Killer Queen + 18

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Recovering from injuries was seriously boring. No going outside, no catching any wind. Good thing Xiao Li had been specially trained in her past life, so after a few days, she was actually okay with it.

But after staying cooped up in the house for so long, she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Mom~~" She reached out to grab her mother's hand—the one who'd been staying by her side the entire time—and whined, "At least say something! I was part of that group that went to pray at Daming Temple that day. I'm your daughter too, you know. But now that something's happened, you and Dad have been locking me up at home like a prisoner. Don't you even care what happened to Sister Xue and A'Cai?"

But her mom wasn't having any of it. "If you really want to know how those two girls are doing, I'll send someone to check. But your injuries still haven't fully healed. I'm not letting you out just so something else can happen. If something does go wrong again, do you want me to die from the worry?"

"Daaad~~" Xiao Li was clearly feeling wronged, so she turned to her father for help.

But before the general could even say a word, her mom cut him off too. "Don't even try it! I don't care what you say—this time I'm not letting her go running around outside again."

"Mom~~ you're being so unreasonable…" Xiao Li was getting anxious. She couldn't help but lean against her mom and nuzzle up close.

"Alright, alright," General Xiao finally spoke up. "Wife, I think Li'er's doing much better these past few days. And besides, those two girls were with her when they went out that day. Something bad happened, so she naturally wants to check on them."

Her mother looked slightly annoyed hearing that, but even she had to admit her husband had a point.

"Fine, fine," she huffed. "She's your daughter too, not just mine. You're the general, the head of the family—whatever you say goes. Happy now?"

Xiao Li had long since gotten used to her mom's little tantrums, but still found them strangely adorable every time. She turned to her dad with a playful grin. "See, Dad? Mom's throwing a mini tantrum again…"

"You little brat! Teasing your own mother now?" Her mom pretended to be mad, lifting her hand to give Xiao Li a few light taps on the shoulder. That just made Xiao Li laugh harder, and even the general joined in with a hearty chuckle.

After the laughter, Xiao Li couldn't help but sigh in her heart. She used to think that people in ancient times were all stiff and serious. But her parents—the general and his lady—turned out to be so warm and lovable.

Eventually, seeing that Xiao Li really couldn't sit still anymore, General Xiao agreed to let her visit the Yuwen sisters at the Prime Minister's estate.

"But A'Li," he added, "I'll let you go, but you have to agree to one thing first." Yep, of course there was a condition.

Not that she cared. As long as she could get out of the house, he could've asked her to recite a thousand poems and she'd still say yes.

"Whatever it is, I agree! Just say it," she replied, practically bouncing in her seat.

The general smiled kindly. "It's nothing big. Just that you need to remember—this is Lingjiang City, not the borderlands. You can't act all wild like you used to. Now that we're back in the capital, it's time you start acting like a proper noble lady. Don't you think?"

"Daaaad~~" Oh no. So he was saying she was too much of a tomboy and not elegant enough, huh?

She turned to her mom for support, only to hear her say, "Exactly! Even though you grew up on the frontier, we still hired the best tutors for you. You learned all the manners and etiquette a noble girl is supposed to know."

"What?!" Now even Mom was ganging up on her? Xiao Li felt totally betrayed.

Her mom's expression softened. "Li'er, you're such a talented girl. You're great at music, painting, calligraphy, chess—you can do it all. So why can't you just be a graceful, well-mannered young lady at home?"

"Mom!" Xiao Li's voice rose a little. "Didn't you just say the other day that you liked me the way I am? And now suddenly I'm not good enough?"

Seeing how hurt she looked, her mom's heart softened again. She smiled gently. "Alright, alright. I just hope that when you visit other people's homes, you can carry yourself with a little more grace, that's all."

The general stepped in to ease the tension. "Alright, alright. A'Li's not a child anymore—she knows how to behave. You don't think your own daughter can handle herself? Back at the border, she was famous for being a prodigy in both brains and brawn!"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Xiao Li sighed. So basically, they just thought she was too rough around the edges. Fine. Today, she'd show them she could play the noble lady game just fine. She'd let the folks at the Prime Minister's estate see that even though the General's household was full of rough military types, their daughter wasn't just some uncultured brute.

She waved her hand and said, "Qinjian, Shihua, Zhuyun, Minghe—you four are coming with me to the Prime Minister's estate today."

"Yes, Miss," the four maids all responded with cheerful smiles.

Then she called out to Wang Zhong, the trusted guard who usually stuck by her dad's side. "And Big Brother Wang, I know I'm just visiting the Yuwen sisters today, but my personal safety's all on you, got it?"

She turned to her parents with a grin. "There, now you two can relax, right?"

General Xiao stroked his beard and chuckled. "As long as you keep your parents in your heart, that's all that matters."

Xiao Li turned to her maids with a sweet smile. "Alright girls, time to get moving!"

"Yes, Miss," they giggled and ran off to prepare.

Meanwhile, her mom turned to Wang Zhong and started fussing again. "Wang Zhong, make sure you keep a close eye on Miss today. Don't let anything happen to her again, you hear me?"

Wang Zhong cupped his fist in a salute. "Don't worry, Madam. I'll take care of everything."

That morning, the streets of Lingjiang echoed with the rumble of wheels as their carriage sped by.

But when they reached the main avenue in front of the Prime Minister's residence, Xiao Li realized she was already late.

From a distance, she could see several luxurious carriages lined up at the front gate—looked like some pretty important guests were already there.

With no other choice, she had the coachman stop at the end of the street and walked the rest of the way with her entourage.

Once they were inside, Xiao Li stepped forward and bowed to Lord Yuwen. "Uncle Yuwen, it's your niece Xiao Li. I hope you've been well."

Lord Yuwen greeted her with a big smile. "Ah, it's Xiao Li! How are you feeling these days?"

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle," she replied politely. "I've been resting these past few days and I'm feeling much better now."

"Good, good! I'm glad to hear that. So, you've come to visit my two girls today?"

Xiao Li nodded. "You guessed it right, Uncle Yuwen. I wanted to check in on Sister Ruoxue and A'Cai. How are they doing lately?"

"They're doing better, thanks to you!" he said with a chuckle. "If it hadn't been for you that day, I might've lost both of them. I've been meaning to visit your home to thank you personally, but things have just been so hectic. I'm glad you came today."

"You're being too kind, Uncle," Xiao Li said humbly. "I only did what I could in a dangerous situation. I'm just a girl with no real strength, and I wasn't able to help much. I still feel bad for what Sister Xue and A'Cai went through."

After a few more polite exchanges, Lord Yuwen smiled and gestured for her to come in. "Since you're here, and the timing's perfect, why don't I introduce you to a few people?"

Xiao Li felt a bit awkward. She had her own principles—this was ancient times, after all, not modern-day where men and women were equals. She'd rather stay out of these formalities.

She quickly said, "Uncle, you've got important guests. I shouldn't intrude. Why don't I just have a servant take me to the back to see Auntie and the girls?"

But Lord Yuwen had something else in mind. "Ah, don't be in such a hurry, my dear. Do you know who the guests I want to introduce you to are?"

Xiao Li shook her head.

He gave her a sly grin. "They're all princes of the royal family."

"Oh." That explained the fancy carriages. But what did that have to do with her? She chuckled. "I'm sure they're here to discuss important matters with you, Uncle. I'm just a girl—I shouldn't butt in."

"Ah, now that's where you're wrong," Lord Yuwen said with a laugh. "They're not here for any official business. Just like you, they came to visit Xue and Cai. I figured this would be the perfect time to introduce you. Who knows? Maybe one of them will catch your eye, and we'll have ourselves a little love story, huh? That way, your father wouldn't have to worry about your future anymore!"

Xiao Li blushed and lowered her head. "Uncle, you're teasing me…"

Now that she knew his real reason, she mentally decided—nope. Not interested. She had zero plans to get involved in this mess. Especially not when her own heart was still tied up in knots.

She gave him a polite smile. "I appreciate the thought, Uncle. But when it comes to marriage, that's something my parents should decide. And my father didn't come with me today, so I think I'll just go visit Auntie and the girls first."

She bowed again and turned to leave.

But just then, a group of people suddenly walked into the main hall—

"....."