"I am sorry to disappoint, but I am not the crown prince. As you can see and hear, I am a girl," a soft, feminine voice reverberated through the room.
Everyone froze in stunned silence, waiting for the explanation that was sure to follow.
After a brief pause, Zhao Mingyao repeated herself.
"I am not Zhao Mingyu but her maternal cousin, Zhao Mingyao."
"Zhao Mingyao?" Su Mei asked, confused. "Then where is the crown prince, Zhao Mingyu?"
"I'm afraid I cannot reveal that information," Zhao Mingyao replied gently. "All you need to know is that he is alive, safe, and currently recuperating."
"Wait," a young girl with dark brown hair, large almond-shaped eyes, tender lips, and a childlike appearance interjected. "If you are Zhao Mingyu's maternal cousin, why do you have the Zhao name?"
"What is your name?" Zhao Mingyao asked, feigning ignorance.
"It's Su Lili, Lady Zhao Mingyao."
"Well, the situation is complicated," Zhao Mingyao said, turning her gaze to Li Xiulan. "The short story is that I am from the Li family, and using the Li surname might cause problems. So, it was suggested by the former empress that I use the Zhao surname instead."
Xiulan marveled at how smoothly the prince came up with his lies, though she kept her thoughts hidden.
"Oh, but won't that cause trouble with the royal family?" Su Lili asked, concern creeping into her expression.
"Don't worry. Appropriate arrangements have been made," Zhao Mingyao reassured her. "I hope that clears everything up. Oh, and one more thing: if this secret gets out, it won't end well for your family."
"Is that a threat?" Su Mei asked, her hand already reaching for her weapon.
"It's not a threat but a warning," Zhao Mingyao replied calmly. "You know how ruthless the political scene can be."
"It's understandable. Welcome to the Su residence, and please, join us for a meal," a middle-aged woman said, gesturing toward the feast laid out on the table.
"Thank you. You are most kind," Zhao Mingyao said with a polite smile before taking her seat and digging into the array of dishes before her.
"If the prince wasn't with you yesterday, why were you heading to the palace?" Su Mei asked suddenly, her eyes fixed on Xiulan.
Before Xiulan could respond, Zhao Mingyao stepped in.
"The prince needed a lookalike to take his place in the palace while he recuperates. I happen to bear a striking resemblance to him, don't you think?"
"You're right. If you were male instead of female, it would be hard to tell you apart from the prince."
With that, the questioning subsided, and the group enjoyed the rest of their meal in peace. Once the meal was finished, Zhao Mingyao made an unexpected request—a sparring session with Su Mei. She was eager to test the limits of her new body.
Zhao Mingyu hadn't wielded a sword or practiced martial arts with serious intent for three years. His skills had been limited to light hunting or recreational archery. Martial cultivation was out of reach after he was forced to dissipate his internal energy and destroy his meridians to save his sister, Zhao Lingyun.
But now, in this new body, he felt a renewed sense of potential. He was eager to see how quickly he could reclaim his former grandmaster status.
From what Zhao Mingyao could gauge, Su Mei was at the higher levels of inner strength—perhaps the jade or sapphire stage. She was nowhere near Yue Ying's level, but her skills were enough to push this new body to its limits, accelerating his progress through the early stages of martial cultivation.
Su Mei agreed, and the two began their duel.
The courtyard was silent. Zhao Mingyao stood across from Su Mei, her wooden sword held tightly. Su Mei's wooden dao rested loosely in her hand as she took a relaxed stance.
As the duel began, Su Mei moved with lightning speed, closing the distance in an instant. Her blade slashed toward Zhao Mingyao's shoulder, forcing her to evade. The strike grazed her sleeve, and she swung back in retaliation. The blow was easily blocked, the clash of wood echoing throughout the area.
Su Mei launched a flurry of attacks, her strikes extremely fast. Zhao Mingyao worked hard, blocking and dodging as best she could, her movements very awkward and unnatural. When a downward strike came toward her, she dropped into a crouch to avoid it, then thrust upward toward Su Mei's chest. Su Mei stepped to the side and seized the opening to press a counterattack, knocking Zhao Mingyao's sword from her grip.
Zhao Mingyao rolled backward, retrieved her weapon, and stood up again. Her movements were getting better and better as her body adjusted to the fight. She swung low in a feint, then quickly shifted to an upward strike. Su Mei deflected the blow easily.
Zhao Mingyao attacked relentlessly, her strikes getting faster and faster. However, Su Mei maintained her advantage, stepping inside Zhao Mingyao's guard to land a light strike on her ribs. The blow made Zhao Mingyao stumble, and before she could recover, Su Mei swept her legs out from under her.
Zhao Mingyao fell to the ground with a thud, her sword slipping from her hand. Su Mei stopped her blade just inches away from Zhao Mingyao's throat. It was her win.
Zhao Mingyao rose slowly, breathing very heavily. Though she lost, through the duel she managed to remember her previous martial training and could feel her new body adjusting. All she needed to do now was to keep practicing to build stamina, muscle, and muscle memory.
She felt sweaty and wanted to take a bath. She was familiar with the ins and outs of the Su residence as she had been there before, so she easily found her way to the Su residence bathing pool.
On arrival, she found there was already another person in—the beautiful Su Yuehua. Her male mind immediately kicked in as she hid behind a number of bushes through which she could enjoy the show. But before she could, Su Mei interrupted her.
"What are you doing hiding like a thief?"
Oh no, her mind kicked in, readying herself for the usual slap to the face. But instead of a slap to her face or a kick to her groin, she got an invitation to join in. Oh right, I am a woman, the thought came back to her. The invitation was one she willingly accepted, but before she could get in, Xiulan made an appearance, putting an end to her shenanigans.
"I will wash Lady Mingyao when you are all done," Xiulan said, and that was what she did, right after giving her the usual lectures on her lecherous behavior.
At night, when she was alone, she decided it was now time to put the first phase of her plan into action.
"Shadow, are you there?" Zhao Mingyao asked, expecting Yue Ying to have put a trusted shadow to tail her.
A female figure with sharp features emerged from the hidden shadows of the room. She was so well hidden that if you tried to look for her, you couldn't until she herself revealed herself to you. That was thanks to the Moon Veil technique that the Hidden Lotus Pavilion was famous for.
"Xue She reporting to the Pavilion Master."
"How much money do you think the sect has, Xue She?"
"I am not sure of the exact amount unless we ask for the details from Sect Master Yue Ying."
"Okay, relay this message to her: prepare as much funding as you can. We're going to move to the first phase of the plan."
"As you command, Pavilion Master."
Xue She said before her body dissolved back into darkness.