CH 52

T/N: Extra update. Thanks for the ko-fi, Nonesh! 

Huai Wang disliked cats and dogs. When he stepped outside, he found a cat with a broken leg lying before him in his yard. Without much thought, he picked up the cat with two fingers to throw it out of the Zhangliu Palace.

When he came to the outer courtyard, he noticed a young girl sitting there. Upon taking a closer look, he realized she was Yun Duqing’s fiancée and presently, her gaze was fixed on the cat in his hand.

This cat’s injury has nothing to do with him!

His grip loosened, and the cat fell to the ground and limped away in panic, finally hiding behind a stone table where Jiuzhu was seated.

“Chennu greets Your Highness Huai Wang.” Jiuzhu greeted, her actions slower than usual to avoid stepping on the cat.

“No need to be so courteous.” Huai Wang thought for a moment and added: “Ben Wang doesn’t know where this cat came from. Does Ming Xianzhu recognize it?”

Jiuzhu shook her head and looked down at the soft and chubby cat trembling constantly. Its coat was clean, fluffy and shiny but the fur around its neck was a little messy, indicating that it usually wore a collar on but had lost it at the moment.

“Your Highness, this cat seems terrified.” Jiuzhu bent down and cautiously touched its head. Seeing that it didn’t resist, she continued to gently stroke its head and picked it up when it let its guard down, placing it on her lap.

“One leg is broken and another is fractured.” Looking at the dried bloodstains on the little cat’s leg, Jiuzhu pursed her lips unhappily. This was obviously a man-made injury. 

While instructing a eunuch to call the imperial physician, Huai Wang pondered seriously. If he were to say now that the cat’s injury had nothing to do with him, would it be the same as saying three hundred silver taels were not hidden here1Three hundred silver taels were not hidden here [此地无银三百两] – It means to reveal what one intends to hide. I found a fun short video explaining the backstory, you can see it here if you want!?

“What time is it now?” Startled by the cat’s miserable cries, Chen Wang stretched lazily and asked the eunuch at his side: “Ming Xianzhu hasn’t come yet?”

The eunuch shook his head.

Frowning, he realized that for the past two days, Ming Xiaozhu would always come to accompany him right after having her breakfast. How come there was no sign of her today even though it was so late?

Putting down his book, he stood up and walked towards the outer courtyard. There, he saw several palace maids and eunuchs of the Zhangliu Palace surrounding Ming Xiaozhu, who was sitting at a stone table. Some even stretched their hands toward her lap.

“What are you all doing?” He quickly walked up behind Jiuzhu. “Step back, who allowed you to be discourteous to the Xianzhu?”

“Your Highness?” Jiuzhu looked up innocently. “Why are you here?”

“Heard a cat’s crying so came out to see.” Chen Wang absolutely would not admit that he had actually come out to look for her.

“Is it this cat?” Jiuzhu pointed to the cat on her lap.

“So fat. Is it a cat or a pig?” Only then did Chen Wang notice the chubby furball. He reached out to pet its head.

“Be careful, Your Highness.” Jiuzhu grabbed his wrist. “This cat is injured and it seems to resist the approach of men. I’m afraid it might scratch your hand.”

“So it only likes women.” He squinted at the cat, but upon hearing that it was injured, he didn’t mind it anymore and sat next to Jiuzhu. “Did you find out who it belongs to?”

“I’ve already sent a maid to inquire.” Jiuzhu gently calmed the little cat’s mood. “Your Highness, this cat’s injuries seem… man-made.”

Chen Wang frowned. He imitated Jiuzhu’s action of stroking the cat and patted her head, while changing the subject. “Once we find the owner, I’ll accompany you to return the cat.”

Its owner must really love it. It was evident from how well-nourished the cat was.

At this time, a maid rushed out of Qi Junwang’s yard and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the cat being held by Jiuzhu. She turned to the eunuch behind her and said: “Go and quickly inform Junwangfei that the cat has been found.”

“This cat belongs to fourth sister-in-law?” Huai Wang, who was worried about being suspected as a ‘cat abuser’, was relieved upon hearing that Qi Junwangfei was looking for the cat.

Fourth younger brother’s courtyard was adjacent to his own, so maybe the cat had somehow wandered off there.

“Replying to Your Highness, this cat climbed into our yard last night. Junwangfei surmised that it belonged to another noble person in the Palace. But she was afraid it would run away, so she had us slaves look after it until morning to help find its owner.” The maid noticed Huai Wang’s unnatural expression and asked: “Your Highness, is there something wrong with the cat?”

She walked up to Jiuzhu, bowed to Chen Wang and Jiuzhu, and was about to pick up the cat when she noticed its injury and exclaimed: “How did the cat get injured?”

Without thinking, she turned and looked at Huai Wang.

The other palace maids and eunuchs also turned their heads to look at him.

“Why are you all looking at Ben Wang? It had nothing to do with me.” Huai Wang was indignant. “When Ben Wang came out in the morning, it was squatting at the yard’s entrance.”

The maids and eunuchs dared not speak. Those who served His Highness Huai Wang knew very well how much he disliked fluffy cats and dogs.

Huai Wang: “……”

What do these people mean by their expressions?

Chen Wang crossed his arms and looked at the scene with a false smile. Taking advantage of the cat’s inattention, he covertly touched its furry head.

“Your Highness.” Jiuzhu looked at him helplessly. “The wounds caused by a cat’s scratches can be quite painful.”

“I only felt it was well-behaved when you are holding it.” He coughed dryly and retracted his hand. 

“The imperial physician has arrived.”

Someone shouted, saving Huai Wang from embarrassment. He was now stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to either leave or stay. Who would have thought that a dignified prince like him would be bothered by a cat in the end?

The imperial physician entered the yard and saw Ming Xianzhu holding a cat, with Chen Wang sitting beside her. He assumed it to be the duo’s pet, so he took extra care when examining the cat’s injuries and applied the best medicine for bruises.

However, he was somewhat puzzled. From His Highness Chen Wang and Ming Xianzhu’s expressions, it didn’t seem like they had taken out their anger on the cat. So how did the cat end up with such injuries?

After wrapping its injured legs with gauze, the imperial physician noted: “Please do not worry, Your Highness, Xianzhu. Cats and dogs have strong healing ability so it will be fine after a few days of attentive care. However, the wounds should not be exposed to water, so it cannot be bathed during this time. Its food should also be prepared meticulously.”

“Thank you, Lord.” Jiuzhu thanked the imperial physician.

“Xianzhu is too polite.” The imperial physician smiled. “Physicians care for all.”

Even a cat.

“Meow~” The little cat felt very uncomfortable with the gauze wrapped around its legs and tried to bite it with its teeth.

Seeing this, the imperial physician asked a palace maid to fetch a small bamboo ring and put it around the kitty’s head to prevent it from biting its own legs.

“How silly.” Chen Wang mercilessly mocked the cat.

“It does… seem a bit silly.” Jiuzhu observed it carefully and nodded. “But that’s cute.”

“Yes ah.” Realising that the cat couldn’t reach his hand now, Chen Wang gently touched its head again. “Silly but cute.” After speaking, he glanced at her.

Jiuzhu: “……”

The cat was the silly one. So what was His Highness looking at her for?

Standing behind the courtyard gate, Sun Caiyao watched Chen Wang and Ming Jiuzhu chatter merrily.

“Junwangfei, don’t you want to go and take a look?” A palace maid looked at her in confusion.

“No.” Sun Caiyao shook her head. “Ming Xianzhu is there. She will help the cat find its owner.”

The palace maid whispered: “But it was you who found the cat last night. Why is Junwangfei giving her this opportunity to become the bigger person ah?”

“What does it matter?” Sun Caiyao smiled. “It’s just a cat.”

She was just confused about how the cat, which she found in good condition last night, ended up injured today. Was it some daring servant who did it or was it really Huai Wang…

“Caiyao.” Yun Yanze walked up to her and looked at the people in the yard. “What are you looking at?”

“Your Highness is awake?” She reached out and held his arm. “I wasn’t looking at anything. Your Highness, you haven’t fully recovered yet, I’ll accompany you back.”

“I’m fine.” Yun Yanze held Sun Caiyao’s wrist and removed her hand from his arm. “Let’s go and take a look.”

“Your Highness…” She looked at Ming Jiuzhu sitting at the stone table; she did not want Yun Yanze to go over.

“What’s wrong?” Yun Yanze turned his head and looked at her gently, with a hint of confusion in his eyes.

“It’s nothing.” Sun Caiyao forced a smile and followed behind him.

Should she tell him that she suspected Ming Jiuzhu of bringing him bad luck and hoped that he would stay away from her?

Not to mention him not believing her, even she herself felt like she was going crazy.

“Your Highness, Xianzhu, the cat’s owner has been found.” A court lady from Mingyue Palace walked into the courtyard with large strides. “This slave sent some people to ask around earlier. It turns out that an old consort dowager from Jing’an Palace lost her cat last night and fell very ill this morning. This slave heard from the palace maids there that the cat’s appearance is similar to this one, so it should probably be the same cat.”

“That’s great.” Jiuzhu handed the cat to the palace maid from Qi Junwang’s yard. “Would you please give the cat to Junwangfei as soon as possible and ask her to send it back to the old consort dowager?”

Sun Caiyao walked up to the palace maid and reached out to touch the cat’s head. Unexpectedly, the cat meowed a little fiercely at her. “Meow!”

She awkwardly withdrew her hand and smiled at Jiuzhu. “This matter doesn’t need two people to handle it. Xianzhu helped to treat its injuries and it seems that this cat has come to like you. Please take on the responsibility to return it to the old consort dowager.”

The cat seemed to dislike her approach, meowing several times in a row and scratching in her direction as if its life depended on this; not even caring about its injured feet.

Chen Wang stretched out his hand and grabbed the cat by its scruff before placing it in the crook of his arms. “Ming Xiaozhu, let’s go. We should return the cat.”

He was afraid that if the cat moved again, it would break its previously treated legs again.

Just now, the kitty that was flailing around its claws wanting to destroy the world, lay obediently in Chen Wang’s arms. It even tried to rub its head against his chest, but unfortunately, the bamboo collar around its neck didn’t let it do so. 

“Your Highness, it seems like this cat likes you a lot.” Jiuzhu gently touched the cat’s head to soothe it.

“Of course.” Chen Wang lifted his chin slightly. “Ben Wang’s charm is boundless.”

“En en.” Jiuzhu nodded. It was only natural for a kind and gentle angel like His Highness to be well-liked by cats and dogs.

Huai Wang felt revolted to the point of suffocation. One dared to say, and the other dared to believe.

Did Yun Duqing really have the nerve to claim that his charm was boundless?

Did he have any face left?

Did he crush it under his feet?

Once Yun Duqing and the little guniang of Ming family left with the palace maids and eunuchs, Huai Wang turned to Sun Caiyao and remarked peculiarly: “I heard that younger sister-in-law kindly took in this cat last night, but it wanted to bite you today. Animals are just animals, they can’t tell good from bad, don’t you think so?”

“Eldest brother, my wife is timid. Don’t joke with her, she’ll take it seriously.” Yun Yanze held Sun Caiyao’s hand and smiled faintly at Huai Wang. “Please understand, eldest brother.”

Huai Wang sneered. “Oh, is that so?”

“Then who do you think injured that cat?” He raised an eyebrow. “Unfortunately, cats can’t speak. They can only let certain beasts in human clothing bully them for no reason.”

“But…” Huai Wang pointed to the sky. “You shall reap what you sow. Divine retribution for each of one’s actions.”

“Eldest brother is right.” Yun Yanze’s expression was subtle, his eyes filled with a smile as he covered the injury on his chest. It seemed like he was mocking Huai Wang. “Younger brother also hopes for the divine retribution to come.”

Huai Wang: “……”

What does his gesture and expression imply?

The palace maids and eunuchs had suspected him of abusing the cat before. 

And now, Yun Yanze even suspected that he sent assassins to injure him? 

Was this some kind of a joke?!

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