Chapter 83
Xuanyuan Min Zhi was engrossed in staring at the sweet and graceful woman before his eyes. She had bought him in the slave market at the southern borders but had very quickly gifted him away. Her way of handling things had caused him to staunchly remember her and he had vowed to get back at her someday.
Afterwards, they had come across each other quite a few times, but his thoughts for revenge had weakened. On the other hand, her figure became even more distinct in his mind.
During their accidental encounter at Lu Yin Ge where they had both hid in the same trunk and their skin pressed against each other, he had smelled the fragrance coming off her body and wanted to forever hold her in his embrace just like that until the end of the world.
But she seemed to have no feelings towards him. That was okay. He could secretly find an opportunity and secretly pay attention to her. The Heavens would not turn their backs on one who persevered, and he had finally discovered her secret.
Thinking of the words he had eavesdropped on in the prison, Xuanyuan Min Zhi proudly smiled.
“Your Highness, the respectable Third Prince, you must be very idle? So idle that you have nothing to do and must trifle with a weak woman?” Ruan Zhu was very agitated. Her clear eyes were usually peaceful, but currently flashed with a light like a flame of anger. “This is the Prince of Qi’s ship. If you have no business here, please leave. Do not freeload in my place.”
“No reason to be this angry; it’s not like I am going to eat you.” A wicked smile hung on Xuanyuan Min Zhi’s mouth and he advanced forward a few steps: “As a matter of fact, I actually do want to eat you. Do you remember that time in the chest in Lu Yin Ge? Your body was indeed very delicious then, hmm?”
Recalling the time she had been molested by him in the trunk, Ruan Zhu became angered from shame and wanted to open her mouth to curse him. But there were servants on the deck coming to and fo, and she also now had the noble title of the Princess of Qi and could not do things to cause her to lose her image. She felt her head throbbing painfully as if it would split open, and by chance, saw Yun Shi Wei step out from the cabin.
“Properly take care of your Yun clan’s child. Don’t act like someone with nothing to do for the entire day. In any case, you are the child’s uncle.” Ruan Zhu stuffed Zhi Xi into Yun Shi Wei’s arms. Little children were both angels and demons, causing her, as the mother, to also feel helpless at times.
“Wan Papa, wide horsey……” Little Zhi Xi had been thrown away by his mother and opened his mouth to convey his grievances.
“Wanting to ride a horse is easy.” Yun Shi Wei chuckled. Lifting Zhi Xi up, he placed the child atop his shoulders: “How about this? Uncle will let you ride until you’ve had enough.”
Using his neck to support little Zhi Xi, he dashed back and forth along the deck.
Perhaps little Zhi Xi thought this kind of horse wasn’t bad as he grabbed onto Yun Shi Wei’s head and shrieked with laughter.
“Follow me.”
Ruan Zhu called out to Xuanyuan Min Zhi and entered the ship’s cabin. Past the door was a very spacious drawing room decorated in a style that could be classified as of the Tang dynasty with a rice-white fluffy rug covering the ground.
Nuan Chun was sitting on the ground, huddled around a small table in front of him. There was a small stove on top of the table and he had placed some sauteed tea leaves inside. Hearing footsteps, he lifted his head to see his Master walking in and stood up to perform the greetings.
“Eldest Miss, this slave is currently boiling tea for Miss. How about this slave brings over some refreshments?”
Ruan Zhu was currently breastfeeding and had to eat four to five meals every day. At this moment, Nuan Chun was concerned she was currently hungry.
“No need, you can withdraw!” Ruan Zhu gave her order with pinched brows. Seeing the demon following behind her, she felt even more vexed. “Nuan Chun, stand guard outside. Remember to not let anyone come in and disturb us; I have official business to discuss.” She had to clearly understand exactly how much Xuanyuan Min Zhi knew.
“This slave will obey.” Nuan Chun fell back and left.
Ruan Zhu sat down in Nuan Chun’s seat. A flowing long skirt covered in lotus flowers and leaves covered her beautiful legs, and she gave a sideways glance at the tall man entering, seeing spotlessly white socks on his feet. Not bad, he could be considered a cultured man. She herself did not wear socks, but strangers, especially men, could not do the same as she always felt there was a heavy stench on mens’ feet.
Xuanyuan Min Zhi sat down across from her so that they were separated by the table. A lock of hair dangled onto his forehead, making him appear somewhat wanton and unrestrained, and an immensely proud smile floated on his lips. “Asking me to enter for something–if it is to ** once, it will be exactly what this prince has been seeking.”
Black lines were across all of Ruan Zhu’s face: “How did you find out?”
He asked a question despite already knowing the answer: “Find out what?”
Ruan Zhu glared at him, exceptionally furious. Fortunately, he was trustworthy and didn’t look at her strangely. Otherwise, she would really want to flay him and throw him into a fire to be burned into ashes.
“You clearly know it.” She thought a bit, then asked: “Zhao Hai’s tongue was cut off by you?” Apart from him, she could not think of a second person.
“I wanted to find an opportunity to be closer to you and the Heavens have granted that wish.” Xuanyuan Zong Zhi leisurely poured himself a cup of tea. After having a sip, he then unhurriedly continued: “From the neighboring cell, I overheard the conversation between the two of you.”
The walls have ears! The words the ancients spoke were ones of wisdom and it was actually her that had been careless. Ruan Zhu’s breath was caught in her chest. Vexed to death, she frantically demanded: “What is it that you really want?”
“It’s very simple. I want to be your family’s number four.”
“Is it that simple to become my family’s number four?” Ruan Zhu sneered. But he was holding onto her weakness and refusing was really not an option. Rather than having to accept who know what kinds of concubines in the future, the man in front of her had the best qualifications in all aspects. But precisely because he was too good, she was unwilling to accept him. A Prince of Qi was already enough–don’t tell her a Prince of Yong also had to join in?
“As long as you agree it’ll be fine.”
“Why must I agree? Do you think that just by relying on fabricating rumors about me, others will believe in your lunatic ravings?”
“I have proof.” A sly yet mocking expression emerged on Xuanyuan Min Zhi’s face. To Ruan Zhu, it was incredibly vile and also incredibly sinister.
Ruan Zhu did not believe him and her dewy eyes were full of disdain.
“The morning that Zhao Hai rode the wooden donkey through the streets, I went to visit the prison of Shun Tian Hall again and found a letter he had left behind in the cell he had stayed in. Heh heh, it had been written with blood. Needless to say, you should be clear about what is written on it.”
A posthumous letter–Ruan Zhu was shocked and her complexion immediately turned pale. Even though Zhao Hai did not have a tongue, he could still write and reveal the thoughts in his mind for all the commoners to see. She had been too careless–feeling that person was close to death, she had relaxed her guard.
“If you agree, I’ll hand over the letter.”
“It’s not enough to have only my approval. It will also need the ones of Yun Shi Yi and the Prince of Qi.” Ruan Zhu gnashed her teeth in anger and practically shouted in reponse: “As a man, don’t push all of the problems my way. If you have the ability, settle it yourself.”
“You agree?” Joy spread across Xuanyuan Min Zhi’s entire face. Stroking one of her hands, he tugged, pulling her against his chest. “As long as you agree, those people aren’t an issue. I have a plan to make them give their consent.”
Ruan Zhu was too late to defend herself from being dragged into his embrace. His arms were full of strength and he hugged her like one would hug a baby. Placing her horizontally against his legs, he bent over, meaning to send down a kiss……Ruan Zhu hastily used her hand to stop him: “If you want me to agree, hand over Zhao Hai’s letter.”
“The time hasn’t come yet.” He pushed aside the hand that was being a hindrance and used his own lips to block hers, extending his tongue to push past her pearly teeth, touching that small, slippery and soft tongue……His heart itched terribly. Forcibly inhaling, he sucked her tongue into his mouth.
This was the second time he had kissed her, and feeling that she was even more delicious now, he couldn’t resist deepening the kiss. His two hands roamed across her soft body. When they touched her chest, his emotions became hard to endure and he stretched his hands inside her lapel to grope her.
Ruan Zhu pushed him away with her hands: “We haven’t wed. Don’t mess around.” Nothing had started yet and she most definitely did not want the evil reputation of having ruined his innocence.
“Let me kiss you for a while first.” He still wanted more and a strong manly aggression rolled off him.
Having been enticed by such a dashing man, how could Ruan Zhu not be moved? Anger arose in her heart again. This bastard has really thought of her as a blockhead for him to fiddle with as he pleased.
“You really are very tasty.” Only after a very long time did Xuanyuan Min Zhi reluctantly move away from her: “I will not give up.”
“Aren’t you very capable?” Ruan Zhu got up from his lap and straightened her messy clothes and beautiful hair: “Go settle everything cleanly and use a palanquin with eight carriers[a] to invite me into the wedding hall or there’s no point in discussing this.”
“That’s not too difficult. After I find some bearers, I’ll request Emperor-Father to write an imperial edict to grant this marriage.”
“Up to you.”
Ruan Zhu stepped around him, heading outside of the cabin. It was hard to guarantee an accident would not occur if she stayed any longer with him. Intelligent people had to understand how to judge the hour and size up the situation.
Xuanyuan Min Zhi looked on as the beautiful figure left the room and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but rise while his thick sword-like eyebrows similarly raised into a leisurely arc. He thought back of her conversation with Zhao Hai in the prison–manufacturing glass, establishing a spy agency, even helping Yun Shi Wei found special forces!
He shook his head. Truly a mysterious woman. Exactly what kind of soul was in that body? Anyway, he would not let go. Being a secondary husband was fine and being number four was whatever; he did not care.
On the day they reached Jiang Cheng, the majority of the people aboard all of the vessels wished to go ashore to once again savor the feeling of having their feet firmly planted on the ground. Besides, this Jiang Cheng was not merely an ordinary town–the world-famous Huang He Tower[b] was precisely located here.
That famous poem of Cui Hao’s–“Yellow Crane Tower”–Ruan Zhu could indeed recite it like ripe as melons falling from vines.[c] Since they were passing by, how could Ruan Zhu not go to play for a bit?
The ships of the officials added with the boats of the accompanying common civilians equaled to nearly a thousand vessels, and they all gathered in the dock at the south bank. Literary scholars waved their fans and recited a few lines as they disembarked to go sightseeing while commoners went off in groups of three or five to purchase daily necessities.
Ruan Zhu pushed the twins to their wet nurses and threw Zhi Xi to Yun Shi Wei before taking Nuan Chun in going ashore.
Jiang Cheng was very large and boasted many famous landmarks and other sites where one day was not enough to see them all.
Ruan Zhu picked a few of the main ones and headed towards Huang He Tower. The magnificent multi-tiered tower that was the first under the Heavens was fully surrounded by soldiers on guard and on patrol on all sides.
Ruan Zhu recognized one of them as having done work for Xuanyuan Zong Zhi before, and it was only when she went to ask that she discovered the Emperor was on the top floor.
Looks like she couldn’t enter the Yellow Crane Tower today!
Right when Ruan Zhu was about to turn around, her husband, Xuanyuan Zong Zhi, stepped out from inside. He strode towards her and pulled on her hand: “I saw you from far away. Follow me inside all right? It just so happens that Emperor-Father also wants to see you.”
“See me?” Ruan Zhu had not made any preparations and her currently outfit was also very plain and simple, so was it a good idea to meet him like this?
[a] Idiom that was first used in Chapter x, translated literally above that has a figurative meaning of treating someone with honor
[b] 黄鹤楼, Yellow Crane Tower. An actual tower in Wuhan City that was first built around 223 and then burnt down and rebuilt multiple times, with the latest rebuild completed in 1985. (Wikipedia)
[c] There is a translation of Cui Hao’s poem in the Wikipedia link in footnote [b]. // 滚瓜乱熟, idiom meaning something is very good at endorsement
