“Third Ming gongzi.” Chen Wang dismounted from his horse and walked over to Ming Jiyuan, warmly placing his hand on the latter’s shoulder. “It’s been a while but third gongzi still exudes elegance and charm as before.”
“Your Highness Chen Wang.” Ming Jiyuan slightly turned his body and bowed to Chen Wang. “Xiachen greets Your Highness.”
Withdrawing the hand left hanging in the air, Chen Wang smiled. “Third gongzi has been away from the capital for a long time so you might be a little unfamiliar now. Today, Ben Wang happens to be visiting your residence. Why not come along?”
“Your Highness jests.” Ming Jiyuan turned around and effortlessly jumped onto the carriage. “Weichen is returning home for the sake of returning. Your Highness honors our humble residence with your presence. Moreover, Xiaguan is of low rank and unworthy of accompanying Your Highness.”
He noticed that Chen Wang was dressed in a light-coloured brocade robe today, displaying a low-key and restrained demeanor, looking quite like an elegant and handsome gongzi.
However, when he imagined Chen Wang, the image that come to his mind was him in a flamboyant purple brocade robe, displaying a carefree and extravagant appearance.
“Third Ming gongzi, you are a talented and incorruptible official. It is Ben Wang’s pleasure to welcome a good official like you back to the capital.” Chen Wang made a gesture of invitation. “Please.”
“Lord…” The little servant hesitated as he looked at Ming Jiyuan. Should they go or not ah?
Ming Jiyuan looked at the smiling Chen Wang and bowed to him before turning his head. “Let’s go.”
The capital was much more lively than the place where he served, but at this moment, Ming Jiyuan’s heart was set on returning home as soon as possible to reunite with his family. He had no interest in admiring the scenery of the capital.
Peeking through the curtain, Ming Jiyuan observed Chen Wang riding by the carriage. Compared to two years ago, he appeared much more mature and steady. He had even changed his arrogant dressing style.
He didn’t believe Chen Wang’s arrival to be a coincidence. There were not so many coincidences in the world.
He also didn’t believe that a high and mighty prince like him would treat a subordinate with such courtesy just because of a betrothal.
There was no unfounded closeness between people; there must be a reason.
What did he want from the Ming family?
“Young Miss, the little servant who delivered the message said that gongzi has returned.” Chunfen walked quickly to Jiuzhu and said: “He must be almost at the doorstep by now.”
“Big Brother has returned?” Jiuzhu stood up and spun around the place. “Inform Father and Mother. Have the servants prepare clean clothes, hot water, and… and tell the kitchen…”
“Don’t worry, Young Miss. I’ll arrange everything.” Chunfen saw the nervousness and concern on her face and pushed her towards the door with a smile. “You go to the entrance and wait for gongzi to return. Leave the rest to us.”
Jiuzhu tugged at her sleeves nervously as she stood by the entrance. Whenever a carriage passed by, she would quickly take a glance, only to feel disappointed when she discovered it wasn’t him.
“Ming Xiaozhu.” From a distance, Chen Wang saw Jiuzhu standing at the gate and looking around. He nudged his horse to hasten its pace and come to her side with a smile.
“Your Highness, why are you outside the Palace?” Upon seeing Chen Wang, Jiuzhu’s nervousness reduced by half. She took a step to the side, trying to avoid the horse from blocking her view.
“Why are you moving away?” He teased when he saw her like this. “Don’t want to see me, en?”
“Your Highness, you shouldn’t jest.” Jiuzhu touched Chen Wang’s horse and stretched her neck to look around. “I…”
Before she could finish her sentence, she saw a carriage not far from them. It stopped and a young man wearing a green robe and a jade guan got off.
They had never met before, but with just one glance, Jiuzhu was certain that this person was her brother, the one who wrote letters to her every month.
The young man walked toward Jiuzhu briskly. He wanted to touch her head, but restrained himself and withdrew his shaking hand. “Are you… Jiuzhu?”
Jiuzhu nodded vigorously.
“You’ve grown so big ah.” Ming Jiyuan choked. He opened his arms, wanting to hug the girl, but he was afraid that his sudden affection would startle her.
He still remembered the time when she was just born; she was a small and soft little dumpling. She didn’t cry or fuss when he held her in his arms, but looked at him with a pair of big curious eyes.
After his meimei was taken away, whenever he would hear the cries of children, he would think it was her who was crying.
He thought that as long as he returned to the capital, he would be able to see his meimei again. Never did he expect this separation to last seventeen years.
While he was lost in his thoughts, the little girl suddenly threw herself into his arms.
“Big brother.”
Hearing the words ‘big brother’, Ming Jiyuan’s eyes turned red, and he trembled as he embraced the little girl.
Back then, he watched helplessly as his meimei was taken away. They were finally reunited now.
Chen Wang had dismounted from his horse and had a Dragon Guard take it away. Leaning against a stone lion1Stone lion [石獅] – Chinese guardian lions feature a pair of highly artistic lion statues that are typically placed outside the entrance of a house in hopes of protecting the building from harmful spiritual influences and harmful people that might be a threat. One of them is a male (which is said to protect the entire structure) with an embroidered ball under its right front paw, representing yang or masculine energy that protects. The other is a female (which is said to protect the living souls in the house) with a cub under its left paw, representing yin or feminine energy that nurtures. Private use of guardian lions was traditionally reserved for wealthy or elite families, mausoleums and the imperial Palace. , he watched silently.
He saw Ming Jingzhou and Shen-shi’s carriage rushing back in the distance, and a smile formed on his lips. He turned around, preparing to leave.
“Your Highness.”
Someone grabbed his sleeve. Chen Wang turned around to see Jiuzhu looking at him with red eyes. He took out a handkerchief and wiped her face. “Your family is reunited today. I will come to see you in a few days.”
“In a few days?” Jiuzhu sniffed, looking extremely pitiful with a red nose.
“Three days,” Chen Wang looked at her wet eyelashes. “Will come in three days.”
Jiuzhu nodded, loosening her grip on his sleeve without completely letting go.
“Thank you, Your Highness, for escorting xiaguan back. If Your Highness doesn’t mind, please come into our humble abode and have a cup of tea,” Ming Jiyuan gracefully bowed to Chen Wang when he saw Jiuzhu holding onto his sleeve.
“Don’t mind.” Chen Wang smiled at Jiuzhu and looked up at Ming Jiyuan. “Thank you for the invitation, third gongzi.”
Just as he finished speaking, the Ming couple’s carriage arrived. He watched the excited expressions of the family of four and then looked at the corner of his clothing held by Jiuzhu, patiently waiting on the side.
He wouldn’t leave until he finished drinking tea at the Ming family’s residence.
As a man of character, if he agreed to someone’s request to drink tea, he had to follow through.
Back inside the residence, Shen-shi glanced at Chen Wang, who was silently drinking tea beside her daughter and looked questioningly at Ming Jingzhou.
His Majesty had already declared that the princes and princesses were not allowed to leave the Palace easily. How could the vast imperial Palace not stop Chen Wang’s restless legs?
“Your Highness,” Ming Jingzhou spoke up. “How come Your Highness has come to our humble residence?”
“No particular reason,” Chen Wang smiled. “Third gongzi invited me to your esteemed residence for tea. Since we will soon be family, how can I refuse his sincere invitation?”
The couple turned their heads to look at Ming Jiyuan.
Ming Jiyuan: “……”
Actually, he wasn’t that sincere. It was just a matter of exchanging pleasantries.
He smiled: “If Your Highness is busy, you don’t have to mind xiaguan.”
Go, leave quickly.
“Perhaps third gongzi is not aware but recently, we princes and princesses have all been too idle and have nothing to do,” Chen Wang said, bowing to Ming Jingzhou. “Fortunately, this junior has received the Lord’s guidance and learned a lot.”
Ming Jingzhou stood up to return the bow. “Your Highness exaggerates.”
Guidance?
The doubts deepened in Ming Jiyuan’s heart. In the past month, he was eager to return to the capital. Coupled with the inconvenience of communication, he had no idea what major events had occurred here.
His father had always been unwilling to get too close to these adult princes, so why would he provide guidance to Chen Wang? But no one clarified it to him. He looked at Chen Wang, who was asking and answering questions with his father, and couldn’t help but doubt. Had Chen Wang truly changed his ways?
Not long after, people started sending gifts one after another, congratulating him on his return to the capital.
When he left the capital for his post in another place, he never received such gifts.
Why were the gongzi-s from each family sending gifts so soon after his return?
Almost every person who came to deliver gifts also conveyed their own family’s gongzi’s thoughts about him, as if they all shared a deep friendship with him.
After glancing at Chen Wang, who seemed to be smiling but not smiling, Ming Jiyuan realised where the enthusiasm of these people came from.
It was Chen Wang himself who had personally welcomed him at the city gate, bestowing great honor upon the Ming family.
However, it resulted in the Ming family and Chen Wang becoming intertwined in the eyes of others. He frowned slightly and was about to seriously mull over Chen Wang’s intentions when he saw the latter pushing the melon seeds he had peeled for a long time, in front of his meimei.
She divided the melon seeds in half, taking one half for herself and giving the other half to Chen Wang. Taking advantage of her distraction, he picked out a few melon seeds and added them to her pile. He was slightly startled, and an absurd idea formed in his mind. Perhaps Chen Wang didn’t have any ulterior motives at all. He simply wanted to make his meimei happy.
“Jiyuan, you just came back. Go take a bath, change into clean clothes, and take some rest,” Ming Jingzhou said as he stood up. “I’ll take you to the courtyard to see if there’s anything wrong.”
“Jiuzhu.” He looked at his daughter who was eating the melon seeds: “Stay here and accompany your Mother and His Highness for a while. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay, Father.” Jiuzhu nodded and put the melon seeds she had grabbed back into the plate.
As they walked out of the main courtyard, Ming Jiyuan asked Ming Jingzhou: “Father, is it true that the Emperor is going to bestow the title of Empress on Su Guifei?”
Ming Jingzhou nodded: “A lot of things happened in the capital in the past six months. They cannot be summed up in just a few words. For now, you just need to focus on your duty at the Dali Temple. Your eldest Uncle and I will take care of other matters.”
“What does Chen Wang want?” Ming Jiyuan furrowed his brows. “On returning to the capital today, this son encountered Chen Wang. I don’t believe it’s just a coincidence.”
“Don’t speak ill of Chen Wang in front of your meimei in the future.” Ming Jingzhou turned around and glanced behind him, as if afraid that his daughter would have followed them. “She will get angry with you.”
“Does meimei… admire His Highness Chen Wang?”
“It’s better for her to marry someone she admires than to watch her marry someone she doesn’t like.” Ming Jingzhou patted his son’s shoulder and smiled with satisfaction. “It’s been two years. You’ve grown quite healthy.”
“Father,” Ming Jiyuan couldn’t let go of the fact that his meimei was about to get married. “Chen Wang has a brash personality. I’m afraid that my meimei will be wronged after marrying him.”
“The imperial decree has been issued. Can we really stop her from getting married?” Ming Jingzhou raised an eyebrow. “Besides, why do you think Chen Wang chose the day of your return to the capital for going to the city gate?”
“Why?” Ming Jiyuan’s gaze gradually darkened. “Does he want to take advantage of our Ming family?”
“Do you think… he would do something like that, given his character?” Ming Jingzhou shook his head. “It’s impossible for a prince who has been favored by His Majesty since childhood to do such a thing.”
For Chen Wang, the whole world belonged to His Majesty, and he was his most beloved son, so it was similar to everyone bowing their heads in front of him.
“You ah.” Ming Jingzhou looked at him with pity. “Even your sixth younger brother got a fiancée, but you still don’t have someone who cares about you. There must be a reason for that.”
Ming Jiyuan: “?”
Why did it turn into a personal attack all of a sudden?
“You need to put aside your prejudices and look at some things with an open heart.” Ming Jingzhou smiled. “You will understand gradually.”
“Moreover, Chen Wang and Su Guifei are your meimei’s saviors.”
“Saviors?” Ming Jiyuan asked in confusion. “Father, what exactly is going on?”
This capital city seemed to have become rather unfamiliar to him, much like how he could never have imagined that Chen Wang would become his brother-in-law one day.
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