The Aloof Prince Chapter 30 - To Reveal a Secret
Translated by: Rize
Edited by: Larkspur
Mu Yunjin"s eyes flickered, her chin slightly raised as she spoke, “Third Prince, from which eye did you see that I am alone?”
“Oh? Is it possible that Sixth Younger Brother also came?” As Chu Qing"s words fell, he looked behind Mu Yunjin, seeing no one behind her, he couldn’t help a mocking laugh.
Mu Yunjin sneered, glanced at those officials daughters, then at Chu Qing, “Third Prince, today you have brought so many beauties along. You should not waste your energy on me, you should go.”
This was the first time the daughters of the officials had ever heard someone dare to talk to the Third Prince in this manner. They were astonished as they looked at Mu Yunjin. As for Mu Lingzhu, from the moment Mu Yunjin had appeared, her eyes were gloomy as she coldly cast a sidelong glance.
“Miss Mu will become this prince"s younger brother"s wife, we are to become one family. This prince, as the older brother, should make a little effort to take care of you. Are you seeking the Abbot to get a token?” Chu Qing bowed his head to look at Mu Yunjin as he spoke.
Mu Yunjin didn’t immediately respond as she frowned slightly. She felt that this Chu Qing was quite annoying. Although they hadn’t interacted much, she still found him quite putting off.
“Older Sister, the Third Prince is asking you!” Mu Lingzhu who’d been quiet from the beginning uttered in time. She paused before continuing, “Here is the Third Prince together with the Fourth Prince, both are older brothers of the Sixth Prince. Just because you will be the Sixth Prince’s Imperial Wife in future, you have contradicted Father and Mother at home. You’d better be a little discreet here.”
Mu Lingzhu"s words, let Chu Qing suddenly raise his eyebrows, it especially lifted his mood as he faced Mu Yunjin.
“Because you want to marry my Sixth younger brother, you contradicted your parents?”
Mu Lingzhu’s and Chu Qing"s words made everyone look at Mu Yunjin with another layer of emotions. She saw disdain in many of their eyes.
“Lingzhu, I, in any case, am your older sister. You’d better show some propriety, stop speaking to me in this manner.” Mu Yunjin spoke with a hint of contempt, lightly casting a glance on Mu Lingzhu.
“Older sister, I just kindly reminded you that"s all, you do not have to be upset with me.”
Mu Lingzhu slightly drooped down her eyes, bit her lips and feigned an aggrieved look. Mu Yunjin upon seeing this, sneered, crossing her arms, she spoke ruthlessly.
“Lingzhu, is it not because you are secretly in love with the Sixth Prince for eight years and since he is not marrying you, you’re going so far as to go against me?”
“Older sister, you...”
Mu Lingzhu didn"t expect that Mu Yunjin would brazenly bring this matter out in the open. For a moment her face became deathly white. In front of so many people, she was completely embarra.s.sed. Chu Qing"s smile grew wider, the corner of his mouth hooked up as he looked towards the two people on his side.
“Fourth younger brother, Eighth younger brother, since this Fourth Young Miss’ heart and affection cannot be obtained it’d be better for you both to stop pursuing, in any case, she is Xi Yuan country"s number one talented girl.”
Hearing the words ‘Fourth younger brother’, Mu Yunjin for a brief instance stared blankly, from the corner of her eyes she glanced at the person standing beside Chu Xin. The man, from the beginning up to now hadn’t opened his mouth. Fourth younger brother? Could it be that he is the Fourth Prince Chu Ye?
“Third elder brother, this place is boring. Let"s leave.” Chu Ye lightly murmured, as he took the initiative to walk away.
He pa.s.sed by Mu Yunijn"s, and gave her a meaningful smile. Chu Qing nodded and followed. Mu Lingzhu at this moment was still standing in her original place when everyone had left, her gaze transformed akin to a fire about to erupt, her crimson red eyes bored at Mu Yunjin.
“Why on earth are you using this kind of expression to look at me? Mu Lingzhu, if you hadn’t provoked me, I wouldn’t have spoken irresponsibly and revealed your secret.”
Mu Yunjin smiled mockingly and took a few steps forward. She stood beside Mu Lingzhu, leaned close and helplessly spoke.
“Just a moment ago, was that the Fourth Prince Empress Dowager Zheng intends to match you with him? Tsk, tsk, too bad, I do not know if he would still want to marry a woman who likes his Sixth younger brother. Really a pity, you almost became my Fourth sister-in-law.”
Mu Yunjin smiled sardonically, as she looked at Mu Lingzhu glaring at her. Mu Lingzhu"s body incessantly trembled as she made a supreme effort to stop her tears from falling.
“Glaring at me is useless, you can only blame yourself, blame your rotten mouth, always saying things you shouldn’t be saying.”
Mu Yunjin then continued her way up to the Buddhist Hall. As Mu Yunjin left, Mu Lingzhu"s legs softened and gave way as she sat paralyzed on the steps. Her tears rolled non-stop. Mu lingzhu bit her lips, and tightly closed her hands, her eyes full of killing intent. Mu Yunjin, from now on, we cannot co-exist. Either I die, or you die!
..........
Mu Yunjin walked the whole flight of steps and finally arrived at the top. It was a nice-looking place. Between the pillars was inscribed its name ‘Zen Says’, it made her smile. The door to the hall was closed. As she was about to open to step inside, a monk came out of the shadows, blocking her path.
“Please stay Lady Benefactor.” (Benefactor 施主 shī zhǔ a term used by monks to address a layperson.)
“I am looking for the Abbot to get a token for entering the Ancient Millennium Tree courtyard.”
Mu Yunjin directly made clear her intentions in coming and look expectantly at the monk. The monk then faced her and bowed in ceremony.
“The Abbot only receives three visitors a day. Today he’s already met, three visitors. Please come again tomorrow.”
Hearing him, Mu Yunjin was suddenly disheartened. She raised her head and looked at the plaque, she couldn"t help but murmur.
“Buddhist hall, Zen Says. What is true Zen?”
Then Mu Yunjin turned around to leave. When she’d walked a distance, the door of the Buddhist hall slowly opened wide. An old man dressed in golden monk robes steadily walked out and looked at Mu Yunjin"s departing back.
“She’s finally appeared.”
.........
“This temple fair is not interesting anymore, we should return.” Mu Yunjin declared walking down the steps, she’d looked around but hadn’t found anything interesting.
“We weren"t able to see the Ancient Millennium Tree personally, what a pity.” Zi Xiang who was still a little dispirited let out a small sigh.
“We"ll come again next time. Anyway, it’s not like the tree will run away.” Mu Yunjin tried to cheer her.
Zi Xiang nodded and said, “Miss earlier with the Third Prince’s group, they didn’t seem to be friendly with Miss.”
“Yes.” Mu Yunjin affirmed as the two walked back together.
The duo came here without any means of transportation, so they’d have to walk back the whole way. After some time, they felt they were still quite far from the City.
“If I had known I would’ve asked a neighboring coachman.” Zi Xiang looked around, her voice full of anxiety.
Mu Yunjin smiled mildly, “Why are you looking for a coachman when there is a carriage here from the Residence? The Red Sandalwood carriage, right?”
“Eh? But that is the Fourth Miss...”
Before she could finish, Zi Xiang was hauled over to where the carriages were parked. They walked over to the Red Sandalwood carriage. The coachman was taking a nap.
“Wake up.” Zi Xiang went up to push him.
That push immediately sobered him up. He saw Mu Yunjin in front of him, slightly surprised, he asked.
“Third Miss?”
“Yes, send me back.” Mu Yunjin simply said. (I really want to add LIKE A BOSS! Hahaha)
The coachman stared blankly, hesitantly asked, “What about the Fourth Miss?”
“Naturally someone will send her back.” As she climbed onto the carriage she shouted, “Zi Xiang, come up.”
Zi Xiang immediately climbed followed her inside the carriage.
Upon seeing this, the coachman did not dare say a word. He drove the carriage out of the temple fair, away, towards the city.
Inside the Temple, Mu Lingzhu and Yan Ling Chang were preparing to go back. When she saw her own carriage leaving, she didn’t have to think to know who was riding in it. Bullying intolerably!
.........
Returning to the city, Mu Yunjin didn’t directly go back to the Prime Minister"s residence. Rather she looked for a restaurant, intending to eat a big meal. Inside a private room, very soon the table was full of dishes. Mu Yunjin and Zi Xiang had been constantly on the move since morning, so they were both very hungry. They picked up their chopsticks and started devouring the food.
“If I had known earlier, I wouldn"t have gone to the temple. This big meal is much better.” Mu Yunjin said satisfied after eating a mouthful of beef.
Zi Xiang nodded in approval.
The two of them ate their fill, Mu Yunjin looked at the hour, it was between 1-3pm. They’d had long day visiting and eating, it was time to get back.
Simply put, Su Biqing had received gift boxes and she was supposed to return them. She didn’t know what was waiting for her back at the residence. As she thought, Mu Yunjin gave a mischievous smile. She immediately settled her accounts and headed back to the residence. As she neared the gates of the Prime Minister"s residence, she met w.a.n.g Bo. His expression was somewhat evasive. Fortunately, Mu Yunjin didn’t ask him anything but directly went inside. The front hall that had a lot of gift boxes in the morning, had been cleared out. Returning to the Listening Flower Pavilion, Mu Yunjin ran into Su Biqing and Aunt Li; their eyes held an impenetrable meaning.
“The collected gift boxes have already been sent to your Listening Flower Pavilion. I only wanted to help you safeguard them, some were prepared to be used as your dowry. After all, you are a daughter from the Prime Minister"s house together with Mu Lingzhu and Mu Xiarou, I won’t take anything of value from you. Just now, those gift boxes that were sent, they don"t lack in precious things. You should choose and treat it as a dowry.” Su Biqing looked askance at Mu Yunjin, her tone if full of contempt and indifference, her gaze was full of disdain.
Mu Yunjin revealed a faint smile at Su Biqing’ sarcasm, “Many thanks, Mother. However, the Sixth Prince has already given me thirty thousand gold to allocate for dowry. You really do not need to go through the trouble.”
Her words astonished Su Biqing and Aunt Li, their complexion quickly changed. Thirty thousand gold? It’s about the value of this whole residence combined. At most they could obtain only twenty thousand gold nothing more. This Sixth Prince is unexpectedly generous in spending money, all at once giving Mu Yunjin Thirty thousand gold. Is it possible this Mu Yunjin has really bewitched the Sixth prince?
Seeing the bewildered expressions, Mu Yunjin immediately drove the knife further on their sore spot.
“It is said that the matter about Fourth younger sister admiring the Sixth Prince is now known to the Fourth Prince. I do not know if the Fourth Prince would still wish to marry her. Apparently, Mother should carefully prepare some good dowry for Fourth younger sister, otherwise, in the future, you will worry about marrying her off...”
Mu Yunjin finished speaking with a smile. Then she pulled Zi Xiang, entered the Listening Flower Pavilion, and with a loud bang she closed the door, leaving Su Biqing and Aunt Li standing in a daze.
“This lowly wench, these recent days she has really opposed us.” Aunt Li suddenly cursed.
“Follow her, anyway she stays no more than tonight.” Su Biqing gave a cold smile.