Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince-Chapter 354: She is Different from Those Masters in the Palace

Chapter 354: Chapter 354: She is Different from Those Masters in the Palace

"What a huge courtyard, Father truly favors you," Qi Yu said, standing in front of a residence not far from the Prince Residence, clicking her tongue.

Zhou Fu listened and repeatedly agreed, "This was personally selected by His Majesty from many options, said to be one of the few places in the capital with excellent feng shui."

Qi Yu raised an eyebrow and turned to Shi Zhou, teasing, "You really are a lucky one."

Shi Zhou looked up at the words "Commandery Princess Mansion" on the plaque, feeling somewhat ambivalent.

To rise from a bandit’s daughter to a Commandery Princess was merely a matter of Li Tianze’s word; such status and wealth had come too easily, making her feel somewhat uneasy.

She stared at the plaque for a long while without moving forward.

Zhou Fu studied her expression, pondered subtly for a moment, then smiled, "If the Commandery Princess does not like this place, once I return to the palace I will inform His Majesty and choose another mansion for you."

Shi Zhou, however, shook her head, "No need."

Having said that, she walked straight into the residence, holding her sword.

Qi Yu smiled slightly, falling a few steps behind, and said to Zhou Fu, "Eunuch, there is no need to worry too much; she’s different from those nobles in the palace."

Zhou Fu was startled by her words, but after realizing what she meant, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The nobility in the palace were most demanding, constantly finding faults, and would either scold or beat the servants; all were haughty.

But Shi Zhou was different; having grown up in Tuyun Village, she didn’t care about high or low status and certainly didn’t purposely find faults.

She was straightforward, speaking her mind about anything, whether it was likes or dislikes, without masking her feelings.

Such people were the easiest to get along with because they didn’t look at one’s status but only cared about justice.

After realizing this, the weight Zhou Fu had been carrying in his heart gradually eased.

He waited outside, and soon, Shi Zhou came out.

Zhou Fu hurriedly asked, "Are you satisfied, Commandery Princess?"

Shi Zhou replied indifferently, "It’s okay."

Zhou Fu was just about to relax when he heard her say, "But I won’t be moving in."

"Why is that?" Zhou Fu, now wiser, did not beat around the bush with flattering words but asked directly for the reason.

That way, he could report back to His Majesty once he returned to the palace.

Shi Zhou was straightforward, "I don’t like living alone."

Compared to such a quiet and serene mansion, she preferred a livelier environment.

Zhou Fu nodded in understanding, smiling, "I will definitely convey the Commandery Princess’s words to His Majesty."

However, before he left, he still left the land deed and keys behind.

Upon returning to the palace, Zhou Fu spoke to Li Tianze, "Your Majesty, I think it’s better to let the Commandery Princess continue living at Prince Qiu Residence; it’s good for her to have some company as she’s new to the capital city."

Although Li Tianze was somewhat reluctant to have his carefully chosen mansion rejected, he knew Zhou Fu’s reasoning was sound and waved his hand, "Then let her be."

He then asked, "When is Prince Qiu leaving for Qingzhou?"

Zhou Fu thought for a moment, "Your Majesty, you forgot, you asked last night; His Highness said he would depart the day after tomorrow."

"The day after tomorrow?" Li Tianze frowned slightly, "My son’s birthday is in five days, yet he is departing the day after tomorrow."

Zhou Fu also felt it was a dilemma and suggested, "Why not send the birthday gifts to the Prince Residence first, and once His Highness returns, hold a celebration then."

Li Tianze nodded, "Then do as you said, have the Ministry of Rites send the birthday gifts now, and also invite Prince Qiu, his wife, and the Commandery Princess to the palace tonight, for I want to welcome them."

"Yes," Zhou Fu responded and hastily began to arrange things.

He had not yet left the hall when Li Tianze called him back, his tone slightly harsh, "Also bring Shen Xiheng."

Zhou Fu smiled and responded, "Yes."

In the Prince Residence, Qi Yu was puzzled when she heard that people from the palace had come again, bringing several boxes with them.

She went to the front hall, where the officials from the Ministry of Rites hurriedly handed her a list of gifts, explaining, "Princess, these are the birthday gifts for Prince Qiu. His Majesty found out that the Prince will soon be traveling to Qingzhou and specially ordered me to deliver these in advance."

Qi Yu raised her eyebrows slightly, scanned the long and thick list, and said, "Since it’s Father’s kindness, I will accept it on behalf of the Prince."

She handed the list to Li Bo, "Find some people to carry these items to the storeroom."

Li Bo acknowledged and sighed.

In just half a day, the storeroom of the Prince Residence was filled with so many items that even counting them took a while.

After Qi Yu sent the officials from the Ministry of Rites away, she returned to her room and asked Chunlan to help her with her makeup.

She had heard earlier that tonight, Li Tianze would.

Chunlan gathered her long hair, knowing her preference for light makeup, and chose decorations that were elegant in style and color.

Paired with the smoky blue long dress, she looked like a fairy who had transcended the world. freёweɓnovel_com

Chunlan smiled and said, "Princess, by simply dressing up a bit, you can outshine everyone else."

Qi Yu was accustomed to her generous compliments, chuckled, and scolded playfully, "You’re just sweet-talking."

She then told a maid standing by, "Go call the Commandery Princess."

She knew Shi Zhou disliked dressing up even more than herself, but given her status, she couldn’t dress too casually to the palace.

When Shi Zhou arrived, and heard that she was to be dressed up, she was scared enough to want to grab her sword and run away.

Qi Yu caught her quickly and did not forget to instruct the maids standing nearby, "Ladies, hold the Commandery Princess still!"

Instantly, four or five maids came over to surround Shi Zhou.

Chunlan pressed her lips together and smiled slightly. Once people had secured her in front of the dressing table, she quickly pressed down on Shi Zhou’s shoulders and spoke softly, "Commandery Princess, do not panic, I am just arranging your hair simply."

As she spoke, she quickly untied Shi Zhou’s tightly tied-up hair. The ink-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, making the icy-faced girl in the mirror look even more pristine.

Chunlan silently sighed to herself, if the Commandery Princess were to dress up properly, she could outshine anyone in the capital with her beauty.

Yet, in her eyes, the Princess was still the most beautiful.

Shi Zhou rarely sat peacefully in front of the mirror like this. Tuyun Village had maids too, but she was impatient with such things and usually just tied her hair up with a band, which was simple and convenient for practicing martial arts.

Such elaborately styled and complicated hairstyles seemed as if they would come undone with any major movement.

She stiffened there, not daring to move.

Chunlan’s fingers moved through her hair, quickly fashioning a beautiful hairstyle.

Perhaps sensing her rigid posture, Chunlan smiled and said, "Commandery Princess, you can relax a little. The servant won’t hurt you."

Shi Zhou’s eyes flickered, and she shifted her gaze away, somewhat embarrassed.

Qi Yu sat nearby, flipping through a storybook, occasionally glancing over.

By the time Shi Zhou’s dressing was complete, an hour had passed.

It had to be said, Chunlan was very skilled and had a great sense of aesthetics. The hairstyle she created for Shi Zhou was simpler and more lively than her own, fitting better with her status as Commandery Princess.

It was paired with a light purple long dress, adding a touch of grace and softening the fierceness in her brows.

Shi Zhou looked at herself in the mirror, feeling awkward.

But she had to admit, she looked extremely beautiful, much more so than in the outfits she haphazardly put together herself.

Qi Yu stood up and smiled at her, "When Minister Shen sees you later, he’s sure to like it."

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