A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City

When the story was finished, the customers got up and left. Just as the storyteller picked up the not-so-hot tea and took a few sips to moisten her throat, she noticed that the young lady who had just fished out money for listening to another story had not departed yet.

 

“Ma’am.” JiuZhu sat on the seat in front of the woman.

 

“Does guniang still want to listen to stories?” The woman hurriedly swallowed a few more mouthfuls of the tea. She was just a mortal trying to work hard to earn some scraps of silver for the sake of supporting her family.

 

“I didn’t come to you for listening to more stories.” JiuZhu noticed the edge of the woman’s sleeves. Although they were clean, there were a few same-color patches stitched meticulously. She could tell that those were done with great care.

 

Suppressing her distress, she scooped out another piece of silver from her pouch: “I would like to know something. How did come to know of the story of the handsome prince?”

 

“So guniang wants to know this trivial matter.” Despite these words, her speed of accepting the money was very quick. After putting it away, she continued: “A few days ago, a guniang gave me a huaben which she claimed to have composed out of boredom. She told me that as long as I narrate it, she would give me twenty taels of silver.”

 

“Twenty taels?” JiuZhu was surprised: “She spent so much money just for having you tell a story?”

 

“Guniang, this is how the capital is. It is filled with all kinds of weird people.” The storyteller peered at JiuZhu, aren’t you also that same kind of weirdo with more money than sense? You also spent money to have a storyteller change the story.

 

“We storytellers pay particular attention to the satisfaction of the customers so that our business runs smoothly.”

 

Standing behind JiuZhu, Zhou Xiao looked at this female storyteller with pity. She didn’t know who entangled the innocent storyteller in this malicious scheme.

 

If the tale spread and the Palace got to know of it, they would definitely investigate this thoroughly. And once that happened, the very first person to be out of luck would be this storyteller.

 

“Mother.” A little girl wearing a floral jacket ran out from the side door. She raised her head and glanced timidly at JiuZhu and Zhou Xiao before hiding behind the woman.

 

“I’m sorry, this child is still young so she doesn’t understand the rules. Please don’t take offense, guniangs.” She took out a few copper coins and stuffed them into her daughter’s hands: “Go and buy a pastry for yourself. Mother will come over soon.”

 

After the little girl ran away with the copper coins, JiuZhu rubbed her pouch and took out the last piece of silver: “Ma’am, if you believe me, don’t speak of the handsome prince and evil prince in one story after this. It might just be a story for you, but people are paranoid. If anyone tries to make some far-fetched claims about the story, it will become very difficult for you to avoid trouble.”

 

The woman’s expression changed slightly as she looked at the silver on the table: “Guniang, thank you very much for the reminder. This woman cannot take your money.”

 

“Ma’am, don’t misunderstand my words.” JiuZhu smiled: “Your story is pleasant to hear. I will come again to listen. I liked the story of the evil prince very much.”

 

“Please don’t worry, guniang. This woman will tell the story of the outwardly evil but inwardly kind prince tomorrow too. You are welcome to come and listen.” Feeling encouraged, the female storyteller accepted the money.

 

“Thank you.” JiuZhu clutched her empty pouch and sighed softly after walking out of the teahouse. No wonder people say talent is hard to exchange even with money and riches. It was so expensive to have a storyteller change the story ah. The money she was very reluctant to part with for an entire month had all been spent today.

 

“Ming meimei.” Zhou Xiao had long been familiar with the underhanded tricks of the people of the capital. Her expression was solemn: “It seems that today is not a good day to listen to stories. Why don’t we go visit the rouge shops?”

 

JiuZhu clasped her pouch. With a frown, she shook her head and rejected Zhou Xiao’s proposal: “I have already spent all my silver.”

 

Zhou Xiao laughed involuntarily. From the way JiuZhu kept fishing out money earlier, she had thought that the Ming family’s beloved Young Miss was quite rich. Only now did she realize that JiuZhu had actually used up all the money she had on her. 

 

“It’s fine, it doesn’t cost money to take a look.” Zhou Xiao took the initiative to hook onto JiuZhu’s arm: “Let’s go, just think of it as keeping me company.”

 

This young lady’s body is so soft and fragrant… JiuZhu nodded in a daze. She was astounded again when the young lady gifted her a box of rouge.

 

Once she got home, JiuZhu clutched the rouge in her hand and muttered thoughtfully: “No wonder Master always said that beauty can beguile people. It actually turns out to be true.”

 

However, who could possibly refuse a beautiful, gentle, and caring young lady?

 

In Assistant Minister Zhou’s residence.

 

Zhou Xiao walked into the main courtyard where her parents lived.

 

“Father, Mother.” Zhou Xiao served tea to her parents: “Daughter went to a teahouse with Ming meimei to listen to a story and encountered something.”

 

“What’s the matter?” Zhou Rui and Madam Zhou exchanged a knowing smile. The elders of the two families have already completed discussions about their daughter and Ming family’s sixth son’s wedding. Once Ming JingHai returned to the capital, they would visit in person and send the betrothal gifts.

 

If their daughter had a good relationship with Ming family’s guniang, it would also be beneficial to her relationship with her husband’s family after marriage.

 

Zhou Xiao recounted everything that transpired in the teahouse.

 

How could a little storyteller know what happened between Qi Wang and Chen Wang? If Ming family’s meimei had not discovered this abnormality, that female storyteller could have probably lost her life because of this story.

 

Thinking of the timid little girl behind the woman, Zhou Xiao couldn’t help but say: “A lot of people say that Qi Wang has both integrity and talent, and is genuine like unpolished jade and unrefined gold. After today’s events, a question emerged in Daughter’s mind. Does such a perfect individual really exist in the world?”

 

Zhou Rui didn’t speak but Madam Zhou, who was sitting beside him, smiled, “This guniang of Ming family is quite interesting.”

 

Although she was naive, she had a naturally sharp response to many unknown predicaments.

 

“You didn’t even sense anything wrong with the story at the start. But she just listened to barely a few sentences and intervened without revealing her identity or taking advantage of her position to bully the woman. Instead, she spent money to make the other person willingly change the content of the story.” Madam Zhou was deeply moved: “Worthy of being a member of the Ming family. Even if she was fostered elsewhere, she still has the courage and decisiveness characteristic of her family.”

 

It was not surprising that even Su Guifei, who had always had a terrible relationship with court officials, was fond of this future daughter-in-law.

 

“Is that so?” Zhou Xiao suspected that her mother might have misunderstood Ming JiuZhu. Ming meimei is decisive and courageous?

 

Recalling JiuZhu’s miserable little face while holding her empty pouch and feeling heartbroken for the silver, Zhou Xiao fell silent.

 

Anyway, let her misunderstand. If she revealed the truth on the spot, her Mother would be quite embarrassed.

 

It was better to let the old woman feel satisfied.

 

In the MingYue Palace, Su Guifei was taking a look at her reflection in the mirror when XiangJuan hurried to her side with a somewhat odd expression: “Niangniang, there are some… rumors spreading about His Highness outside the Palace.”

 

“What are those saying? Is it that my son is arrogant and domineering or that he is extravagant?” Su Guifei calmly picked up the eyebrow pencil and filled her brows.

 

“Neither.”

 

“Oppressing the poor and taking advantage of his position to bully others?”

 

“Not these either.” XiangJuan coughed dryly: “According to the rumors, His Highness is only fierce on the surface. In reality, he is a very compassionate person who feels distressed when he sees small animals get hurt and sheds tears when he sees others suffering.”

 

“What?!” Su Guifei’s hands shook, her eyebrow pencil almost jabbing the bridge of her nose: “Are you sure those rumors are talking about my son and not Qi Wang?”

 

“It is indeed about our prince.” XiangJuan said: “The rumors also say that although there are too many cooks in His Highness’ residence, they are actually all seriously injured soldiers. His Highness couldn’t bear to see them lose their livelihood, so he allowed them to work in his residence.”

 

“It is also said that when His Highness forcefully bought some white radish from an old man, he was, in fact, trying to find an excuse for giving him money because he had discovered that the old man’s family was going through difficulty.”

 

Although she didn’t understand why a prince would need to buy radish himself, there would inevitably be some incidents like ‘His Majesty uses a golden carrying pole’ or ‘niangniang puts a lot of oil in her pancakes’ since these were mostly rumors spreading among the common people.

 

After listening to the bizarre stories of ‘sending an aged person home’, ‘forcefully giving money to the beggar’, and ‘not giving in even when a beautiful woman sat in his lap and tried to seduce him’, Su Guifei was silent for a long time. Was this even anymore about her son? This was clearly a Bodhisattva!

 

Rubbing the goosebumps on her arms, she interrupted XiangJuan’s recount: “Don’t tell, don’t tell! I feel really uncomfortable.”

 

She was perplexed: “Where did such outrageous rumors come from?”

 

XiangJuan: “This slave also doesn’t know where it came from. However, it has spread inexplicably in the past few days.”

 

“Could it be that… someone is plotting something against my son?” Su Guifei thought about it but still couldn’t figure it out: “But spreading such rumors… no matter how I look at it, it is favorable for my son. What is the mastermind behind the scenes trying to achieve?”

 

The mother and child had constantly been attracting everyone’s attention in the Palace. They would secretly gnash their teeth with envy and burn incense every day to pray for their misfortune. Those people couldn’t go to such lengths for earning a good reputation for her son.

 

Was this to requite evil with good or to spend money for charity?

 

Having a good reputation was not a bad thing. However, if it became too exaggerated, even she, this mother, would start feeling embarrassed.

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