Chapter 41 (1/2)
Chapter 41: Qi Chen marrying a Concubine
Nan Xun realized that Jun Huang was still dressed in women's clothes. Clearing his throat, he let go of her and called out for the maid to enter, telling her to help Jun Huang change.
Jun Huang let the maid help her into a purple silk robe. She put her hair up and held it together with a white jade cap. Back to being the handsome gentleman.
The maid watched her with wide eyes. Earlier when she was helping Jun Huang change, her hair was down, and the maid didn't look that closely at her. Now, under the candlelight, Jun Huang looked not unlike a celestial being banished to earth.
Jun Huang turned to face her and let out a laugh. She considered her outfit – it was good enough. She smoothed out the wrinkles before walking out of the door.
Nan Xun was waiting right outside. He turned to look at Jun Huang the moment he heard the door creaking, his heart softening at the sight of her. ”Don't push yourself too hard at Prince Chen Manor,” he gently said. ”Be on your guard. Don't let Qi Chen discover your true ident.i.ty.”
Jun Huang nodded. ”I'll remember what Your Highness said. Please excuse me. I'll now take my leave. You don't need to walk me out.”
Nan Xun stood there watching Jun Huang leave without a word.
The maid saw him when she came out. She covered up her smile with a hand. Didn't expect her iceberg of a prince to act like this. Jun Huang, though, was an extraordinary woman. In the whole Northern Qi, she was probably the only one who actually deserved the prince's affection.
On her way back to Prince Chen Manor, Jun Huang was deep in thoughts. Originally she was only going to thank Nan Xun for his help, then she would avenge her family on her own, but Nan Xun agreed to help her so easily – he didn't even stop to consider the matter.
This time, if not for Nan Xun's help, she would have died already. She suddenly felt afraid. No one in the world could truly be fearless in the face of death.
The imperial city seemed particularly empty today. There was no one on the street. It was most likely because of the banquet of a hundred households. She was alone here.
The tavern that had been filled with people was still open. Some important figure probably reserved the whole place for a celebration, or some gentleman might have found a good spouse at the banquet. It was a perfect night for drinking and celebrating.
The pebbled street extended far beyond her sight. Jun Huang's frame wavered a little, but she couldn't fall down here. She took a deep breath and looked up at the boundless sky. On that day, so many citizens of her country lost their lives. Their blood painted the whole imperial city. All she could see was red.
”h.e.l.lo, which family does this gentleman belong to? Why aren't you home yet?” the old night watchman walked up to her and said, holding a gong in his hand. There was a friendly smile on his face. ”It's chilly at night. The gentleman should take care not to catch a cold.”
”Thank you for your concerns. I'm actually on my way home. Please be careful yourself. It's difficult to see the road at night. Careful not to trip.”
After bidding the old man farewell, Jun Huang picked up her pace and soon reached Prince Chen Manor. The door was shut. Jun Huang had no choice but to knock. A tired voice asked, ”Who is it?”
”This gentleman is Feng Baiyu.”
The page boy in charge of door keeping immediately opened the door, afraid of keeping her waiting. ”Sir Feng, it's good to see you. The prince was just asking after you.”
”Thank you.” Jun Huang entered the manor and went to Qi Chen's place.
The candles inside Qi Chen's room were still lit. She knocked on the door and heard Qi Chen's approaching footsteps. He opened the door with a smile and invited her in.
Jun Huang couldn't say no to him. Qi Chen led her to a divan and poured her a cup of tea. ”Try this, brother Feng. This is what I had people buy from an area where it was freezing cold. I heard tea experts saying that tea grown in the cold was bitter with a sweet aftertaste. I wonder if it is true. Brother Feng knows a lot about tea. So have a taste and tell me how it is.”
Jun Huang didn't know if she wanted to cry or laugh. Who would drink tea so late at night? Qi Chen was probably the only one. But again, she couldn't say no. She picked up the tea cup and took a whiff. The fragrance was strong. Bitter with a hint of sweetness.
Under Qi Chen's close scrutiny, she took a sip and nodded. ”It is a rare premium brand of tea. However, it's better to not drink too much tea at night, or it may harm the lungs and the spleen.”
”My mistake. Brother Feng is right.” Qi Chen slapped the back of his head. ”I'm just too excited and forget myself. I hope brother Feng won't blame me.”
”Of course I won't. I'm the one who should apologize. I was having such a good time today and forgot how late it was. Didn't realize I'd be back so late at night. I have made Your Highness worry.”
Qi Chen smiled and patted her on the shoulder, giving her a knowing wink. ”There's no need for brother Feng to explain. We are both men. I know how it is.”
Jun Huang felt her face flare up. She wasn't talking about that! But of course, she wasn't going to explain. It was better for Qi Chen to think this way. She let out a sigh of relief.
”May I ask who the girl that caught brother Feng's fancy is?”