I almost coughed out my milk when I read the t.i.tle. 太子有喜 or literally Crown Prince has happiness can be read as Crown Prince is pregnant. Indeed, Chu Xun got a happy news (or actually horrifying news for himself).
Chapter 33 – The Crown Prince has Happiness 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!)
You want to ask for what reason the Crown Prince is so dispirited?
Then, you have to help the Crown Prince think of an answer to a question.
The question is —— With he such perfect Crown Prince, as the best gra.s.s of the nation, everyday who got woke up by his own handsomeness, it was exactly the handsome beyond the horizon, a person worthy of being called as the world number one handsome overlord, was even wise and farsighted as well as magnanimous, who lived cleanly and honestly, what sort of woman could be his partner?!
Chu Xun locked himself in his room and thought for one day and one night. He didn"t even go to Senior Official Song"s morning cla.s.s. Senior Official Song looked at Mei Qian Deng and Di Mu Yang as he fondled with the ruler in his hand.
"Where"s your study partner Crown Prince?"
Di Mu Yang turned his head and looked at Mei Qian Deng. "Where"s my family"s Crown Prince?" Every day he was worried Mei Qian Deng and Chu Xun would fight each other. Currently he was much worried. It can"t be Mei Qian Deng had hurt the Crown Prince? Don"t tell me, he hit until the Crown Prince"s face split?
"Crown Prince last night made me see a night of drawings."
Senior Official Song this uncouth old man quivered. He moved closer. "What drawings?!"
"Drawings of women."
Senior Official Song was annoyed. "It can be excused for a youth to be full of vigour and vitality. However, the Crown Prince is the future monarch of the nation. Excessive debauchery is harmful to the health. See, he can"t even wake up from bed to join the cla.s.s today. Should laofu report this to the Emperor? First, leniently confess, where did the drawings come from?"
"He said yesterday the Emperor made people sent them over."
Oh, Senior Official Song ceased all his activities. Then, he didn"t need to report it to the Emperor since that old man had agreed. It"s right if he thought about it. The Crown Prince was already fifteen years old. When the Emperor was fifteen years old, the Empress was going to give birth to the Grand Princess…… Senior Official Song"s initial thought was not decent. But then his intelligence appeared, he smelled an unusual smell.
"Little Deng, when the Emperor sent those portraits, did he mention their usage?"
"I don"t know."
At that time she was sending her sister-in-law back to the inn so she was not in Ming Jue Palace. She didn"t know a thing of what had happened. Chu Xun too was unwilling to say, only forcefully pulled her to see a pile of female portraits. When he looked at one, he would ask once, "Do you think this woman can match this Crown Prince?"
If Mei Qian Deng shook her head, it would be nothing as Chu Xun would instantly toss it aside and no longer care of it.
If Mei Qian Deng nodded her head or hesitated whether to nod or not, Chu Xun would bristle. "How can she match this Crown Prince?!!!" Then he would grumble as he listed out countless reasons why that woman couldn"t match the Crown Prince. Mei Qian Deng would listen to his grumbles until the end before shaking her head. It seemed like that woman really couldn"t match the dignified His Highness Crown Prince.
"Senior Official Song……" Di Mu Yang carefully pulled Senior Official Song"s sleeve. Under that handsome suns.h.i.+ne there was an unusual agitation. "It can"t be the Emperor is……"
Senior Official Song nodded.
Mei Qian Deng honestly told them, "Crown Prince felt no one can match up to him. He didn"t want to choose Crown Princess."
Indeed, ever since the Emperor and Empress knew Chu Xun had grown up, they felt it was time for the Crown Prince to marry and give birth to child. After all, he was the future monarch of the nation, the Emperor"s only son. If he could give birth to imperial descendant earlier, adding an extra spare tyre to the throne, it would nevertheless be more reliable.
Hence in this period, the Emperor instructed the Ministry of Rites to compile volumes of records of girls of marriageable age from various n.o.ble, prominent old families" children in the whole nation and submit them to the Emperor"s table. Then, both the Emperor and Empress personally and carefully select one hundred ladies from piles of registers. They even specially made painter to visit the ladies and draw paintings of them.
The Emperor even emphasized, "If the painter dares to receive bribe to paint unlike the true appearance, immediately decapitate him."
However, the result of this Emperor and Empress" painstaking efforts was that it still made Chu Xun not satisfied.
When someone was too narcissist, he was invincible.
Inside the Sheng Ren Hall[1], the topic of discussion for Senior Official Song"s cla.s.s changed into, "What sort of lady you all guess that can match up His Highness Crown Prince?"
Di Mu Yang pondered for a long time as he racked his brain to imagine a lady who stood on equal level with the Crown Prince. He really couldn"t imagine from nothing so he first started with the people in his family. Eldest sister, second sister, third sister…… No, the ladies in Di family were all iron ladies. They shouted and fought all day long and had huge strength like bull. The Crown Prince would surely dislike his sisters for being too rough. Then, he thought of the young ladies in the capital city. There was not many that he knew. There was one who was talented in literary but too virtuous. Another one was dexterous but had clumsy mouth. Next one was lively but too unruly. In any case, he just couldn"t find a perfect lady to match with his family"s Crown Prince.
"There are so many women in this world. There should be someone that can make Crown Prince satisfied." But when asked him what sort of woman, Di Mu Yang really couldn"t imagine it.
Senior Official Song profoundly looked at Mei Qian Deng. He smiled beamingly as he asked her, "Little Deng, what do you think then? Little Long should search for what kind of wife?"
Mei Qian Deng answered frankly, "Someone who will not vie with him for a mirror."
At a distant place, Ming Jue Palace.
His Highness Crown Prince who had locked himself in the room suddenly sneezed loudly.
He instantly fished out a handkerchief from his right sleeve to rub his snot.
Then, he fished out his small mirror from his left sleeve. He looked at his face in the mirror from top to bottom and from left to right.
"Perfect!"
Senior Official Song was a nosy and rude old man. He as the Crown Prince"s Grand Tutor, how could he not partic.i.p.ate in his own student"s marriage? How could he not put forth his strength?
Hence, the moment the cla.s.s ended, he lifted the lower hem of his clothes and walked with small quick steps to the Imperial Study. Don"t look that Senior Official Song is already this old. The frequency of his small quick steps was considerably fast. Mei Qian Deng gazed at Senior Official Song"s back from behind. In her black eyes, she seemed pensive.
At the same time, the Emperor was troubled by the Crown Prince selecting his wife problem. The Emperor only had him as his only son. Chu Xun"s marriage naturally must not be carelessly done.
When Chang Xiao gonggong brought back a pile of portraits back from Ming Jue Palace, the Emperor had already foreseen Chu Xun"s reaction. The lady that could enter the Crown Prince"s discerning eyes, up until now there was none around the palace. In the future, who would be get this honour? He really couldn"t imagine a person who even supported the Emperor or even give him another kin.
When he received news of Senior Official Song"s arrival, the Emperor"s eyes shone. "Senior Official come at the right time!"
Senior Official Song had a solemn face. "Laochen heard Your Majesty wishes to help the Crown Prince choose his wife. Is there a suitable candidate already?"
"Does Senior Official has any candidate to recommend?"
Senior Official Song shook his head. Although he did has a candidate in his heart, he couldn"t say it out. Saying it out would harm that person instead.
"Then, for Senior Official to specially come here, what do you want to talk with zhen?"
"Since all of us can"t pick a suitable candidate, why don"t we let His Highness Crown Prince try all of them?"
The Emperor was stunned. Then, he smoothly revealed a crafty, cunning grin. "Why~ this may be a good idea."
Now, let"s return to the Ming Jue Palace.
After Chu Xun finished looking into the mirror, he deeply thought that it would be extremely difficult to find a lady who could live side by side with him in this world. He still decided to say clearly with Imperial Father. The Crown Princess matter was not very urgent. And also, he was very hungry! Ever since he returned from Anxi, his appet.i.te was extremely good. He ate a lot more than in the past for every meal.
He had just opened the door when the head eunuch Chang Xiao gonggong coincidentally arrived at the door. The latter made a salutation to Chu Xun and then said with all smiles, "Your Highness Crown Prince, the Emperor has a verbal edict."
"Please say then, gonggong."
"The Emperor said: From tomorrow onwards, the Crown Prince"s afternoon cla.s.ses will be postponed for another plan and so ask His Highness to make proper preparation."
Chu Xun"s eyelids couldn"t be controlled as they twitched endlessly. "What sort of preparation?"
The eunuch fished out a glossy gold paper from his pocket. He maintained his beaming smile look. "This is the itinerary that the Emperor previously set for Your Highness Crown Prince. Asking Your Highness Crown Prince to look over it."
What itinerary?!
Chu Xun quickly unfolded the top of the paper. Instead, he saw the personal handwriting of the Emperor:
First day of seventh month, at the imperial garden with the Eldest Young Miss of Prime Minister, enjoy the flowers.
Second day of seventh month, at the drilling ground with Fourth Young Miss of Di family, have a martial arts contest.
Third day of seventh month, at teahouse in the capital city with the Third Young Miss of Minister of Rites, drink tea and watch opera.
Fourth day of seventh month, at Xiangguo Temple with the Seventh Young Miss of Grand Secretariat, probe Buddha"s teachings.
Fifth day of seventh month, at the western suburbs Qian Qiu Lake with Little Princess of the Third Rank, have a lake tour.
Sixth day of seventh month, rest.
Seventh day of seventh month, choose one out of five after the Qixi Festival[2].
Chu Xun finally understood what sort of itinerary this was. This was an itinerary of blind date! Chu Xun"s veins on his forehead throbbed repeatedly. For Imperial Father to release the edict at this time, obviously it was to disallow him from having a chance to resist.
"Thank you for your trouble, gonggong." Chu Xun had an unperturbed and calm face, donning the mask of his Perfect Crown Prince appearance.
Chang Xiao gonggong had already pa.s.sed the Emperor"s personally written doc.u.ment to the Crown Prince so his task had finished. He instantly saluted and left.
Chu Xun waited for the eunuch to go far before flinging the door with a "bang", locking himself inside the room again.
In the end…
When Mei Qian Deng returned to Ming Jue Palace, the sky was already dark. These few days, because her eldest brother and sister-in-law came to the capital, at afternoon she would ask for leave to go outside the palace and keep company with them.
Xiao Jing Zi dashed forward and made a fuss, "Young Master Mei, this is bad. Quickly go and check His Highness Crown Prince. His Highness locked himself inside his room again!"
Mei Qian Deng, "……"
[1] Literally, the Hall of Sage. This may be an error from the author as it"s called Shengxian Pavilion in early chapter (chapter 5)
[2] A Chinese traditional festival celebrating the annual meeting between the cowherd (Altair) and the weaver girl (Vega) (also known as tanabata in j.a.pan or chilseok in Korea)
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!)