Chapter 8: First Meeting with Prince Jin

After several days of continuous snowfall, the storm finally ceased. A full moon illuminated the entire Prime Minister’s residence with a bright glow.

Upon discovering that this body she had taken over harbored hidden martial skills, Xia Qiqi’s first thought was to flee immediately! But then she reconsidered—she had no money, yet she had to take along a maid and a cat. How could she survive in this unfamiliar ancient world?

Moreover, with Liu Yuanqing’s immense power, even retreating to a quiet mountain life would be no easy feat. It would be better to feign acceptance of the marriage at the Prince of Jin’s mansion and find a good opportunity to escape during the bridal procession.

This way, she could secure several pieces of dowry to support her little family of three, and also divert the trouble towards the Prince of Jin’s household. By the time Liu Yuanqing realized she had fled and went to the Prince of Jin to retrieve her, she would probably already be living a prosperous life with Chun Tao and Xiao Ai!

Just the thought was delightful!

Xia Qiqi once again stealthily climbed to the rooftop of the leisure residence, the place closest to the full moon in the entire mansion.

That day, Liu Yuanqing and the heir Liu Yunzou were hosting a banquet at the leisure residence to entertain guests from the Prince of Jin’s mansion. In three days, the bridal procession would set off, and Xia Qiqi suddenly grew curious to see what the living Prince of Jin actually looked like.

After all, princes were creatures she had only ever seen in dramas.

The leisure residence was where Liu Yuanqing and his stepwife Wang lived; the concubines and the unmarried children lived in the side courtyard.

As the banquet just ended, the honored guests’ sedan chair at the gate had not yet departed, indicating that the Prince of Jin was likely still inside the leisure residence, probably discussing the details of the welcoming ceremony with Liu Yuanqing in the study.

Xia Qiqi, familiar with the layout, quickly found the rooftop above Liu Yuanqing’s study. But as she lifted a loose tile, the voices she overheard nearly made her fall off the roof in shock.

“You’re so bad…”

The tender, shy voice sent a shiver down Xia Qiqi’s spine.

She wondered if she was either incredibly lucky or unlucky to stumble upon such a scandalous scene on her very first attempt at spying!

No, that couldn’t be right.

There was no way the woman in the study was Liu Yuanqing’s stepwife Wang, who was around forty years old and could not possibly sound so youthful and delicate.

A sly smile tugged at Xia Qiqi’s lips.

She wondered which of Liu Yuanqing’s concubines dared to flirt with their master at such a time!

Unable to resist her curiosity, Xia Qiqi stealthily peeked into the room below.

Two passionate figures tangled together—though their faces were obscured, their youthful builds were unmistakable. Who were they to dare indulge in such intimacy in the prime minister’s study?

Could the man inside be the Prince of Jin himself?

And the woman? Why did she look remarkably like Liu Mingzhu, the prime minister’s illegitimate daughter?

Alas!

Xia Qiqi suddenly recalled her promise to Liu Yuanqing to consummate the marriage with the Prince of Jin after the wedding. But now that she had seen him indulging with Liu Mingchan, she deeply regretted it.

During her three years as a maid in the prime minister’s house, the worst tormentor was none other than this Second Miss Liu Mingzhu!

Liu Mingzhu was the favorite concubine’s daughter, the most alluring of all the illegitimate daughters. Despite her status, she abused her favored position to torment and beat the servants.

The thought of the Prince of Jin frolicking with her made Xia Qiqi nearly sickened.

It seemed she had better plan an escape during the bridal procession.

Just as she was about to leave, a young man’s voice suddenly whispered beside her, “What are you doing?”

Someone else shared her penchant for gossiping. Xia Qiqi lifted an eyebrow and put a finger to her lips, whispering, “Shh! Don’t make a sound!”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you—the man inside is the prince. If we startle him, we’ll both be doomed!”

Xia Qiqi tugged at the young man’s sleeve, signaling him to crouch down quickly. She didn’t want to lose her life due to someone else’s recklessness.

“Prince? Which prince?” the young man asked reluctantly, squatting down.

“Cough, who else could it be?” Xia Qiqi glanced sideways at him. “Isn’t he the prince who’s coming to marry the eldest miss?”

Listening to the intermittent amorous sounds from inside, the young man’s expression darkened. “You mean the Prince of Jin is in there?”

“That’s him!” Xia Qiqi gestured toward the room with her eyes. “They’re having a grand time. If you scare him, we might not make it out alive!”

The Prince of Jin? Having such fun?

If the young man wasn’t the genuine article, Xia Qiqi might almost have believed it.

But who was this girl spying from the rooftop?

Standing earlier, she couldn’t see her face clearly, but now crouching beneath the soft moonlight, a gentle glow seemed to soften her features, and her slightly mischievous eyes held a captivating spell that made it hard to look away.

A cold breeze whispered past, carrying faint scents of peonies, delightfully fragrant.

“Sir, shall we go now?” The tender female voice inside sounded again.

“Hmm, the procession sets off in three days. You’ll come along too,” the male voice replied, still lingering in reluctance.

He was actually bringing Liu Mingchan to the Prince of Jin’s mansion?

Xia Qiqi couldn’t help but mutter softly, “Scumbag,” then began to stand.

Turning around, she met a pair of deep, dark eyes—like the night itself—fixated unblinkingly upon her.

“I wasn’t wrong, was I?” Xia Qiqi blushed slightly, her gaze becoming evasive. “The show’s over, let’s go back.”

Chu Hanxiao frowned. “Is the woman inside the prime minister’s daughter?”

“Yes,” Xia Qiqi said, curious. “You don’t even know her?”

It seemed he was not from the prime minister’s household.

Then who was he?

Xia Qiqi stood, folding her arms, eyeing Chu Hanxiao up and down. “Judging by your attire, you’re not ordinary. Tell me, who are you? And why do you sneak into the prime minister’s residence at night?”

“Are you an assassin sent to kill the prime minister?” she asked, her voice tinged with an inexplicable excitement!

If he really was an assassin, and could end Liu Yuanqing’s life with one strike, perhaps she wouldn’t have to marry off to the Prince of Jin.

Moonlight poured over Xia Qiqi’s silhouette as Chu Hanxiao stared blankly at the smiling girl before him. Though dressed as a maid, her beautiful eyes were like a clear pool of water, her slightly parted lips exquisitely pure.

Then she spoke again, “Hey! If you don’t tell me who you are, I’ll call for help!”

Chu Hanxiao’s gaze darkened. “What if I say I’m a guest of the prime minister’s residence?”

“A guest?” Xia Qiqi suddenly understood. “I get it, you’re the Prince of Jin’s secret guard!”

Ancient princes always had several undercover guards ready to protect their lives.

No wonder he didn’t look surprised at the Prince of Jin’s tryst; it must be an everyday occurrence for him.

Chu Hanxiao nodded expressionlessly.

“Alright,” Xia Qiqi clapped her hands softly. “It’s late. See you in three days!”

Now that he was the Prince of Jin’s secret guard, it would be useful to establish familiarity—maybe she could leverage this when she made her escape.

Chu Hanxiao stared at Xia Qiqi’s face, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. “You’ll be among the bridal procession in three days?”

“Yes!” Xia Qiqi was about to descend from the rooftop when her foot suddenly halted. She turned and gently reminded, “Your prince should take his medicine.”

“Medicine?” Chu Hanxiao was puzzled.

“Yes, he’s impotent.”