Chapter 20

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A few light showers fell in the early morning hours, and the weather after breakfast was still overcast and somewhat dreary.

Accompanying guards have mounted their horses, and Yonghe waited for his father as he got on the mount. They were sent off by lot of people so Fujin only gave him simple instructions.

Mei Li walked somewhat shyly to the steed to see off her future father-in-law. This was the first time she had seen Yonghe’s father Tuha.

Tuha looked at her carefully on the horse for a while, sighed gently and then gave a “hmm”. Since it was Lao Zuzong’s wish, this girl also looks fine, therefore he has no intention to oppose it. “You need to take more care of yourself,” he said with stern concern, “Too thin and weak.”

Mei Li was a little surprised that he would go the extra mile to talk to her, and gratefully she responded again.

Yonghe walked quickly from his father’s horse to her side and helped her stand up straight, distressed that her legs might be sore.

Because he was ready to pull out of the camp to board the carriage, everyone was gathered at the camp entrance. In front of so many people Yonghe showed his fondness which made Mei Li blush. She frowned lightly pushed him to the side. The sweet reproach of the young couple drew a few dark laughter, and Xiaozhuang who was holding Yu’an smiled and looked on. She opened her mouth to tease: “Tuha, your son and you came out of the same mold.”

With one statement that Tuha and Ying Ru were both embarrassed but they look at each other affectionately. Laughter then rang out. Where else would Yonghe’s romantic side come from?

Tuha immediately leaned down and said goodbye to Lao Zuzong.

“Tuha, you are experienced and well-informed. You must take care of the emperor more for me this time. He is young and vigorous, but he lacks experience in marching to the war after all.” Xiaozhuang earnestly ordered.

“This slave obliges. The emperor was young and wise, and this old slave will devote his very best.”

Entrusted by Lao Zuzong, Tuha’s position in everyone’s heart is different. Ying Ru Fujin could not help but secretly be proud. Lao Zuzong finished her speech and looked longingly at Yonghe and Mei Li. Ying Ru sighed lightly knowing that the Grand Empress Dowager’s praises were connected with Mei Li. Seeing the strong love in her son’s eyes, the mother’s heart is sour and sweet, and there is nothing now that she can do.

Yonghe reluctantly looked at Mei Li and whispered, “I’ll be back at night.” Then he got on his horse and followed his father to catch up with the army of the emperor and the Eight Banners Warriors ahead.

Mei Li blushed and looked at his retreating heroic posture. Unexpectedly, she began to miss him already.

“All ready to board the carriage!” Jingxuan suddenly ordered loudly behind, which scared her.

Before she could find her car, Jingxuan had already dragged her all the way holding her arm vigorously. Then he stuffed her into the carriage parked behind his own like a luggage.

Fearing to attract everyone’s attention, Mei Li frowned and did not struggle hard.

He didn’t let go of her hand after dropping her into the car. His beady, cold eyes still glared at her, and Mei Li could only dart her eyes away. She still somewhat knows this guy. From childhood, he is the one calling the shots. He is annoyed when she pesters him that even if she die in front of him, he can only look at her with his indifferent cold eyes.

If she remained to be in the bad side of luck, he would have smugly thought that this was a woman he had discarded and would not have looked at her again. However, now that she has Yonghe, she can also be regarded as a treasure. She smiled bitterly. She did not expect such luck, so he was unwilling to play with this prince’s temper and provoke other places.

“Jingxuan?” Suying’s voice resounded. He had to straighten up and turn his head to look. Mei Li took this opportunity to fling herself free of his grip and quickly shrink to the side of the car, away from the reach of his arm.

While talking to Suying, he stared at her coldly from the corner of his eyes. She didn’t hear what Suying said but Jingxuan frowned and took Suying’s hand apologetically, before walking away. Mei Li breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the journey to Chengde will take two days. She knew that he will marry Suying as soon as possible because the war is about to begin and he and Chengyi would lead the army on the expedition. Then, the past will leave no traces in the passage of time.

She raised her eyebrows and her disturbed heart finally calmed down.

The carriage started slowly, and she suddenly remembered that she hadn’t seen Qiu Quan since last night… If she guessed right, this matter had nothing to do with Jingxuan. She remembered the way he choked Jingxian’s neck last night, so cruel and fierce, yet she didn’t feel unfamiliar. Yes, he has always been like this. What he likes, what he doesn’t like— it has always been black and white to him. Suying may have never seen this face of Jingxuan yet, but she… has already experienced it. Even before, he had looked at her with such a cruel and disgusting expression.

Later, their lunch was brought to their respective carriages by the eunuchs, and each simply consumed individually. To save time, the procession only stopped for a while.

Because she was nestled in the car all morning, Mei Li was not very hungry. After eating a few bites, she walked around for a while to relax her muscles and bones.

Coincidentally, Jingxian was also standing by the roadside four or five carriages away from her. When her cold gaze met with hers, Mei Li became uncomfortable. After staring at her for a moment, Jingxian strode over to her and said in a low resentful voice, “Are you proud of yourself now? Everyone treats you well!”

Mei Li knew she bore resentment in stomach but couldn’t blame Jingxuan, so she could only project it on her.

“What’s good about men protecting you? Things are unpredictable, don’t be too happy this early!” Jingxian cursed incoherently, the hatred pent up in her heart seemed to have suddenly found its target.

“Jingxian.” Mei Li interrupted her coldly, “Aren’t you tired? Isn’t it tiring of clinging to things that have passed?”

Jingxian was stunned, and only after a long time did she sneer, “It looks like you’re playing it safe! You just retreated to the second best! You cannot climb up to Jingxuan, so you resolved to Yonghe.”

“Yonghe is not!” Mei Li finally snapped unbearably, she could put up with whatever others said about her, but she wouldn’t allow them to laugh at Yonghe! “In my heart, Yonghe is better than anyone! No one can match him.”

“Come on!” Jingxian sneered, “Jingxuan is the prince, maybe he will even be promoted to qinwang¹ after the war. But what is Yonghe? Not even a beile²! He is just hairy boy relying on the his parents. Who are you lying onto?”

Mei Li smiled even colder than Jingxuan and said, “Even if he is a peddler, he is still the best man in my heart!” What if he is a prince? The prince didn’t even look at her when she was the most painful. So what about the hair boy? His heart his hands… everything about him is so warm!

Jingxian’s expression was fierce, “Are you showing off to me?” She wanted to continue, but she became stiff, looking straight behind Mei Li, her face turned pale.

Before she could turn around, a hand wrapped in brute force grabbed her upper arm, bringing tears of pain to her eyes. The force did not weaken because of her crying, but he dragged her more roughly into the carriage.

“The best man, huh?!” The carriage was small, and he easily forced her into a dead end, afraid he couldn’t help but hurt her as he squeezed the wooden rafters on either side of her body in a deadly grip. Mei Li was startled by his sudden and unusually fierce anger, and wanted to confront it with indifference, but her momentum dissipated when he pinched her chin.

“Let go… let go!” She wanted to speak, but the severe pain from her chin made her stammer.

“A few kisses and a few touches and he’s already the ‘best man’?” He mocked, releasing her chin and holding her down by the shoulders, her desperate struggles were ridiculously futile for him. The carriage was rocking back and forth, and the horses pulling it were pacing in place, neighing in a low voice.

“Don’t… don’t make me hate you!” Mei Li stared resentfully at the man who was torturing her with the weight of his body, her ribs hurt so much they were about to be crushed. Her breasts hurt even more and were being humiliatingly crushed with his firm iron-like chest muscles.

“Don’t you hate me already?” He gasped slightly and laughed coldly. Not allowing her to say anything else to make him more angry, he sealed her shivering, pale lips punitively. His kiss was so intense and forceful that she couldn’t breathe or even swallow, choking on his and her own saliva she started coughing violently.

She cried, and because of her coughing and sobbing, he frowned and gasped and relaxed his hold on her. Without thinking, she was so furious that she took the opportunity to slam a knee into his already burning hard crotch, just begging him to stop insulting her.

He snorted, his face pale, and his forehead was instantly covered with beads of sweat. He squeezed his hands on her sides, stiff and trembling.

Mei Li was also a little scared… she shrank from under him and shrank in the corner of the carriage. She thought that maybe she was caught in a big disaster.

“You!” He endured the pain and stared at her with murderous eyes.

Mei Li trembled, but as long as he no longer did that to her, she was not afraid of this fierce gaze. What would happen if he kills her? Because to him, doing so was just like crushing an ant.

“Your highness.” Her voice trembled, but she no longer stammered, “Don’t do anything that will make me hate you more!” She repeated in a cold voice. “If you do this again, I would rather die!”

He continued to kill her with his iron gaze, and she stared back at him resolutely and fearlessly. She knew that it was not just her he was insulting, more so Yonghe, and she would not allow it!

Outside, Jingxian is being pushed away to some distance by Jingxuan’s personal guards half-respectfully and half-coercively. She witnessed how Jingxuan pushed Mei Li onto the carriage, then the carriage shuddered ambiguously, the horse was pressed into place and spun that the guards had to pull the reins and shout to stabilize it.

She gave a ghostly smile. Well, there’s the man who recklessly threatened her, and the woman who showed off to her… She would like to see who could end well.

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Notes:

亲王 (qinwang) Prince of the First Rank in the Qing Dynsty, the full title is actually 和硕亲王 (he shuo qin Wang

贝勒 (beile) Prince of the Third Rank. the full title is 多罗贝勒 (duoluo beile) – basically, Jingxian is saying that Yonghe is not in the 3rd rank and would not compare to Jingxuan who will be promoted to first rank after the war

T/N:

I hope you are not confused of Jingxuan and Jingxian’s names. They just look really similar in their pinyin names but they have very different characters, even their Jing were written differently. Jingxuan = 靖轩; while Jingxian = 静娴

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