Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“Your highness, I apologize to you on behalf of our lord. The lord recently stayed up late into the night, hurrying the journey, which has made him physically and mentally exhausted, so perhaps his mood is not very good. If there was any offense, I beg you not to blame him.”
Ming Shu waved her hand indifferently. “Thank you for sending me back.”
She didn’t care about the so-called “offense.” It was up to him whether or not to give her a ride.
Ye Cong, the guard, was a little surprised. He thought she would be angry at the lord’s attitude.
Even if she wasn’t very angry, she might say a few words about it.
At least, all the princesses and misses he had encountered were like that.
But she didn’t seem to care about it at all. And she even expressed a polite thank you. This was not like a princess, not to mention her identity was much nobler than the usual princess.
She was the royal princess from the Heavenly Temple…
Ye Cong came back to himself and said hurriedly, “This is as it should be, but Your Highness, may I beg for your understanding: we can’t find a carriage nearby. Your Highness has to ride on horseback by herself.”
“That’s okay.”
Ye Cong ordered a subordinate to lead a horse over in a hurry and helped Ming Shu to get on its back. “There is still a distance to the capital, Your Highness. I have sent people to inform His Majesty. Someone should come to pick up Your Highness soon.”
Ming Shu smiled slightly. “Well, let’s go.”
Hurry back to eat.
I’m too hungry!
…
Ming Shu thought that based on her powerful skill, horse-riding must not a problem at all. But she didn’t expect her weak body to be so vulnerable, and the feeling of suffocation just made her very helpless. Ming Shu had to slow down.
If Ming Shu went slow, then Ye Cong could only slow down as well.
Clip-clop…
The clatters of rapid hoof beats came from ahead, causing Ye Cong to become alert immediately. But soon figures appeared: it was their own people. Ye Cong greeted them with a sigh of relief.
“What happened?”
“Guard Ye, the front road was blocked due to debris, the lord is going to take another road.”
“Debris?”
“There was a heavy rain a few days ago, it should have happened at that time.”
As they were speaking, King Huai and several others also appeared riding on horses.
King Huai squinted at Ming Shu coldly, who was biting into a fruit calmly on her horse, and he rode straight past her without any hesitation.
“Lord…” Wouldn’t you wait for your subordinate?
Ming Shu continued chewing on the fruit as if nothing had happened.
The debris blocked the way so they had to change course with King Huai. But this alternate route would take more time. They could have been in the city before dark, but now it looked like they had to stay overnight in the suburbs.
King Huai and Ming Shu each kept to one side, not bothering each other.
Their resting place was close to a river. Ye Cong was trying to catch some fish while Ming Shu squatted by the river, holding her chin and watching. It seemed that the fish here was smarter, for Ye Cong caught nothing for a long time.
“Can you catch the fish?” I’m starving to death.
Ye Cong was a little awkward. “Your Highness, maybe we should go hunt some animals for you.”
Ming Shu nodded, so Ye Cong took his people away to go hunting. He thought it was easy to catch fish. Who knew that the fish here was so difficult to catch.
The patrols were scattered. After Ye Cong left, the entire camp became empty.
King Huai leaned against the trunk, gazing across the river from time to time.
The girl lifted the hem of her dress and waded into the water. After a while, she returned to shore, staring at the river with her head tilted to one side. The moonlight shone on the river, making the water sparkle, and the girl’s hands clasped together.
King Huai calmly watched a school of fish rush toward shore.
Just like the previous incident of the fruit falling down from the tree.
This was a bit different from the prophesying he knew about.
A prophecy… is an event that will surely happen in the future. Prophets only tell of what will happen in the future ahead of time, rather than changing what will happen in the future through prophecy.
Ming Shu carried a few fish back to the fire. After all the internal organs had been cleaned up, she skillfully put the fish onto the fire, roasting them.
Ming Shu looked at King Huai with a smile and said, “Uncle, why are you staring at me like this?”
Are you planning to grab my fish?
King Huai frowned and looked away. He said in a cold voice, “Dress properly.”
Ming Shu had just cleaned the dirt on her clothes and was still dripping. She had walked into the river just now without shoes. Now her small feet were exposed to the air, looking crystal clear in the firelight.
In ancient times, society was relatively conservative. Women’s feet were not allowed to be seen by others.
Ming Shu took her shoes and put them on, adjusted her clothes as well—then continued to grill the fish.
The two didn’t talk anymore.
Ye Cong came back to see that Ming Shu had already begun eating, while his lord leaned against a tree and stared at him coldly, eyes penetrating. Ye Cong swallowed and hurriedly ordered the servants to prepare food.
“Your Highness, do you need more food?” He couldn’t catch the fish, so how could she?
And isn’t this skill of grilling fish a bit inconsistent with her identity? Has anyone witnessed a royal princess roast fish?
Ming Shu spit out a fishbone with a smile and shook her head.
Ye Cong then gave King Huai the best food they got, and the rest of the food was distributed to the others. But for them, it seemed eating was only to fill the stomach, rather than savoring the meal. They ate the food as if they were completing some kind of mission, fast and efficient.
In comparison, King Huai displayed more pleasing manners. He chewed the food slowly, posture elegant and clearly of noble temperament.
Ming Shu poked the fire with one hand and held her chin with the other.
Since the accession of the present emperor, his brothers had either been killed or degraded to lower positions. The only one who still owned the title of Lord was this King Huai.
King Huai was the youngest son of the former emperor. When the present emperor ascended the throne, King Huai was still a child. If the emperor hadn’t shown mercy to a child, he would have been labeled as inhumane.
After the emperor ascended the throne, King Huai, who was still a child then, voluntarily asked to leave the capital and go to the frontier for practice.
He asked for no feats and rewards.
However, when he became an adult, the emperor gave the title and land to him anyway.
The only time the Host saw King Huai was at the state banquet. That year was the centennial state banquet of the Wushang Dynasty. King Huai had to return to the capital. At that time, he was young, honestly looking no different from today’s King Huai. They both shared a cold appearance, preventing others from approaching him.
The Host was impressed by the sign of King Huai’s house.
This was why Ming Shu recognized him at a glance.
People of the Heavenly Temple said that because King Huai had become more and more famous in the borderland in the past years, the emperor was somewhat uncomfortable. This time, King Huai returned to the capital upon the emperor’s order.
The Host was able to learn more insider information, but she was not very interested in these matters. Most of the information was unintentionally kept in mind through the discussions of other people in the Heavenly Temple.
King Huai…
Well, as long as he wouldn’t disturb her eating and gaining Hatred Points, everything was negotiable.
Ming Shu picked a comfortable place to lie down.
A quiet night.
Early in the morning of the next day…
Ming Shu was awakened by the sound of a horse moving.
She opened her eyes to see King Huai had left on his horse, leaving only Ye Cong and some others waiting for her off to one side.
Ming Shu pulled her hair and yawned, walking toward the river.
Ye Cong thought she was going to wash, so he didn’t ask much. But after a moment, he saw Ming Shu leisurely carrying a few fish back.
Ye Cong was speechless.
“Your Highness, perhaps we should hurry up and go back?” The capital city is getting nearer, and there is no need to delay.
In fact, he was a little worried that the Lord had gone back first on his own.
“Okay, just let me have breakfast.” Ming Shu began to roast the fish.
It’s torturing to travel in hunger.
I will never move until I’m full.
“…”
