CH 6

Passing through the end of the Long Corridor, one can see the complete picture of the Palace. The glazed-tile roof reflects the pure white and perfect moonlight. All over the place there are richly ornamented buildings with gold and jade in glorious splendor. (1)The four corners of the palace are raised high, just like elaborated and quick-witted flying swallows.

The Palace is surrounded by flowing water in azure-jade pools which are covered with duckweeds. With dark sea greenness and tranquility, with glittering, sparkling and translucent clear water, are faintly discernable from illusory, just like a fairyland. 

On the side was a small and exquisite courtyard. Behind the circular arch stood a small eunuch, pacing back and forth anxiously.

After seeing the two people walking out of the Long Corridor, the little eunuch ran over happily.

"Greetings to Your Royal Highness and Lord Pei."

Pei Zheng responded indifferently, and then ordered, "Take him to put himself in order, how can he attend the banquet like this."

Qi Changyi's hair was slightly messy, and his clothes were wrinkled in several places. He twisted his sleeves with his fingers and bit his lower lip with his teeth.

The little eunuch nodded and said yes, and dragged Qi Changyi into the other courtyard.

Qi Changyi looked back at Pei Zheng as he walked, but he (Pei Zheng) had already turned and walked towards the hall.

The little eunuch Li Yu was Qi Changyi's personal attendant. At the banquet, in just a blink of an eye, Qi Changyi disappeared. He couldn't find him anywhere, so he was anxiously wandering around the Palace Gate.

By good fortune, I met Lord Pei and helped to retrieve His Royal Highness.

Li Yu knows the indescribable relationship between Pei Zheng and Qi Changyi. He also understands what he should say and what he should not say. There are some things that will be keepen for a whole lifetime. (2)

Taking Qi Changyi to an uninhabitated house in the other courtyard, Li Yu went out for a while, and brought back a baby-faced little girl, who seemed to be the little maid from the Living Quarters . 

"Auntie, please help me, this busy Xiao Yuzi. I will do anything you demand (3) and I definitely will repay you for this great favor. Is it okay?"

Li Yu begged for help (4) before pulling the little maid into the house. The little girl puffed her cheeks, stared with her round eyes, and agreed to come down.

After seeing Qi Changyi sitting in the house, the little maid was obviously startled, and hurriedly knelt to the ground, "Greetings, Your Royal Highness."

Qi Changyi smiled lovably, and stepped forward to help the little girl up.

The little maid shivered and started out a task. She carefully binded Qi Changyi's hair into a bun, and arranged his robes from top to bottom.

When she got close to Qi Changyi's body, she smelled the faint fragrance on his body. Taking a peek at his beautiful and alluring appearance again, her cheeks instantly turned red.

This Royal Highness is really indescribably beautiful. His moving eyes are like some kind of an enchanting evildoer. But, as it happened this evildoer has a pure and pleasant characteristic on his body, which makes people sink into it if they are not careful.

The little maid couldn't help but secretly take another look, and she noticed the abnormality on the Prince's face.

"Your Highness, your chin..."

The little girl was so bold, that she dared to say it out loud. 

Li Yu leaned over to take a look, and exclaimed in a low voice, "Oh, no! That's not good! This Lord Pei doesn't know how to be delicate and do it lightly! His Highness has soft skin and tender flesh, how can people see him with so many fingerprints on his face!"

The little maid didn't hear what Li Yu was mumbling, she took out a box from her sleeve and said, "Little Yuzi, I have some cosmetic face powder liquid that the Princess bestowed to me, how about I try to cover it up for His Highness?"

Li Yu thought for a while. The banquet was about to start, and there was no other way, so the little girl had to fiddle with Qi Changyi's face.

Qi Changyi with a good temper sat there and let the two of them made arrangements. During the whole process, he was full of smiles and didn't even frown.

The little girl covered finger marks on Qi Changyi's chin, and added a little bit of rouge to his red lips along the way.

After another good effort, Li Yu hurriedly took Qi Changyi to the Main Hall.

Before the Emperor arrived, the hall was full of military officials. Groups of three and two were chatting eagerly, not noticing the two people who slipped in from the side.

It wasn't until Qi Changyi sat down in the corner of the back row that Li Yu sat down in a kneeling position and breathed a sigh of relief.

This welcoming banquet was for General Zhao, who was guarding the frontier, and his subordinates to wash away the dust. Zhao Litang was naturally the center of attention in the entire hall.

His (Qi Changyi's) seat in the Main Hall was close to the Golden Imperial Throne. Sitting opposite him was the elegant and handsome Prime Minister Pei Zheng.

After Zhao Litang raised his eyes and found a small figure sitting in the corner, his heart that had been silent for a long time suddenly began to beat violently.

Is that, his little Changyi?

Pei Zheng seemed to have noticed emotions in Zhao Litang's eyesight , and his expression became cold and grave in an instant. He sent away the few ministers surrounding him, turned his head and secretly hooked his finger at Qi Changyi sitting in the corner not far away. .

Then his lips parted lightly, and he said silently, "Your Highness, come here."

***

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Notes:

(1)金碧辉煌 (idiom) 

-gold and jade in glorious splendor

-a dazzling sight (royal palace)

(2) It was literally:

-"There are some things that will rot in the stomach for a whole lifetime" 

~But that sounds a little weird so I changed a little

(3)当牛做马

Lit. Act as a cow, and be a horse

-someone will do everything for another one

-to do anything (one demands) without any complaints"

(4)求爷爷告奶奶 (idiom) 

lit. to beg grandpa and call on grandma

/ to go about begging for help