Chapter 110

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Finals ended so let’s go for a daily release until the end.

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Chapter 110 – Play is Like a Life

Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator’s hard work. Don’t think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase and translator!)

For the sake of welcoming Chu Xun tonight to eat roasted lamb tonight, Princess Xiang Xiang started working from early morning. Beginning from selecting the living lamb, the chefs from the Imperial Kitchen had agreed to prepare and send the ingredients to her place this afternoon yet the little princess from prairie disagreed, “You need skills to kill this lamb. You all can’t do it. Just send it to my place. I will kill it myself.”

She even dissatisfied that small sheep was not as excellent as their mountain sheep. Whatever, whatever, just make do with it. The whole palace could hear the heartrending bleating sounds of the small sheep. At the back, countless mouths were secretly discussing about Princess Xiang Xiang. Princess Xiang Xiang didn’t care about it at all.

Thinking back, Mei Qian Deng liked this princess alone was actually reasonable. Some looked her as a silly joke to laugh about, some felt she was forthright, candid and adorable. Some looked at the appearance while some looked at the intention.

After busy for a whole morning, Xiang Xiang killed the sheep, skinned it and pulled out all the internal organs while a young palace maid sent spices to her. “Princess Xiang Xiang, nubi followed your instruction and brought all the needed spices already. Take a look, is there anything missing?”

Xiang Xiang pulled up her sleeves, her hands soaked in fresh blood stretched out to receive those items. It shocked the palace maid so much that she retreated several steps. Seeing this, Xiang Xiang laughed, “Just a bit of sheep blood can surprise you so much that you turn pale, such a cowardly little missy. Don’t be afraid. Put those items on the table then. After that, ask them to send more pine woods over. I heard that that wood releases faint scent when burned, we can try it.”

The young palace maid agreed but didn’t leave.

Xiang Xiang was busy dealing with the fresh mutton so she didn’t take notice of the palace maid’s whereabouts.

That young palace maid stared at Xiang Xiang for a while. After some hesitation, she finally opened her mouth, “Princess, nubi have something probably better off not said……”

The young princess from prairie disliked it, “You all Chu people, even the servants are this bookish. What something better off not said, if you think it’s bad to say then don’t say it. Saying this, don’t you think it’s slapping your own face?”

The young palace maid bit her lips in silent, probably criticising in her mind that this sort of vulgar princess still fantasising of marrying the immortal-alike emperor, that she was shameful, impetuous and no awareness. Even though she looked down upon Xiang Xiang, the palace maid still spoke submissively and carefully, “Princess, you may not know it yet but His Majesty has long decided the one to be the Empress.”

Xiang Xiang’s hands stopped moving, “En? Who is decided?”

“His Majesty’s personal servant, Mei gonggong.”

One of the pulled sheep ham fell onto the floor with a patter. “Are you joking with me, Emperor Chu wants to appoint a eunuch as the Empress?”

The young palace maid was flustered, like in an act, “Princess, Mei gonggong is a girl! This is a secret well-known in the palace!”

Xiang Xiang really didn’t know.

After that, Xiang Xiang was stunned. She entered the state of ‘Mei gonggong is actually a girl?’, being shocked and panicked. Beside her ears was the young palace maid’s nagging, “Nucai sees Princess works this hard to please His Majesty and feels sad for Your Highness. It was due to this that nucai dare to say this. Princess is not familiar with our Chu country, can’t get the latest news and the other servants don’t dare to spread gossips in front of the masters. If Princess hates nucai for talking arbitrarily about the masters, nucai will take leave right away. Nucai hope that Princess will not punish nucai on account of nucai’s good intention and will not blame nucai.”

Princess Xiang Xiang waved her hands, allowing her to leave.

The young palace maid quickly left.

This world seemed to have a very weird general law. When you didn’t know nor disinterested of a matter, you wouldn’t be receiving any news related with that matter. However, the moment you let loose the sluice, knowing the scattered information of this matter and turned curious, you would then realise there were clues everywhere all along.

Xiang Xiang’s hands were covered with blood so she went to clean them. When she reached the entrance, she heard a little palace maid and a little eunuch talking at the corridor. That little eunuch said, “Why should I lie to you? De gonggong from outside the main hall heard it clearly that His Majesty conferred Mei gonggong’s father as the Duke of Nation.”

“Duke of Nation, that’s just a bit lower than a Prince, so amazing.”

The little eunuch continued, “I heard My Lord said that His Majesty wished to appoint Mei gonggong as the Empress but he’s worried if Mei family had no power they would be bullied. It was only then that the old case was brought up and took advantage of it to raise up Mei family.”

“Ai, if only His Majesty is this good to me too!”

“That’s only a pipedream. Look inside the palace, how many noble ladies are here for the Empress’ selection? For His Majesty to take an extra look, will it ever reach your turn?”

The little palace maid refused to accept it, “Yesterday His Majesty even went to meet Princess Xiang Xiang. Today, they even agreed to eat dinner together. I think His Majesty has quite an intention with the princess.”

“Heh, are you stupid? That’s obviously just fooling the princess.”

Listening to them, Xiang Xiang felt a bit unhappy as she stood silently at there.

Only then the servants at the corridor noticed her and quickly lowered their heads as they ran off.

Two palaces away from the northern side of Xing Chen Palace in which Princess Xiang Xiang stayed was the You Lan Palace[1] where the female prince from Po Ye stayed.

Yu Qing Ruo sat while drinking tea, below her a palace maid was kneeling.

“Replying to Female Prince, we had said to that person as per instructed.”

Yu Qing Ruo took a bag of money from the table and with a smile, held it before the palace maid. Everyone said the female prince from Po Ye had a cold and stern temperance. Seeing her smile, the palace maid was surprised by the treatment. “You all have worked hard. This little regard is for you all as money to buy tea.”

“Thank you, Female Prince.”

“After this, what should be said should continue, what shouldn’t be said should never be said.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” The palace maid was quite scared of Yu Qing Ruo. Hearing the latter half of her words, her heart tightened. She took the money bag into her bosoms and hastily took her leave.

Chu Xun went to the Ming Jue Palace right after the morning court. He even pulled along Xiao gonggong, making him looked more imposing.

Mei Qian Deng was practising with her sword in the courtyard. Seeing Chu Xun, she was slightly surprised, “Your Majesty returns early today.”

“Xiao gonggong, pass the thing to her.”

The scheming Emperor acted nonchalant, his chin raised, showing off the ‘zhen is a proper Emperor’ look.

Actually, in his heart, he was pleased yet restless.

Xiao gonggong put forward the tray with a golden dragon cushion, on it was a shining golden pendant.

Mei Qian Deng with a dumbfounded face, “This is?”

“This is the nine dragons golden pendant that His Majesty gift to Young Miss.” Xiao gonggong didn’t avoid Mei Qian Deng’s gender issue at all.

Mei Qian Deng cautiously looked at Chu Xun, “Why suddenly gift me a golden pendant?” She kept feeling the arrogant Emperor in front of her didn’t have a good intention.

Xiao gonggong was patient, “Because Young Miss had done a merit saving Sword Marquis Yue.”

“Who is Sword Marquis Yue? When did I save him? Xiao gonggong, why don’t you tell me the whole story from the beginning?”

Chu Xun faked two coughs but he said nothing, holding steadfast to his appearance.

Xiao gonggong then cheerfully recounted the story in the morning court today starting from Chu Xun with a secret manual and step by step solved mysteries of the rebellion Prince Chen did that year.

Mei Qian Deng deeply looked at Chu Xun. Those eyes seemed to be questioning if Chu Xun was playing with her.

The scheming Emperor had a small guilty conscience, after all to reach the aim, he made his Imperial Uncle a scapegoat. He impatiently pushed the golden pendant on the tray Xiao gonggong was holding into Mei Qian Deng and said like a tsundere, “Didn’t zhen say can help you annul the engagement? This nine dragons golden pendant equals to a death-pardoning golden pendant. In a few days, use this golden pendant to ask zhen to order the engagement annulment. Zhao Mo Ran will then have no way to stop you. Previously, Bai Qiu Qu his family used this golden pendant to preserve his life. It’s a good thing and very useful.”

“……”

Someone was afraid Mei Qian Deng thought too much and generously explained, “Also about zhen conferring your family as Duke of Nation family, don’t really think you can have a meteoric rise. It’s only an empty title, no money and no power! As for the mansion zhen gifted to Mei family, that year zhen asked you if your family move out where would you want the house to be. You said you want to go to the Qi Yang City to enjoy the plums. Since Mei family had returned Mei Zi River Islet to the imperial family, zhen as a monarch of a nation can’t be a greedy one. That house is what you all should get in the first place.”

Then, Chu Xun’s neck straightened, his head turned upward, looking at the sky.

Mei Qian Deng in the end accepted the golden pendant and thanked him. After finish practising, she returned to the room to change her clothes.

Before leaving, Xiao gonggong said to Mei Qian Deng, Her Majesty Empress Dowager really like Young Miss. Her Majesty ask that Young Miss will visit Empress Dowager’s palace more frequently and accompany Her Majesty Empress Dowager to kill time. Mei Qian Deng promised but she felt Xiao gonggong’s smile was very suspicious, as if there was a hidden message in his words.

Seeing Mei Qian Deng accepted the golden pendant, half of the trouble in Chu Xun’s heart was solved. He returned to the Imperial Study to read the memorandum, pulling out the request to add name to the Empress selection written by the Minister of Rites and grinned foolishly. Now, everything was ready. He only needed to wait Mei Qian Deng to use the golden pendant to annul the engagement before giving the memorandum to the Minister of Rites.

To control the overall situation of the Empress selection, Chu Xun purposely drafted an imperial edict for the various young ladies involved in the selection, expressing that: Zhen had think carefully of our own marriage, it’s related to the country and has to be carefully selected. Hence, all young ladies and misses please keep calm and stay quietly inside the palace. Zhen still want to be in contact and so on with you all.

After the decree was sent out, some idiots believed it was real and had fantasied about Chu Xun. Those smart ones were quite happy too, being able to stay inside the palace without working and could even watch such a grand scene so they must remain until the very end.

Around dusk, Xiang Xiang hastily ran to the Imperial Study.

She had returned to her original appearance, with one arm bare and braided pigtails. Her voice arrived before her body, “Emperor Chu, don’t look at the memorandums. You promise to come to my palace to eat a whole roasted lamb. Have you forgot about it?”

Chu Xun was stunned. The brush he was holding trembled and a drop of cinnabar fell onto a certain memorandum, it was very striking to the eyes. He frowned and raised his head. Xiang Xiang was pushing the door to enter at the same time. Following behind her was Zhu Li who tried to stop her to no avail.

“Er……” Chu Xun fell back on his back, his back stuck closely to the chair, “Stop right there, don’t come over.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Zhen can’t stand the smell on your body. Aachoo——!” Chu Xun grabbed his nose. Last night when he visited this sister, her body was still sprinkled with perfume so the smell was not strong. Today, she was too absorbed in roasting the lamb that she forgot to dress up. “Xiang Xiang, zhen really don’t despise you, it’s just zhen’s nose is too sensitive, you don’t……achoo——!” Another sneeze, forcing even Chu Xun’s tears and snot came out.

Xiang Xiang sighed, not showing if she was unhappy. She even smiled while complaining about Chu Xun, “Emperor Di, why are you so delicate? Are you still eating the roasted lamb or not? I had been working on it for a whole day.”

“Eat, eat, eat. Go back and prepare first. Zhen will go over with Mei gonggong soon to eat the whole roasted lamb.”

“Alright, I’ll be waiting!”

Xiang Xiang happily left, there was no difference from the usual.

When she saw Mei Qian Deng, there was no changes too. She jovially pulled Mei Qian Deng, “Mei gonggong, these few days are all thanks to your care. Else, a short-tempered tomboy like me will surely embarrass everyone to the prairie. Come, come, come. The best lamb leg, for you!”

Then, she busily poured wine for Chu Xun and Mei Qian Deng, “I asked the servants from imperial kitchen to find goat kumis[2]. They only gave me a bottle of horse kumis. Well, it still drinkable.”

Mei Qian Deng was not picky at all. The lamb part Xiang Xiang saved for her, she felt it was tasty. Eating heartily, she even exchanged a few cup of wine with Xiang Xiang. Chu Xun sat beside Mei Qian Deng. Seeing how she ate more than him, he scowled at the wine cup in Mei Qian Deng’s hand.

Xiang Xiang’s sight had been swimming between Chu Xun and Mei Qian Deng, silently watching the two of them. In between, she shared with Mei Qian Deng the stories in the northern region, how they left the goats and cows to tend by themselves, how to hunt and chasing after the wolf king and the four seasons in the prairie. “Mei gonggong, do you want to play with me for a few years at the prairie?”

Mei Qian Deng’s eyes shone. Being kicked by Chu Xun, female warrior Mei instantly came back to her senses. She heard Chu Xun’s chilling voice, “See if zhen will break your legs.”

“……”

Xiang Xiang paused before resuming pouring the wine with a smile, “Talking about this makes me remember my horse. In any case, Emperor Di is not interested with me. After two days I will leave the palace and return to the northern region to find seventeen to eighteen lads to serve this princess.”

Her lips were upward and there was no sadness in her eyes. She was really a kind, easy-going young miss. Mei Qian Deng was not willing. Out of all the girls who entered the palace, Xiang Xiang was her favourite. Mei Qian Deng originally felt, Princess Xiang Xiang and Chu Xun, one firm and one soft was an excellent pairing.

The scheming Emperor’s expression was extremely good, he immediately said in Mei Qian Deng’s stead, “Princess Xiang Xiang, you can actually stay for a few more days. Aiming for the Empress seat may be a pipedream but you can take this opportunity to learn and associate more. We have a phrase, learning from others’ strength to overcome one’s weakness. At the same time, we can promote the harmony between the two countries, don’t you think so?”

“That sounds reasonable.”

Chu Xun revealed a charming grin, “Zhen is a cordial and hospitable monarch.”

Xiang Xiang was quite drunk, being attacked by Chu Xun’s beauty trap, she became unwilling to leave. Endlessly excited, she dragged Mei Qian Deng and drank again, “Mei gonggong, come, bottoms up!”

[1] Literally, Orchid Palace.

[2] Fermented goat milk, can also be cow or mare milk.

Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator’s hard work. Don’t think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase and translator!)

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