Women Don't Grow Beards. Do They?

The following morning, a horse carriage arrived at the gate of the imperial palace.The horse carriage was accompanied by two guards and a female maid.The lady sitting in the horse carriage slowly looked at the palace gates through the small window by the side of the horse carriage and a sweet smile appeared on her face. The guards standing at the gate immediately became alert.

"Who are you?" One of the imperial guards asked in a vigorous tone.

"Greetings to sir." The female maid slowly kneeled and replied. She moved closer to the imperial guard and showed him the dragon carved pass tag. Upon seeing this, both the imperial guards quickly bowed.

"Please forgive our imprudence. We failed to recognize you." The Imperial guards chorused in regret.

"Fengxi, is there a problem?" The lady in the horse carriage asked her maid in a calm and gentle tone.

"Not at all young mistress Xue." Fengxi replied and slightly bowed. She slowly lifts the curtain of the horse carriage and helps her lady get down from the carriage.

"Greetings to young mistress Gao Xue." The imperial guards chorused and opened the palace gates.

Gao Xue slightly nodded to the imperial guards and walked elegantly into the palace.Her presence in the palace could be felt by all the court and palace maids.Gao Xue is regarded as the most elegant, talented and beautiful woman in Bianjing.

She wore a beautiful peach colored hanfu to the palace accompanied with a number of jade hairpins adorned on her hair. Making her more beautiful and classy.

On her way to the Crown Princess's pavilion,the few palace maids who saw her could not stop complimenting her beauty. Even the low tier officials who saw could not help but glance in her direction but they dared not stare at her any further else,their eyes could be taken off their faces.

"Your Royal Highness, young mistress Gao Xue is here to see you." Qiao Qing announced to the Crown Princess.

"Let her in." Crown Princess Chu Hua confidently replied.

"Greetings to the Crown Princess." Gao Xue said and bowed as she entered the room.

"You may sit."

"Thank you, Crown Princess." Gao Xue replied with a sweet yet cunning smile and sat down opposite Crown Princess Chu Hua.

"So….. What have you come here for? I thought The Second Prince was the only person you visit in the palace." Crown Princess Chu Hua said and gave Gao Xue a sly smile.

They looked each other in the eyes for a while as if they were trying to read each other's minds.

"Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha" Gao Xue gave a cunning laugh,breaking the silence in the room.

"Crown Princess sure knows how to joke around with words. I knew you to be very beautiful. I never knew you were this wise."

"Is that so?" Crown Princess Chu Hua replied with a smirk. A hint of irritation and anger was evident in her voice.

"I know you have not come here just to butter me up with words. What is it that you want? I believe in more action than words." Crown Princess Chu Hua added and took a sip of the tea in front of her.

"I actually came here to discuss The Second Prince's marriage. I know you will also be among the judges in the competition. I hope you don't forget me when deciding who it is that will be The Second Prince's wife.

"Are you kidding me?" Crown Princess Chu Hua asked and burst into hysterical laughter.

"Everyone in the palace knows the relationship between you and The Second Prince but you want my help to become his wife?" Crown Princess Chu Hua asked again and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Crown Princess." Gao Xue replied with all forms of seriousness. She was indeed not joking around. She could joke with everything else but not The Second Prince.

"What you are telling me to do is like pouring more water into the ocean. Isn't that a waste of time?"

"Crown Princess Chu Hua, you should understand that men are not the creation of circumstances. Circumstances are the creation of men."

" I understand what you are trying to say. Don't worry. I will give you my full support. But you have to remember that the lion can't survive in the jungle by feasting on small prey. It needs a bigger catch to survive." Crown Princess Chu Hua said with a stern look.

"I understand. I will be on my way now." Gao Xue replied and stood up.She bowed to Crown Princess Chu Hua before she left.

"I really do not know what to do next. I am really confused." The Second Prince said and let out a deep sigh.

"The Crown Prince and Marshal Feng were given the responsibility of handling Western Xia. Could it be that The Crown Prince was involved in the destruction of Western Xia?" Huan asked in confusion.

"That is impossible. The Crown Prince didn't go to Western Xia. He was here the whole time. It was only Marshal Feng who went to Western Xia." The Second Prince explained.

"I think we should just check the movements of everyone in the royal family for now." Huan suggested.

"Mmm." The Second Prince muttered under his breath.

"Crown Princess, are you really going to help young mistress Gao Xue?" Qiao Qing who had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation inquired.

"Gao Xue is a really witty person and that could prove to be very fatal for me. But I have to use her to my advantage first. Then I will deal with her later." Crown Princess Chu Hua replied and smirked.

"I have something to say to you, Your Royal Highness. I have noticed that ever since we've met master Qi Lang, he has always been in a white robe.Don't you find that odd?" Huan asked with knitted eyebrows.

"It doesn't matter. It's not like we see him everyday." The Second Prince replied and went into deep thoughts. Past memories of him and Princess Xiao Ai crossed his mind.

"How could the master have his ears pierced?Does he wear earrings? Why does her physique look like that of a lady?" These thoughts were running through his head.The more he thought about it, the more confused he got.

"Could master be a woman?" The Second Prince muttered to himself and shook his head in disapproval.

"That is not possible.Women do not grow beards do they?" He thought again. Huan, who has been quietly watching him ever since, could not help but wonder what was going on in his mind.

"Your Royal Highness,young mistress Gao Xue is here to see you." The announcer announced, bringing The Second Prince out of his thoughts.

"Why is Gao Xue here now?Leave now Huan. We will talk later." The Second Prince said and adjusted himself.

"Let her in!"

"Second Prince, what are you doing?" Gao Xue childishly asked as she walked in.

"Greetings young mistress Gao Xue." Huan said and bowed before leaving the room.

"Are you playing?" Gao Xue asked again,sitting closely beside The Second Prince.