CHAPTER 57 – MAKING A WAGERAfter Mei Qian Deng sent off Xiao Jian, she was depressed for quite some time. She kept on lowering her head without speaking. Sometimes she even stared in daze at a certain direction.
Though Chu Xun did it out of good intention, deep in his heart he felt guilty. Hence, he thought of ways to cheer up female warrior Mei.
“Boor, what do you say if this Crown Prince brings you out of the palace to play? At the outskirts of the temporary imperial residence, there is a man-made lake. By now, the lake has freeze very thickly. We can go and ice-skate there.”
Mei Qian Deng wiped her sleeve sword while blandly replied, “This winter day seems to be quite hard to bear. Recently, the Emperor"s body is not too good. At this critical time, it"s best if Crown Prince don"t hanker after fun and games. If some accidents happened while we"re away from the palace, we have no way to explain to the Emperor and the whole world.”
A certain person was beaten. He returned to the study room and read book for a while. When he returned, he found out Mei Qian Deng was still sitting in the room without moving. Chu Xun pasted the warm-hearted face on again. “Then, come and exchange some moves with me. I deeply feel my martial art skill has notably improved. But Di Mu Yang always let me win that it"s pointless.”
“Crown Prince, you can"t even last my ten moves……”
“Why are you looking down on people this much?!” Chu Xun flew into rage from shame. “Then, why don"t we do this. We make a wager, if I can last ten moves, even if it"s only ten and a half moves, consider I win. You will have to tell me a secret. If I can"t last, then I will tell you a secret.”
Mei Qian Deng blinked her eyes. Underneath her eyelashes, a coldness aura flashed. Obviously, she was really disgusted with this childish game of Chu Xun"s. After Chu Xun said it, he recalled it but he felt he was quite quick-witted. He raised his eyebrow as he thought:
If this Crown Prince wins, the loser will have to say out her secret. Mei Qian Deng doesn"t know he already know her biggest secret. It just whether Mei Qian Deng dares to say it.
If he lost, it"s good too. Just let he say it instead. His secret is he had already know Mei Qian Deng"s biggest secret and it"s while Mei Qian Deng is unaware of it.
En, although this logic was naturally just winding around, both the ends made Chu Xun completely looked forward to. He didn"t even give Mei Qian Deng a chance to decline as he rushed forward to pull Mei Qian Deng"s wrist and dragged her outside. “Xiao Jing Zi! Bring two wooden swords over! Xiao Jing Zi——!”
The acc.u.mulated snow at the roof fell off trickling at the corner.
Xiao Jing Zi panted as he hugged two wooden swords and handed them over to Chu Xun"s hands. Chu Xun threw one to Mei Qian Deng. He impatiently attacked Mei Qian Deng. The first move was the wild goose sweeping the sand flat[1], the second move was the dapeng[2] spreading its wings, the third move was the complete annihilation of thousand army, the fourth move was the feinting a thrust with spear and the fifth move was the returning the dragon to the sea[3].
Mei Qian Deng let Chu Xun finished all his five moves before she retaliate. She first attacked below his ribs. Chu Xun put his sword horizontally and used the flat part to block the attack. Both his hands simultaneously exerted all his strength to push the sword away. He managed to take one move. Mei Qian Deng stopped for a moment, she was quite surprised. It had been a few days since she exchanged moves with Chu Xun. This guy"s martial art skills indeed had improved a bit, at least his strength was more than last time.
“Humph, already told you not to look down on this Crown Prince!” Chu Xun made another move since he wanted to attack by surprise but Mei Qian Deng"s body was far flexible than Chu Xun. Bending her waist, she easily avoided his wooden sword. Conveniently she made the seventh move, inverting the arms, counterattacking Chu Xun"s stomach. Chu Xun hastily halted himself and sidespin to evade it. Mei Qian Deng closely pressed on, planning to surprise attack Chu Xun"s unguarded back. Chu Xun bit his teeth as he turned his hand over and guarded with his sword at his back. Although he somehow managed to receive this move, he still didn"t manage to stabilise his body stance as his body staggered a few steps forward.
“Be careful!” Mei Qian Deng reminded. When Chu Xun turned around, he saw the female warrior already flew above his head and prepared to drop down. Chu Xun immediately evaded to the side. Mei Qian Deng"s word was like a snake, drawing a curve as it tied up Chu Xun"s sword. Chu Xun felt a pain on his wrist, unable to hold properly his weapon. In a flash of confrontation, Chu Xun"s wooden sword had already flew away.
Mei Qian Deng wanted to say Chu Xun had lost but this guy was like he was injected with chicken blood as he attacked bare-handed. He didn"t have the intention of stopping. Instead, he became even bolder and fiercer. Chu Xun"s legs were long, standing half a metre away, with one leg he easily high-kicked Mei Qian Deng"s shoulder. He actually managed to force Mei Qian Deng to retreat a few steps and gave Chu Xun a moment to gasp for breath.
The tenth move was the beating around the mountain to scare the tiger. Chu Xun spared no effort to leap, he stretched out arm as he flew to Mei Qian Deng. Mei Qian Deng slightly hesitated. It was not known if it was due to seeing the Crown Prince was working too much today so she wanted to lose deliberately. She obviously could receive this move and then give a flying kick to this idiot. Yet, Mei Qian Deng didn"t do so. Mei Qian Deng slowly avoided the incoming flying huge thing. Chu Xun had a prevailing sinister smile as he instantly changed his move, “The eleventh move, take a good look!”
(～￣▽￣)～ Pia[4]——
Female warrior Mei finally took a step. In the end, she still decided to kick the Crown Prince flying.
The Crown Prince fell and rolled two times on the ground while Xiao Jing Zi fearfully cried, “Your Highness!!!”
Chu Xun crawled up yet he had a brilliant and cheerful face. It was really like he was a m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t as he happily said, “This Crown Prince won. Mei Qian Deng, you must accept to lose if you agree to bet.”
Little secret, little secret, little secret!
A stark difference to Chu Xun"s excitement, Mei Qian Deng was obviously calm. She called Chu Xun with her hand, motioning him to come over. Chu Xun immediately gave his ear to her and even emphasised, “It must be a very important secret. Those like I secretly farted just now will not be accepted.”
“Zhu Li has a twin elder sister, name Mo Biao who is your shadow guard. Sometimes, I will help her do the night s.h.i.+ft, need to constantly watch Crown Prince, including when you"re picking your nose, farting, going to lavatory. I had never told you before.”
The Crown Prince"s face was burning red as he jumped about. “What sort of secret is this? Even if this Crown Prince doesn"t know this person and this matter, how is it related to you? Not counted! Again!”
Mei Qian Deng didn"t refute as she naturally said another one, “Two days ago, Senior Official Song made me help him to visit the imperial art academy to get ** paintings[5]. I left one under the pillow.”
The Crown Prince"s face turned ever red. “What are you trying to do saving that thing?! Still young yet already learn bad things!”
“Senior Official Son previously said a normal person can use it and can even make life much prettier.”
“Is it enough?” Mei Qian Deng tidied up the swords, wanting to do something else.
Chu Xun was like a dapeng[6] with its wings spread as he blocked her way, “This sort of harmless, small matter can"t be considered as some secret!”
“You didn"t say clearly from the beginning.”
“I will say clearly now!”
Mei Qian Deng lowered her head and pondered for an instant. Crown Prince was her heaven. Crown Prince was her earth. Crown Prince was her grandaunt[7]. So, she compromised, “Fine then. Why not you ask me a question instead since I don"t know what do you want to know?” Female warrior Mei had long seen through Chu Xun"s little intention. Previously, she intentionally said all those funny secrets.
Chu Xun rubbed his hands. He completely didn"t care he got played by Mei Qian Deng. Opening his eyes wide, he moved closer and demanded, “Fine then. Let me ask you……” Chu Xun"s eyesight turned a circle on Mei Qian Deng"s fair and clear small face. Turning another circle, his words got stuck in his throat instead. How to ask it out loud……?
Mei Qian Deng"s patience was extremely good as she unperturbedly stood at the original place, letting him to see as he liked while waiting for him to ask.
“Let me ask you, did you hide something from me before entering the palace from the start?”
“There"s none.”
“Really none?”
“En.” Mei Qian Deng seriously nodded her head, like she didn"t have a speck of guilty conscious. She didn"t even think from that point at all. Female warrior Mei had nothing changed but the narcissistic shortcoming seemed to have been infected from Chu Xun. She deeply a.s.sumed she had disguised perfectly, that it was impossible for others to realise she was actually a girl. (Just blame you have a pig-dad.)
Chu Xun gnashed his teeth. He had the impulse to expose this big young lady. On the second thought, it was too sudden, like a new groom approaching his bridal chamber. Originally he was excited to get his wish granted but at the critical junction, he got too nervous, scared he couldn"t do it well. What if he was too fast or too soft or couldn"t find the spot…… In any case various worries came out and he turned terrified.
It was at this moment, the Emperor"s personal eunuch, Xiao gonggong came searching for Chu Xun. Chu Xun let go of Mei Qian Deng for now, “I will come back later to ask you again. This matter is not over!”
Mei Qian Deng, “……”
The Emperor was ill, causing the whole Imperial Physicians Bureau busy.
But on closer check, they said it was not a serious illness, just that his body worn out due to vital energy deficiency and he fell ill from constant work. To let the Emperor get well completely, it was to let him take off the Emperor"s dragon robe and peacefully nursed himself. This however was impossible. He could only drink more of those tonics and ordered the Imperial Kitchen to make more nouris.h.i.+ng food.
When Chu Xun arrived, his father was sitting behind the study table, wearing a thick clothes. Lots of braziers were lit up inside the room. The Emperor"s spirit was quite well, only that his face looked sallow, his ill symptoms was undoubtedly visible.
“Xun er, come here and take a look.”
The Emperor sent away the others to have a private word with the Crown Prince.
Chu Xun walked over and received the folded booklet from his father"s hand. The colour of this booklet was dark blue, which meant it was secret report but it was not by any of those ministers. Stated in it was the result of the investigation on the recently northern nomadic tribes seemed to have been colluding with suspected traitors from their imperial court.
“It"s really Imperial Uncle?”
The Emperor nodded. “Zhen has never thought, his hatred towards zhen is already this deep. To think that he doesn"t hesitate to collude with outsiders to usurp zhen"s seat.”
The more Chu Xun read, the more worse his face was.
In the end, Chu Xun returned that booklet to his father. With an extremely heavy face, he said sternly, “Old Master Mei was only on friendly terms with Imperial Uncle when he was young. To say Mei family is colluding with Imperial Uncle and has the intent to rebel, if there is no conclusive proof, we can"t just treat them unjustly. All the several hundred members of Mei family are innocent.”
“Zhen doesn"t want to suspect them too but the headwater of the Mei Zi River Islet is the Yue River[8]. It"s the easiest way to smuggle weapons and saltpetre. It"s hard to make zhen not to suspect them.” The checkpoints at the border defence were mostly on the land with heavy security, it"s not easy to smuggle. Yue River is the northern region"s main river. Using the water route to smuggle things is the best choice. And Mei Zi River Islet coincidentally is like a main fortress and there is no government authorities administering it, it"s absolutely the most beneficial protective screen for the smuggling.”
Chu Xun gritted his teeth, “The Mei family is of absolute loyalty, they will absolutely never collude with Imperial Uncle!”
“It"s Mei Qian Deng who is of absolute loyalty. Xun er, you must differentiate it clearly. What sort of Old Master Mei, how can you know? It"s exactly like what called know the face but not the heart. You"re someone who is going to be the Emperor in the future. If you"re controlled by emotion, how are you going to decide fairly the truth?”
Chu Xun instead smiled and said, “To decide fairly is the duty of the parents. If erchenis the monarch, isn"t the most important thing to learn is how to weigh? With the imperial throne as the most important one. Today, the spearhead is pointing directly as the Mei family. Considering with a monarch"s heart, the Mei Zi River Islet already has the reason to reclaim, the discontent Prince already has the reputation to put in order. It"s only a matter of some people die because of it. For the imperial throne, it"s only the required sacrifice.”
How could the Emperor didn"t hear the taunting in his words? Everything Chu Xun said was exactly what he was thinking. It didn"t matter whether Mei family did collude with Prince Chen. What result the Emperor wanted was the most important one. “Since you understand everything, zhen will not say further. For this matter, it"s fine if you have the truth in your heart.”
“Then, what about Mei Qian Deng?!”
“Why are you so nervous? This has yet to reach the killing others in cold blood stage. Those you think about are at the worst stage. Although zhen"s body is a bit weak, zhen"s brain is still not dull-witted.” The Emperor drank some medical tea to press down the discomfort in his throat. “You"re not too small anymore. From tomorrow onwards, you will start to enter the court with zhen.”
“…… Yes.”
Xiao gonggong escorted Chu Xun out. At the corridor, they coincidentally came across the old imperial physician who came to take the Emperor"s pulse. Chu Xun hence stopped the imperial physician and inquired, “How is His Majesty"s body?”
The imperial physician replied, “There is nothing serious with His Majesty, only tired by the national affairs. Due to the acc.u.mulation over a long period, the body is quite exhausted. There is also a need to slowly nursing back to health.”
Chu Xun let him go and returned by himself to Ming Jue Palace. He immediately saw Mei Qian Deng sitting beside the table in the main hall. Brushes, ink and papers were arranged on the table as she focused on writing. Two days earlier, Senior Official Song gave them an a.s.signment, to let everyone write Mencius three times. Tomorrow was the due date. Because Chu Xun couldn"t answer a question during the cla.s.s, Senior Official Song felt the Crown Prince didn"t study properly and even the other two study partners were punished to copy too.
“Don"t copy anymore. I"m not going to the morning cla.s.s tomorrow.”
Mei Qian Deng looked up and gave him a pure, innocent stare.
“Imperial Father let me start going to the morning court tomorrow.”
Mei Qian Deng immediately nodded her head. She was not surprised of it. Crown Prince was no longer a child, it was indeed time for him to formally enter the imperial court and take charge of a department. However, Chu Xun didn"t think that simple. He approached Mei Qian Deng and whispered at her ear, “I want to invite your Eldest Sister-in-Law to enter the capital city again. The faster, the better.”
Female warrior Mei made that pure and innocent look again.
“To check my Imperial Father"s health.”
“His Majesty has so many imperial physicians. In the end, my Eldest Sister-in-Law is just a doctor from jianghu. It"s already at her limit to check Lord Nan. She really can"t check the Son of Heaven. If she accidentally check wrongly, she can"t pay it……”
Chu Xun said, “There"s me. I will take responsibility of it. What is there to afraid of? Plus, it"s just come and check and listen to your Eldest Sister-in-Law say. There"s no need for her to treat anything.”
“Oh, let me ask Eldest Sister-in-Law first. She has quite a weird temper. It"s not confirmed she will agree to come.” Mei Qian Deng accepted Chu Xun"s demand. But then she thought again and asked, “You don"t believe the imperial physicians?”
Chu Xun answered with a straight face, “Even you who have huge courage is afraid of checking the Emperor"s health, what more of that group of imperial physicians. I"m only worry they are hiding something and worry they can"t notice some of the illnesses.”
In any case, His Highness Crown Prince had never believe the Imperial Physician Bureau. Last time when his voice was coa.r.s.e with his throat hurting, he simply didn"t invite the imperial physician to check and only drank the stewed snow pear. Presumably, the imperial physicians weren"t fond of His Highness Crown Prince privately. If not, later when they were trying to check Nan Bai Cheng"s health, Mei Qian Deng called over Xie Yun while Chu Xun rarely summoned the imperial physician to keep up his appearance yet not even one of them came.
It was not known what Mei Qian Deng"s thought was in her heart as outwardly she only nodded her head and didn"t ask further. She silently cleaned up the brushes, ink and papers on the table. The Crown Prince didn"t have to go to the morning cla.s.s tomorrow. This a.s.signment was hence not immediately needed to hand over to Senior Official Song. Chu Xun was at the side standing blankly as he watched Mei Qian Deng moved. Only when Mei Qian Deng was about to return to her room that he spoke again.
“Wei, boor.”
Mei Qian Deng turned around with a confused face.
“The earlier wager, you had lost but you has yet to fulfil the agreement.”
“Crown Prince, what do you want to ask?”
“Your father and Prince Chen, do they know each other?”
Mei Qian Deng didn"t have any hesitation as she calmly answered, “They"re well acquainted.” Only, due to unknown reason later, Prince Chen no longer keep in touch with Mei family. On the surface, they"re indeed no longer in touch. Else when Mei Qian Deng accidentally b.u.mped into Prince Chen in the palace that time, she wouldn"t be surprise. As for whether her father and Prince Chen were interacting privately, Mei Qian Deng really didn"t know.
This time, Chu Xun didn"t be hard on her as he smiled at Mei Qian Deng and consoled her, “Nothing. I just suddenly remember. When Imperial Uncle was young, he had once travelled in the jianghu. Naturally he will know many people and maybe even your father. To think they really know each other. However, let me warn you. Right now, you"re not allowed to approach Imperial Uncle. Don"t let your family to have any relations.h.i.+p with him or else sooner or later there will be some suffering inflicted on the innocents.”
“En……”
[Mini Theatre]
The several issues between the Crown Prince and the imperial physician.
First issue:
When Chu Xun had just born, the midwife carried him from under the Empress and pa.s.sed him to the waiting imperial physician to check.
Because during the labour, Chu Xun"s foetus position was quite wrong. The imperial physician had checked, the midwife had touched. It was because Chu Xun"s head hit Her Majesty Empress" urinary bladder. He hit it for half a day before the imperial physician managed to slowly reposition him. Not only the imperial physician was worried and cold-sweating, Her Majesty Empress too was cursing nonstop this stupid child in her heart. Hitting until her urinary bladder lose control! Blood and yellow liquid flowed all over the bed!!
That imperial physician was a poisonous tongue bootlicker. Glancing once at Chu Xun, he told the Empress, “Congratulation, Your Majesty, little prince is really as if an immortal descending to the mortal world, he looks just like Erlangshen.”
Between Erlangshen"s eyebrows, there was the third eye. Because the just born Chu Xun"s forehead had pushed on the bladder too long, there was a red trident-shaped mark on his forehead. That mark remained until Chu Xun was six months old. It was still faintly around like a huadian[9] until then. Since then, the little Crown Prince in swaddling clothes would bawl out whenever he saw that imperial physician. It was a common occurrence and time-tested.
(Chu Xun: Erlangshen? Your whole family is Erlangshen! This Crown Prince should at least be the Lord Deities above the Zi Wei Emperor[10]! How can this Crown Prince be that three eyes one who is followed by merely a black dog?!)
Second issue:
Chu Xun was nearly two years old yet he still didn"t want to stop the weaning. By norm, drinking the breastmilk was a good thing but that wet nurse actually had the intention to seduce the Emperor. She would purposely pull open her clothes to breastfeed Chu Xun when the Emperor came over. The Emperor had only praised that wet nurse once, “Your milk is outstandingly ample.”
That wet nurse replied in her heart: Do Your Majesty wants to drink it too? I a.s.sures there"s enough. But in the end, she didn"t have that much courage. Who didn"t know that in this palace, the Emperor favoured the Empress only?
However, that wet nurse"s husband was——an imperial physician!
Not long, he found out his wife"s bad intention to be unfaithful. For the sake of their newly born child, that imperial physician didn"t reveal it. He only thought a bad idea. The aim was very simple, to make his wife no longer be the little Crown Prince"s wet nurse. Hence, every day at night after waiting for his wife to sleep soundly, he would smear yellow lotus on her two thingies.
The little Crown Prince who was unaware of the truth tasted some bitterness when drinking milk. He would only cry. How could he be willing to drink? The whole day, he cried until he was weak. After summoning the imperial physician, the imperial physicians in the Imperial Physician Bureau tried to avoid arousing any suspicion so they let that wet nurse"s husband, that imperial physician to come over and check. How could that imperial physician find the reason? In a few days, that wet nurse was dismissed.
(Chu Xun: The enmity of milk drinking, how to revenge it?!)
Third issue:
When His Highness Crown Prince was six or seven years old, he had already perfected that narcissist nature.
That was the time when he was not explicitly opposing the imperial physicians. It was only having unhappiness deep inside his heart as the result of his toddler period"s trauma.
That day, the little Crown Prince was gnawing a pig ham during lunch. It stick to his teeth a bit. Eating until half of it, he suddenly felt a pain at his incisor tooth so he summoned an imperial physician to check. The imperial physician who arrived was a young man, very young and inexperienced. Obviously he had just entered the Imperial Physician Bureau. Hence, he didn"t understand each of the masters" temper. Looking once at the Crown Prince, he thought. This is too easy.
“His Highness Crown Prince has a tooth decay.”
The Emperor and the Empress didn"t think much of it, letting the imperial physician to do whatever should be done.
That imperial physician rolled up his sleeves and unrestrainedly said, “Your Highness Crown Prince, open your mouth wider.”
The little Chu Xun at that time was very innocent as he obediently opened wider his mouth, “Ah——AH!!!”
The imperial physician bare-handed pulled out that tooth and it was an incisor tooth! Clutching his mouth, his tears flowed nonstop as he cried violently. At the same time, he heard that imperial physician even calmly and composedly said, “Your Majesties, this is the first time His Highness change his baby tooth. My mother said the upper baby teeth have to be thrown below the bed while the lower baby teeth have to be thrown above the roof. This tooth of Crown Prince should be thrown below the bed or keep it as a memento?”
(Chu Xun: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ Return my incisor tooth!)
(The author is Bei Men Nan Ya[11], nickname is Men Ya[12], is His Highness Crown Prince"s first baby tooth that cultivated and gained spirit[13]……)
(Censors.h.i.+p officer: Don"t run, nothing is allowed to gain spirit[14] after the establishment of the country!)
[1] Either I made mistake in the first chapter it"s mentioned or the author made the mistake or it"s a complete different move. First appeared in Chapter 6, it"s called gathering wild goose to level the sand.
[2] A Chinese mythological giant bird. Likened to the Roc and Garuda.
[3] Means to let go of enemy and bring bane to oneself
[4] Kicking/slapping sound
[5] It actually refers to the Spring Palace Paintings.
[6] Another term for peng
[7] A slang, means unreasonable one.
[8] Literally, River of Moon.
[9]
A forehead ornament. Most popular during the Tang Dynasty.
[10] Literally, Polestar Emperor. Full name is The Great Emperor of Middle Heaven Zi Wei Bei Ji or The Great Emperor of Middle Heaven North Star. He"s one of the four highest sky deities and one of the Four Sovereigns of Taoist religion.
[11] Literally, Northern Gate, Southern Teeth
[12] Same words for the incisor teeth.
[13] Like non-living object gaining emotion and mind after cultivating (xianxia?)
[14] I guess, it"s part of the censors.h.i.+p in China. Not sure about it, but I remember reading a few years ago about how no one is allowed to talk nonsense about becoming immortal or something around like that.