A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City

The room was silent.

 

Qi Wang did not expect Jiuzhu to say such words.

 

According to the rules of the Yun family, as an imperial wife, she should be gentle, virtuous, knowledgeable, and courteous. She must not instigate disharmony in the imperial family but rather, encourage closeness and quell disputes.

 

He thought that Ming Jiuzhu was just young and ignorant so he took the opportunity to remind this future Chen Wangfei. However, he did not expect her to have no regard for the prestige of the imperial family in her actions and only know how to obey Chen Wang blindly.

 

Chen Wang’s sneer broke the silence inside the hall. He stood up and looked down at the Zheng family, who were kneeling on the ground to beg forgiveness: “Today is fourth brother’s wedding day. So let’s leave this matter for tomorrow.”

 

As soon as Chen Wang’s servant opened the door, the boisterous laughter of the guests crashed inside. The Zheng family kneeling on the ground merely felt these sounds to be upsetting.

 

“Tonight must not be wasted away like this.” Chen Wang walked to the door and put on a welcoming posture: “Fourth brother, please.”

 

After speaking, before Qi Wang could reply, he beckoned to Jiuzhu: “Ming Xiaozhu, come with me!”

 

Jiuzhu trotted to Chen Wang. Today, she wasn’t wearing the bun she liked, but a flying immortal bun1Flying immortal bun [飞仙髻] – Looks like this: and as she ran, the phoenix-winged hairpin in her bun shone brightly under the light of the red lantern, like a phoenix descending upon the world.

 

The moment Qi Wang looked up, he felt as if his eyes were stabbed by the radiance and shut them. Opening them again, he looked at Ming Jiuzhu once more and had the urge to quickly get rid of the faint joy in his heart.

 

“Fourth brother.” Suddenly, Chen Wang’s gaze met his gaze as he pulled Jiuzhu behind him: “Farewell.”

 

Seeing Yun Duqing take Ming Jiuzhu away, Qi Wang sighed wearily and turned toward the Zheng family: “You can return. Tomorrow when I enter the Palace with the Wangfei to serve tea, I will think of a way.”

 

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Although Countess Pingyuan was Qi Wang’s aunt, she did not dare to put on airs in front of him. On the surface, the Pingyuan family was said to be Ning Fei’s natal family, but she was very well aware in her heart that Ning Fei and her husband were merely using one another; they were not even born of the same mother.

 

“Even though second cousin is young, he should be taught well.” Qi Wang glanced at the second Young Master of the Zheng family with a cold and indifferent gaze: “Ming Jiuzhu is the future daughter-in-law whom Su Guifei values. Who gave you all the courage to make things difficult for her?”

 

“Your Highness.” Countess Pingyuan knew that Qi Wang was still upset about the matter of the two servants, so she explained: “Those two servants were not arranged by our humble residence, please investigate it carefully.”

 

Qi Wang stared at the Zheng family for a while. Then he bent down to help Countess Pingyuan up, and spoke in a gentle tone: “Auntie speaks too solemnly. This junior merely uttered a few words of advice. The human heart is sinister. Everyone knows that I am very close with my maternal family, so I am afraid that people with bad intentions might hurt you because of me.”

 

“Thank you for the concern, Your Highness. Chenfu will strictly manage the residence from now on, so as to avoid causing trouble for Your Highness.”

 

“Aunt, how can the matters of Ben Wang’s maternal family be troublesome?” Qi Wang put his hands behind his back and said with a smile: “It is late. I will let someone escort you all back to the residence.”

 

“Chenfu thanks Your Highness.” 

 

Countess Pingyuan realized that His Highness Qi Wang was disappointed in them but couldn’t bear to embarrass their family because of his inherently pure and benevolent nature.

 

The servants on duty in the Pingyuan residence were slacking off to discuss the grandness of Qi Wang’s wedding in low voices when they heard the servants of the outer gate come to announce that the masters had returned to the residence.

 

The servants hurried away, wondering why the masters had returned so early.

 

“Hey, wait.” The chief steward stopped scarface: “Scar, don’t go there. I was told that you are not to do any errand that requires you to show your face outside from now on.”

 

Scarface asked with a little smile: “Then what am I to do from now on?”

 

“You have to wait for the Master to arrange it.” The chief manager swung his sleeves and left in a hurry.

 

Gazing at the chief steward’s departing figure, scarface touched his chin, his eyes filled with anger and resentment.

 

Recalling the damned girl who disfigured him, scarface clenched his teeth, unable to let go of the hatred. If he hadn’t been afraid that the corpse and bloodstains would be hard to deal with and arouse suspicion, he would have chopped her body into a thousand pieces after torturing her to death bit by bit.

 

He really let her off lightly by throwing her into the river with tied limbs and a gagged mouth.

 

After a while, he overheard the young servants mention the reason behind the early return of the masters.

 

“That Young Miss Ming seems to have a grudge against our residence. Every time someone from our residence meets her, they’re out of luck.”

 

“How can mere servants like us comprehend the matters of the masters? Anyway, whoever offends Chen Wang is sure to be unlucky. Young Miss Ming is Chen Wang’s fiancée so naturally, she’s comparable to him.”

 

Scarface touched the fleshy scar on his chin, remembering how Chen Wang and this Young Miss Ming had scorned his ugly appearance and made him feel humiliated in the magistrate’s yamen. His expression turned gloomy and vicious.

 

Life in Da Cheng was prosperous, so the capital and several flourishing main cities lifted the night curfew. After Jiuzhu left Qi Wang’s residence in a carriage, she could still see a few vendors setting up stalls on the side of the street.

 

Shen-shi raised the curtains and glanced at Chen Wang, who was riding a horse beside the carriage. Noticing her gaze, he shot her a friendly smile.

 

Returning a slightly stiff smile, Shen-shi put down the curtain and looked at her incredibly sleepy daughter whose little head was bobbed like a woodpecker. She stretched out her hand, letting her lean on her shoulder softly.

 

Jiuzhu rubbed against Shen-shi’s neck and fell asleep peacefully.

 

Shen-shi shook her head helplessly. This heartless ‘not-my-problem’ temper was indeed a copy of her father’s.

 

When the carriages arrived at the Ming residence’s gate, Ming Jingzhou got off the one ahead and walked up to Chen Wang, “Thank you for accompanying us back all the way, Your Highness.”

 

“Lord Ming is being modest. Ben Wang just did it in passing.” Chen Wang furtively glanced at the carriage that Jiuzhu was in but did not see the little guniang coming out: “Ben Wang will take his leave now.” 

 

“Your Highness, please forgive chenfu for not being able to get out and see you off. Chenfu’s daughter has always had the habit of going to bed early, so now she has fallen asleep inside the carriage.” Shen-shi lifting the curtains of the carriage: “Your Highness, please be careful.”

 

Can eat, can sleep, and doesn’t like to use her head, what is she if not a little pig2T/N: He’s referring to how he nicknamed her Xiaozhu (小猪) where 小 or xiǎo means little and 猪 or zhū means pig. This ‘pig’ is a homophone with the zhu (珠) in Jiuzhu’s name. So unless he writes it down, it is difficult to catch his little trick.?

 

Hearing that Jiuzhu was asleep, Chen Wang turned his horse and left gracefully.

 

In the night fog, the owner of a roadside snacks stall was cleaning up the bowl and chopsticks used by the customers when Jinwu Guards rode past him, reminding the vendors to pay attention to the inflammable objects and to clean up the ground where the stalls were set up.

 

A drunk man staggered past and nearly fell over into the oil pan beside. Even after being taken to the side by the leader of the Jinwu Guard, he continued babbling nonsense. However, the owner of the stall was terrified and repeatedly thanked the leader.

 

“Oh, it’s you again.” Seeing this scene, Chen Wang spoke to the Jinwu Guard who had rescued the drunkard, “What’s your name?”

 

The unit leader of the Jinwu Guard struggled a little inwardly. Was it a good thing to be remembered by this prince or was it bad?

 

“This humble leader, Yu Jian, greets Your Highness.” Yu Jian got off his horse and greeted Chen Wang with cupped hands.

 

“Yu Jian.” Chen Wang nodded, “Ben Wang feels it would be for you to remain a minor team leader in the Jinwu Guards. Your skills are pretty good.”

 

Yu Jian’s nerves tensed. Did Chen Wang want him to go and become a lackey in his residence?

 

Despite his thoughts, Chen Wang didn’t say anything. He just glanced at him and left.

 

Yu Jian looked at Chen Wang’s departing back and then at the drunk man lying on the ground talking nonsense: “Take him back. Wait until he sobers up and returns by himself.”

 

Looking back at the direction of Chen Wang’s departure once more, he felt a little conflicted. What exactly did His Highness Chen Wang mean? Actually… if the monthly pay was enough, it was not impossible for him to become Chen Wang’s lackey.

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1Flying immortal bun [飞仙髻] – Looks like this: 2T/N: He’s referring to how he nicknamed her Xiaozhu (小猪) where 小 or xiǎo means little and 猪 or zhū means pig. This ‘pig’ is a homophone with the zhu (珠) in Jiuzhu’s name. So unless he writes it down, it is difficult to catch his little trick.