Arc 2 | Chapter 18

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Arc 2: The Prince’s Escaped Fiancée

Hornless dragons shaped from the violet gold incense burner coiled and twisted around a faintly smoking incense. On a rosewood bed, a youth of about seventeen years lay on his side. His skin was fair, with red lips and rosy cheeks, his features fine and delicate. A smile from him would draw many an admiring stare. He was leisurely flipping through a book on the past scholars of talent with keen enjoyment.

Four pretty maids surrounded him, two of whom were gently waving scented fans, another two were strumming on the pipa with one singing a little ditty. The swelteringly dry heat heralded the arrival of late spring.

Suddenly, a young servant boy garbed in blue burst into the room, crying agitatedly: “Young master, bad news! Young master, it’s terrible!”

The youth tossed his book aside and waved his hand irritatedly: “All of you stop, stop. You’re as lively as the dead, is this the type of service you’re giving to this young master? If you’re so unwilling, just get lost already! This young master is the eldest Di son of the Minister of Revenue1, there are people lining from the north to the south of the city for a chance to serve me!”

Note: 嫡长子 ( zhǎngzǐ) – First son born to the official wife. The eldest Di son holds the paramount position over all other children of the house and holds the right to inherit.

The maids dropped to their knees, chorusing that they wouldn’t dare. How would they dare plead that their wrists were sore and swollen from waving the fans, that their throats ached from all the singing, and that they’ve long lost the strength to continue plucking on the strings for the music.

The youth was clearly too used to having his way, he slammed down on the books littering the reading table as he hurled a torrent of abuse at them: “Wouldn’t dare wouldn’t dare, you empty headed cows really can’t say anything else, just get out of my sight!”

Once they have left, he narrowed his eyes at the servant boy in blue: “As for you, making such a ruckus in my courtyard, do you still want to keep your tongue?”

The servant boy stood in front of the bed, and bitterly replied: “Master ah, pull out this servant’s tongue if you will, but do hear what this servant has to say first, a huge event is happening outside!”

The youth knitted his brows, “What huge event?”

The little servant boy in blue pulled on a grieving face as he cried: “It’s the Fifth prince2! The Fifth prince is back!”

Stunned stupid, the youth nearly fell off the bed. The little servant boy hurriedly steadied him, but found his wrist held in a tight grip as he was questioned: “Is this true? The Fifth prince he… he still lives? How could this be, didn’t he receive an arrow to the chest? How is it possible to survive such an injury!”

“This-this servant doesn’t know, but everyone in the entirety of Jianzhou3 is saying the same thing, the Fifth prince led an army one hundred thousand strong to victory and has returned triumphant! He is now stationed outside the city, and will enter the palace tomorrow, it’s likely true. Master, what you did to him before… what should we do now?”

The youth jumped off the bed in a hurry and closed the doors. Turning around, he began rummaging for valuable items in the room.

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