Chapter 102 - Zhuo Ping’an

To be honest, Zhuo Ping’an didn’t look like an idiot at all.

Like other high-fed childes, he was fair-skinned with regular facial features unlike Commandery Princess Qingjiang. He must take after his father. The disheveled hair on his shoulders was obviously delicately cleaned, which was black and long enough to reach his waist. He was wearing a brocade robe with blue background and the pattern of four kinds of flowers that bloomed in different seasons. His waist was loosely tightened. As a draught blew by, his robe hem swung slightly, showing the emptiness due to his bony appearance. In this way, his morbid state was revealed.

“What a pity!” Song Yixiao looked him up and down, and couldn’t help feeling sorry for her sister-in-law, “Given his good look, if his brain were not ruined due to difficult labor, regardless of his talent, he could still occupy a foothold in court by virtue of his mother’s status! Unfortunately, something unexpected may happen any time. What a pity!”

While she was sorry for him, Zhuo Ping’an was attracted by the orchid on the nearby high-top table upon entering the hall.

As he was not different from a child, he couldn’t act normally. Hence, negligent of the three seniors in the hall, he directly pushed away the maids and walked to the high-top table, reaching out for the leaves of the orchid.

“Ping’an, they are the uncle and aunt who I told you before. Why don’t you pay them respects by giving them a kowtow?” Commandery Princess Qingjiang saw her son with helplessness crossing her look, saying in a soft voice, “What’s good about the orchid? If you like it, I can send ten of these to your room!”

Since her husband passed away, she had put all her effort in her son. Even though Zhuo Ping’an was born imperfect, over the 20 years, he still remembered his birth mother’s voice and appearance.

Now when he heard this, he put his finger into his mouth and thought for a while. Then he turned around to look at the other people, shouting in confusion, “Mom!”

“Good boy!” Commandery Princess Qingjiang waved at him and said in a soft voice, “Come. Come to Mom and give a kowtow to your uncle and aunt!”

Zhuo Ping’an tilted his head to one side. The gesture made by him at a young age would be very lovely, but now that he was almost turning 20, his gesture somehow looked very weird. After a while, Commandery Princess Qingjiang became a bit angry. Then he gave up the orchid and walked to her.

“Good boy, they are your uncle and aunt.” When Zhuo Ping’an walked across Song Yixiao, Commandery Princess Qingjiang felt kind of nervous. She didn’t feel relieved and introduce again patiently until he leaned against her obediently. “There there. Give a kowtow to the two seniors. Your Aunt has prepared a gift for you specially… After you give a kowtow, you will get it. Why don’t you thank your Aunt in advance?”

Zhuo Ping’an knelt down in a fog and kowtowed in a crooked way. Before Commandery Princess Qingjiang said anything, he stood up quickly and climbed onto Commandery Princess Qingjiang’s bench, rolling about and even kicking a cushion at the end of the bed happily.

Song Yixiao couldn’t help swallowing back the fake compliment on him…

“The gift is specially prepared but I wonder whether Ping’an likes it or not.” Jian Xubai was drinking tea and didn’t intend to offer help at all. Song Yixiao could only skate over it and directly gave Ping’an the gift, “If you don’t like it, tell me what you like and I will make it up to you!”

The gift was a set of four-season sachets.

The sachets didn’t look special, the exteriors of which were decorated with the embroidery of the sceneries of four seasons.

The special part of the sachets lay in the stuffing inside, which consisted of herbs beneficial for health. After being delicately mixed, the herbs didn’t smell herbal; instead, they smelt fragrant with richness and freshness, corresponding to four seasons. In this way, the sachets could be altered for usage in different seasons.

Song Yixiao had no other choice but to send this gift. Generally, it was common to send the writing materials, rare curios, antiques, famous horses and refine bows to the people as old as Zhuo Ping’an. However, these things were useless to him. Yet, if she sent herbs or toys to him, Commandery Princess Qingjiang might feel grieved.

It took Song Yixiao a few days to think of this idea, which wouldn’t stimulate her sister-in-law and could express her kindness.

As expected, after Commandery Princess Qingjiang saw the gift, she was delighted, saying gratefully, “Yixiao, the gift is so nice!”

Now Zhuo Ping’an was lying beside her, spitting bubbles. Commandery Princess was afraid to cause any unnecessary trouble so she didn’t ask her son to receive it. Instead, she took it on behalf of her son and then showed it to him, “Ping’an, look at the gift from your Aunt. Are the sachets pretty?”

Zhuo Ping’an stared at the sachets, blinking his eyes. Yet, he just turned around and continued to spit bubbles attentively.

Commandery Princess Qingjiang was embarrassed for a while. After putting away the sachets, she hurriedly smoothed things over, “He can hardly express himself well. I know that he must like it. Yixiao, you don’t know this. If you show him anything he dislikes, he will boil with rage!”

It took Song Yixiao great strength and effort to finish the sachets, but she mainly did so for Commandery Princess Qingjiang. Of course she wouldn’t be angry with the nephew, saying smilingly, “The sachets are nothing and only for Ping’an to play with…”

After she said that, without any signs, Zhuo Ping’an suddenly got a Jade Ruyi at the bedside and threw it away. By coincidence, it flew to Song Yixiao!

At the moment, Commandery Princess Qingjiang was sitting back to him so she didn’t notice what her son did. On the contrary, Song Yixiao saw him but she was only about 3.3 meters away from the bench and the Jade Ruyi flew really fast! In light of her poor reaction ability, she couldn’t have time to dodge the sudden attack but to see it flying to her!

She was about to be smashed when her arm was suddenly dragged away. Song Yixiao was entirely pulled away from her seat. Staggering, she rolled around and then fell into Jian Xubai’s arms!

She subconsciously grabbed her husband’s shoulders. While she cried out, the Jade Ruyi flew across the golden hairpin on her hair and fell on the nearby ground heavily, which was broken into pieces!

This sudden accident made all the people at present stupefied!

Commandery Princess Qingjiang was startled with a pale face!

The Commandery Princess, who was always elegant and poised, asked in a faltering voice reluctantly, “Yixiao, are… you… okay?”

“I’m fine!” Song Yixiao just recovered from the shock and then realized that she was snuggling up to Jian Xubai and grabbing his shoulders with her face buried in his arms. Although it was an instinct reaction of hers out of shock, she was a guest in Commandery Princess Qingjiang’s mansion instead of the inner chamber of Duke Yan’s mansion, surrounded by tens of servants!

Within a blink of an eye, her fair-skinned face became red. She pushed away Jian Xubai in a flurry and got up to return to her seat, saying calmly, “Sister, you may as well check on Ping’an. We’d better not frighten him!”

She said so only out of courtesy. Zhuo Ping’an just threw the Ruyi at will. He didn’t mean to hurt anyone or care to do so. After throwing away the Ruyi, he acted as if nothing had happened. Now the hall was quiet and he was still lying there and spitting bubbles, with his eyes confused and clear. He didn’t care at all.

Commandery Princess Qingjiang took a deep breath, “Take Ping’an back to his room!”

Now that a junior almost hurt a senior, he should be punished.

However, given Zhuo Ping’an’s status, he couldn’t understand no matter how he was beaten or scolded. If he was pissed off, he would go mad and make a fuss. Therefore, Commandery Princess Qingjiang had to send him back to his room in case that he would continue hurting people.

The maids persuaded Zhuo Ping’an into leaving fearfully. Luckily, he was kind of obedient.

Seeing her son off, Commandery Princess Qingjiang apologized to Song Yixiao with red eyes on behalf of him, “Yixiao, I am so sorry. I didn’t expect…”

“Sister, don’t be!” Song Yixiao was still in a state of shock but she had been well prepared after agreeing to meet Zhuo Ping’an. Fortunately, it was a false alarm. Of course she didn’t want to distance from her sister-in-law, hurriedly interrupting, “Ping’an didn’t mean to do it. Moreover, I am okay. By saying so, you are taking me as an outsider!”

Commandery Princess Qingjiang said with a wan smile, “Given what happened just now, I am too embarrassed to cover things up. For today’s meeting, I’ve taught him for some days! Moreover, the doctor also gives him quite some medicine. He has been doing well recently, so I decided to let him meet you today. I thought that everything would go well. However, such an incidence happened unexpectedly!”

She shed tears, “It’s my fault! I know that something is wrong with him and I should have asked him to leave after he kowtowed, or Yixiao wouldn’t be shocked. Luckily, Xubai reacted fast enough! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have the courage to face Yixiao again!”

“Shanyao is okay anyway!” Jian Xubai spoke little and only watched his wife and sister bonding with each other as they both intended to be closer. Now he finally talked, “Sister, if you feel guilty, just prepare a bigger feast later. You don’t know that all the kitchen staff were expelled by Shanyao as they made a mistake! Now it is her own cook who is cooking in the mansion, whose cooking skill is just fine and not suitable for my taste. I come here with her today specially to have a good meal in your mansion!”

Song Yixiao knew that he deliberately turned aside from the topic to help Commandery Princess Qingjiang out of embarrassment. As she heard what Jian Xubai said, she stared at him and said angrily, “How dare you say that? How many times have you eaten the meals made by my cook? These days most of your meals are made by me.”

“Yeah, you made them.” Jian Xubai glanced at Commandery Princess Qingjiang and sighed, “Of course what you cook is delicious. Yet, Sister, can’t you really add more dishes to the lunch?”

Song Yixiao waved her hands at him with faked anger.

Due to their small dispute, Commandery Princess Qingjiang couldn’t continue apologizing. Knowing that they did so out of kindness, she felt touched and guilty, saying smilingly, “Xubai, you just don’t appreciate the happy life you enjoy. Only given Song Yixiao’s delicately pretty appearance, even if she is asked to take up a kettle, I will feel sorry for her! However, she is willing to suffer the smoke and fire in the kitchen only to cook for you! How can you be particular about such a virtuous wife?”

“She has got Uncle Limiao to side with her and now you also show partiality for her!” Jian Xubai said helplessly, “I cannot imagine to what extent I will be bullied in future.”

“Aren’t you supposed to bear with your wife?” Commandery Princess Qingjiang scolded him laughingly. It was about time indeed so she ordered the servants to set the table in the drawing room, “Female crabs taste best in September while male crabs taste best in October. Now it is the best time to eat crabs but I think crabs are cold in nature. If we eat too much, we will have a stomachache. Hence, we had better take some daily dishes!”

Despite that, the dishes served were not daily at all, including Meat Broth, Barbecued Venison and Bear Meat, Roasted Sheep Intestine with Yolk, Roasted Mutton Ribs, Mutton Pies and Roasted Pork Ribs, which were kind of fairly common. However, the following dishes were not affordable for common families, such as Roasted Mandarin Fish, Stewed Prawns with Pigeon Eggs, Shark Fin Shaped in Phoenix-tail, Venison Broth, Children Gizzards, Camel Feet Soup, Lufu Hanfeng, Dragon-shaped Meat, Cake Tied with Red Silk Ribbons.

“Yixiao, try the Camel Feet. This is the cook’s specialty.” While the dishes were served, the musicians were ready in position to play the strings. The female dancers wearing colorful clothes and silver bells started to dance together, flicking the sleeves, bending down and stretching out their arms. They danced to the much beautifully to liven things up.

Commandery Princess Qingjiang persuaded hospitably, “According to the doctor, this dish can not only nourish the body but also beautify the skin! You are still very young but it is always good to have more of this!”

Song Yixiao thanked for the recommendation smilingly. She was about to take one spoonful of the soup when a eunuch in black suddenly walked inside with a stern face. After paying respects in a hurry, he reported, “An errand-man sent by Marquis Boling is here to invite His Highness to discuss about important issues!”

Jian Xubai immediately stood up, “Sister, excuse me!”

Then he said to Song Yixiao, who also put down the chopsticks, “You apologized to Sister on behalf of me!”