Duanhua had just gotten in the carriage, she noticed not only Su Rong had come in, but Fen Ling followed her in as well.
She glared at Fen Ling, "You, get out!"
Fen Ling found a spot and sat down, "No, I am my sister’s personal bodyguard. I must protect her safety at all times. No one can drive me away from her."
Duanhua: "..."
She had a host of bodyguards, but none acted like this, even fighting for a place in the carriage.
She turned to Su Rong, "Your guard is lacking in manners and rules. How can you tolerate him?"
Su Rong sincerely said, "He’s good looking."
Good looking people seem to have all the privileges, she could endure all sorts of problems, as long as they are good looking.
Duanhua: "..."
She looked at Fen Ling closely and found that he was indeed quite good looking, much better looking than her ugly guards.
At that moment, she suddenly felt that if she were Su Rong, having such a handsome man following her around every day might not be so bad. Letting him into the carriage might be acceptable too.
She immediately stopped trying to get Fen Ling out of the carriage and asked Su Rong, "Is his martial arts very good? Did you only bring him with you to the city?"
Su Rong naturally wouldn’t tell her that she brought five hundred hidden guards, Fen Ling being the most visible one. She nodded, "Mm, having him is enough."
She bluntly said, "He’s a good fighter. He alone, can fight that group of yours."
Duanhua’s face changed immediately, "I noticed too. The bodyguards my mother gave me, none could even fight. Not only were they suppressed by Zhou Gu’s guards, they were even caught by your guard, and couldn’t move. Total wastes. I’ve decided, after eating with you and returning to the residence, I’ll find my mother and replace them all."
Su Rong nodded, "The quality of the guards isn’t about quantity, but their skills."
Duanhua agreed, "Indeed."
She grumbled to Su Rong, "Do you know? When I took them to Jiangning County, we were intercepted by Zhou Gu’s bodyguards halfway. My bodyguards couldn’t even beat Zhou Gu’s bodyguards. They could only watch helplessly as I suffered. I complained to my mother. She punished them and told me, bodyguards from Duke Residence are elite, naturally they are superior. It’s understandable that the guards in the Princess Residence are a bit inferior. Now I find out, even your single guard is formidable. It’s simply because they are useless, not proficient in martial arts. This time I will definitely replace them."
Su Rong joined her in complaining, "Indeed. They are too useless. And Zhou Gu, he’s too overbearing. Everyone has the freedom to go to Jiangning County, why can he go, but you can’t? It’s totally unreasonable."
"Exactly." Duanhua fumed when this topic was brought up. "He said it was to protect you, fearing I would cause trouble for you."
Su Rong let out a sigh, "He has a villain’s heart but judges others by his own low standards. See? Even now when the Princess met me, she didn’t cause any trouble for me."
Duanhua directly said, "That’s because you told me you plan to break off the engagement with Zhou Gu, otherwise I would still have to trouble you. He wasn’t entirely wrong, then."
Su Rong: "..."
Is this lady really so straightforward? She almost left her with nothing to say.
Fen Ling, watching from the side, was greatly amused, "Princess, may I eat these pastries?"
"You may."
Fen Ling grabbed a piece and threw it in his mouth. He savored it and hummed in approval, "Is this hibiscus cake? It’s pretty delicious. Where did you buy it?"
"It was made by the cook at my house."
Fen Ling immediately turned to Su Rong, held up a piece of pastry for her, "Sister, you must try it out."
Su Rong took it, opened her mouth and took a bite, also humming in response. She grabbed Duanhua’s hand sincerely, and said, "Princess, we just arrived in the city today and have yet to find a suitable residence. Could we possibly lodge in your residence temporarily?"
Fen Ling immediately said, "Two rooms."
Duanhua was stunned, "I don’t have a princess residence, I live in my mother’s palace."
"Then, could your mother’s palace spare us two rooms for temporary stay?" Su Rong quickly corrected herself and asked.
Duanhua looked at her in shock.
Su Rong was very serious, "Only a few days."
Fen Ling immediately made a suggestion, "We won’t freeload your food, certain. Weren’t you complaining about your useless guards? I can serve as their instructor free of charge, guaranteed to toughen them up."
Su Rong quickly agreed, "Fen Ling is a very good teacher. Besides, haven’t your bodyguards been raised by the Princess since they were young? It’s not easy to bring up a bunch of bodyguards. How much silver was spent until now? If you dismiss them, wouldn’t it be a big loss? After Fen Ling and I move in, he can be responsible for their training. We guarantee results."
Duanhua was stupefied, "Are you two really homeless?"
"Well, there is one, but it’s in East Fourth Hutong, a rundown old mansion that my elder brother himself won’t even stay in." Su Rong did her best to disparage Xie Yuan’s residence, "Apparently it’s only an old man on guard duty and not a single servant girl to take care of the place."
Duanhua remembered, "Oh, I heard Su Xingze is residing in the Shen Residence, the home of the Minister of Personnel."
"Exactly that." Su Rong nodded.
Duanhua hesitated, "You guys are not villains, right?"
She has never casually invited someone home before.
"Absolutely not. I have a proper identity; I am Su Xu’s daughter, Su Rong. You recognized me without fail, didn’t you?" Su Rong earnestly promoted herself, "Neither do I impose. I can accompany you for a few days. I heard you have no siblings, that you’re your parents’ only child? Not me, I have six older sisters. I’m best at playing with my sisters and they all like me a lot."
They like to avoid me.
Fen Ling was nodding enthusiastically, "Absolutely! My sister is very likeable. Everyone at home likes her."
Having her heart swayed, Duanhua glanced at Su Rong and then at Fen Ling. Both of them had pleasing faces and were staring at her with sincerity and making it difficult for her to refuse. After a while in indecisive struggles, she nodded, "Fine! I will allow you to stay for a few days."
Inside, Su Rong cheered. She was tired of the Eastern Palace cuisine and switching to Princess Qingping Residence was just what she needed.
Fen Ling was also satisfied. From now on, he can visit the princess’s kitchen every day to get his favorite Hibiscus Cake. If the chefs in the princess’s residence can make such delicious Hibiscus Cake, they must certainly make other pastries and dishes equally delicious. Just the thought of it got him excited.
Duanhua parted the carriage curtain and commanded, "Go and inform the housekeeper that a room in my yard is to be cleaned up. I have a guest who is coming home with me."
Fen Ling immediately corrected her, "It’s two rooms!"
Duanhua glared at him, "You’re staying in my yard too? You’re a man!"
Fen Ling replied, "I am a guard. Wherever my sister goes, I go."
Duanhua thought it over and considering that even her yard had male servants and guards, she reluctantly agreed, "Fine." She then instructed aloud, "Clean up two rooms, adjacent ones."
A guard responded in shock and hurried away.
Both Su Rong and Fen Ling were delighted. They alternated in eating, finishing a plate of cakes, and then looked at Duanhua with fondness.
This young princess is so likable!
Duanhua felt a strange sensation, but the sensation vanished as she met the sincere gaze from Su Rong and Fen Ling. She thought to herself about how unfamiliar the sensation was. Fen Ling was alright, after all, he was a guard, but Su Rong, she was so,... so...
Lost for words, she felt that Su Rong didn’t seem to be an ordinary maiden, or rather, while her status was of an ordinary maiden, she didn’t act it. She was more like a sly little fox.
Yes, a little fox!
A vixen!
Immediately Duanhua was alert, glaring at Su Rong, "And you say you’re not a vixen!"
She had a delayed realisation that since meeting Su Rong, she was being drawn in by her every movement and speech, even to the point of agreeing to take her home.
This is horrifying!
Was this the trap Zhou Gu fell into?
This fox can manipulate people too horrifyingly! She is scarier than the vixens in the palace.
Su Rong exclaimed, "Ah?" She was regretting that a plate of Hibiscus Cake had too few pieces, a total of six. Fen Ling had decent intentions, eating three and leaving three for her. But those weren’t even enough to fill in the gaps between her teeth. Suddenly, hearing Duanhua accusing her of being a vixen, she was at a loss, "How am I a vixen?"
Duanhua glared at her, "You are setting a trap for me."
Su Rong finally caught on. Oh, it turns out this little princess is not stupid. She thought so. No matter how pampered Duanhua was in the palace since her childhood, she must have had a set of skills to coax the emperor which others could not learn. Otherwise, the status of being an emperor’s niece alone wouldn’t add up to her high favor, after all, a niece wasn’t as close as a daughter.
She seriously replied: "Princess, haven’t I told you? Vixens are not as beautiful as me."
Duanhua: "..."
She frowned, "It’s not about the beauty."
Looking at her, Su Rong responded, "You think I’m too cunning, right? Oh, the joy of outwitting each other is boundless. All the sisters in my house say that my cunning alone outmatches that of all of them combined. Thank you for your compliment."
Duanhua: "..."
This person is simply... toxic!
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