Chapter 53 (2/2)
Ning Xuemo’s acupuncture points had been hit; therefore, she could not move. Fortunately, she could still speak, and she casually asked, “What about His Highness, the Crown Prince?”
“His Highness has left the residence and should be back tomorrow at dawn.”
‘This crown prince would rather sleep outside of his own residence than in one of his guest rooms? What a weirdo!’
What Ning Xuemo did not know was that this crown prince had a bad habit of being picky of where he slept. It always had to be in the same place or else he would not be able to sleep.
……
The Fifth Prince’s residence…
The Fifth Prince, Ji Yunxiao was a person who had a regular schedule, whether it was for work or rest. Every day, he would go to bed at the Hai hour[3], but tonight, he was unable to sleep as usual.
His Third Brother, the Crown Prince, had come over for a surprise visit and had insisted on playing a few rounds of chess, disturbing his sleep routine.
Amongst the many princes, Ji Yunxiao’s skill at chess was on par with the Crown Prince’s. Hence, they had developed the habit of playing at a customized pavilion that was constructed into an octogonal shape, meant to be used for playing chess. They often played there until both were greatly satisfied.
Although Ji Yunxiao seemed like a rather idle prince, he had numerous eyes and ears throughout the country, allowing him to receive news rather quickly.
Tonight, Ji Yunhuang appeared quite distracted, often making wrong moves unlike his usual self.
Ji Yunxiao teased him, “Third Brother, today little brother received a fresh piece of news. I heard that you gave Old Sixth quite a blow at the teahouse, even bringing his fiance back to your house. Did you really do such a thing?”
[1] Literally means rivers and lakes. Refers to the world of wandering people: Warriors, musicians, travelling merchants etc.
[2] The yellow river refers to the river that all souls have to cross when they die. Hence she is saying that even if she dies, the stain on her reputation would still be there.
[3] Around 9pm-11pm. When it says hour here, it means the Chinese hour of a double hour.