The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 171: Chapter 170: Traitorous Concubine or Worthy Empress 5

As Anning strained to recall where she had seen Prince Jin before, Prince Jin had already approached her side.

He bent down, trying his best to look Anning in the eye, his pair of icy eyes fixating on her, though it was unknown what he was looking at.

Anning was not scared, nor did she step back.

She smiled: ”Your Majesty, you are remarkably gallant and full of valor and intrigue indeed.”

Prince Jin appeared even more pleased.

He looked at Anning, a bit of interest arising in his eyes: ”I am interesting? Interesting... no one has ever said that I am interesting.”

Prince Jin straightened his posture, looking down at Anning: ”Xie... um, what is your name?”

Anning smiled, ”I am Xie Anning.”

”Xie Anning, huh.” Prince Jin repeated the name a few times: ”Lu Country did well in sending you here, I ought to reward you handsomely.”

Upon finishing his sentence, he seemed to be expecting something, his eyes, now a bit warmer, stayed on Anning.

However, Anning frowned slightly, seemingly displeased: ”Your Majesty is mistaken.”

”Mistaken?”

A hint of a smile surfaced in Prince Jin’s eyes, he reached out and pinched Anning’s cheek.

This pinch was neither painful nor ticklish, but Anning could feel that the tips of Prince Jin’s fingers were very cold, his body temperature somewhat abnormal.

”It is mistaken.”

Anning nodded her head: ”If Your Majesty appreciates me, it would indeed be appropriate to reward me. I have suffered much on my way here from Lu Country, and the fact that I did not succumb to illness or heatstroke is due to my strong constitution, not because of the King of Lu. How could Your Majesty reward him instead of me? That would be most unfair.”

Prince Jin scrutinized Anning, seeing something in her that made him smile even broader: ”Fine, let’s not reward him then. Let’s give all the fine treasures to His Majesty’s beauty.”

Prince Jin’s mood was evidently very good.

He took Anning’s hand and led her out of Qingzheng Hall.

Outside Qingzheng Hall, Feng Chengxi was still waiting.

Prince Jin didn’t even glance at him: ”You may leave, I’ve accepted the beauty that your Lu Country sent.”

Feng Chengxi lowered his head, concealing the hatred in his eyes: ”This servant shall take his leave.”

After Prince Jin and Anning walked off, Feng Chengxi watched Anning’s retreating figure for quite a while.

Unfortunately, Anning was being pulled along by Prince Jin and did not even look back at him.

Feng Chengxi felt awful inside.

He had mentally prepared himself to trade Anning for the world, yet seeing Prince Jin smiling as he led her away, it felt as if his heart was pierced by a knife, the pain nearly stopping his breath.

Feng Chengxi clenched his teeth, swallowed the bloody taste rising in his throat, and with a face of submission, he walked out of Prince Jin Palace.

As he left, he looked back once more; the solemn and stately Royal Palace made Feng Chengxi feel particularly oppressed.

Prince Jin took Anning to his private treasury.

He ordered the door of the treasury to be opened, pointing at the endless treasures inside: ”All my collections are here; you, beauty, may use them freely.”

Anning sized up Prince Jin, tilted her head and thought for a moment, she did not decline at all, walking boldly into the treasury.

Outside the treasury, the Palace Attendants watched Anning anxiously.

They trembled in fear, wondering if this beauty from Lu Country would really take those treasures, and if that might lead to Prince Jin having her killed?

Yet, the reality was nothing like their assumptions.

Anning took quite a few pearls from her private treasury for decoration, and she playfully asked Prince Jin, ”Where should these items be placed? Has Your Majesty prepared a palace for me?”

Prince Jin showed no displeasure, and even picked out a few more treasures to add to Anning’s collection, ”There’s a place for everything, in the Prince Jin Palace, you can reside in whichever palace you like.”

Anning found this curious: ”Your Majesty says so, but it is said that there are countless beauties in Your Majesty’s palace, I fear those palaces must be full, could it be that Your Majesty would drive other beauties out for my sake?”

Prince Jin bent down again, placing one hand on Anning’s shoulder, his amber-colored eyes firmly fixed on her: ”Those are dispensable. If a beauty becomes an eyesore, just chase her out.”

Suddenly, Prince Jin seemed to have thought of something, ”Beauty dislikes the heat, how about Qifang Palace? It’s by the water, naturally cool, a good residence for summer leisure.”

Since Prince Jin put it that way, Anning didn’t decline: ”Then I shall thank Your Majesty.”

Prince Jin appeared particularly pleased, laughed heartily twice, and instructed the Palace Attendant waiting outside, ”Take these to Qifang Palace.”

He then asked, ”Who is residing in Qifang Palace now?”

A Palace Attendant quietly replied: ”Your Majesty, Beauty Lin from Yue Country is residing in Qifang Palace.”

”Let her move out quickly.”

Prince Jin frowned and issued the order impatiently.

Anning did not utter a word of objection, obediently standing aside: ”Where should I go now?”

Prince Jin continued holding her hand, ”Come to my Qingzheng Hall.”

”Alright.”

Anning nodded, followed Prince Jin for a while, then suddenly stopped, ”Your Majesty, I am hungry.”

”Hungry?”

Prince Jin looked at Anning curiously, ”What would beauty like to eat?”

After thinking for a moment, Anning replied, ”I don’t know what to eat, what would Your Majesty like me to eat?”

Prince Jin furrowed his brow, seemingly very concerned about something, ”You are my beauty, how can you still call yourself ’I’?”

”Then I’ll change how I address myself.”

Anning didn’t want to call herself a concubine, she directly referred to herself as ’I’: ”Your Majesty, I am really very hungry.”

Her voice carried a particularly sweet tone, with a hint of coquetry.

Prince Jin seemed pleased, he turned and ordered, ”Send some food to Qingzheng Hall, send plenty.”

Subsequently, Prince Jin walked leisurely with Anning through the palace.

By the time the two returned to Qingzheng Hall, the meal was already laid out.

Anning didn’t pay any attention to Prince Jin and immediately sat down to eat.

It was a hot day, and the delivered meal consisted mostly of light dishes, Anning found them quite agreeable, and while eating, she recommended some to Prince Jin, ”Your Majesty, try this, it’s quite tasty... Your Majesty, this one is quite delicious, have some too.”

The result was that Prince Jin was stuffed.

The Palace Attendants serving Prince Jin were terrified.

It was always extremely difficult to persuade him to eat, and it could even be life-threatening.

He usually ate very little, and to see him overeat like today was truly unprecedented.

Several Palace Attendants covertly observed Anning, guessing how long this Beauty Xie might remain favored, whether she could make Prince Jin break tradition and grant her a real title.

Indeed, Prince Jin’s palace was full of beauties; however, not a single one held a titled position, all were called ”beauty” without exception.

Prince Jin had no queen, nor any titled concubines, in his palace; only countless beauties.