Everyone Wants To Harm Me - Chapter 76

I wondered if Yu Chongrui also noticed the princess and turned to look at us.

How could he have seen us from such a distance without lights?

I couldn’t help but secretly glance at the princess. She was indeed radiant and dazzling that day, attracting attention wherever she went.

The princess said, “Do you want to go over and say hello to Minister Yu?”

I thought she was just talking to herself, so I lowered my head and didn’t respond. But the princess chased me and asked, “Yaoyao, what do you think?”

“Ah? I… I don’t think we should…” I glanced across the water. Yu Chongrui had just arrived and was already surrounded by people exchanging pleasantries. “That side’s for male guests, and the Minister looks quite busy…”

“All right then,” the princess said, clearly disappointed. “It’s so rare to get a chance to see him.”

“Your Highness… you really want to see him?” I asked cautiously. “Do you still have feelings for him?”

The princess sighed and said, “Alas, what’s the use of having feelings for him? He has someone in his heart.”

I couldn’t help but be surprised. Didn’t Yu Chongrui dislike everyone? How could he still have someone in his heart? Who was it?

It couldn’t be me, could it? —Was I being a little too arrogant and shameless to think so?

“Really? Didn’t the princess say last time that he was cold-blooded and uninterested in marriage?”

“Those were just excuses,” the princess pouted. “I saw it at the time. He already had someone in his heart, but he was afraid that I would use the royal power to break up the couple and implicate and persecute the woman, so he made up this story to reject the marriage. Am I the kind of arrogant and unreasonable princess?”

“Well…” I mumbled vaguely, then quickly corrected myself, “No, not at all!”

“So I was a little angry, but I was curious about what kind of woman could make him fall in love. Later, when I finally found out, I thought… it couldn’t have been easy for them either. Sigh.”

I held it in for a long time, but still couldn’t calm down, and couldn’t help asking the princess, “Who is it?”

The princess looked at me and said, “You won’t believe it if I tell you, so I won’t gossip about it anymore.”

Princess, please, I begged her in my heart—just this once, lower your status and chew over the gossip a little more for me…

From what the princess said, it must have been a woman that both she and I knew. There weren’t many such people! But it couldn’t be me. If it was me, I… I would definitely believe it.

The auspicious time approached, the lights were on, and the guests were gathering.

The princess took me back to the female guests’ seats. As we walked through the corridor, we met a few young men walking together.

Only a few lights were lit in the corridor, and the men were walking and playing with each other, not noticing that the person in front of them was the eldest princess. The princess raised her fan to half cover her face, walked between them, and passed by.

At the moment of passing each other, the princess suddenly put down her fan and turned back.

The last young man in the group also turned around, and it turned out to be Shao Dongting. He was not wearing court clothes, but a snow-blue robe, with a jade hairpin to tie his hair and a silk ribbon tied around his waist, which made him look… elegant and handsome.

I smelled a faint scent of cattail belatedly, and the princess must have been attracted by this smell.

Shao Dongting was standing right under the lamp, and the candlelight illuminated his face very clearly. He probably hadn’t expected that the person next to the princess, who was dressed simply like a maid, was me. 

He looked a little surprised and bowed to us, saying, “Excuse me, ladies.” Then he turned around and left in a hurry.

As if! Pretending not to know me was one thing, but carrying that cattail scent—I didn’t believe for a second that he didn’t know who the Princess Yongjia was!

Thinking of what he had done in the past, I despised him even more. After returning home, I had always been angry with my grandfather and forgotten about it. Maybe I should have warned him to beware of Shao Dongting.

The princess seemed to be attracted by him, staring at him without blinking, still looking at the direction he had left after he was gone.

Shao Dongting’s appearance was indeed very deceptive. Would the princess be fooled by him?

When Shao Dongting was completely out of sight, the princess turned back and said, “Tsk, there is such a god-like person in Luoyang City.”

I couldn’t very well blurt out “Your Highness, don’t be fooled by his face! This man is all surface and no substance—he’s full of schemes!” so I just bowed my head and stayed silent.

The princess noticed that I looked strange and asked, “Does Yaoyao know who he is?”

I replied, “He’s last year’s top scorer in the imperial exam. Now he’s a Langzhong in the Ministry of Revenue—Shao Yong, courtesy name Dongting.”

“Yaoyao also knows his courtesy name?” the princess asked, “Are you familiar with him?”

I answered truthfully, “He was one of my grandfather’s students. We… once discussed marriage.”

“You two are a good match in age and appearance,” the princess said, “then why didn’t it work out? Yaoyao didn’t like such a handsome champion, who is both talented and beautiful?”

“Aunt rejected it after meeting him once, and I also felt that after meeting him a few times…” I resisted the urge to use too harsh words, “You can’t judge a person by their appearance.”

The princess laughed and said angrily, “You don’t say it directly in front of me. Are you trying to say that this person had bad intentions to try to get close to you and failed to get close to your family before, and now he wants to try to get me?”

I pursed my lips and looked at her without saying a word.

The princess added, “Ever since I started using that cattail pillow, someone spread a twisted rumor about it. I’ve grown tired of that scent. I thought the whole consort recruitment affair had died down these past couple of months, but it turns out someone still came here today targeting me.”

It turned out that the princess knew what was going on. She was someone who had experienced many ups and downs. How could she be easily deceived? I had been worrying too much.

The princess held her chin with a fan and changed the subject. “But I still feel very happy to see this fairy-like young man spend his time to please me.”

Princess! You… couldn’t just look at the face when judging people!

“It’s a pity that he is too young to be married; and he is a well-known figure, but he can’t be taken into the palace as a concubine. Oh! It’s really a pity!”

Now I was sure that the princess was teasing me. I had never told these boudoir secrets to anyone, and my face was a little hot. In fact… if the princess really wanted to find a prince consort who was four years younger than herself, the Emperor might not object. I was five years older than the third prince, but we were randomly matched together, right?

I dared not say this, lest the princess take it seriously. The princess was a princess of a rich family, so she could marry anyone she liked, but not Shao Dongting.

“What are you thinking about, Yaoyao? Your face is red.” The princess covered her face with a fan and whispered to me, “Do you know why I chose Prime Minister Yu at first sight when I was choosing a consort?”

I couldn’t help but lower my voice. “Why?”

“Of course it’s because he looks good!”

This reason was really… conclusive and sufficient, and it was impossible to refute it.

Then the princess asked, “Yaoyao, who do you think is more handsome—Minister Yu, or the young Scholar Shao?”

“Of course…” I stopped myself just in time, then put on a serious face and said, “A prime minister should be measured by his virtue, not his looks. I’ve never paid much attention to appearances.”

The princess burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking with delight.

I suspected she had already seen through my little secret. I was still too inexperienced—especially when it came to matters involving myself. I couldn’t keep my composure or stay detached. The princess treated me with genuine warmth, and I couldn’t bring myself to hide or pretend in front of her. As for His Majesty, I would just have to do everything I could to avoid being linked to Yu Chongrui—better not let him get any ideas.

Prince Xin and his consort conducted the formal investiture ceremony in the palace; only upon arrival at the princely residence did they hold the wedding rites. After the consort stepped down from the carriage, she and Prince Xin exchanged ceremonial bows, then she was escorted into the eastern chamber beneath the canopy. First came the ancestral offering, then the meal — every rite observed in full.

The eastern chamber was surrounded by a crowd so thick there was no way to get through, and I had no interest in joining the commotion. The Third Prince had just made some new friends around his age and managed to squeeze to the front with them, the group cheering loudly in unison. Soon the ancestral rites concluded, and as the crowd started to disperse, I saw him being pulled away by those rowdy boys to play pitch-pot and flick stones in the courtyard.

The Third Prince rarely had companions his age in the palace. Now, he was like a wild colt just let off the reins, darting around everywhere. I couldn’t even tell what they were playing that excited them so much — it seemed just chasing each other around was joy enough.

I wanted to tell him to take it easy, but such moments of freedom were rare for him. Although Noble Consort Chu had many faults, she was a loving mother who doted on her son. She worried that the third prince would get into trouble, so she handled everything for him. Letting him indulge his nature just this once didn’t seem like such a bad thing.

Our relatives had also arrived. Third Aunt smiled broadly, while Madam Zhou was running around busily. Everyone in the family looked familiar, but it had been two months since I last saw them. I wanted to greet them and reminisce about the past, but I didn’t know where to begin. In the past, Zhen Niang and I had been close, but now, there was really no one I could consider that close anymore.

Fortunately, I ran into Brother Zhongshu. He scanned the crowd and when he saw me, he hurried over with a smile. When he reached me, he stood a few feet away with his hands behind his back and asked hesitantly, “Yaoyao, long time no see… How have you been in the palace?”

How to explain?

I told him I had entered the palace to mourn for my aunt and pray for blessings, and with the princess looking after me, my life had been relatively peaceful.

Just then, the third prince ran past us, holding a windmill. Brother Zhongshu watched him go and asked, “I heard that the Emperor wants you to marry the third prince. Is that true?” His voice faltered, and a flicker of frustration crossed his expression. Wasn’t I just worrying the Emperor would forcibly take Yaoyao as a consort? How did it turn into making her a daughter-in-law? And each possibility is worse than the last! First an aging man, then a mere child — can’t Yaoyao have a proper husband who matches her in age and treats her with love? How am I supposed to accept this? I thought if I saw her less, I might forget, but after two whole months apart, my feelings haven’t faded — they’ve only grown stronger…

I felt a little embarrassed and sad, so I quickly interrupted him, “Brother Zhongshu, did you come alone? Not with third uncle, uncle, and aunt?”

He replied, “I went to the palace to watch the ceremony first, so I didn’t join them here.”

As we were talking, my third uncle and the others arrived, leading a middle-aged couple and their daughter. The girl, around sixteen or seventeen, was very shy and hid behind her parents.

Brother Zhongshu glanced at them and was pulled away by his uncle.

Once Prince Xin and the princess had finished their ceremony, the banquet began. I sat with the princess at the women’s seating in the inner courtyard, surrounded by the families of the other guests who had attended the ceremony. There was one lady, however, who seemed focused on marrying her husband to the princess. Otherwise, everyone else seemed preoccupied with their own affairs, in the inner courtyard and the backyard. The task the Emperor had assigned me this time was not an easy one.

The window next to me faced the corridor, and guests had to pass by it when they went to the restroom or changed clothes. After three rounds of wine, the crowd had grown thicker. I noticed that some people left and didn’t come back for a long time.

Just as I was trying to think of an excuse to leave the table and check things out, the princess said to me, “Yaoyao, you handle alcohol so well, and you don’t look drunk at all. I’m starting to feel overwhelmed. Can you help me walk outside for some fresh air?”

The princess had already stepped outside once, so it seemed strange she wanted to go again so soon. She must have been quite drunk.

I helped her up, and though she was a bit dizzy, her steps were steady enough.

The garden was lit up, with lamps placed cleverly at the base of the trees. The candlelight reflected off the flowers and branches, giving them a jade-like glow. It looked like a scene straight out of a fairyland.

The princess preferred quieter places away from the crowds. She led me to the other side of the river, where we had been earlier in the day. On this side, it was sparsely populated, and the noise from the other side made this area feel peaceful and serene.

The trees here were thick and lush, like a natural wall, and only when you turned around could you see the view across the river.

There was someone in the pavilion by the shore.

I immediately stepped back, hiding behind a tree. I whispered to the princess, “Let’s go over there.”

“Why should we go over there? Can’t we go this way?” The princess ignored my attempt to dissuade her, peeking around and pretending to be surprised. “I didn’t meet Minister Yu before the banquet, but I didn’t expect to find him here. It seems I can’t avoid this greeting. I have to go.”

This was too much of a coincidence to believe it was just that—a coincidence.

She continued, “I’m feeling dizzy from the alcohol. How about you greet Minister Yu for me? That way, I won’t embarrass myself. I’ll stay here and wait for you to return.”

The princess sat down on a stone bench by the shore. Seeing that I hesitated, she pushed me gently and whispered, “Silly girl, go quickly! There’s not much time left. If you don’t go, I will!”

Fortunately, the light around us was dim, so I didn’t feel too exposed. I cautiously stepped around the bushes, moving quietly, my breathing light, as I made my way toward the pavilion by the water.

Yu Chongrui stood facing the river, his hands behind his back.

Why was he here? Had the princess called him here? What excuse had she used? Was she trying to see me? If not, and she had tricked him here for some other reason, how would he react when he turned around and saw me?

But if he knew… why would he come anyway?

A deep voice suddenly called from the other side, stopping me in my tracks.

“The banquet is in full swing, yet Minister Yu hides here alone. Is he waiting for someone?”

I quickly retreated behind the bushes. I didn’t even need to see him; just hearing the voice made it clear—it was my most familiar grandfather.