Chapter 95: 94

Chapter 94: Eavesdropping

Yuchi Li had never in her life imagined that she would spring something like this on her. She was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. 

“What’re you thinking?” She said helplessly. 

Nevermind, then. Looking at Xin Ran now, she could not give her a reason. She stretched out her hand wordlessly. 

Xin Ran hesitated, but still placed her palm on Yuchi Li’s hand. Yuchi Li pulled her up forcefully. 

Yuchi Li sighed, and, making eye contact with Xin Ran, enunciated carefully: “I will explain to you what I said another time. But I have a question. Will you speak of what I said today?”

Xin Ran’s gaze contained a rare bit of timidity, but after hearing Yuchi Li’s question, she shook her head without a hint of hesitation, absolutely steadfast. 

She still believed in her Princess, as always. 

“That’s good, then.” Yuchi Li patted her shoulder, relieved. 

“Princess…” Xin Ran started cautiously. 

“Rest assured, I’ll find a handsome general for you in the future.” Yuchi Li ruffled her hair, shrugging at Liu Luoyi. 

Xin Ran released an audible sigh of relief and soon cheered up. She skipped out the door joyfully and showed Yuchi Li the carved chair padded with several layers of cushions that she had painstakingly arranged for her. 

The three of them sat inside for a while. When they noticed that it was approaching noon, they set out to find the restaurant indicated by Yuchi Die.

The streets were far clearer than before, with fewer people out to bump shoulders with, so they found the largest restaurant in E’gu in short order. They could see the multicolored woven textiles hanging from the restaurant’s window, the fluttering display dazzling Yuchi Li. 

Their seats were located on the second floor, in the outermost room. The space was quite large, and from the window, they could see bustling streets below and the boundless grasslands beyond. 

An Ge was standing at the door, watching Yuchi Die from a distance but not daring to approach, and Yuchi Die was sitting at the table by herself, an empty jar of wine in front of her. Yuchi Li’s steps hesitated for a moment before continuing as normal. She sat down beside her. 

“Sister, why are you drinking all by your lonesome without eating anything? You could ruin your health.” Yuchi Li said, slowly taking the wine cup out of her hand. 

However, Yuchi Die suddenly clenched her hand. She raised her eyes to meet Yuchi Li’s gaze, her own laced with ire. The sight surprised Yuchi Li. 

“Let go.” She said tersely. 

Yuchi Li did not release her hand. She retracted her smile and wrenched the wine cup away, placing it to the side. 

Yuchi Die lowered her eyes and said nothing more, diligently eating the side dishes on the table. Liu Luoyi and Xin Ran looked on fearfully, looking at each other with dismay and wondering about what had occurred. 

Yuchi Li gestured for them to sit down. They only dared pick up their chopsticks once the server had placed all sorts of dishes before them, but the atmosphere was as frozen as before. No one spoke. 

Even the dishes lost their flavor. 

Yuchi Die lifted her hand, gave some instructions to the waiter, and in no time, several women of exquisite beauty and charm walked in, their sweet fragrance filling the room. They seemed to be very familiar with Yuchi Die and offered her curtsies with lovely smiles. A woman wearing yellow was the most familiar, even sitting directly beside Yuchi Die. 

“Eldest Princess, it’s been so long.” The yellow-clothed woman covered the lower part of her face with her sleeve as she smiled. Yuchi Li said nothing and gritted her teeth, taking a cup of wine from somewhere and tipping it back to drink. 

When she saw this, An Ge’s nails sank into her palms. She trembled as she looked away, not wanting to watch. 

Liu Luoyi, who was sitting beside Yuchi Li, suddenly coughed, making Yuchi Li raise her head and discover that one of the women was sidling up to her. Startled, she hurriedly dodged. 

“Sister, what is the meaning of this?” Yuchi Li frowned and looked at Yuchi Die. 

Yuchi Die was already somewhat tipsy. She looked at Yuchi Li with her glistening phoenix eyes, bewitching and coquettish. She chuckled, then said: “Yuchi Li, is this the first time we’ve met? Haven’t I always been neglectful of my duties, a denison of the red-light district?”

“We can call some men over, too. It’s boring with just women.” Yuchi Die said. She made to stand up to call someone over but tripped and almost lost her footing. An Ge rushed over to support her.

“Clearly not.” Exacerbated, Yuchi Li pulled that yellow-clothing woman off of her and pushed her a few paces away. 

“How would you know?” Yuchi Die looked at Yuchi Li like she was enjoying her amusing performance, then reached for the wine to continue drinking, but it was snatched away by Yuchi Li. 

“Sister, what happened? Why don’t you tell me?” Yuchi Li was feeling a little worse for wear. She put the wine cup away, but Yuchi Die grabbed the wine flagon beside her and raised her hand toward Yuchi Li all of the sudden. 

Yuchi Li evaded dexterously, leaning back to dodge, all while she grabbed her arm. This bout only lasted a brief moment, but the people around them scattered anxiously and almost missed their movements. 

All they knew was that by the time they halted their movements, Yuchi Li was standing in her original spot, wine soaking her from chin to chest, droplets sliding down her lithe neck. 

Yuchi Die was stunned. Her gaze seemed a little clearer. She looked at her own hand, and with a burst of strength, the wine flagon burst, the fragments flying apart. 

“Yuchi Li…” She whispered. 

Yuchi Li obviously could have avoided the wine, but she had not budged and had instead allowed herself to be doused in wine. 

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“Out. All of you.” Yuchi Li said. 

“Out!” She deepened her voice intimidatingly. The group of women rushed to curtsy before fleeing in terror. As they rushed out of the room, some cast fearful looks behind them, wondering about how the second princess had gone out for a leisurely stroll and had returned with such an imposing manner that brook no defiance. 

“Come with me.” Yuchi Li said as she accepted Liu Luoyi’s cautiously offered handkerchief and wiped away the wine on her body. Then, she turned and walked out, heading to a private room next door. 

After a moment, Yuchi Die lowered her head and also shuffled over to stand at the doorway wordlessly. 

Before Yuchi Li could speak, Yuchi Die came forward of her own accord, placed her hands behind her back, and slightly turned her slender waist, saying: “I’m sorry.”

Yuchi Li was speechless. She shook her head and softened her voice, asking: “Sister, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just had a talk with our royal father yesterday.” Yuchi Die looked at the wine soaking Yuchi Li and seemed to sober up, a profound remorse filling her heart. 

“Did you fight with him?” Yuchi Li asked. 

Yuchi Die shook her head, her gaze still drooping. When she raised her eyes, she looked like a tearful beauty, her eyes filled with tears, her nose red, and her lip trembling. 

Yuchi Li’s heart softened. Her mind occupied, she acted before she thought and went to pass her the handkerchief before realizing it was the same one she had just used to dry her clothes. 

However, when Yuchi Die started to pat her tears dry, she decided to keep her mouth shut about it. 

“Royal Father reprimanded me last night, saying that I didn’t notice anything earlier, didn’t bring you back sooner, and almost let something disastrous occur. He criticized me for being neglectful of my duties, lacking in ambition, being unbecoming of a princess. But it’s always been like this, even since we were children. I’m blamed for your mistakes. I’m the eldest, but you’ve been adored since the day you were born, destined to take the throne. And I’m nothing!”

Yuchi Die seemed to have released all of her pent up thoughts at once. She sobbed as she spoke, then blew her nose in the handkerchief. 

Yuchi Li felt a pang of sadness. She sighed, feeling a little powerless. She did not know what she should say. 

“I’ve hated you since we were children, even now. You treat others so poorly, yet everyone still likes you.” Yuchi Die squatted down, wrapping her pale arms around her knees. 

An outstanding beauty curled up into a little ball like that was a little comical. 

Yuchi Li squatted down beside her and reached out to hug her, patting her softly on the back. She sighed, saying softly: “If you want the position of heir, sister, then I’ll go tell royal father that I don’t want it.”

Yuchi Die’s body trembled. She looked at Yuchi Li in disbelief. 

“What did you say?” Her voice shook slightly. 

“You heard me.” Yuchi Li said, the corners of her lips crooking upward, her gaze gentle, “To tell you the truth, the me of today is completely ignorant of these matters, and you are better at it than I. I shall bear it if it’s my responsibility, but my older sister could lead the Northern Kingdom, so I am not needed for this position.”

The two of them locked gazes. Yuchi Die saw a genuine and absolute sincerity in Yuchi Li’s eyes. Yuchi Die suddenly laughed, tears falling as she did so. 

“Do you think I could do it?” She asked. 

Yuchi Li nodded firmly. 

Yuchi Die buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. She seemed to be either crying, laughing, or both. After a moment, she let out a long sigh and stood up. 

“I’m sorry, just now, I couldn’t hold myself back.” Although her nose was still red, Yuchi Die carded her fingers through her hair to fix her disheveled hair. 

“You are needed as the heir. I was just discontented with our royal father and needed to vent a little.” She suddenly grabbed Yuchi Li’s hand and said, her eyes lowered, “On our journey, I discovered that you do many things that I don’t dare to do. Our royal father’s vision is not wrong. You are more determined, steady, bold, and driven than I, and you understand far, far more than I do.”

“No matter how reluctant I am, I must admit it.” Yuchi Die sniffled. 

“But…” Yuchi Li opened her mouth to interject, but Yuchi Die covered her mouth, “Don’t say any more, in case I change my mind. Our royal father said that there is to be a grand ceremony to appoint the Crown Princess. You have to prepare, as you’ll be facing all of the ministers of the court. Be careful not to lose face.”

She pushed Yuchi Li away, saying: “How about you go first? I want to be alone for a moment.”

Yuchi Li was a little dumbfounded. She scratched her head and obediently left the room, but as soon as she closed the door behind her, she lifted her head to hunt down An Ge, waving her over desperately. 

“Second Princess, how is she?” An Ge ran over anxiously and before she could come to a stop, she was pushed into the room by Yuchi Li and the door locked behind her. 

“My sister is unwell, go encourage her some more.” Then, Yuchi Li pushed away all of the restaurant’s workers and grabbed the cooperative yet confused Liu Luoyi, gesturing to her silently. The two of them went into the neighboring room. Yuchi Li stuck her ear to the wall to listen in. 

“Shhh, I don’t think my sister is just mad at my royal father. She and An Ge must’ve fought. Otherwise, why would they be acting so distant when everything is fine? Even calling those women over.” Yuchi Li whispered as quietly as possible. 

Liu Luoyi nodded, only somewhat understanding. She copied Yuchi Li’s motions and placed her ear against the wall. 

A thud sounded from the next room, followed by Yuchi Die’s muffled cries and then the intermittent sobs of a woman. Yuchi Li felt that something was off. She hurriedly took a few steps back, taking Liu Luoyi into her arms and tightly covering her ears. 

“Princess, what’s wrong with them?” Liu Luoyi looked up at her, her clear gaze making Yuchi Li embarrassed to explain. 

“Uh…they’re probably fighting…” Yuchi Li answered with a guilty conscience, her hand covering her chest.

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