45. The Prince-in-Training PKs the Spoiled Princess ②

In the afternoon, at Yunqing Pavilion in the imperial palace of the Flame Empire.

Yunqing Pavilion was not exceptionally luxurious, yet it emanated a cozy and comfortable atmosphere. In front of the pavilion lay a vast lotus pond, and simply standing there instilled a sense of refreshing clarity. It was utterly unexpected that such an imperious and willful little princess would actually take a liking to such an elegant and understated residence. Both Feishu and Haiming had anticipated Yunqing's abode to be extravagantly opulent. Upon entering, they spotted only three attendants serving Yunqing, which, together with the lotus maid they had just encountered, made a total of just four—two eunuchs and two palace maids. This was by far the sparsest retinue in the entire imperial palace. Still, for a princess to possess her own private palace was already quite a privilege; ordinary princesses usually resided with their mothers, or, lacking a birth mother, lived within the quarters of other imperial concubines. As Yunqing returned, the maids and eunuchs merely offered slight, casual bows. It seemed Princess Yunqing treated her subordinates quite well, as there was no trace of terror or trembling in their demeanor upon seeing her.

They proceeded into a small, exquisitely crafted courtyard filled with numerous orchids. Although not yet in bloom, their lush foliage was strikingly beautiful. Yunqing stopped a meter away from Feishu and Haiming, looked at them, and declared, "This Princess knows you are not eunuchs, nor are you assassins. As long as the two of you obediently stay here and play with this Princess, I guarantee no one will ever discover you!"

This little princess was surprisingly sharp.

Feishu flashed a cynical, carefree smile and said, "Little Princess, how do you know we aren't assassins? For all you know, we might actually be here to take your life!"

How dreadfully bored she must be to abduct two people simply to keep her company in play! Feishu shook his head at Yunqing. In truth, he was not entirely unsympathetic to Yunqing's plight; though he had never known a day of material want since childhood, his inner solitude remained unerasable. Even so, he would never casually drag strangers in to entertain him—that was far too frivolous. What joy could there possibly be in the company of a total stranger?

With an expression of absolute certainty, Yunqing smirked and replied, "Assassins do not wander aimlessly around the palace without a target, nor would they fail to bow to this Princess even if merely maintaining a disguise. Therefore, you don't even qualify to be assassins!"

She cast a look of utter disdain toward Feishu, nearly angering him to death. Intelligent girls rarely charmed young men easily, perhaps precisely because they delighted in puncturing male pretensions.

Haiming, by contrast, exclaimed in genuine admiration, "Her Highness is truly brilliant! Since the Princess has already guessed it, this humble commoner shall conceal nothing further!"

Feishu glared at Haiming, terrified that Haiming might lose his wits and spill the actual truth, which would bring utter disgrace upon their Radiant Empire. Maintaining a calm and unhurried composure, Haiming looked at Yunqing and said, "My family was destitute, and in order to survive, my parents sold us brothers to the palace to become eunuchs. Unwilling to accept that fate, we escaped right from the purification chambers. Because we were unfamiliar with the layout of the palace, we were simply wandering about blindly!"

With a pitiful, pleading expression, he begged, "Please, Princess, have mercy on our brothers and let us out of the palace. In our next lives, we shall serve you as beasts of burden to repay your great kindness..."

Haiming played his part with such intense dedication that tears were almost welling in his eyes. Seeing Haiming put on such a convincing performance, Feishu managed to paste a look of wronged grievance onto his own face.

Yunqing alternated her gaze between Haiming and Feishu. Noting their synchronized expressions, she looked at Feishu with lingering suspicion and decreed, "He may leave, but you cannot!"

The true colors of the willful princess surfaced once more. She simply found Feishu immensely entertaining, likely because he was the sole person who dared to match wits with her. Everyone throughout her life had always yielded to her; the sudden appearance of someone willing to challenge her naturally struck her as fascinating, much like discovering a novel, captivating toy.

Haiming shot Feishu a sympathetic glance, prompting Feishu to cry out in disbelief, "Why?"

Now he finally understood the meaning of the phrase: never provoke a princess.

Staring at Feishu with wide, innocent eyes, Yunqing retorted, "Because you must stay and spar in martial arts with this Princess, so you are going nowhere!"

Without missing a beat, she raised her hand and struck a palm at Feishu. The word "defeat" did not exist in Feishu's vocabulary, and the two instantly engaged in combat. The maids and eunuchs watched the exchange with nervous tension as the pair traded punches and kicks. Haiming had no choice but to lean against a pillar and watch; if he failed to bring Feishu safely back to the Radiant Empire, he would have no face left to return.

Fortunately, an elderly eunuch suddenly arrived to rescue them. The moment Yunqing spotted the old man, she immediately halted her movements. Beaming at her, the old eunuch said, "Ah, Princess, the Empress Dowager misses you dearly and has summoned you to join her for the evening meal!"

This elderly man was the head supervisor of the Empress Dowager's palace. Having served the Empress Dowager for over twenty years and having watched Yunqing grow from infancy, he commanded her utmost respect.

Yunqing nodded, glanced at Feishu, and commanded, "Have a chessboard prepared for this Princess. When I return, we shall play two rounds to the finish!" With that, she departed in the company of the old eunuch.

Her primary intent was to order the maids and eunuchs not to let Feishu escape. The moment she vanished from sight, Feishu and Haiming swiftly struck the pressure points of the attendants, strode out of Yunqing Pavilion, and fled toward the deserted palaces. To this day, Feishu and Haiming still felt lingering palpitations whenever they recalled the incident. Encountering such an unreasonable princess was truly a terrifying ordeal.

For now, this tale of a Crown Prince-in-training and an imperious princess concludes with merely a comma. To discover what happens next, please continue your support for *The Top Scholar Consort*.