Little Pink Starfish

The Old Madam’s face turned red with humiliation, but faced with imperial power, no matter how resentful she felt, she couldn’t speak out her dissatisfaction.

Wang Momo turned around and scolded the Old Madam’s servants, “Still standing around? Are you not going to help the Old Madam back to her room to rest?”

The maids were already terrified of this palace-trained matron. Now they were even more so.

With a cold snort, Wang Momo turned and left. The princess might be easy to talk to, but sovereign and subject were still sovereign and subject. If this old woman didn’t understand that, Wang Momo had no problem personally giving her a lesson.

Gu Xinglang accompanied the Old Madam to her door. When the two attendants tried to carry him inside, the Old Madam stopped them.

“Grandmother,” Gu Sanshao said gently, “The Princess didn’t mean any harm.”

“Of course,” the Old Madam replied, “She’s your wife. If you say she’s good, then she must be good.”

Gu Xinglang rubbed his aching head. Like his older brother, he really couldn’t understand what it was that his wife had done to offend the Old Madam.

“She grew up in the palace,” he tried explaining. “She doesn’t understand household etiquette. Please don’t take it to heart.”

“Go attend the emperor,” the Old Madam said coldly, disappearing into her room without even letting him in.

“Grandmother?” Gu Xinglang called again, but there was no reply.

Meanwhile, Da Dangjia was still sitting in the garden. Xianzong’s sudden arrival had scared him half to death. That brush with death left him shaken. He looked over and saw Li Yuanle still there.

“Why are you still here?” Da Dangjia hissed. “Take Miss Li and go! What, you want the emperor to get a good look at her?”

Li Yuanle was just as shaken. The entire Chengzhou Li family had nearly been wiped out just now. The fact that he was still standing meant he had nerves of steel.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Da Dangjia was getting more frantic.

Li Yuanle looked down at his sister and the pirate and muttered, “The emperor saw me. Without his command, how can I leave?”

“I’ll take her then,” Da Dangjia said, helping Li Wan up.

Li Yuanle kicked him right back to the ground. “The emperor saw you too. Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m just a nobody,” Da Dangjia said in disbelief. “Would His Majesty even remember me?”

“It’s protocol,” Li Yuanle growled. “Don’t bring trouble to the Gu family.”

Sitting up, Da Dangjia patted Li Wan’s hand for comfort. “What trouble could I cause? That old lady insulted the princess in front of the emperor. Isn’t that slapping His Majesty in the face?”

Li Yuanle kicked him again. “Shut up!” The Old Madam was known for being difficult, but at least the princess hadn’t been on the losing end of that exchange.

At that moment, Yu Xiaoxiao was sitting with Xianzong in a hexagonal stone pavilion behind the courtyard she shared with Gu Xinglang. Normally, Her Royal Highness was “too busy” to enjoy it. But now, seated with her confused father, she looked around at the fake hills and trees and said, “Nice place, huh?”

Xianzong was still fuming. “Why’d you drag me here? Afraid I’d punish that Gu hag?”

“Gu hag?” Yu Xiaoxiao said. “Father, you’re educated. Be more refined—she’s an old lady.”

“Don’t change the subject,” Xianzong snapped. “This isn’t over with Gu Xinglang.”

“What did my Xiao Gu do now?” she asked.

Xianzong jumped up, furious. “Aren’t you good at martial arts? And you let an old woman bully you? If I knew it’d turn out like this, I’d have kept you single forever!”

Yu Xiaoxiao casually pushed him back into his seat. “Enough, I get along fine with Grandma. Why are you mad?”

Xianzong realized he’d gotten worked up over nothing.

The surrounding shadow guards were all thinking the same thing: With the emperor’s skills, he wants to fight the princess?

Yu Xiaoxiao, meanwhile, was thinking about Li Wan. She studied her father’s expression and asked, “What do you think of that girl just now?”

Once again, Xianzong was dragged into his daughter’s rhythm. “What could I think?”

“You kept staring at her,” she said. “Planning to take her into your harem too?” As she spoke, she worriedly pinched his shoulder. “You can’t even handle all the women you have. Still thinking of adding more? Father, I’m telling you—too many women will harm your health. Same goes the other way. You have to practice moderation. Listen to your doctor. That’s me.”

All the young, unmarried shadow guards around the pavilion turned red. So Princess Royal’s speech is just as fierce as her martial arts…

Xianzong stared blankly for a moment, then slammed the stone table. “Do all you doctors just think about that all day?!”

Yu Xiaoxiao replied, “How can medicine be a trivial thing?”

“Fine, fine, shut up,” Xianzong snapped. He didn’t want to argue anymore.

“No seriously,” Yu Xiaoxiao asked again. “What do you really think of her?” If her dad had feelings for Li Wan, then she’d really feel sorry for him.

“She has a scar on her face,” Xianzong said.

“Yeah, so?” Yu Xiaoxiao replied.

“So?” Xianzong scoffed. “You think your father’s tastes are that bad? Even random palace maids look better than a disfigured woman.”

“So you’re not interested?” she asked.

“Me?” Xianzong said. “Just because I glance at someone doesn’t mean I want them!”

Still dodging the question. Yu Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. “So are you saying you’re interested or not?”

“I’m NOT!” Xianzong banged the table again. “My standards aren’t that low.”

“Good,” Yu Xiaoxiao relaxed. True love belongs with true love, after all.

“She’s just an ugly woman,” Xianzong muttered dismissively.

“You can’t just judge by appearances,” Yu Xiaoxiao began lecturing. “True beauty is in the soul. Look at that woman you once liked—what’s the saying again?”

Xianzong said, “A venomous beauty?”

“Exactly!” Yu Xiaoxiao slapped the table. “You finally understand. Better late than never.”