Today, they are out of the palace! And Di Mu Yang keeps making me thinking of a gay scene with his habit of hugging others when he wanted to stop a (supposed) brawl. XD
Translated by HaruOngy
Chapter 8 – Going Out of the Palace Ever since taking Mei Qian Deng"s family secret drink, Chu Xun found out it was really effective. In fact, extremely effective.
On that night, the Crown Prince said his throat was not painful anymore. When he looked into the mirror, the pimple had vanished a lot. Hence, he was carefree and relaxed as he took a stroll to enjoy the beautiful full moon at the small garden in Ming Jue Palace.
Suddenly, he heard a swis.h.i.+ng sound of sword cutting through the air behind the fake mountains. The speed was fast and the slashes contained enormous strength. Beneath the surface, Chu Xun had a certain persistent. Persistent towards gossip. Promptly, he bent down and stood on his tiptoes as he quietly half ran half jumped to the fake mountain. He secretly peeped from the crack of the fake mountain.
He could only see Mei Qian Deng practising sword arts alone in concentration under the moonlight. With graceful bearing and quick reactions, each and every moves of hers were unpredictable yet dazzling. From afar, she looked as if a heavenly maiden in land of floating flowers yet at the same time she appeared to be like a host of demons dancing wildly. Such proper and improper ideas were certainly just right.
Chu Xun had a thought, that if it was not Mei Qian Deng, others who practising sword arts like this would not be pleasing to his eyes.
This idea of unconsciously praising Mei Qian Deng covertly made Chu Xun reproached himself. He was angry with himself. Just as he wanted to leave, Mei Qian Deng stopped all her movement and indifferently looked at the fake mountain where Chu Xun was hiding. She called indifferently, "Crown Prince."
Chu Xun couldn"t believe it. How did that boor know it was him? What if he was one of those annoying little demoness in his palace? Or what if he was that little eunuch who on the outside appeared to be obedient and cute but on the inside was actually bold and unrestrained? Because he didn"t believe this point, like a gecko Chu Xun glued himself to the fake mountain. Even if he was beaten to death, he would never come out.
"Crown Prince, you dropped your mirror."
"Ah? Where?!" Chu Xun leapt out from the fake mountain. He put his hand into his sleeves to check. His beloved mirror obviously was obediently laying inside his sleeve…… f.u.c.k, this boor had eaten a leopard"s gut, daring to lie to this Crown Prince.
Chu Xun had already pointed his finger at Mei Qian Deng"s nose but he was still thinking of what lines he was going to use on how to curse while not staining the imperial prestige. His brain short-circuited. He had yet to take a breath when Xiao Jing Zi appeared from the back while running for his life. Xiao Jing Zi earlier was sent by Chu Xun to reply to Imperial Father regarding that apple matter.
Xiao Jing Zi said, "Your Highness, the Emperor has new verbal edict."
"Say it." Chu Xun"s previous accurate uneasiness flared once more.
"The Emperor said, this is Young Master Mei"s first time here and so will not have properly stroll around the capital. Hence, asked Your Highness to perform the duties of a host. Tomorrow after the morning cla.s.s ended, to bring Young Master Mei go out of the palace for a round."
Chu Xun"s face was seriously long. "……"
Mei Qian Deng didn"t say anything too. Holding the sword with its sharp point facing downward, she cupped her fist in the other hand as she bent her waist, saluting the Crown Prince which implied: Many thanks to Crown Prince. Troubling Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince icily snorted. He perfectly flung his sleeves downward and in a huff walked away. He seemed to be gradually making a new habit. Towards others, he would a.s.sumed an act. Only towards Mei Qian Deng alone he would be ostentatious.
The next day was a fine, sunny day.
Before Di Mu Yang went out, he prayed towards the imperial palace.
Asking various G.o.ds for blessing and protection, Crown Prince and Young Master Mei must not fight each other.
Inside the palace.
Xiao Jing Zi held an umbrella serving Chu Xun. Mei Qian Deng tightly followed behind them. All of them had changed their clothes while preparing to go out of the palace. The Crown Prince who had worn an out of ordinarily n.o.ble and virtuous clothes muttered silently while avoiding Mei Qian Deng. It was because Mei Qian Deng wore a fully black clothes. She always preferred wearing black clothes. It was not a thing to show off. Clothes too plain, so not stylish.
"Boor, what kind of clothing is this? Wearing this outside is going to throw this Crown Prince"s face." Chu Xun consciously whispered softly.
"Crown Prince, this is natural black silk." Obviously, Mei Qian Deng had heard it and even explained to Chu Xun. It was similar to natural silk. However, there was a type of silkworm which naturally spit black silk. It was extremely soft and smooth as well as extremely rare. Who said Mei Qian Deng was not stylish? This person was a low-keyed gorgeous. Not one bit threw Chu Xun"s face.
Chu Xun was rendered speechless. Clothes made of natural black silk. This boor"s family was quite rich. However—— "Your meaning is this Crown Prince is ignorant, not knowing your clothes are made of natural black silk?! To tell the truth, this type of silk, this Crown Prince from the start hold it in contempt. It"s not worth using it to make clothes, so used it to make bed sheet for sleep," he flipped out.
Mei Qian Deng: "……" Where did I offend the Crown Prince to anger again?
The moment Di Mu Yang entered the palace, he saw the Crown Prince akimbo his hands while angrily rebuked Mei Qian Deng. He hurriedly rush over to hug the Crown Prince. With teary look, he said, "Your Highness, please calm down your anger……"
While they were in a deadlock, a delicate girl"s voice faintly shouted for Crown Prince. However, only Mei Qian Deng turned her head around. She saw Zhu Li.
"Your Highness, please bring Zhu Li along too."
Chu Xun beautifully rolled his eyes. He was in bad mood as he said, "Several of you played the rock-paper-scissors game and you win again?"
Zhu Li grinned and nodded her head coyly.
It seemed like the Empress had tacitly consented to the palace maids in Ming Jue Palace, allowing them to do some matters overstepping their status as palace maid. About this matter, obviously Chu Xun could use his ident.i.ty as the high-above-the-others-Crown-Prince to order Zhu Li to roll back to Ming Jue Palace to do her ch.o.r.es. However, Chu Xun only frowned and endured. "Then, don"t cause trouble."
"Yes."
Hence, Mei Qian Deng looked a few times more at Zhu Li.
Zhu Li too noticed Mei Qian Deng"s look. Mei Qian Deng"s eyes were bland like the white clouds in the sky. It made Zhu Li unable to catch the thought inside her eyes.
"Your Highness, where are we bringing Young Master Mei to play? Zhu Li squeezed herself under Chu Xun"s umbrella.
Chu Xun very unceremoniously shoved away this sister. Don"t take away this Crown Prince"s sunshade, there is not enough s.p.a.ce.
He pondered again. Where should he bring this boor to? A certain person criticising in his mind. Places that are too elegant don"t suit this boor. Places that are too vulgar don"t suit this Crown Prince instead. As a compromise…… "Go to the capital most delicious restaurant. First, enjoy the taste of the capital with the tongue!" It was truly a quick-witted yet good idea.
Zhu Li asked, "Your Highness and Young Master Mei both don"t like greasy food. I heard a new vegetarian shop had just opened at the western part of the capital. It is booming right now and the taste is quite good. Why don"t we try it?"
"You lead the way."
Zhu Li smiled beamingly. She deliberately threw a seductive glance at Mei Qian Deng who was standing the furthest before leading the way while swaying her hips. That place was a little remote. After walking for approximately a joss stick burning time, Zhu Li led them to turn and enter an alley. They could see a row of people lining up nearby with most of them were men. All of them were waiting for the people inside to come out before they could enter to eat.
Chu Xun glanced meaningfully at Zhu Li. Zhu Li made a curtsy. "Young Masters please wait a moment." She pa.s.sed through the flock of queued up people and instantly entered the shop.
"You want to cut in the line." Mei Qian Deng unexpectedly opened her mouth and told in a simple, straightforward way.
The way she said made Chu Xun"s face reddened instead as if he was slapped at his face by Mei Qian Deng. However, he was sonorously the Crown Prince. In the future, the land under heaven would be his. Today, he just wanted to eat vegetarian food in a small alley. It was a matter of his presence bringing light to that shop"s humble dwelling. Where would he need to cut in the line? It was only proper that the shopkeeper personally welcomed him to enter.
Xiao Jing Zi was partial to his master"s glee as he quickly explained in low volume, "We will not cut in the line freely. Zhu Li will pay the shopkeeper enough money."
Chu Xun heard them as harsh words instead. Why, the moment Xiao Jing Zi explained as such, it made himself seemed more vulgar.
"One cannot be shameless. The shame of shameless, truly shameless!" Mei Qian Deng looked into the sky. "Said Mencius."
"…… Mei Qian Deng, are you scolding me shameless?" Chu Xun was enraged but he smiled instead. He had lived for fifteen years already. Other than his Imperial Uncle, everyone treasured him greatly. No matter what he did, all would respond with praises without exception. He had long got used to praises as norm. This was his first time, being scolded shameless by his sly servant.
For the first time, Chu Xun"s heart was frankly sour.
Just as he wanted to "return the compliment" to Mei Qian Deng, Di Mu Yang threw himself over again and hugged Chu Xun"s small slender waist. Little General Di Mu Yang practised martial arts daily, his figure was big and tall. His strength was huge too. When he tenaciously hugged Chu Xun, Chu Xun could not move an inch even if he wanted to.
"Di Mu Yang, let go of your hands!"
"No, no, Young Master, I can"t let go. The moment I let go, what should I do when the two of you fight each other?"
Chu Xun felt Di Mu Yang"s idea was completely hilarious.
How could he fight physically with Mei Qian Deng? The concept of a gentleman used his mouth, never his hand, if he used his hand, it would truly destroy his perfect Crown Prince image. Going backward one thousand words, the scene of Mei Qian Deng practising under the moonlight yesterday had etched deeply in his mind. It was impossible to get rid of——This Crown Prince can"t win a fight against him.
Something that would shame himself, he would never do it.
It was at this time, the crowd became restless. From the end of the alley, a young man walked over. He was richly and n.o.bly dressed up though his expression looked fierce a bit. Following behind him was a row of underlings, each of them was holding a weapon with aggressive, fierce aura.
That leading young man walked to the doorstep of the vegetarian shop and swept his eyes a lap. Then, with a display of his haughty air, one underling immediately came over and pa.s.sed a money pouch to that young man"s hand. That young man opened his mouth. "Like the usual. Those willing to get lost, each will get three copper coins and instantly get out of my sight. Those not willing to get lost, soon will beat severely to death and will not be responsible for it."
Saying so, he threw out all the money inside the pouch. The coins clinked as they scattered around on the ground. Those people who originally were lining up instantly flocked over. After they took the money, they quickly ran away. It was just a moment and those bustling crowd of people had disappeared from the vegetarian food shop.
At that end of the alley were the local tyrant young man and his underlings;
At this end of the alley, Xiao Jing Zi helped Chu Xun held the umbrella. The Crown Prince as though a celestial being was calm and composed as he waved his fan. (Author: Where did you bring out that fan from?) On his pretty androgynous face was a grandeur sneer. His twinkling, tactful eyes were mingled with an aura of a monarch"s disdain to all living creatures.
This kind of mult.i.tude enemies yet few friends and enemies were ugly yet I"m pretty situation, it was permeated with intense contrast. It made Chu Xun felt extremely satisfied.
Chu Xun felt that the whole stage belonged solely to him alone.
"Under this broad daylight, this brother"s method is quite a bit shameless."
When Chu Xun used the words "shameless", he felt very pleased and refreshed. Finally, I had managed to press that bad reputation Mei Qian Deng put on my head to another person"s head.
The local tyrant at the opposite alley was not without brain. When he saw Chu Xun"s face was unfamiliar and had extraordinary poise, he knew the latter in no way would resort to violence. He laughed and said, "This shop is rented by this young master me to Lady Su. This Lady Su is this young master"s yet to wed wife. How can it be shameless for a fiancé coming to take a look at his fiancée?"
A lady ran out from inside of the vegetarian food shop. She had a beautiful and charming face. Her age was not more than sixteen or seventeen years old. She cried like a pear blossom bathed in the rain[1] as she pointed directly at the local tyrant. "Nonsense. You just want to take me back by force. I never have an engagement with you. I, I already had pledged to marry someone!"
Chu Xun waved his fan as he took two steps forward. "Young lady, don"t be afraid. Before the Son of Heaven"s eyes, the law is the most absolute. Today, this young master will represent you to demand for justice."
The local tyrant coldly laughed. "You own me three thousand silver money. There is a signed written pledge as proof. If not repaid after a month, will have to do forced labour to repay the debt. Don"t you dare act like a white lotus before young master."
"That is you forcing me!"
"Yo, that day you said it yourself. Don"t mention three thousand, even if thirty million, your pledged adulterer can still help you repay it. Why, I never see even the shadow of the man you always talk about. It can"t be he is the one before me?" The local tyrant was overbearing.
Chu Xun again took another two steps forward. "A manly man is able to support both heaven and earth. Young lady, coming outside to make a living is not easy too. If you really have this person who is mutually in love with you, you should let him stand here in your stead!"
"He…… He wouldn"t appear……"
"Why?!" Chu Xun and the local tyrant asked at the same time.
The lady in white clothes wiped the tears at the edge of her eyes. "Because, the person who I had pledged to marry with is the current Crown Prince."
Chu Xun"s left leg which still longed to step forward jerked. His whole person didn"t stand firmly. The fan truly couldn"t be catch in time as it fell to the ground. Patter!
[1] A weeping beauty