A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City

By the time Ming Jinghai finished eating, washing up and changing his attire at his third younger brother’s house, the carriage sent by the Palace for bringing him was already waiting outside the residence of Assistant Minister Ming.

 

When passing by the Ministry of Rites, Ming Jinghai noticed the vermilion-painted entrance and the majestic stone lions on either side and asked the coachman: “The Ministry of Rites did not seem to look like this when I left the capital eight months ago, did it?”

 

“My lord, the Ministry of Rites is currently being renovated.” The coachman explained: “The stone lions beside the entrance and the floor are all newly replaced.”

 

As the carriage wheels rolled over the road in front of the Ministry of Rites’ bureau, Ming Jinghai glanced at the newly built wall and fell silent.

 

“Is My lord curious as to why the Ministry of Rites has gained such great improvements?”

 

Ming Jinghai looked up at the coachman sent by the imperial family, and asked with a smile, “This official is indeed somewhat curious.”

 

“A few days ago, His Highness Chen Wang was assigned to work at the Ministry of Rites by His Majesty. His Highness couldn’t bear the dilapidated sight of the bureau and the thought of the lord officials working in such a bitter and cold environment, so he presented a memorial to His Majesty for the renovation of the Ministry of Rites.” The coachman hit the horse with the whip in his hand lightly: “And not long after, the bureau of the Ministry of Rites has undergone earth-shaking changes.”

 

“Thank you for letting me know, little brother.” Ming Jinghai put down the curtain and stroked the neatly shaven beard on his chin. Of the three roads to the imperial Palace from his third brother’s residence, only the longest one passed by the main entrance of the Ministry of Rites and led to the Vermilion Bird Gate of the Palace.

 

Since the coachman deliberately let him discover the changes in the Ministry of Rites. Ming Jinghai wondered whether the former had acted on his own initiative or it was the Emperor’s intention. 

 

After meeting Emperor Longfeng, Ming Jinghai handed over the secret evaluation list of officials and talked about what he had experienced during the time he was away investigating.

 

“Beloved Official has worked hard.” Emperor Longfeng helped him up: “With someone like Beloved official as the backbone, zhen will never have to worry about becoming a muddle-headed ruler sitting on the Dragon Throne…”

 

“Weichen does not dare accept this great honor.” Ming Jinghai’s eyes reddened slightly: “If it means gaining Your Majesty’s trust, weichen is ready to risk his life and limbs.”

 

Moved, Emperor Longfeng patted Ming Jinghai’s shoulder: “Alright, alright, alright.”

 

After saying it three times, Emperor Longfeng changed the topic and brought up family matters, inquiring about Ming Jinghai’s well-being and what hardships he had experienced: “Zhen is aware that you and your honorable wife were deeply in love, but she breathed her last quite some time ago. It is not proper for Beloved Official’s backyard to be left unattended. How about zhen chooses a perfect wife for you to take care of your meals and daily life?”

 

“Weichen appreciates Your Majesty’s kind intentions. It is just that weichen is already old and accustomed to living alone. How can weichen drag down a fine woman from another family?” Ming Jinghai cupped his hands and refused: “A woman is both like a flower and jade. It would already be atrocious to let her marry a fifty years old man who has two sons, so how can weichen let her take care of the backyard and the whole family for him?”

 

“Beloved Official is a master of both pen and sword. How can you undervalue yourself?”

 

“Your Majesty.” Ming Jinghai smiled and shook his head: “Weichen met his wife when we were young. When proposing marriage to her, weichen swore to be loyal to her and never be half-hearted. Although she passed away early, if weichen breaks the promise he made at that time, how can he have the face to meet her in the afterlife?”

 

Knowing that Ming Jinghai was not simply trying to find an excuse, Emperor Longfeng stopped persuading him: “Us ruler and minister have not seen each other for such a long time. Tonight you and zhen will have a good time drinking and chatting all night.”

 

Ming Jinghai smiled. He stood up and cupped his hands: “Weichen will abide by Your Majesty’s order. “

 

“Niangniang, His Majesty sent word that he is unable to come over tonight. He also said that the night is cold, so niangniang does not have to wait for him and go to sleep early.” Xiangjuan walked to Su Guifei: “What message do you want to pass on to His Majesty?”

 

“Ming Jinghai?” Su Guifei’s beautiful eyes swept past her lightly: “He has returned to the capital?”

 

Xiangjuan nodded: “Liu gonggong said that Lord Ming just returned today.”

 

“He is Jiuzhu’s uncle, that is, my son’s uncle.” Su Guifei thought for a while and told: “Send some of the new pastries prepared by the kitchen to Taiyang Palace and just say… that it is for His Majesty and Lord Ming to try something new.”

 

Xiangjuan looked at Su Guifei in surprise; one should know that niangniang never sent food when His Majesty dined with his ministers.

 

“Ming family is different from others.” Su Guifei smiled: “You just have to do as I say.”

 

“As you wish, niangniang.” Xiangjuan personally went to the small kitchen to get some refreshments and delivered them to Liu Zhongbao: “Liu gonggong, thank you for the trouble.”

 

“You’re welcome, gugu.” Liu Zhongbao took the food box without even looking at its contents: “This old slave bids farewell.”

 

“Take care, gonggong.” Seeing Liu Zhongbao off, Xiangjuan returned to the inner hall and saw Su Guifei staring at the mirror in a daze, She stepped forward and gently massaged her shoulder: “Is niangniang thinking about Ming guniang?”

 

Su Guifei was amused by her: “Don’t tease me, I am afraid that the Ming family will suspect that I wish to snatch their daughter.”

 

“Today’s gloomy weather made me recall something from a long time ago.” Su Guifei took off the phoenix hairpin and leaned gently on the soft couch: “Do you still remember that eight years ago, when I accompanied Duqing on a pleasure boat in Lingzhou for fishing, he rescued a little guniang about nine years old?”

 

“Why did niangniang suddenly think of that incident?” Xiangjuan put the hairpin into a jewelry box. She conveniently sat down beside the soft couch on the low stool brought by a little palace maid: “Didn’t you tell His Highness not to bring up this matter in front of others?”

 

“I do not know why, but lately, I always find myself thinking of that little guniang who silently shed tears after being rescued.” Su Guifei laughed at herself: “Could it be that Ben Gong getting old?”

 

“Niangniang is not old by any means. Even a sixteen-year-old girl is not half as good as you.” Xiangjuan laughed: “In this slave’s opinion, it is just that niangniang has a soft heart and sympathizes with that little guniang.”

 

“I remember I originally planned to take Duqing to eat Lingzhou’s famous local fried fish. But because I saved the little girl, we were unable to eat it.” Su Guifei closed her eyes and smiled: “However, it was worth saving the little guniang’s life for a piece of fried fish.”

 

“Good people will eventually be rewarded. Niangniang has a benevolent heart so you will be blessed.” Xiangjuan noticed her niangniang’s tiredness and covered Su Guifei with an embroidered quilt and quietly sat by her side.

 

Of course, she remembered what happened that year. His Majesty originally planned to travel incognito with niangniang and His Highness to taste the famous fried fish of Lingzhou, but an urgent report was sent from the capital at this time and he had to stay back on the imperial boat.

 

Niangniang couldn’t bear His Highness’s expression of disappointment and accompanied him on a pleasure boat to enjoy the view and go fishing. Unexpectedly, His Highness didn’t catch any fish but a little girl whose four limbs were bound tightly.

 

That little guniang did not look thin and weak at all; her face was fair and tender, it was as if the adults in her family had carefully raised her. It might be because the little guniang was wearing thick cotton-padded clothes that she didn’t sink to the bottom of the river even though her hands and feet were bound tightly without any room for struggle.

 

When she was fished up, her whole body was frozen stiff and her mouth was tightly blocked with a rag, so she couldn’t even utter a sound. It wasn’t until His Highness took off the cloth from her mouth and draped his fox fur cloak over her body that she began to tremble and cry.

 

After getting her changed into clean clothes, His Highness fed the little girl a few candies, and she slowly started speaking. However, she refused to reveal what she had experienced no matter what.

 

She couldn’t recall exactly what the little girl said later except that she gave niangniang a Daoist practitioner’s bow, saying that she would repay niangniang and His Highness in the future for their kindness. When she said this, her eyes were astonishingly clear; as if she wanted to record niangniang and His Highness in her heart.

 

Afterwards, niangniang sent people to Lingzhou’s city to investigate secretly and learned of a child abduction case. The local officers and soldiers were tracking down the kidnappers, and along the way, they found several children, who were abandoned by the kidnappers in a hurry.

 

On second thought, that little guniang might also be considered to have been abandoned by the kidnapper.

 

How would she know that the world was vast and that niangniang was no ordinary noble madam? Perhaps she might never have the opportunity to meet niangniang again for the rest of her life.

 

“Had I known that the little guniang was just abducted, I would not have spoken to her so gravely.” Before niangniang left Lingzhou, she was still worried that the little guniang would take her words seriously and not tell her family anything about what happened.

 

Thinking of these past events, Xiangjuan shook her head. At that time, niangniang had just experienced and survived the fights between the princes. She was frightened by the various assassination attempts and schemes, so she acted extra cautiously.

 

If it was the current niangniang, she would have definitely sent someone to investigate thoroughly and also go to complain to His Majesty.

 

“Ai.” She sighed as she walked out to look at the exquisite and magnificent Imperial Palace. How many people in this palace were sacrificed in the struggle for imperial power?

 

His Majesty, niangniang, and the other concubines of the harem seemed to emerge as the victors, but the haze left by the bloodied struggle of that year had never dissipated from the Palace.

 

Perhaps……

 

She withdrew her gaze and turned around to look at the sleeping Su Guifei. 

 

Perhaps it will continue.

Thanks for reading ٩(๑ᴗ๑)۶! If you found any typo or want to suggest some corrections, feel free to do so in the comment section or on our discord server. And if you like my translation, please consider rating it on NU and supporting me on: