Chapter 2

I was stunned on the spot. It was never the princess’s intention to marry into the mansion, and I would never force others to be difficult. Naturally, I have never done a marriage ceremony with her… so where did this child come from?

“Hmph! Shameless thing. You and Ziqing haven’t been together. How can you be with a child?” My mother said frigidly with a cold expression.

The princess let go, she was speechless, she was shaking like a leaf in the wind, but I didn’t react much. I knew earlier that my mother had been sending people to watch me in the dark. Is there anything she doesn’t know about?

Seeing the clearness in Feng Yin’s eyes, who stepped forward, I knelt down with everyone in the mansion to salute, only to know that what little face that I had left was now gone.

“This lowly one has not known of His Majesty’s arrival, thus disrespected His Majesty for the lack of grand reception. This lowly one hopes for His Majesty’s forgiveness.” My mother said respectfully.

“Be at ease,” Feng Yin said, shaking an old folding fan with a smile, “Those who don’t know are innocent.”

“His majesty can laugh upon witnessing this lowly one family’s ugly matter.” Mother said.

“Even if it’s a domestic scandal, this Emperor won’t bother,” he closed his fan, raised the corner of his eye, glanced at me, and said, “this Emperor still has business to deal with with the Prince of Xiang. I’ll leave now.”

Then, regardless of my part, I walked away after being stunned. This move relieved me of the siege and reduced the embarrassment of pestling there.

“This subordinate thanks His Majesty.”

“Imperial Uncle is polite. It is the nephew’s duty to help out.”

The new girl from Chu mansion is really good. She dances gracefully.Her jade hands light the room turning it into a painting. As far as the top card in the building is concerned, it is more than enough, and it is not an exaggeration for such praise.

It’s rare for Feng Yin to commend her to me. But now, she’s really not that interesting and there’s no smile in her words. This day has passed already. When she left, Feng Yin said something specifically to me. Three days later, we’ll get together in the Champs élysées by the lake. His smile contained a deep meaning.

When I returned to the mansion, I heard from the servants that the princess and the servant had been caned to death, and I felt a little miserable. The feeling of powerlessness oppressed me and I could hardly breathe. The pillow was vacant yet again.

Time flies, and it is already the third day. I sat in one of the pavilions of Champs élysées in the middle of the lake. The scenery was so beautiful. I gazed at the graceful dancers as I poured my wine, and a faint smile came into my eyes.

I have known the Emperor for a long time now, but I have never seen him like this before, holding his forehead with a grave face. What the hell is going on?

“Imperial Uncle, This Emperor is very familiar with you. Don’t be dismal. It’s just a woman. There are many herbs in the world. Uncle, don’t you think so?”

Feng Yin, this fifth prince yesterday, was now the Emperor of Jing, pretended to have a heavy face. When Ziqing glanced at the other princes, they seemed to be all the same to him, except for Feng Yin, who was holding a sake in his hand. He did not speak.

I smiled, raised my cup and drank it, “It’s natural, Xiaoyin doesn’t have to worry about me.”

“If Ziqing has a woman he likes, This Emperor promises to help Uncle.” Feng Yin said. The mirth in his eyes could not be hidden.

…Uh, if it develops like this, it will be troublesome.

“Nephew…” I gritted my teeth with a difficult expression on my face, “To tell you the truth, Imperial Uncle actually likes men!”

Everyone stopped their movements, their faces full of astonishment.

I continued while he was still stupefied: “So, if a girl marries me, will she not miss the great joy of youth just like other girls? Besides… How can you enjoy this *** thing if you don’t like it? You say, am I right?”

This statement seems to be a bit serious. Although I really have no interest in women, it is not to the point of only liking men. However, if I can escape Feng Yin’s invitation to those beautiful women in Qin Pavilion and Chu mansions, I can steal a little leisure for my life. It’s worth it.

Feng Yin’s face turned black,  white, then red, just like an overturned condiment bottle, with the colors were mixed. The other princes were stunned, as if they had swallowed a dozen flies. The performer was much more calm, but she couldn’t help but also be stunned. Then she proceeded to sing and dance. A person holding a faint smile at the corners of his mouth stopped before it could turn into a laugh.

The first person to speak was Feng Yin, who stammered: “Imperial…. Imperial Uncle, are you… are you kidding?”

I lowered my face and said solemnly, “Do you think Imperial Uncle is joking?” Then sighed, “Life is like this, what can I do?”

After a long while, Feng Yi swallowed with difficulty and patted my shoulder with the same face, “Imperial Uncle didn’t like women and this Emperor dragged you here. This Emperor has wronged you!”

Feng Yin put down his cup with a ‘hiccup’, and coughed uncomfortably.

“Has His Majesty caught a cold? That’s inappropriate. The dragon’s body is important, His Majesty should go back to the palace to rest early.”

I don’t know whether it was unintentional or if I was feeling impatient, that I said such a thoughtless sentence.

At this time, a man dressed as a servant rushed up, whispered a few words to Feng Yin’s side, and then went down. Leaving an embarrassed looking Feng Yin, who gave me a somewhat uncomfortable look.

“What the Imperial Uncle said is true, let the other princes continue to enjoy themselves. This Emperor will now return to the palace.”

Feng Yin said goodbye to the princes and hurried away. The smiling man also said goodbye, followed Feng Yin’s footsteps and left. I drank a few cups absently, said a few words and left.

The market was bustling and noisy. The hawkers are screaming incessantly, sometimes mixed with the laughter of women. Suddenly, blue veins on Ziqing’s forehead throbbed, and waves of chills came. He hastened his pace and hurried back to the palace. Entering the pavilion, that uncomfortable feeling disappeared, as he thought, it is better to be in a quieter place. For him, there is an inexplicable panic in a place that is too noisy.

Just after drinking a few sips of tea in the pavilion, Xingyuan stumbled over, unable to catch his breath, and couldn’t even squeeze out the beginning of a sentence. I kindly poured him a cup of tea. After taking three sips, he was able to give me a complete sentence.

“Master, it’s not good! Lord Xi wouldn’t be capable of doing it. They said he has committed the great crime of killing the nine families! People also say he committed suicide!”

Killing the nine families…

I put down the teacup and raised my eyebrows, “Then?”

“Then…then His Majesty sent people to raid the house to arrest people! Master, what should I do?” Blinking a pair of big watery eyes, tears were swirling around the corners of his eyes. If prompted, the tears would definitely fall.

“Let them do as they please.” I said.

Sure enough, with this stimulation, the tears in Xingyuan’s eyes fell, and it took a long time for them to disappear.

At the same time, the noisy sound from outside disturbed the tranquility of the inner courtyard and scared away the idle flying butterflies.

“If you’re afraid, you can go before the people from the imperial court arrive,” I paused, took out a stack of silver notes from my wide sleeve and stuffed them into Xingyuan’s hand.

“Although these silver taels are not much, save some of it. You’ll have no worries about food and clothing all your life. Don’t be a servant in the future. Don’t force yourself. Live a good life, okay?”

Translator’s Notes

Champs élysées=is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, 1.9 kilometers long and 70 meters wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is located. It is known for its theaters, cafés and luxury shops, as the finish of the Tour de France cycling race, as well as for its annual Bastille Day military parade. It is commonly regarded as the “most beautiful avenue in the world”.