Love Lock

Chapter 253 The enemy of my enemy is a friend
"Princess, watch out for the steps." The maid carefully led the way for her.

"Make way! Make way!" Two servants rushed to clear the way, nearly knocking over Zhao Qiao'er who couldn't dodge in time.

She staggered and grabbed onto a mannequin placed at the entrance of Jinxiufang. Watching the figure gracefully walk past her, a thought suddenly popped into her mind.

Although Princess Chang Le did not know her, she knew Princess Chang Le!

Lin Yuanshan was just a merchant, while Princess Chang Le was a member of the royal family.

Before Lin Yuanshan, she was a discarded woman. Before Princess Chang Le, she was a stranger. If she were to ask Lin Yuanshan for help, she might as well ask Princess Chang Le directly, since the difficulties they would face were about the same.

Seeing that Princess Chang Le was about to board the carriage, Zhao Qiao'er gritted her teeth, took a few quick steps, and suddenly knelt down behind her.

"Princess, please wait! Please, Princess Chang Le, have mercy! I beg you to save me!" Zhao Qiao'er kowtowed heavily, causing the wooden hairpin in her hair to fall to the ground.

Princess Chang Le was about to lift the carriage curtain with her slender fingers when she heard the sound and lazily turned around.

The old woman beside Princess Chang Le immediately scolded, "Where did this wild girl come from..."

Princess Chang Le gently stopped her with her ivory fan. She looked at the woman in front of her, who, despite her elaborate attire, was dressed in coarse cloth and was trembling all over, whether from nervousness or fear.

"Who are you?" Princess Chang Le asked coldly.

“Your Highness, I am Zhao Zun, the King of Cangzhou…” Zhao Qiao’er glanced at Princess Chang Le and then quickly lowered her eyes again, “…the younger sister of Zhao Qiao’er.”

"Zhao Zun?"

The name was like a key inserted into a brass lock, unlocking her heart that had been sealed for so long.

In recent months, her family has been hit with a series of bad news, and she hasn't thought of that name for quite some time.

Those deep, pool-like eyes and that handsome, aloof face reappeared in her mind, and her heart, which had been still for months, began to ripple again.

"What kind of behavior is it to kneel in front of Jinxiufang?" Princess Changle's voice was like ice soaked in honey, icy cold. "Mingyue, help her up and speak."

Mingyue responded and stepped forward to help Zhao Qiao'er up; Zhao Qiao'er's legs were still trembling.

"Speak, what happened?" Princess Chang Le half-covered her face with a round fan, her eyes filled with contempt.

"Your Highness, please understand!" Zhao Qiao'er was about to kneel again when Mingyue stopped her. "My brother..."

Tears streamed down her face. "The court says he's plotting a rebellion and has already sent troops to suppress Cangzhou. Such a heinous crime! My mother and I have lived in the capital all this time and knew nothing about it!"

Princess Chang Le's pupils contracted slightly as she finally understood Zhao Qiao'er's purpose in blocking the street and begging her.

The crime of treason will result in the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

She had heard the news a few days ago while at home, but there had been previous rumors that Zhao Zun's achievements threatened the emperor, that he held military power and was acting arrogantly, and now that he was plotting a rebellion. So she didn't believe it and just thought it was another rumor.

Furthermore, during this time she was immersed in the grief of losing her loved ones, had not left the house for a long time, and was completely indifferent to what was happening around her.

Now, even Zhao Zun's sister has come to his door seeking his help, proving that this matter is indeed true.

She calmly surveyed her surroundings, observing the passersby coming and going on the street.

"Please, Princess, save my mother and me!" Zhao Qiao'er sobbed, still pleading, "We are innocent, we really don't know anything. Princess, you are a noble member of the royal family, please have mercy and report to the Emperor to save my mother and me."

The noble royal family?
Before kneeling down to beg Princess Chang Le, Zhao Qiao'er had already considered that she had no leverage to get the princess's help. The only thing she could do was to say nice things and flatter her.

Having grown up alongside Qin Yanran, she naturally learned that these important people loved to flaunt their noble status.

Therefore, her purpose in saying this was merely to flatter him.

What she didn't know was that these words struck at Princess Chang Le's weak spot, causing Princess Chang Le's slender hands to suddenly clench into fists.

The noble royal family!
These words sound extremely ironic to Princess Chang Le today.

Her entire family was killed in a bombing at the Marquis of Champion's mansion, her cousin Su Qi was killed in a bombing at the Jingzhou military camp, and even the pillars of the Su family, the late emperor and empress, were mysteriously killed in a bombing. The Su family suffered a devastating blow overnight.

She, who was personally appointed a princess by the late emperor, is now not recognized by the new dynasty and has become a commoner, unable to even set foot in the palace.

Fortunately, her parents left her a considerable amount of wealth and assets. At best, she can be described as "rich," but she can no longer be called "noble."

Seeing that she remained silent, Zhao Qiao'er timidly called out, "Princess..."

Princess Chang Le snapped out of her daze and looked at Zhao Qiao'er, who looked helpless, and suddenly wanted to laugh.

Didn't the new Emperor Jing refuse to acknowledge her status as a princess? Didn't he treat her like a stranger?
Ha ha!

If I cannot obtain the noble status of a princess, then you can forget about keeping your throne.

Princess Chang Le did not think Zhao Zun had committed any crime in treason; on the contrary, Zhao Zun's rebellion against the new Emperor Jing was exactly what she wanted.

Anyway, the Great Jing is now under the control of the Wei family, and there's nothing left for the Su family to do. So she'll first save Zhao Zun's sister, and then secretly help Zhao Zun rebel.

If Zhao Zun were to one day conquer the world, and remembers the kindness shown to her today, she would not only regain her honor, but perhaps... she could also rekindle her romance with Zhao Zun.

Thinking of this, a cold smile crept onto her face, which hadn't shown a smile for months, and a bold idea took shape in her mind.

“This isn’t the place to talk.” She lowered her voice and looked at Zhao Qiao’er. “I’m on my way to the Drunken Immortal Winery. You’ll come with me. We can talk about it there.”

A glimmer of hope flashed in Zhao Qiao'er's eyes, and she quickly bowed, saying, "Thank you, Princess!"

Princess Chang Le turned and boarded the carriage, her fingers trembling slightly beneath her wide sleeves.

She wasn't afraid, but excited.

Heaven was still looking out for her, sending her such a great opportunity.

The carriage moved slowly, and Zhao Qiao'er, her eyes filled with joy, followed along with her head bowed, her fondness for Princess Chang Le growing stronger. Little did she know, however, the true thoughts in Princess Chang Le's heart.

She had heard rumors before that Princess Chang Le was arrogant and domineering. She had only asked Princess Chang Le for help out of desperation, but she never expected that Princess Chang Le would be willing to help her.

"Princess, we've arrived." Mingyue's voice rang out from outside the carriage.

Zuixian Winery is now the most famous restaurant in the capital, a frequent haunt of high-ranking officials and nobles. Princess Chang Le is a regular customer, and the manager, Yang Haibo, immediately came out to greet her upon seeing her carriage.

"The usual place, no one is allowed to disturb us." She left those words and led Zhao Qiao'er straight up to the private room on the second floor.

The private room was decorated with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists on the walls, and a round mahogany table stood by the window. The view outside the window was of the tavern's back garden, a serene and tranquil scene.

The waiter tiptoed in with a tray, placing several delicate side dishes and two pots of warm Zuixian wine on the table. Zhao Qiao'er stared at the unfamiliar side dishes, smelling the aroma of wine in the air, and unconsciously swallowed, her fingers under her coarse cloth sleeves secretly twisting the hem of her clothes.

"What? You're a young lady from a royal family, and you've never seen anything like this before?"

Princess Chang Le noticed Zhao Qiao'er's reaction. She picked up the celadon wine pot and poured Zhao Qiao'er a cup of wine herself. The clear, transparent wine rippled in the cup.

Although Princess Chang Le was of average appearance, with the help of modern cosmetics like the Mandarin Duck Hairpin and some makeup techniques taught by Yang Xiaomei, her face looked as if it had been filtered, raising her beauty level several notches.

Furthermore, the outfit that Jinxiufang had put together for her made her look even more noble and elegant, making Zhao Qiao'er's coarse cloth dress across from her appear even more shabby.

Upon hearing Princess Chang Le's words, Zhao Qiao'er hurriedly looked away: "Please forgive my rudeness, Your Highness. We've pawned everything we could at home, and my daughter and I are getting worse every day. Where would we find the money..."

"Eat up, don't be shy." Princess Chang Le pushed a plate of pickled chicken feet in front of her, the jade ring on her fingertip gleaming slightly in the sunlight streaming through the window.

In front of Zhao Qiao'er, Princess Chang Le suddenly felt a sense of superiority.

Although Zhao Qiao'er was born out of wedlock, she came from a wealthy family. But look at the life she is living now; it is utterly destitute.

Although he had lost family members and his clan had fallen into decline, his quality of life was still far better than Zhao Qiao'er's.

Thinking of this, Princess Chang Le suddenly changed the subject and asked gossipy, "How did you two end up like this? Zhao Zun was promoted to King of Cangzhou, why didn't you two go to Cangzhou to enjoy your good fortune?"

Zhao Qiao'er's chopsticks landed on the edge of the plate with a "snap!"

Her eyes suddenly reddened, and her voice even choked with sobs.

“My father died on the battlefield, and my mother was just a concubine. Moreover, she didn’t get along with the princess my brother brought home and didn’t want to go there and live at their mercy. In addition, my husband’s family was in the capital, and my mother wanted to stay and accompany me, so neither of them went to Cangzhou.”

She bit her lower lip lightly, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Princess Chang Le paused slightly in her cup-holding hand. The image of the loving couple at last year's palace banquet suddenly flashed before her eyes.

During the palace banquet, Zhao Zun disregarded his status as a prince and went on stage to perform alongside that vile woman Han Lei. He gently tidied Han Lei's disheveled hair, and Han Lei's sleeves folded as she poured him wine...

Princess Chang Le took a deep breath, twirling the rim of the celadon cup between her fingers: "Why is your mother at odds with Han Lei?"

"That bitch gave my mother a hard time before she even entered the manor, and slapped her across the face." Zhao Qiao'er suddenly became agitated, her eyes filled with resentment as sharp as poisoned silver needles.

“When they went to Cangzhou, they emptied the Prince’s mansion of all its valuables…” She suddenly stopped and began to sob, “She also doesn’t know how she colluded with the owner of Jinxiufang to suppress Lin’s Cloth Shop’s business, forcing Lin Yuanshan to divorce me before she would cooperate with Lin’s.”

Having been around Aunt Qin for so long, Zhao Qiao'er had learned a great deal about the tricks of domestic intrigue. She knew how to downplay her own faults and how to shift blame elsewhere.

She only said that the owner of Jinxiufang forced Lin Yuanshan to divorce her, but she didn't mention a word about poisoning Han Lei. This made others think that everything was Han Lei's fault, and that she was the innocent white lotus who was bullied.

Unfortunately, Princess Chang Le's focus was not on whether she had been bullied, but on that one sentence—the owner of Jinxiufang.

"The owner of Jinxiufang? Isn't that Young Master Wei? You're saying that bitch Han Lei could get Wei Chengchao to suppress Linji Cloth Shop?" Princess Chang Le's gaze sharpened, and she murmured, "But when did Wei Chengchao get involved with that bitch Han Lei?"

Zhao Qiao'er didn't understand why Princess Chang Le reacted this way, and honestly shook her head: "I don't know."

Upon hearing this, Princess Chang Le's gaze suddenly became deep and unfathomable.

Speaking of that bitch Han Lei, it was Wei Chengchao who took the initiative to find her after the palace banquet and said that they should deal with Han Lei together.

After helping Wei Chengchao capture Han Lei, she went to Cangzhou to look for Zhao Zun, and then there was no further news of Han Lei.

Princess Chang Le scoffed, finding it ironic.

She gained nothing from dealing with Han Lei that time; instead, she was kidnapped by bandits and taken to the mountain. Unexpectedly, the two of them ended up getting entangled because of it.

She suddenly remembered the day she met the new Emperor Jing at the entrance of Jinxiufang. She cried and begged the Emperor Jing, but Wei Chengchao was right next to her and coldly did not say a good word for her.

Logically speaking, these noble young men and women often gathered together to appreciate poetry, wine, and tea. Moreover, she and Wei Chengchao had once worked together to deal with Han Lei, so their relationship should have been quite good.

But now, Wei Chengchao is involved with Han Lei instead. That day in front of Emperor Jing, he watched coldly as if he didn't know her at all.

Is Wei Chengchao genuinely cooperating with her to deal with Han Lei, or is he secretly cooperating with Han Lei to deal with her?

Princess Chang Le felt a chill run down her spine the more she thought about it, and the more she felt that perhaps she was the one being targeted.

But for a moment, she couldn't figure out why Han Lei and Wei Chengchao would team up against her. Could it be because she admired Zhao Zun? Or... the several explosions that inexplicably befell the Su family?

Princess Chang Le shook her head, feeling that there were too many twists and turns in this matter, too many to unravel.

OK!

Han Lei, Wei Chengchao.

We'll see!
Whatever you're plotting together, this princess will not let you get away with it.

Since Han Lei has a bad relationship with Zhao Zun's sister and aunt, and they are like oil and water, then the enemy of my enemy is naturally my friend.

Sunlight streamed obliquely through the window as Princess Chang Le gazed at her reflection in the wine, a meaningful smile curving her lips.

She gracefully opened her palm, gesturing for Mingyue to take two hundred taels of silver notes, and then handed them to Zhao Qiao'er.

"Qiao'er, seeing that you and your daughter are living in poverty, take these back to help with household expenses." Princess Chang Le tried to make her voice sound as gentle as possible.

"This...Princess...this is unacceptable." Zhao Qiao'er reached out to stop her, but the gleam in her eyes betrayed her true thoughts.

Princess Chang Le insisted on pushing the silver note over, saying, "Take it! I have some connection with your brother Zhao Zun. Although there are rumors that he is plotting a rebellion, I can tell that you and your mother are unaware of it. Helping you is the same as helping Zhao Zun."

"Thank you... thank you, Princess. You're so kind!"

Zhao Qiao'er did not refuse again, but accepted it with both hands, stood up and thanked her repeatedly with deep gratitude.

She never expected that her gamble would pay off. Not only was Princess Chang Le willing to help her, but she was also so generous, giving her two hundred taels of silver notes right away.

Princess Chang Le waved her hand dismissively and began to implement her plan.

"Qiao'er, I can help you, but you must listen to me and not let anyone else know. Otherwise, I can't help you. After all, treason is a capital offense, and you can't do anything reckless."

"Yes! Qiao'er understands." Zhao Qiao'er was overjoyed and nodded vigorously. "Qiao'er will obey the princess's orders."

As she spoke, she knelt down with a thud and began to kowtow to Princess Chang Le.

Princess Chang Le didn't help her up. Instead, she took out a small mirror from her handbag—one she'd bought from the Mandarin Duck Hairpin shop—and looked at her exquisite makeup. A cryptic smile played on her lips...

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