Another internal struggle in Chu Xun. And how childish he can be when drunk.
Chapter 52 – Whispers at Midnight 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 and translator!)
Now, both Chu Xun and Mei Qian Deng knew the fact that Xiao Jian might have a connection with the Yue family but none of them had tell it to the other. They only hid it in their heart, obviously trying to brew this info into wine instead and then drink it themselves until intoxicated alone.
Chu Xun didn"t say, it was because he had just found the start of this whole matter. Before the actual truth revealed, he didn"t want to let Mei Qian Deng have unnecessary worries. Moreover, after he found out his father planned to touch Mei Zi River Islet, every time he met Mei Qian Deng he would feel very unbearable in his heart. He had a remorse in himself, he hated being unable to be the decision maker. Hence, his feelings were a mess, his whole person seemed to be slightly swaying.
As for Mei Qian Deng didn"t say, it was because she had promised Zhao Mo Ran not to tell Chu Xun this matter for the time being. Zhao Mo Ran a.s.sumed that since Yue family"s case was most probably caused by the imperial court. If they knew Xiao Jian was related with the Yue family, he couldn"t guarantee they would kill Xiao Jian.
After several days, Zhao Mo Ran saw there was no one around so he pulled Mei Qian Deng to stop and asked her, "Seventh Brother, how is your c0nsideration?"
Mei Qian Deng"s expression was calm, "I never consider. Many thanks for the good intention."
"The Emperor"s body is not like in the past, the Crown Prince is maturing with each pa.s.sing days and Prince Chen is eyeing covetously. Nowadays is already the time with swords drawn and bows bent. The shortest is one year, the longest is three years. It will certainly be an intense fight for the imperial power. When the time comes, the winner will be called a king and the loser will be called a bandit. Can"t you understand how dangerous is your current situation?" Zhao Mo Ran was agitated. He worried and hated at the same time. He had already been this frank to this stupid girl yet none of the words entered her ears.
Mei Qian Deng didn"t make any sound for a long time. Zhao Mo Ran thought she was selectively ignoring these words, pretending she never hear. That she was embarra.s.sed to leave with a flick of her sleeves and hence the silence. Just as he was about to sigh and let her go, he heard Mei Qian Deng said, "No matter how dangerous it is, it"s my obligation, I will never abandon Crown Prince."
Zhao Mo Ran was stunned. He was a smart person, naturally he knew Mei Qian Deng"s one-track mind. Things she had decided she should do, people that she had decided to follow, she would never give up halfway. Zhao Mo Ran thereupon turned around the spear"s head to follow Mei Qian Deng"s desire. He sincerely and earnestly said, "Since it"s like this, I will accompany you, brother. We will stand together through thick and thin, work as one, to live and die together!"
He was met with Mei Qian Deng"s disgusted eyes.
"Seventh Brother, Seven Brother, wait for me!"
At night, when Chu Xun saw the half-moon high above in the sky, a chaotic force that had nowhere to discharge rose in his heart. He ordered Xiao Jing Zi to bring a fine wine. He sat in the small courtyard alone facing the moon until midnight. The youngster had already know the taste of worry as he silently sat at the western building alone.
Chu Xun drank until his steps were quite wobbly. Alone, he climbed up a small drum tower beside the Ming Jue Palace. He wanted to be blown with cold wind over. Sadly, the more he was blown, the nastier his headache was. Yet, his mind was very clear. This was the first time he personally tasted his inability. Even if in the future he would be the land"s ruler, he still couldn"t do anything as he wished, he would still be controlled by the foreign factors.
Chu Xun was in utter confusion. He circled around the small tower once. He beat all over the railings yet it was not enough for him to give vent.
"Crown Prince?" Mei Qian Deng came over. Her dark eyes shone in the dark night, "Xiao Jing Zi said you disappeared. We searched for you all around. Why did you run to here alone?"
His Highness Crown Prince didn"t dare to look at Mei Qian Deng"s eyes, "I just want to have a peace by myself. Just go back."
"Oh……" Mei Qian Deng obediently turned around to leave, without a sliver of worry about Chu Xun"s condition.
Chu Xun unconsciously rushed over and pulled one of Mei Qian Deng"s hands. He was too drunk and became too unreasonable. His head hanged low and the night was quite dark, Mei Qian Deng couldn"t see Chu Xun"s face and expression. She could only feel his hands grabbing her hand tightly, tightly to the point Mei Qian Deng felt some pain. When she tried to remove her hand, Chu Xun immediately hugged Mei Qian Deng"s arm instead, his whole person hanging at there.
Mei Qian Deng was very speechless. It couldn"t be His Highness Crown Prince was drunk?
She was just about to open her mouth to advise Chu Xun to return to Ming Jue Palace and clean himself before going to bed when Chu Xun started talking first, "Don"t move. Just let me lean like this for a while."
Err, since the Crown Prince had said so, Mei Qian Deng could only stand there without moving, letting Chu Xun to hug her arm for a cup of tea time. In the end, she couldn"t take it anymore as she swayed her arm, "Crown Prince, my hand is numbing." Only then Chu Xun unwillingly let go of her hand and changed to gripping the edge of her clothes.
Mei Qian Deng lowered her head as she sized up Chu Xun"s little action, "……"
In the silent night, the slow time quietly pa.s.sed to the point it was possible they would keep each other company until dawn.
Chu Xun considered for a long time before probingly asked Mei Qian Deng, "If, I"m just saying if, there is an evil tyrant, for example like that Zhang Hu Bao suddenly wants to seize back that vegetarian restaurant he rented to Lady Su. It makes Lady Su"s business from painstaking effort gone to waste in an instant. When Lady Su left the nunnery, she came alone to the capital city. Zhang Hu Bao takes back the building without proper reason and caused her to sleep on the street without any support. If you"re Lady Su, will you hate Zhang Hu Bao?"
Mei Qian Deng immediately nodded her head. Of course I will hate.
(Zhang Hu Bao who was sleeping soundly woke up suddenly from a huge sneeze. He pulled the quilt closer and sniffled. Aiya, it"s already past the mid-autumn. The weather is getting colder. Bao Bao should add more quilts!)
"Then, what if Zhang Hu Bao is actually forced by his family to take back that shop? At that time, Zhang Hu Bao was coveting Lady Su"s beauty and secretly gave that shop to her. Later on, his family elders found out and that shop had other urgent usage which leads to him chasing out Lady Su. You say, if Zhang Hu Bao explain it to Lady Su, will Lady Su understand?"
Mei Qian Deng"s clear eyes stared at Chu Xun, doubts were thickly swirling in her eyes. Not sleeping in the middle of the night and feeling the cold wind blows at the small tower, what stupid chat was he trying to have now?
"Answer me," Chu Xun unsatisfyingly urged.
"That shop originally belongs to Zhang Hu Bao"s family. If I"m Lady Su, even if I"m not satisfied that Zhang Hu Bao broke our promise, I have no other words to say."
Chu Xun originally was holding Mei Qian Deng"s clothes but now he loosened his hands. He weakly sat on the floor with half of his body leaning against the railings as if he had lost all his life. He thought to himself, even Mei Qian Deng who was a simple person would feel dissatisfied and resentful in her heart. If Imperial Father really did take back Mei Zi River Islet which caused Mei Qian Deng to lose her home at the same time, would he lose her too?
"Crown Prince? Are you alright?" Mei Qian Deng was slightly worried. She stretched her hand over to check Chu Xun"s condition. She was worried he drank too much or got some serious disease from the cold wind blows.
With a move as sudden as a flash of lightning, Chu Xun grabbed that hand again and glued it to his own face.
Chu Xun"s face was flus.h.i.+ng from drunk while Mei Qian Deng"s hand was very cold. With the collision of hot and cold, it made Chu Xun and Mei Qian Deng trembled.
The eternal calm female warrior Mei suddenly had a young girl"s awkwardness. She wanted to pull back her hand but then she didn"t dare to exert more force. What if her exert more force became slapping the Crown Prince? Did she still want to live in the future? Mei Qian Deng"s temper was cold, she originally was not someone with many words. At this moment, she didn"t know what she should say. She might as well just grit her teeth silently and let Chu Xun do whatever he want.
"Mei Qian Deng, right now you"re the Crown Prince"s study partner. In the future, this Crown Prince is the monarch of a nation. Staying by my side, you can render great service in a.s.sisting a ruler. In the future, it"s possible you will be the Grand Chancellor or the Grand Tutor[1], bringing benefits to the commoners, bringing honours to your ancestors. Don"t you agree?"
"Yes."
"That"s why, will you because of a moment of foolishness, you take things too hard, to let go of everything and abandon me?"
"I will not."
"Really?"
"Really."
Chu Xun"s eyes shone, he regained his vigour as he immediately raised up his head. "Then, let"s do a pinky swear as a proof." Mei Qian Deng"s hand was already in his evil claws. Without waiting for any explanation, he helped her to forcefully pull up her little finger. "Make a pinky swear, not allowed to change in a hundred years." After saying, he forced her to touch their thumbs.
Mei Qian Deng: …… Is it because Crown Prince got blown by too much wind that even his brain too got blown away?
[1] One of the top three civil positions. The other two are Grand Preceptor and Grand Protector.
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 and translator!)