Sympathizing with the Chancellor's Chess Piece - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

To be honest, Ji Yuan and I had not always been at each other’s throats like this.

Imperial Father had only one son and one daughter in his entire life, and he never favored either of us, so Grand Tutor Ji taught my lessons as well.

As for Ji Yuan, he had followed Grand Tutor Ji into the palace since childhood to study alongside me and my little brother.

I liked trailing around after Ji Yuan, too.

The other noble girls all said Ji Yuan was cold and taciturn, that he didn’t know how to treat girls gently. The daughter of the Minister of Rites once gave him a handkerchief, and before she could even finish a single sentence, Ji Yuan frightened her to tears. They said that if I weren’t a princess, he would definitely hate me too.

But I didn’t think they were right.

Ji Yuan did speak very little, but when I climbed trees to steal bird eggs, he would stand below with his arms open, waiting to catch me.

When I couldn’t sleep at night and secretly slipped out of the palace, climbing over the wall to find him at the Grand Tutor’s estate, he would let me sleep in his bed while he sat outside the door and told me stories all night.

One winter, I played too hard and came down with a high fever. He kept watch outside my palace for an entire day and night, only leaving when he heard I had woken up.

I knew he loved chess, so I wanted to personally polish a whole set of chess pieces and give them to him as a coming-of-age gift.

Unfortunately, my procrastination was terminal. By the day of his coming-of-age ceremony, I had only managed to polish a single white chess piece, and I hadn’t even smoothed it out properly.

Ji Yuan didn’t mind at all. He said it was the best gift he had ever received, and that he would carry it with him every day.

The turning point in our relationship came the year Imperial Father passed away. Among the people, in the palace, at court…

Countless people began saying that the Ji Clan would rebel sooner or later!

When that day came, my little brother would be killed, and I would no longer be a princess.

Wouldn’t any family sitting on the throne have to worry about rebellion?

So I began keeping a close eye on Ji Yuan.

If he said to go east, I insisted on going west.

If he wanted to develop agriculture, I demanded we prioritize commerce.

Unfortunately, most of the court officials only listened to Ji Yuan, and all memorials had to be reviewed by him first before they were sent to my little brother’s desk and mine.

My little brother was completely carefree and always said Brother Ji would never rebel.

He never read storybooks, so what did he know? In those storybooks, the ones who rebelled were always the powerful ministers closest to the emperor!

Later on, Ji Yuan and I became so opposed to each other that we couldn’t even exchange a single civil word.

I was too ashamed to open my eyes and face the fact that Ji Yuan had knocked me unconscious with one tiny chess piece, so I simply kept them shut and watched those strange words communicate.

[Why isn’t our girl awake yet? Ji Yuan is about to lose his mind. He’s going to wear the steps outside the door flat from pacing.]

Hmph. What was he worried about?

Worried I would blame him for the fact that I fainted?

[Honestly, our girl doesn’t have it easy either. Her little brother is a child, her aunt is unreliable, and she’s the only one trying her hardest to protect the family business. But her own abilities are mediocre, so of course she feels insecure.]

Finally, someone understood how I felt. This princess hereby appoints this person as the most mediocre top scholar in all of history!

[If only our girl would learn to trust Ji Yuan. How could he possibly rebel? He likes our girl so much!]

Hah. This person made no sense at all. Why should I trust Ji Yuan?

Wait!

Ji Yuan liked me?

I shot upright in bed. My maid, Xiao He, cried out happily, “The princess is awake!”

The door was pushed open, and Ji Yuan rushed in, his face full of worry.

Ji Yuan had always strictly observed propriety between men and women. This was the first time he had ever entered my room when I wasn’t properly dressed.

Behind him followed the imperial physician with lowered eyes. After taking my pulse again, the physician quietly instructed, “Her Highness is in no serious danger. It is only that… she still needs to exercise restraint.”

Ji Yuan had sharp ears and eyes. Hearing the physician’s advice, he immediately pressed, “Restraint in what?”

I cut him off loudly. “Nothing. Xiao He, see the physician out.”

Ji Yuan also regained his composure. He gave a light cough. “It is already late. If Your Highness still feels unwell, you may rest here for the night. Don’t worry. No one has ever lived in this courtyard before, and everything here is new.”

After learning that he liked me, I suddenly didn’t know how to face him, so I only nodded.

The strange words had long since dissolved into laughter.

[They’re nowhere near that stage yet, and already they need restraint! Hahahaha!]

[Of course no one has ever lived in this courtyard. The male lead built it especially for his princess, hoping that one day he could lock the female lead up here just like in his dreams and do whatever he wanted to her.]

[When are they finally going to cook?! I’m a premium member; can’t I fast-forward the plot?]

I stared at those words.

Lock me up?

Impossible. Ji Yuan usually looked so cool and aloof, like he didn’t concern himself with worldly desires at all. How could he be such a pervert?

Just then, something hard dug into my arm. I lifted the bedding and looked-and there, hidden at the corner of the bed, was an iron chain. The attached iron ring had even been considerately wrapped in silk!

And there was one at each of the bed’s four corners!

Oh no. I think I really did run into a pervert…