The next day, Princess Zhu Meihua secretly returned to their Palace, with the help of General Yu Feiwu and Lei Xharmynt, the mysterious girl who had saved her from the bandits yesterday.
Princess Zhu Meihua decided to pay a visit to her twin brother in his chamber, dressed in a maid's outfit taken from her personal maid, Xiang Wan Ming, in order to conceal her identity from Lei Nian Zhen, who was unaware that they were twins.
When Princess Zhu Meihua arrived at the chamber of her twin brother Crown Prince Zhu Mio Shin, Eunuch Xiang Jin was surprised to see her outside the chamber, dressed in the attire of his younger sister, Xiang Wan Ming.
"W-why are you wearing my sister's clothing again, Your Highness Meihua?"
Princess Zhu Meihua warned him, "Ssshhh... Low down your voice, she might have heard you." and Eunuch Xiang Jin simply nodded. Since they were nine years old, Eunuch Xiang Jin, Eunuch Xiang Gui, and Xiang Wan Ming, orphaned triplets, have known that their Masters dislike Lei Nian Zhen and have kept it a secret from everyone, particularly the Empress.
Princess Zhu Meihua was about to enter and open the door when she noticed that someone had already done so, and she was surprised to see that the person behind the door was her nasty sister-in-law, Lei Nian Zhen, and that they had accidently bumped into each other. Princess Zhu Meihua and Crown Princess Lei Nian Zhen both fall to the ground, and Eunuch Xiang Jin quickly assists Princess Zhu Meihua in standing up, while secretly motioning to Princess Zhu Meihua that he forgot to warn her about Lei Nian Zhen's presence. Since it was already done, Princess Zhu Meihua simply sighed and resumed her role as a maid, while Eunuch Xiang Jin assisted her nasty sister-in-law to stand up.
"You! How dare you to bump into me, stupid lowly maid!" Lei Nian Zhen screamed at her, pointing Princess Zhu Meihua to the point where her unexpected commotion broke the silence of the Crown Prince's chamber.
"Please accept my apologies, Your Highness, Crown Princess Nian Zhen" Princess Zhu Meihua said, kneeling and bowing her head.
When the Crown Prince, Zhu Mio Shin, heard her twin sister apologize to her wife Lei Nian Zhen, he opened his chamber and dashed towards her sister to defend her in front of Lei Nian Zhen.
"What's going on here, Lei Nian Zhen?" asked the Crown Prince, Zhu Mio Shin, coldly.
"Y-your Highness, that maid was the one who began this scene! She literally despises me to the point where she accidentally bumped into me, causing me to tumble to the floor. Your Highness, this maid deserves to be punished according to the family rules."
When the Crown Prince, Zhu Mio Shin, heard his wife call his twin sister a maid, he was going to slap her, but Eunuch Xiang Jin motioned a secret signed, and when he turned around, he spotted her twin sister wearing Xiang Wan Ming's clothing again.
"My apologies, Your Highness, Crown Prince Mio, what happened earlier was an accident, and I didn't mean to hurt Her Highness, Crown Princess Nian Zhen." Princess Zhu Meihua said, bowing her head at the top of her hands.
In front of Princess Zhu Meihua, Crown Prince Zhu Mio Shin sighed deeply and instantly turned around to face his nasty wife.
"Since this maid has already asked for your forgiveness, I'm guessing you should return to your chamber now before catching a cold here."
"Y-yes, Your Highness"
Lei Nian Zhen left the Crown Prince's chamber with a disappointed expression on her face after saying those words to him; she hadn't expected her husband to protect the maid instead of her.
*******
After Lei Nian Zhen left his chamber, the Crown Prince took Princess Zhu Meihua inside and made certain that his twin sister was not injured as a result of her nasty wife's schemes and attitude.
"Please, my twin, be more cautious next time."
"Yes brother, I will"
"Anyway, why are you wearing Wan Ming's outfit again, Meihua?"
"Ahmm, you already know what I want, brother *wink*"
"*sigh* For the nth time, I believe you already know my answer, lil sis Meihua *smiles*"
"Ehh... *pout*"
"No"
"Please"
"No"
"Please, my twin, *puppy eyes*"
"*smiles* That's not working on me, my twin"
"Ehh... but I'd like to be your battlefield partner."
"*heavy sigh* Please keep this in mind, Meihua: as long as I'm alive, I won't let you suffer or be in danger again, which is why I don't want to drag you into the battlefield, so please don't insist it again, my twin; I've already lost her, and I don't want to lose you as well, you already knew how significant you are to me, aside from her."
Princess Zhu Meihua felt guilty after hearing what she did from her twin brother, and she even sighed heavily. She wants to console her twin by telling him that her childhood lover is still alive, but she can't break the promise she made with Lei Xharmynt before they secretly returned her to the Palace.
"If I can't be your partner, would you mind allowing me to be your strategist, my twin? All I want to do is assist you."
"However, as my strategist, you must also be present on the battlefield."
"That means I'll have to join you on the battlefield, because it's so boring here in the Palace, and I'm sick of hearing your wife's immature tantrums."
"*sigh* Okay, fine, you'll be my strategist, but you have to stay with me at all times so I can protect you. Okay?"
"Aye, aye, Master!"
The Crown Prince, Zhu Mio Shin, smiled at his younger twin sister's reaction; he knows her sister is a genius, and appointing her as his strategist would be a wise decision.
Princess Zhu Meihua remembered what Lei Xharmynt said to her when she was suddenly hugged by his twin.
"Keep in mind that tactics is the art of employing troops in battles, whereas strategy is the art of using battles to win the war."
ns 18.68.41.177da2
