Okay, to think there is really a conspiracy. Also, yes Mei Qian Deng, scold Chu Xun more. How dare he bully our innocent, childish Xiang Xiang?
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Chapter 116 – Dangers Everywhere
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!)
When Chu Xun was half coaxing half tricking Mei Qian Deng to return to the palace.
“Pa——!” Xie Yun slapped onto the dining table.
It surprised Chu Xun, “Eldest Sister-in-Law?”
Xie Yun’s eyes were shining brightly, “I know now. Previously the weird musk fragrance I smelled on Princess Xiang Xiang is because her body has the night beauty grass smell too.”
Everyone, “???”
“Night beauty grass is like moss, growing in wet, cold places that usually can’t reach sunlight. It will emits light like fireflies, can’t bloom, will have usually sweet smell when it propagates through spores. Some fragrance extractors will dig them out during that time to process them into scented powder.”
Mei Qian Deng understood vaguely what Xie Yun thought and added, “Our place here doesn’t produce the night beauty grass, they are imported oversea from Po Ye. Because it’s rare and expensive, not many know and buy it. Qian Wan San did a business with the night beauty grass before, he sold them to the leading stars of brothels.”
Chu Xun asked, “Why the leading star from brothels?”
Female warrior Mei’s face reddened, “One is because it smells nice, secondly it is rumoured that it can increases the pleasure on the bed.”
Xie Yun clapped Mei Qian Deng’s shoulders to commend her, “Qian Deng in the end had travelled around before and learnt a lot of things. That night beauty grass is yin property. When fragrance and yang properties mixed with each other, it will produce a slightly dangerous hallucination. The musk fragrance Princess Xiang Xiang usually used is the product from male animals’ sachet. The ones we have locally are slightly better but the northern regions have a certain buck that is quite rich with yang energy.”
Which mean……
Princess Xiang Xiang at that time was due to the mixing of the musk fragrance and night beauty grass and had a hallucination which hence caused the arrow to miss?
“Is it Yu Qing Ruo?” Chu Xun retracted the silly smile he was showing to Mei Qian Deng.
This issue could be big or small. Yu Qing Ruo was the Po Ye Female Prince, for an unmarried girl to use this type of rare fragrance was not implausible since that night beauty grass was not a common plant, in Po Ye it worth thousands of golds. If it was just an accident, that Yu Qing Ruo didn’t know her rare fragrance mixing with Princess Xiang Xiang’s musk fragrance would create weird reaction……
“I had smelled the night beauty grass before, normally Po Ye Female Prince doesn’t use that fragrance,” Mei Qian Deng calmly said. Though she didn’t prefer thinking badly, the truth was like a thin layer of gauze, with a slight rub and one would be able to see clearly.
Xiang Xiang said it before, when they departed to the hunting ground, she and the Po Ye female prince sat in the same horse carriage. By some coincidences, she changed her fragrance that day? Plus, Xiang Xiang also said that the usually aloof Yu Qing Ruo was very sociable with her that day, she kept advising Xiang Xiang to share all the complains and grievances she suffered at the Chu country to her father at the northern regions?
Ever since Xiang Xiang entered the palace, Chu Xun had always disdained her, disliking that Xiang Xiang looked too kick-ass and always caused troubles. She roasted a whole lamb for Chu Xun out of kindness only to cause stomach ache, she did her best to change her appearance only to find out the empress selection was just a pretence, that he already had the one he loved. It was really treating them as if they were idiots. Not only that, she nearly hit her though it was unintended but Chu Xun lashed out at her just because they were at his own place. She had already knelt down and apologised. If it wasn’t for the others stopping him, Chu Xun might even shoot Xiang Xiang once on the spot.
Chu Xun massaged his forehead. In the future, if he had a precious daughter with Mei Qian Deng and the daughter was oppressed after having fun at the northern regions, he would surely flew into a rage and retaliate. Never mind that the illiterate barbarians at northern regions, raising sword and get on a horse would surely have a brawl.
Even Eldest Young Master Mei could see it, “This plan to break the relationship in between by Po Ye Female Prince, very amazing.”
Chu Xun nodded, “Thankfully Princess Xiang Xiang is a senseless one.”
He had just said it when he received a cold glare from Mei Qian Deng. Your Majesty, how dare you look down on my Xiang Xiang, look at how my Xiang Xiang always repay evil with good! “Your Majesty, it is possible that the time you threw up was not because of the lamb.”
“……”
Chu Xun immediately dispatched people to chase the Po Ye Female Prince, wanting to catch and interrogate her.
Chu country and Po Ye had always been neutral to each other. This female prince used the selection as a way to incite the relationship between the Chu country and the northern region. Even if the Chu country and the northern regions fought, what was the advantage for her Po Ye?
Xie Yun was sharing with Eldest Young Master Mei some stories of espionage wars. Chu Xun couldn’t bear listening, he needed to return to the palace and summon Supreme General Di and the Ministry of War to discuss the next moves, to prepare for the rainy day[1]. Mei Qian Deng pondered by herself until she didn’t realise Chu Xun had pulled her out of the restaurant.
It was when the personal guard in charge of protecting the emperor had followed Chu Xun pulled a horse over and the hot breath released from the horse’s nose hit Mei Qian Deng that female warrior Mei returned to her senses.
“Your Majesty.”
“Hmm?”
“That day at the hunting ground, there is another person that may be involved in this matter as well.”
Chu Xun was puzzled.
“Qian Qian.”
Qian Qian at the hunting ground had touched female warrior Mei’s horse many times. Female warrior Mei had felt Qian Qian’s expression at that time was weird. Furthermore, when she was working as the little steward for Qian Wan San, she had heard some rumours about Qian Qian’s identity.
In the palace, inside the Ming Jue Palace.
Qian Qian had both her hands tied as she knelt before Chu Xun.
Chu Xun was brimming with killing intent while remaining silent.
Mei Qian Deng asked Qian Qian, “I heard Young Miss Qian’s mother is from Po Ye?”
The wealthiest man in the country had large wealth but had only one daughter. Everyone said Qian Wan San loved money as his life, that he was afraid of others be concern of his money so he didn’t even dare to take concubine. But about Madam Qian? She seemed like she never appear before. Some said that Madam Qian died young, some said Madam Qian stole some money to elope with another man, some even said Qian Wan San even took his wife’s betrothal gifts, there was never a Madam Qian and Qian Qian was a child Qian Wan San had with a brothel **.
The truth was none of them.
Qian Qian toward her current predicament didn’t reveal any surprise. She proudly admitted, “Yes, my mother is a member of the Po Ye imperial family. My father went to Po Ye when he was young and got to know my mother and gave birth to me. But my mother is not willing to come to the Great Chu so father and I will visit her at Po Ye annually.”
Chu Xun steeled his face and asked, “So you helped Yu Qing Ruo to collude with the enemy and betray the country?”
Qian Qian raised her head to look at the man sitting on the seat. She really liked Chu Xun, even when Chu Xun had a dark, scary face as he glared at her, she felt he was still handsome. However, it was not to the point of love.
“Your Majesty, this hat you give me is very big. Po Ye Female Prince only ordered me to find a chance to approach Mei gonggong when we’re at the hunting ground and smear some scented powders on Mei gonggong’s horse. I thought it was just the Female Prince’s mischievous prank and also curious how amazing is this little steward that father always praise about. So I agreed with her.” Qian Qian spoke slowly, not anxious nor hasty.
Mei Qian Deng felt nothing, instead Chu Xun got furious.
The very angry monarch of a nation ordered Zhu Li to bring a horse here, then he let Zhu Li tied Qian Qian tightly at the back of the horse. He pointed with his nose, “Tie her tightly for zhen, don’t let her fall to death from the horse.” Zhu Li didn’t understand his reasoning. By the time she tied Qian Qian to the horse like a mummy, Chu Xun personally came over. He took away the hairpin from Zhu Li’s hair and without any words ** the horse’s butt.
The horse received a stimulus, its back hooves violently kicked and neighed loudly.
At the same time, Zhu Li shouted, “Your Majesty, be careful.”
By that time, Mei Qian Deng’s ghostly figure flashed, she grabbed Chu Xun’s waist as they flew far away, leaving no chance for the hooves to reach Chu Xun’s clothes.
Inside the imperial palace at midnight, there was only the horse neighs and Qian Qian’s screams.
That horse charged about, rushing out of the Ming Jue Palace. In the palace, it ran wildly. The bodyguards at the back wanted to chase but they didn’t dare to approach. The other occupied palaces had lighted up yet they didn’t dare to take a peek.
Dare to bully zhen’s wife? See how zhen will not squash you to death!
Chu Xun hugged Mei Qian Deng’s waist in a huff. Zhu Li at the side preached earnestly, “Your Majesty, this is too dangerous. If Mei gonggong doesn’t react fast enough, your handsome face will be stepped on by the horse hooves. If you want to stab the horse’s butt, you can just tell me. There is no need to do it by yourself!”
The scheming Emperor wasn’t surprised of the horse hooves at all but his hands didn’t want to let go, sticking to Mei Qian Deng he acted spoiled, “Zhen need to do it personally to let off this anger. Not only her, her father too will be miserable.”
Mei Qian Deng twisted her waist but Chu Xun’s hands were like two snakes coiling around. Mei Qian Deng sighed in her heart. Say, how can this Emperor be indecent anytime and anywhere? She rubbed the corner of her eyes, with a cold face, “Your Majesty, please give priority to the general situation.”
“It’s fine. Teach her a lesson first before interrogate. Give her some punishment first so that she will be obedient later.”
Hence, in the courtyard he hugged Mei Qian Deng for half a night.
By the time Qian Qian was let down from the horse at her last gasp, the clothes on her back and legs were stained bright red with blood. Chu Xun ordered Zhu Li to tie tightly so Zhu Li tightened it so much that when the horse jostled, that rope rubbed around until it cut into her flesh.
“Your Majesty……” Qian Qian was about to lose her conscious from the pain.
She braced herself and finished whatever she should say, “Po Ye heard Your Majesty had ordered the Ministry of Works to speed up the construction of treasure ship to develop the maritime trade. They are worried after the Great Chu’s shipbuilding industry strengthened it will threaten Po Ye’s interest and also afraid our Great Chu will conquer Po Ye in the future. Hence the plan during the empress selection to destroy the relationship between the Great Chu and northern regions. If the northern regions come and make a ruckus, Your Majesty will have no free time to bother with the maritime issues.”
Chu Xun smirked. Where do these Po Ye women get their confidence?
Qian Qian gasped, lying on the ground she continued, “Your Majesty, please have mercy. Although my father and I have relations with the Po Ye imperial family, our hearts are with the Great Chu. We will never collude with the enemy to betray the country. Your Majesty should know this too, Qian family’s ships have travelled far all these years. My father is only a money-grubber, making a detour of Po Ye this middleman, he had went out to the sea to secretly bring goods to sell off. Qian family’s knowledge in sea navigation skill is probably far superior to those unfamiliar officials. I can go talk to my father to help Your Majesty make a ship to criticise Po Ye, to show our national prestige. I only ask Your Majesty, please have mercy on me, have mercy on Qian family……”
She finally couldn’t hold anymore and fell unconscious.
At the same time, those subordinates Chu Xun sent to chase after the Po Ye Female Prince reported that the female prince had rode the ship and left the Chu country so their mission failed.
Chu Xun glanced at Qian Qian on the ground and coldly snorted, “She has long know that Yu Qing Ruo escapes quickly, that zhen’s people can never catch her, only then she say something about borrowing a ship for zhen to reply to them.”
Mei Qian Deng suddenly grabbed Chu Xun’s sleeves and heavily said, “When I sent them out of the city, Yu Qing Ruo specially told Xiang Xiang to be careful on the way……”
This is bad!
They had chased the wrong way!
If Princess Xiang Xiang met any mishaps on her way back to her country, then Chu Xun could only brace himself to have a war with the barbarians from the northern region tribes first!
[1] An idiom. Means, to take precautions.
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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