Chapter 32

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Translator: Anne

Editor: Miqi

Proofreader: Ani

Si Da smiled and said, “In the end, Wang Mang is not as smart as our master.”

Qiao Chu shook her head, “With Wang Mang’s intelligence, I assume that he had already seen through this little trick, let alone Shanguang Jinghao. The fact that they didn’t expose us was thanks to their little interest.” She said as she picked up the jade pendant hanging from her waist and played with it.

Meiren frowned slightly, “You have been touching that jade consciously or unconsciously before. Did you want to attract Wang Mang’s attention?”

“Yes, I wanted him to think that I am the owner of this jade pendant. All the important families in Tangling have decorative symbols. This jade is engraved with the symbol of the Qin family. In fact, we could have come in without the gamble, it all depended on this jade. Without this pendant, Wang Mang wouldn’t have gambled with me. Remember that woman we stole from? Wang Mang thinks I’m her. When the emperor is inside, how could the crown prince let someone of unknown origins come in without considering the emperor’s safety first?”

Si Da suddenly realized that, then she wondered, “Master, if the jade could be used, why did you go to that length and set up the gamble?”

Qiao Chu’s lips curved, “We will meet the crown prince and Wang Mang again. At that time I will be a concubine candidate. If I had pretended to be Miss Qin just now, the crown prince would have investigated me, it would have been a great crime to deceive the crown prince.”

Or

Qiao Chu’s lips curved, “We will meet the crown prince and Wang Mang again. At that time I will be a concubine candidate. If the crown prince investigated me for pretending to be Miss Qin, I would have committed a great crime of deceiving the prince.”

Si Da whispered, “So that’s how it is.”

Meiren thought, “Master, I’m not sure if I can ask you this. But was it alright to use this trick today? And why did you make that copper coin with the name “Jingming” on both sides?”

In a daze Qiao Chu answered with her eyes slightly closed, “Because in this gamble, the person who chooses the copper coin with the name “Jinghao” will never win.”

Si Da and Meiren looked at each other, Si Da trembled, “Master, you want the crown prince to lose, what do you want him to lose?”

“The highest position in the world.”

Putting on the skirt Meiren had handed her, Qiao Chu quickly stepped out of the secluded shade of the trees, “I’m ready, hurry up, it’s time.”

*****

Main hall of the mansion.

The guards at the gate reported, “His Highness the crown prince has arrived!”

Inside the hall, Qiao Mei glanced at Qiao Rong who had just arrived. The two stood up together to wish good fortune to the emperor and empress and then paid their respects to the crown prince.

The crown prince nodded slightly towards his wife, Qiao Mei, who brightened up. Upon seeing this, Qiao Rong felt that the light and shadows in the crown prince’s eyes was deep and dazzling, he was so graceful she couldn’t help but feel envious. Although Prince Rui was a prince and had achieved a great thing, his face was destroyed and he was a cripple, he is doomed to never achieve great success. So what if she became Princess Rui?

“Brother crown prince,” she called out in a low voice.

The prince stretched out his arms and saluted the empress and emperor, “This son has arrived late, father and queen mother, forgive this son.”

The emperor waved his hand “Your eighth brother is about to get married, you as his brother must be here. If it weren’t for your many official duties, I would have punished you.”

The empress laughed, “Your Majesty, who taught you to give the crown prince so much work, let Ming’er help the crown prince with work. Ming’er is the older brother, he has the responsibility to help his younger brother.”