582 I am the Princess of a far kingdom!


    Mingquan clenched his fist and his grip tightened around the hilt of the sword when the woman pushed him into a wash house. No one ever angered him to this extent.


    He didn’t like to use his power nor he liked to show it off, but he decided to do it. Because of the woman, he lost Xiang Qu and it irritated him.


    “I am Qiu Mingquan. I will not hesitate to punish you if you try to intervene in my work,” Mingquan said with annoyance.


    “Don’t lie to me. If you are the Fourth Prince, then I am the Princess of a far kingdom!” The woman said and looked away. She saw a bucket and handed it to him.


    “Take it and pick those fabrics with me,” the woman said when Lee Shun walked inside the wash house.


    “Your Highness?” Lee Shun was shocked to see Mingquan in the washhouse. “What is His Highness doing here?” He asked.


    “Ask your servant!” Mingquan said, ring at the young woman. He dashed out of the wash house.


    “Is he really the Fourth Prince?” the woman asked.


    “Yes. What did you do to anger the Fourth Prince, Lin Jiao?” Lee Shun asked her. “And why all the fabrics on the ground? They all are dirty now. You have increased the work. I need to fulfill the order tomorrow anyhow.” He was worried and caught his head.


    .....


    “I will wash them again. Please do not worry, Master Lee,” Lin Jiao assured him.


    “Also, it is not my fault. The Fourth Prince pointed his sword at me!” Lin Jiao defended herself. However, Lee Shun didn’t listen to her and told her that he would send some more helpers to help her.


    “I will not pay you for this work,” Lee Shun walked out.


    Lin Jiao snickered and ced her hands on her waist. “It all happened because of him. I never got scolded by Master Lee,” she murmured and sighed. She was supposed to go for another job after this one, but she would not be able to.


    She picked up the wooden tub and went out of the wash house. She collected fabrics in that tub and found three more helpers had joined them.


    On the other hand, Mingquanpletely lost Xiang Qu. He never felt this terrible and decided to return to his workce.


    However, to his surprise, Li Tian nabbed Xiang Qu and brought him to the governor’s office.


    Mingquan was delighted to see it. “I chased Xiang Qu. I saw himing out of the silk market,” Li Tian informed Mingquan before he could ask him about it.


    “You did a great job,” Mingquan said and sat on the chair. He drank the water first and then looked at Xiang Qu.


    “For the past two years, you have been smuggling ivory into the ck market. Your case will be transferred to the ministry of justice,” Mingquan said and leaned back on the chair.


    Xiang Qu didn’t say anything in his defense. Li Tian had already called the royal inspector, who took away Xiang Qu.


    Li Tian turned to look at Mingquan and asked him if he should prepare the carriage for him.


    Mingquan refused and asked Li Tian if he would like to work till the early evening hours. Li Tian bowed and walked out of the office.


    “She was one annoying woman,” Mingquan muttered under his breath.


    ~~~~~~


    In the evening, Lin Jiao finished her work when her friend waved at her, who was present at the shop.


    “I went to see you at the restaurant but you were not there,” Ye Xin said.


    “I got busy here,” Lin Jiao said and showed her the day’s pay that she earned today.


    “Ten teals?” Ye Xin was shocked. She thought Lin Jiao would earn more since she was working since the morning. They both walked ahead as Lin Jiao put the coins in her pocket.


    “It was doomsday. I had to rewash the fabrics,” Lin Jiao said when Ye Xin stopped and grasped her hands.


    “You got severe cracks on your hands,” Ye Xin said with a worried look. “Why do you even work? Your father is the state minister,” she stated.


    Lin Jiao pulled her hands away. “You know the reason. I made a bet with my father. I have to earn five hundred teals by the end of this month,” she stated and fisted her palms.


    “Take it from me. I will ask my brother to give me some money and then you can show it to your father. You are a noble family woman. You aren’t supposed to do all such work,” Ye Xin offered her help. This was the tenth time she told her this, but Lin Jiao would not hear her.


    “I can even sell two jade rings and give the money to my father, but that will be considered cheating. I still have twenty more days. I will somehow earn that amount,” Lin Jiao confidently said.


    They both resumed walking again when they heard a familiar voice.


    “Aish! What is he doing here?” Lin Jiao saw a young man who was on the opposite side of them and she quickly covered her face with her palm. “Ye Xin, help me,” she said and ran away.


    Ye Xin tried to stop her when the man approached her.


    “Why did Lin Jiao run away after seeing me?” Bai Jue asked.


    “No. Lin Jiao didn’t run away after seeing you,” Ye Xin lied.


    “Ye Xin, can you give this to Lin Jiao?” Bai Jue asked and handed her a letter.


    Ye Xin made a weird face and then faked a smile. “Why don’t you give this to her? Lin Jiao will like it after taking it from your hands,” she suggested to Bai Jue.


    “I am a little shy,” Bai Jue said.


    Ye Xin wanted to run away from there as soon as possible, so she acted of seeing her brother.


    “Elder Brother!” She lifted her hand and told Bai Jue that she had to leave urgently. She, somehow left and decided to tell Lin Jiao tomorrow to talk to Bai Jue straightforwardly.