Chapter 65: Three Women

65. Chapter 65: Three Women

What is this development?

Wang Deshun, hearing the Happy Princess speak to Shen Yunyao in the carriage, was half bewildered.

He had thought the princess was coming to cause trouble, and had prepared to step forward when needed.

So that's it?

Wang Deshun recalled the rumors he had heard about Jingcheng before, that the Joyful Princess fell at first sight for Xie Zian, treating him as forbidden flesh, and he wanted to ask: "You damn liars, at least make your stories somewhat reliable!"

Wang Deshun recalled the rumors from Jingcheng that the Happy Princess had fallen at first sight for Xie Zian and treated him as forbidden meat, and he wanted to say: you damn liars, at least make the lies somewhat credible!

Inside the carriage, Shen Yunyao was also shocked by the Happy Princess's brilliant move.

When she realized the Happy Princess wasn't there to cause trouble, Shen Yunyao was already a bit surprised, and now hearing that the Happy Princess wanted to form a sworn sisterhood with her made her even more surprised.

Shen Yunyao had assumed that arriving in Jingcheng she would first encounter hostility from the refined ladies, but she never expected to be given an incredibly powerful patron right away.

Shen Yunyao had expected that upon arriving in Jingcheng she would first face hostility from the refined ladies, but she didn't expect to be given such a powerful backing right away.

"Fairy sister, say something!"

"If you don't speak, I'll take it as your tacit consent!"

The Happy Princess's temperament is indeed a bit impatient.

Without waiting for her answer, she had already made a decision for Shen Yunyao.

"Choosing the right time is no better than striking now!"

"Wang Deshun, hurry up, go prepare the incense table; this princess wants to form a sworn sisterhood with Fairy sister!"

When Shen Yunyao finally regained her senses and came to her wits, she was already being led out of the carriage by the Happy Princess, hand in hand.

Under a peach tree at Sanli Pavilion, the incense table had already been set.

"In ancient times there were the three brothers of the Peach Garden oath; today, you and I, sisters, forge a sworn sisterhood beneath the peach tree!"

Thus, Shen Yunyao muddledly took an oath of sisterhood with Joyful Princess Qi Zhen, becoming good sisters who don't seek to be born on the same year, month and day, but hope to die on the same year, month and day.

Thus, Shen Yunyao, in a muddled fashion, swore brotherhood with the Happy Princess Qi Zhen, becoming good sisters who do not ask to be born on the same year, month and day, but wish to die on the same year, month and day.

"Ah, Fairy sister, you must live a hundred years; that way, I, your younger sister, can also enjoy longevity!"

Well then, after the oath, the Happy Princess's first words almost broke Shen Yunyao's composure.

She even suspected that this girl swore sisterhood with her just to gain longevity.

Wang Deshun, seeing the Joyful Princess holding onto Shen Yunyao and not letting go, quickly stepped forward, "Should we be setting off for Jingcheng now?"

Seeing the Happy Princess refuse to let go of Shen Yunyao, Wang Deshun hurried forward, "Should we set off for Jingcheng now?"

"Take good care of my Snow‑stepper; I want to ride in the carriage together with my fairy sister."

"Take good care of my Ta Xue; I want to sit in the carriage together with my Fairy sister."

After seeing off Wang Deshun, the Happy Princess grabbed Shen Yunyao's hand and hurried toward the carriage.

"Princess, aren't you being a bit childish?"

Only after the Happy Princess boarded the carriage did Shen Yunyao speak.

A dignified Imperial Princess forming a sworn brotherhood with someone is indeed somewhat childish and willful.

"Sister, call me Zhenzhen!"

"The 'Zhen' of treasure!"

"My name is Qi Zhen, the 'Zhen' of chastity!"

"My father, mother, and brothers all call me Zhenzhen!"

Shen Yunyao said one line, and this girl replied with several.

She can't be a talkative person, can she?

Looking at the little girl chattering nonstop, Shen Yunyao suddenly understood something.

Even though she is highly favored, when the people around her attend to her they are inevitably extremely cautious, fearing to accidentally offend this little princess.

Even though she is highly favored, the people attending her are always overly cautious, fearing to inadvertently upset the little princess.

Over time, she hasn't even had a peer she could talk to.

Usually such a person is either very reclusive or, like the Happy Princess, talks excessively.

"Alright, then I'll call you Zhenzhen from now on!"

"My name is Shen Yunyao; you can call me... hmm, anything you like. I, well, no one has ever called me any affectionate nickname before."

As an unloved lady, neither Shen Zhen nor the Lu clan had ever had close contact with Shen Yunyao.

Or rather, their interactions were few.

With little interaction, how could their forms of address be any different?

"Then shall I call you Fairy sister?"

"That might be too much; I'm afraid I can't handle it!"

"How about you call me Qi Jiejie? I'm the seventh sister in my family!"

Shen Yunyao smiled; the 'Fairy sister' title could be used occasionally as a joke, but overuse would inevitably invite jealousy.

After all, who isn't a little fairy?

A woman's jealousy—if anyone underestimates it, they'll be in for trouble!

"Alright, alright, I'll call you Qi Jiejie!"

The Happy Princess immediately agreed, lowering her voice: "Qi Jiejie, I find that the two of us are truly fated!"

"I am also the seventh sister in my family's ranking!"

"Then shall I call you Seventh Sister?"

"No, no; if you must call me, call me Eighth Sister!"

Hehe…

……

The party set off again and soon entered the southern gate of Jingcheng.

Princess Huanxi briskly opened the carriage compartment's curtains and, full of enthusiasm, introduced Jingcheng to Shen Yunyao.

Shen Yunyao then put her veil hat back on, covering her face with light gauze.

Although she wasn't worried about any lecherous rascals appearing in Jingcheng, some rules still had to be observed.

You ask why Princess Huanxi doesn't have to follow those rules?

Hehe, because she's favored!

Because her family are the rule makers!

"Qi Jiejie, look at that teahouse over there!"

"Do you see those women?"

"I'm telling you, those are all admirers of Xie Zian. The round‑faced leader is named Lu Qingfan. She's the third lady of the Minister of Rites' family, famed as Jingcheng's number one talented woman!"

"The one with the big eyes on her left is Li Shanni, a lady of the Marquis of An Guo's household, but her mother is a stepmother!"

"The plump one on the right is Chu Yingying, the Duke of Chu's granddaughter, highly favored and the most willful!"

Shen Yunyao listened to Princess Huanxi's introduction, her gaze passing through the light gauze as she sized up the three young ladies upstairs.

Lu Qingfan was undoubtedly the most beautiful.

Li Shanni, with her expressive eyes, made her otherwise plain little face appear considerably more innocent and beautiful.

Only the plump Duke of Chu's granddaughter Chu Yingying, as Princess Huanxi described, surprised Shen Yunyao.

Because in reality, the plump one weighed at least twice as much as Shen Yunyao.

"These three are the most ambitious toward Xie Zian."

"Before you, Qi Jiejie, arrived in Jingcheng, they hadn't failed to stir up trouble."

"Even I haven't escaped being schemed by them!"

"But these three are truly formidable; they act without leaving a trace, so even if I wanted to cause them trouble, I have no suitable excuse."

Speaking of the three, Princess Huanxi was undeniably irritated.

The rumor circulating in Jingcheng that she likes Xie Zian, she suspects was fabricated by these three. By scaring off the other prominent ladies, they, as insiders, could reap the benefits.

Alas, mortal plans can't match Heaven's.

Xie Zian had been traveling abroad for three years, and before returning to Jingcheng, he was already betrothed!