Chapter 3             Establish Power

The Empress of the country Qi prayed for blessings in the Huguo Temple and would be returning to the palace tomorrow. While Empress Dowager was lingering in her sickbed and had not been letting people pay respect for a long time. Therefore, today was a free day.

Le Zhi wore a thick light apricot skirt, and Li Yao gave her a handwarmer. After she held it tightly, she felt her body gradually warm up.

She dared not ask Huo Du why he did not put a heater in the sleeping hall. Could it be he was not cold? Not right. Obviously, his palm was so cold, how could it not be cold.

But Huo Du’s temperament was so weird, it was better to avoid trouble whenever possible.

After arriving at the dining hall, Le Zhi could not help but be dumbfounded. Where was the slightest bit of heat in here? There was only one plate on the dining table… leaves?

The chilly cold wind blew in from outside the dining hall, and the feeling of piercing cold hit Le Zhi’s whole body.  

“This servant pay respect to Taizifei.”

Le Zhi turned around and saw an elderly palace momo, followed by a few little palace maids. Le Zhi nodded in response to their greetings, “Who are you?”

Momo Li was stunned at first. Although she had sent someone to inquire about her before, she did not expect her to be so gorgeous and dazzling, jade-like carving with picturesque features. The person was really more charming than flowers.

The country Qi was located in the north, and most women were heroic and magnificent. Unlike the country Li, which was located in the south, women were much gentler and more beautiful. It seemed true that beauty comes from the country Li.

It was just that… where was the country Li now? Merely became a territory of country Qi.

“This servant’s surname is Li and the steward of the Eastern Palace.” Her tone was cold and distant, and with contempt in her eyes.

Le Zhi understood clearly in her heart, but did not feel angry, “It turns out to be Li Momo.”

“Hasn’t Taizifei eaten breakfast yet?” Li Momo’s mouth was filled with a touch of mockery, “Please eat quickly.”

Le Zhi sat down at the dining table and asked, “Have His Highness eaten?”

Li Momo did not expect this Taizifei to be so calm at such a young age. She thought that Taizifei recognized her position and did not dare to be arrogant in the Eastern Palace.

“Of course, he has eaten. His Highness is used to eating peppermint for breakfast.”

Le Zhi frowned hearing this, Huo Du only ate these leaves for breakfast? No wonder he was as beautiful as an immortal…

She picked up the silver chopsticks, took one piece, put it in front of her nose to smell it lightly. The smell was as if she had smelled it on Huo Du last night. Then she bit the tip of the leaf a little bit with the teeth.

The refreshing scent spreads on the tip of the tongue, with a little weird pungency.

Unappetizing. Is too unpalatable.

She did not expect this thing that smelled so refreshing to be so hard to swallow. Le Zhi put down the silver chopsticks and frowned.

Li Yao frowned from the side. It seemed that they were teasing people on purpose. She raised her eyes to Li Momo and said, “Taizifei comes from the south and has different eating habits. Please ask Momo to make some hot food.”

She spoke with neither humbly nor pushy, let alone arrogant.

But Li Momo deliberately said, “This is difficult to do. His Highness Taizi never likes to add hot food to breakfast, if Taizifei insists on adding it…”

This is too much! Li Yao’s hands were trembling with anger that she was showing off her power to her master like this. She wanted to speak again but was held by Le Zhi.

“If that’s the case, then it’s the same as His Highness.” Le Zhi smiled, but there was no smile in her eyes, “Li Momo, thank you for your hard work. You can withdraw.”

“That’s too much!” Li Yao gritted her teeth while looking at Li Momo’s back, “She just bullied you on purpose!”

Le Zhi smiled, “So what?”

Now, in an enemy country, anyone could step on her as the princess of a subjugated country. Maybe it was Huo Du’s idea to be able to show off her power in the Eastern Palace like this?

No problem, no problem. As long as alive, there will be ample time for that later.

“There is still some dry food in my room, this servant will go get it right away…”

Before she hardly finished speaking, the little maid had run out. Le Zhi’s face was slightly rigid, sighed while shaking her head…

How nice it would be if Li Yao wasn’t sent by Huo Xu.

Suddenly, a burst of fish smell came. Le Zhi was suspicious, so she got up and followed the fragrance out of the dining hall. The fish smell reached its strongest when she came to a room. Le Zhi thought for a moment and gently opened the door.

The heater in the room was burning hot, warm like spring, and accompanied by a strong fish smell.

She looked around and finally saw the person inside. No, it was the cat inside.

The little snow fluffy that she had only seen in the morning, was lying lazily on the low table.

Seeing her opening the door, the snow fluffy stood up immediately and ran towards her, still limping and running very slowly.

“Don’t run, don’t run.” Le Zhi quickly walked over, squatted down, and rubbed its little head, “So you live here!”

“Meow, meow~”

Le Zhi picked it up and sat down at the low table, looking at the meal made of fish…

Fried fish, dried small fish, grilled fish, fish soup… And it was all deboned fish.

Smelling the fish smell, the snow fluffy in her arms jumped to the table and started to eat the fried fish, making a satisfying meow while eating.

“You little fellow, you are indeed happy.”

Le Zhi touched her empty stomach and sighed with a smile. She knew that this little white cat must have been raised by Huo Du, otherwise, how could it enter and leave the Taizi’s sleeping hall at will. Seeing its meal at this time, she was even more sure.

The snow fluffy ate quickly and suddenly shook its head vigorously as if choked by fish. Le Zhi raised her hand and smoothed the back of its neck, then picked up the silver spoon and fed it a mouthful of fish soup before it swallowed the fish that got stuck in its throat.

“Gulu…”

Le Zhi’s stomach made the sound again. In fact, she was not very hungry anymore, probably she was too hungry.

But the snow fluffy put down the dried fish and looked at her with round eyes.

Seeing this, Le Zhi tapped its head and said it on purpose, “What? You’re sorry that I don’t have any food to eat?”

The snow fluffy seemed to understand, shaking its head while meowing.

“That’s it.” Le Zhi deliberately picked up a small, dried fish and dangled it in front of its eyes, “How about you share some with me?”

The snow fluffy did not respond, but its round eyes looked towards the door.

Le Zhi found it strange. Could it be that someone is coming?

Then, familiar laughter sounded behind her, “Fighting over food with the cat?”

Le Zhi hurriedly turned around and saw Huo Du sitting in a wheelchair made of white jade, looking at her with peach blossom eyes. She was stunned, and the slender fingers holding the dried fish unconsciously loosened.

So happened the dried fish fell exactly at snow fluffy’s head.

The startled pain meow sounded, and Le Zhi squatted down to see the snow fluffy. She saw that it raised its cat’s paws and wanted to rub its head, but its forelegs were too short to reach.

Le Zhi reached out and rubbed its head gently with shame. After snow fluffy nudged her hand with its head, she ran to Huo Du.

Huo Du picked up the snow fluffy and put it on his lap. Then he looked at Le Zhi and asked, “How long have you been in the country Qi?”

Le Zhi stared at his face but could not see any emotion in him. Even since the two met last night, she could not understand every action and every word he said.

She walked closer to him slowly, saluted respectfully, and replied, “Your Highness, it has been more than a month.”

To be exact, it’s thirty-seven days.

“One month.” Huo Du chuckled, “Do you still remember who you are?”

Hearing this, Le Zhi was slightly startled.

During this period, everyone avoided mentioning country Li in front of her, and no one called her princess again. She knew that they all wanted her to forget, and it would be good to forget it completely.

Especially Huo Xu.

But how could she forget? She was the youngest, the third princess of the country Li. She bore the blood feud of her relatives and people, and she still has relatives to save…

How to forget? It’s unforgettable.

But was Huo Du’s words remind her not to forget the identity of the princess? Or was it just a test?

After thinking for a while, Le Zhi nodded lightly and said softly, “Remember, I am Your Highness’s Taizifei.”

After a pause, she frowned slightly, realizing she had slip of the tongue, and hurriedly added, “Concubine… the concubine is Your Highness’s Taizifei.”

She came to the country Qi for more than a month, and she learned the etiquette very well, but it was only the title that she forgot easily.

Huo Du looked at her drooping fox eyes and listened to her evasive answer but did not ask any more questions. Only said, “In my place, the title is not important.”

Ah. It’s so boring that the beauty is so restrained.

If she was so afraid of him, when would she dare to attack him?

He had to help her.

Le Zhi did not answer.

Fortunately, An Xuan came at this time. He nodded and reported, “Your Highness, everyone is here.”

“Let’s go, loneliness’s Taizifei.”

Le Zhi was puzzled but did not say much until she walked into the main hall of the Eastern Palace.

Li Momo and a few palace maids knelt on the ground, their shoulders trembling in fear and their bodies shaking badly.

“Your Highness, please give order on what to do with this group of servants who have overstepped the boundaries and offended Taizifei?”

After finishing speaking, An Xuan waited quietly at the side for instructions.

Le Zhi looked at Huo Du and saw that he was also looking at her, with a faint smile on his face. Then he reached out his hand to her.

In a scene that seemed to be familiar, the fear of having her arm being twisted unfolded, and a trace of fear flashed across her eyes. But in front of everyone, she did not dare to go against his will.

The door of the main hall was not closed, and the cold wind drifted inside. Le Zhi shivered and put her hand on the palm of his hand.

The palm was as cold as last night.

However, this time he just held her hand lightly and even rubbed the back of her hand gently with his fingers.

A picture of an affectionate couple who was completely in deep love.

“Since you have offended Taizifei, then let Taizifei deal with it.”

The gentle voice has the meaning of complete pampering and protection.

Everyone kneeling on the ground was shocked, raised their heads, and looked at Le Zhi in panic. In particular, Li Momo obviously did not expect that Taizi would take this subjugated princess seriously.

Le Zhi was not fooled by his gentle and pampering appearance.

Although she knew that she had a face that everyone admired. But after last night, she was sure that Huo Du was by no means a person that would lose his head over lust.

She did not know what he meant by this move. Thus, Le Zhi did not dare to answer him.

“I’m new here, and I don’t understand many of the rules of the Eastern Palace, so it’s up to Your Highness to deal with it.”

She deliberately used the title “I”. Firstly, it was just allowed by Huo Du. Secondly, it was to let the people in the Eastern Palace know that she could still ignore the title in front of Taizi, and any slaves with a little brain would definitely not dare to bully her again after that.

As for pushing the power of punishment to Huo Du was to show that she would not be arrogant because of her favor.

Tell a story without any omissions.

Hearing this, Huo Du did not speak immediately. After a while, he suddenly smiled.

“Then follow the old rules.”

An Xuan on the side nodded and said yes.

At this time, a palace maid kneeling on the ground in a pale-yellow palace skirt suddenly raised her head with tears hanging on her cheeks, and exclaimed in surprise, “Your Highness, this is all Li Momo’s idea!”

Then she immediately raised her hand to point to another palace maid, “And her! It’s Jing Xin who said that the snow handkerchief on Your Highness’s wedding bed… The snow handkerchief…”

She wanted to go on, but she did not dare.

Hearing this, Le Zhi’s face blushed slightly, and then immediately turned white again. She knew exactly what the snow handkerchief represented.

An Xuan on the side was indifferent all along, but a cold light flashed across his eyes when the maid pointed at Jing Xin.

“Noisy.” Huo Du spat out a word lightly.

An Xuan and the guards outside took all the palace maids out.

The main hall returned to cold silence.

Huo Du let go of Le Zhi’s hand and continued to caress the snow fluffy on his knees. Le Zhi quickly hid her cold sweaty hands in her sleeves.

She did not know where the group of palace maids would be taken, let alone what the old rules Huo Du was talking about. She also did not think she as the Taizifei was much better than them. As long as Huo Du moved his fingers, she would be like those palace maids at any time.

Not long after, An Xuan came back.

He still saluted respectfully, but what he said the following surprised Le Zhi.

She saw him bowing to Huo Du and said solemnly, “Your Highness, I want to protect Jing Xin.”

He did not beg at all, there was not even a hint of begging in his tone.

The author has something to say:

Li Momo: woo, woo, woo. I haven’t started yet, so I’m just getting a box lunch???

Zhi: There seems to be a wonderful melon?!

Du: It’s so outrageous, she didn’t even look at me after I help my wife out. (Smile)