Chapter 25 (1/2)

Chapter 25: The n.o.ble Gentleman – Part 8

Translated by: Kestrel

Edited by: Ritpoppy

The 13 Guardians promptly shut the door in alarm.

Fu Ling said, ”I told you our Shaos.h.i.+ was bathing!”

Ming ChangYan asked, ”Fu Ling, what's going on out there?”

Fu Ling replied, ”The 13 Guardians is performing an investigation.”

Ming ChangYan said, ”Who are they investigating, are they investigating me?”

Huai Yu bent his long legs, half his face buried in the water, his eyes staring straight at Ming ChangYan.

Ming ChangYan said, ”Let them search the room. Just pull out the folding screen for me.”

The 13 Guardian cupped his hands, ”This subordinate does not dare.”

Ming ChangYan said, ”Oh, you all heard that. It's not that I didn't let them search, it's them that didn't dare. Fu Ling, see off our guests.”

After the 13 Guardian was escorted out, Ming ChangYan – dripping wet all over – said, ”How'd the Eldest Prince just up and die all of a sudden?”

Huai Yu was the same, not a piece of him safe to look at, ”I don't know.”

Ming ChangYan pondered a moment, then decided to go ahead and speak honestly, ”What do you think of what's been going on in the palace? First off, my being alive rules out the explanation that my ghost is haunting the place. But I've already been dead two years, so why are there still people who want to hurt me?”

Huai Yu didn't answer.

Ming ChangYan said, ”What's wrong?”

Huai Yu said, ”Your steamed bun.”

Ming ChangYan lowered his head to look. When playing the part of a woman, this person had put the utmost dedication into his disguise, not forgetting to wear his two foodpanions even when taking a bath. At present, the mantous were floating on the water, looking extremely comical.

Ming ChangYan hurriedly picked them up, saying, ”Sorry sorry, guess we can't eat these anymore. Huai Yu, you'd better not forget your promise, in a few days you're taking me to Egret Academy.”

Huai Yu shot an unenthusiastic glance in his direction, not offering any sort of response, and a thought flashed across Ming ChangYan's mind.

”Gege! Huai Yu ge-ge! Just look at this memory of mine, I forgot again. Hahahahaha!”

Ming ChangYan gave him an enigmatic look; after the rain stopped, Huai Yu left.

Another three days pa.s.sed, Ming ChangYan tore the bandages off his now-healed hands, and Zhao XiaoLan came knocking at his door.

He was carrying a book as he rushed into Listening Lotus Building as if he were on fire, Fu Ling and Peony not daring to hold him back as he yelled, ”Yan jie-jie! Yan jie-jie!”

Ming ChangYan stepped out the door, ”Zhao XiaoLan, what are you running in such a hurry for, slow down.”

He poured a bowl of tea for Zhao XiaoLan, who set down his things, hurriedly drank it, wiped his mouth and said, ”Da Huang-xiong* died, though that doesn't really matter to me. I came to find you so we can go to Egret Academy.”

(TN: Eldest Prince-xiong, or Elder Brother Eldest Prince, anyway it sounds better in Chinese.)

This was translated by , any repost of this is stolen and if you steal my work, I'm going to jab you with my donkey horns.

Ming ChangYan ignored his first sentence, eyes lighting up as he said, ”Okay! When are we going, now?”

Zhao XiaoLan, ”That's right. You can't go like this though, you should change your clothes.”

He opened the pack he'd been carrying, and pulled out a man's outfit, ”My royal uncle hasn't really been paying attention to you lately, so just change your clothes and you can go with us out of the palace.”

Ming ChangYan didn't waste another moment in going to the inner room and changing into the man's outfit. The effect of the age-returning pills Hua YunChang had given him was gradually lessening as time went on. Compared to the day he first entered the imperial palace, Ming ChangYan was already a little taller, the outline of his face a little more clear, and overall he looked quite handsome.

Zhao XiaoLan tilted his head this way and that as he looked at him, before saying in a puzzled voice, ”Yan jie-jie, did you get taller?”

Ming ChangYan laughed, ”Did I? That means i've been eating well lately. If you eat more, you'll grow tall too. How old are you this year?”

”Eighteen.”

Ming ChangYan gave encouragement as he finished with his clothes, ”Eighteen, so you've still got room to grow. XiaoLan, do your best to grow, there's no need to be too jealous of me.”

After they left the Listening Lotus Building, Zhao XiaoLan called out, ”Jun, Duan Duan.”

Jun was in the middle of playing with Duan Min's hair; after hearing Zhao XiaoLan's voice, she carefully tied a knot at the end, which even had a few ta.s.sels hanging from it, and gave the result a serious once-over before showing satisfaction in her newly-made dressup. It was only then that she let go of Duan Min's long braid and said, ”What took you so long?”

Zhao XiaoLan, ”We were already really fast, it's only because you want to meet Teacher Liu too much that you're blaming us for being slow.”

Jun looked Ming ChangYan up and down, as he cupped his hands and said:,”h.e.l.lo Princess.”

Jun asked, ”How are your injuries, are you still spitting blood?”

Ming ChangYan said, ”Many thanks for your highness's concern, I'm not spitting any more, and I'm eating just fine too. Let's not waste time on words, and hurry to Egret Academy.”

These words struck directly at Jun's heart; upon hearing she could soon meet Teacher Liu, she was immediately bursting with joy. Duan Min was helping her carry presents for Teacher Liu. The four all struck out together, heading straight for Egret Academy.

Dressed in men's clothes, and accompanied by Princess YuNing and Zhao XiaoLan, Ming ChangYan was able to leave the imperial palace without anyone to stop him.

It had been many days since he'd entered the palace by this point, and on leaving for the first time, Ming ShaoXia was in quite a good mood, stretching out his limbs and hooking an arm over Zhao XiaoLan's shoulders, ”XiaoLan, how long have you been studying at Egret Academy?”

Zhao XiaoLan politely answered, ”Many years now. I've studied here all my life.”

Ming ChangYan asked another question, ”Then have you ever seen the Misty Chronicle?”

Zhao XiaoLan said, ”That's on the mountain behind the academy, and we study in front; n.o.body's allowed back there without a pa.s.sword. I saw it from far away once, it's an especially tall rock. Teacher Liu mentioned to us before that when the Great Homage Feast comes around, this rock has to be carried outside, and whoever gets first place in the compet.i.tion, they'll immediately wipe off the name on the rock and write out the new one. Although-”

Ming ChangYan raced to answer ahead of him, ”Let me guess, the number one name on the rock hasn't changed in many years?”

Zhao XiaoLan said, ”That's right! Ever since Ming ShaoXia made his public appearance, the number one name on the Misty Chronicle hasn't ever changed!”

Ming ChangYan inquired, ”It must have changed in the two years since he died though, right?”

Zhao XiaoLan paused a moment, then said in a voice filled with resolve, ”I don't know!”

Ming ChangYan, ”……”

Zhao XiaoLan continued, ”But I think it probably hasn't changed, especially since the Common People's Order hasn't recognized anyone else!”

Ming ChangYan teased him, ”But Huai Yu ge-ge has the Common People's Order, doesn't he? Maybe he's secretly unsheathed it before, do you think he could manage it?”

Zhao XiaoLan turned green.

This question was like when his mother had interrogated him in his youth: Who exactly do you like better, your father or your mother?

This really made things incredibly difficult for Zhao XiaoLan, like an ant on a heated pan, a fine sheen of sweat quickly beading his forehead.

Ming ChangYan hadn't for the life of him expected this lighthearted question to stump Zhao XiaoLan so badly, and he hurriedly said, ”All right all right, I was just joking.”

Zhao XiaoLan wiped the sweat from his brow, gave a tight squeeze to the book at his chest, and let out a sigh of relief.

Jun grew tired halfway through their walk, so the last half – which was an uphill mountain path – involved Duan Duan carrying her. She had a higher point of view than the rest of the group, and was therefore the first to see the great entrance to Egret Academy.

She let out a questioning noise, leading the others to crane their necks in that direction–only to see that the entrance to Egret Academy was shut tight.

Jun jumped down from Duan Duan's back, grabbed one of the guards at the door and asked, ”Why are the academy's doors closed today?”

The guard gave her an extremely deferential salute, ”To answer your highness, this is…”

”I closed them!”

A young man's voice sounded out from behind them. When they turned around to look, they saw Lu HangJiu and a few of his friends walking slowly up the stairs towards the entrance.

Jun said, ”So it was you – what did you close the doors for?”

Lu HangJiu said: ”Egret Academy forbids outsiders from visiting, did Princess YuNing not know about this rule?”

His gaze landed on Ming ChangYan.

Jun said, ”Whether or not I know, it's none of your business to care.” She turned her head, ”Open the doors for me.”

The guard stepped forward to open the doors.

Lu HangJiu refused to let the have their way, promptly saying, ”Don't you dare! Egret Academy has a written rule that we aren't allowed to bring in outsiders; once you're found out you'll undoubtedly receive a heavy punishment! Chu JinHua, don't tell me you want Teacher Liu to be disappointed in you!”

Egret Academy did not discuss junior or senior status, treating all students as fellow schoolmates, and so Lu HangJiu called her directly by her proper name.

Jun stilled a moment, ”Wait! Open it later.”

Zhao XiaoLan said, ”Yan jie-jie, it's true that Egret Academy doesn't allow outsiders. Normally we would have just snuck in, but now we've run into Lu-xiong, and he's a tattletale who likes to rat people out to Teacher Liu – so how about we just look around outside? Do you have to go in?”

Ming ChangYan nodded, ”I absolutely have to.”

He took a couple steps forward; Ming ChangYan was dressed as a man today, so while Lu HangJiu thought he looked incredibly familiar, he couldn't remember where he might have met him before.

Ming ChangYan said, ”Have you ever seen a ginkgo tree bear fruit?”

Lu HangJiu stared blankly at the unexpected question, saying, ”No.”

Ming ChangYan said, ”Of course you haven't. Ginkgo trees don't bear fruit.” He asked again, ”Have you ever seen a dog catch mice?”

Lu HangJiu pondered over that for a moment, ”That's another no.”

Ming ChangYan smiled, ”That's how it should be, if dogs don't catch mice*, what're you meddling in other people's business for?”

(TN: ”A dog who catches mice” is an idiom referring to a meddler.)

Lu HangJiu immediately reacted, ”You-!”

Ming ChangYan said, ”Me? Me what, huh? Does your family run Egret Academy, is that why you get to decide if it's open or not?”

Lu HangJiu raised his voice, ”It's the rules!”

Ming ChangYan played dumb, ”Turtle b.u.t.ts*? What turtle b.u.t.ts, oh–you're talking about tortoise b.u.t.ts. Have you seen a tortoise's b.u.t.t before?”

(TN: Rules 规定 and turtle b.u.t.ts 龟腚 are p.r.o.nounced exactly the same, down to the tone. (That's not how anyone would normally say turtle b.u.t.t though.)

Lu HangJiu yelled, ”You're an annoying troublemaker!”

Ming ChangYan lifted a foot to kick him in the bottom, ”Have you seen a tortoise's b.u.t.t now?”

His kick sent Lu HangJiu cras.h.i.+ng to the ground; before he could get back up to hurl verbal abuse, Ming ChangYan grabbed a sprig of blossoms like it was a club, raising it up in his hand, ”Lu HangJiu, does this stick of mine look familiar to you?”

Lu HangJiu gaped slightly, then suddenly reacted, ”You're that d.a.m.n woman!”

”Hahahaha, what d.a.m.n woman? Zhao XiaoLan, watch this, today I'm going to teach you the second Tianqing Six Sword Technique: Beating a Meddlesome Dog with a Stick.”

Lu HangJiu's bottom began to ache on reflex upon seeing that stick; all Ming ChangYan had to do was scare him a little, and he began to wail like some tragic ghost, ”Help!!! Save me!!!!”

Ming ChangYan laughed out loud, ”I haven't even hit you yet, what're you screaming for help for?”

Jun was convulsing with laughter at this; Zhao XiaoLan started to laugh along with her, when suddenly he squinted his eyes, then began waving his hands, ”Huai Yu ge-ge!”

Lu HangJiu's screams stopped immediately, turning his head around to see Huai Yu slowly walking towards them.

Ming ChangYan was struck dumb for a second, guiltily hiding the sprig of blossoms behind his back. Not even this tiny movement could escape Huai Yu's sight.

He didn't even lift his eyelids, asking, ”What are you hiding, can you show me?”

Ming ChangYan knew he couldn't hide it, so he simply held the branch out in front of him as he tried to coax the other with a grin, ”Didn't you say you weren't coming? Beautiful people deserve pretty flowers, so when I saw you coming I picked this to give to you!”

Huai Yu took the flowers; everyone was standing up straight and proper, their gazes flying everywhere except at him.

Jun said, ”Huai Yu-gege, what are you doing here?”

Huai Yu said, ”I'm just on a stroll.” He lifted his head, ”Open the doors.”

Lu HangJiu didn't dare utter a word, allowing the guard to open the doors. Although Huai Yu wasn't much older than them, he had a high position and great authority, and was incredibly stern as well; they didn't dare to act rashly around someone even the emperor had to show some humility towards. Especially as they were all his juniors, not a single voice could be heard at this moment.

Only Ming ChangYan was reckless enough to keep chattering away, ”Wow, Young Prime Minister you sure have a reputation, looks like I sent those flowers to the right guy.”

With the entrance now wide open, a set of stone stairs so high you couldn't see the end appeared in Ming ChangYan's line of sight. Zhao XiaoLan gave an introduction, ”This is 'The Hard Road', which symbolizes the trials on the path of education.”

Ming ChangYan said, ”Amazing, a real marvel!”

Everyone stepped onto the stairs together, except for Lu HangJiu and his friends, who trailed behind at a distance, as if monitoring them. Ming ChangYan couldn't help finding it odd, ”This boy is the prince of the Kingdom of Liang, isn't he? Why is he going to the same school as our country's princess, that's really strange.”

Huai Yu said, ”The emperor requires all countries' leaders to send the son of their first wife to study our country's etiquette, firstly so that they will a.s.similate our way of thinking, and secondly as a way of maintaining the balance of power. The surrounding countries would never be willing to truly send their first sons, so the students here are all their least-favored princes. Egret Academy will groom them to become incredibly ambitious successors, then choose a fitting time to send them home again.”

Ming ChangYan was both astonished and alarmed, ”Starting power struggles in the royal family and weakening it at the roots, that's a real ruthless strategy. If you know, are you saying they don't?”

Huai Yu shot him a glance, ”This country has unquestionable strength; as long as it is an imperial order, n.o.body dares to disobey.”

Ming ChangYan could pretty much understand that, at least. Just speaking from personal experience, he was entirely in favor of the view that strength could overcome anything.

After they got through The Hard Road, Egret Academy's main gate came into view before them. As it was currently still on holiday, the school grounds were devoid of people, save for a pair of little page boys, dozing off one on each side of the gate.

Jun asked, ”Zi You, wake up, where's your teacher!”

The boy on the left stood up, saw that the one calling him was Jun, and said, ”Jun jie-jie, I didn't know you were coming. Teacher just left down the mountain, it'll be awhile before he gets back.”

Jun's whole spirit seemed to droop, as she mumbled, ”That's really too bad.”

Ming ChangYan smiled, ”Since he's not back, why don't we go check out the rear mountain?” He pointed at a plank walkway hanging high up in the air between two extremely high overhanging cliffs, and said, ”Where does that road go?”

Huai Yu, ”The rear mountain.”

Ming ChangYan clapped his hands together, raring to go. He'd only managed one step forward when Huai Yu grabbed onto his arm, ”What do you think you're doing?”

Ming ChangYan said, ”I'm going to the rear mountain to play!”

Zhao XiaoLan said, ”Egret Academy's students aren't allowed to enter the rear mountain.”

Ming ChangYan cunningly said, ”I'm not a student at the academy. Besides, we already broke rules pa.s.sing through the first gate back down the mountain, breaking one more won't make much difference. I won't drag you guys into trouble though, I can go alone just fine!”

Huai Yu pulled him back, refusing to let go of his hand, ”I forbid it.”

Ming ChangYan was unable to pull free, and had no alternative but to say, ”What're you getting angry for now? I have important things to do, let go already.”

Seeing that he refused to be stopped, Zhao XiaoLan immediately abandoned his previous position, following Ming ChangYan's bad example by leaping forward and squeezing in: ”Yan jie-jie, are you going to see the Misty Chronicle? I want to go too, take me with you!”

Jun was still downcast over being unable to meet Teacher Liu, idling around with nothing to do; when she heard the mention of the Misty Chronicle, she asked, ”What's the Misty Chronicle? You guys were talking about it all the way here – it's just a rock on the rear mountain isn't it, what's there to look at?”

Zhao XiaoLan said, ”It's not just a rock. It's an extraordinary rock! The names recorded on it are all those of the very best martial artists in the world. Ming ShaoXia's ranked number one on it!”

Jun asked, ”Why is he number one? There's so many people in the world, how do you know there isn't anyone better than him!”

Zhao XiaoLan said, ”They make the decision at the Great Homage Feast! Not only that, but the number one spot on the Misty Chronicle doesn't just refer to having the best martial abilities. You've got to be the best at everything, all the four arts*, a combination of strengths, do you understand!”

(TN: The four arts differ depending on where you look, but generally include calligraphy, math, music, chess, horseback riding, and/or painting.)

Jun, ”And what if people refuse to accept it?”

Ming ChangYan laughed, ”Then beat them up until they agree!”

This line was really just Ming ChangYan talking nonsense. The Great Homage Feast's selections for the Misty Chronicle were a legitimate general election, but aside from that, there was another place with its own ranking list, which also carved the names onto a rock. The Great Homage Feast's stone tablet was called 'Towards the Sky', whereas the heartless women of LingLong Pavilion had picked up their brushes and carved their own called 'Ends of the Earth'.

'Ends of the Earth' wasn't actually the horizon's edge or the corners of the sea. The names carved on this rock were also the rankings the came out after the Great Homage Feast every four years. The difference between this and Towards the Sky was that, aside from names, Ends of the Earth also included a list of bounties.

Heartless woman Xiu LingLong once spread the news that if you could kill any one of the martial arts masters, you'd be able to receive a corresponding amount of silver. If a commoner lacked the ability to kill people, they could use a considerably high registration fee to wager on it instead; once the wager was made, if anyone successfully a.s.sa.s.sinated the target, they'd get a bonus cut of the prize money. It was truly a wise money making strategy, and about as kind as eating steamed buns made with human blood.

After hearing Zhao XiaoLan's detailed explanation, including the price of Ming ChangYan's bounty, Jun couldn't help showing some misgivings, ”If that's really the case, then why didn't the imperial family send out soldiers? The bounty on that Ming ShaoXia's of yours is already about equal to half the national treasury!”

Xiu LingLong had always been vicious and merciless, acknowledging money rather than people; Ming ChangYan held the number one position on the Ends of the Earth bounty list, the prize money a sky-high amount, and in ten years not a single person had ever succeeded. When the six great sects purged the n.o.ble Gentleman two years ago, he slipped and fell into the Yanbo River, finally dying for good, Xiu LingLong and those who'd bet on his death earned an insane amount of revenue, enough to probably even buy ten whole courtyard manors in the area surrounding the Imperial City.

Zhao XiaoLan pinched at his book, ”I don't know…”

Lu HangJiu let out a supercilious snort, quietly sneering, ”You really are pigheaded!”

Zhao XiaoLan didn't pay the slightest attention to his ridicule; he had an incredibly good temper, and was extremely naive on top of that, so he didn't at all feel ashamed to ask his senior, ”Does Lu-xiong have a wise opinion to offer?”

Lu HangJiu brushed off his clothes, slightly lifted his head, and said in a louder voice, ”Not only did the imperial family not try to stop him, they were perfectly happy to look on!”

Zhao XiaoLan asked, ”Why is that?”

Lu HangJiu, ”Let me ask you, how many powerful martial artists are out there who could kill people without batting an eye? How many great sects are there with expansive schools and thousands of disciples? Most sects are well trained and not to be underestimated; if they were to join forces and revolt, this country's armies are all stationed in the northwest, so how well could the imperial family contend against them? Regardless of whether or not they could succeed, a disturbance like this would be more than enough to give the emperor a headache!”

”If Xiu LingLong's way of handling things out there didn't have the imperial family's tacit acknowledgment, would she be able to do as much as she has? There's a thousand famous names on that list, distributed among all the great sects, all of them well-known figures who act as the pillar of their respective sects, if they couldn't protect themselves then how could they put up the effort to revolt?”

Zhao XiaoLan was stupefied, ”I-I never thought of that.”

Just then, the children by the mountain gate called out, ”Teacher Liu is back!”

A clean and handsome man came walking up from among the flowers, carrying two jars of wine; this was Egret Academy's president: Liu Kuang.

Jun's eyes brightened on the spot, lifting her skirts to run to his side.

Liu Kuang said, ”Jun, don't run so fast.”

Jun held up a basket, ”I brought this for you, Teacher! And this, this is a peace charm, if you wear it around your neck you can find happiness every day!”

Liu Kuang smiled as he said, ”All right.”

He lifted his head; Zhao XiaoLan and friends all bowed respectfully as they called out, ”Teacher Liu!”

Liu Kuang nodded his head, then said to Ming ChangYan, ”A rare visitor, I see.”

Zhao XiaoLan promptly started talking, ”That's right! Teacher Liu, this is Yanjie-jie, a few days ago she said she wanted to come to Bailu Academy, so I-”

Liu Kuang's footsteps paused, ”Yan-jiejie?”