The bad references are purely my own.

Incidentally, a line Xia Yuqing says towards the end, “觉得与姑娘甚是有缘,” could be interpreted two ways with the context provided. “I feel that we have fate,” and “I’ll throw my lot in with yours.” The first works because of Liu Yixiang’s hand in Xia Yuqing’s transmigration. The second because of the secret she is about to divulge.

“BAM—” Xia Yuqing didn’t have time to hide before the front door of Sweet Spring palace was blown away with a bang.

Xia Yuqing did a double take at the wrecked door on the floor through the billowing dust. She cried out bitterly, “How is that the daughter of a prime minister?”

A prominent bureaucrat’s family produced a tigress! Waah, that’s not scientific!

“Miss Liu might be the prime minister’s daughter, but she grew up in the household of a formidable general. Her maternal grandfather is a great general who helped found the country.”

“…”

As the dust finally settled around the toppled front door, a charming figure waltzed in.

She wore a red sandalwood hairpin with a trailing jade pendant that swung across inky hair and a comely face. From her perfectly plucked brows, vermillion lips, narrowed almond-shaped eyes, and the raised chin, it all screamed rich noble girl.

“Where’s that bitch from Xia?”

Liu Yixiang raised her eyebrow, an almond-shaped eye sweeping the hall. Xia Yuqing snapped back to her senses and grabbed the maid besides as a cardboard box.

This movement unwittingly gave her away. When confronted by Liu Yixiang’s chaste berry and orchid embroidered skirt, Xia Yuqing finally realized… I have some seriously bad juju.

“Ohoho, why hello there, Miss Liu.” Xia Yuqing laughed hollowly. She released her grip on the maid’s clothes. “Whatever are you doing here?”

“For you, of course.” Liu Yixiang laughed grimly. A dagger was on Xia Yuqing’s neck before she finished speaking.

“Milady!” Xia Yuqing’s eardrums were nearly ruptured by the successive shrieks of her maids.

Xia Yuqing’s hair stood on end. She stared at the naked blade at her throat and swallowed with great difficultly. “Miss Liu, let’s talk about it. Knives are blind, it’ll be bad if you injure someone while waving it around. Even if you don’t someone anyone, it’ll also be bad if you injure something!”

“Shut up. Speak when I ask you to, and if you try lying to me… hmph! Like you say, knives are blind. My martial arts might not to be great, but don’t worry, it’s still enough for me to behead you!”

Xia Yuqing paled and shut up quickly. Her head bobbed like a chick pecking at rice, terrified of irritating the grim reapress besides her.

“Nobody else moves either, or I won’t be polite. You can see for yourselves whether my dagger is faster or your legs.” Liu Yixiang warned the fidgeting Cui’er and the other maids. Their hands were tied, they could only watch on warily for fear of making the situation worse.

“I’ll ask, did you spend the night here?”

Xia Yuqing dumbly nodded, then shook her head flusteredly.

Liu Yixiang furrowed her brows. “Is that a yes…or a no?”

“Yes.” Xia Yuqing’s tears overflowed. If she knew this would happen, then she absolutely wouldn’t have stayed yesterday. Now she was reaping what she sowed.

Liu Yixiang’s eyes flashed with coldness. Her dagger inadvertently crept forward, “And His Majesty stayed here too?”

Xia Yuqing nodded shallowly. Liu Yixiang narrowed her almond eyes, “And when did he leave?”

“In the morning…”

Xia Yuqing perceived the agitation in Liu Yixiang’s eyes. She shook involuntarily. Don’t tell me it’s my fate as a beautiful woman to part with my head today?

“Last question…” Liu Yixiang glared at Xia Yuqing viciously, “Last night…”

“We didn’t do anything!” Xia Yuqing put both hands in the air, “I swear, we didn’t do a thing.”

Seeing Liu Yixiang’s flabbergasted and doubtful expression, Xia Yuqing’s eyes brightened as a lightbulb went off in her head. She pushed aside the dagger at her throat and said, “Miss Liu, I swear that His Majesty and I didn’t do a thing.”

[Xia Yuqing switches forms of address for Liu Yixiang here, from 小姐 to a more casual 姑娘.]

She glanced at the crowd of eunuchs and maids, and leaned towards Liu Yixiang conspiratorially, “There is something I wish to tell you, but loose lips sink ships. Let’s first dismiss the people you brought and the others here, and talk one on one on this matter concerning His Majesty.”

“What are you planning? Let me say this: if you try to pull something when no one’s watching, I’ll beat the tar out of you.”

Xia Yuqing shivered and lightly coughed twice. “Miss Liu is overthinking it. You should know by now that I lack martial arts training, so what can I possibly pull?”

Liu YIxiang gazed at her suspiciously, but concluded as well that this weakling couldn’t possible do anything, so she said, “Get out and guard the door. Don’t let anyone in without my permission.”

“Yes.”

Seeing Liu Yixiang’s underlings were leaving, Xia Yuqing’s expression improved and she said towards the rest of the people in hall, “You all leave as well.”

Cui’er and co were worried and didn’t want to leave, but Xia Yuqing glanced at them meaningfully, so they shuffled out along with the others.

Liu Yixiang watched everyone file out, then said impatiently. “You can speak now that they’re gone.”

“Miss Liu, I didn’t do anything with His Majesty yesterday night. Do you know why?” Xia Yuqing clapped coconuts suspensefully and was rewarded by the flash of curiosity on Liu Yixiang’s face.

“Why?”

“Ai, it’s a sad tale to tell. Because His Majesty cannot…with women…” Xia Yuqing cast her gaze heavenwards and sighed dramatically, then glanced furtively at Liu Yixiang.

After a moment of silence (for my poor baby Yuqing), those outside the hall cowered as they heard an animal howl of rage. “Insolence! Lèse-majesté is a capital crime!”

“Miss Liu, shh–” Xia Yuqing stepped forward to quiet Liu Yixiang, only for the other girl to twist her arm. She grimaced with pain but didn’t forget her objective and complained, “Of course I know it’s a capital crime. But everything I said is true.”

“You’re lying! How can Cousin be…”

“Why can’t he be? How many men can stand such a siren besides them?”

“Isn’t because you weren’t attractive enough?”

Liu Yixiang was suspicious. Xia Yuqing was moved by a sense of pity. “Tsk tsk tsk. Miss Liu, you are gravely mistaken. Men are all creatures that think with their lower halves. Idealism will cost you dearly.”

“That’s…”

Seeing uncertainty rise in Liu Yixiang’s expression, Xia Yuqing decided a spoonful of sugar would help the medicine go down. She straightened, crooning, “Ai, I was going to forever hold my peace, but then I saw a maiden’s pride being trampled upon. Miss Liu and I have karma, so how can I bear to ignore your plight. To allow a fresh flower to wither, flowing water to waste away is distressing…deplorable! Miss Liu…”

Liu Yixiang raised her eyebrows in exasperation and interrupted Xia Yuqing’s lengthy waxing, “What exactly do want to say?”

“I want to say that… His Majesty is a homo.”