A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City

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“Ming guniang?” Xiangjuan looked at Jiuzhu in surprise. Suddenly, she wondered if Jiuzhu really knew something because she was fostered in Lingzhou.

 

“I…” Jiuzhu glanced around, feeling a little embarrassed and afraid of being overheard. “Gugu, let’s go inside and talk.”

 

“Alright.” Xiangjuan nodded and was about to lead Jiuzhu into the inner hall when she remembered that Ning Fei was still kneeling outside the door of the hall. She hesitated, unsure of how to explain it to Ming guniang. 

 

“Your Highness.” Jiuzhu grabbed Chen Wang’s sleeve and wouldn’t let go. Her eyes glistened as she asked pitifully: “Can you accompany chennu inside?”

 

“Can.” Chen Wang held her hand over the fabric and led her forward. Xiangjuan couldn’t help but smile as she watched the two from behind. His Highness also has someone to worry about now. 

 

“Are you cold?” Even through the fabric, he could feel Jiuzhu’s icy fingertips.

 

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“Not cold.” Jiuzhu shook her head and smiled. “Your Highness is still as gentle and considerate as when you were young.”

 

Him?

 

Gentle and considerate?

 

Chen Wang felt embarrassed and touched his nose. “You wouldn’t know how I was when I was young.”

 

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Jiuzhu beamed. “But I do know ah.”

 

As they spoke, Jiuzhu noticed someone kneeling at the door and paused. “Your Highness, it seems like someone is kneeling there.”

 

“No need to bother.” Chen Wang glanced at the kneeling Ning Fei and pressed Jiuzhu’s head with his hand. “In the Palace, some people use kneeling as a means to achieve certain goals.”

 

“Oh.” Jiuzhu nodded and walked closer, only to find that the one kneeling was Ning Fei niangniang.

 

Ning Fei looked up when she heard footsteps. Her eyes were filled with restraint, misery, helplessness, and countless other grievances which she dared not express.

 

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Jiuzhu whispered in Chen Wang’s ear: “Did Ning Fei niangniang learn how to perform in opera before entering the Palace?”

 

Chen Wang: “What makes you say that?”

 

“I think she played this part exceptionally well. Just like a tragic actress on stage, the type with an unfortunate life.”

 

Chen Wang exerted a slight pressure on Jiuzhu’s wrist and dragged her inside. He was afraid that Ning Fei would faint upon hearing Ming Xiaozhu’s words.

 

“Where’s Mother Consort?” Chen Wang waved his hand to exempt the palace maids and eunuchs from bowing.

 

“Replying to Your Highness, niangniang is in the rear hall.”

 

“Let’s go.” Chen Wang bypassed the front hall and headed towards the rear hall. As soon as they reached the door, Su Guifei’s voice was heard. She seemed to be talking to a eunuch, “Whoever comes to plead, have them kneel with her. It is Ben Gong’s fault for being too lenient all these years and allowing them to climb all over Ben Gong’s head. As soon as there is news from Lingzhou, inform me immediately. Did you hear that?”

 

Chen Wang glanced at Jiuzhu and coughed twice. “Mother Consort, your son has arrived.”

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Su Guifei flipped through the biography of a demon consort in her hand and looked up at Chen Wang and Jiuzhu as they walked in. “Jiuzhu, come. Sit here with me.”

 

Chen Wang handed the shark gauze lantern to a eunuch and asked him to hang it in Jiuzhu’s room. He then turned and sat down next to Jiuzhu. “Mother Consort, have you had dinner?”

 

Su Guifei looked at the night sky outside: “You accompanied Jiuzhu all the way here just to have a meal at my Palace?”

 

“Mother Consort misunderstood your son. Son was worried about your appetite and wondered if you have had dinner.” Chen Wang looked at Jiuzhu. “If you don’t believe, ask Ming Xiaozhu.”

 

“Niangniang, His Highness was only escorting chennu back.” Jiuzhu explained obediently. “Before coming, His Highness and chennu have already had dinner.”

 

Su Guifei didn’t expect Jiuzhu to take her joke seriously. She suppressed her laughter and declared: “Since Jiuzhu said so, I will believe him for now.”

 

“Now that you have delivered her, you should go back.” Su Guifei unceremoniously drove her son away. “Although there are no young imperial concubines in the harem, as an adult prince, why do you keep coming to your Mother Consort’s palace every now and then?”

 

Chen Wang clicked his tongue and lazily stood up from the chair. He finally realized that after having Ming Xiaozhu, this future daughter-in-law, he, the son, was already not needed.

 

“Wait.” Jiuzhu panicked and reached out to grab Chen Wang’s sleeve but accidentally grabbed his finger. “Your Highness, please don’t leave yet.”

 

He looked at the finger she was holding. His body turned stiff as if he had turned into a statue.

 

Su Guifei smiled and looked at the scene before asking her gently: “Jiuzhu, do you wish to say something to me and Duqing?”

 

She waved her hand, signalling everyone to leave. “Without Ben Gong’s orders, no one will approach this room.”

 

The servants bowed and left, closing the door behind them.

 

Jiuzhu looked up at Chen Wang.

 

“You- take your time and speak. I never said I was leaving.” He sat back down, touched his burning ear and wondered if he caught a cold. Why else would it be so hot?

 

Jiuzhu tightly held Chen Wang’s finger, as if getting endless courage. “Niangniang, I heard from Xiangjuan gugu that you are looking for a little guniang from Lingzhou.”

 

Su Guifei noticed her unusual tone and expression. The smile on her face gradually faded as she nodded at Jiuzhu.

 

“Eight years ago, on the outskirts of Lingzhou City, on the Huaxi river, right?” Jiuzhu stared at Su Guifei with burning eyes and then turned toward Chen Wang. “That day, His Highness was wearing a light purple round-neck brocade robe with a fox fur cloak draped over his shoulder. He looked like a fairy boy.”

 

Chen Wang stared blankly at Jiuzhu. A ridiculous conjecture formed in his mind, and yet, he was afraid that it would come true.

 

He was unable to imagine how miserable this silly little guniang was when she was drowning in the icy river water.

 

“You…” Su Guifei opened her mouth but couldn’t utter a complete sentence.

 

“The person Your Highness saved back then was me.” Jiuzhu lowered her head. “Sorry, I have been hiding it from Your Highness and niangniang.”

 

No one knew how happy she was when she walked into the Mingyue Palace and saw niangniang. She almost wanted to ask her where her savior, the little fairy boy, was and if he had become a gentle and upright gentleman.

 

But she never forgot what niangniang said: there were no secrets in the capital.

 

She didn’t dare to say anything and let niangniang and His Highness fall into danger.

 

For the past eight years, she prayed in front of her Sanqing grandpas every day, hoping that the deities would bless her benefactor with peace, prosperity, and no illnesses or catastrophes.

 

Fortunately, they heard her prayers.

 

“Child.” Su Guifei walked up to Jiuzhu and suddenly pulled her into her arms. She gently stroked her hair as tears flowed down her cheeks. “Indeed a foolish girl.”

 

Leaning on her soft chest and smelling the faint fragrance on her body, Jiuzhu cautiously reached out and hugged Su Guifei.

 

Niangniang’s body is really soft and fragrant oh. 

 

No wonder Jiuzhu was so happy when she first saw herself. No wonder she always happily called herself niangniang and went around with Duqing and her. Even if others said she was trying to butter up a favored concubine, was crude and opportunistic, she never retreated.

 

She was just so foolish, believing in her and Duqing so unwaveringly and without any reservations.

 

“Niangniang?” Sensing warm tears falling on her face, Jiuzhu wanted to lift her head and look at her. “What happened to you?”

 

“Nothing, I’m just happy.” Su Guifei wiped her tears with one hand. She couldn’t bear to let go of her other hand wrapped around Jiuzhu. “I’m just happy.”

 

“Chennu is also very happy to be able to meet niangniang and Your Highness.” Jiuzhu leaned against Su Guifei and smiled. “Lingzhou and the capital are thousands of miles apart. Among all the other people in this world, I must have a very extraordinary fate to meet Your Highness and niangniang again.”

 

Chen Wang looked at Jiuzhu leaning in his mother’s embrace and slowly reached out. He placed it lightly on Jiuzhu’s shoulder before withdrawing it.

 

His fingers clenched into a fist. Strong emotions rumbled in his heart, almost threatening to spill out but in front of the well-behaved Jiuzhu, he pressed everything down forcefully.

 

“Ming Xiaozhu.” He asked, “Back then, did I give you a few pieces of candy?”

 

Jiuzhu looked up from Su Guifei’s arms. “En, Your Highness gave me mint candy. It was so sweet.”

 

Was it because she thought he still enjoyed mint candy that she often carried mint candy in her pouch?

 

He looked at her shining eyes and laughed softly after a long time. “Ben Wang gave you that candy, of course it is sweeter than anyone else’s.”

 

“En!” Jiuzhu nodded, earnestly agreeing with Chen Wang. “I have never had such delicious mint candy since then.”

 

Su Guifei let go of Jiuzhu, wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, and smiled. “Whatever candy Jiuzhu likes, I will have the imperial kitchen make it for you.”

 

“Mother Consort.” Chen Wang couldn’t help but speak up: “I know what Ming Xiaozhu likes to eat. You can leave this matter to your son.”

 

Su Guifei touched Jiuzhu’s cheek; she didn’t even look at Chen Wang: “You sit here with Duqing, I need to go and handle some matters.”

 

“Okay.” Jiuzhu nodded.

 

She walked to the door, looked behind at Jiuzhu and spoke: “Jiuzhu.”

 

“Niangniang?” Jiuzhu looked up at her, her limpid eyes full of admiration and familiarity.

 

Su Guifei smiled: “I’m also very happy to have met you again.”

 

Then, she saw the girl’s face light up with a brilliant smile that melted her heart like a pool of spring water.

 

Pushing open the door, she saw Xiangjuan waiting outside with a bow: “What’s going on?”

 

“Niangniang, Qi Junwangfei seeks to meet you.” Xiangjuan glanced inside the door, hesitated for a moment, and closed the door.

 

“What does she want?” Su Guifei’s silk skirt flowed over the steps like flowing water as she flung it.

 

“This slave feels that she came to plead for Ning Fei.” Xiangjuan supported Su Guifei by the hand: “Niangniang, she is from the Sun family. Of their family’s ancestors, three were famous prime ministers, four were zhuangyuans and ten were jinshi-s. They have a great reputation among scholars and court officials.”

 

“So what? My family’s Jiuzhu’s father, uncles as well as her elder brother are also quite remarkable.” Su Guifei spoke: “Does the Sun family have three brothers who topped the imperial examination?”

 

Xiangjuan fell silent.

 

The Ming family’s feat was indeed very rare.

 

“Having grand and glorious ancestors does not mean that the current Sun family is powerful.” Su Guifei knew what Xiangjuan was worried about: “As for Sun family’s Young Miss, from the fact that she didn’t let Yun Yanze step in and abandoned face to come implore Ben Gong by herself, her feelings for Yun Yanze is actually strong.”

 

The Sun family had never liked her, this favored imperial concubine. Although they were respectful to her on the surface, Su Guifei could clearly sense the arrogance emanating from the Sun family’s Old Madam.

 

They knew that she was aware of their dislike for her. She also knew of their haughtiness but considering the gifted officials that the Sun family had produced, she didn’t bother to contend with them.

 

Over the years, the Sun family and she maintained a delicate balance of not offending each other, but Sun Caiyao chose to bow down to her for the sake of Qi Junwang.

 

“She is just a silly little guniang who lost her judgement for of a man.” Su Guifei’s tone was light: “Ben Gong won’t bicker with a junior.”

 

Xiangjuan smiled: “This slave knows that niangniang has always been lenient on little guniangs.”

 

Su Guifei smiled. It was not a matter of leniency; she just did not bother because it was unnecessary.

T/N: Jiuzhu finally revealed it asdfghjk (>w