CH 23

T/N: First of all, sorry, I messed up the schedule timing T^T Next, a correction to announce: the previous chapter has been renamed to “To Snow” while this one is “Snowfall”. This is because this chapter is titled “落雪” which translates to “fall snow” and the previous chapter is “下雪” which translates to “to snow”. I previously assumed it wouldn’t make a considerable difference since both means snowfall but I was wrong. Sorry for the confusion :'(

When Shen-shi walked into her daughter’s courtyard, she saw JiuZhu hunching over the snow under the tree and examining it. Her head was covered with white snow.

Sensing her mother come in, JiuZhu raised her head and grinned at her, the snow on her head tumbling down: “Mother.”

“It’s snowing so heavily. Why are you squatting outside?” She walked quickly to JiuZhu and wiped the snow on her daughter’s head and body distressedly: “Do you not feel cold?”

“Not cold.” JiuZhu sniffled, “It’s fun.”

“The snow is chilly. What is there…” Shen-shi swallowed her words midway. She fished out a handkerchief and wiped JiuZhu’s red and frozen fingertips: “Where’s the fun in playing alone, let Mom accompany you.”

She forgot that it almost never snowed in LingZhou during winter. The people of the capital had long grown to loathe snow, but that was not the case for JiuZhu.

“ChunFen, fetch a thick cloak for the Young Miss.” Shen-shi bent down and squatted like JiuZhu: “When Mom was a child, she used to build the most good-looking snowman among all her sisters.”

“Really?” JiuZhu looked at her with wide eyes, “Mom, make one for me quickly.”

“Wait a moment.” Shen-shi took off the jade bracelet from her wrist and began building a snowman for JiuZhu.

From time to time, JiuZhu would help Shen-shi to shovel the snow and bring some stones, covering the snow all around with her footprints. Shen-shi raised her head; as she looked at her daughter’s figure bouncing around, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

“Mother.” JiuZhu ran to Shen-shi and opened her fist. A few dark stones were lying on her palm which had turned red from the cold: “Use this to make the snowman’s eyes.”

The snow coating the eight little stones was melted by her body temperature.

“Okay.” Shen-shi took the stones and pressed them to make eyes of the four snowmen.

“Mother.” JiuZhu squatted beside Shen-shi, cupped her face with her hands, and asked with curiosity, “Does Big Brother look more like you or like Father?”

“He looks like your maternal grandfather.” Shen-shi thought for a while: “But his personality is very much like your father’s. I’m sure he’ll be elated to see you once he returns to the capital.”

“Daughter heard from Father that His Majesty has instructed him to come back to the capital.” JiuZhu expertly brushed the snowflakes off Shen-shi’s shoulders with a handkerchief: “Would it be difficult for Big Brother to travel back due to the snow?”

“He won’t return that quickly.” Shen-shi smiled: “The new official sent by the Imperial court needs to take over your brother’s position before he can leave. Estimating the days, even if he travels fast, it will be after the beginning of Spring. So you need not be worried about him.”

Ever since she was found, Ming JiYuan often sent gifts and letters full of deep concern to JiuZhu.

“I hope Big Brother can come back a little sooner.” JiuZhu picked a plum blossom and placed it on the head of the snowman representing Ming JiYuan.

Shen-shi smiled and stuffed the hand warmer into her red, frozen hands: “This snowfall will continue for the next two days, so let’s have some breakfast first.”

JiuZhu noticed that snow had fallen on Shen-shi’s hair and nodded promptly: “Okay.”

“Where did your mother and daughter go?” Ming JingZhou was sitting in the dining hall. He looked up and saw his wife and daughter walk inside covered head to foot with snow, and hastily instructed the maids to take off their cloaks: “Quick. Go to the kitchen and bring two bowls of ginger soup for the madam and the young miss.”

“No need to make a fuss.” Shen-shi took JiuZhu and sat down, ordering the maids to set the meal: “I was just building a snowman with my daughter.”

“Why not call me too?” Ming JingZhou ladled out two bowls of hot soup and placed them in front of the two: “Warm your stomachs first.”

“Husband rarely gets a day off so I thought it’s better to let you sleep a little longer.” Shen-shi picked up the bowl and took a few sips of the soup before turning to JiuZhu: “After eating your breakfast, go and put on the winter clothes that the seamstress had made for you a few days ago.”

“Okay.” JiuZhu responded immediately; wearing new clothes when meeting His Highness seemed proper to her: “Mother, I want to go out later.”

“It’s snowing so heavily today. Where do you want to go?” Shen-shi glanced outside the window. The snowfall was getting heavier.

“Daughter wants to go to Chen Wang’s residence.” Fearing her parents might worry, JiuZhu explained, “Only for a little while.”

After the maids brought breakfast and the ginger soup, Shen-shi raised her hand to have them leave the dining hall. Then she said, “JiuZhu, Mom has never asked you properly: What do you think of Chen Wang?”

“His Highness is very nice ah.” JiuZhu finished half of the ginger soup in the bowl in one breath, the weird hot and spicy taste making her frown slightly: “Why is Mother asking this?”

“I’m just a little surprised that JiuZhu actually likes Chen Wang so much.” Shen-shi raised her hand and gently wiped the corners of JiuZhu’s mouth with a handkerchief: “You never saw Chen Wang before you were betrothed to him. How did you get to know him?”

The hand that wiped the corner of her mouth was gentle and warm. JiuZhu lowered her head and stared at the bowl of ginger soup: “Daughter… came across His Highness Chen Wang a very long time ago.”

Shen-shi and Ming JingZhou looked at their daughter in shock: “What did you say?”

Noticing their stunned expression, JiuZhu recalled what Guifei niangniang and His Highness Chen Wang had explained to her before they left.

“If someone is heartless enough to try to kill even a child like you, it means that you have inadvertently discovered a secret that you yourself aren’t aware of.”

“My son saved you by chance. For him, it was a matter of lifting his hand. But if you don’t want to be drawn into turmoil in the future, you must not mention this incident again. In this world, no secret can be kept forever. Only by making the person who tried to kill you think you are dead can you be completely safe. There are a lot of secrets that will bring disaster if they’re spoken out.”

“Child, pay your debt of gratitude by living well and growing up healthy.”

“In the future, if you get the opportunity to step into the capital, you must bear in mind that it is a place with no secrets. It doesn’t matter if you are unable to make sense of what I’m saying, just make sure to remember these words.”

“Eight years ago, Daughter went to LingZhou City with her Masters to buy things. There, I saw Guifei niangniang and His Highness Chen Wang handing money to the elderly and the children who were begging.” Holding the bowl, JiuZhu lowered her head and whispered: “At that time, Daughter only thought that Guifei niangniang was beautiful like a fairy who descended to the mortal realm, and His Highness Chen Wang was like a fairy child. It was not until the day Guifei niangniang summoned Daughter to the Imperial Palace that I got to know the identities of the fairy and the fairy child I saw a few years ago. It was Guifei niangniang and His Highness Chen Wang.”

“Eight years ago…” Ming JingZhou recalled that eight years ago when the Emperor sailed to the south accompanied by Su Guifei and her son, he did stay in LingZhou for a few days.

If he had also accompanied him, he would have met JiuZhu in LingZhou City. That way, he could have brought her back early and no longer have to bear the separation.

“It turns out that when our JiuZhu was young, she liked good-looking people.” Shen-shi smiled softly: “When you go out, remember to take a hand warmer along. You must not freeze yourself.”

“Thank you, Mother.” JiuZhu nodded happily: “I will definitely take care of myself.”

Shen-shi looked at her daughter with a tender gaze.

“Wife.” Once back in the main courtyard, Ming JingZhou poured hot tea for Shen-shi: “It’s snowing so heavily outside. Do you not feel worried that our daughter is going out1T/N: I’m debating whether it’s important and I should explain it or not but… here goes nothing~ Going out [出门] is also a way of saying ‘getting married’ in Chinese because the bride essentially leaves her home and settles at the groom’s.?”

“It doesn’t matter as long as she is happy.” Shen-shi held the teacup, “I would prefer her to get married to Chen Wang with satisfaction over disappointment.”

“Life is so short that one more day of happiness is a blessing.”

“Wife is right.” Ming JingZhou cupped his hands before him: “Husband will listen to you.”

There were hardly any people on the snow-covered streets so when the two carriages met, it was especially striking.

JiuZhu lifted the curtain and noticed Sun CaiYao, who had lifted the curtain of the other carriage at the same time.

“Miss Sun.” JiuZhu was in a good mood so encountering someone she knew, a sweet smile bloomed on her face.

“M-miss Ming.” Seeing Ming JiuZhu, Sun CaiYao’s hand holding the curtain trembled slightly: “Where is Miss Ming going in such heavy snow?”

“To visit Chen Wang.” JiuZhu didn’t hide her plan, “Where is Miss Sun going?”

“Going to the suburbs to offer incense.”

JiuZhu noticed Sun CaiYao’s slightly pale countenance. She didn’t know whether it was because of the cold or because she had applied too much powder. Nevertheless, to go to the outskirts of the city for offering incense on this snowy day… she was incredibly pious.

It seems that the niangniangs of the Palace were not the only devout ones. The honored daughters of the noble families of the capital were also not too far behind.

“The road has become slippery due to the snow. Miss Sun, please be careful.” JiuZhu raised her hand and motioned the carriage driver to move it aside and let Sun CaiYao go first.

“N-no!” As if she had been stimulated by something, Sun CaiYao hurriedly asserted, “Miss Ming, please go first.”

Now that she saw Ming JiuZhu, she felt terrified. She did not dare to offend her.

Not expecting such a reaction from Sun CaiYao, JiuZhu was stunned. The Sun family’s Young Miss was rushing to the outskirts to offer incense. What was the problem with letting her go first?

Before she could come to her senses, the Sun family’s carriage had already moved aside.

“Miss Ming, please.” The cold wind along with snowflakes hit Sun CaiYao’s face from both sides but she tried her best to squeeze a smile at JiuZhu.

“Then… I will leave first?” JiuZhu had a faint feeling that this Young Miss Sun seemed to be a little afraid of her.

“Thanks a lot, Miss Sun.” Putting down the curtain, JiuZhu touched her face. Could it be that she did something too extreme to Sun CaiYao to make her afraid of herself?

Never mind, many people in the capital were strange. As a normal person, she shouldn’t bother about them.

Watching Ming JiuZhu’s carriage go away, Sun CaiYao realized that her hand holding the curtain had chilled to the point of being numb.

“Sun jiejie.” Wearing a thick cloak, Zheng Zhen walked out of the store on the side: “Are you evading Ming JiuZhu because she has the support of the Guifei?”

Sun CaiYao brushed the hand warmer in her arms: “What does Miss Zheng mean by that?”

Zheng Zhen sneered and spoke in a weird tone: “Nowadays, how many people dare to let Ming JiuZhu give way to them?”

Noticing Zheng Zhen’s peculiar tone, Sun CaiYao suddenly recalled that Marquis PingYuan’s family was recently reprimanded by Su Guifei.

No wonder Zheng Zhen was acting so sarcastic. Indeed, only a few people could have the future Chen Wangfei give way to them on the street. Not everyone was as brainless as Marquis PingYuan’s family. As for what kind of feeling Zheng Zhen had for her Cousin Brother, Qi Wang, she was very clear about them.

No woman would like another woman who had feelings for her fiancé. Only a fool would fall for such a simple and rude means of provocation.

“Miss Zheng is really good at jesting.” Sun CaiYao smiled: “Initially, Miss Ming wanted to let me leave first, but I volunteered to let her leave first. Where’s the problem?”

“People will treat you as you treat them.” Sun CaiYao chuckled: “Miss Zheng, don’t you think so?”

Zheng Zhen pondered for a moment: “Are you mocking me?”

Sun CaiYao continued to smile: “Miss Zheng can think whatever she wants.”

“I am His Highness Qi Wang’s cousin. You actually dare to ridicule me?” Zheng Zhen said angrily: “You dare to ridicule me! If you are that able, don’t give way to Ming JiuZhu’s carriage!”

Sun CaiYao said slowly: “Miss Ming is so innocent, kindhearted, beautiful, and amiable that I just regret us not being biological sisters. I am very happy to let her go first, why should I let her give way to me?”

What was this idiot talking about? Which smart person would choose to offend both Su Guifei and Chen Wang, the two people most favored by His Majesty?

Furthermore, she must, by any means, never provoke a vicious and merciless woman like Ming JiuZhu.

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