looked like a raging fire. Were it not for the two curved swords on her back, her figure would have been more fitting for a courtesan singing and dancing in a brothel.

“Do you know who is in these carriages? How dare you stop us!” When the woman spoke, her voice was like that of rusted iron, raspy and low, even more so than that of an old man, chilling to the bone.

The soldiers at the gate kept their eyes forward, their spears unmoving.

“No one, no matter who they are, is allowed to enter the military camp in a carriage. This is a military order!”

“A military order?” The woman in red gave two cold laughs, her voice resembling a ghostly wail in the night. She pulled a token from her robe and threw it to the soldier holding the spear.

The soldiers looked closely at the token. It was engraved with a soaring dragon, a symbol reserved for high-ranking nobles in the palace.

“Now that you’ve recognized it, get out of the way!”

The soldiers exchanged glances, but still refused to let her pass. “Military orders are like mountains. It is best for the honorable guest to dismount and enter the camp.”

“How audacious! I see you won’t shed a tear until you see your own coffin!” The red-robed woman drew the two curved swords from her back and lunged at the nearest soldier, a determined look on her face as if she meant to chop off his head.

But the swords stopped barely an inch from the soldier. Su Ce, holding her Mian sword with one hand, had blocked the attack. “So many years, and Qi Ying’s temper is still so short. But the soldiers here are not your dolls to vent your anger on.”

She thrust her hand forward, nearly knocking Qi Ying’s swords from her grasp. Qi Ying held on with all her might, but her hand ached and bled.

“Eldest Princess, I have offended you!” Qi Ying immediately dismounted and knelt to bow.

“Who are you here with?” Su Ce was curious. Qi Ying was a guard of the Eastern Palace and usually accompanied the Crown Prince. “Why would the Crown Prince let you come out here?”

“Is that how I sound in your eyes, Royal Sister, so petty?”

Before the voice from the carriage had finished, a long, slender hand with distinct knuckles pushed aside the many layers of curtain. The glowing pearl on the person’s pale index finger illuminated the face within. It was none other than the Crown Prince herself, Su Ling, Su Ce’s third sister!

“Your Highness!” Su Ce exclaimed, cupping her hands and about to kneel, but Su Ling caught her arm.

“Royal Sister, I’m traveling in disguise. I don’t wish for too many people to know. There’s no need for such a grand gesture.”

“Why would Your Highness bother to personally escort the grain?” Su Ce was puzzled. The Emperor’s health had been declining in recent years, and he had recently become obsessed with alchemy and seeking immortality. The Crown Prince had taken over the role of Regent since last winter. It was no exaggeration to say that she was overwhelmed with work. For her to make a trip that would take over half a month was extremely suspicious.

“Am I not welcome, Royal Sister?” Su Ling completely ignored Su Ce’s question. She gestured to Qi Ying, who immediately pulled a plain black wooden box from her saddlebag.

“If I didn’t know we grew up together, I’d almost think Royal Sister was a Kunze pretending to be a Zhongyong,” Su Ling said, completely unaware that she was speaking the truth. “When I was checking the grain, I found this in one of the wagons. It’s a pheromone-suppressing pill specifically for Kunze.”

“Royal Sister… have you finally hidden away a lover?”