11 The Princess Returns

Sister Cheng, you are so beautiful!

The next day, villagers gathered at the village entrance to see Li Qiao off.

This child, who had been living among the common people for eight years and was the first child of the founding emperor and empress of the Great Jin Dynasty, is about to return to the capital, to the palace, and to his father and mother!

Almost all the villagers of Lijia Village appeared at the village entrance, and even people from the neighboring village came to watch the excitement. After all, it was quite intriguing to see such a legendary story happening right next to them.

The village entrance was packed with people. Li Qiao was surrounded by guards and palace maids from the palace. She wore a headdress with four golden hairpins that swayed with every step. She was dressed in a red and black blouse and had red lipstick on her lips. Her expression was solemn.

The villagers of Lijia Village kept talking about it, saying, "Lijia Aqiao looks quite like a princess when she's dressed up like this."

“What Li family’s Aqiao? This is a princess. But this child has always been different from others since she was little. I didn’t expect her to be a princess.”

"I even held a princess when I was little."

"I also planted arugula for the princess's family."

"I...I even saw a princess wet the bed when I was little..."

Amidst the flattery, some questioned, "But is Li Qiao really a princess?"

"People from the palace have come to pick us up, how could it be fake?"

"Hey, Wang Jiazhong, didn't you just say you held Li Qiao when she was little? Doesn't that mean Li Qiao is a native of our Li Family Village? How did she become a princess?"

Wang Jia Azhong: "This, this..."

Standing in front of them was Li Xiu, who had suddenly become Li Qiao's adoptive father. Hearing the words behind him, he turned around fiercely and said, "You are all of humble origins! My original daughter was lost in the war. This one is someone my family picked up on our escape route!"

Li Xiu spoke in a condescending tone. He didn't actually understand what "you commoners" meant, but he remembered it because the two maids in the palace often used those words.

"Hehe, Li Xiu, a stingy person like you would actually take in someone else's child? I remember when the village chief led us to escape to the depths of Mount Ameng, my family wanted to borrow a broken earthenware pot from your family to fetch water, but you wouldn't lend it to us. How could someone like you be willing to adopt a child?"

"You, Li Axiang! How dare you disrespect my daughter! I'll have your head chopped off!"

Li Jiaxiang: "Hmph! I'm not afraid of you. Let them come and chop me up. Do you think I, Li Jiaxiang, am easily frightened?"

Seeing the two arguing more and more fiercely, someone came out to mediate, saying, "Garlic bird, garlic bird, it's not easy for either of you."

When everyone saw that it was Qi Gu's father, they realized that it was because of him that the millet and wheat in Lijia Village had grown better and better over the years. Other villages were filled with starvation due to war, and even after the war ended, people often starved to death because of low grain yields. However, in their village, thanks to Qi Gu's father, there were very few cases of people starving to death.

Upon seeing him, everyone fell silent. Gouwa also saw Uncle Shi, squeezed through the crowd to his side, and looked behind him. "Uncle Shi, where is Aunt Qi?"

Li Zhong patted Gouwa's head. "Aunt Qi said that the mushrooms she dug up yesterday were taken to the blacksmith's shop in Zhao Family Village today to repair her hoe."

"Aunt Qi didn't call me." Gouwa squeezed through the crowd. His parents watched him run faster than Little Yellow Gou in the village. "Gouwa, where are you running to!"

"I'm going to find Aunt Qi."

Gouwa's father, Li Amu, came to Li Shi's side and sighed with a smile, "This brat is just like your Aunt Qi's little shadow."

Ignoring the furious Li Xiu, A Xiang said, "I think A Shi and A Mu, your two families might be going to be in-laws in the future?"

Gouwa's parents were overjoyed: "We just don't know if our Gouwa will have this good fortune."

Li Shi smiled but did not respond, "Hehehe, who knows what will happen in the future?"

Li Xiu glanced at A Xiang with disdain, then turned to Li Shi and said, "Li Shi, for your sake, I won't mind that Qi Gu is uncouth and will reluctantly let her marry my A Zhong."

Ah Xiang sneered, "Hmph, what an arrogant face you have. Li Jia's Ah Xiu, how dare you! Qi Gu's farming skills are nothing compared to your Ah Zhong's cowardly nature. He's not worthy of her!"

Li Xiu glared angrily, "How dare you speak of my son like that! His elder sister is a princess, the emperor's own daughter. It's only because I arranged for Qi Gu to marry my son that Qi Gu is doing well. Otherwise, she wouldn't even be qualified to carry my son's shoes."

Even if Li Qiaozhen is a princess, what does that have to do with your Ah Zhong?

“I, Qiao, have already said that once we reach the capital's palace, I will beg the emperor to give me a high-ranking official position. Then let's see if you dare to say anything more. I will beat you all to death!”

Li Jiamu was also worried that Li Xiu, that rat, would become a high-ranking official and then seek revenge, so he kept quiet. How could such a person have such good fortune? Heaven really is blind.

Li Shi was always good-tempered. After hearing Li Xiu's words, he gave Li Xiu a kind look with his peaceful eyes. "Those who ascend to the Jade Terrace all become immortals, but how can they bear to be relegated to the Western Paradise!"

Li Xiu opened his beady eyes, which revealed a few glimmers of confusion, and said, "Brother Xiu, I'm praising your family for ascending to the Jade Terrace."

"Hmph, you're smart to know what's good for you." He flicked his sleeves and headed towards Li Qiao's direction.

"Ah Shi, how can you praise someone like that?"

Ah Xiang, who had studied for two years, suppressed a laugh. "Ah Mu, Ah Shi is cursing him for being 'asking for trouble,' saying that this idiot doesn't understand anything."

However, A Xiang became worried, "Li Xiu must have had some bad luck to adopt a princess. If Li Qiaozhen gets him an official position, this vengeful person will probably not forget what happened today."

Li Shi comforted her, "That's not necessarily true."

If this is taken seriously, a thorough investigation and interviews are necessary. However, in the past few days, those people from the palace have neither come to investigate nor checked with the village head, and have hastily concluded that Li Qiao is a princess.

Besides, while other things can be faked, appearance cannot.

When he first met Qi Gu, she was already six or seven years old. No matter how much time has passed, biological parents will always recognize their own children. If they don't, it can only mean that the Emperor and Empress have no feelings for this daughter.

Thinking of how Qi Gu looked before she left today, Li Shi asked her, "Li Qiao is returning to the capital today, aren't you going to see her off?"

When Qi Gu turned around and smiled, there was a hint of sadness in her smile. "I won't go. I don't have that much free time. Life has to go on."

"Alright, then remember to come back early, and your father will cook for you."

"Um... Father, please forgive me. I'll go buy a chicken today and we'll roast it and eat it."

Li Shi licked his lips. "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Let's do it that way!"

Watching Qi Gu's departing figure, Li Shi felt a pang of heartache in his eyes. His daughter was good in every way, but she was too independent, leaving him unsure how to comfort her.

The princess's carriage, adorned with a golden umbrella, departed from Li Family Village in a grand procession, the long procession gradually disappearing...

Two hours' journey from Li Village, in Zhao Village, Qi Gu, familiar with the place, arrived at an inconspicuous blacksmith shop.

As soon as I stepped inside, a wave of heat hit me, but the blacksmith shop was empty.

Qi Gu looked around to make sure no one was there, then called out, "Sister Cheng, are you there? It's me, Qi Gu. I've come to fix the hoe."

After calling out several times without receiving a response, Qi Gu was about to walk through the door leading to the backyard when someone lifted the curtain and came out from inside.

A tall, slender woman, dressed in a brown short jacket and with her hair in a single bun, came out.

Looking at Sister Cheng, who was a full head and a half taller than her, Qi Gu realized that among all the people she had ever met, she had never seen a woman taller than Sister Cheng.

She looked down at Sister Cheng's big feet and thought to herself, "Sister Cheng is so tall, and her feet are so big too."

When Zhao Cheng noticed her staring at her feet, he pulled his feet back slightly and asked, "What do you want with me?"

Qi Gu didn't care about Sister Cheng's cold attitude. She took the hoe that had broken into two pieces from the bamboo basket behind her. "Sister Cheng, my hoe broke again. Could you help me melt it down and reinforce it?"

Zhao Cheng picked up the hoe that had been broken into two pieces and examined it. The blade was smooth, and the broken part was at the junction of the handle and the blade, indicating that it had been used for many years.

Zhao Cheng sat down in front of the stove, the glowing fire illuminating his profile. Qi Gu sat beside him. Zhao Cheng's elder sister was truly beautiful, her beauty rivaling that of Sima Hong. However, Cheng's elder sister was more feminine, with narrower eyes and a more slender figure.

Although Chengjia's sister looked thin, she was surprisingly strong. She watched as he threw the hoe into the furnace and waited until it was red-hot before picking up the sledgehammer and striking the two broken pieces of iron on the iron plate.

He swung the hammer without blinking, making loud bangs as sparks flew everywhere.

Qi Gu retreated repeatedly, but watched with great interest, finding beauty in her elder sister's appearance and the unique, powerful beauty in her blacksmithing skills.

Sister Cheng is really strong, and Qi Gu's eyes are full of admiration.

Zhao Cheng said to Qi Gu behind him, "You're using the hoe too hard. It will hurt your back. You need to use the right amount of force."

Seeing that Qi Gu didn't understand, Zhao Cheng glanced at her and said, "Never mind, I'll add some more iron to it. It will make the hoe harder and less likely to bend."

Qi Gu didn't understand either, but nodded and said, "That's for the best." However, she then said with difficulty, "But I don't have any money with me. Sister Cheng, how about I trade you this basket of mushrooms?"

Zhao Cheng shook his head. "No need. I'll be leaving after today."

Qi Gu tilted her head and asked, "Where is Sister Cheng going?"

"I have something to do and need to go on a long trip."

Qi Gu rested her chin on her hands and her elbows on her lap. "Sister Cheng is leaving too."

Is anyone else leaving?

“Li Qiao from our village, Sister Cheng, you probably don’t know her, but she’s a princess, and she’s leaving for the capital today.” She then looked at Zhao Cheng, “Sister Cheng, are you going to the capital?”

Zhao Cheng shook his head and then nodded. Qi Gu didn't understand what he meant. "Is this a decision to go or not?"

"Let's go somewhere else first, and we can go again when we have the chance."

"I see. So, are we still going back to Zhao Family Village...?"

Zhao Cheng lowered his head and remained silent. Qi Gu knew he probably wouldn't return. She felt a pang of regret; such a beautiful woman, skilled in blacksmithing—now that she was gone, who would forge her hoe? Sigh…

As Qi Gu was feeling melancholy, a tall man emerged from the curtain where Sister Cheng had just walked out. Qi Gu sat down on a small stool, looked up, and met his gaze. What sharp eyes!

The man's expression was grave. He glanced at Sister Cheng, who had just finished hoeing, but Sister Cheng's expression remained unchanged. "What is it?"

"We need to get going ahead of schedule."

Qi Gu saw Sister Cheng take the forged hoe in her hands, tug at it with both hands, and after confirming that there were no problems, she turned around and handed it to her, saying, "The hoe is fixed, Qi Gu, you... go now."

Qi Gu also sensed that the atmosphere became somewhat tense after this person arrived. She quickly nodded, put away her hoe, and put her bamboo basket back on her back. "Thank you, Sister Cheng."

She then presented the mushrooms from the basket, saying, "Sister Cheng, I didn't know you were leaving today. Take these mushrooms with you on your journey; they are very delicious."

Zhao Cheng took a deep look at the woman's simple face and said, "Okay, I'll accept it."

"Then I'll be going. I wish Sister Cheng a safe journey." Qi Gu turned to leave.

"Qi Gu!" Zhao Cheng called out to her, and Qi Gu turned around.

Seeing that Sister Cheng had pulled out a hoe no bigger than a thumb from her bosom, she said, "This is a keepsake for you."

Qi Gu was very happy, but it was too precious and quite heavy in her hand. "This is too precious, Sister Cheng. Besides, you have already repaired this hoe for me, which is already a gift."

Sister Cheng's thin lips curved slightly into a smile. "This isn't anything valuable. It was made from leftover scraps from when I was making farm tools for someone else."

Looking at the smiling Sister Cheng, Qi Gu was once again somewhat dizzy from the rice.

Sister Cheng was a serious person. Because she was too beautiful and was a blacksmith, she was often ridiculed and teased.

The first time she came to Zhao Family Village, she saw Sister Cheng kick out a man who was spewing filth.

On another occasion, Sister Cheng treated her to a delicious bowl of plain noodles, and she said, "Aunt Qi, I'm not treating you to this meal; I'm just asking someone to eat with me."

When she said this, Sister Cheng's tone was dejected. "Sister Cheng, is there no one at home to eat with you?" Aunt Qi asked.

"Yes, I do, but it's different. My biological parents have passed away, and I have no brothers or sisters."

Qi Gu thought that Sister Cheng regarded her as a sister, and finally nodded. In her previous life, she did not know Sister Cheng because she did not like farming that much.

Sister Cheng is so beautiful, and she's always been in a place like a blacksmith shop, so she must be quite lonely.

She said to Sister Cheng, "Sister Cheng, we're actually pretty much the same. Don't be sad. If you want to have dinner with someone again in the future, I'll still go with you. I'll treat you next time."

Sister Cheng smiled, and Qi Gu was stunned. "Sister Cheng, you are so beautiful."

"Hahahaha..."

That was the first time she had ever seen Sister Cheng smile so brightly.

"Aunt Qi, hurry back, it's about to rain." Zhao Cheng handed Aunt Qi an oil-paper umbrella by the door.

Qi Gu took the umbrella and said, "Sister Cheng, I hope we will have the opportunity to meet again in the future. I will return the umbrella to you then."

The blacksmith's shop door closed. Qi Gu turned around and only saw her beautiful face through the crack in the closing door, silent in the shadows.

Suddenly, just as the door closed, the sound of fighting came from inside...

[Author's Note]

Will Qi Gu return to Kyoto? Stay tuned for the next chapter where the male lead will appear!