Chapter Thirty-Nine: Because It Pleases Me

Almost simultaneously, Su Zhengqing outside the courtyard let out an exclamation.

Xiao Yuanchi glanced at him sideways. "A mere clumsy trick has you running in circles. How laughable!"

With that, he flicked his sleeves and walked away.

Su Zhengqing followed behind, feeling thoroughly disheartened after being scolded. He thought to himself, how could it be a clumsy trick? The entire Prince's residence believed the Princess was so heartbroken that she had retreated into seclusion; being fooled was hardly unreasonable. He watched Xiao Yuanchi’s retreating back.

When the Prince arrived, his strides were long, but when he left, they were even longer, his movements carrying a gust of wind. A phrase popped into Su Zhengqing’s mind for no reason: "shame turning into anger."

Could it be that even the Prince had been fooled?

This bold thought gave him a start. Impossible. The Prince was incredibly sharp; he must have seen through it from the beginning! But if he had seen through it from the start, why make this trip at all?

Su Zhengqing’s mind tied itself into a knot.

...

Yin Jiaojiao had been scribbling away for seven or eight days. At first, some servants, feeling curious, had come to ask Qiu Ming about it, but later, there was no sound at all. She had sounded out Su Zhengqing indirectly.

"Do you think this handwriting looks like the Prince’s?"

Su Zhengqing looked at the thick stack of copied scriptures on her desk and praised her calmly, "It does. You write very well, Princess."

"Then, have you read these scriptures?"

"I only read military strategy, Princess."

This lad was about the same age as Qiu Ming and was the most guileless among Xiao Yuanchi’s men, always easy to hoodwink. She hadn't expected that now that he was older, he wouldn't be so easily misled. Yin Jiaojiao was deeply disappointed. If even Su Zhengqing didn't care, Xiao Yuanchi would likely pay even less attention. Had all her groundwork been in vain?

She hesitated and copied for another day. Finally, just as she was about to vomit from the sheer volume of writing, Xiao Yuanchi himself arrived.

On the final night of her confinement, he arrived at her small courtyard with a grand retinue.

Yin Jiaojiao happily adopted a pose of having no desires or cravings and bowed with great dignity. "Your Highness."

Xiao Yuanchi hummed, looking even more indifferent than she did. He surveyed the study, which was draped in scriptures, with a detached gaze. Yin Jiaojiao remained calm on the surface, but inwardly, she was thrilled. He had finally noticed! By rights, he should ask, and then she could lead the conversation toward her objective and say what she needed to say.

She wanted to tell him that her heart was dead and she was heartbroken, relying on copying scriptures every day to get by. Having gained some enlightenment regarding the Buddha, she had decided to enter a temple for ascetic practice and to pray for blessings. Given Xiao Yuanchi’s temperament, he would likely agree.

Xiao Yuanchi strolled slowly, examining her work in detail, letting out an occasional tsk.

Finally, he stopped in front of a stack of ink-scented paper.

"You copied these?"

"Yes." Yin Jiaojiao was sparing with her words, a stark contrast to the past, when she would smile so broadly at Xiao Yuanchi that she seemed to show every tooth. No one could be uninterested in such a contrast; Xiao Yuanchi should be the same. He should be curious; he should ask.

"It is clear you want to imitate my handwriting, but you lack the insight. The imitation is too clumsy. It just so happens that I am free today, so I shall teach you myself."

Yin Jiaojiao froze, thinking she had misheard. "Teach me?"

Xiao Yuanchi immediately commanded, "Bring them in."

At his words, servants immediately walked in carrying a stack of books half a person’s height.

"These are the exercises I did in my youth—scriptures and classics from Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, forty-two volumes in total." Xiao Yuanchi smiled slightly. "Jiaojiao, copy each one once."

With his words, the stack of books was slammed onto the desk with a heavy thud. Yin Jiaojiao casually pulled out a volume titled *The Supreme Profound Spiritual Treasure Induction Wisdom Scripture in Ten Sections*. It was well-preserved, and a quick flip confirmed it was indeed Xiao Yuanchi’s handwriting. She swallowed hard.

"This one book alone is over fifty pages."

"Most scripture classics are like this."

"Copy them all?"

"Copy them all."

Yin Jiaojiao asked in surprise, "Do you... are you not surprised as to why I am suddenly copying scriptures?"

"Scriptures nourish the heart. Copying them to pass the time does no harm. Why would I be surprised?"

"I never used to pass the time like this."

"And so?"

Yin Jiaojiao couldn't answer "and so." She was stuck. Xiao Yuanchi was not following her script, and she didn't know how to steer the conversation back to where it belonged. She could only say, "So... what happens after I finish copying these classics?"

"We shall talk once you have finished."

A servant brought over a chair and placed it right next to the desk. Xiao Yuanchi lifted his robes and sat down. "Begin."

Yin Jiaojiao looked up, startled, only then realizing, "You want to watch me copy?"

"How else can I teach you?"

"Surely you don't expect me to finish all of this in front of you?"

Xiao Yuanchi took a cup of hot tea and sipped it, looking quite leisurely. "Start copying first."

Yin Jiaojiao gasped, her breathing growing increasingly rapid. Clearly, Xiao Yuanchi was here to cause trouble. She didn't understand why, even though she was deliberately acting docile and serving her confinement honestly—not making a scene, not causing trouble for him, and certainly not bothering his beloved—she had still managed to provoke him.

She threw that long-titled book onto the desk.

"I won't."

"You won't?"

"You are making things difficult for me! There is so much here; even if I copy until dawn until my hands break, I won't be able to finish even half!"

Xiao Yuanchi asked with curiosity, "Aren't you full of Buddhist spirit and ready to see through the vanity of the world? Why are you still fussing over the hardship?"

Yin Jiaojiao’s mouth opened slightly. After a long while, she said, "I am, indeed... indeed, it’s just..." Her eyes darted around. "Why not move these things to Nanshan Temple? I will go to Nanshan Temple to copy them. I will copy them as many times as you like."

"Nanshan Temple?"

"Yes!" Yin Jiaojiao nodded vigorously. "During this time, I have reflected deeply. Many things I did in the past were truly too impulsive. You don't like me, likely because I always did foolish things. But being in the Prince’s residence, facing you every day, I cannot find peace, Your Highness."

She felt a surge of energy and clutched his sleeve, blinking. "Why not let me leave the residence and go to that quiet place in the deep mountains? Morning bells and evening drums, eating vegetarian meals and chanting scriptures—perhaps one day I will become a good girl who pleases you."

She considered her words well-chosen. They fit her previous infatuated persona while actively yielding her position, no longer disturbing the deep affection between the brother and sister. It seemed perfect in every way. If she were Xiao Yuanchi, she would wake up laughing in her dreams; there was no reason to refuse.

Sure enough, Xiao Yuanchi curled his lips into a gentle smile.

"How long do you intend to stay?"

"One month." Yin Jiaojiao paused, then corrected herself, "Two... no, three months!"

Three months. It was enough time to evade the disaster and make thorough preparations. The day she descended from the mountain would be the day she, Yin Jiaojiao, would strike back; she would certainly not die a second time.

"Three months..." Xiao Yuanchi repeated. "So that is the plan." Suddenly, his gaze was tinged with warmth. "That makes some sense."

"Right? You think it's a good idea, too, don't you?" Yin Jiaojiao said. "Don't worry, I will definitely copy these classics ten or eight times to pray for your blessings!"

"However, words are not proof." Xiao Yuanchi casually pointed to the top three books. "Before the hour of the Rabbit tomorrow morning, copy each of these three books ten times. Once finished, I will send you to the temple immediately. If you don't finish, your confinement will be extended by three months, starting now!"

"On what grounds?!"

The warmth in Xiao Yuanchi's eyes vanished in an instant. "On the grounds that it pleases me."

Having said that, he leaned back.

"Someone, start the timer!"