Finally, my wrists had healed (for now). I apologise in advance if there"s any inconsistent term (one week of rest without translating made my brain lose most of the used terms). This week, I"m going to try two chapters per week and if it"s okay, then we"ll have two chapters per week! Anyway, back to the novel. This time, it"s just a filler chapter before the impending horror (or comedy for us) for the Crown Prince.
Chapter 27 – Returned to the Palace Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator"s hard work. Don"t think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase!)
Little General Di was drilling the troops in the drilling ground at that time when Xiao Jing Zi hastily ran over to find him, telling him that the Crown Prince had returned to the palace!
Di Mu Yang was like the jumping out **, without even changing his armour as he ran flying into the palace. He had worried about the "Will Chu Xun and Mei Qian Deng fight each other" problem for a month. They had finally returned! He must go and ask this problem which had made him yearn day and night.
Unconsciously, Di Mu Yang was nearly br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears. Ever since the Crown Prince and he were born, they had never been separated for such a long time.
He quite missed the Crown Prince that always loved to show off shamelessly while looking into the mirror.
After that——
Little General noticed the Crown Prince seemed to be quite different compared to a month ago.
This sort of excellent-observation ability which was able to notice the tiniest change was from Di Mu Yang"s true love towards Chu Xun. Di Mu Yang had been taught by his parents since small that protecting the Crown Prince well was his this lifetime"s forever unchanged mission. Under such teaching, it led to every time Di Mu Yang saw Chu Xun, he would first check if the Crown Prince had any injury.
This time, although Chu Xun returned without any injury, he seemed to have grown taller a little, his shoulders had turned broader a little. Also, the aura emitted by his body had turned much manlier a little. His glance too was somewhat different.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Chu Xun was travel-worn and weary. He had just reported to Imperial Father. Just as he decided to take a proper bath, he saw a figure flew over from far away. It was exactly Di Mu Yang the loyal and devoted single dog.
"Your Highness——"
Chu Xun frowned. Talk properly if you have something to say.
"Young Master Mei and you, did you fight each other……"
Chu Xun turned gloomy. He had nothing to say to Di Mu Yang. He pulled himself away from Di Mu Yang and walked forward while ignoring the latter. After walking two steps, he suddenly turned around. Pointing straight at Di Mu Yang"s nose, he moved his mouth. Yet he couldn"t say anything! His inner heart"s words were: Di Mu Yang, f*ck you! Look at this Crown Prince"s body. Do you think I can defeat that boor? What sort of stupid question are you asking?!
Though Di Mu Yang couldn"t read Chu Xun"s heart, he could actually feel the wrath of the Crown Prince. He looked around but there was no sign of Mei Qian Deng. His heart beat like a drum. Honestly, he absolutely appreciated this Seventh Young Master Mei. Good martial arts, good personality. Being able to be the Crown Prince"s study partner with Mei Qian Deng made Di Mu Yang really happy. Why was the person missing?
"Your Highness, where"s Young Master Mei?"
Chu Xun was in a bad mood. "His legs grow on his own body, how I know!"
At the same time, in a certain small alley of the capital was Mei Qian Deng"s tall, slim and graceful body. She was standing before a man who didn"t stop touching his own face. The face was the common face which would be very hard to find when thrown into a group of people.
"Little Young Master, is this alright?"
However, it was Mo Nian Yuan"s voice.
Mei Qian Deng gave him an affirmative glance.
"This ** is the best in jianghu. No need to remove. I will come once a month to change it for you."
"What should I do if I covered my face too long and grow pimples?"
"Return the good."
With this Little Young Master Mei"s words, I can relax now!
Mo Nian Yuan flung back his head. "Young Master, I"m going then!"
"Mo Nian Yuan." Mei Qian Deng suddenly called him.
Little imposter Mo turned his head around. He thought Mei Qian Deng still had some instructions yet to finish. Earlier, Mei Qian Deng had already told him. As long as he honestly did his job which was making good relations.h.i.+p with those girls in the brothel and look carefully who came over and who picked which girls, she wouldn"t care what other things he did for now. This was to avoid making a too huge movement which would arouse others" suspicion.
"You previously dropped hint for Lady Su, making her go to the capital to look for Crown Prince. Those few days you didn"t go to the Ru Nunnery, it"s not because you"re sick of eating vegetarian food but to make Lady Su thinks you have returned to the capital. Lady Su going to the capital is part of your plan. If the incident occurred, the local authorities will definitely dispatch people to investigate Ru Nunnery. However, you didn"t escape. Why? You don"t hesitate to pretend to be Crown Prince to bait the local authorities to go to Ru Nunnery. Does Ru Nunnery have any secrets inside?"
Mo Nian Yuan was shocked. He wouldn"t have guessed Mei Qian Deng would lay it all out at this moment. She looked penetrating and asked until he didn"t know how to answer.
Currently, Mei Qian Deng didn"t want his answer. She continued to say calmly, "Since you had decided to a.s.sociate with us, we"re now in the same boat under wind and rain. By the time you want to tell, it"s not too late to answer me then." After saying so, she cupped her fist at Mo Nian Yuan. Brave warrior, take care!
By the time the little imposter returned to his sense, Mei Qian Deng"s figure had long disappeared.
The days gradually turned stifling hot, a sign of the coming summer season while the smuggled salt issue fermented quietly. Right now was the calm before storm.
Two days earlier, the Emperor chatted while playing chess with Senior Official Song. The Emperor said, "During this trip which you all went, did you abuse my son?"
Senior Official Song was too scared that he dropped the chess piece. "Emperor has brilliant judgement. How can laochen[1] dare to?!"
The Emperor was surprised. "Then how come after Xun er returns, he made sure that zhen helps him to open an account in the largest private bank in the capital? He even deposited several ten thousands liang inside. In the past, he wasn"t a money-grubber."
This you can"t blame me, Senior Official Song thought. Who told the dignified Crown Prince to not bring money when travelling far?
Senior Official Song changed the topic. "Laochen had recorded the period Crown Prince went outside. Has Emperor read it?"
"Zhen are busy with national affairs. Where would zhen have the time to read this thing?" The Emperor put down the piece rapidly and resolutely, unlike his temperament.
Senior Official Song unhurriedly put down the piece. He revealed an uncouth grin. "You will regret it if you don"t read it."
Half a beat later, Senior Official Song added, "Relying on just Nan Bai Cheng, laochen afraid we"re unable to beat Prince Chen to death."
The Emperor shook his head. "Zhen had never planned to beat him to death. At the very least, he is zhen"s blood brother. It"s enough already to break one of his shoulders."
"While Emperor is benevolent, Prince Chen may not appreciate it."
"Forcing Prince Chen into his current state, both you and I have fault in it."
"……" This time it was Senior Official Song"s turn unable to make any sound. Although he refused to accept it in his heart, he didn"t voice out any retort.
Later, the Emperor listened to Senior Official Song"s suggestion and seriously studied the one-month record of the Crown Prince outside. He wouldn"t know if he didn"t read. After he read it, he got a huge shock. The Emperor quickly slammed the record onto the table. "Someone, come——!"
Hence, after a burning joss stick time, Chang Xiao gonggong brought the Emperor"s verbal edict to Ming Jue Palace. Chu Xun was in fury currently because the moment Mei Qian Deng returned, she said, "Common people have wisdom and justice when they have sufficient clothes and food. When made into Minister of Education will be little short of inhuman. Sages have concerns when made into Minister of Education will be teaching human relations: Father and son have blood relation, monarch and subjects have righteousness, husband and wife have differences, older and younger have order, friends have faith. Mencius said."
Chu Xun: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ What do you mean by that? Previously you said this Crown Prince is shameless. Now, you"re scolding this Crown Prince inhuman?! Your guts are very huge huh!
Mei Qian Deng had an innocent and unperturbed face. She just recited exactly what was inside Mencius book.
Back when she received the imperial edict for the Seventh Young Master Mei enter the capital as the Crown Prince"s study partner, Old Master Mei"s biggest worry was Mei Qian Deng would offend the Crown Prince. At the same time, he worried the Crown Prince would look down Mei Qian Deng because she was a jianghu person who only knew how to play sword and spear but not how to play with words. In Old Master Mei"s heart, he most, most cared Qian Deng and he didn"t want her to suffer any grievance. Hence, before she departed, he managed to stuff a Mencius book from a pile of valuable martial arts books into Mei Qian Deng"s bag as he urged again and again, "Ah Qian Deng, we are jianghu people who are cultured too. Every day, recite one pa.s.sage just in case of a possible need for it."
Mei Qian Deng deeply thought that his father really had a foresight. She had always put that Mencius book beside the pillow. After reciting several pa.s.sages, Senior Official Song and the Emperor would praise her. Also, it could lull her to sleep.
"Crown Prince." Chang Xiao gonggong walked inside. "The Emperor had decreed, inviting Crown Prince to Huan Xi Palace."
Chu Xun instantly flushed as he grabbed the head eunuch"s mouth. Gonggong, can you lower your voice a bit when talking?!
He could feel Mei Qian Deng"s curious eyes at his back. In his mind, that night"s dream uncontrollably replayed again. Chu Xun scolded himself in his heart once and went while pulling gonggong.
Mei Qian Deng turned her head around to look at Xiao Jing Zi. "What"s wrong with Huan Xi Palace?"
"Answering Young Master, Huan Xi Palace has the venerated Yab-Yum[2]. Imperial sons and daughters will have to study in Huan Xi Palace before reaching adulthood."
"What sort of study?"
Xiao Jing Zi turned bashful by Mei Qian Deng"s question. Lowering his head, he twisted his body around. "Ai, of course, it"s the matter between male and female!"
Mei Qian Deng was calm as usual. "Oh."
[1] Literally, this old subject
[2] I put the Tibetan name version here. Or known as Nandikeśvara, a deity representing the primordial union of wisdom (female) and compa.s.sion (male)…. Yeah, you all should probably understand what it means more or less
Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator"s hard work. Don"t think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase!)