Chapter 35: A Thousand Concubines

Having lived two lifetimes, she felt she had seen enough of the world to consider herself worldly, certainly no country bumpkin. Yet, she was truly stunned by the spectacle before her.

Behind Xiangcao stood a crowd of handsome men of every variety, each possessing a unique style and charm. They had blocked the entire entrance to the Princess’s estate, staring at her with expressions of profound affection.

Yun Qiange shuddered, suddenly feeling that the scene was quite bizarre. She pulled Xiangcao aside and whispered, "Why did you bring so many men here?"

Xiangcao looked aggrieved. "Your Highness, they came to welcome you of their own accord. The moment you were released from prison, they arrived to greet you. It is proof enough of their sincerity, unlike those others back in the inner courtyard."

"What does my release from prison have to do with them?"

"As your concubines, Your Highness is their heaven. Naturally, they must serve you with all their heart."

"Wait... you said... they are my concubines? How many do I have?"

"Well... by a rough estimate, Your Highness has over a thousand concubines."

"What?! A thousand!" Yun Qiange glanced at the number of men present; there were only about two hundred. This meant over eight hundred had not come to greet her. Looking closer, she noticed that while these men appeared to gaze at her with deep affection on the surface, their eyes were clearly filled with trepidation and fear.

Yun Qiange rubbed her aching forehead. What kind of situation was this? Even these men were clearly approaching her only out of self-preservation. She had suspected as much; there was no way that someone with her current face and the original owner’s notorious reputation could possess such magnetic charisma.

At the thought of this, a chill ran down her spine. Forget it, she decided, she would just get inside the estate first. She offered the handsome men a faint smile and, feigning composure, lifted her foot to the stairs, maintaining the elegant and noble posture of a princess. Just then—

The handsome men, all heavily powdered and rouged, fluttered their eyelashes at her and spoke in high-pitched, affected tones, chanting in unison, "We, your humble concubines, welcome Your Highness back to the estate."

Have you ever seen a man bat his eyelashes at you? Have you ever seen hundreds of handsome men bat their eyelashes at you? Have you ever been seduced by hundreds of men all at once?

Yun Qiange had never seen it before, but now that she had, she was so terrified that her legs gave way. She tripped hard on the stairs and fell flat on her face in a most ungraceful display.

Immediately, the crowd of men swarmed forward like bees to honey. Panic-stricken and scrambling, they surged toward her, leaving no space at all, a dense, churning sea of heads.

"Your Highness!"

"Move aside! Don't step on the Princess’s robes!"

"You move! The Princess likes me best; I should be the one to help her up!"

"Who says? The Princess is mine! You are all so annoying, have you no shame?" Voices ranging from urgent and worried to coy rose and fell. Under the vast blue sky, the woman trapped on the ground, unable to escape, extended a trembling hand as if silently pleading: Xiangcao, help me!

***

"That hurt like hell! Some bastard definitely took the chance to stomp on my hand," Yun Qiange muttered, rubbing her sore palm as she hurriedly shut the door to her room.

"I trust you have been well, Your Highness," a man said, standing tall and slender with his back to her by the window.

Alarm bells rang in Yun Qiange’s heart. Damn it! How could she have forgotten that Murong Xi would be in the room?

She moved with light, measured steps, backing away slowly. Almost there... she would reach the door in a second!

Ha! She finally reached the door. Delighted, she grabbed the handle to open it, deciding she didn't care—she would just go hide for a few days. She hadn't anticipated that Murong Xi would return so soon.

*Clang, clang.*

Hm? Why wouldn't it open?

"Your Highness, save your strength. The moment you entered the room, I had someone lock the door from the outside."