Song Tang pursed her lips.
She put down her chopsticks and calmly looked directly at the Crown Princess: "What use am I to you?"
The Crown Princess smiled. Her eyes were as deep as a still pool: "The Song family has only been in the capital for a short time, yet they have already gained the Emperor's favor. This is unusual, but there's nothing underhanded about it. The Song family claims that your twin brother is their lucky star, but I've seen that boy with my own eyes."
The Crown Princess said, "That's just a pile of rotten meat." She picked up a piece of meat and casually stuffed it into her mouth. "If that boy is a lucky star, then it's more accurate to say that the Crown Prince is destined by heaven."
"Your Highness," the Grand Tutor gently reminded her, "watch your words."
The Crown Princess shrugged. She continued, "So I believe you are the one who will bring prosperity to the Song family." Her smile widened. "Even if you aren't, it doesn't matter. The Song family is on the Crown Prince's side, so I need you."
Songtang remained silent for a while.
She understood. The Crown Princess now only saw her as a pawn in the conflict against the Song family. But she also genuinely disliked the Crown Prince and the Song family, so she said, "Alright."
The princess laughed again. She pushed a plate of food in front of her towards Ai Cao, rested her chin on her hand, and said, "I will also protect your friends."
The mugwort said, "I don't need shelter."
The princess smiled and said, "I can give you a new short sword."
Ai Cao paused in her eating. She looked up at the Crown Princess, then at the plate of food in front of her.
She reached out with her chopsticks, picked up a piece of food from the plate, and said, "Something more convenient?"
The Crown Princess nodded: "Of course."
Ai Cao stuffed the vegetables into her mouth and mumbled, "Okay."
A maidservant hurried over and whispered a few words in the Crown Princess's ear. The Crown Princess then put down her chopsticks and said, "You may continue eating; I have to leave now."
She stood up and blew away like a gust of wind.
Song Tang stared at her back for a while before looking down at the rice bowl in front of her. She whispered to Ai Cao, "Why didn't Ai Cao say anything before?"
The mugwort asked, "What am I supposed to say?"
Ai Cao slowly put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth with a cloth. She looked at the smiling Grand Tutor beside her and said, "Why don't you take me to exchange for a sword?"
She took the short sword from her waist and pushed the sword, which had slashed many necks, in front of the Grand Tutor.
The Grand Tutor lowered her eyelashes and slowly picked up the short sword. Her rough fingers gently stroked the blade, the cold, gleaming surface reflecting her emotionless eyes.
Song Tang was startled.
There were three people at the table, and she was the youngest. So she tried to minimize her presence.
The Grand Tutor chuckled and rubbed the sword hilt, like a child testing a toy. She said calmly, "This sword is quite good too."
Ai Cao nodded: "Yes."
The Grand Tutor smiled and said, "Fortunately, I know of something better." She patted the wrinkles on her sleeves with a smile.
The mugwort smiled knowingly.
The short sword she originally used was stolen from the male protagonist's subordinate. Although the guards who usually come to kill and clean up don't use weapons marked with special symbols—Aicao didn't find anything special on the short sword either.
But these cunning people must know something.
Therefore, her agreement to accept the short sword given to her by the Crown Princess meant that she accepted the Crown Princess's invitation and thus stood on the same side as the Crown Princess.
The mugwort has thus made its stance clear.
She didn't defect from another faction, so she didn't need "protection"; she just wanted a more suitable "sword".
The Crown Princess allowed her to use that sword, and that was enough.
Ai Cao noticed Song Tang, who was trying to shrink her presence, and reached out to touch the top of Song Tang's head.
Artemisia said gently, "I had nothing to say before, and I have nothing to say now."
“You accepted the invitation to come in. But if you don’t accept the Crown Princess’s further invitation, this is just a meal,” Ai Cao said. “Then what should I say?”
Song Tang lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly and whispered, "If you refuse..."
“I’m begging for food under your wing,” said Ai Cao. “Generally speaking, I’m your servant.”
“…You are my family,” Songtang whispered.
“You have an identity, but I don’t,” Ai Cao said. “When they said we could pretend to be family, it was just a way to fool people for a while.”
"I can give up this identity too!" Song Tang gritted her teeth.
Ai Cao chuckled softly. Her touch on Song Tang's head softened: "I mean, I don't have a mother."
Songtang looked up at the mugwort. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth blankly, asking, "...No mother?"
“Yes,” Ai Cao said, “that’s why I said I have no identity. The Crown Princess said she couldn’t take me to meet the Emperor because of this. It’s easy to trace your past and identity, but I don’t.”
Ai Cao spoke as if joking: "I fell from the sky."
Song Tang hesitated for a moment, then asked, "...Are you the Queen Mother of the West?"
Artemisia smiled and said, "This is it."
The Grand Tutor joined their conversation. The kind-faced old lady smiled and said, "No wonder no one knew you back then; you really did fall from the sky."
Ai Cao shrugged. "Maybe I came from the mountains." She continued jokingly, "Besides fighting and killing, I have other special abilities."
"I have served the Crown Princess and the Eldest Princess for many years and have met quite a few extraordinary people with great reputations," the Grand Tutor said. "I wonder what mugwort can do?"
Ai Cao smiled and pointed to the chopsticks on the table. Apart from the Crown Princess's pair of silver chopsticks, the chopsticks of the three of them were carved wooden chopsticks inlaid with silver.
The Grand Tutor looked in the direction she was pointing.
With lightning speed, Ai Cao snatched the wooden chopsticks in front of her, clasped them together in her palm, and twisted them forcefully, forcibly turning the chopsticks together.
Ai Cao spread her hands and showed them to Song Tang: "Look, I can bend wooden chopsticks."
Song Tang stared wide-eyed at the twisted chopsticks in her hand, somewhat dumbfounded.
The Grand Tutor burst into laughter.
Songtang realized what was happening and, both angry and annoyed, grabbed Ai Cao's face, saying, "You're trying to fool me!"
Ai Cao laughed and blocked her twice, then let her pull it.
The Grand Tutor smiled and asked, "You certainly dote on her."
Ai Cao shook her head: "I don't spoil her."
The Grand Tutor was taken aback, then shook his head with a smile: "Yes, you don't dote on her."
If Ai Cao truly "pampered" Song Tang, how could she bear to let her make such important decisions? Even if we take a step back, Song Tang should live under her wing and remain innocent and kind.
But mugwort did not do that.
The mugwort hopes that the pine will soon grow its own wings and then fly wherever it wants to go.
The Grand Tutor asked with a smile, "I wonder if there's anything else you'd like?"
Ai Cao thought for a moment and asked seriously, "Do you know any fortune tellers?" Her face was a little distorted by Song Tang's pulling, but her voice was still clear, "Ideally, they should be able to communicate with the dead and ghosts."
She hasn't used her upgraded skills in this world yet.
Grand Tutor: "?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
