Chapter 22: 22. The Adulthood Ceremony

At the Frontline.

Standing on top of the wall, a man was sitting calmly. He had been spending most of his time on the frontline, battling so many people who were trying to threaten the people here. The soldiers here all had been following him and would naturally not follow other people’s command.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it?” The man, Prince Lin Zi Xuan, asked without turning his head. He had heard countless reports from his men for varying reasons. If it was not important enough, he was too lazy to respond.

“There’s a report regarding Her Highness Princess Feng Ning.”

“Hmm?” Prince Lin Zi Xuan narrowed his eyes. He knew that he had an engagement with a princess named Feng Ning, but this marriage would only take place after the girl was of age. He had been roaming on the battlefield for a long time, but he naturally didn’t forget about this.

If he was not wrong, that girl was 12 years younger than him, which made her only 13 to 14 years old right now.

“What happened to her?” Prince Lin Zi Xuan asked.

Taking the letter, Prince Lin Zi Xuan read the content. Looking at how the Emperor was giving such a title to his fiancée, he sneered internally. It seemed that the Emperor wanted to build the image of the girl to be someone who was lucky.

But would she be lucky when she had turned mute ever since she was young?

The title was contradicting.

“Your Highness?”

“I’ll go back to the Capital City next year.” Prince Lin Zi Xuan tossed the letter. The Emperor was not that wary towards Princess Xing, and he hoped for things to stay that way. However, it was also outside his expectation that the little girl from back then would be able to get an achievement on her own.

Helping to curb the disease outbreak.

She’s not bad.

At the very least, Prince Lin Zi Xuan felt that she was much better compared to her older sister who had been reported to be dead. And the cause was because she was so arrogant and caused a lot of problems in her residence.

If Prince Lin Zi Xuan had proceeded with his plan back then, he would have picked Princess Feng Quan and the result wouldn’t be so pretty.

‘One more year until my return.’

Prince Lin Zi Xuan looked into the distance. His eyes narrowed as ruthlessness flashed within it. The preparation was ready.

He only needed to start the implementation soon.

 

…

Capital City

Feng Ning didn’t try to stay high profile after her return. Aside from accepting the Imperial Edict, she locked herself inside her new residence.

Rou He Palace.

It was a good palace where her grandmother used to live. Even now, the place was tended very well. However, it was quite far from the other palaces, so one could say that they shunned her.

Though, Feng Ning didn’t care.

For the next few months, there was no new news from her. The ripples she had caused quickly died down.

Then New Year come.

Feng Ning, who was planning on quietly preparing for her 15 birthday, received a piece of news from her cousin.

Princess Lin Mei Ni asked her to be the one to help her put the pin on her bun during the adulthood ceremony.

“Your Highness, would you like to come?” Xiao Yu was worried. She knew that the relationship between the two princesses couldn’t be said to be good. If Feng Ning were to come, there was a chance that Princess Lin Mei Ni would instead use this chance to frame her instead.

Feng Ning played with the invitation. The person who would insert the hairpin was supposed to be the girl closest to the Imperial Family. If she were to take this job, Feng Ning knew that it would be hard for her to get away from the scrutinizing eyes of others.

She hated those.

Being looked at and then being framed by others. Staying in the limelight only to be made into a joke.

“Your Highness…” Xiao Yu saw Feng Ning’s hand trembled for a moment.

Feng Ning then took her pen and paper. She wrote inside it that she was not feeling well and thus, she wouldn’t be able to take up the honorable work of being the one to insert the hairpin.

If Princess Lin Mei Ni were to be so headstrong, Feng Ning would not hesitate to hurt herself.

She had learned medicines and also human’s body. If she were to dislocate her own bones, she would be able to trick others into believing that she was truly hurt. It would be much better for her to stay here.

Xiao Lu was a bit worried. “Would it be fine for Your Highness to reject the invitation?”

“Her Highness didn’t want to go, how could others pester her to go?” Xiao Yu asked back. She also felt that Princess Feng Ning seemed to be feeling quite unwell just now.

“I’ll deliver the letter.” Xiao Mu took the letter and left first.

Inside the courtyard, Feng Ning was looking at the sky. She knew that Princess Lin Mei Ni would definitely use this chance to tarnish her name, but she didn’t care. It would be better for others to just hear Princess Lin Mei Ni gossiped than for them to see her made fun of herself.

She didn’t want to be framed by others again.

It was painful.

When others chose not to believe her and instead believed the words of other people because she was too stupid and believed them, which made her action unable to be substantial. She used to be too stupid. This time, she didn’t want to face it.

Running away didn’t solve the problem.

Yeah, she knew.

But she didn’t want to face those hypocritical people and would rather stayed holed up inside her residence.

 

…

Princess Lin Mei Ni scoffed when she received the reply from Princess Xing. In fact, she didn’t think that this cowardly cousin of hers would dare to come. The other party had stayed holed up inside her residence for so many years, why would she come out now?

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“Your Highness, would you like to extend another invitation?” the maidservant asked cautiously.

“There’s no need.” Princess Lin Mei Ni waved her hand. If Princess Xing had dared to appear, she was prepared to cause a problem in her own adulthood ceremony with all evidences pointing at Princess Xing.

But since the latter didn’t even dare to appear, what could she possibly do?

“Proceed as usual.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Time passed quietly.

Feng Ning received news that her two siblings were often called to the main Imperial Palace. Prince Feng Hao Shui was already 11 years old, it was time for him to start preparing for his future where he would be the Emperor.

His sister was only there to accompany him in accordance to her wishes. Though, there were many times when Princess Feng Zhu Liu was not even granted access.

Watching all the farce, Feng Ning felt like a spectator.

‘And being a spectator is much better than getting embroiled in any of them.’

“Your Highness, it’s time for Her Highness the Second Princess, Princess Lin Mei Ni’s adulthood ceremony.”

Feng Ning nodded.

The three servants quickly moved to prepare her. They were already used to do this and all Feng Ning had to do was to stand up and let them dress her up. However, this time, she paid close attention to her clothes.

Not too extravagant.

Yet at the same time, didn’t disparage her status as a person of the Imperial Family.

Even though Feng Ning was not someone who liked to come out, she had to get used to all of these after living in this world for so many years. Looking at her own reflection, Feng Ning showed a mocking smile.

Who would have thought that she would end up in this way like this?

Now that she had grown up, Feng Ning had long realized that her features were not much different from her previous life. In fact, it looked like that she would look similar to the previous her.

Just an ordinary girl one could find at almost everywhere.

Feng Ning never thought of herself as someone special or anything extraordinary. She didn’t have extraordinary talent nor any capability that was off the chart. What she had was simply the memory of her past life.

The memory of how stupid she was.

And also the memory that allowed her to be more mature than many others.

Going to Princess Lin Mei Ni’s Palace, Princess Feng Ning wore the proper veil and prepared a needle under her sleeve. It was prepared so that if Princess Lin Mei Ni wanted to make things difficult for her, she would be able to use this needle to prick herself and cause her appearance to turn pale and haggard.

It was not poisonous.

Just some kind of medicine that caused tiredness.

As Feng Ning entered the main hall, she could see her older cousin was talking happily with the other ladies. They all looked so happy and even busy talking as if they were all good sisters.

‘The smiles are fake.’

Having lived for a long life, Feng Ning was very familiar with those fake smiles, the act that was put in order for them not to lose their faces. She didn’t have any intention of entering that circle and putting so many layer of mask for herself.

It was tiring.

She just wanted to live in peace without the need to worry about anything else.

“Cousin!” Princess Lin Mei Ni naturally saw Feng Ning and came towards her with a few ladies following her. “I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought that you’re not feeling well.”

Feng Ning looked at the ‘harmless’ smile of Princess Lin Mei Ni and simply wrote a sentence. She always carried writing tools all the time because of her condition and the other ladies knew it.

“Thank you for your concern, Imperial Cousin Mei Ni. I have only gotten better and naturally would not miss your important day.”

Princess Lin Mei Ni looked at the writing and then smiled. “In that case, would you like to be the one to put the hairpin, Imperial Cousin?”

“There’s no need. I don’t want to trouble Imperial Cousin to change the arrangement. Besides, I don’t think that His Majesty would like to see a change in the ceremony so suddenly.”

Seeing the text, Princess Lin Mei Ni’s eyes flashed when she looked at Feng Ning. The latter still looked as calm as ever, but Princess Lin Mei Ni could understand the underlying meaning behind the seemingly simple words.

It was trying to block any way out for Princess Lin Mei Ni.

Squeezing a smile, Princess Lin Mei Ni had to say a few more pleasantries before she finally walked away.

Her expression was terrible.

Feng Ning watched the situation in the banquet and purposely sat on the designated place for her. She would naturally not try to cause things to go awry and merely sat there. Her maidservants stayed close to her and didn’t go anywhere.

She would not even give the chance to anyone who wanted to frame her.

Thus, the ceremony proceeded smoothly.

Feng Ning could see that Princess Lin Mei Ni seemed to be warier of her, but as a princess of equal status, Feng Ning was not afraid. There was no chance the two of them would meet again except if the Emperor hold a banquet in the future.

But considering what kind of person the Emperor is, Feng Ning highly doubted it.

And if it was only an invitation from Princess Lin Mei Ni, she could reject it without the need to worry so much.

Both of them were only princesses.

And with the title Feng Ning had, she was actually a bit higher compared to the other princesses. Though, Feng Ning didn’t care that much about that title.

And soon, her own marriage preparation was underway along with countless proposal that was thrown towards Princess Lin Mei Ni.

A beautiful princess without engagement?

There was no lack of capable young men who wanted to take the chance.

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