Chapter 28 (1/2)
This chapter has been brought to you by me, Adnana, and Vivie.
府 fu: compound or estate; junw.a.n.g fu: prince's estate/compound
氏 s.h.i.+: clan/maiden name
郡王 junw.a.n.g: second-rank prince; also referred to as junw.a.n.g ye, i.e. ”His [Your] Royal Highness”
妾 qie: I, your servant (used by a wife or concubine)
郡王妃 junw.a.n.g fei: the official wife of a junw.a.n.g
Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Beauty's Anger
The soup dumplings of Yi'an Marquis Fu were fresh and fragrant. They were what Hua Xi Wan liked to eat the most before her marriage, so early in the morning of the seventh, Lu s.h.i.+ had arranged for the servants to make the porridge that Hua Xi Wan liked to drink, the soup dumplings she liked to eat, and all kinds of little dishes.
Yan Jin Qiu accompanied Hua Xi Wan to the main yard to greet the parents before the entire family moved to the meal hall. Together, they ate this morning meal that was more than an hour later than usual.
After was.h.i.+ng his hands and waiting for Hua He Sheng and Lu s.h.i.+ to move their chopsticks first, Yan Jin Qiu picked up his chopsticks to grip a crystal little soup dumpling to put into Hua Xi Wan's plate. Then with a natural movement, he poured a small bowl of almond milk to place next to her left hand. After doing all this, he started to serve himself what he liked to eat.
Lu s.h.i.+ noticed his movements and there was a content expression in her eyes. Even the candied fruits that she usually ate were much more delicious than usual.
She had been thirsty when she got up, so Hua Xi Wan quickly drank the half bowl of almond milk. Putting it down, she pushed the bowl in Yan Jin Qiu's direction and then smiled. Lu s.h.i.+ saw this and originally wanted to order a servant beside her to pour for her daughter. But when she saw Bai Xia and the other personal servant girls did not move at all, she thought about it again and then she pretended to not see this.
Hua Yi Liu's movements slowed after she saw the two interact. She looked at Xian Junw.a.n.g's considerate actions, and her hand gripped the spoon tighter. She found that Hua Chu Yu was looking at her. She looked back coldly at the other and bent her head to drink the porridge in her bowl that had become tasteless.
Sun s.h.i.+'s gaze seemed to accidentally sweep over the two, and then she moved her eyes away with a slight smile.
After the meal, Hua Xi Wan was going back with Yan Jin Qiu to the junw.a.n.g fu. Before she got onto the carriage, she turned to face her father and two brothers behind her. A moment later, she said, ”Do not miss me, take care.”
Hua He Sheng watched as his daughter got on the carriage. A curtain blocked off his eyesight. As the carriage moved away, his gaze moved away with it. Only when the carriage disappeared did he turn and say to his sons, ”Return.”
Just now when she left, Xi Wan had said only six words, but he could hear the deep meaning contained in these words.
Xian Junw.a.n.g was of a deep mind, and very ambitious. However, he was one who could act. Xi Wan was not willing for the marquis fu to be pulled into this, so she had said ”take care.”
Hua Chang Bao followed his father with a serious expression. Thinking about his sister who had been taken away in that grand carriage, he sighed inwardly.
On the carriage, Yan Jin Qiu played with two carved pits[i]. He tilted his head and smiled at Hua Xi Wan, saying, ”Does Xi Wan know the trumpet vine[ii]? This kind of flower is beautiful when it blooms, but in truth, even the proudest flower can only bloom when relying on the support of others.”
”A flower like the trumpet flower sounds proud, but it is not like that.” The corner of Hua Xi Wan's mouth rose as she said sardonically, ”Flowers are just a decoration. We can just look at them. Why do we have to study how they grow?”
Yan Jin Qiu examined her with a faint smile. A moment later, he threw the carved pits back into a beautiful box. ”You are right.”
Hua Xi Wan curled the corners of her lips but did not speak.
When the carriage entered the junw.a.n.g fu, Hua Xi Wan got off first. She did not wait for Yan Jin Qiu to come out, taking Bai Xia's hand and preparing to go back to the main yard.
”Xi Wan.” Yan Jin Qiu poked his head out of the carriage. He looked at Hua Xi Wan's back and said, ”Why are you walking so quickly?”
Hua Xi Wan turned her head back to look at the man sitting in the carriage. She raised her chin slightly and snorted. She said, ”Junw.a.n.g Ye still has important matters, qie won't disturb you.” Finis.h.i.+ng, she turned to leave. When she had walked a few steps, she saw that there was a piece of rock poking out of the fake mountain. She stopped and said, ”This fake mountain has a protrusion; it doesn't look pleasing.”
After she said this, she took a few steps back, raised her skirts to her waist and then kicked forcefully. With a crack, the protruding piece fell to the ground.
”This looks much more pleasing.” Hua Xi Wan turned to smile brightly at Yan Jin Qiu. ”What do you think, Junw.a.n.g Ye?” After she said this, she did not wait for Yan Jin Qiu's reply. She elegantly put down her skirts, then allowed Bai Xia and the other servant girls to neaten the corners of her dress before she flowed away.
In a deathly silence, Mu Tong looked at the corner of the fake mountain that had been broken off due to the kick. He felt that his calves were hurting. After swallowing, he said, ”What are you dazing about for? Since Junw.a.n.g Fei said this fake mountain is not pleasing, demolish it and put something else up.”
”Yes.” The frightened servants finally reacted and started to clean up the fake mountain. A brave servant glanced out of the corner of his eye at Junw.a.n.g Ye. He sighed inside, as expected of Junw.a.n.g Ye. Even though Junw.a.n.g Fei was so valiant, he could still sit with a normal expression in the carriage.
”Junw.a.n.g Ye?” Mu Tong went forward and called.
There was no response.
”Junw.a.n.g Ye?”
Yan Jin Qiu turned to glance coldly at him. ”Take this fake mountain away, and plant a bush of roses.”
Plant roses with thorns by a path? Mu Tong looked in puzzlement at Junw.a.n.g Ye. Seeing the other's serious expression, he lowered his head and said, ”This small one will remember.”
Fine, roses. At least that was better than the round bulbs from the eastern countries that had thorns but no leaves.
When Hua Xi Wan returned to the main yard, she took down her palace wear and put on a fiery red silk dress. After she used a blood jade hairpin to put up her hair, she summoned a non-descript second-rank servant girl. ”What did Lu Zhu do yesterday?”
This second-rank servant girl obediently narrated Lu Zhu's conduct for the whole day before falling silent with a bowed head.
”Bai Xia, how long has Lu Zhu served me? Hua Xi Wan used a brush to draw a blooming blood blossom on her brow and threw a seductive glance. ”Time is what wears down people the most. Good could become bad, yet bad can become good.”