Chapter 291: Backstab
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
“Princess Sunshine, may this old servant have a turn?” asked the Protectorate Duke eagerly. For decades, he had dreamed of seeing the legendary Guardian Beast of the Southern Kingdom up close!
Lu Chao Chao nodded her tiny head. “Yes!”
The Protectorate Duke stepped forward quickly, his excitement plain on his face.
Several brave ministers followed. Some were genuinely curious about the beast, while others just wanted to embarrass the arrogant young prince from the Southern Kingdom.
The king began to sweat as more people stepped up. He felt uneasy but stayed silent, as a king should.
The queen noticed his worry and chuckled softly. “Your Majesty, our guests from the Southern Kingdom have traveled a long way. This is a rare chance. Why not take this opportunity to see the Guardian Beast for yourself?”
The king hesitated, his hands clenched. “Wouldn’t that be improper?”
“What’s improper about it, Your Majesty? I’m sure the young prince isn’t that petty, right? Especially since the Guardian Beast seems friendly,” the queen reassured him, glancing at Nan Mu Bai.
Nan Mu Bai’s face went pale, but he managed a stiff nod.
The king thanked him and, with newfound excitement, headed toward the palace doors.
In the crowd, Rong Che secretly hooked his pinky around Madam Xu’s. “Shi Yun, do you want to give it a try?”
Shi Yun hesitated. “But it’s mostly men. Wouldn’t it be improper?”
“There’s nothing improper about it. Chao Chao is your daughter. If anyone deserves a chance, it’s you! This is a rare opportunity, Shi Yun!” Rong Che urged her, gently nudging her forward.
“This is the mother of Princess Sunshine; she deserves a chance too,” he announced loudly.
The crowd murmured in agreement.
The civil and military officials looked at Madam Xu with newfound admiration.
In these times, it was rare for a woman to get a divorce, especially with children. Women were expected to obey their fathers before marriage and their husbands after. But who could ignore the mother of such extraordinary children? Each of her children had the power to sway the court deeply.
Lu Chao Chao waved her tiny hand, and the nine-headed beast obediently lowered itself to the ground.
The crowd exchanged impressed glances. Eunuch Wang helped the king onto the beast’s central head, which stood tall like a crown.
Once everyone was seated, the nine-headed snake slowly lifted its heads.
Everyone gasped. “Wow, it’s so high!”
The beast raised its heads even higher than the palace rooftops, giving the riders an incredible view.
Ming Lang felt a twinge of jealousy. “Your Highness, I want to try too. Do you think it would let me up?”
Nan Mu Bai shot him a stern look, and Lord Ming quickly closed his mouth, though he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.
The Southern Kingdom had always been proud of their “divine beast.” At home, it was treated like a god by the royal family.
But here…
In front of North Zhao, it acted like a well-trained pet.
It even looked like it was wagging its tail for Princess Sunshine!
If the people of the Southern Kingdom saw this, their jaws would drop, and they’d lose sleep over it.
Riding the mighty beast, the king felt a surge of pride. No wonder the Southern Kingdom valued their beast so much—it was truly a marvel to tame such a creature! When would North Zhao have something like this?
“Father, you died too soon! You never got to have this kind of fun,” King Xuan Ping muttered sadly.
Down below, the late king’s coffin might have shifted.
The nine-headed snake was clearly having fun too, swaying its heads back and forth, thrilling the riders.
“Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother, this is so much fun!!” the sixth prince nearly fell over as he got off, his legs wobbling with excitement.
He hurried over to the fifth prince to brag. Even the usually calm fifth prince seemed interested.
Several princes turned their eyes toward Lu Chao Chao.
Under Nan Mu Bai’s shocked gaze, the friendly Xiangliu offered them another ride.
Nan Mu Bai nearly fainted, his vision blurred. [I brought you here to show off, not to make us look like fools!]
Still, he forced a smile, pretending it didn’t bother him.
The Southern Kingdom’s delegation struggled to keep their composure.
They weren’t used to this kind of humiliation!
“Do you guys always play like this in the Southern Kingdom?” the sixth prince asked Nan Mu Bai, his face glowing with envy.
“Your people must be super lucky, huh? Just riding the Guardian Beast around for fun. You must be tired of it by now,” he added, clueless about Nan Mu Bai’s frustration.
Right then, the young prince from the Southern Kingdom felt mocked.
His face turned a mix of blue and purple as he struggled to keep calm.
[Tired of it? Are you kidding?]
So far, he had only ridden the Guardian Beast three times in his life! And those times were only when the beast was in a really good mood and wanted some divine energy!
Nan Mu Bai kept his face neutral but was burning inside.
[I’m not jealous, definitely not.]
He had never seen Xiangliu smile before—not even once. But here it was, all nine mouths wide open, grinning like a flower in bloom.
[What kind of magic does this Princess Sunshine have?]
The sixth prince felt ignored. “Why is he not paying attention to me? So rude.” Hmph, today, he was determined to ride that beast as many times as he wanted!
He got back in line and rode it three more times.
The envoys from the Southern Kingdom were seething with anger.
Meanwhile, the king of North Zhao was as happy as if he had drunk two pounds of liquor, practically floating on air.
Every past defeat North Zhao had suffered seemed avenged as they crushed the Southern Kingdom’s pride into the dirt.
“What do you think? Am I better than the former king?” the king asked the queen, a smug grin on his face.
The queen’s eyelids twitched. [Has he had too much to drink? Why would he ask such a thing!]
“I think I’m better than him,” the king declared proudly.
The court officials were stunned!
“Even though the former king founded North Zhao and built our kingdom, he wasn’t better than me,” the king mused, shaking his head.
“I may not have founded the kingdom like he did, but I got lucky. I have Chao Chao…” King Xuan Ping said, swelling with pride.
He felt as though he had won without even trying.
The queen and the ministers were speechless.
The queen struggled to find words. “As long as Your Majesty is happy, that’s what matters.”
King Xuan Ping, his face beaming with joy, had thought the day would end in embarrassment but instead, it turned into a monumental victory against the Southern Kingdom, and he couldn’t have been happier.
The palace banquet stretched on into the night, and the nine-headed snake gave everyone a ride at least once. Even the usually unlucky Li Zi Xi took his turn…
Though he bumped his head on the palace beams, he still felt lucky.
As long as he didn’t lose a limb, he considered it a good day.
When the banquet finally ended, the North Zhao officials left with full bellies and happy hearts.
Meanwhile, the envoys from the Southern Kingdom stormed out, fuming.
Xiangliu glanced at Lu Chao Chao, and seeing she wasn’t looking, it sneaked away behind Nan Mu Bai.
Its tail was still wrapped around a branch of willow.
Back at the envoy quarters…
“Fragrant Fragrance, lower your head! I wanna ride!” Nan Mu Bai yelled, trying to copy how Lu Chao Chao had commanded the beast.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Before, they would coax the beast with sweet words and gifts, never daring to order it around so boldly.
Now…
Xiangliu stared down at him from its great height, its snake eyes flickering dangerously at the name “Fragrant Fragrance.”
[Fragrant Fragrance? You think you can call me that?!]
Its scales stood on end…
With a swift flick of its tail, it lashed at Nan Mu Bai, sending a cold gust that hurled him through the air.
With a loud crash, Nan Mu Bai hit the gate, and both he and the gate flew off together.
“Ahhh!!” His scream echoed through the night.
Nan Mu Bai’s small amount of divine power was no match for the mighty beast. He hit the ground, coughing up blood.
Nan Mu Bai furiously pounded the ground. [I’ve been backstabbed by my own Guardian Beast!!]