Chapter 5: The Famed Qilang from the House of w.a.n.g
Everyone was still looking at each other until Chen Rong flapped her sleeve and turned to go back to her bedchamber. “Nurse Ping? Is Ah Rong serious?” someone finally asked at length.
Nurse Ping stared at the man and replied, “It doesn’t matter if she was serious or not. We can’t be wrong to be prepared.”
“Aye, aye.”
While the flock dispersed and began their busy work, a burst of rapid footsteps arrived. A sweaty guard was running toward Chen Rong’s bedchamber: “Miss, Qilang of the w.a.n.g House is here.”
Whoa –
Everyone halted and turned to look, staring at Chen Rong’s room in shock.
It was really Qilang of the w.a.n.g clan! Dear heavens, Qilang of the w.a.n.g clan (2) had personally come here!
He is commonly referred to as w.a.n.g Qilang because he is the 7th male offspring of the w.a.n.g clan. Similarly, his cousin is called w.a.n.g Wulang because he is 5th. They are terms of endearment much like nicknames.
The house of w.a.n.g was no ordinary clan. In the entire City of Ping, the house of w.a.n.g was among the most powerful. Moreover, the person who came this time was w.a.n.g Qilang.
Needless to say, families who resided in a place such as the City of Ping were only branches of major clans. For example, Chen Rong’s father only belonged to a Jiangnan subsidiary branch of the Chen clan; the same was true of the w.a.n.g clan.
But this w.a.n.g Qilang was known to all his kinsmen! His drove a chariot with grace, he was well-dressed, he came and went as he pleased, and he mingled with other major clans. There was easily a dozen people in his clan who were high-ranking court officials! Such a clan was as good as royalties. They stood in the clouds high above and let the world look up to them!
People said gentlemen from this cla.s.s of clans all possessed bearings of immortals. They weren’t sure whether their remarks were appropriate or not, but everyone in the City of Ping knew that Qilang of the w.a.n.g house who arrived three months prior was indeed a G.o.dly kind of person!
To the servants, Chen Rong was also a n.o.blewoman, but her background compared to w.a.n.g Qilang’s was like a cloud in the sky and mud on the ground, as distant as two ends of the Milky Way!
At the rap on the door, Chen Rong hastened out. Because she had divvied up her family wealth and broken the coral, she reckoned the w.a.n.g clan would hold her in high regard. If she could go with them, the journey would be much more peaceful. And if she could befriend them, she would have much to her advantage after arriving in the south. With this said, she didn’t expect the result to be this good. She had drawn the famed Qilang of the w.a.n.g clan here!
This translation belongs to hamster428.
Presently, she was wearing a pair of wooden clogs and a s.p.a.cious purple robe that highlighted her jadelike skin. On her exquisite face was a pair of sparkling eyes and an air of childlike innocence.
She did not ask which gate w.a.n.g Qilang was currently at. Just like that, she strode out of the courtyard. Sure enough, she had only left the gate when she heard a stream of melodious music ahead.
The sounds of zither floated like a mountain brook and drifting clouds, carrying in them indescribable freedom and ease.
Chen Rong followed the music to the square where a splendid horse carriage parked. The music was, sure enough, coming from the carriage.
Two dozens entranced people were gathered around the carriage, all gazing inside as they perked their ears to listen to the music.
Chen Rong did not do so. She walked briskly toward the carriage, her wooden clogs clomping on the ground from time to time with her steps. They were particularly abrupt and jarring while the notes were floating. The most annoying of all was that, whether intentional or not, each time the wooden clogs touched ground was right at the turning point of the music. She was really making the listeners stew in irritation.
Unconsciously, they all glared at Chen Rong, forgetting that she was their mistress.
The music in the carriage halted, replaced by a delightful laughter: “My lady, have you suddenly come because the music isn’t beautiful?”
Chen Rong did not stop walking. She went straight to the carriage, softly laughed and replied: “The zither playing is very beautiful. But since I am preoccupied, I cannot listen to such carefree music.”
The delightful laughter inside the carriage grew louder.
“What are you worried about?” the same man asked her.
Chen Rong smiled. By now she had arrived at the horse carriage.
In the amazement of the crowd, she reached her hand out to lift the carriage curtain while very naturally replying: “I’ve long heard that Qilang of the w.a.n.g House is blessed with bearings of the G.o.ds. Unfortunately, I’ve not had a chance to meet you. I was very happy to hear that my lord has come today, but I became worried for fear that my lord would lose his interest and deny our meeting.”
After answering him, she drew the curtain.
Whoa –
A colorful rainbow blinded her eyes. At this moment, she couldn’t help but turn sideway to avoid it.
While she was turning away, the person in the carriage laughed and said, “My lady, you have come to see me. Now that you see me, why do you turn your gaze?”
Chen Rong rubbed her eyes and replied, “I am but a young girl. The G.o.dly looks that you possess make my heart tremble and prevent me from looking closely.”
The laughter in the carriage boomed louder. Like ice and jade clas.h.i.+ng onto one another, it was very crisp and clear, and extremely pleasant to hear.
Chen Rong finally turned her head at this time and looked at the young man in the carriage.
He was an uncommonly handsome man of about seventeen or eighteen.
He was as beautiful as jade, his eyes as dark as paint. He was smiling at her. For some reason, Chen Rong’s heart really did tremble when confronted with his smiling face.
It should be said she had just been wounded in love and had also just come back to life. She had thought her heart would never beat for a man again. She could now, however, feel her heart thumping against her chest. It could thus be inferred how handsome the man before her eyes must be.
There was no need to describe the young man’s facial features. The most noteworthy was the mystery in his eyes – that which called to mind centuries of ice that sat on the mountains, the haze of a magnificently rising sun, the water in an ancient lake, and a willow swaying in springtime, all containing a striking sense of peace.
This translation belongs to hamster428.
Unknowingly, Chen Rong found herself genuinely staring at him in a stupor.
The handsome lad regarded her and noticed that, despite staring at him in stupefaction, her dark eyes were very clear. He could not help but smile, revealing a row of snow-white teeth. “Have you seen enough?” he asked.
Chen Rong smiled while keeping her gaze on his flawlessly handsome face and replied, “I finally know today what people mean when they say ‘G.o.dlike’.”
He laughed.
Amid his laughter, Chen Rong retreated and, without hesitation, pull downed the carriage curtain, cutting off the line of sight between him and her.
w.a.n.g Qilang’s pleasant laughter rang out again: “If you like me as you have confessed, why do you hasten to retreat?”
Chen Rong sighed in reply. “My lord’s looks are too majestic. I still would like to get married and have children. After meeting you today, how can any other man come into my eyes from now?”
w.a.n.g Qilang was delighted. He laughed a while before the melodious zither sounded again.
Amid the music that wound its way like spring water, w.a.n.g Qilang gave a low chuckle. “I’ve had no harvest since I arrived in the City of Ping several months ago. Until today, that is, when I heard that the lady of the Chen house had drained her family wealth, and I thus hurriedly came over. This has indeed been a worthwhile trip!”
At this, he softly ordered, “Let’s go.” The music ceased at these two words.
All the way until his carriage left the estate, he had not left his ride nor had he proposed to Chen Rong that her family would be traveling with the w.a.n.g clan.
An old servant looked after the departing carriage in puzzlement before asking Chen Rong in unease: “Ah Rong, what did the house of w.a.n.g mean by this?”
Chen Rong withdrew her gaze and smiled broadly. “What did they mean? They have agreed to let us join them on the road tomorrow!”