CH 27.1

Discovering Jiuzhu’s arrival, Chen Wang turned his head and glared at the two accompanying eunuchs. Did he not already tell them to help this maid up and send her back fast? How should he explain all this to Ming Xiaozhu1T/N: A reminder: If rearranged, he has officially started calling her “Little Pig Ming” [明小猪] xD now?

“Did this palace maid jiejie fall?” After she said this, Jiuzhu noticed the two eunuchs standing on either side of the palace maid. All smiles, she praised Chen Wang in a low voice: “Your Highness is truly kindhearted. Seeing this palace maid fall, you must have specially arranged for someone to help her up.”

“Naturally. Ben Wang is not someone who just folds his hand and sees people die.” Chen Wang straightened his back and raised his chin slightly, revealing the demeanor of a dignified nobleman. Then, he noticed Jiuzhu’s simple and neat attire: “Did you also come to offer condolences?”

“Mother said that if it was before, our family would not have been permitted to do so. However, since I and Your Highness are betrothed, we are different from the others.” Jiuzhu glanced at the palace maid who was still on the ground: “Mother has so much knowledge. Nothing will go wrong if I heed her words.”

Hearing the word ‘betrothed’, Chen Wang looked away in discomfort: “Then, then I will bring you along. Imperial Concubine Yang’s funeral is kept very simple. You can just follow me there to light some incense.”

“Wait.” Jiuzhu grabbed Chen Wang’s sleeve.

He looked back at her, thinking that she didn’t want to go with him: “You want to go with your mother?”

“That’s not it.” Jiuzhu pointed to his waist: “Your Highness, take off this yupei2Yupei [玉佩] – This is a generic term for jade pendants. Jade is an important component of Chinese culture, reflecting both the material and spiritual culture. It is also associated with positive qualities and aspects such as purity, excellence, and harmony. Yupei could be used as belt or waist ornaments aside from necklaces. first.”

There was nothing unusual about the yupei except that the knot and tassels were bright red.

Chen Wang wanted to explain that he was already being very respectful to this deceased concubine he hadn’t even met by changing into white clothes and lighting incense and therefore, she didn’t need to mind this yupei’s red color.

But when his gaze met Jiuzhu’s black eyes, he sighed in acquiescence and untied the yupei. He put it in her hand: “You hold it for me.”

“Alright.” Beaming, she nodded and put it away into a plain white pouch.

Chen Wang almost tripped over something after taking one step forward. Looking down, he realized that the palace maid was still at her spot on the ground.

What exactly did she want? Even if she was trying to slander him for pushing a woman down, did she need to be so obvious about it?

“Guniang, are you okay?” Jiuzhu bent down and pulled the palace maid up from the ground single-handedly.

The palace maid: “……”

How did she stand up against her will?

“Did you get hurt?” Jiuzhu bent over and patted the dust on her skirt.

In a daze, the palace maid shook her head.

“Ming Xiaozhu, let’s go.” Chen Wang was standing a few steps away with his hands behind his back and urging Jiuzhu.

“Coming.” Jiuzhu responded to Chen Wang, lowered her head, and said to the palace maid, “Be more careful when you walk.”

After speaking, she trotted to Chen Wang and walked alongside him.

The palace maid stared blankly at the backs of the two people. It turned out that the story was not about some overbearing prince with a good-looking palace maid but with a delicate Young Miss.

Her cheeks flushed as she stared at the skirt patted by Jiuzhu. And without the eunuch’s help, she covered her face and rushed away.

Imperial Concubine Yang’s funeral hall was set up in a palace hall on the west side of the Imperial Palace. The mingfu who came to offer condolences had already departed by the time they arrived, leaving only a handful of imperial relatives standing outside the hall indifferently. It was obvious they were doing it as a mere formality.

Jiuzhu was unaware of the rules and etiquette for funerals in the Imperial Palace so she didn’t know that according to the usual practice, after the death of a concubine, the standard for her funeral would be a rank higher than what she held or she would be directly promoted to that rank.

However, Imperial Concubine Yang’s funeral was devoid of any promotion. She didn’t even receive a posthumous title.

Although the Ministry of Rites had prepared a posthumous title for her, the Emperor declined it and said that her funeral should be kept simple on grounds of Imperial Concubine Yang’s dislike for commotion.

In this way, everyone clearly realized the Emperor’s lack of regard for Imperial Concubine Yang.

It was cold in front of the funeral hall. Chen Wang lowered his head and asked Jiuzhu: “Feeling cold?”

Jiuzhu shook her head. She picked the incense, bowed respectfully before the hall, and put the sticks into the incense burner.

The palace maid who was kneeling on the ground and weeping softly, kowtowed to her and Chen Wang.

Looking at the memorial tablet above, Chen Wang inserted the incense into the burner. In his impression, Imperial Concubine Yang was neither very talkative nor in good health. She also did not appear in many of the banquets held in the Palace.

As the wind blew the funeral streamer3Funeral streamer [灵幡] – It is a white band of cloth typically held by the son of the deceased. In this case, I doubt the existence of Yang-shi’s son so I think it’s just hung somewhere. , he turned around and twirled Jiuzhu’s sleeve around his finger to lead her out of the funeral hall.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you to the Mingyue Palace. You can change your clothes there.” A little guniang like her must not be dressed in such white and gloomy clothes, not at all pretty.

“Your Highness.” Jiuzhu hesitated: “Mother is still waiting for me outside…”

“You don’t have to worry, Fugui has already gone to send a word to Madam Ming.” Chen Wang continued to pull Jiuzhu forward: “After eating lunch at the Mingyue Palace, I’ll take you back.”

“Your Highness doesn’t need to go to the Ministry of Rites?” Jiuzhu hesitated: “Would this not delay your work?”

“Today, all the princes and princesses within the capital have to enter the Palace to offer condolences for the funeral of Imperial Concubine Yang. I have already notified the Minister of Rites that I’ll be taking a leave of absence, so there is no need to go there.” Chen Wang looked up at the sky: “Ming Xiaozhu, it is not appropriate to talk about work-related matters now.”

“Fifth brother.”

“Greetings to Your Highness Chen Wang, Ming guniang.”

Releasing his hold on the corner of Jiuzhu’s dress, Chen Wang raised his eyes and glanced at Qi Wang and Sun Caiyao: “It’s fourth brother ah.”

Since the last time he had compelled Qi Wang to make way for him, the two had not spoken in private except for the times they met in the Imperial court.

Jiuzhu bent her knees and bowed to Qi Wang, who nodded slightly to her. He glanced at their attire: “Has fifth brother already finished lighting incense for Imperial Concubine Yang?”

Completely different from his usual flamboyant dressing style, he didn’t see any bright colors on Yun Duqing.

“Fourth brother is a little late today.” Noticing that Yun Yanze looked twice at Jiuzhu, Chen Wang pulled her behind his body as if there were nobody else present: “You two should go ahead. I’ll take Ming guniang back to the Mingyue Palace.”

Back?

This caught Sun Caiyao’s attention; she looked up at Chen Wang, why would he use the word ‘back’ when he is taking Ming Jiuzhu to meet Su Guifei?

She had heard the story of the overbearing prince that was recently very popular in the capital. Perhaps it was because Chen Wang was usually too arrogant and domineering that when others saw him, their gazes were filled with awe and terror, and they had no time to pay attention to his appearance.

Only now did Sun Caiyao discover that Chen Wang had a very handsome countenance. He almost perfectly inherited all the strong points of the Emperor and Su Guifei’s facial features. As a result, even in plain white clothes, he was still very ostentatiously dazzling.

“Fifth brother, please feel free.” Qi Wang withdrew his gaze and smiled softly at Sun Caiyao, “Sun guniang, we should go in.”

He had barely finished speaking when the sound of clapping came from not far away. Qi Wang’s expression turned solemn, he bowed his head and stepped aside.

Jiuzhu stole a glance in the direction of the sound, and hurriedly lowered her head.

It was the Emperor.

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