Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 143: Let Qi Anran Have a Taste of Disfigurement

Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Let Qi Anran Have a Taste of Disfigurement

On the second floor, Qi Yu glanced at the person opposite and, noting that Jiutu wore a stern face, deliberately asked, "Why doesn’t the State Preceptor enter the palace to meet His Majesty but come to my humble Medical Hall instead?"

Jiutu arrived at Yongchun Hall early in the morning, but there were too many people in line at the time, and he did not want to reveal his identity.

He had been waiting in the teahouse across the street until most of the people had left before he showed himself.

Upon hearing Qi Yu’s words, his expression remained unchanged, and only took a sip from the teacup before him, speaking indifferently, "I come here this time to ask for a favor."

Seeing his tone still held some reluctance, Qi Yu did not rush to inquire further and deliberately left him hanging.

Jiutu believed that after saying these words, Qi Yu would certainly become curious, but seeing her composed demeanor, he realized he had thought too much.

A hint of coldness flashed through his eyes, Lingya was right, the Princess Consort of Qi was indeed a tough nut to crack.

Both were seemingly in a contest, where the first one to speak would lose; the teahouse remained quiet for a good while, with only the fragrance of tea wafting through the air.

Qi Yu remained in a relaxed posture, focusing on the tea in her hands, not asking a single word about Jiutu’s intentions.

Jiutu was already feeling anxious, but restrained himself from speaking because he could not swallow his pride.

At that moment, seeing that Qi Yu seemed ready to stand her ground indefinitely, he conceded and initiated, "Isn’t the Princess Consort of Qi at all curious about what I seek?"

Qi Yu drained the tea from her cup and smiled, "If the State Preceptor wishes to speak, I will naturally listen."

Jiutu finally admitted defeat before her composed stance, took a glance at Qi Yu, and spoke slowly, "These past days, the Empress has been covertly monitoring Xuanruo Pavilion."

He simply stated that much, but Qi Yu understood the implication of his words.

If the Empress was determined not to let Princess Lingya go and still had no news coming out from the palace after such surveillance, it meant that Lingya indeed did not have any leverage in her hands.

And Jiutu wouldn’t come to her for something inconsequential. It seemed the Empress could no longer wait and was about to take action.

Seeing her lower her head in thought, Jiutu continued, "Indeed, the Empress hasn’t found any leverage in Xuanruo Pavilion, so, she plans to take direct action."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yu’s face turned exceedingly cold, "Then why aren’t you guarding in the palace, instead of coming here to me?"

She had no fondness for muddling in turbulent waters, and even less reason to oppose the Empress for Lingya’s sake.

Jiutu knew she would not easily intervene, but in the capital city, only she could help Lingya.

No one would engage in a losing deal, and Jiutu was well aware, so he cleared his throat and dangled the bait, "As long as the Princess Consort can protect the Princess, I will make sure to reward you handsomely."

Qi Yu couldn’t care less about his empty promises and asked bluntly, "What do you intend to bribe me with?"

Even though Tulan was not as wealthy as Dazhao, it was still a prosperous country.

She had no interest in gold and silver jewelry, but had always coveted Tulan’s Witchcraft Technique.

If she could extort some secret manuals from Jiutu, then it would be worth her while.

Jiutu was taken aback by her straightforward speech, coughed, and replied, "The Princess Consort need not worry, upon success, there will naturally be thousands of gold as a reward."

Who doesn’t love real gold and silver? He felt Qi Yu, no matter how honorable and upright, would inevitably be tempted by money.

But Qi Yu merely frowned in disdain, her almond eyes flashing with two glaring words.

Is that all?

She was not short on money.

Besides, what does a few thousands of gold amount to? She had several large chests of gold lying in her space.

Jiutu’s first attempt to entice her with the offer failed, and he hesitated before asking, "How about another ten thousand?"

Qi Yu pretended to be demure, covering her lips, but suddenly leaned closer and whispered, "You better keep that money for yourself, I don’t lack it."

Jiutu raised his eyebrows, his pale eyes giving her a brief glance, "Then what does the Princess Consort want?"

He wasn’t foolish; Qi Yu wasn’t interested in the money, but she didn’t outright reject him either. It was clear she was looking to extort something else.

Qi Yu rubbed her hands, her eyes gleaming as she said, "I want your Tulan Witchcraft Technique!"

"What!" Jiutu leapt to his feet, looking at her incredulously.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his voice cold, "Princess must not go too far in bullying us; the Witchcraft Technique is a secret of our Tulan that must not be shared!"

Qi Yu stroked her chin, not making it difficult for him, and waved her hand casually, "Since that’s the case, the State Preceptor is free to seek help from others."

Jiutu did indeed want to leave, but if he left, there would be no one to help the Princess.

Moreover, if he didn’t negotiate terms with Qi Yu now, and one day truly needed her help, wouldn’t he be at her mercy?

A sense of powerlessness rose in Jiutu’s heart, and he sighed and sat back down.

Seeing that he didn’t leave, Qi Yu knew there was still room for negotiation.

She smiled openly, "The State Preceptor is a wise man, and I’ll be straightforward. I want the Witchcraft Technique not to use against your Tulan people, but purely out of curiosity."

Jiutu looked at her skeptically, clearly not believing her words.

If things were as simple as she described, the hostility between Tulan and Dazhao would have been resolved long ago.

Qi Yu had said all she could; no matter what else she said, he wouldn’t believe her, so she let it go.

She stood up to see him out, "The State Preceptor might want to think it over, however, I can only give you three days to decide."

Jiutu gave her a glance, said nothing, and with a swift movement leapt down from the upper floor, disappearing into the crowd in an instant.

Qi Yu returned to the residence to change her clothes and said to Chunlan, "Go to the other courtyard and fetch that box of rouge."

Chunlan complied, ran the errand, and handed the box of rouge to her.

Qi Yu took out the rouge she had just bought from Xunfang Pavilion and swapped the contents of the two boxes.

Chunlan watched her actions with some curiosity, "What is the Princess planning to do?"

Qi Yu closed the swapped rouge box, raising her eyebrows at her, "Of course, to return it to its rightful owner."

Such a fine item would be too wasteful not to be used by Qi Anran.

Chunlan knew that there was something wrong with the box of rouge, but she was not very clear about the specifics.

Hearing Qi Yu say it had to be returned to its rightful owner, she pondered for a moment, "Is the Princess planning to return the rouge?"

Qi Yu smiled mysteriously, "Of course it needs to be returned, but what will be returned is not just a box of rouge."

What mattered more was to let Qi Anran also have a taste of what it’s like to have a disfigured face.

Chunlan didn’t catch the deeper meaning in her words, only aware that their Princess was up to something again.

She wholly approved of this.

For Qi Anran to dare send a problematic box of rouge to the Princess, who knows what she was plotting.

To deal with such a person, one should indeed give them a taste of their own medicine.

Qi Yu had a carriage prepared and took Chunlan and Shen Nanxing with her towards the Prime Minister Residence.

The three of the Qi Family were surprised when they received word that the Princess from Qi was visiting.

Wang scolded, "What is that vile woman here for, hasn’t she brought enough disaster upon our family yet!"

Qi Wei did not wish to see this disloyal daughter, but he was still dwelling on the gold Qi Yu had stolen from him last time; seeing that she had come to him of her own accord, he was almost eager to tie her up and make her cough up all that gold.

Only Qi Anran looked delighted, thinking Qi Yu must have used the rouge she gave her and that something must have gone wrong, prompting her visit.

With this thought, she craned her neck, hardly able to contain her eagerness to see the disfigured face of Qi Yu.