Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three

The next day, I am pulled out of bed very early in the morning, my consciousness hazy as I leave her to drag me around. Xi Xi could neither cry or laugh as she says to me: “Princess, you cannot continue to act clueless today, you have to leave the palace for the parade later.”

I slightly sober up, “Ah?”

Xi Xi attentively combs my hair, “In the past years you have never accompanied his majesty in parading, you cannot possibly be lazy today. Princess is fifteen this year, next month, it should be time to hold yours and Fourth Princess’ hairpin initiation (coming of age ceremony in ancient China for girls, the hairpin signifies the girl is now at marriage age), you can also take the opportunity to let various gentleman to get to know you tonight.” She suddenly laughs, eyes carrying mischief, “But whether you get to know them or not, there’s not much difference.”

I rub my eyes, my consciousness slightly clearing up a little. Had Xi Xi not mentioned it, I really wouldn’t have remembered, I’m already fifteen-years-old, and fifteen is the age girls in the Yun Mi Kingdom take part in the hairpin initiation.

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“Princess, it’s not that I’m nagging you, but take a look at yourself, clearly the same age as Fourth Princess, just that, why are you still so childlike?” Xi Xi furrows her brows, looking a little troubled, “Blame this servant for always going along with your wants, simply putting your hair up into double buns, en, can’t be doing that today.”

“Xi Xi, so annoying ah.” I pull at my hair, saying.

Xi Xi does not listen to me this time, gathering my hair as she starts to work with it, “Even if it’s annoying, Princess must still endure it, let everyone else in the palace know, our Princess is also a natural beauty.”

I could only keep sighing inwardly, ai~, women’s comparing mindset ah, truly is a nuisance.

I half close my eyes, once again starting to doze off, many things vaguely pass through my mind, but none of which I can remember clearly. Until Xi Xi’s sound of appreciating sigh pulls me back to reality.

“Princess, see, truly a little beauty.” Xi Xi proudly says: “This servant just knew Princess isn’t any less than Fourth Princess.”

“Princess, get changed into this outfit now.” Xi Xi has now already gone into an unstoppable state.

I yawn and obediently do as she says, watching the smile on Xi Xi’s face grow increasingly bigger, finally turning into somewhat of a pleased sigh.

Xi Xi lightly holds my hand, lowering her eyes as she says: “Princess, you’ve really grown up.”

I raise my head, then slightly freeze.

In the mirror is a charming young woman in a body of water-blue flowing skirt, gentle and graceful, making her look more elegant and delicate. The hair that had always been held up in double buns is now half pulled back, adorned with some exquisite and finely made silver ornaments, the other half of the hair is softly falling over the chest, compared to the usual ‘maid hairstyle’, don’t know how much more ladylike this is. She half squints her eyes, pupils covered in a thin layer of mist, forehead dotted with a delicate plum blossom print, partly hidden and partly visible under the wispy fringe. That face that still has some baby fat carries a faint pink glow, red lips gently pursed, seemingly wanting to speak but shyly refrains.

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All of above, has not one point that doesn’t reveal shy gestures that belongs to young maidens.

I slightly tilt my head, that delicately pretty maiden in the mirror also follows me in tilting. I blink, that person in the mirror also follows me in blinking. I brightly smile, there is indeed no ugly woman in this world.

The parade in the morning passes by calmly and smoothly, after the parade finishes, Imperial Sister hurries over to praise me for dressing up so sophisticatedly today, saying I should attract many gentlemen tonight. I find this funny, so what if I dress up more nicely, so what if I look more beautiful, should men only love this vile skin cover, then they’re best not loving at all.

Night very quickly falls, the entire imperial palace is splendidly lit up, I sit with my other imperial sisters, quietly watching this banquet begin.

The birthday is held within the palace’s ‘Cui Zhen Hall’, Father Emperor is currently seated in centre on the dragon throne, consorts and princesses, the womenfolk are all sitting in order behind Father Emperor. At the front hall, the highly regarded ministers of the court and royal relations are sat on the left, the foreign envoys and the powerful noble families of the Yun Mi Kingdom sits on the right.

The people in the palace hall offers Father Emperor congratulatory birthday blessings, Father Emperor is full of smiles, speaking courteous words again and again, those below are also keeping their ears open in listening to them again and again, the entire palace hall a scene of joy.

“Your majesty.” A envoy from a little kingdom rises, respectfully saying: “This subject has brought some humble gifts this time, your majesty may find it laughable.” Then claps to signal those behind him to present the gift, saying: “This subject has brought a pair of hundred-year-old jade from the southern seas, ten millennium ginseng from the eastern bamboo forest, ten ganoderma lucidum from the snow mountains, and an additional five night pearls from the western seas. Wishing your majesty longevity as vast at the southern mountains, with fortune as boundless as the eastern sea!”

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Father Emperor smilingly says: “Many thanks Xi Qiu Envoy.”

With the Xi Qiu Envoy’s lead, the other envoys are all full of energy as they bring out the things they have brought, except for Yun Zhan and Yun Ze.

Yun Zhan’s two envoys remains indifferent, unmoved by anything, seeming to show no care but also appears to be full of confidence. And the elder that Yun Ze had sent is calmly smiling as he watches everything, his eyes full of significant meaning.

I quietly observe from the back, Yuwen Rui is acting no different to usual right now, calmly holding the wine cup as he responds to the comments from people around him. Yuwen Xiu is also smiling with a devilish charm, occasionally exchanging eye contact with the noble ladies opposite him. And on the right, Meng Shao Jue is also leisurely drinking wine, just like every other child of nobility.

Now that all the envoys have finished presenting their gifts, finally, Yun Zhan Envoy slowly rises and walks towards the middle of the hall, saying to Father Emperor: “Yun Mi’s revered one, this time around, our majesty has sent us to offer birthday blessings, only preparing one birthday gift.”

After these words were spoken, chatter spreads across the hall, the other envoys all revealing looks of shock, perhaps with contempt hidden within. Yun Zhan Envoy is not affected by all this, smiling as he says: “Our majesty offers a ‘Cloud [Poisonous] Bug’.”

The hall instantly falls silent.

I cannot help clenching both fists, Cloud Bug, he’s speaking of the Cloud Bug?

“This Cloud Bug is the world’s most poisonous, also the world’s most precious.” Yun Zhan Envoy slowly says: “This bug can inflict the most poisonous poison, yet can also rid of hundreds of poisonous bug in the world. Our majesty happened to get hold of it during childhood, it has already been over ten years since raising it to this day. Don’t know if this birthday gift, meets Yun Mi’s revered one’s satisfaction?”

Father Emperor heartily laughs out loud, “Yun Zhan is indeed full of sincerity, of course zhen is satisfied, maids, bring out the wine!” (Zhèn / 朕 is how an emperor addresses himself)

I subtly look towards Meng Shao Jue, as expected, I see his face darken a little, his line of sight sweeping across to me in the very next second, I meet eyes with him with no evasiveness, Meng Shao Jue, looks like you haven’t succeeded in discussing the matter with Yun Zhan beforehand, how could you let him gift such a thing now?

Meng Shao Jue slightly narrows his eyes, a smile spreading at his lips, turning his eyes away.

“Yun Mi’s revered one.” A hoarse voice sounds, turns out it is that elder from Yun Ze who has already arrived at the centre of the hall, he holds his white beard, saying: “Our majesty has also only prepared one gift this time, not sure if revered one is able to appreciate it.”

Father Emperor says: “Lord Li is too courteous, zhen cannot be more curious ah, what Lord had brought this time is……?”

The elder chuckles, instructing the two men behind him to carry a huge box up, then says: “What this old man has brought this time, is Yun Ze Palace’s Golden Rain Tree of Harmony that is reaching a thousand years old.”

Father Emperor abruptly stands upon hearing this, “Golden Rain Tree of Harmony? Is it really a Golden Rain Tree of Harmony?”

“This tree is the habitat of an ancient mythical beast, at five-hundred years of age, it produces ten types of fruit, capable of curing rare diseases. At a thousand years of age, it will spread a faint fragrance, the scene spreading a hundred li (approx. 50km) far and wide, curing all illnesses of those that can smell it. Should the tree be made into wooden furniture, it can bring longevity to those that make long-term contact with it, protecting against all sorts of poison.”

“Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!” Father Emperor laughs, was just wanting to saying something but only sees those men open the box in the middle of the hall, instantly, a faint scent very quickly spreads through the air, rich and fragrant.

The elderly’s smile deepens, “Wishing Yun Mi’s revered one with fortune as boundless as the eastern sea, longevity as vast at the southern mountains!”

The guards keeping watch from the sides quickly comes up to close the box, but after closing it, their expressions start to turn weird, followed by the blurring of their eyes as they start to mumble nonsense. Father Emperor’s thick brows furrows together, yelling: “What is going on here?! Guards! Take the two away!”

The guards respond “yes”, but halfway there, that elderly man once again opens the box, the guards’ movements slows, and everyone sat in the hall had actually started to mumble nonsense. My consciousness also starts to blur with the spreading of the fragrance, the womenfolk beside me are also all dizzily mumbling something, a scene of chaos.

Father Emperor suddenly sits down, hand resting on his forehead as he says: “Lord Li, what, what is the meaning of this?”

The elderly is still stounding straight, laughingly saying: “I sure have forgotten, this Golden Rain Tree of Harmony is originally a holy object, so of course the scent is not suited for mere mortals.”

I blink my eyes, trying to focus on those several, constantly waving figures, there’s definitely something fishy about this Golden Rain Tree of Harmony, seeing that everyone in this hall is acting like they’ve all gone mad as they mumble nonsense, yet only that elderly and a further select few are still conscious. That select few being Meng Shao Jue, Yuwen Xiu, also ––– Yuwen Rui?

Why is Yuwen Rui still at such peace of mind? Could it be, he has an antidote?

I focus my thoughts on this question, then find that I’m actually not as dizzy as I was before, I suddenly think of a possibility, could the nature of this thing be similar to that of xiang grass, able to quickly bewilder people’s minds, but as long as one has strong enough willpower, they can resist it? I quietly pull myself together, trying hard to clear the messy distractions in my mind, just that the dizzy feeling was far too strong, I grit my teeth, enduring the pain as I apply pressure on my unhealed wound, until blood once again surfaces on the gauze, when I open my eyes again, I was able to smoothly see everything before my eyes.

I’m sprawled over the table, wiping the cold sweat away, both eyes still secretly watching the few people in front.

At the front, Father Emperor has not uselessly fallen like everyone else, just that his body is swaying as he attempts to firmly stand. The elder no longer looks at Father Emperor, smiling as he says to Yuwen Rui: “I have long heard the Yuwen Clan’s Eldest Gentleman is a rare talent, seeing it today, indeed not an ordinary one.”

Yuwen Rui elegantly raises his eyes, saying: “Lord Li sure is overpraising, everything is going as you all planned, isn’t that right?” He calmly smiles as he looks at Yuwen Xiu and says: “I have been trying to find the person colluding with Yun Ze in the shadows this entire time, prevented a Meng Shao Jue, and you put out another Yuwen Hao, but I did not think that the true Third Prince would be my closest Seventh Brother. Nevermind, at least I know now, right?” (The author never touches upon the Yuwen Hao matter YWR mentions here, We can only assume it all happened when he searched for the Yun Mi traitor whilst he was away)

The smile on Yuwen Xiu’s face has already faded, that stunning face glazed with coldness, “Brother is too humble, hasn’t my subordinates also been practically wiped clean by you?”

Yuwen Rui’s slender and long finger lightly taps on the table top, “Likewise likewise, so Seventh Brother……oh no, I mean Third Prince, is now meaning to say……?”

“Why doesn’t Brother open the windows to speak frank words now?” Yuwen Xiu rises and steps out, “My army of a hundred thousand has now broke through the borders of Yun Mi, the officers you have put in charge of Yun Mi have already been bribed by me, unable to resist for long before their defeat.”

“Oh?” Yuwen Rui raises his brows, “Then what about inside your Yun Ze, are there still any elite troops stationed there?”

Yuwen Xiu’s face stiffens.

Yuwen Rui’s thin lips hooks up into a pretty curve, fox eyes faintly flashing, “If there isn’t, then do be very careful.” Having said that, he once again acts casual as he says, “Yun Zhan Emperor making a personal trip to Yun Mi this time, is also for important matters?”

The originally ‘unconscious’ Yun Zhan Envoy that was sprawled over the table, leisurely lifts his head, “As expected of Gentleman Yuwen, zhen truly commend you ah, commend you.”

Yuwen Rui calmly smiles, “Since Yun Zhan has joined hands with Yun Ze, wanting to pick on our Yun Mi, of course I cannot favour one over the other. Dong Jue City on the west side is Yun Zhan’s weakest, am I correct?”

The disguised Yun Zhan Emperor — He Lian Chen — also freezes, then says to Yuwen Xiu: “Third Prince, from hereon, it is a matter between both your kingdoms, zhen shall be leaving first.”

He Lian Chen very hurriedly leaves with another envoy, looks like Yuwen Rui has really ruthlessly chiselled into their weakest point. He Lian Chen’s leave causes silence to once again fall upon this hall, Meng Shao Jue who was quiet this entire time, says to Yuwen Xiu, “May your highness and Lord Li return to the kingdom first, his majesty has already wait for your highness for a long time now.”

His long and narrow phoenix eyes makes a slight turn, eyes sweeping across to me, then finally settles on Yuwen Rui, who had maintained his calmness and elegance the entire time, “Here, I alone will do.”