Chapter 37 Princess Bright Moon

In the afternoon, within the inner quarters of the Great Qian Imperial Palace.

Tie Sanniang, accompanied by Bi You'er, walked along the long corridor led by a palace maid. Bi You'er looked at the female guards in tight-fitting attire stationed every fifty paces along the hallway, her expression one of surprise. She whispered, "Miss, why are there suddenly so many people here in the inner palace?"

Hearing this, Tie Sanniang glanced at the palace maid leading them. Seeing no reaction from her, she breathed a sigh of relief, turned back, and glared at the girl. "If you don't know how to speak properly, then keep your mouth shut."

"Oh." Bi You'er immediately covered her mouth.

Soon, the two arrived before a courtyard. Entering, a palace appeared before them. On the plaque above the entrance were three large characters: "Moonlight Pavilion." As the name suggests, this was the residence of the Great Qian's first princess, Princess Mingyue.

"Please wait a moment, both of you. Allow me to inform the Princess," the maid said, approaching the palace entrance. She called out softly, "Reporting to Her Highness, Miss Tie is here to seek an audience."

The palace fell silent for a moment before a voice drifted from within. "By the Princess's order, invite Miss Tie into the hall."

Hearing this, the maid pushed open the door and gestured for them to enter. "Miss Tie, please."

"Thank you for the trouble," Tie Sanniang said with a nod, leading Bi You'er inside.

Upon entering, another maid appeared before them. "Please follow me." She took the lead, guiding them through the palace. The interior was vast and quiet, but Tie Sanniang, who possessed innate-level cultivation, sensed that many people were hidden throughout the palace, all of whom were practitioners. Faintly, she could even feel several auras that were not inferior to her own.

Before long, they arrived at another set of doors. This time, the maid did not announce them; she simply pushed the doors open and gestured. "The Princess is waiting inside."

Tie Sanniang nodded and stepped in, with Bi You'er following closely behind. Inside, Tie Sanniang saw a series of white gauze curtains hanging in the room. Behind them, a figure, graceful even in silhouette, leaned against a bed.

"Sanniang, You'er, you've come," the figure behind the curtains said, sitting up. Her voice was gentle. "Someone, bring seats for Sanniang and little You'er."

"Yes, Your Highness." Two maids brought chairs and placed them beside the guests.

After sitting down, Tie Sanniang surveyed the room's arrangement. "Mingyue, this is..."

The figure was none other than the master of the palace, Princess Mingyue—Zhao Yue.

"Cough, cough." Suddenly, a fit of coughing came from behind the curtains, her voice sounding even more delicate. "I caught a chill recently and feared passing it on to others, so I pulled the curtains to isolate myself."

Hearing this, a trace of worry appeared on Tie Sanniang's face. "Haven't you had the imperial physician examine you?"

Princess Mingyue replied softly, "The physician has seen me. It is nothing serious, so you need not worry."

Tie Sanniang sighed in relief. "That is good."

Suddenly, she seemed to recall something. "Mingyue, are you aware that the Anyuan Earl's mansion was demolished by the Prime Minister's residence today?"

"I am not." It took a moment for the voice to emerge from behind the curtains.

Thinking of this, Tie Sanniang could not help but exclaim, "It's all that damned playboy's fault. To think he dared to ruin... well, regardless, he deserves to die." Fearing she might reopen her friend's wounds, she changed her tone mid-sentence.

Princess Mingyue said gently, "What is past is past."

Though she said this, Tie Sanniang sensed a complexity in her tone. Clearly, her princess friend was not as indifferent as she appeared. But then again, how could any woman recover so quickly from such an incident?

Afterward, they chatted about other matters. Perhaps due to Princess Mingyue’s illness, Tie Sanniang did most of the talking, sharing interesting things she had encountered outside. Especially when discussing recent events, Tie Sanniang’s tone became much more cheerful.

Tie Sanniang chuckled, "You wouldn't believe it, but our silly You'er was led around by the nose by that fellow."

Bi You'er puffed out her cheeks, looking disgruntled. "I'm not silly! It's just that the bad guy was too wicked."

Tie Sanniang laughed, "I wonder which girl was so worried that her face turned white when I told her that fellow had died."

Princess Mingyue also chimed in at the right moment, "You'er, if you really have taken a liking to him, you must let Sanniang help you vet him properly."

"Princess, Miss, you both..." Bi You'er's face turned crimson, whether from shy anger or because her secret had been guessed, she could not say.

The three talked for a while longer until Tie Sanniang realized it was getting late. She stood up and said, "The hour is late, Mingyue. Since you are ill, you should rest early. You'er and I should be going."

"Very well. I will have someone see you out."

"Thank you."

Under Princess Mingyue's instruction, the maid escorted them out.

...

An incense stick of time later, after Tie Sanniang and Bi You'er had fully departed, Princess Mingyue’s voice drifted from behind the curtains.

"You all may leave; this palace mistress wishes to rest."

"Yes, Your Highness," voices echoed from all corners of the hall.

Once she was certain that everyone hiding in the room had left, a voice suddenly echoed in the empty hall. "You handled your friend well just now. Why not speak to me in that same tone in the future?"

The voice was Princess Mingyue's, yet strangely, while it was the same voice, it lacked the previous gentleness, carrying instead a faint, seductive quality.

Soon, Princess Mingyue’s voice spoke again. "Is that possible?"

Though only three words, the voice had lost all softness and seduction, becoming exceptionally cold—like the distant, frosty moon in the sky, creating an infinite sense of distance.

"Could it be that you still don't trust me even now?"

"Why should I trust you?"

"But you truly are me, and I truly am you. That is a fact no one can change." The seductive voice held a note of provocation.

"I still don't trust you."

"Fine, believe it or not. But I believe you will be begging me sooner or later."

"Why would I beg you?"

"Heh, you are me, and I am you. I don't believe you cannot feel the abnormality in your own belly. I’ve calculated the time—we haven't had our monthly cycle for three months now, have we?"

"Was that your doing?"

"Hee hee, I don't have that ability. It is all the merit of my benefactor."

"Your benefactor?"

"Yes, that fellow who ran over three months ago. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have had the chance to emerge." The seductive voice carried a touch of sincerity.

The cold voice paused. "So, you were the one who seized my body to plead with Father for mercy?"

The seductive voice chuckled. "Don't just blame me. We both pleaded; if you hadn't agreed, I could not have fully controlled your body."

The cold voice remained silent for a moment before saying slowly, "I just didn't want Qing'er to hate me."

The seductive voice replied, "It's useless to say that now. My benefactor has been secretly killed by our father, and even her home was destroyed today."

"But then again, based on the letters I've seen between you and her, it is highly likely that the girl is not one to confuse right from wrong. What happened was not my cheap benefactor's fault, was it?"

The cold voice murmured, "To be honest, I should thank him."

The seductive voice continued, "You should indeed. Otherwise, after that banquet, you might have been betrothed to your cheap cousin. Compared to being under a man's thumb for a lifetime, being 'pressed' by someone for just an hour is clearly a better bargain."

The cold voice sounded flustered and annoyed. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

The seductive voice answered, "Just stating the truth. Isn't that how it is between men and women?"

The cold voice retorted, "I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm going to sleep."

The seductive voice whispered, "We'll sleep together. Remember what I said: if you really can't hide it, beg me. For the sake of us being one person, I might just help you."

The cold voice snapped, "I don't need your help."

The seductive voice chuckled, "Heh, some things are not up to you."

Afterward, the room fell silent once more, as if nothing had ever happened.

...

At this moment, outside the imperial city, Tie Sanniang and Bi You'er were traveling back to the Tie estate in a carriage.

"Tell me, You'er, what if we were to recruit that 'bad guy' of yours?" Having handled most of her affairs, Tie Sanniang’s thoughts returned to the man who held her secret.

Bi You'er’s eyes brightened, only to dim quickly. "Miss, the bad guy has already rejected you. Is there still a chance?"

"Hmph." Tie Sanniang touched her face and chuckled. "Opportunities are for those who are prepared. I don't believe there is a man in this world that I, 'Iron Lady' Sanniang, cannot handle."

Hearing this, Bi You'er felt energized. "Then I'll leave it to you, Miss! Bind him and bring him back to tell us stories. He still hasn't finished the story he promised me."

Tie Sanniang pondered for a moment. "When we get back, have someone investigate his identity and background. Then, find his weakness and break him in one stroke."

This was her most common tactic. As a merchant, she believed in nothing more than human nature; in her view, all business failures were simply a matter of insufficient leverage. She did not believe that, with her abilities, she could not master a man.

Half a month later, after returning home and checking the results of the investigation, she was stunned.

"His file is only this?"

Under a pavilion, Tie Sanniang held a piece of paper, a look of disbelief flashing in her beautiful eyes. The paper in her hand contained only a few simple strokes of ink.

Outside the pavilion, Tie Xin knelt on one knee and said in a low voice, "Reporting to Miss, that is all there is."

"We only managed to trace him to his first appearance in Yumen Town. The earliest person he contacted was a gatekeeper at Yumen Pass, but the trail went cold there. The gatekeeper refused to reveal the identity of the target."

Tie Sanniang frowned. "The gatekeeper refused to talk?"

"Yes."

"Did you offer money?"

"I did. He didn't take it; he simply refused to speak."

At this, Tie Xin added, "If you permit it, Miss, I can find a way to make him talk."

Tie Sanniang’s expression darkened. She wanted to recruit the man, not make an enemy of him. If he were a foe, she would not mind using certain methods. But thinking of that man, she felt that if she dared to do such a thing, the outcome for her would be disastrous.

"Forget it," Tie Sanniang waved her hand. "No need to continue the investigation. Let it be."

Bi You'er asked from the side, "Miss, are you giving up?"

"Giving up?" Tie Sanniang chuckled. "There is no such word as 'giving up' in my life."

At that moment, no one knew what was truly on her mind.

...

Meanwhile, on an ancient road in the eastern part of the Great Qian, a carriage was moving slowly.

"Achoo!"

Li Dao, sitting at the front of the carriage, suddenly sneezed.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Jiu'er poked her head out, her eyes filled with concern. "Young Master, I told you to wear more clothes."

Li Dao was taken aback. With a physique nearly a hundred times stronger than an ordinary person, how could he catch a cold? However, he was unsure why he had sneezed and found it difficult to argue with the little girl.

Shortly after, Jiu'er climbed out with a heavy coat. "Young Master, it's almost mid-autumn, and it's getting colder here. Please, wear more."

Seeing the stubbornness in the little girl's eyes, Li Dao knew he couldn't refuse. He took the coat and draped it over his shoulders.

Then, she added a layer for herself and sat beside him. "Young Master, how much longer must we travel before we stop?"

Li Dao reached out and patted the girl's head. "Don't worry, we'll arrive soon."

"Gurgle."

A muffled sound echoed. Jiu'er's face turned red.

"Ha." Li Dao couldn't help but laugh. "Are you hungry, you little glutton?"

Jiu'er pouted, "Young Master, those dry rations aren't very filling."

"Alright, I won't tease you." Li Dao recalled the map in his mind for a moment. "Fine, there is a village about ten miles ahead. We'll see if there's any food there."

He hadn't been there before, but he had committed the entire map to memory.

Hearing this, Jiu'er’s eyes lit up. She grabbed her young master's arm and shook it. "Then Young Master, make the horse go faster!"

"I know."

Li Dao flicked the reins, and the carriage accelerated forward.

An incense stick of time later.

"Young Master, look! There's a village ahead!" Jiu'er stood up in the carriage, pointing forward.

"Mm, I see it."

Li Dao had just finished speaking with a smile when his ears twitched. He froze, and the smile slowly faded from his face.