Chapter 44 (1/2)
This chapter has been brought to you by me, Adnana, and Vivie.
府 fu: compound or estate; w.a.n.g fu: prince's estate/compound
王 w.a.n.g: short for qinw.a.n.g or first-rank prince; also called w.a.n.g ye, i.e. ”His [Your] Royal Highness”
郡王 junw.a.n.g: second-rank prince; also referred to as junw.a.n.g ye, i.e. ”His [Your] Royal Highness”
Chapter Forty-Four: Accident
”Clang, clang, clang.”
Sitting inside the carriage, Hua Xi Wan heard the faint sound marking the time. She raised a corner of the window curtain and found that a thin layer of mist had risen outside. Her brow creased—why would there be mist with the present weather?
When she had been in the palace, she had seen the moon hanging in the sky. That had been just an hour ago. The weather had changed so quickly?
She looked closely and found that it was not mist, but thin drizzles of rain. Because the streets were slightly dim, it appeared as though it was mist.
”It is raining?” Yan Jin Qiu sitting beside her also raised the curtain to take a look. His voice carried slight regret. ”We will not be able to admire the moon then.”
Hua Xi Wan put down the curtain and smiled at him. ”We can admire the moon at any time—why do we have to stick to one specific day?”
”Is Xi Wan always so easy-going?” Yan Jin Qiu looked at her, his eyes filled with a seriousness that Hua Xi Wan could not understand. ”Not caring about anything, able to accept any matter?”
”Those with open minds live happier. Life is hard and short—why struggle with oneself?” Hua Xi Wan's smile did not change as she turned to look at the jade gourd hanging on the carriage. ”Those who want more, if they cannot get it, wouldn't they feel disappointed?”
”But if they encounter something they like and do not fight to get it, how would they know that it does not belong to them?” Yan Jin Qiu watched as the rain grew heavier. ”At least by trying, one will not regret.”
”Who says that after trying, one would not regret?” Hua Xi Wan gripped the jade gourd. ”There are many people who regret their obsession.”
”But there are also those who regret not having tried.” Hua Xi Wan put down the curtain and smiled.
”It depends on their perspective.” Hua Xi Wan smiled disdainfully. ”Also, those who regret are those who have failed. If one is living happily, when would they have the time to think about the things they did not get?”
Yan Jin Qiu was silent for a moment and then smiled neutrally.
A sharp scream came from deep within the street and seemed exceptionally shocking on this silent street. If it wasn't that Xian w.a.n.g Fu's procession had enough young guardsmen, some of the servant girls would have fallen in fright.
Hua Xi Wan's brow creased. This was not something like a television drama from her previous life when males and females could roam around the streets at night. Here, there was a nightly curfew. If people without permission were walking on the street, they would be sent to jail as robbers or traitors to the crown.
Now a scream that came so suddenly, was it a coincidence or something else?
This scream clearly did not affect the advancement of Xian w.a.n.g Fu's procession. The group still moved forward at normal speed. Just as the carriage was about to turn, an even greater scream came from the street. This time, it was even scarier than before, and caused people to feel cold from their bones.
Just at this time, a burst of footsteps came from nearby along with the sounds of armor and weaponry clanging together. A while later, Hua Xi Wan heard a voice that was slightly familiar.
”Junior official of the Guard Office, Zhang Hou, greets Your Highness Xian w.a.n.g.”
Zhang Hou looked at the carriage that had stopped and released a breath inside. Then he saw the curtain in the front being raised a third of the way and just showing Xian w.a.n.g's figure. He blinked his eyes and accidentally saw a corner of a red robe appear beside Xian w.a.n.g.
”Junior Official Zhang, is there a matter?” There was a thread of a smile at Yan Jin Qiu's lips as he examined this young Guard Official. Those who managed to get to such a position would not be simple people. Otherwise, it would not be him sitting in the position of Guard Office Young Official.
”w.a.n.g Ye, this small one heard the scream of a female nearby and therefore came with people to patrol.” Zhang Hou's face was covered with a layer of mist, and it was uncomfortably sticky. However, he did not dare to wipe his face in front of Yan Jin Qiu. ”This one had not expected to collide with w.a.n.g Ye's carriage.”
”Junior Official Zhang is too serious. You are thinking of the safety of our Jing. But it really is strange for a woman to scream in the night.” Yan Jin Qiu's lips curled. ”Junior Official Zhang, please pay more attention.”
”w.a.n.g Ye, many thanks for the reminder.” When Zhao Hou raised his head, the carriage curtain had been put down. After he bowed to the carriage, he left with his subordinates and started to search the side streets one by one.
”Zhang Hou is a young person, but he has his own ways of doing things. His position does not look high in rank, but many things in Jing are connected to him. Most people in Jing would give him some face.” Yan Jin Qiu said to Hua Xi Wan, ”I heard that when your horse was alarmed that time, it was him who came with people to control that?”
Hua Xi Wan nodded and said, ”This Junior Official Zhang is skilled.”
Before the carriage reached the gates of Xian w.a.n.g Fu, they heard people come to report that Junior Official Zhang had found the person who had screamed. However, the victim was covered with wounds, unconscious, and had been sent to a doctor to be treated.