Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince-Chapter 389: The State Preceptor Sure Has Many Secrets
Chapter 389: Chapter 389: The State Preceptor Sure Has Many Secrets
In the hostel, Shen Xiheng suddenly received an invitation.
When he opened it, he saw it was from Princess Qiya, inviting Princess Qinghe to a small gathering in the palace.
Shi Zhou took a look and said indifferently, "The invitation doesn’t clearly state the purpose."
After thinking for a moment, Shen Xiheng shared the information he had gathered, "Princess Qiya and the Crown Prince are both born of the Empress, the youngest and quite favored. They have always been at odds with Princess Lingya, who was born of one of the concubines. Suddenly receiving an invitation from her makes one unable to fathom her intentions at once."
The Palace Maid who delivered the invitation was still waiting below, so Shen Xiheng wrote a reply and had someone send it down.
After sending the maid off, he turned to Shi Zhou and said with a frown, "I’ve heard that Princess Qiya is arrogant and not easy to get along with."
Shi Zhou didn’t take the matter to heart.
Having dealt with someone like Li Huaixi, she wasn’t scared of a Princess Qiya.
Shen Xiheng chuckled, "That’s also true, in terms of arrogance, who could surpass our little princess?"
However, he still expressed his concern, "The Tulan people are skilled in witchcraft. You should be extra cautious when entering the palace this time."
Shi Zhou replied, "Okay."
What actually troubled her was not Tulan’s seemingly magical witchcraft techniques.
Before going to Tulan, Mo Qingshan had given them each a Qingfeng Pill, capable of neutralizing all poisons.
Right now, what most annoyed her was the matter of getting dressed and made up.
To blend in and adhere to the customs of the Tulan people, not only did she have to wear an intricately adorned dress, with numerous vermilion hairpins in her hair, but she also had to cover her face with a thin veil.
Shen Xiheng knew she was least patient with these customs, yet they were in Tulan, so it wasn’t good not to follow the local rules, and he could only advise her kindly.
Shi Zhou said in a muffled voice, "I don’t want them to touch my hair."
The palace maids of Tulan all carried a unique fragrance on them, which made her unconsciously furrow her brows every time they came close.
Objectively, the scent was not unpleasant, but for some reason, it always made her feel slightly dizzy.
After listening to her, Shen Xiheng laughed, "That’s not a problem. Just don’t let them come near."
Shi Zhou gave him a glance, feeling somewhat guilty as she said, "But I don’t know how to arrange these hairstyles either."
Previously, in Tuyun Village, she would simply tie up her long hair casually; as long as it looked presentable, it was fine.
Her attire was even simpler; she seldom wore dresses.
Over this matter, Shi Fuyou had argued with her countless times, each time pointing at her angrily, saying she had none of the demeanor of a proper young lady.
To all these words, Shi Zhou simply turned a deaf ear, letting him vent his anger, then continued her own way.
When Shi Fuyou saw he couldn’t persuade her, he eventually gave up.
After becoming a commandery princess, she still didn’t put much thought into dressing up.
Several times, when she entered the palace, the corner of her eye caught shock and dissatisfaction in the gazes of the nannies, all alike.
But since Li Tianze didn’t say anything, they couldn’t really impose the palace regulations on her.
After hearing her complaints, Shen Xiheng chuckled lightly, which made Shi Zhou glare at him discontentedly.
He quickly suppressed his smile and said to Shi Zhou, "This isn’t a difficult task. Let me help you."
Shi Zhou looked at him skeptically, not saying anything but her expression was full of distrust.
Shen Xiheng coughed lightly and said, "Back home, I often helped my mother comb her hair."
Having said that, he pushed her to sit in front of a mirror, untied the red ribbon that she had casually tied at the back of her head, and picking up a comb, carefully arranged her long hair.
Shi Zhou watched through the mirror and saw his serious expression as the corners of his mouth slightly curled upward.
Shen Xiheng was also looking at her through the mirror, and he raised his eyebrow, "What are you smiling at?"
Shi Zhou pursed her lips lightly. "Nothing much, just didn’t expect what you said to be true."
Shen Xiheng also laughed. He set down the comb, and his slender fingers threaded through the ends of her hair. Soon, he had arranged her hair into a bun.
"Does the Commandery Princess find it to her satisfaction?" Shen Xiheng asked with a slight bow, smiling at her beautiful face through the mirror.
Shi Zhou’s gaze was scorched by the bright smile in his eyes. She slightly lowered her eyes, speaking with a bit of nervousness in her tone, "It’s quite good."
Knowing that although she was brave, she had delicate sensibilities, Shen Xiheng did not tease her further. He stood up straight and began to adorn her with the jewelry and veil brought by the Palace Maids one by one.
Within moments, the girl who had been as still as water suddenly seemed to take on a seductive air.
He looked at her peach blossom eyes in the mirror and felt a twitch in his brow. Embarrassed, he averted his gaze and said to Shi Zhou, "There, all done."
Shi Zhou had been keeping her gaze down and hadn’t noticed his expression.
Upon hearing him, she slightly lifted her head and glanced at herself in the mirror, a flash of surprise in her eyes.
With just a simple makeover, she looked just like those Tulan women.
Moreover, although these pieces of jewelry didn’t seem out of the ordinary, wearing them seemed to transform her into a different person, her eyes and brows now inexplicably carrying a hint of flirtation.
Looking at this somewhat unfamiliar version of herself, she couldn’t say whether she liked it or disliked it. She just felt as if something had changed, yet nothing had.
Shen Xiheng saw her off to the carriage, watching as she went in the direction of the Imperial Palace.
After Shi Zhou left, he didn’t continue to stay at the hostel but instead went to the residence of the eldest Prince.
Even though the eldest Prince was born of the Empress and was the oldest of the Princes, he had never been appointed as the Crown Prince.
Shen Xiheng hadn’t paid much attention to this before, but in the past few days, as he began to perceive the undercurrents in the Tulan royal family, he grew curious about the eldest Prince.
In Tulan, the reputation of the eldest Prince was much better than that of the second and the seventh Princes.
He had been well-versed in literature and military strategy since childhood. One of the few in the royal family who sympathized with the common people, he had a compassionate heart.
Yet, even so, the eldest Prince seemed never to have won the Emperor’s favor.
On Holy Sacrifice Day, Shen Xiheng also observed the Tulan Emperor’s attitude towards several Princes.
The Emperor was quite indifferent to the eldest Prince, almost never mentioning him voluntarily. When ministers praised the eldest Prince, he merely smiled lightly and did not follow up with praise for his son.
But his attitude towards the second and seventh Princes was different; he was considerably attentive to these sons born of concubines. Not only would he affectionately address them, but he would also bring up their achievements and the rewards were not few.
At that time, Shen Xiheng clearly saw the twisted expression on the face of the Empress hidden beneath her veil.
Yet the Emperor seemed completely oblivious.
He showed more concern for Princess Qiya than for the eldest Prince.
Such blatant favoritism only stirred more suspicion.
Shen Xiheng didn’t rush to visit the eldest Prince. Instead, he found a teahouse nearby to sit.
He chose a seat by the window which allowed him to see the main gate of the eldest Prince’s mansion.
As he was leisurely sipping his tea, suddenly, he saw a carriage stop in front of the mansion, and a person in white robes alighted.
Even from the back, he knew that this person was Jiutu.
Watching that figure in white, he drained the tea from his cup, his lips curving slightly.
It seemed that this esteemed State Preceptor had quite a few secrets indeed.
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