Seeing the name Xiao Mei Zi reminds me of Xiao Jing Zi. We haven’t seen him for a long time. Also, we get to read another Mencius’ lines (which I’m very bad at translating but thankfully found the understandable translation online).
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Chapter 115 – Shameless Emperor
Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator’s hard work. Don’t think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase and translator!)
Because she wanted to send off Princess Xiang Xiang, by next morning she had already prepared some gifts. Maybe because the trouble finally about to leave, Chu Xun was happy. He kindly let Mei Qian Deng into his little storeroom to pick any valuable things as the gifts. It could be considered as the Great Chu Emperor’s style.
Mei Qian Deng wasn’t polite at all for Princess Xiang Xiang. The sharp-eyed female warrior Mei picked three gifts worth several cities each from the golden storeroom and happily gifted them to the princess. Princess Xiang Xiang didn’t know their values so she casually accepted them without even batting an eye.
By the time Chu Xun who was waiting inside the Imperial Study while reading memorandum knew his personal stash had which items missing, his heart hurt so much that his nostril enlarged one size larger out of anger, with bitter hatred he lamented in his heart: wife that dissipates family fortune, wife that dissipates family fortune!
“Zhen never knew your eyes are these excellent, to choose the national treasures as the gifts!”
Your Majesty, how could you be this stingy?
Mei Qian Deng rarely talked back, “Your Majesty’s words are wrong. I didn’t send Your Majesty as the gift.” Although it was quite a standard.
Chu Xun lost his words thanks to Mei Qian Deng, with his eyes shone he thought: Isn’t what she just said basically means she is praising zhen? She praised zhen is the national treasure! National treasure!
The stingy emperor suddenly felt his mood better, he turned smug in front of Mei Qian Deng for a while before letting her return to the Ming Jue Palace.
Unexpectedly, Mei Qian Deng had just passed through the entrance of the Ming Jue Palace when she saw an unusual guest.
“Mei gonggong.” Zhao Shu Ran was standing at the courtyard, her fingers fiddling with a tiger’s claw[1] bud.
In those five years of travelling around the world, whenever it was spring Mei Qian Deng would remember the tiger’s claw flowers in full bloom inside the Ming Jue Palace. Now that she saw Zhao Shu Ran ruthlessly destroy the flowers, she slightly frowned.
Zhao Shu Ran could see clearly the downy feathers of autumn[2], she indolently smiled, “Counting the days, it seems I can’t wait until the day the tiger’s claw flowers bloom.” She didn’t care what sort of emotion Mei Qian Deng was having right now.
Mei Qian Deng was someone who knew to repay kindness. Zhao Mo Ran had helped her before, she had always remembered it. Facing Zhao Shu Ran she was still polite, “You can’t see it here but other place will surely have the scenery that can enter Young Miss Zhao’s eyes.”
“Oh? Then, does gonggong think the tiger’s claw in the Ming Jue Palace or the mountain peach outside my Zhao family mansion is better looking?”
This double meaning question, Mei Qian Deng didn’t act ambiguous, she directly said, “I prefer the tiger’s claw here more.”
Zhao Shu Ran raised her eyebrow, smiling. The girl her brother was attracted to was very interesting, didn’t even leave some face for her brother, not willing to say even a perfunctory word too.
“Young Miss Zhao, for what matter do you come to the Ming Jue Palace?”
“It’s nothing. I heard Princess Xiang Xiang and that Po Ye Female Prince will be leaving for their respective countries tomorrow. I think in a few days this empress selection will end so I suddenly feels the impulse to meet Mei gonggong.”
Mei Qian Deng led her into the guest hall inside the Ming Jue Palace and indifferently asked, “What’s interesting of me to see?”
“Of course it’s looking at the future empress. In the future, when I’m old I can share to my descendants the juicy story how their granny had met the Empress disguising as the eunuch.” Zhao Shu Ran’s guts was weirdly big, when talking she didn’t even blink.
In the past, female warrior Mei was a model audacious servant, using Mencius that old man to retort Chu Xun many times. Today she was like a cat having its tail stepped on, in her heart her head leapt three chi tall, her eyes bulged in disbelief as she watched Zhao Shu Ran, “Young Miss Zhao, the inner palace is not as free as the jianghu, please be watchful of your words.”
Zhao Shu Ran shrugged, she didn’t continue talking since the truth would be revealed in the future anyway. It just that Zhao Shu Ran’s legs were not properly following Mei Qian Deng. Mei Qian Deng walked three steps before looking back, Zhao Shu Ran was like a kid, looking around, touching around, having a great curiosity of the Ming Jue Palace.
She looked at the back palace from the patterned window, she turned around with a flowery smile, “Where does gonggong live? Is it okay to let me have a look? Does my brother ever enter Mei gonggong’s bedroom?”
Mei Qian Deng’s heart thumped, she turned wary of Young Miss Zhao as if she was a thief.
“……”
“Gonggong, I heard His Majesty gave you a nine dragons golden pendant, it is a very rare item, in this whole world only a few have them. Can you let me see how it looks like?”
“!!!”
By night when Chu Xun finished his work and returned to the Ming Jue Palace, Mei Qian Deng carefully went to his side.
Chu Xun was pleasantly surprised, “Xiao Mei Zi, to approach zhen this close, are you trying to seduce zhen?”
The emperor had always been this self-conceited.
Mei Qian Deng secretly pushed the nine dragons golden pendant to Chu Xun, “Your Majesty, it is better if you keep this pendant for me.”
“……”
You can wear out iron shoes in fruitless searching, and then by lucky chance find it without even looking[3]!
Zhen want to ask, whoever good hero that secretly helped is, please receive a handsome worship from zhen!
Princess Xiang Xiang and Po Ye Female Prince left the palace in humble style. Chu Xun inside the palace said some perfunctory words as if they were going for a journey, please come again to have fun if you’re free! Waving his hand, they bid farewell to each other.
Finally sent off those two noble goddesses.
The sun was setting, as if amplifying the melancholy of farewells.
Mei Qian Deng took the initiative to volunteer herself to send these noble guests. Her main objective was sending off Princess Xiang Xiang. She was a rare cutie that suit female warrior Mei’s taste. After this parting, it was unknown when they could meet again. Sending her off was reasonable.
Chu Xun first sentence was very unyielding, “No way, you need to serve zhen.”
Female warrior Mei recently had learnt a new move that was very effective against Chu Xun. It was just testing a certain person’s endurance limit. She pulled Chu Xun’s clothes and pitifully stared at him, “Your Majesty, it’s just sending her to the city gate. I will return quickly.”
“Fine, fine, fine. Go ahead, go ahead.”
See!
One hundred tries, one hundred effective!
Time-tested!
At the other side, Xie Yun due to a bag of musk fragrance from yesterday had become best friends with Princess Xiang Xiang so she came too to send her off.
Mei Qian Deng rode a horse at the front, Princess Xiang Xiang and Xie Yun were riding horse too. Yu Qing Ruo was someone who disliked displaying herself in public, plus she was very pretty, if a thief remembered her and a tragedy occurred in the Chu country, it would spell trouble for Chu Xun so she sat inside the horse carriage.
Xie Yun, “Princess, let me smell it again.” She stretched her neck and sniffed.
Xiang Xiang was bewildered, “Beauty Xie, why are you this…… persistent toward the smell on my body?”
Xie Yun waved her hands, “Princess please don’t take offence. I’m a very curious person. When seeing problems related to medicine, I can’t calm down if I can’t solve them.”
“Mei gonggong said you’re the Divine Physician, has weird conduct sometimes and can’t help it, devoting yourself for the field. I really look up to you.”
Xie Yun shot a glare at Mei Qian Deng’s head. This little girl actually defames Divine Physician.
Divine Physician knew this was not the time to pursue that problem, “Princess, the smell mixture on your body today is less than previous days.”
“Oh, is it?” Princess Xiang Xiang raised her elbows and sniffed both her armpits, the smell was the one she familiar with.
Seeing the city gate was near, Mei Qian Deng turned the horse around and said goodbye again with the two of them. Outside the capital gate was a fork, the northern region was toward the north while Po Ye was toward the east. Princess Xiang Xiang was very polite, with Mei Qian Deng and Xie Yun riding on a horse in a row bid farewell to Yu Qing Ruo first.
Yu Qing Ruo pushed aside the muslin screen, she was reserved and gorgeous, “If any of you has the chance of visiting Po Ye, let me act as the host.” She specially turned her eyes to Princess Xiang Xiang and said, “Princess Xiang Xiang please be careful on your way.”
Princess Xiang Xiang complied, waving her revealed arms, “Don’t worry, I’m very strong!”
Yu Qing Ruo didn’t waste any more words as she drove off.
Princess Xiang Xiang didn’t know if she looked wrongly but it seemed like when the Po Ye Female Prince put down the muslin screen her lips were slightly curved upward. Was it because she knew she was returning to her home soon so she was too happy that she couldn’t control her expression?
Before Xiang Xiang left, she told Xie Yun, “Divine Physician, I remembered now. Yesterday, Po Ye Female Prince stayed in the same carriage as me for a long time. I even used her handkerchief. Maybe it was then that some of her fragrance stuck onto my body. If you can’t stop yourself from chasing after the truth, go and chase the Po Ye Female Prince and ask her what fragrance she used.”
Xie Yun shook her head without hesitation, that female prince with one look was clearly someone unapproachable. It was better to let it be.
“Po Ye Female Prince is actually a warm-hearted person privately!” Xiang Xiang still wished to give good impression of her.
“Princess, it’s late now. Let’s set out now.” Xiang Xiang brought along tens of entourages from the northern region. All of them were burly, strong men. Afraid of scaring those weak, timid young misses, they never entered the palace.
With these people capable of facing ten people each protecting Xiang Xiang, Mei Qian Deng was not too worried. After sending off Xiang Xiang, she went home.
Yet the moment she entered the palace, she received a shocking news.
That piece of nine dragons golden pendant that she left in Chu Xun’s hands had been used.
The Minister of Rites specially waited for her inside the palace gate.
“Mei gonggong, oh no, it should be Young Miss Mei. Since Young Miss has passed the nine dragons golden pendant to His Majesty, His Majesty had decreed to annul the engagement between Mei and Zhao families. Then, Young Miss should prepare yourself for joining the list of empress selection. This memorandum of adding names for the empress selection His Majesty had replied as well.”
The Minister of Rites was afraid Mei Qian Deng didn’t believe him so he revealed the memorandum to Mei Qian Deng.
Mei Qian Deng, “……”
“Actually there is nothing much to prepare. Young Miss has always been living inside the palace. It’s just that this eunuch clothes probably can’t be worn anymore. It’s not appropriate. His Majesty had reminded during the morning court that everything else will be according to Young Miss.”
Finished talking, the Minister of Rites bowed and left. That utmost deference stance, it was clear he held Mei Qian Deng as the Empress already.
Xie Yun quietly watched this scene, her stomach ached due to holding back. After the Minister of Rites went far, she held back her laughter as she clapped Mei Qian Deng’s shoulders, “This future empress, you only need to make mental preparation.” Xie Yun didn’t dare to laugh too far. She could clearly feel the wrath coming out of her little girl’s body.
The mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Chu Xun was exactly that big, fat oriole with yellow weasel tail!
Female warrior Mei was too innocent, too kind in the end.
By the time Chu Xun skipped happily as he returned to the Ming Jue Palace, he stopped a palace maid.
“Where is Mei gonggong?”
“Mei gonggong has yet to return.”
Chu Xun frowned. He looked at the sky. It was nearly time for dinner and yet she had yet to return to eat?
He changed his thoughts. Summoning his secret bodyguards, he ordered them, “Go and see where Mei gonggong is right now?”
Soon, the secret bodyguard quickly returned and reported, “Your Majesty, gonggong is inside Young Master Mo’s restaurant, having a meal with Eldest Young Master Mei and Divine Physician Xie.”
Chu Xun grinned a little, guessing that she was angry. After changing into a civilian clothes, he secretly went to Mei Qian Deng’s place.
In truth, female warrior Mei was very angry, so angry that an ulcer grew inside her mouth suddenly.
When gnawing the drumstick her mouth ached, Mei Qian Deng this hidden foodie who had good temper hence threw back the drumstick into the bowl and coldly snorted.
Xie Yun consoled, “You said His Majesty is a young, healthy man, being single and endured for these many years is not easy. Qian Deng, you have to forgive him too. Move a step back, he is a ruler of a country, has excellent look and not a playboy. Tell me, where else can you find such a good husband?”
Chu Xun coincidently heard Xie Yun’s speech, it was pleasing to his ears. This Eldest Sister-in-Law just loves to speak the great truth. Tomorrow, zhen will confer her a pure gold made inscribed board as encouragement.
He pushed open the door and went inside, at the same time he responded, “Eldest Sister-in-Law said it right.
Everyone inside the room, “……”
Eldest Young Master Mei’s reaction was the fastest, grabbing his wife he quickly saluted to Chu Xun.
Chu Xun naturally had the monarch of a nation demeanour, pretending to be aloof he put both his hands at the back and said, “Please be at ease, zhen is here to just bring back Mei Qian Deng.”
Eldest Young Master immediately pulled Mei Qian Deng, “You have ate, you have drank, you have angry too. Go now, after this is a long night, don’t disturb your Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-Law.”
“……” Female warrior Mei glared at him. Where is that integrity of never submitting to power our Mei family members had?!
Eldest Young Master Mei shrugged his shoulders. How is this power, this is future brother-in-law.
Mei Qian Deng was still unwilling to leave. Chu Xun hence tried to pull her small hands with a beaming smile but Mei Qian Deng avoided him.
After holding back for half a day, Mei Qian Deng spurted at Chu Xun, “Mencius said before, to dwell in the wide house of the world, to stand in the correct seat of the world, and to walk in the great path of the world[4]. Your Majesty, you’re a monarch of a nation, how can you be such a vile person?!”
Chu Xun reached out his hand to grab female warrior Mei’s hand again. He slyly grinned, “Since you like to use Mencius to force zhen, how can you not know there is also this line in Mencius, appetite and lust is nature.”
Female warrior Mei exploded out of anger!
If someone was shameless, even the kingly laws couldn’t hold him!
Author’s note:
Let me explain for this shameless Chu Xun. Although the line appetite and lust is nature is from Mencius too, it was not spoken by Mencius the old man, it was someone named Gao Zi who said it when debating with Mencius. The shameless Chu Xun only know how to swindle the kind-hearted, innocent female warrior Mei. (Spreads out arms)
[1] Commonly known as Indian coral tree too. Scientific name, erythrina variegate.
[2] An idiom. Means, perceptive down to the minutest detail.
[3] A well-known phrase. Can also be, search high and low only to find it when you least expect it or to travel far and wide looking for something only to find it easily.
[4] From Mencius’ Teng Wen Gong II. Translation is from https://ctext.org/mengzi/teng-wen-gong-ii
Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator’s hard work. Don’t think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase and translator!)
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