CH 11

Once outside the palace, the little round dumpling next to him immediately became exuberant. His shining eyes roamed everywhere. He looked like this was his first time seeing the world

“Imperial brother, what is this?”

“Imperial brother, ben gong wants this…”

“Imperial brother, what are they doing over there…”

“Imperial brother- ah!”

A candied haws was suddenly stuffed into his mouth, and the exasperating sound in his ears disappeared in an instant.

Qi Yu looked confused and almost subconsciously stretched out his tongue to lick the candied haws in his mouth.

The next moment——

“Bah! Bah! Bah!”

Too sweet! It’s so sweet and sour!

Without hesitation, Qi Yu was about to throw away the candied haws in his hand that was so sweet it almost instantly decayed his teeth. But he saw that his imperial brother was staring at himself quietly with no expression.

Qi Yu looked at the unfinished string of candied haws, and then at the Imperial brother’s expressionless face. An inexplicable intuition made him shrink his neck for no reason.

“Cough…”

The sudden desire to survive made him blink his round eyes. Then he raised the candied haws string and looked at the old man behind the stall:

“This is the first time imperial …brother… Bought something for Ben… For me1. I can’t bear to eat it like this. Can you wrap it up for me to take it away?”

The old man laughed: “Of course, no problem.”

He wrapped Qi Yu’s candy neatly and handed another string of candied haws to Yuan Buwei.

Secretly praising his own cleverness in his heart. Qi Yu suddenly noticed that the string of candied haws was obviously taken out from the other side and handed to his brother. Even the colour of the transparent sugar was different from that of other candied haws on the stall.

It is like two lines of tomatoes on sticks.2

It seems that only the candied haws for their brothers were taken out from the other side.

Qi Yu: ???

The vigilance he developed from growing up in the palace rang alarm bells, and his small eyes were full of great doubt.

Isn’t this deliberately aimed at their brothers? No wonder… This sweetness is planned murder.

Have their identities been exposed?

Then, according to the script, is it time for the hidden assassins to jump out?

At the age of eight, this was Qi Yu’s first time outside of the palace. He had been flying high on emotions before. Now coming back to his senses, his thoughts turned to the stories the palace servants used to tell to scare him #Dangers outside the palace series#. For a moment, his mind was filled with all kinds of plot lines.

Turning his eyes around warily with what he thought was carefully hidden suspicion, he quietly stretched out a hand to pull the cuffs of Yuan Buwei. Every move is careful.

Yuan Buwei looked down at him: “What’s the matter?”

Qi Yu raised one of his claws and said, “Imperial… Brother, come closer I want to tell you a secret…”

Before he finished, he saw that Yuan Buwei had skillfully received the candied haws handed from the boss and was bringing it to his lips.

“Wait -” Don’t eat it!

“Crunch!” Yuan Buwei bit off a large chunk.

The tip of his tongue licked the remnants of sugar at his lips. Then he narrowed his eyes slightly in satisfaction. Even the indifference in his voice subsided a lot: “What were you saying?”

Qi Yu: “… No, nothing.”

… He just thought a little more.

Could there really be no problem with the candied haw’s sweetness level? Is the imperial brother’s taste so unique?

Noting Qi Yu’s confused little eyes, the old man laughed: “This little guest must have misunderstood…”

After listening to the old man’s explanation, Qi Yu realized that these are “Crown prince branded customized candied haws”, which are ten times sweeter than ordinary candied haws, especially made for Yuan Buwei.

Seeing Yuan Buwei enjoy it so much, he gave the returned wrapped up candied haws another try.

The result almost made Qi Yu doubt life.

I thought this was a special means of assassination, orz.

While walking, Qi Yu couldn’t help glancing at his imperial brother next to him… then at the candied haws he was eating, and his eyes were full of surprise, confusion and admiration.

… treating this thing that caused a devastating blow to his taste buds with such relish, simply inhuman!

There are no dead corners, weaknesses or flaws in all aspects. Is this the reason why imperial brother, as a once in a generation of god of war, has been victorious so far \ (”▽ ”) /?

… alas, he still has a way to go.

Yuan Buwei didn’t know that the protagonist in the plot had been defeated by him with one [ten times sweeter · candied haws]. Seeing that the little dumpling was looking at the candied haws in his hand the entire way, as if “salivating” over them. He brought several more sticks at a passing stall.

Then stuffed them straight into the little plump hands. Yuan Buwei didn’t turn his head back and added a sentence in a cold tone.

“… Just say it if you like it.”

“？？？”

A string of question marks appeared on Qi Yu’s forehead again, before hurriedly holding tightly onto these sticks of candied haws. Changing his line of thought, this is the imperial brother’s concern.

With that, he threw the question marks behind him and happily followed after.

·

Evening at sunset.

The gates of the prime minister’s residence were decorated with bright red lanterns hanging high on both. Numerous arriving carriages almost blocked half the street, making the scene bustling.

Ordinary people only knew that this was the marriage of the prime minister’s son. When they saw the grand setting, they immediately felt envy, but those who knew the inside story of the marriage were secretly derisive.

Making such a grand scene when the prime minister’s household is marrying a mere maid. Are they really satisfied with the marriage? Of course not, they are putting up a show for the crown prince to see.

Those who figured out this hidden meaning could not help but sigh: it’s no wonder that Prime Minister Su could accompany the emperor for more than ten years. Even during the time when the capital fell and the imperial family fled south. He was not punished together with other ministers. On the contrary, he was deeply trusted by the emperor. His career advanced smoothly all the way and now is the head of a strong faction.

The new couple had already entered the mansion to worship in the high hall. Inside the prime minister’s mansion are many guests. As they were drinking, the voices announcing greetings broke through the liveliness.

——His highness the crown prince has arrived.

At this moment, most of the people’s intoxication dispersed. The prime minister immediately plastered a smile on his face and went to open the inner gateway, to personally guide him through.

“… No need.”

A faint voice floated in with the evening wind.

It was already dusk.

The bright lanterns sent out a soft halo, which lined the yard with light.

Several plum branches grew over from the other end of the wall, white, red and pink… The trembling plum blossoms were gently blown by the breeze and rolled off the branches. Petals of various colors floated down in a multitude of layers. 

Falling into a slender palm.

As the young man strides through the patels, his black outer garment seems to be integrated with the surrounding night. As if he walked out from within the night, surrounded by the cool wind of the cold darkness.

“Your highness!”

All the guests immediately got up to greet him.

Yuan Buwei lifted his eyes towards the surrounding people.

The first to greet him was prime minister Su, with a flattered expression on his face. He looked lean and gentle, wearing a dark blue robe, always maintaining a  smile on his face. He had the look of a righteous man.

“Truly magnificent that your highness the crown prince has come. That dog son was impertinent the day before yesterday and offended the crown prince…”

His face was full of laughter and showed no dissatisfaction with the marriage. Even coming to Yuan Buwei’s spot to offer him a glass of wine as an apology.

Just as the prime minister was about to raise his glass to drink, Yuan Buwei suddenly raised his hand to stop him: “Gu is here today to congratulate the prime minister on behalf of his majesty…”

With that, he took out the rolled up imperial edict from his sleeve and naturally handed it to the side: “Read.”

“Oh.”

Standing to the side, Qi Yu almost instinctively took the imperial edict handed to him. He was stunned for a second before he reacted——

He’s not a little eunuch!

But everyone’s eyes have fallen on him.

In full view of the public, Qi Yu took a deep breath, unrolled the imperial edict, and read it with his young voice that had not reached the age to change. The words seem to have a special moving rhythm.

Contained within the imperial edict is a splendid meaning. It sounds like nothing more than a few empty words of congratulations, but it is a rare blessing for many people for the emperor to grant such empty words with an edict.

The smile on Su Cheng’s face became more sincere.

After receiving the imperial edict, he enthusiastically invited the two to sit down. The guests around him also toasted the crown prince one after another, almost forgetting today’s protagonist.

Candle light flickered, and the young man’s clear and picturesque eyebrows showed a touch of boredom. He raised his eyes and swept through the crowd.

Seeing this, the people who had gathered around unconsciously stopped their actions and retreated.

… somehow, today’s crown prince seems more inaccessible than ever before. Giving them the sense that they didn’t dare to offend.

Yuan Buwei forced the people back with one look, then he turned his head and looked to the side.

After a look, he was stunned.

There was not even a trace of a shadow left in the next seat.

——Where’s Qi Yu?

How can a round and plump person disappear without him noticing?

System 999 made a timely reminder: [Half a quarter of an hour ago, he went in the direction of the right side door.]

Following the directions of system 999, Yuan Buwei went looking. Unexpectedly, he had just turned a corner when he heard Qi Yu’s voice.

“Why do I have to give you all the good things when we’ve just met…”

The shadow of the tree swirled and reflected through the flowers was Qi Yu, standing by a small pond. In front of him was a little girl who looked as if she were carved from jade and dressed like a new year doll.

The sticks of candied haws brought for Qi Yu were all held by the little girl at this time.

System 999: [!!! You can’t judge a person by his appearance. Can’t see that the little round dumpling knows how to please young girls from such a young age. Worthy of being the hero and heroine in the plot. They look like a match made in heaven…]

“Say, what witchcraft did you cast on me!”

Before the words of system 999 were finished, Qi Yu s had recaptured the candy haw and angrily interrogated the dazed little girl.

The little girl was dazed, before exploding with anger.

She rushed up like a whirlwind and took the candied haws back into her hands. She scolded with milky tone:

“It was you who suddenly stuffed me with candied haws and said I casted spells? Humph, you look like a stupid child, who will be easily abducted. Where is there a need for me to trick you!”

System 999: meow meow meow?3

He watched the two little animals quarrel, and the sticks of candied haws were traded between them like props. Finally, it developed to the picture of, you pulled my braid and I scratched your pudgy face… He couldn’t help staring like a foolish dog.

What about the gentle and affectionate male lead who pitied and protected the fairer sex? What about the well educated and magnanimous female lead?

Since entering this world, it has not once predicted correctly. The host doesn’t play cards according to the routine at all. Now even the male lead and female lead will go off track?

Before system 999 could straighten out his thoughts from chaos, Qi Yu, who was beaten by the little girl to the ground, noticed Yuan Buwei’s presence.

He struggled on all four.

“Imperial brother! Imperial brother! Over here – ah!”

1He’s trying not to talk like royalty so as to keep under cover, switching from 本 = ben to 我= casual I

2 Lol I assume it looks like this, which still looks super tasty

3 Meow meow meow = Expressed used for inexplicable situations. The word originally came from the barrage of station B. When some plots were difficult to understand or were edited until people could not understand it, netizens asked questions. After the word became popular, netizens made a related “meow meow” emoticon package.

Something fun to know:

Meow × N ~ → Sell Meng

Meow × N? → doubts

Meow × N! →Excited or stepped on the tail,

Meow meow meow? ? ? →What the fu*k?! or Excuse me???