CH 91.2

Chapter 91.2 – It’s Sweeter This Way

When she received news that King Qi was banned from the palace, Qi Yang was idling in the waterside pavilion.

June was when the midsummer’s weather was the hottest; even staying in the house felt stuffy. So, Qi Yang recently fell in love with taking a nap in the waterside pavilion. It was much cooler there because of the open airflow, and the flowing water also helped regulate the temperature.

When you opened your eyes, you could also the beautiful lotus flowers in the middle of the pond. The scenery there was beautiful.

Qi Yang was living a leisurely life, but the wind and cloud in the capital changed again while she was escaping from the heat. When Zhi Ting came to deliver the news, she was also quite emotional, “King Chu was ousted just three months ago, and now King Qi has also been abandoned by His Majesty. This is really…”

Zhi Ting didn’t finish her words, but Qi Yang understood her meaning. Being by a monarch was like being with a tiger – you could never know what would happen to you tomorrow. But after hearing what she said, Qi Yang could not help but have some other thoughts – the Emperor only had a few adult sons. Now, King Chu and King Qi had their downfall one after the other, wasn’t this too fast and coincidental?

While she was thinking about these things, Lu Qipei came back.

Work in the Court of Judicial Review didn’t decrease in the middle of summer, and Lu Qipei had been very busy recently. Today, it was rare for her to return early. Qi Yang was also very happy to see her coming back, and waved to beckon her over. “You came back very early today.”

Lu Qipei walked to the waterside pavilion and sat down. When the breeze blew over the water, she instantly felt the temperature become a lot cooler. She leaned on the railing, not looking as upright as usual, showing a bit of laziness. “It’s rare that there are not many things to do today, so I managed to steal half a day of leisure.”

Then she sighed, “Your Highness, I have to tell you, the Court of Judicial Review is as hot as a steamer in the summer, and there is not much ice. It’s simply not a place for someone to be.”

She mumbled a few complaints and Qi Yang laughed, “I told you last year that if you dislike the lack of ice in the Court of Judicial Review, you can just bring some from your residence. You are the prince consort, no one would dare to say anything.”

Lu Qipei waved her hand and did not intend to continue the conversation.

Qi Yang already knew what her reaction would be and didn’t persuade her much, and walked to her side with a plate of grapes. Just as she was about to sit down next to Lu Qipei, she saw her face of refusal.

Qi Yang immediately thrust the plate into her hand angrily and turned back.

Lu Qipei knew that she was unhappy, but the weather still felt very sticky. Although she was greatly in love with Qi Yang, she could not bear it. She had no choice but to smile flatteringly at Qi Yang and say, “The Court of Judicial Review is handling a lot of cases, and today I had to run around for a whole day again. I sweated all over and haven’t had the time to wash myself yet. Even if Your Highness is not disgusted by it, I am.”

Qi Yang ignored her.

Lu Qipei looked at the fruit tray in her hand, and her heart moved. She quickly peeled a grape and handed it to Qi Yang, “Your Highness, don’t be angry with me? In this weather, getting angry would make you feel even more irritated.”

But Qi Yang didn’t even look at her. She turned her head and said, “You are sweaty all over. I’m disgusted.”

Lu Qipei had no choice but to continue coaxing Qi Yang until she ate the grapes, and finally she was relieved. She sat next to Qi Yang with the fruit tray in her hand, peeled a grape and ate one herself, then fed Qi Yang another one. Soon, the latter was looking sweet again.

People in the princess’s mansion, such as Zhi Ting, never worried about the two quarreling and becoming awkward with each other. There would always be someone who give in and coax the other one.

This time it was the prince consort, and next time it would be the princess. It’s as if they already had a tacit agreement, and would never let bad emotions take up too much of their time. They hadn’t been able to see their future clearly, so they would always cherish every moment they had with each other.

After the two ate half the plate of grapes together, Qi Yang refused to eat more.

Lu Qipei ate the grapes by herself said, “These grapes taste pretty good. How about planting a couple in the mansion? When they grow and bear fruit, we can enjoy eating grapes under the shades of the grape rack.”

Qi Yang didn’t care about this little matter. Whether Lu Qipei was just mentioning it in passing or not, she still turned around and told Zhi Ting to do it. Looking back, she said to Lu Qipei, “These grapes were sent from the hamlet. If you like them, we can go there some other day. Whether you want to enjoy the shade under the grape racks or pick fruits underneath, it’s up to you.”

Lu Qipei was just saying that casually. Seeing that Qi Yang was serious, she couldn’t help laughing, “That sounds good, let’s go on my next rest day. We can pick some grapes and bring them back to the office, so my colleagues can have a taste.”

The two people chatted a bit, then Qi Yang finally turned the topic back to the main matter. “Have you heard about it outside today? Royal Father banned King Qi from the palace. It seems that he’s completely fed up with him. ” After that, her voice changed and she said, “After King Chu fell, King Qi lost power right afterwards. Ah Pei, don’t you think it’s too fast and coincidental?”

Lu Qipei paused slightly as she ate the grapes, fell into thought for a while, then suddenly said, “Your Highness, let me ask you. If something happened to the Crown Prince, are there any of the remaining kings that can convince you?”

Qi Yang was shocked when she heard the words, then shook her head without thinking. “No, none of them can compare to Royal Brother.”

After hearing this, Lu Qipei continued to eat grapes. She already knew the answer well. “In that case, let’s just concentrate on protecting the Crown Prince. Let the other kings fight among themselves, what does it have to do with us?”

When you put it that way, that’s true. Qi Yang thought about it and decided that she didn’t care about it anymore. There were only King Wei and King Wu left – she wanted to see who was behind this and who would be left standing in the end.

After thinking about this, she saw that Lu Qipei had just peeled a grape and was putting it into her mouth. Qi Yang’s eyes flashed and she leaned forward and grabbed it.

Lu Qipei smiled helplessly and picked up another grape. “Your Highness, didn’t you say you wouldn’t eat anymore?”

Qi Yang raised her chin proudly and said, “It’s much sweeter this way.”

While saying that, her eyes lingered on Lu Qipei’s lips.

Author notes:

Qi Yang (proudly): Snatched food are more delicious, and stolen kisses are sweeter!

Lu Qipei (thinking): Is my current posture convenient enough for Your Highness to come and steal one?