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Chapter 26: Entering the Palace
🕑 Added 2025-02-24 11:26:38 +0000 UTC"Why did the tea ceremony go wrong?"
As they stepped out of the courtyard, Fu Ling was still feeling pleased that her master had helped their Highness save face. Caught off guard by the sudden question, she was momentarily stunned.
She muttered in dissatisfaction, "Everyone makes mistakes. Why dwell on something so trivial?"
Her Highness had only just married into this household and had already suffered humiliation at the hands of her in-laws. Was she now to be blamed by her husband without rhyme or reason?
The mere thought of it made Fu Ling feel indignant on Li Qingwu’s behalf. Whatever goodwill she had just developed instantly dissipated.
Li Qingwu’s faint smile froze for a moment before she turned to Qiu Che.
Qiu Che didn’t look back and simply said in an even tone, "I know you’re not a careless person. You got up so early to serve tea, why would your hands suddenly tremble and spill it?"
"...Did he say something to you?"
Li Qingwu fell silent.
Fu Ling hadn't expected this turn of events either. Her lips pressed into a tight line as she, too, looked at Li Qingwu with concern.
Li Qingwu rubbed her sleeve with her fingertips, maintaining a calm expression as she finally spoke. "When he took the tea, he touched my hand."
Then, with a smile, he said, "Not bad."
That was why Li Qingwu had lost her grip and spilled some of the tea.
Madam Liu had immediately been displeased.
But Qiu Chudong had feigned magnanimity, brushing it off and even helping her up with a knowing expression. In a low voice, he had said that since Li Qingwu had married a "fake man," she was essentially living as a widow, so why not go and serve Qiu Zhe instead?
Did Qiu Chudong know that Qiu Che was actually a woman?
Only now did Li Qingwu's expression change drastically. Instinctively, she pushed him away and blurted, "How dare you!"
Caught off guard, Qiu Chudong staggered back, his expression darkening.
Fu Ling immediately stepped forward to support Li Qingwu, and the two got into a heated argument with Qiu Chudong.
Qiu Che clenched her teeth, torn between feeling ashamed of Qiu Chudong’s stupidity and guilty over Li Qingwu’s unwarranted humiliation.
"What if I hadn’t been there today?" Qiu Che locked eyes with her. "Would you have just stood there and let him insult you?"
"A woman follows her father at home and her husband after marriage, he is your father. And I have now married into this family. If I were to cause an uproar with my in-laws on the very first day of marriage... it would disgrace my father, the Emperor."
Li Qingwu spoke softly.
"Besides, I didn’t want to put you in a difficult position."
"That’s exactly what he’s counting on," Qiu Che exhaled sharply. "He’s confident you won’t expose him, which is why he dares to humiliate you so brazenly."
She turned and strode back toward the house.
"From now on, there’s no need to pay respects to them. Even if you run into them by chance, you don’t owe them any courtesy."
"But..." Li Qingwu frowned. "He is your father."
Qiu Che's voice was cold. "I haven’t had a father for a long time."
Not since the day he handed her that bowl of poison to clear the way for Qiu Zhe’s political future in her past life.
"Your body and skin are gifts from your parents," Li Qingwu couldn't help but interject. "I know your relationship is strained, but still, he knows about your..."
She trailed off, glancing at Fu Ling. Instead, she continued, "He knows that secret. If you break ties with him completely and he turns around and exposes it, what then?"
"And if he does, do you think anyone will believe him?"
Besides, such a revelation would be a crime worthy of exterminating nine generations of his family.
Qiu Chudong might be foolish, but not to the extent of dooming himself so recklessly.
Unless he was truly pushed to the brink, fearing for his life, he wouldn’t dare expose Qiu Che’s secret.
That was one of the reasons Qiu Che hadn't acted against the father and son yet.
She only knew that both Qiu Chudong and Qiu Zhe were aware of her true identity, but she wasn’t certain when Qiu Zhe had figured it out.
If Qiu Zhe already knew, she couldn't push him too hard either.
Until she had a foolproof escape plan, until she had enough leverage to ensure their complete downfall, she could only afford to lash out verbally, but not take decisive action against them.
She had to be cautious. The political climate was precarious, and her influence was still weak.
Though she had no intention of living her entire life disguised as a man, she was far from being untouchable. Countless eyes were watching her every move.
In her past life, marrying a princess had been an accident. The court dismissed her as reckless, and after she faded into obscurity for three years, no one took her seriously.
But now, she was drafting legal reforms, challenging the aristocracy, and had even subtly positioned herself in opposition to Prime Minister Wu.
She was at the peak of her influence in the capital, and on top of that, she had received imperial approval to marry the Emperor’s most beloved long princess under the guise of a "mutual affection." Even the Emperor himself had attended the wedding.
Everyone was watching her.
Those greedy, envious, and fearful eyes were just waiting for her to slip up, ready to drag her down from the pedestal she had barely climbed onto.
Revealing her true identity too soon would only deepen the crisis she was in.
But for now, the situation was still under control. So, occasionally letting loose to ease her frustrations wouldn’t hurt.
Li Qingwu wasn’t privy to all these thoughts. She merely pursed her lips and said gently, "It's always wise to be prepared."
"Are you suggesting I should show him respect from now on?" Qiu Che halted, turning to her.
Li Qingwu hesitated. "That’s not what I meant. I just don’t want conflicts with your father to escalate over such trivial matters..."
As they spoke, they arrived at Lianzhu Pavilion.
The courtyard was still adorned with festive decorations, with red banners and double-happiness symbols pasted on the windows and doors.
Yuming was sweeping up remnants of firecrackers from the previous night’s celebration.
Without a word, Qiu Che pushed open the door and walked inside, brushing past Yuming like a gust of wind.
Yuming barely had time to bow before Qiu Che strode past. "Stop sweeping. Let’s go."
Yuming asked, "Where to?"
"Back to the small courtyard."
They had just returned and gotten married yesterday, was she already leaving?
Though confused, Yuming quickly complied, dropping the broom and calling for Yuyan to pack up.
Li Qingwu followed Qiu Che inside and watched as she started packing her belongings in silence. Tentatively, she asked, "Are you... angry?"
Qiu Che paused. "I have a name."
"...Ah?"
"If you don’t mind, you can just call me Qiu Che," seeing her hesitation, Qiu Che thought for a moment before adding, "or Ah Ning."
"Why?"
"Xining is my courtesy name. My mother gave it to me," Qiu Che replied, then added, "My birth mother."
Li Qingwu was taken aback. "But... you haven’t reached the age for a courtesy name yet, have you?"
Qiu Che responded indifferently, "I decided on it long ago. Is there a problem?"
Li Qingwu shook her head. "In that case, don’t call me 'Your Highness' anymore. My family calls me Lehe, but you can just call me Qingwu."
Qiu Che nodded, then finally addressed her previous question.
"I’m not angry. I was just thinking about your words. Now, I have an answer."
"From my perspective, I don’t consider him my father. If he makes me unhappy, I will make him unhappy in return."
She spoke calmly, "You want us to avoid conflict? That’s impossible. First, he won’t change, and second, I won’t endure it."
"And I don’t want you to endure it either."
"I don’t want my allies to tolerate injustice for my sake."
This was probably the first time she had ever heard such words, the first time someone had told her not to endure.
But hadn’t she spent her whole life enduring?
If the other party weren’t Qiu Che’s father, she wouldn’t have tolerated it. She would have long since dumped the tea in her hands straight onto his head.
But he was.
If patience could make this pass quietly, why let it escalate into a scandal known to all?
In this era, where women were held to impossibly strict standards, no one would care whether it was the father-in-law who acted inappropriately first. Instead, all eyes would turn to her—the one who made for the more striking spectacle.
Because she was young, noble, and beautiful.
And a woman.
So, in the end, all accusations, whether true or not, would be laid at her feet.
Li Qingwu had been imprisoned in the depths of the palace for too long. She had heard far too many tragedies like this.
Yet now, as she looked at Qiu Che’s handsome face, she found herself at a loss for words.
At this moment, she felt the vast chasm between them more clearly than ever.
It wasn’t a matter of time or distance.
Even face-to-face, they stood worlds apart, two entirely different ways of thinking.
Because Qiu Che had never experienced it. Because she had disguised herself as a man since childhood... Even if she sympathized with women and empathized with their struggles, she had never understood how carefully a woman had to navigate the world just to live in peace, how every step had to be measured to avoid gossip and condemnation.
Even the simple act of stepping out of the house, the courage Qiu Che had... was already an unattainable luxury for them.
But Li Qingwu suddenly didn’t want to explain.
The hardship, the pain, none of it was something Qiu Che needed to endure.
She was fine as she was now. Free, unrestrained, living as she pleased...
That was good, too.
In the end, Li Qingwu let out a soft sigh.
She didn’t continue the conversation but instead changed the subject. “If you must leave...
Qiu Che looked up at her.
“Why not stay at my Princess’s residence?”
Qiu Che stepped into the familiar estate once more.
It had been nearly ten years and two lifetimes since she last left this place.
In her past life, she had feared making Li Qingwu uncomfortable and had always slept in the study rather than by her side.
And thus, the rumors that Li Qingwu was unloved by her husband took root.
By the time Qiu Che heard of them, it was already too late.
At the time, she had just had a fierce argument with her father and decided to send Li Qingwu to Jiangnan.
When she brought it up, Li Qingwu had agreed without hesitation.
So Qiu Che naturally assumed, she must have hated her.
At that point, what could she even say? Should she have proposed, “To salvage your reputation, why don’t we pretend to be a loving couple and sleep together for a few nights?”
And so, nothing was ever done to change the rumors.
But in this life, they had to deceive the Emperor.
They had to act like a harmonious couple.
Neither Qiu Che nor Li Qingwu mentioned sleeping separately.
Before Qiu Che had time to reacquaint herself with the old residence, they were already preparing to enter the palace to pay respects to the Emperor and Empress.
The day after a royal marriage, after presenting tea to the groom’s parents, the couple had to visit the Emperor and Empress to offer them tea as well. Only then was the wedding truly complete.
Before entering the palace, Li Qingwu reminded Qiu Che, “I know you’re straightforward by nature, but palace affairs are no less complicated than court politics. We may run into other consorts or princes and princesses. If you don’t want to deal with them, just let me handle it. You only need to bow, no need to speak.”
Qiu Che wanted to say, “Do you think I have no manners?”
But after a moment’s thought, she simply shrugged and nodded indifferently.
Li Qingwu was more familiar with the palace. Letting her take the lead would save her a lot of trouble.
Seeing her agreement, Li Qingwu exhaled in relief, about to say something else when she noticed Qiu Che glancing around, deep in thought.
“This sedan chair seems familiar,” Qiu Che murmured.
Li Qingwu was caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. “Huh?”
Qiu Che continued, “On the day I entered the palace for my imperial examination, I think I was brought to the palace gates in a similar sedan. The driver was quite kind.”
Li Qingwu blinked. “Really...?”
Qiu Che chuckled. “Yes. I asked the driver which noble they were escorting, but he was quite rude, told me not to waste my breath.
“Now that I think about it... doesn’t he resemble your secret guard, Fufeng?”
Outside, the sound of Fufeng cracking his whip seemed to grow louder.
Qiu Che feigned ignorance, her expression one of exaggerated surprise. “Could it be that not only was the lady from the temple you, but the noble who helped me that day was also you?”
Under Qiu Che’s amused gaze, Li Qingwu finally surrendered.
She tugged at her handkerchief in frustration and muttered, “It was me.”
Qiu Che tilted her head slightly. “What was Your Highness doing at the city gates that day?”
Li Qingwu lowered her gaze and replied softly, “I happened to be returning from an outing. I saw you and thought I might as well help... I didn’t know it was you.”
“Oh?”
Qiu Che nodded but didn’t probe further.
It was unclear whether she believed it or not.
They arrived at the palace without encountering anyone until they reached the entrance of Jingyang Hall, where two figures emerged.
The man in the lead swept his gaze over Li Qingwu with an unreadable expression before lazily saying, “Oh? Lehe has come to pay respects to Father?”
Li Qingwu subtly tugged on Qiu Che’s sleeve, then stopped and bowed with lowered eyes. “Second Brother, Third Brother.”
It was none other than Crown Prince Li Hengmao and Third Prince Li Hengyu, whom they had seen at the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet.
Qiu Che followed her lead, keeping her expression neutral as she greeted them.
Li Hengmao barely spared her a glance. He ignored both her and Li Qingwu, his face full of arrogance.
It was Li Hengyu, ever the lackey, who spoke on his behalf. He grinned mischievously. “Lehe, now that you’re married, shouldn’t you be arriving earlier to pay respects?”
His voice carried an exaggerated drawl, chin lifted in condescension. “Just because Father dotes on you doesn’t mean you can forget your manners.”
Qiu Che’s eyes darkened slightly.
So this was what they called ‘favoritism’?
Even a supposedly unruly and disregarded Third Prince dared to mock Li Qingwu so openly.
Li Qingwu sensed her reaction and quickly grabbed her hand, whispering, “Don’t act impulsively.”
Qiu Che glanced at her, about to say that she wasn’t planning to curse or hit anyone, just to say a few words in her defense.
If they always swallowed their anger in silence, wouldn’t that make them easy targets?
…Just like how she had been in her past life?
But Li Qingwu misunderstood her intentions and tightened her grip, as if ready to restrain her.
She reminded her once more, “You promised to listen to me.”
They were only here today to offer tea.
Li Qingwu didn’t want to start trouble with the Crown Prince’s faction right in front of the palace hall.
Qiu Che stared at her for a moment before exhaling begrudgingly. “Fine.”
Li Hengyu, noticing their whispered exchange, rolled his eyes. “Married for only a day, and already so clingy? Have some restraint, won’t you?”
Li Qingwu flushed but didn’t argue. “...Yes.”
The two princes laughed among themselves and left.
“I know what you want to say,” Li Qingwu said softly. “But I’m used to it.”
Used to being belittled.
She had grown up in the palace. Others might not see it, but those who lived here knew exactly how favored she truly was.
And being royal sons, they could always look down on her.
That alone was enough to overshadow all her grievances.
