Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Under the cover of darkness, Ming Shu returned to the Heavenly Temple.
“Little Ci.”
As Ming Shu reached her door, the kind voice of the old master rang from behind her.
Ming Shu raised her smiling face and turned around. “Master, you’re still awake?”
The old master shook his head and sighed. “You are too willful, Little Ci, you were not like this before.”
Since the Heavenly Temple had arranged people to protect her, it was natural for the master to know everything Ming Shu had done.
“People will change.” Ming Shu laughed. “I can’t live in the past forever.”
Of course, the old master knew people would change, but she had changed so radically.
He always felt…
She had changed into another person.
The old master waved his hand slowly, as if he was very tired. “Things have been settled about Princess Rong Hua. Go in and take a rest. If the emperor sends people here to investigate, just cooperate with them and don’t fool around. I’ll deal with the person who framed you.”
“Okay,” Ming Shu agreed immediately.
She pushed the door open and walked inside. The old master, however, stood outside for a while before leaving.
The room was just the same as when she left it, but Ming Shu stood still at the door and stared behind the screen.
“Hiding in the room of a young lady in the middle of the night, this is not something that a noble lord should do.”
No one answered. Ming Shu waited patiently.
I have plenty of time and patience.
The time for a cup of tea had passed, and the man behind the screen finally lost his patience, turning around to get out.
Wearing the black suit of royal lords, was King Huai.
Ye Cong also came out, following his lord. He didn’t dare to look around casually, trying to reduce his presence.
“The royal princess colluded with an assassin to steal the princess of a country,” King Huai said in a serious tone upon getting out, trying to hold onto the upper hand in this conversation.
Ming Shu raised her eyebrows. “That’s right. What do you want?”
“To borrow your room for a while.” At this point, the palace was full of guards, and the Heavenly Temple was the only place that was safe for these two.
Ming Shu widened her smile and her tone became even gentler. “King Huai, if I should shout aloud right now, what will you do?”
“It’s not good for either of us. You wouldn’t want that to happen.” King Huai was still calm. His eyes unintentionally fell on somewhere in the room, and his pupils slightly shrunk, but then returned to normal after a while.
Standing beside him, Ye Cong was very anxious. My lord, that’s not the right tone for negotiation, okay?! What are you thinking?
“Well, I…” Ming Shu dragged out her words. “In fact, I don’t care much about what would happen, as long as I am happy.”
King Huai’s cold face changed a bit, finally, but his tone was still the same. “You can try it.”
Ye Cong: “…”
I always feel these two are going to have a fight.
Lord, we are asking for help now, can’t we be a little thankful? Humble?
“Humph.” Ming Shu snorted and went to the table, pouring a cup of tea. “Okay, I’ll try it. Let’s see whom His Majesty will believe.”
Ming Shu drank up the tea in one gulp, smiling.
Surely, King Huai knew that if she really sent up the alarm, then his royal brother would believe the Heavenly Temple, taking the opportunity to eradicate him.
“Your Royal Highness, please don’t…” Ye Cong stopped King Huai in time. He couldn’t let his lord continue to ruin this negotiation, so he tried hard to explain: “We don’t mean you any harm, Your Highness, we just need to borrow your place for a while to hide. And since we are not having any direct conflict of interest, there’s no need for us to worsen our relationship, right?”
The subtext of this sentence was probably: We both know each other’s “crime,” so if we turn against each other… it’s not good for any of us.
“It’s not me who is worsening our relationship. It’s your lord who’s doing it.”What an arrogant man! He is asking me for help and hiding in my room, but with that attitude! What does he think my room is? A vegetable market?
Ye Cong whispered to King Huai for a while. Then he walked over to Ming Shu and lowered his voice. “Your Highness, my lord is not a talkative person and meant no harm. Please don’t blame him for his words. I want to apologize for our rudeness. Your Highness, could you let us hide here for a little longer?”
Ming Shu smiled, and said very slowly but clearly: “You’re not welcome here. If you don’t get out of my room right now, I’ll call the guards.”
“Your Highness…”
“Neither of us are innocent. If His Majesty finds out, it’s hard to say who will be punished the worst.” Ming Shu paused. “But… I’ve got the Heavenly Temple at my back. What do you think, Uncle?”
She did lead the assassin to the palace of Princess Rong Hua and helped him take her away, but King Huai also appeared in the palace in the middle of the night, with unclear intentions.
“Let’s go.”
“Lord…”
“Leave.” King Huai sounded as cold as a stone.
Ye Cong had to follow King Huai and left Ming Shu’s room.
The Heavenly Temple was quiet, but outside the Heavenly Temple it was not quiet at all. The patrolling guards seemed to be searching everywhere.
“Lord, we can’t go out right now, there are too many guards outside.” Ye Cong was very worried. If the lord hadn’t showed his gloomy face and arrogant attitude, they wouldn’t have been put into such a passive situation.
“Did you see that painting?” King Huai suddenly asked.
“Painting?” Ye Cong was a bit confused.
Ye Cong didn’t dare to look around at the time. It was the royal princess’s boudoir. Even if she was not the royal princess, she was still a girl. He was a man, and he must behave himself very well in her room, so he didn’t notice any painting.
But Ye Cong quickly thought of something. He was a little shocked. “Why is that painting in her room?”
King Huai stared hard into the direction of the emperor’s palace. “Except that person, who else could give it to her?”
Ye Cong was frightened a little, then murmured, “His Majesty is too bold, who would think he’d give the painting to the royal princess.”
King Huai sneered. “The Heavenly Temple is the safest location.”
Too many secrets were hidden in the Heavenly Temple, so it boasted many powerful top martial artists.
The emperor placed the painting in the Heavenly Temple, which was a smart decision.
“King Huai, Your Highness.” A voice full of vicissitudes sounded from the darkness.
Ye Cong immediately tensed. He didn’t even notice that someone was approaching them, how annoying!
“No need to be nervous.” The master came out from the darkness, a kindly smile on his face. “Your Highness came to visit this late, I apologize for not welcoming you sooner.”
“No, I should apologize for my sudden visit.” King Huai spoke like this, but his tone and behavior were not apologetic at all.
“Hohoho.” The old master laughed in a low voice. “I remember when you left the capital city, you were still a child. Now so many years have passed.”
King Huai kept silent.
The master stroked his beard and continued: “The Heavenly Temple is unwilling to be involved in these unnecessary battles.”
King Huai said, “The Heavenly Temple has never been able to stay out of such disputes.”
The master sighed. “The Heavenly Temple has guarded the royal family for generations. It’s a shackle and a fate that cannot be broken for us. But Little Ci, I only want her to live a steady and safe life.”
“As a prophet, it’s impossible for her to have a stable and safe life.”
“That’s why I have one thing to ask from you.” Old master suddenly changed the topic.
King Huai was speechless.
There were hundreds of MMP flooding across his mind. He just wanted to maintain his character setting, why was it so hard? What on earth did this old man want to do?!
Couldn’t he let me be a cold noble lord quietly?
And that strange royal princess. She always inspired a feeling of familiarity, but he had never seen her before…
This is such a bizarre story.
T/N: MMP = a popular swear word used online, like WTF.
