Rebirth of the Phoenix Princess novel Chapter 221

"What?" Hua Jing's words put Li Yingying in a fluster. Yingying panicked.

The Princess continued, "I suppose you would have worn a veil when you visited the Suiyu House. But the veil was not enough. It only hides your identity from strangers. When people know you, they can easily recognize you even with a veil on. You've always been cautious and smart. Why did you make such a mistake?"

Yingying smiled awkwardly. She tried to dismiss the allegation, "Well, I didn't go there. The place is inappropriate for an unmarried woman like me. The ladies must have mistaken another person for me."

Hua Jing smiled coldly, "Now you're being silly. It doesn't matter whether you visited Suiyu House or not. The rumor itself is disastrous. If someone so close to you, me for example, has heard about it, then most of the ladies in the Imperial City must know as well. You know the ladies love rumors. No one cares about the authenticity of the rumor. Gossiping is fun to them. The ladies won't keep quite when there is such an interesting story. And eventually, the rumor will be heard by your family. The Li Clan are the ones who will get hurt by the rumor."

Li Yingying's face paled, "Hua Jing, you're right. Even if I claim that it is only a rumor, no one will believe me. So what should I do now? My parents and grandparents can't know of the rumor. It's too heavy an accusation for our family to bear."

Hua Jing was amused by Li Yingying's question. 'If she feared the consequences so much, why did she fight for Ya Xi so publicly in the first place? And she was defending herself just now, as if someone had wronged her.

Bitch. I shouldn't have doubted Ya Xi. He wasn't framing her.' The Princess thought. When the guards told Hua Jing what they had seen, she wasn't sure whether or not she should trust them. Now with Li Yingying's guilty confession, Hua Jing was assured.

Princess Hua Jing had been raised in the Palace. Her life had been free of adversities. However, in recent months, too many awful things had happened to her. She had even spent two months in a cold and damp cell thanks to Li Yingying. The latter had never paid the Princess a visit during Hua Jing's internment. And Li Yingying had plenty of excuses for not visiting. She always claimed that she was either terrified or mentally exhausted. 'It looks like Li Yingying was busy enjoying her time with her lovers during my incarceration.'

Hua Jing felt angrier when she thought about the past. 'Ya Xi is mine. Li Yingying will learn that she cannot covet him.'

"Yingying, you're twenty years old and still unmarried. No wonder there are rumors. If you like, I can help with that. I can ask grandmother and aunt to find you some nice young noblemen to select from. If you're married, such rumors will have no basis." Hua Jing raised her hand and smiled as she studied her new manicure.

Li Yingying's face was still pale. Her expression didn't change much at Hua Jing's suggestion. Li Yingying lifted her brows, but chose not to say anything.

Hua Jing interpreted Li Yingying's reaction as reluctance to stop living a free and unfettered life. The Princess felt unhappy, "If you were a man or someone of stature like Prince Jing, people would say you're a playboy, even if you stay unmarried at the age of twenty. But as a girl, you'll receive harsher judgement if you remain unmarried over the age of twenty. It's not good for your reputation. I am only offering help. What you do now, is your decision."

Li Yingying sighed and lowered her head. She hesitated for a while before saying, "I guess I don't have any other choice. Please let my mother and grandmother know that they should find me a husband."

'A husband?' Hua Jing sneered at Li Yingying. 'You wish! ' But the Princess hid her feelings well, "I also suggest that you go out less these days. We can't make sure the same rumor won't spread again if you go out too often." Hua Jing nodded at her cousin before leaving. Thinking of what she had accomplished, her heart soared with joy.

Yun Shang was lying on the couch at Prince Jing's Mansion. Ning Qian was reporting the latest updates to the Princess, "The Grand Councilor's wife arranges events quickly. She held a banquet with only two days notice. But only a few people were present. Even her friends didn't attend. They all had excuses for their absence. The Grand Councilor's wife was enraged at the situation. She sent her servants to find out why, and learned of the rumor that Li Yingying had burnt down Suiyu House for an escort."

Yun Shang smiled at the news, "Interesting. What else did she find out?"

"She found out everything that Your Highness wanted her to know. After all, it wasn't exactly a secret that Princess Hua Jing brought the most famed escort from Suiyu House to her Palace. Ya Xi is popular and easily recognized in the City. Besides, he went to the Princess Palace through the front door several times. Everyone saw him." Ning Qian smiled, too.

"Well, the Royal cousins fought over one escort and now, they hate each other for that. What an intriguing story!" Yun Shang took a sip of tea. 'No wonder the civilians like to watch shows.' The Princess thought. The players on stage enact what the audience favors to amuse them. It's said that watching such shows helped the commoners forget about their problems. But Yun Shang had enjoyed customizing this show. And it was only the beginning. She had much more planned.

"What's more, there were several groups of people investigating Ya Xi and the Suiyu House fire. They have shown great interest and conducted the investigation many times. Fortunately we foresaw this and made arrangements in advance. Otherwise they would find out that we were behind the whole incident. Of the people who were interested in Suiyu House, some were from the Grand Councilor's Mansion, and others had been sent by the Empress. I'm surprised that the Empress knew of it. But she didn't confront Princess Hua Jing. The Empress conducted a secret investigation and then, she didn't pursue it any further." Ning Qian added softly. She was confused about the Empress's reaction.

Yun Shang put down the teacup with a heavy thud. Even though she hadn't fought with the Empress face to face many times, she knew the Empress well. Most of her understanding of the Empress came from her experiences in her previous life. "Of course, she won't blame Hua Jing. Hua Jing is the Princess of the State of Ning after all. Most Princesses are allowed to keep more than one gigolo even when they are married. Since it is said that Hua Jing's husband died, this rumor will only hurt the Princess's reputation a little. That's if she had any standing in the City. We ruined Hua Jing's character. So it's not a big deal for her to have kept men. Besides, if Hua Jing stops meeting with Prince Qingsu due to her interest in Ya Xi, the Empress would be grateful. The Empress has done her research and is convinced that Ya Xi would be of no harm to Hua Jing. That's why she let it go."

"Your Highness is right. You knew Princess Hua Jing would make mistakes when it came to men. So you recruited and trained several handsome boys to trap her. You are so wise." Ning Qian smiled and complimented Yun Shang, "But it still surprises me that Ya Xi gained Hua Jing's trust so soon."

Yun Shang smiled, too. She made such arrangements because she knew Hua Jing well. Hua Jing was dissolute. She fell for handsome boys easily. Yun Shang couldn't share that she had gained this insight from her previous life with Ning Qian. So she kept silent.

Ning Qian spoke again, "By the way, it was challenging to find so many attractive boys. Each boy is more gorgeous than the next. Each has something exciting to offer. Their beauty remains unsurpassed from among their peers. It's a pity not to let them serve you. My Lady, a Princess is allowed to a little indulgence when it comes to the matter of sex. So if you're interested, I'll select some boys to serve you. What do you think?"

Yun Shang had been leisurely sipping her tea when she heard Ning Qian's suggestion. The Princess was so shocked that she nearly spat out the tea in her mouth. After all these years of working with Ning Qian, she didn't know that Ning Qian could make such an exaggerated joke. 'Did she learn it from Qian Yin?'

Before Yun Shang could compose herself and refuse Ning Qian, a cold male voice interrupted the women, "I'm afraid she can't do that. A Princess Consort cannot have kept men, or else she will be placed in a bamboo basket and tossed in the river."

Ning Qian recognized whom the voice belonged to, and smiled awkwardly. She blabbered a quick apology, "Your Highness, I didn't know you were here. I apologize for my mistake. I'll take my leave." Then she ran away as fast as she could.

Yun Shang swallowed the giggle that threatened to escape at Ning Qian's antics. She waited patiently for the Prince to say something. He ambled to Yun Shang and sat opposite her. From his position, he could study his wife carefully. The Prince raised his brows, "Your Highness wants a kept man?" 'Your Highness?'

Yun Shang frowned. The Prince never called her that when they were alone. The Princess smiled to comfort the Prince, "Of course, not. Ning Qian said that in jest. Don't take it seriously."

Prince Jing acted as if he hadn't heard Yun Shang's explanation. He awkwardly rubbed his hands on his knees before saying, "It's understandable. Your Highness has just had her Coming-of-age Ceremony. You have barely passed fifteen, while I'm already twenty -eight years old. I'm thirteen years older than you. While I am only getting older, you are in your prime. That would be a disadvantage to you. Besides, even though we have been married for half a month, you and I haven't consummated the marriage. I understand if you're feeling lonely. Though I'm stubborn sometimes, I will support your decision if you really want to have a kept man...."

'Prince Jing is talking nonsense.' The Princess blushed a furious red at the Prince's mention of consummation. Just the idea of being intimate with Prince Jing was enough to... No, no! She was not going to think about that. Yun Shang coughed to hide her nervousness before quickly adding, "Your Highness overthought. Shang'er have never thought of such thing. Never! By the way, earlier in the day, the chamberlain asked for my opinion regarding the mid-lake pavilion. He also asked my advice concerning the renovated courtyard. I need to see the design drawings. I've spent too much time talking with Ning Qian. And so, I'm going to take your leave and attend to the renovation plan now." Yun Shang almost tripped over her feet as she stood from the couch. She rushed outside without putting on her shoes.

Prince Jing's mouth curved into a smile at Yun Shang as she disappeared from his sight. His eyes reflected jest, "What a shy girl." Then he left Yun Shang's room, too. Meanwhile, trouble continued to brew for Li Yingying. Since Li Yingying's inappropriate behavior was witnessed by several civilians, her mother couldn't blame Princess Hua Jing for spreading rumors. Besides, the enchanting Ya Xi also testified against Li Yingying on the charge of bullying him and burning down Suiyu House. The fire set by Li Yingying even claimed several innocent lives.