Chapter 240: Chapter 240: He Was Perfectly Willing

"Let me see it." Princess Chang Le was not easily fooled. Seeing Xuanyuan Jing’s guilty conscience, she was even less inclined to let the matter drop.

"No!" Xuanyuan Jing hurriedly hid the box behind her back. "This is something I found to present to my Imperial Grandfather. It’s just... an ordinary painting."

"An ordinary painting? And you dare present it to your Imperial Grandfather? Hand it over. I want to see for myself just what’s so shameful about it that it can’t be seen!" Princess Chang Le berated her in a low voice.

"Little Aunt, you can’t be so domineering," Xuanyuan Jing said, exasperated.

"Is this the first day you’ve known me?" Princess Chang Le raised an eyebrow and glanced at Yuanbao.

Yuanbao understood. He suddenly circled behind Xuanyuan Jing and, while she wasn’t looking, snatched the box from her hands, passing it to Princess Chang Le.

Xuanyuan Jing’s face fell. She angrily kicked at Yuanbao and lunged for Princess Chang Le, trying to get the box back, but Yuanbao blocked her.

"How dare you act so presumptuously before the Princess, Commandery Princess?"

"You damned servant! I’m going to report you to my Imperial Grandfather and have you severely punished!" Xuanyuan Jing, furious, threw a punch, trying to knock Yuanbao down.

But Yuanbao was skilled in martial arts as well and easily neutralized her attack.

While the two were scuffling, Princess Chang Le had already opened the box. Inside, there was indeed a scroll painting.

She hadn’t been particularly interested, but seeing how nervous Xuanyuan Jing was about the painting, she was sure there was something fishy about it. So, she unrolled the scroll and began to examine it.

When she saw the person in the portrait, she paused. She instantly understood Xuanyuan Jing’s intentions.

Her gaze sharpened as she looked at Xuanyuan Jing. "What did I tell you before? If you cause trouble for Zhi Wan again, I will not spare you! You repeatedly let my words go in one ear and out the other. It seems you don’t take me seriously at all!"

Xuanyuan Jing was furious, but she didn’t dare let it show on her face. "Little Aunt, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not causing trouble for Zhi Wan, really!"

"Then what is the meaning of this painting?" Princess Chang Le unfurled the scroll in front of her.

"I... I... Someone presented it to me. I didn’t look at it closely. I just thought it was a rare work of art, so I wanted to present it to my Imperial Grandfather to make him happy." Under Princess Chang Le’s stare, Xuanyuan Jing’s voice grew quieter and quieter.

"You didn’t look at it closely? Do you take me for a fool?" With that, Princess Chang Le tore the painting to shreds right in front of Xuanyuan Jing.

"My painting..." Xuanyuan Jing shrieked, broke free from Yuanbao, and lunged forward.

Princess Chang Le sprinkled the shredded pieces of the painting over her head and said leisurely, "Here, you can have it back. What’s the rush?"

Xuanyuan Jing snatched the scraps of paper from her hair and burst into tears of anger. "How could you be so cruel?"

"Not as cruel as you. There’s no need for me to spell out the despicable things you’ve been plotting, is there?" Princess Chang Le said with contempt.

"You’re the despicable one!" Xuanyuan Jing’s expression was one of someone with nothing left to lose. "The story of you snatching a man off the street to be your boy toy has spread throughout the entire Capital City! You’re a disgrace to our Imperial Family!"

"If you’re so envious, you can go snatch one yourself. The prerequisite, however, is that you’re actually capable of it!" Princess Chang Le’s lips curled into a smile as she spoke, completely unfazed.

"WAAAH..." Xuanyuan Jing was so angry she started wailing.

With swift hands, Princess Chang Le clamped a hand over her mouth, afraid of disturbing her Imperial Father, and quickly dragged her away.

Only when they reached a secluded spot did she let go of Xuanyuan Jing.

Seeing the saliva on her fingers, she wiped it on Xuanyuan Jing’s dress with a look of disgust.

"Xuanyuan Ji!" Xuanyuan Jing roared hysterically.

"How treasonous. Is my name something a junior like you can utter so directly? However, considering you’ve clearly lost your mind, I won’t hold it against you today," Princess Chang Le said with an expression of magnanimous forgiveness.

Xuanyuan Jing gritted her teeth in fury, but with the other’s status being what it was, no matter how much she hated or raged, there was nothing she could do.

"I hope that today is the first and last time something like this happens. Otherwise, I will tell our Imperial Grandmother that you’ve been meddling in harem affairs and even tried to stuff a woman into your Imperial Grandfather’s harem. Tell me, if your Imperial Grandmother found out, what do you think she would do? Might she, in a fit of rage, marry you off to a distant land?" Princess Chang Le’s voice was calm and unhurried, but the warning in her words made Xuanyuan Jing’s scalp tingle with fear.

She dug her nails deeply into her palms.

But then a thought occurred to her, and she relaxed her hands, sneering, "Why are you always protecting Zhi Wan? Lu Zhan is about to marry her, did you know? Are you really content to just watch him marry her?"

"Where did you hear that from?" Princess Chang Le’s eyes showed surprise.

Xuanyuan Jing snorted. "It’s hardly a secret. Anyone could find out with a little asking around. I heard Madam Lu even invited an Embroidery Girl from the Brocade Building to custom-make a wedding gown for Zhi Wan. She’s just an orphan, yet she’s being treated with such importance. If you ask me, the Lu Family can’t get their priorities straight!"

Princess Chang Le watched her thoughtfully. "Lu Zhan is going to marry Zhi Wan, so you became jealous and wanted to ruin her, to prevent Lu Zhan from marrying her?"

Xuanyuan Jing was annoyed but didn’t answer her. Instead, she said, "Lu Zhan is about to marry someone else. I don’t believe you aren’t upset about it." After a pause, she suddenly took two steps forward, grabbed Princess Chang Le’s sleeve, and pleaded, "Little Aunt, we’re the real family here. Can you help me snatch Lu Zhan away?"

"Why should I help you?" Princess Chang Le swatted her hand away without a second thought. "Didn’t you just say I have my eye on Lu Zhan too? Instead of snatching him for you, I might as well snatch him for myself!"

Xuanyuan Jing was so angry she could have spat blood, but she still said, "Then go and snatch him! As long as that bitch Zhi Wan doesn’t get..."

"Hm?" The end of Princess Chang Le’s syllable rose, laced with danger.

Xuanyuan Jing said sullenly, "In any case, I would rather you marry Lu Zhan, Little Aunt, than let Zhi Wan get off so easy."

"But Lu Zhan likes Zhi Wan. Haven’t you heard that a melon plucked by force isn’t sweet?" Princess Chang Le said unhurriedly.

"’A melon plucked by force isn’t sweet?’ Then why did you snatch a man off the street?" Xuanyuan Jing couldn’t help but mutter.

"When did I ever snatch anyone? Shen Longjin came with me willingly," Princess Chang Le corrected with a frown.

Seeing she couldn’t win the argument, Xuanyuan Jing was furious and no longer wanted to tangle with her. She said, "If there’s nothing else, Little Aunt, I will take my leave."

"Not so fast," Princess Chang Le stopped her. "Who gave you that painting?"

"I had someone paint it," Xuanyuan Jing said quickly.

"A moment ago, you said someone presented it to you, but now you say you had it painted? Xuanyuan Jing, have you said a single true word?" Princess Chang Le narrowed her eyes, displeased.

"I was just afraid you’d blame me, wasn’t I? So I had to say someone else presented it. But the truth is, I hired a Painter to do it." Xuanyuan Jing forced herself to remain calm, but she didn’t dare look at Princess Chang Le.

Princess Chang Le shot her a look but didn’t press the matter. "You may go."

"Yes." Xuanyuan Jing breathed a secret sigh of relief and hurried away.

As soon as she was gone, Princess Chang Le turned to Yuanbao and said, "Have someone keep an eye on her. See who she’s been in contact with recently."

Yuanbao said in surprise, "Your Highness, do you suspect someone is behind the Commandery Princess, instructing her to present that painting to the Emperor?"

"Xuanyuan Jing doesn’t have the brains for this. She must have been instigated by someone," Princess Chang Le said with certainty.

"This servant will see to it at once." Yuanbao nodded respectfully.

「...」

「Duke Dingguo Mansion.」

Zhi Wan and her aunt had just returned from outside. As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, a servant came to report, "Miss, Princess Chang Le has sent someone to summon you."

’Princess Chang Le?’

Zhi Wan was taken aback.