Oops! The Black Lotus Can’t Be a Female Supporting Character

CHAPTER 53 PART2

Outside, Xiao Yanfei had witnessed the entire exchange from start to finish. She raised her round fan to hide a smile, her lips twitching in awe: … Incredible!

This grand princess just cut the emperor down with a few words—too fierce!

“Girl, come here.” Princess Chang’s face softened into a kind smile as she beckoned. “Whose daughter are you?”

“Grand-aunt, she’s my future wife,” Gu Feichi drawled lazily. “The one… His Majesty granted me.”

Princess Changlifted her snow-white brows, studying him with layered meaning.

The corner of Gu Feichi’s mouth curved briefly beneath his mask before resuming its cool line.

Understanding flickered in Princess Chang’s eyes, and she smiled as well.

So—it may have been an imperial decree, but clearly, Gu Feichi was more than willing.

Naturally. If the boy hadn’t wanted it, he would have stirred enough trouble to keep even the emperor from forcing the marriage.

And Gu Feichi was of age.

Princess Chang’s smile grew warmer, touched with affection.

Xiao Yanfei stepped gracefully into the room, offering a respectful bow. “Madam, my surname is Xiao. You may call me Yanfei—‘Yanfei,’ as in the flight of the swallow.”

Princess Chang’s gaze lingered on the bright-eyed, delicate girl before her, and the more she looked, the more pleased she became. She gave rare praise: “Not bad.”

From Princess Chang, whose rank made compliments scarce, even those two simple words were enough to turn heads around the table.

Her eyes traveled over Xiao Yanfei—her hairpins, her whip at her waist—and at last, Princess Changdrew a dagger from her sleeve, its golden scabbard inlaid with gleaming cat’s-eye stones. She handed it over. “Girl, a gift for our first meeting.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Xiao Yanfei accepted it without hesitation, turning it over in delight. The dagger was exquisite.

Ning Shu had followed Yanfei inside and greeted warmly, “Uncle, Grand-aunt.”

Her gaze, however, could not help but linger on the golden dagger, brimming with envy.

“And what are you two girls doing here?” Princess Chang asked with a smile.

Xiao Yanfei beamed and, without guile, recounted how the Liu siblings had tried to take over their seats—plainly putting in a complaint.

She exaggerated shamelessly, even throwing a conspiratorial wink at Ning Shu, though her demure air made her seem like a harmless little white rabbit.

Ning Shu, catching her cue, dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and added pitifully, “Grand-aunt, you must stand up for me.”

The two of them amused Princess Changinto a gentle laugh. Teasing, she offered, “Then why don’t you sit here, with me?”

But Ning Shu wasn’t foolish. Her glance slid to the Emperor’s storm-dark face at the side.

She quickly shook her head, pouting sweetly. “Grand-aunt, I booked that room first. Everything should follow the rule of first come, first served. Why should I give way to Liu Chaoyun?”

Ning Shu deliberately shot Duke Cheng’en, Liu Chuan, a sidelong glance.

Liu Chuan’s face stiffened. Terrified that Princess Changwould seize the opportunity to lecture him, he quickly barked at Liu Chaoyun: “Chaoyun, hurry up and apologize to the Princess!”

“It’s just a private room—no need to sour everyone’s mood. Chaoyun, you and your brother can sit outside. It’s all the same.”

Cold sweat streamed down Liu Chuan’s temples, soaking her sideburns. At that moment she looked like a mouse cornered by a cat.

Liu Chaoyun pouted, sneaking a look at Princess Chang. However unwilling she felt, one glance at her father’s cringing posture told her that they had no say in the matter. Swallowing her grievance, she answered softly.

Princess Changwaved her hand dismissively. “Ning Shu, you girls go amuse yourselves.”

Ning Shu, triumphant as though she’d just won a battle, beckoned Xiao Yanfei to follow her out of the room. She even hummed smugly at Liu Chaoyun on her way past.

Liu Chaoyun was fuming inside, biting her lip so hard it nearly bled. She longed to scratch Ning Shu’s face to ribbons.

Ning Shu, refreshed and high-spirited, strolled past her and said to the waiter outside in blue, “Xiao Er, take me to the private room I booked!”

The waiter, unaware of what had just transpired, was only relieved that the quarrel was finally settled. Smiling, he said, “This way, young ladies.”

He led the three of them next door, into the “Qin Room,” so named because a zither and table were set up in the corner as decoration.

Once inside, Ning Shu immediately flung open the window and looked down at the main hall.

The hall, quiet a moment ago, was once again growing lively. The scholars had launched into heated debate over the line, “The Son of Heaven guards the nation’s gates, the monarch dies for the state.” Their words flew back and forth, spittle spraying as they argued with fervor.

Ning Shu’s eyes gleamed. She whispered to Xiao Yanfei and Gu Yue: “Someone must have guessed the Emperor is here.”

Xiao Yanfei nodded vigorously in agreement.

After all, the commotion earlier had hardly been small. Keen eyes would naturally sense something unusual.

Gu Yue sighed evenly: “‘Master the civil and martial arts, and sell them to the house of the Emperor.’”

For all their claims of lofty detachment, most scholars could not resist the lure of rank and wealth. Faced with such a rare chance, they were eager to show off their eloquence.

Ning Shu listened for a while, soon grew bored, then turned to Xiao Yanfei with a spark of mischief: “Quick, Yanyan, let me play with the dagger His Highness rewarded you with.”

Xiao Yanfei unfastened the dagger from her waist and handed it over.

Ning Shu pulled it out eagerly. The narrow blade gleamed with a cold, lethal light.

“This must be forged from cold iron. Truly, anything granted by the Grand Princess of Huayang is a treasure!” She stroked the cat’s-eye stone on the sheath, cradling it as though it were priceless.

Seeing the little Princess so enraptured, Xiao Yanfei asked curiously: “Is the Grand Princess really that formidable?”

After all, even the emperor had shown her utter deference just now—his face black as thunder, yet he hadn’t dared refuse her a single word.

“She’s incredible!” Ning Shu gave her a how can you not know this? look.

Of course Princess Chang had the authority to chastise the Emperor.

“She is the Taizu’s third daughter. Raised in the army since childhood, she grew up campaigning with him, proving both her talent and her courage. When the dynasty was newly founded and unrest spread through the southwest, it was she who led a hundred thousand troops to pacify the region and capture Yizhou, expanding our borders for Great Jing.”

It could be said that the peace and stability of the dynasty today owed much to Princess Chang’s merits.

What a formidable woman! Xiao Yanfei listened wide-eyed, her excitement shining. In her mind’s eye, Princess Changin her youth must have been like the blazing sun on the horizon—dazzling, spirited, the brightest presence of all.

Ning Shu went on: “My father told me that the Duke of Wei and the late Empress were sent by the old Duke to be raised under her tutelage since childhood. She also raised the late Xie Yimo and Princess Zhaoming…”

As she spoke, Ning Shu’s expression grew tinged with sorrow.

Sigh… in the matter of the Xie clan, perhaps none grieved more deeply than the Grand Princess herself.

Just then, Gu Yue leaned forward, took a strand of hair, and blew it against the dagger’s blade. With a faint hiss, the hair split cleanly in two.

“Sharp enough to cut a hair in midair,” Gu Yue said solemnly. “As expected—this dagger was seized by the Grand Princess from the southern kingdom of Dian!”

“Really? Truly?” Ning Shu asked breathlessly, her eyes shining even brighter.

“Indeed.” Gu Yue pointed to the golden sheath, explaining the foreign patterns engraved there, then described the unique curve of the spine and the groove along the blade.

“You see? The arc of the back is distinct from our Central Plains weapons—this is unique to Dian. And this blood groove…”

The gentle, bookish girl spoke with precision, shifting easily from the structure of Dian blades to Huayang’s campaigns in the southwest, reeling off details as though she’d studied them for years.

No wonder she’s Gu Feichi’s younger sister, thought Xiao Yanfei, narrowing her eyes in amusement.

Meanwhile, down in the hall, the scholars’ voices rose ever more impassioned:

“The monarch defends the state, unyielding to the end—such loyalty shall be praised for all generations!”

“To wear the crown is to bear its weight. Every official and minister must do the same: guard the gates, die for the state!”

“If ruler, court, and army all put the state before their lives, never surrendering—our nation’s gates shall stand unbreached!”

“Then Great Jing’s realm will be secure for a thousand ages!”

…

Their voices swelled higher and higher. Ning Shu couldn’t help but laugh aloud, covering her mouth, her shoulders shaking.

Pitiful, really. These scholars thought they were flattering the emperor, yet every word was a slap across his face. Pitiful! Ridiculous!

Ning Shu squeezed Xiao Yanfei’s hand, exchanging a knowing look with her.

At that moment, Princess Chang’s stern voice rang out again from next door:

“Er Lang, if even these young scholars understand, do you still not?”

Her tone carried admonition and command, majestic without anger.

The emperor’s face darkened further. His fingers clenched the wine cup tighter and tighter.

Below, each resounding cry of “The monarch dies for the state!” landed on his ears like a burning slap, his cheeks searing with shame.

Liu Chuan and the others lowered their heads again, unable to find comfort anywhere.

Ning Shu pricked up her ears and beckoned to Xiao Yanfei and Gu Yue, motioning them over.

The three young women leaned in together at the window, heads nearly touching as they furtively peered toward the neighboring private room.

At that very moment, Xiao Yanfei’s gaze collided with Gu Feichi’s, who was also seated by the window. Startled, she quickly pressed a finger to her lips, signaling him to keep quiet.

How could she possibly miss out on such an entertaining spectacle? She had to watch—and listen—closely.

Amusement flickered in Gu Feichi’s eyes. He lifted his cup and raised it to her in a distant toast.

Xiao Yanfei grinned back, her brows arched like a crescent moon, tilting her head with lively interest as she strained to catch every word.

Through the two windows, Princess Chang’s voice was faint, but clear enough to make out:

“The Xie family has guarded our borders for three generations. For decades, their sons shed blood and laid down their lives for Great Jing. How many Xie men have fallen on the battlefield? And for that sacrifice, their line has dwindled from one generation to the next!”

“And you? You dismiss the Xie family’s unparalleled service as though it were nothing. Without trial, without inquiry, without even a word of investigation, you condemned them to death. What crime did the Xie family commit? What crime did Zhaoming commit?!”

“Hmph! No doubt the Northern Di are celebrating this very moment—before long, they’ll march south with renewed boldness!”

Her last words dripped with biting scorn, as though accusing the emperor of being a traitor in league with the Northern Di. As though warning that, should war break out again, the fault would lie with him alone.

Scolded so bluntly, the emperor’s face turned ashen. He swallowed his anger again and again, but this time, he could bear it no longer.

Smack!

His palm slammed down hard upon the table. Cups and pots rattled violently with the force.

The air turned frigid in an instant.

The emperor’s face was iron-dark as he ground out, “Enough! Xie Yimo and his son plotted treason. Death was their due. I spared Zhaoming once, but she was obstinate—she chose to follow them to the grave.”

“Spared her?” Princess Chang’s lips twisted into a cold, mocking smile. “You call that sparing her? You demanded she testify against her husband and son, branding them traitors with her own mouth. That was your ‘mercy’?”

The truth was plain—he had cornered Zhaoming, leaving her no choice but death.

Princess Chang’s aged eyes brimmed with sorrow.

She had no children of her own. She had cherished Xie Yimo and Zhaoming as if they were her own flesh and blood. Yet in her twilight years, she was forced to see the young buried before the old.

For the past half-year, in the lonely hours of the night, she often tormented herself with one thought—if only she had been in the capital then!

But regret was useless.

“Do you really not know why Zhaoming died?” Princess Chang’s voice was hoarse, her eyes burning red. “She was no different from Mingjing—they were both driven to death by you!”

***