JiuZhu had seen both children and elders crying but she has never seen anyone sob so… gracefully and melodiously?

Although she wanted to go forward and comfort her, hearing the person’s pleasant crying, she couldn’t help standing on the steps and listening for a while longer.

Initially, Liu Cairen had assumed that JiuZhu would come forward and comfort her, but even after waiting for a long time, she did not move. As the situation gradually became awkward, she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and feigned a smile as if she had just discovered JiuZhu’s presence: “Ming guniang.”

JiuZhu glanced at the woman, surmising that she was a low-ranking concubine who wasn’t feeling happy though she was blessed with a worry-free life in the Palace. She lifted her skirt and walked into the pavilion: “It is getting cold now, so please be mindful of your health, my lady.”

“I’m just an unfavored Cairen; I dare not let Miss Ming myself so politely.” Liu Cairen stood up, “Ming guniang, please have a seat.”

She suddenly noticed the awfully familiar-looking embroidered red plum cloak draped over Ming JiuZhu’s body.

Perceiving Liu Cairen’s gaze, JiuZhu stroked the embroidery on the cloak, and promptly asked, “Is the embroidery very beautiful?”

“Very beautiful.” Liu Cairen nodded, vaguely feeling that the other person was deliberately showing off this cloak.

“Cairen has good taste. I also think it’s beautiful.” JiuZhu smiled till her eyes became crescent-shaped: “It was given by the Guifei niangniang.”

Liu Cairen: “……”

“Niangniang said that this cloak will keep me warm despite not being heavy or too thick. It’s also pretty and not too gaudy. So she specially gave it to me.” After finally finding someone she could show off to, JiuZhu was suddenly full of enthusiasm: “Niangniang is so gentle and softhearted that chennu doesn’t know how to repay her for all her love and care.”

“Even though it is cold, as a part of the harem, there are many things I am powerless to do. I had no intention of bothering guniang, sorry for making you laugh.” Hearing the words ‘gentle and softhearted’, Liu Cairen felt an intense physical and mental discomfort.

How could anyone brag about a pampered consort in front of a pitiful woman weeping so sorrowfully?

No wonder she was able to win Su Guifei’s favor; they are actually jackals of the same tribe!

After Liu Cairen said these intriguing words, she stopped talking and waited for JiuZhu’s questions.

“Oh.” JiuZhu recalled the teachings of her masters. If you meet someone heartbroken and crying bitterly, be sure not to ask for the reason. That is a form of kindness to them.

Liu Cairen looked at JiuZhu while the latter looked back at her. After a brief period of silence, realizing that JiuZhu did not intend to ask any question, Liu Cairen asked stiffly: “Guniang, do you know, among all the niangniangs in the harem, who is the most favored by His Majesty?”

“Su Guifei niangniang ah!” JiuZhu replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “Guifei niangniang is beautiful, kindhearted, and has such a nice voice. His Majesty must like her the most.”

Liu Cairen was silent again. How did the Ming family members educate their daughter? Why were her words so unappealing?

“Yes ah, His Majesty has only favored Su Guifei for several years.” Liu Cairen smiled bitterly: “Since His Majesty ascended the throne, there has never been a new person admitted in the Palace apart from us old people who can’t even enter His Majesty’s eyes.”

“I’m afraid guniang doesn’t know that in this huge harem, the value of the unfavored and childless concubines is even worse than the grass on the ground.”

“You mean to say…” JiuZhu lowered her voice and asked in surprise, “His Majesty does not give you money to spend?”

The Emperor didn’t seem like someone who would be stingy and biased with the Imperial concubines ah.

“N-no, guniang misunderstood.” How could Liu Cairen dare to say something like that about the Emperor: “His Majesty is a benevolent ruler. He is generous with us concubines and enough cloth and silver are sent by the Department of the Palace every month.”

Liu Cairen did not lie. No one dared to embezzle the expenses of the Imperial concubines, even the previous Emperor’s unfavored concubines lived a lot easier lives in the harem now.

“Does guniang know for how many days is Guifei niangniang having the concubines copy the scriptures?”

JiuZhu nodded: “It seems to be less than ten days, isn’t it? In fact, according to the rules of the state ceremony, one needs to copy the scriptures for at least a full forty-nine days to express their sincerity. And in case they wish to undergo some suffering to further show their devotion, it isn’t strange to copy for a full eighty-one days. But since niangniangs haven’t entirely devoted yourselves to spiritual development, there’s no need to be so particular.”

Seeing Liu Cairen not speak anymore, JiuZhu looked at her in confusion: “Why did Cairen stop talking?”

Liu Cairen really couldn’t say anything. She didn’t expect Ming JiuZhu to be more vicious than Su Guifei at such a young age.

A full forty-nine days?

A full eighty-one days?

Was this still about copying scriptures or observing mourning for their parents?

“N-nevermind.” Liu Cairen stood up: “I suddenly remembered that I still haven’t finished copying the scriptures today, so I feel a little uneasy.”

She feared that if they continued to chat, she would really have to copy the scriptures for eighty-one days straight.

“That’s true, when copying the scriptures, it is the most important to not have an insincere heart.” JiuZhu agreed: “People copy the scriptures to accumulate virtues and blessings for themselves. Guifei niangniang has a good heart, she not only provided brush and ink for all the niangniangs, but also meticulously prepared the JingXin chamber for the niangniangs. All the niangniangs must feel incredibly grateful to Guifei niangniang, right?”

“Haha.” Liu Cairen laughed through gnashing her teeth: “Naturally, we’re all extremely indebted to her.”

She felt suffocated. Placing a hand over her chest, she took two deep breaths: “Thank you for accompanying me, Ming guniang. I ought to go back now.”

Just as she finished speaking, her vision went black and she staggered.

“Is Cairen okay?” JiuZhu stretched out her hands to help Liu Cairen up by her arm: “I’ll take you back.”

“There’s no need, but thank you for the offer, Ming guniang.” As if she was struck by lightning, Liu Cairen retreated two steps to the side at once. Now, she only wished she could immediately jump out of the pavilion and get away from JiuZhu: “Farewell.”

JiuZhu watched Liu Cairen’s figure rushing out in quick small steps, feeling deeply moved: “The sincerity of the niangniangs of the Palace is so heart-touching.”

Even she, a person who grew up in a Daoist temple from childhood, could not be as sincere as they were. She felt ashamed, really ashamed.

After witnessing the whole episode, Liu ZhongBao smiled and bowed to Chen Wang: “Your Highness, this old slave has to go to the harem to announce His Majesty’s verbal order. Please excuse this old slave.”

Chen Wang raised his hand to signal Liu ZhongBao to do as he pleased. Then, he plucked some tree leaves and walked behind JiuZhu, intending to scare her with those.

“Ha!” JiuZhu suddenly turned around, and the large cloak gently bumped against Chen Wang’s calf. It didn’t hurt, but he felt a little itchy.

“Sure enough, it’s Your Highness.” JiuZhu laughed softly.

Looking down at his calf, Chen Wang threw the leaves aside: “When did you discover me?”

“I heard your footsteps.” JiuZhu smiled with complacency: “Your Highness’s footsteps are different from other people’s. Chennu can understand it right away.”

Chen Wang was somewhat dumbfounded: “How is it different?”

“It’s just different.” JiuZhu thought for a while: “Chennu doesn’t know how to describe it but can understand it anyway.”

“You have such sharp ears. Are you a dog?”

“Your Highness is so intelligent. How did you know that I am a dog?” JiuZhu took out two pieces of mint candy from her pouch and handed one to Chen Wang.

Smelling the sweet and minty scent of the candy, Chen Wang thought back to his fondness for candies when he was young. However, when he was thirteen years old, he gave up his hobby because of a severe toothache. He didn’t expect that after so many years, there would be a childish person who would share her candy with him.

“Your Highness… do you not like it?” Noticing that the candy was still in Chen Wang’s palm, JiuZhu, who had already put it into her mouth, asked indistinctly: “It’s mint-flavored.”

Eight years ago, when he rescued her from the river, he gave her a mint candy. She still remembered the lady beside His Highness commenting that he was very fond of this candy.

“I haven’t eaten candy for a long time.” Chen Wang returned the candy to JiuZhu: “Keep it for yourself.”

“Oh.” JiuZhu lowered her to look at the candy he gave back and continued sucking the sweet one in her mouth with relish, but the dragonfly hairpin on her head seemed to have become dispirited.

“But it’s also alright to taste it once in a while.” Chen Wang took the candy back and put it in his mouth.

“How is it?” JiuZhu raised her head and looked at him with gleaming eyes.

“It’s pretty good.” Watching the little girl raise her head and gaze at him, Chen Wang felt a little moved: “It’s very similar to the kind of candies Ben Wang ate during childhood.”

JiuZhu smiled happily.

“Why are you laughing?” Chen Wang poked the dragonfly hairpin inserted into JiuZhu’s hair bun. The dragonfly’s wings fluttered, seeming very energetic.

JiuZhu untied the small pouch containing the candies from her waist: “Your Highness, I will give you all of these.”

Chen Wang wanted to tell her that liking it before didn’t mean it would still be the same after he grew up. But imagining the other person showing puppy dog eyes, he still reached out and took the pouch.

He was not soft-hearted; he just didn’t want to coax a child!

“Why did you come here alone? Is there no palace maid following after you?” Chen Wang looked around and found only two palace maids standing outside the pavilion. He frowned: “When you come to the Palace in the future, the maids must follow you everywhere you go.”

Although JiuZhu didn’t understand his words clearly, she nodded.

Tying the pouch of candy around his waist, Chen Wang stared at its embroidery with disdain. Then, he pulled his cloak over it and said with a smile that didn’t seem like one, “Some women of the harem like to trip and fall when they walk. If there are palace maids with you, they can help those women up.”

“The niangniangs in the Palace are all quite thin.” JiuZhu waved her own small arms; she could pick them up with bare hands.

Seeing that her flawless white wrist was exposed, Chen Wang grabbed her sleeve and pulled it down: “It’s very windy, your hand will freeze.”

“Your Highness, is it about to snow?” JiuZhu withdrew her hand into her sleeve: “Does it look very beautiful when it snows in the capital?”

LingZhou didn’t have much snowfall. And even if it snowed, it would only form a thin layer that melted before anyone could appreciate it.

Chen Wang couldn’t see anything when he looked up at the sky, so he could only answer vaguely: “It should be… soon?”

It snowed every year in the capital, so what was there to look forward to?

The cold wind whistled. Seeing that her Young Miss was sleeping peacefully, the maid of the Sun family blew out the candles in the room and retreated without making a noise. She don’t know what had happened recently, but the Young Miss couldn’t fall asleep if the lights were blown out.

The bedchamber was dimly lit when Sun CaiYao pushed open the door and discovered Ming JiuZhu sitting beside the candle holder with an indifferent expression.

“You colluded with Su-shi and ruined all of my plans?!” Qi Wang pushed the door and rushed in: “Why did you do this?”

The candle flame flickered as Ming JiuZhu got up and closed the doors and windows, her eyes darker than the night: “Has the prince harmed His Highness Chen Wang?”

“What?”

“I’m asking you, who harmed Chen Wang?!” She walked to the incense burner and lit the incense with a flame stick1Flame stick [火折子] – Although literally, it translates to ‘fire fold’ I don’t think there’s any set name for it in English. It’s basically the ancient form of a modern lighter: it’s portable and very easy to use since it only needs to be uncapped and blown on the top to be ignited. : “Is it you, Ning Fei niangniang, or is it possibly… Huai Wang, who has been demoted to a commoner?”

Qi Wang seemed to have heard something ridiculous: “You and Chen Wang are total strangers, so what does his life or death have to do with you?”

“Your Highness.” Ming JiuZhu stared at the smoke curling up from the incense burner: “Say, if we two die from poisoning in this room at the same time, which prince would His Majesty suspect?”

“An Wang? Jing Wang?”

“You want to kill Ben Wang?”

“Ah!”

Sun CaiYao woke up from the dream. She rushed to the window and pushed it open with trembling hands.

The sparkling and translucent snowflakes fell on her face and melted before dripping to the ground along with her sweat.

“It’s snowing.” As soon as JiuZhu opened the window, she saw the yard covered with a coat of white. She put on her shoes and socks, climbed out of the window, and jumped onto the thick snow happily, making a pair of deep footprints.

Carefully pulling out her legs, she bent down to pick up a mass of snow to admire from all angles.

His Highness Chen Wang is really amazing. Yesterday, he said it was going to snow soon and today, it really snowed.

“I forgot to ask if he liked the koi and lotus painting  that I drew for him.” JiuZhu sighed to herself as she thought aloud. She was so focused on giving him the candies that she forgot to ask about it yesterday.

She heard from her father that the Ministry of Rites was closed today. Since that’s the case, then His Highness… should be at his residence, right?

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