XH 60

 

Today was Princess Long Lian's fifteenth birthday. It was supposed to be a happy day, yet the birthday girl was currently sulking in Xiao Hua's room. Xiao Hua had woken up early thanks to the reliable Duan XiYing's wake up alarm and had done her daily routine of running two laps around the residence - that was the best she could do, for now - when Long Lian appeared without notice.

 

"Ah Lian, you need to go and get ready for the banquet," Xiao Hua urged helplessly.

 

"This princess is angry and have no mood to attend a banquet!"

 

"You are the main character in today's banquet, how can it start without you? The Empress will also be angry with you if you are not there."

 

"Then she should allow you to celebrate my birthday with me!"

 

"You know it would not be good to have a maid celebrate birthdays with a princess." 

 

"If you are not there, I won't be happy!" Long Lian sulked and finally revealed a little of her true feelings. "I hate those two-faced vile females. They would either gossip bad things about me or get close to me for benefits."

 

"Just socialize with them for a while before making excuses to leave early," Xiao Hua suggested. It might not be a good idea, but it might appease the angry princess.

 

Xiao Hua steadily ignored Tang Mei, Long Lian's new personal maid, who was doing her best to send eye signals to get her to urge the princess to return. The problem with servants in ancient times was that they were too afraid of shooting reasonable and common sense advice to their momentarily offline masters, fear of getting scolded or punished for speaking things their masters do not want to hear.

 

Long Lian was not that kind of mistress, but the careful Tang Mei was still new and had yet to be close enough to the princess to act as her confidant. 

 

"I want you there!" Long Lian said stubbornly and successfully stirring the annoyance that usually slumbered inside Xiao Hua.

 

"Unless I am a first or second rank minister's daughter or someone with an honorary title, Xiao Hua could not attend Princess Long Lian's birthday celebration. Please, Princess, do not make things difficult for this servant."

 

If Long Lian continues being stubborn and enraged the Emperor and Empress, Xiao Hua might be sent off somewhere far away, making sure that they will no longer be able to meet with each other. If it was before Xiao Hua got used to living here, she might be happy to be sent off far away from the black star that was known as Long Zhu, the Third Prince of Guilin Country.

 

As a human that had not suffered and lived a life of comfort, Le XiaoTing admitted that her life as the Third Prince's personal maid was not that horrible. She was reluctant to part with this newfound comfort.

 

Long Lian's lips thinned, and paired with rosy cheeks and teary eyes, these were the signs of her going to cry.

 

"No crying," Xiao Hua said sharply. "If you cry on your birthday, you might cry for the rest of the year." That was what Le XiaoTing's mother used to said to make her well behaved during birthdays or Chinese New Year celebrations during her childhood.

 

Long Lian was frustrated and wanted to vent, but what she might say would hurt Xiao Hua. She tried to have Xiao Hua celebrate her birthday at her birthday feast, but Mother Empress refused and threatens to kill Xiao Hua if she continues pressing the matter.

 

It was not that she did not trust her Third brother's capability in protecting Xiao Hua from harm, but Mother Empress was someone with high authority in this kingdom. It would be very easy for her to slip an assassin into the residence and kill Xiao Hua.

 

The Empress was born into a commoner family with no prominent background. It was because of her strong drive and coupled with the Emperor's favor, she managed to survive till now and able to build connections with powerful people.

 

Long Lian really liked Xiao Hua, the naive sweet girl that was not exposed to the ugliness of the world. She does not wish for her to die, yet she wanted Xiao Hua to enjoy her life instead of keeping her inside a cage.

 

"What's going to happen to your birthday? I want to celebrate it with you!"

 

"What about tonight? We will have a nice meal together. We can even open your presents together," Xiao Hua proposed, her annoyance quickly disappeared once Long Lian no longer pushing the issue.

 

Long Lian pouted. "I can force my way here tonight, but as for my presents, I will have to view them as soon as the guest present them to me."

 

This was to let the guests have a 'who gave the best present' showdown!

 

"Where's third brother? He should have known I'm here by now."

 

Long Lian was actually here to talk to her brother about putting more guards around Xiao Hua. Aside from her stubbornness to have Xiao Hua celebrate birthdays, Mother Empress together was also angry that her only son treated Xiao Hua so well. 

 

"Master say to bring princess to his study after princess finish talking to Xiao Hua," Duan XiYing speaks up.

 

Long Lian frowned as her lips curled in distaste. For Xiao Hua's new 'assistant', she does not look reliable!

 

Look at how she was standing! She was leaning against the wall with her hips sticking out, showing off her white slender leg from the side slit of her dress. Her fingers were idly playing with her side bangs and her seductive eyes were gazing at them lazily.

 

But Long Lian did not reprimand the vixen servant, for she had known from Xiao Hua that her third brother was the one that personally assigned her to serve Xiao Hua. Which means that this vixen must not be a normal servant.

 

Long Lian stood up and used her hand to even the imaginary wrinkles on her dress. "I will go and greet the third brother before returning back to the palace. I will look forward to tonight's party."

 

Tang Mei's face was not able to hide her relief. She had feared that the princess would be punished by the Empress if she did not show up for the banquet.

 

"No need to follow me. I know the path." Long Lian waved to stop Xiao Hua and Duan XiYing from following her.

 

"Then, I will see you later! I will ask the kitchen to make all of your favorite food!"

 

Long Lian grinned childishly. "I want Xiao Hua to cook for me!"

 

Xiao Hua's smile freeze. "This...I don't know how to cook..."

 

She can only cook using her reliable microwave and high-tech stove! They were extremely reliable when it comes to cooking instant noodles and reheating the pre-made frozen food!

 

Long Lian's face dimmed but her face still has a grin on. "Forget it then. I will wait for your gift!"

 

Xiao Hua nodded. "I hope you would not dislike it when you see it tonight."

 

After getting that promise from Xiao Hua, Long Lian left Xiao Hua's room with a lighter mood and headed towards the Third Prince's study.

 

Eunuch Lau Liu was standing in front of the door, already expecting the Princess' arrival. He gave Princess Long Lian a respectful salute before pushing the door open. "Princess, the prince is already expecting you. Please head in."

 

Tang Mei stood outside to wait with Eunuch Lau Liu and closed the door after Long Lian stepped into the room.

 

Long Lian had been into her third brother's study for a few times and there was nothing interesting in it. So she did not spare the room any glance and focused her eyes on her outrageously beautiful looking third brother.

 

She remembered when she was just six years old, her eight-year-old third brother suddenly moved out of the palace and stayed at a monastery to pray for the country and Emperor's well-being.

 

Secretly eavesdropped the conversation between Mother Empress and Nanny Lan, her third brother's wet nurse, the six-year-old princess discovered that her third brother was caught by Nanny Lan when he tried to sneak out of the room to assassinate second brother during one night.

 

The Empress was terrified that the matter would reach the Emperor's ears and decided to send the Third Prince to a monastery to pray for one year and have him calm down to reflect on his mistakes. A year had turned to three years when the Third Prince finally returned with a young maid and accompanied by a few guards with high cultivation.

 

Long Lian did not get the chance to visit her third brother before he was sent away. The first time she finally get to see him after three years, she was terrified of what she could see from his eyes. She was still too young to recognize the emotions flickering through his eyes, but they were enough to scare her.

 

Long Zhu held out a peeled mandarin orange to Long Lian, breaking her journey down the memory lane. "It's fortunate that you willingly decide to return to the palace, or else I would have to drag you back regardless of how much fuss you will create."

 

Long Lian let out a huff and took the orange. "Your ears are everywhere. Then you must have known my conversation with Mother Empress?"

 

"Mother Empress has her own concerns about the matter. Don't be so hard on your own mother, Long Lian."

 

Long Lian chewed hard on the orange, her anger returning. "Hard? She's being unreasonable! She wants to kill Xiao Hua just because I treated my friend well!"

 

"Mother Empress does not know Xiao Hua well and can only see you are unreasonably coddling a servant."

 

"Third brother! Whose side are you on?" Long Lian snapped.

 

"I am not siding with anyone," Long Zhu answered calmly and sipped his tea. But after one sip, he placed down his cup and did not touch it again.

 

"Long Lian, even if you want to treat Xiao Hua well, do it discreetly."

 

"Third brother, you should tell that to yourself." Long Lian rolled her eyes.

 

Long Zhu raised an eyebrow at his younger sister's insolence. "I never thought my little maid would teach you so many bad things."

 

Long Lian had learned how to talk back to him and even learning rude gestures such as that eye roll.

 

Actually, Xiao Hua felt guilty that she had sabotaged Long Lian's 'learning to be mature' event. So she tried to help out by telling her things. But most of the 'educational' conversation always ends up in the wrong path.

 

"But what I've said is right. It's because of how you treat Xiao Hua that Mother Empress dislike her!"

 

"Did you not lecture this brother about treating my servants better?" Long Zhu countered.

 

Long Lian snorted. "You treat Xiao Hua as if she's your princess consort. That's why Mother Empress dislikes Xiao Hua even more!"

 

Long Zhu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The way I treat her looks that way to others?"

 

Long Lian: '...' 

 

No way! My third brother had unconsciously acted like an indulging husband all these time? How would he act when Xiao Hua officially become his princess consort?!