CH 27.2

T/N: Sponsored chapter by @TheTanJar! Thank you so much for the kofi, enjoy~

Seeing his two sons, Emperor Longfeng got down from the dragon carriage.

Before the two could greet him, Emperor Longfeng directly raised his hand to exempt them from bowing: “What are you all standing here in the wind for? Are you not feeling the cold?”

The eunuch behind him was extremely sensible. He immediately prepared two cloaks and draped them over the shoulders of the princes.

Chen Wang took off the cloak and put it directly on Jiuzhu before turning to Emperor Longfeng and saying, “Father Emperor, how come you didn’t bring two cloaks that girls can wear? Look, it’s being dragged on the ground.”

Qi Wang lowered his head and glanced at the big cloak that was just draped over himself. Then, he glanced at Sun Caiyao, his hand turning a little stiff.

Emperor Longfeng was amused by his words: “These are the new cloaks just delivered by the Department of the Palace. Zhen has not even tried out but you already dislike them.”

Wrapped in the furry cloak, only half of Jiuzhu’s small face could be seen. She tugged at the cloak twice with her hands resembling a little tortoise being pressed by its shell.

Chen Wang couldn’t help but laugh out loud when he saw this sight.

“Your Highness.” Hearing him laugh at herself, Jiuzhu widened her eyes and looked at him pitifully.

“I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing at others.” Chen Wang coughed dryly and helped Jiuzhu sort out the cloak, finally letting her whole face show.

Jiuzhu muttered: “Your Highness is not very good at telling lies.”

Even a fool would understand that he was laughing at her.

Emperor Longfeng pretended not to see these two juniors whispering between themselves and turned to look at Qi Wang: “Yanze, you are about to marry, so it’s not appropriate for you to observe filial piety. Go back after paying your respect from outside the hall.”

“Yes, Father Emperor.” Qi Wang cupped his hands and bowed forward.

His wedding with Sun Caiyao was just seven days later. Imperial Concubine Yang’s death at this critical juncture seemed to add an ominous shadow to it.

However, the wedding date had been set by the Imperial Astronomer long ago. It would not be auspicious to change it so both he and the Sun family could only pretend not to care about Imperial Concubine Yang’s death. Fortunately, her rank was not high, and her funeral was not arranged grandly. 

His Mother Consort said that His Father Emperor was reluctant to hold Imperial Concubine Yang’s funeral because he was concerned about the imminent marriage between him and Sun Caiyao.

Whether her words were true or false, since he mentioned the wedding now, it at least showed that his Father Emperor cared about this.

“Duqing, where are you intending to take Ming family’s little guniang?” Seeing the two youngsters still whispering to and fro, Emperor Longfeng directly interrupted.

“Father Emperor, erchen is going to take Ming Xiao… Miss Ming1T/N: Chen Wang’s transition from Ming Xiaozhu to Miss Ming was a lot smoother in the raw since Xiaozhu is similar to the term for ‘Miss’ (小姐 / xiǎojiě). to the Mingyue Palace to change clothes.” Chen Wang put his hands behind his back with an expression that said ‘I’m just taking care of the little guniang casually’.

“Zhen also happens to be going to your Mother Consort’s palace. You two should accompany Zhen.” Emperor Longfeng swept a glance over the funeral streamer hanging outside the mourning hall and never looked back again.

“You will go by the sedan2Sedan [步辇] – It was used by the Emperors as well as the concubines to move from one place to another. Here is a cute version of the painting «Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy» [步辇图] by Yan Liben which shows the Emperor sitting on a handheld sedan: while erchen and Miss Ming will go by foot. We can’t keep up with you ah.” Looking down at the large cloak on Jiuzhu’s body, Chen Wang thickened his face and asked: “How about Father Emperor graciously allow erchen and Miss Ming to follow you on a sedan?”

“You are still as lazy as you were in childhood.” Emperor Longfeng smiled helplessly: “Alright, Zhen will allow you two to sit on a sedan.”

“Thank you, Father Emperor.”

Jiuzhu hastily bent forward to thank the Emperor once she saw Chen Wang doing so: “Chennu thanks Your Majesty.”

Afraid that she would fall headfirst on the ground, Chen Wang reached out and grabbed her arm quickly.

Soon, some strong eunuch brought two sedans there. Only after assisting Jiuzhu to sit on one of them did Chen Wang turn around and get on the other one.

Emperor Longfeng looked at this scene with a smile. This arrogant child also remembers to care about a little guniang.

“Respectfully seeing off Father Emperor.” Qi Wang cupped his hands and watched as the Emperor’s entourage left. He took off his cloak and handed it to the eunuch accompanying him.

“Your Highness…”

“Ben Wang doesn’t feel cold.” He turned his head and looked at Sun Caiyao gently: “Miss Sun, Ben Wang will take you back to your residence after offering the incense.”

Noticing Qi Wang’s gentle gaze, Sun Caiyao smiled shyly: “Many thanks, Your Highness.”

When the sedan halted at the Mingyue Palace, Chen Wang got down from the sedan with ease and held out his arm to Jiuzhu confidently: “Hold my arm and get down.”

The palace maid standing at the side silently took a step back. His Highness must think that she didn’t exist.

With the support of Chen Wang’s arm, Jiuzhu descended and stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear: “Your Highness, I’m feeling a little hot.”

Chen Wang glanced at Emperor Longfeng, who was walking ahead: “Bear it for now, I’ll take it off of you once we go inside.”

Jiuzhu nodded her head, her steps accelerating unconsciously.

Inside, Su Guifei was dozing when she saw three people coming in. She got up with a smile and Emperor Longfeng quickly stepped forward and held her hand, not letting her bow.

“How come Your Majesty brought Duqing and Jiuzhu here with you?”

“Met them on the way so brought them along.” Emperor Longfeng led Su Guifei and sat down on the couch.

Su Guifei glanced at the duo’s attire and immediately knew where they had gone.

“Erchen brought Miss Ming here to eat a meal with Mother Consort.” Chen Wang helped Jiuzhu take off the heavy cloak and handed it to the palace maid on the side: “Erchen also requests Mother Consort to find some clothes suitable for little guniangs that she can change into.”

Su Guifei laughed: “I was wondering why you came. It turned out to be for eating. I wouldn’t have given you anything to eat if it wasn’t for Jiuzhu. I’ll just consider it as giving face to her.”

Knowing that Guifei niangniang was jesting, Jiuzhu covered her mouth and laughed stealthily. However, because she hadn’t changed her mourning clothes, she did not dare to approach her.

“Xiangjuan, take Jiuzhu and help her wash up and change her clothes.” Su Guifei got up and walked over to Jiuzhu, grasping her hand: “I don’t care about those beliefs. You’re still the same as when you came here before.”

After speaking, she looked at Chen Wang: “You go change your clothes yourself.”

“Thank you, niangniang. Please excuse chennu for withdrawing now.” Smelling the faint fragrance on the Guifei, Jiuzhu smiled sweetly at her.

Su Guifei couldn’t help pinching her cheek, how could there be such an adorable little guniang!

Xiangjuan took Jiuzhu to another room and took out a completely new set of clothes: “Ming guniang, this outfit was made for you by the Department of the Palace under niangniang’s command. Would you like to try it on and see if it fits?”

“Thank you, gugu.” After Jiuzhu put on the new clothes, a palace maid brought water for her to wash her face and rinse her mouth. Xiangjuan took off the silver hairpin from her hair, and re-tied her hair: “Guniang looks really beautiful.”

“It’s the clothes that niangniang prepared for chennu that are beautiful.” Jiuzhu looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled.

“Beautiful clothes are a fitting match for a beautiful woman.” Xiangjuan put down her comb, “Take a look, guniang. Do you need me to change or add anything?”

“Gugu is very skilled.” The buyao in Jiuzhu’s hair fluttered gently as she shook her head.

“Gugu, what happened to that other gugu who fainted a few days ago?” Jiuzhu remembered the palace maid she came across when she went out to explore with Xiangjuan.

For a moment, Xiangjuan didn’t know what to say. She helped Jiuzhu put on the hairpin and said with a smile, “You don’t need to worry, guniang, her life isn’t in danger.”

“That’s good.” Jiuzhu felt relieved. Seeing the blood underneath that palace maid’s body, she almost thought the latter could not be saved.

“Guniang is kindhearted. She woke up the next day after she took the medicine that you had people fetch for her.” She and Bai Shao served different masters so they were obviously not on very good terms. However, she could have never imagined that as the head palace maid of Lanxu Palace, Bai Shao would be hurt so badly.

In the harem, if a servant did not dare to speak out after getting injured, it could only have one possible explanation: that the one who hurt them was their master.

She didn’t tell the shameful secrets of the palace to the innocent Ming guniang so as to not scare her.

Chen Wang changed his clothes and walked out the door just to meet Jiuzhu coming from the opposite side. Looking at her aqua-blue dress, he nodded with satisfaction. This is much better, a little guniang will look much better in colors like this.

“Your Highness.” When Jiuzhu saw Chen Wang, a big smile instantly bloomed on her face.

After enduring himself for a while, Chen Wang finally couldn’t hold back and walked to Jiuzhu, reached out and pinched the cute hair bun on her head.

“Your Highness, this is the new bun that my gugu specially made for me.” Jiuzhu was very satisfied with her new hairstyle. Seeing Chen Wang reaching out and squeezing it, she felt a little distressed but did not evade him.

“Xiangjuan’s skills are getting better.” Seeing Jiuzhu’s distressed expression, Chen Wang took his hand back.

“Your Highness made a mistake.” Xiangjuan smiled: “Guniang is pretty, so any kind of hairstyle looks good on her.”

After hearing this, Chen Wang took a step back and looked up and down at Jiuzhu carefully. After a while, he nodded thoughtfully. This little face was indeed quite beautiful.

Jiuzhu looked at him in confusion, why was His Highness looking at her with such strange eyes?

“En, really pretty good.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed some little palace maids peeking at him from the corner. When they saw him, all their heads shrank back immediately.

What happened to these palace maids today? Why were they being so strange?

“Xiangjuan.” Chen Wang asked, “What strange rumors have been circulating inside the palace about Ben Wang recently?”

Hearing his question, Xiangjuan couldn’t help laughing: “There are indeed a few strange rumors, but those are not from here. They are from outside the palace.”

Chen Wang frowned: “Outside the palace?”

Xiangjuan suppressed her laughter and nodded: “If Your Highness is curious, you will find it out about it once you go to any teahouse.”

“Do you know?” Chen Wang looked at Jiuzhu.

Jiuzhu looked down at the tip of her shoes. It seemed like… perhaps… it might… probably have just a little bit of something to do with her?

“Ming Xiaozhu?” Chen Wang’s eyes narrowed as he stared at her.

“Your Highness, chennu doesn’t know anything.” All of a sudden, Jiuzhu shook her head: “Chennu hasn’t heard of anything.”

“You really don’t know?” Combined with her guilty expression, Chen Wang almost laughed out of anger when he could practically see the words ‘I am lying ‘ written on her face.

Jiuzhu shook her head vigorously.

She actually lied to the gentle and kindhearted His Highness.

She was guilty!

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