h.e.l.lo, a new chapter in which we get to see how crazy (or stupid in a certain sense) the Crown Prince can be. And please enjoy~
Chapter 5 – A Cold Sharp-tongued King Mei Qian Deng silently waited at the Ming Jue Palace"s corridor.
Now, it was late spring. The gra.s.ses were tall and orioles flew in the air. It was exactly the most vigorous growth period for thousands of living creatures in the world.
There was an Indian coral tree planted outside the Ming Jue Palace. Its fiery red flowers covered the treetop, setting off with the rosy clouds of dawn. Mei Qian Deng looked until she was lost in a trance. The person behind her just thought she was not talking. Just as that person wanted to slap her shoulder, Mei Qian Deng"s figure flashed and that person"s hand landed on empty air instead.
"Young Master has good skill. Nubi[1], Zhu Li prays her respect to Young Master Mei. That "sneak attacker" was a palace maid. She was around twenty years old. Her facial features were beautiful and charming with round face and big eyes. Yet her Chinese rose"s look made others felt she was trying to pa.s.s as a peony.
Mei Qian Deng glanced at her. She was extremely aloof yet Zhu Li returned it with seductive eyes.
"This is Young Master Mei"s first time entering the palace. If there are any questions, please don"t hesitate to ask nubi. Nubi lives at the end of western side of Young Master"s building. But, during daytime, nubi is very busy. It is better to come at night. The later the better." After that, she still wanted to lean on Mei Qian Deng"s body.
"You didn"t clean completely your rheum."
"……Nubi will retreat now!" The palace maid was really embarra.s.sed. Her face was blus.h.i.+ng furiously. She clasped her eyes and ran. She ran quite fast, narrowly tripping on the corridor"s steps.
Coincidently, Xiao Jing Zi came out from the Crown Prince"s room and caught sight of that palace maid"s clothes. He smiled as he asked, "Earlier, is there a bold female servant hara.s.sed Young Master Mei?"
"It doesn"t matter."
"The Crown Prince dislike female servant to serve him. He had already dismissed many of them. The remaining ones are those selected by the Empress for a particular arrangement. You know right, the Crown Prince is coming of age soon. He need to learn some skills to procreate generation after generation. However, the Crown Prince usually does not have the mood to manage them. If they have offended Young Master Mei in any way, please forgive them."
Mei Qian Deng had no other response as she coldly repeated, "It doesn"t matter."
Xiao Jing Zi clenched his teeth as he s.h.i.+vered.
Mei Qian Deng"s attention dropped to the Ming Jue Palace behind him as she searched for a certain figure. Evidently, Chu Xun had yet to appear. She frowned slightly. Xiao Jing Zi had watched closely her mood so he quickly explained, "The Crown Prince is not well today. Nucai hope Young Master can wait a bit longer. His Highness will come out soon."
"It doesn"t matter."
Creak—— the door opened. The "history most perfect Crown Prince" Chu Xun walked out from the room.
One could only see despite his plain clothes, it didn"t lost any of its luxurious air. His back was upright, his slender figure probably was not lacking of lean meat. The only wrong aspect was his originally beautiful to death little face was half covered by a silk veil. It was strangely abnormal.
The history most perfect, face veiled Crown Prince, good morning!
After Mei Qian Deng sized him up, she simply and straightforwardly said, "You cried before."
The Crown Prince exploded as he shouted himself hoa.r.s.e, "That are tears that came out when I coughed!" After roaring, his string of sudden coughing sounds became a proof. He coughed until his back bent into a dried shrimp. Obviously his sickness was very serious.
Chu Xun wanted to remove the silk veil to take a breather but he instantly remembered that red rash which sprung on his face. He could only endure it. He was only absent-minded for a split second when he suddenly noticed a coldness on his neck. A certain jade hand had without his permission appeared. Two fingers suddenly gently stroked his neck.
"Not inviting an imperial physician to check?" Mei Qian Deng asked calmly.
Chu Xun forced down his fury as both his hands stayed at his back. He narrowed slightly both his eyes for he decided to use taciturn (or so he thought) and strong aura to let this jianghu wild gra.s.s understand that it was blaspheme against the imperial might. At the same, his beautiful eyes transmitted heavily a message: Remove your paws away!
Mei Qian Deng was not a bit minded of the Crown Prince"s gaze.
She answered her own question, "You fear the physician."
"How is that possible?!" Chu Xun simply couldn"t resist retorting himself.
"And even dislike the medicine"s bitterness."
"Mei Qian Deng, enough of you!" The Crown Prince already had a gruff voice. When he put on the veil and pointed at Mei Qian Deng while his nose twitching, it was a little comical.
Xiao Jing Zi secretly thought, he had served the Crown Prince for more than ten years yet this was the first time he saw the Crown Prince was cut into such a sorry figure like this without a consideration of his own image. Xiao Jing Zi suddenly enlightened. Oh! So, the Crown Prince actually dislike letting the imperial physician to check his health because he is afraid of doctor and scared to drink medicine.
Mei Qian Deng again remembered her father"s warning. You must not be wilful, must not offend the Crown Prince. Therefore, she lowered her head, put down her lifted hand and cupped her fist in the other hand. "Please calm your anger, Crown Prince."
Huh, this Crown Prince will consider that you know your place.
The Crown Prince"s Grand Tutor was a scholar surnamed Song from the Imperial Academy. He was called as Senior Official Song. He was fast approaching seventy years old, had short stature, with white hair and was not fat yet not thin. It was an advantage that his voice was loud and clear and he was very wise. It was not his first day teaching the Crown Prince. He basically watched the Crown Prince and Di Mu Yang grew. However, it was his first time meeting Mei Qian Deng.
Therefore, the moment Mei Qian Deng silently followed Chu Xun pa.s.sed through the Shengxian Pavilion[2]"s door, Senior Official Song"s eyes shone.
He had long received the news that the Emperor found a study partner for the Crown Prince. At that time, he even thought that the search for the Crown Prince"s study partner was quite late. Normally, the imperial family princes would have a study partner when they started learning. What did the Emperor do the few years previously?
However, looking at the person before him, the appearance was first-cla.s.s, had a reserved temperament, steady, calm and collected. Among the whole capital"s n.o.bles" children, none were comparable to this eye-catching child.
In the end, Senior Official Song began with saying a phrase, "Really is a beautiful person!"
Chu Xun"s face turned black, his mouth under the silk veil twitched.
Then, Senior Official Song added, "The Emperor is quite liberal-minded for letting a female child to be the Crown Prince"s study partner."
Mei Qian Deng got agitated for a moment. She glanced at Senior Official Song, unconsciously frowned. Just as she wanted to avoid that matter without dealing with that old man"s words, Chu Xun with his gruff voice represented her to voice out her dissatisfaction. "Cough, cough. Senior Official, you"re old now. How can you be unable to differentiate a male and a female? Young Master Mei obviously is a man. Look at that face of his and his stature. Where is he similar to a young lady?" At the same time, his heart silently said: If he is a young lady, surely he will not be able to marry in his lifetime.
(Author: Everyone, let"s wait and see how the Crown Prince slapped his own face in the future.)
"Oh, this face is truly much prettier than Your Highness." Senior Official Song pinched his beard. His discerning eyes landed on Mei Qian Deng for a simple look. He smiled abruptly. "Even the figure is better than Your Highness."
Crown Prince: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ Are you going to have a proper cla.s.s with us or not?!
Coincidently, when Di Mu Yang entered, the first thing he saw was the appearance of the Crown Prince wearing a veil while having a fill of grievance. A click sounded in his heart first. He looked at Mei Qian Deng beside the Crown Prince. Mei Qian Deng appeared to be trying to avoid everyone"s attention. Di Mu Yang silently thought: It couldn"t be that after he left yesterday, the Crown Prince and Young Master Mei got into a disagreement. Then, Young Master Mei lost control and hit the Crown Prince"s face? And right now, the latter was complaining to the teacher? What to do? The one the Crown Prince cared the most was his own face.
The more Di Mu Yang saw it, the more it seemed plausible. His mind bellowed. Without further thought, he rushed over to the Crown Prince. Using a tiger"s claw grip, he removed the silk veil on the Crown Prince. He even cleared his throat. "Your Highness, let weichen[3] take a look at your face. To see if it"s serious or not. Have you seen the imperial physician?"
Chu Xun got dumbfounded for a moment. After he blinked three times, he then reacted. By the time he reacted, the three pairs of eyes of Senior Official Song, Di Mu Yang and that jianghu wild gra.s.s had already landed on his face. Today, he had received too much stimulus. His brain had almost went on a strike. He numbly raised both his hands to touch his own face. It was then he finally woke up to the reality——His pimple had been exposed!
"Aaarggghhhh——!" A gruff sound reverberated.
In that twinkle, he even went as far as collapsing while turning muddled: Three pairs of eyes means there are six eyes or is it nine eyes?!
Senior Official Song said, "Your Highness, today laofu[4] will not discuss on those general principles. Why don"t we discuss about The Yellow Emperor"s Internal Cannon[5]?"
Di Mu Yang said, "Your Highness, why don"t I summon a medical officer? My family troops were all lads full of vigour and vitality. My family"s medical officers are very experienced in this issue."
The Crown Prince withered as he laid on the table, feigning death.
Senior Official Song added, "Your Highness, please listen to me. Laofu too had once went through youth. This is a very normal growth phenomenon. It"s just a pimple. It can"t keep away Your Highness" charm."
Di Mu Yang continued, "Your Highness, look at my forehead. There are two pimples there previously. After applying a bit of my family medical officer"s self-made aloe and peppermint powder, they quickly vanished."
The Crown Prince with a whoosh raised his head. "Then, you call your people to send some of that powder over." After that, he buried his head again.
"Alright, alright, alright. I will go get it this instant." Di Mu Yang turned around and saw the indifferent Mei Qian Deng who was watching silently at the side while crossing her arms. He added, "Young Master Mei should accompany me too." He did not wait for Mei Qian Deng"s reply as he instantly pulled her outside.
"Cough, cough, wait!" The Crown Prince suddenly stopped them. He glanced once at Mei Qian Deng before saying, "No one else must know today"s matter!"
"Yes!"
"With your large face put out in the open like that, the moment you go out, those that are not blind can see it obviously." Mei Qian Deng who had been silent for a long time finally could not hold herself and gave the Crown Prince a verbal stab.
The Crown Prince as if injected with chicken blood, seethed in anger as he jumped up and pointed directly at Mei Qian Deng. The moment this jianghu wild gra.s.s came, his fifteen years of perfect life had reached its end! It was all his fault! The Crown Prince"s heart was filled with grief and indignation. He coa.r.s.ely snarled, "You, speak clearly——this Crown Prince"s face——how——is——it——large?!"
Di Mu Yang quickly dragged away Mei Qian Deng. They immediately escaped from Chu Xun"s view. Little General Di deeply thought that his worry earlier was not for nothing. The Crown Prince and Mei Qian Deng, even if yesterday they did not fight each other, after a few days, they definitely would fight to death.
[1] Literally, this slave girl
[2] 圣贤阁, Pavilion of Sages and Men of Virtue
[3] This subject
[4] This old man
[5] A real medical text written around 300 BC
This is a photo of the Indian coral tree (the one with red flowers) in case some of you like me don"t know what it looks like (￣▽￣)