Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 254: Deliver this Letter to Evil Valley

Chapter 254: Chapter 254: Deliver this Letter to Evil Valley

Hearing the title "Your Majesty," Li Tianze shot a glance at Qi Yu, almost imperceptibly.

She really had no sense of propriety, lacking respect for hierarchy.

Qi Yu pretended not to notice, she wouldn’t admit that she did it on purpose.

Li Tianze looked down on her as Princess Qiu, so she had no reason to cozy up to him.

In the midst of their exchanged glances, a silent battle ensued.

After just a few seconds, Li Tianze diverted his gaze and snorted, "Since she is a sister recognized by the Princess, you should discipline her well. Prince Qiu Residence is not a place where just anyone can enter."

His words were hardly short of pointing at Qi Yu’s nose and scolding her for bringing someone improper back.

Qi Yu rolled her eyes inwardly, but still smiled and replied, "Father Emperor speaks the truth."

Who could defy the emperor’s supreme authority? She certainly didn’t have the gall to offend the Son of Heaven.

In the carriage, Shi Zhou’s heart was tightly clenched.

She regretted lifting the curtain and being seen by His Majesty.

Just when she thought His Majesty would have her come out, she only heard a faint "Return to the palace."

Shi Zhou let out a sigh of relief, yet her emotions were still a complex mix.

If it was as she thought, and her father had intentionally sent her to the capital city,

was it because of her mother’s origins, including her own?

While she was lost in her wild thoughts, Qi Yu had already returned to the carriage. Seeing her furrowed brows and unease,

Qi Yu assumed it was because of Li Tianze wanting to see her, which was worrying indeed—after all, ordinary people would be fearful in the presence of the emperor, right?

She smiled and comforted, "It’s okay, I said that on purpose just now; he won’t make you get out."

Shi Zhou forced a slight smile and nodded, "That’s good."

The carriage slowly made its way towards Prince Residence, and Qi Yu pulled back the curtain to tell Shi Zhou about the streets they passed and the various goods and entertainment available.

Shi Zhou listened absentmindedly. She pursed her lips, and after a long moment, asked Qi Yu, "His Majesty... what kind of person is he?"

"Hmm?" Qi Yu turned her head, letting the curtain fall, "Out of the blue, why do you ask about this?"

She thought Shi Zhou was just curious about Li Tianze.

After some thought, she rested her chin on her hand and said, "His Majesty is someone with a capricious nature, unpredictable as the weather. He is very good to Prince Qiu, but he doesn’t like me. Actually, it’s not just him. In the harem, aside from the Empress Dowager, no one likes her."

At this, she laughed self-deprecatingly and corrected herself, "I should say, they all wish they could kill me."

"Why?" Shi Zhou furrowed her brow, having grown up in a simple environment in the bandit hideout.

Everyone spoke with their fists there, and might made right.

Yet along the way, she had gradually realized that the world below the mountains seemed different.

But exactly how it differed, she couldn’t articulate.

Qi Yu patted her shoulder, speaking sagely, "It’s nothing. Some things you only understand through experience. Overthinking is of no help."

Shi Zhou nodded blankly, the uneasiness in her heart fading significantly.

The carriage soon arrived at the Prince Residence. Li Bo saw the Prince atop the carriage, his eyes brimming with tears, his face beaming with a joyful smile.

Song Ling also waited at the entrance, accompanied by Qi Mu and Qi Xuan.

The two children had been delighted upon hearing from Manager Qian that their master was coming back. They could hardly wait to tell their master, who was as beautiful as a celestial being, about their progress during this time.

Under the tutelage of Song Ling, they had learned to recognize herbs and could even crush them into powder, ready for use.

As they saw the carriage come to a halt, Qi Mu and Qi Xuan exchanged a glance, both instinctively holding their breath.

While they were naturally overjoyed, they also felt a bit nervous.

What if their master had forgotten them? What then?

Qi Yu alighted from the carriage, greeted Li Bo and Song Ling, along with Chunxiang and a few other maids and guards, before finally resting her gaze on the two young ones.

Their cheeks had filled out a bit; they weren’t as frail as before, their little faces had become rounder and quite rosy, looking adorably cute.

Looking at her little ones whose eyes timidly met hers, she felt her heart melt.

Once inside the front hall, she opened her arms wide to the two and called out, "Come here."

Qi Mu and Qi Xuan’s eyes widened in disbelief, but after snapping out of their shock, they scrambled towards her, competing to be the first. Qi Yu embraced both children, laughing as she pinched their chubby cheeks.

"You’ve put on weight," she remarked, feeling the soft flesh in her hands.

Qi Mu, startled, thought his mistress was scolding them for eating too much, and hurriedly shook his head, "We haven’t eaten a lot!"

Qi Xuan, who was still coming to terms with the situation, upon hearing Qi Mu’s words, also nodded in agreement.

Qi Yu couldn’t help but chuckle at the two young ones, saying, "I’m not saying you eat too much. I’m praising you, you’ve grown up white and plump, very cute."

Being called cute for the first time, Qi Mu and Qi Xuan were both surprised and delighted, their eyes shining as they timidly tugged at her sleeve with their plush hands.

Li Bo had long had the food and wine prepared. Qi Yu held the little ones, one by each side, busying herself with serving them food, and earnestly advised the two, "You can’t be picky eaters, you need to eat more to grow taller, understand?"

Qi Mu and Qi Xuan, looking at the full bowl of food in front of them, swallowed hard, "Understood, thank you, mistress."

Qi Yu patted their heads one by one, smiling, "From now on, don’t call me mistress."

She certainly didn’t share the same interests as Liu Wensheng.

Upon hearing this, the two little ones were thrown into a panic, forgetting to eat, and asked, "What should we call you, then?"

Did their mistress not want them anymore?

Realizing their misunderstanding, Qi Yu quickly explained, "I’m not abandoning you; just call me ’sister’ like before."

It had only been a few months, but the two little ones had grown a bit more fearful of her.

Qi Mu and Qi Xuan both nodded.

After the meal, the two young ones went back to the rear courtyard with Song Ling.

In this period, they had been living in the Prince Residence and had gotten used to life there.

Qi Yu asked Li Bo to prepare a room for Shi Zhou and personally took her there, checking that nothing was missing before nodding in satisfaction.

She had two maids assigned to Shi Zhou, saying, "They will follow you from now on."

Shi Zhou looked distressed and was just about to refuse when Qi Yu interrupted, "You’ll get used to it."

With no more to say, and considering that all the ladies from prominent families in the capital city lived this way, she decided she might as well adapt.

In the Imperial Palace, the Empress had just finished her medicinal meal when she saw Treasure Bead rush in, looking flustered. The Empress’s expression faltered slightly, and she sent all the nannies and eunuchs away before giving Treasure Bead a nonchalant look.

After securing the door, Treasure Bead reported to the Empress, "Your Highness, I just saw His Majesty enter Yangxin Hall with Prince Qiu."

The Empress put down her medicinal meal and sneered, "He really does have nine lives."

Despite sending so many assassins, even having them delivered to Evil Valley, somehow Li Mingjue and Qi Yu had managed to return alive.

The Empress narrowed her eyes slightly, walked over to her desk, and penned a few lines on a piece of paper.

She then called for a Hidden Guard and ordered, "Take this letter to Evil Valley."