Chapter 33: The Tsundere Schemer

The Taiji Palace stood with magnificent, solemn, and imposing grandeur. Lacking the delicate intricacy of ornate beams and painted rafters, it possessed instead a primitive, heavy dignity—a stillness that compelled one to silence, and a noble detachment that invited reverence. White snow blanketed the green tiles and black bricks, making the vermilion gates and red walls appear strikingly vivid, adding a touch of brilliance to the austerity.

Several attendants carried a stretcher out of the Taiji Hall, heading straight for the Chengtian Gate. The "stretcher" from the Fang estate was hardly professional; it was merely a soft couch lashed to two long bamboo poles. Not only did it lack a canopy, but it also swayed unsteadily with every step the bearers took. Fang Xuanling had been kept in the palace by Emperor Li Er, who had ordered the imperial physicians to conduct a thorough examination to ensure no negligence on the part of the quacks outside.

Fang Jun lay prone on the stretcher, feeling far from comfortable. His backside burned with pain, and his heart was filled with stifling frustration. His repeated attempts to stir up trouble had indeed had some effect; he could clearly sense the Emperor’s fury. Perhaps it had only taken a tiny push for the Emperor to utter the words to annul the marriage. Yet, it had fallen just short—a failure at the final hurdle.

Who was to blame? Fang Jun felt it wasn't that he hadn't done enough, but that his old man, Fang Xuanling, had inexplicably intervened, whipping him and ruining the grand plan. This had given Emperor Li Er the impression of a "bitter-meat ruse" meant to be seen through, as if the father and son had colluded to force the Emperor into a position where he felt too embarrassed to punish Fang Jun, let alone consider annulling the marriage.

"Sigh, I’ll have to keep trying..." Fang Jun muttered, wiggling his body like a snake on the stretcher to find a more comfortable position.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Princess."

The sound of greetings reached his ears. Fang Jun realized he had been placed on the ground, and the attendants carrying the stretcher were kneeling to the side in salute. Fang Jun felt annoyed. In this freezing weather, they had just dumped him on the ground—did they not know he was a patient?

"Fang Jun, have you no shame?"

A sharp, feminine cry rang out beside his ear, giving Fang Jun quite a start. He looked up in astonishment, only to feel the sky darken as a fair, flower-like face appeared above him, looking down at him from a height. Her skin was whiter than snow, her hair like clouds, her eyes bright and teeth white, her features as if painted... Yet, beautiful as she was, those bright, expressive eyes seemed to shimmer with disdain, anger, and contempt.

*What truly expressive eyes,* Fang Jun mused.

"What are you looking at?"

Princess Gaoyang’s fair face flushed slightly. Being stared at by this country bumpkin made her feel both annoyed and shy. A bumpkin is a bumpkin; who stares at a young lady like that? No manners, no upbringing...

Seeing the two blushes bloom on her white cheeks when she was angry, adding a touch of liveliness and charm to her pure, delicate beauty, Fang Jun curled his lips into a smile. "Because you are beautiful."

"I..." Princess Gaoyang froze.

In all her life, this was the first time someone had spoken to her with such insolence. Deep down, she felt a flicker of secret delight—so this bumpkin did have some taste... Then, her willow eyebrows shot up, and she cried out in rage, "Audacious! You lecher, how dare you flirt with me? Do you believe I won't report this to the Emperor and have your entire clan executed?"

Fang Jun was speechless. Why did all of Emperor Li Er’s children say that same line? It seemed that whether it was the twenty-first century or the seventh century, it was an era of relying on one's father wherever one went.

Fang Jun shook his head and said calmly, "I don't believe it. Why don't you try it, Your Highness?"

*Don't be ridiculous. Do you think Li Er is a fool? You think he'll execute whoever you tell him to?*

Princess Gaoyang’s face turned bright red; she was nearly mad with rage. She felt as though this Fang Jun had been sent by the heavens specifically to spite her. He lacked any sense of a man's grace; he was as small-minded as a woman. *Would it kill you to yield to me just once?* The mere thought of marrying this graceless fellow made her feel miserable.

In a fit of shame and anger, she lifted a small foot and kicked him. She was delicate and weak, and the kick against Fang Jun’s shoulder felt like a mere scratch, leaving only a faint footprint while nearly causing her to trip over her own feet.

"What are you doing?" Fang Jun demanded angrily. It was preposterous! Was this the same dignified and virtuous girl who had been in the great hall just moments ago? The contrast was far too great!

Princess Gaoyang tilted her chin triumphantly, huffed twice, and said, "I kicked you, so what? If you have the ability, get up and hit back!"

Fang Jun’s face darkened. *How shameless! Bullying someone while they're injured?* He turned his face away, refusing to speak. *If I can't afford to provoke you, I can at least ignore you, right?*

Actually, that didn't work either! This was the first time Princess Gaoyang had gained the upper hand in a direct confrontation with Fang Jun, so how could she let it go easily? She pinched the hem of her court dress, the trailing skirt stained by the ground, revealing the embroidered shoes on her feet. She paced lightly around the stretcher, clucking her tongue. "Oh my, you’ve been beaten quite miserably, haven't you? Does it hurt? Uncle Fang is really something—how could he bear to be so ruthless? In this freezing weather, if you catch a cold and die, it would have been better if he’d just finished you off with a blade..."

Princess Gaoyang’s voice was crisp and clear, very pleasant to the ear. Fang Jun had found the first half of her words acceptable—after all, it was a form of concern—but the second half nearly infuriated him to death! He finally understood: this Princess Gaoyang was a proud, willful, black-bellied, spoiled young lady. Whatever she wanted, she had to have; whatever she didn't care for, she would simply destroy. To her, Fang Jun was just that sort of unwanted trinket.

Fang Jun felt he shouldn't stay here any longer, or this brat might really anger him into a worse condition. He beckoned to the attendants, "Hurry, take me home, quickly!"

The attendants, who were under imperial orders to escort Fang Jun home, apologized to Princess Gaoyang and rose to lift the stretcher.

"Hehe, don't be in such a hurry to leave. There’s good news," Princess Gaoyang said with a smile, standing in the middle of the path to block them.

Fang Jun snapped, "Keep your good news for yourself; I don't care for it! Let's go, let's go..." He was terrified that if they moved too slowly, this girl would come up with some other scheme.

Princess Gaoyang wasn't annoyed. She tilted her chin to the side and said, "Look... they’re here."

Fang Jun looked back suspiciously, seeing a group of people turning a corner of the palace wall and walking quickly toward them. Among them, they were also carrying a stretcher...

Seeing Fang Jun’s confusion, Princess Gaoyang cleared her throat and said, "The Emperor has decreed: since Fang Jun is unwell and suffering from a severe injury, he is gifted one palace maid to attend to his daily needs. You bumpkin, look at how well the Emperor treats you. Aren't you going to thank him?"

Fang Jun was stunned. *What is this aesthetic rhythm?* The Emperor was gifting his son-in-law a palace maid to "attend to his daily needs"? Wasn't this a personal mistress? Emperor Li Er was truly open-minded.

Fang Jun couldn't fathom what kind of medicine was being sold in this gourd, so he thanked the Emperor with a suspicious look on his face. In any case, that’s how it was always played out on television; never mind a palace maid, even if it were a cup of poisoned wine, one would still have to thank the Emperor for his grace...

As they spoke, the group reached them. Fang Jun pulled himself together and scanned them. The maids lowered their heads, looking like mere subordinates, so he looked toward the stretcher, wondering if this "mistress" gifted by the Emperor was a disabled person.

Then, he saw a small face rise from the stretcher.

She was as beautiful as a painting, her eyes brimming with autumn waves, her straight, delicate nose above lips shaped like a rhombus, beautiful and full. Her skin was pale, lacking even a hint of color, yet she exuded an air of melancholy and poignant beauty that instantly stirred an urge in anyone to protect her.

*Truly, a sight to stir the heart...*