Volume One, Chapter 10: A Princess Is a Princess—If You Fight, You Fight

For this grand wedding, none of her maternal family members came to the Prince’s residence, save for Qingzhu. Even her eldest brother, Su Heng, hurriedly departed after safely escorting her to the gate, anxious to avoid any suspicion.

The Prince of Jin was now on the brink of death. Court officials and dignitaries, out of respect for the Emperor, merely made a perfunctory appearance, delivered their wedding gifts, and beat a hasty retreat. It was common knowledge in the capital that the Crown Prince, Wei Xingzhou, and the Prince of Jin were long-standing rivals. Besides the Prince’s loyal subordinates, who would dare to side with him now? The only guests in attendance were the soldiers who had once fought alongside him through life and death.

The Emperor had originally ordered the Crown Prince to attend the ceremony on his behalf, but the Crown Prince feigned a cold to have the order rescinded. The Emperor, always doting on the Crown Prince, simply ignored his dying, illegitimate son. With the realm now at peace, this illegitimate son was of no further use to him. He merely sent a Ferghana horse to express his "sentiments." As for the Crown Prince, he sent a "generous" gift: a golden coffin, now displayed prominently in the main courtyard of the residence.

Facing such an insulting act, the household staff could only seethe in silence. The Prince of Jin’s residence now struggled to survive on the meager stipend provided by the imperial court. The massive household lacked shops, industries, or fertile land, all because the Prince himself had always disdained such things; he never strove for them, nor for the power that was once within his grasp.

The intelligence reported to her by the eyes and ears of the Yongming Pavilion left Su Zhizhi feeling deeply unsettled. The Prince of Jin might not be a monster, but she was not so sure about Jing Chuwei. Standing before the golden coffin at the gates, Su Zhizhi was lost in thought.

Nanny Wang heaved a deep sigh, her gaze toward Su Zhizhi filled with disdain. To marry her—this "scapegoat" brought in to provide a boost of luck for the dying Prince—the household had already spent a significant amount of gold. The previous eight Princesses had at least held proper ceremonies; though not grand, they were respectable. Today, however, the atmosphere was more bleak and desolate than the dead of winter. Nanny Wang shook her head incessantly; the residence had emptied its remaining coffers to marry this bride, whereas the previous ones had all brought substantial dowries. This one hadn't brought a single copper.

To Nanny Wang, a bride brought in only for luck and already despised by all was not worth the ceremony. She intended to follow Princess Huayang’s orders: prevent the bride from meeting the Prince, have her bow to his battle armor instead, and send her straight to the bridal chamber. As for the soldiers in attendance, they would be treated with minimal hospitality.

When the servants brought out the armor, Nanny Wang said coldly to the bride, "The Prince is unconscious. You shall bow to his armor for the ceremony."

Su Zhizhi had endured enough. Does the world think a tigress is a sick cat just because she hasn't bared her fangs? She strode toward the smug-looking Princess Huayang and delivered a heavy slap across the woman’s rouged cheek.

"Jing Chuwei, today is the wedding day of the Prince and me. What kind of disgraceful behavior is this, meddling in our affairs?"

The sound of the slap echoed through the room, stunning everyone into silence. Striking Princess Huayang? Even the Emperor, out of respect for the late General Jing and his old subordinates, would never dare to lay a hand on her.

Princess Huayang’s head spun; she had always been the one to strike others, and no one had ever dared treat her this way. She looked as if she were possessed by a wild cat, her brows knitted in fury as she shrieked, "You fake daughter, you ugly freak, how dare you strike me! Do you have a death wish? I will kill you!"

Princess Huayang’s amateur brawling was no match for Su Zhizhi. Though she lacked internal martial arts, Su Zhizhi had spent months training in freestyle combat; dealing with a pampered, spoiled noble girl was effortless. She easily pinned the Princess’s wrists.

Su Zhizhi stared at her coldly before letting go, then immediately grabbed the Princess by her collar. "Jing Chuwei, listen well: the Prince of Jin is your imperial brother, and I am your sister-in-law. To show me disrespect is to disrespect him."

Nanny Wang tried to intervene, but a single glare from Su Zhizhi forced her back.

"Furthermore, you call me a 'fake daughter,' but are you truly a princess yourself? The Prince’s residence is currently besieged by crises. As a princess, instead of finding ways to restore its glory, you wear this red dress and steal the spotlight—you are only bringing shame upon your own brother!"

Once the floodgates opened, Su Zhizhi could not stop. "And look at yourself in the mirror! You are the sole descendant of the revered General Jing, yet you know nothing but jealousy and spite. Do you not know how many soldiers are starving and bleeding on the battlefield? If the General could see you from the heavens, do you think he would find peace?"

These questions hit like depth charges, shattering Princess Huayang’s composure. She was accustomed to making "Brother Xiao" the entirety of her world. This was the first time anyone had scolded her in such a way.

"I..." Princess Huayang lowered her head, unconvinced but unable to argue.

Su Zhizhi had vented her anger, and she felt a bit better. "Enough. You are the sister the Prince loves most. If he were to wake up and see you in this state of decay, he would be saddened."

"Wake up? Will Brother Xiao really wake up?" Everyone had told her that he never would. Princess Huayang suddenly burst into tears, wailing like an infant.

Su Zhizhi nodded. According to her expertise, the Blood-Devouring Poison would be neutralized by the end of today at the latest.

"Nanny Wang, take that armor away. Bring the Prince out; we are bowing to him properly!"

What? Nanny Wang had heard that the second daughter of the Su family was a timid, sickly thing. Today, however, she looked more and more like an invincible tigress.

"Do I need to repeat myself? Bring the Prince here! Are you deaf?"

Having witnessed the new Princess’s ferocity, Nanny Wang trembled and lowered her head. "This old servant dares not, but..."

Xiao Lizi, who had just come from the Prince’s bedchamber to scout for news, was startled upon entering the room. He saw the bride with her veil removed, Princess Huayang weeping with flushed cheeks, and the soldiers staring at each other in confusion.

Suddenly, a cold, sharp gaze fell upon him. "Xiao Lizi! Bring your Prince here. Nanny Wang is too old to carry him—you go!"

Su Zhizhi pointed at the loyal young guard.

"Me? Carry the Prince?" Xiao Lizi muttered, scratching the back of his head. How did the Princess know his name, and even his childhood nickname? "Princess, I... I..."

Su Zhizhi was impatient. "Do you want me to carry him myself?"

Princess Huayang had just emerged from her sorrow when she heard this madwoman demanding to bring Brother Xiao out. How dare she? "Su Zhizhi, do you really think you are the mistress of this house? If Brother Xiao is lying down while marrying you, where will his dignity be?"

"And would he have more dignity if he were forced to stand? We are husband and wife; what is wrong with marrying while he lies down?"

Truly, there was no pleasing her without gold. Su Zhizhi clapped her hands. "Bring them all in."

At her command, servants began lugging in countless heavy chests. In a moment, the wedding hall was piled high with brand-new, gleaming trunks.

"These boxes are filled with solid gold—ten thousand taels in total. To bring good luck to the Prince, we must at least have a round number. Nanny Wang, have someone verify this, then move it to the treasury. Keep it under strict guard; from now on, all accounts regarding these funds must be approved by me."

Nanny Wang, who had served the household for years, knew that even in its prime, the residence had never seen ten thousand taels of gold. No wonder this new Princess spoke with such confidence—she was incredibly wealthy.

"Ten thousand taels?" Princess Huayang stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes filled with doubt. "You ugly freak, you aren't even favored by the Duke’s household, and you’ve been a sickly invalid at the Xuanlin Tower for five years. Where would you get such gold? I suspect this is nothing but scrap metal you’ve conned from somewhere!"