Chapter 141 – Little Highness
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
The room fell silent for a moment, and Liu Buwang’s voice interrupted He Yan’s memories.
“What about you,” he asked, “Ah He, how did you end up like this? Is it a disguise? Young Master Qiao is probably not your husband right.”
This was a long story. He Yan smiled and said, “Master, I’m no longer called He Rufei, I’m called He Yan. That person… is my superior, and we came to Jiyang to find someone, so we pretended to be husband and wife. As for disguise, I didn’t disguise myself; I look like this now. The way I used to look, I can’t go back to it.”
Liu Buwang thought for a moment and then nodded, saying, “I understand.”
He was always like that, very considerate of others’ affairs. If someone didn’t want to talk about something, he wouldn’t push them to share. Some might find this cold, but for He Yan at the moment, not being pressed for answers was a relief.
After a while, Cui Jiao knocked on the door of the inner room and came out, holding the little girl from earlier.
The little girl had apparently recovered from the effects of the drugs and had regained some strength. Her face was clean, and she looked to be around ten years old, with a beautiful and lively appearance. Her eyes were as captivating as black jade, and she had a charming and dignified presence. Hong Qiao had braided her hair into a long braid, adorned with small bells. She was dressed in a red riding outfit, borrowed from the Cui family’s steward. As she walked, the bells jingled, making her look cute and spirited, with a touch of elegance that set her apart from ordinary girls.
Liu Buwang gazed at her, somewhat entranced.
He Yan smiled and asked, “Has she eaten yet?”
Cui Jiao looked uncomfortable and replied, “Madam, the young lady doesn’t want to eat.”
He Yan then asked, “Why don’t you want to eat? Aren’t you hungry?”
The little girl turned her head to the side, ignoring her words, and appeared a bit proud.
“Perhaps it’s because she are something wrong earlier and doesn’t want to trust anyone again,” Liu Buwang lightly chuckled and looked at the young girl. “Young lady, since we’ve already rescued you from the bandits, we won’t harm you. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have brought you back to our residence. You can rest assured. If you don’t believe us, we can eat together. That way, you won’t go hungry, and you won’t have to worry about any issues.”
Liu Buwang always carried a sense of gentle detachment, and his elegant demeanor made it easy for people to feel positively disposed towards him, including this young girl. After staring into his eyes for a while, she said, “Okay.”
Her attitude had softened.
He Yan breathed a sigh of relief and instructed Cui Jiao to prepare some easily digestible food that children like to eat. Cui Jiao complied, and Liu Buwang asked, “What’s your name?”
“Xiao Lou.” The young girl was less arrogant in front of Liu Buwang and a bit more obedient.
“That’s a nice name,” Liu Buwang smiled. “Whose child are you, and how did you end up being kidnapped?”
As soon as this was mentioned, Xiao Lou closed her mouth and refused to speak any further.
He Yan and Liu Buwang exchanged glances. This child seemed to have a strong sense of caution, and they wondered what she had experienced before.
While they were contemplating, Xiao Lou’s gaze fell on the long zither on the table. She looked at it for a while and asked Liu Buwang, “Is this your zither?”
She had a good eye, He Yan thought. She could tell at a glance that this kind of romantic and delicate instrument was not suitable for her.
“Yes.”
“Do you know how to play the zither?”
Liu Buwang answered, “I do.”
“Play a tune for me,” Xiao Lou requested.
This child, how can she be so commanding? He Yan didn’t express her opinion, but in reality, Liu Buwang rarely played the zither even though he carried one with him. When He Yan was his disciple, she had asked him to play before, but Liu Buwang had always declined.
However, this time, Liu Buwang’s response took He Yan by surprise. He simply looked gently at Xiao Lou and smiled, saying, “Alright.”
He Yan: “…Master?”
Whose master was this, exactly?
“What would you like to hear?” he even asked Xiao Lou very tenderly.
Xiao Lou played with her braids and shook her head, saying, “I don’t know. Play whatever you’re best at.”
He lowered his head and asked Xiao Lou sincerely, “Can I play ‘Slow Shaoguang’?”
“I’ve never heard it,” Xiao Lou nodded. “You can go ahead and play!”
He Yan was left speechless.
Liu Buwang was more obedient to Xiao Lou than to his own disciple. If it weren’t for the age difference, He Yan would have almost suspected that Xiao Lou was Liu Buwang’s long-lost daughter.
The young girl sat on the raised platform with her feet swinging. Liu Buwang placed the ancient zither on the table and sat down at the table. After wiping his hands, he plucked the strings of the zither.
He Yan rarely heard Liu Buwang play the zither, and the few times she had heard it were usually in the middle of the night. She had thought it was a ghost playing and had been terrified. But when she mustered the courage to investigate, she found it was Liu Buwang.
When she was younger, He Yan didn’t understand why Liu Buwang played the zither in the courtyard in the middle of the night, but she felt that the music conveyed a deep sense of sorrow. As she grew older and experienced more, she gradually understood that her master also had a story to tell. In Liu Buwang’s past, there might have been someone who left a deep mark in his life, someone he could only remember in the still of the night, through his music.
Now, after so many years of not seeing that person, the sadness and loss in Liu Buwang’s music had become even more profound.
West of the city, the willows sway gently in spring, but they only stir up my worries, and my tears are hard to restrain. I still remember the passion we once shared, when I was bound to your boat. But the azure fields and vermilion bridges were events of the past, and now, people are gone, leaving only flowing water.
Youthful years should not be filled with tears. Regrets linger, and when will they ever end? When the flying willow catkins and falling blossoms come, as I ascend the tower, it seems that the spring river is all tears, endlessly flowing with countless sorrows.
Xiao Lou was still young and didn’t perceive the sadness in the music. She found the melody pleasant and cheerful. He Yan, on the other hand, felt that Liu Buwang’s zither music was a farewell, a sign of something about to leave his life, mixed with reluctance and loss, never to return.
Lin Shuanghe and Xiao Jue had entered the room at some point. Lin Shuanghe walked over to He Yan and whispered, “Little sister, your master is really skilled at playing the zither, almost on par with Huaijin. It’s just that it’s a bit too sad.”
Even Lin Shuanghe could hear it, He Yan sighed softly. Even though she had been Liu Buwang’s disciple for many years, she felt like she had never truly entered his heart. She didn’t know what kind of person Liu Buwang was, what he had experienced in the past, and he never mentioned it.
He seemed like someone who had abandoned his past and wasn’t too concerned about the future, as if he could leave at any time, leaving no trace behind.
After finishing the song “Slow Shaoguang,” with its lingering echoes, Xiao Lou looked at him and suddenly clapped her hands, saying, “I’ve heard my grandmother play this piece before, but she didn’t play it as well as you. You’re really good at it. What’s your name?”
Liu Buwang patted her head and replied, “You can call me Yunlin Hermit.”
“That name is too long,” Xiao Lou didn’t quite like his answer. “Aren’t you surnamed Liu?”
Lin Shuanghe found Xiao Lou’s words very reasonable and said, “The music is indeed excellent, and it can be well-known even in Shuojing. But… ” He looked at He Yan, puzzled, and asked, “Little Sister He, forgive me for saying this, but your master’s musical skills are unparalleled, and your ‘husband’ is exceptionally elegant. How did your own musical performance end up like this? Hasn’t your master taught you to play the instrument?”
He Yan remained expressionless and replied, “My master only taught me martial arts. As for my ‘husband’…”
Xiao Jue stood by her side, raised an eyebrow, and waited for her to continue.
He Yan cleared her throat and said, “Playing for me is enough. Why should I bother to learn all this?”
Lin Shuanghe: “….”
He nodded after a pause, “That’s an irrefutable reason.”
Cui Jiao brought the food to the table. He Yan and Xiao Jue had already eaten, so it was only Liu Buwang and Xiao Lou sitting together to eat. Xiao Lou didn’t seem to like eating with others, showing discomfort several times. Most likely, it was to ensure her food wasn’t poisoned that she allowed Liu Buwang to eat with her. Liu Buwang also understood the little girl’s thoughts and only used chopsticks to pick a little bit of food, then stopped eating.
Xiao Lou was very picky, but she did eat some food in the end.
He Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said to Xiao Jue, “Now we just need to wait for Lord Cui to return home and ask whose child she is and return her.”
As if on cue, they heard the voice of Zhong Fu from outside, “My Lord, Young Master Qiao and Miss Yuyan have already returned to the mansion earlier, and they’ve brought back two guests. They are currently having a meal inside. Lord Qiao seems to have something to discuss with you, My Lord.”
Then came the rough voice of Cui Yuezhi from behind the door, “Understood.”
The door curtain was lifted, and Cui Yuezhi’s voice came from behind the door, “Huanqing, Yuyan, you’re back? Do you need me urgently? This morning, the Princess has summoned me. I can’t stay in the mansion for long, I’ll have to leave later…”
His voice stopped abruptly when he saw Xiao Lou’s face and he was left speechless for a moment. His voice sounded surprised, “Little Highness… How did you end up here?”
Xiao Lou, the arrogant little girl who He Yan had brought back, put down her chopsticks and looked at Cui Yuezhi, lifting her chin proudly, “Cui Zhongqi, you’ve finally come.”
Little Highness?
Everyone in the room was taken aback.
Cui Yuezhi took a step forward and half-kneeled in front of Xiao Lou, his tone filled with urgency, “The Princess summoned me to the mansion early this morning and said that the Little Highness had disappeared last night. She was extremely worried. How did the Little Highness end up here?” He turned to He Yan, “Yuyan… what’s going on?”
He Yan also wanted to know what was going on. She had already guessed that the girl’s identity wasn’t ordinary, but she never expected her to be the “Little Highness.”
“Yesterday, Yuyan and I fell asleep on the Firefly Boat and planned to hire a carriage near the post station this morning to return to the mansion. We encountered a group of people near the canal who kidnapped the Little Highness. We rescued her from the kidnappers, and one of them died, while the others escaped. When Yuyan and I brought the Little Highness back, we didn’t know her identity,” Xiao Jue answered on behalf of He Yan. “We didn’t know anything about her.”
Hearing this, Cui Yuezhi was shocked and asked Xiao Lou, “You were kidnapped? Do you know who those people were?”
Xiao Lou, however, seemed unwilling to discuss the matter further and responded impatiently, “How would I know? I encountered them near the canal as soon as I left the Royal Mansion. They didn’t seem like bad people at first, but who knew…” She spoke with bitterness, “They hid their bad intent and they are deserving of death!”
Cui Yuezhi asked again, “Is the Little Highness hurt?”
“No,” Xiao Lou grumbled and looked at Liu Buwang, pointing at him, “I almost died but because of him, this… Yunlin Hermit saved me.”
Cui Yuezhi finally noticed the stranger in the room and felt a sense of gratitude toward him. He respectfully performed a deep bow and said, “Many thanks to this esteemed expert for saving our Little Highness. May I inquire about your illustrious name?”
“This is my martial arts master,” Xiao Jue replied calmly. “He’s the one who taught me martial arts back in the day. We haven’t seen each other for many years, and it was an unexpected encounter in Jiyang. Uncle can call him ‘Yunlin.'”
“I see, Mr. Yunlin,” Cui Yuezhi said with surprise, developing a favorable impression of him. “Afterward, I need to go to the Royal Mansion to take the Little Highness back. Mr. Yunlin, would you like to accompany me? If the Princess learns of your life-saving act for the Little Highness, she will surely want to express her gratitude.”
Liu Buwang smiled and responded to Cui Yuezhi, “Yunlin has long been a recluse from the world. The Lord’s kindness is appreciated, and Yunlin understands. As for entering the mansion to receive any reward, it’s not necessary. When I helped rescue her, I didn’t know that she was the Little Highness.”
People with such abilities tend to have some prideful temperament, and Cui Yuezhi could understand that. Moreover, Yunlin was Qiao Huanqing’s master, so they would have plenty of opportunities to build a good relationship in the future. There was no need to rush things now. The most urgent matter was to send Mu Xiaolou back to the Royal Mansion; Mu Hongjin must be frantic by now.
Cui Yuezhi then said to Liu Buwang, “In that case, I won’t force you, sir.”
Liu Buwang nodded in acknowledgment.
“Little Highness, do you still want to eat?” Cui Yuezhi looked at Mu Xiaolou and said, “If you’re done, you can accompany me back to the mansion. Her Highness will be very pleased to see you safe and sound.”
Mu Xiaolou jumped down from her seat and said, “I understand. Please arrange for a soft sedan chair.” As she was about to leave with Cui Yuezhi, she stopped in front of Liu Buwang, looking somewhat unwilling, and asked, “Are you really not coming back to the mansion with me? My grandmother will reward you with lots of gold. You can have anything you want.”
Liu Buwang bent down, gently ruffled her hair, and said, “As long as you’re safe, it’s enough.”
Cui Yuezhi was somewhat surprised to witness this. Mu Xiaolou had been spoiled by Mu Hongjin from a young age and was often critical of others. But for some reason, she felt quite close to Liu Buwang. They were both martial artists, and Cui Yuezhi could sense that Liu Buwang was highly skilled. If this person could stay in the Royal Mansion, accompanying the Little Highness and ensuring her safety, it would be an ideal situation.
However, these matters would have to be discussed with Mu Hongjin. Cui Yuezhi turned his attention to He Yan and Xiao Jue, saying, “Yuyan, Huanqing, please get ready. Come with me to the Royal Mansion immediately. You saved the Little Highness, and the Princess will surely have many questions for you. Sooner or later, you’ll have to visit the Royal Mansion, so why not today?”
He Yan and Xiao Jue exchanged glances, and He Yan said, “Understood, Uncle.”
Cui Yuezhi, accompanied by Mu Xiaolou, left. He Yan turned to Liu Buwang and said, “Master, please stay in the mansion for now. If you have any business, we can discuss it when we return.” She was worried that Liu Buwang might leave without notice after they returned to the mansion. She then instructed Lin Shuanghe, “Brother Lin, please take care of my master. Don’t let him act alone.”
Liu Buwang looked at her and smiled helplessly.
Lin Shuanghe immediately understood He Yan’s intention. He assured her, “No problem. I’ll make sure your master is still the same when you return, not a hair out of place.”
With that assurance, He Yan finally felt at ease. After she had her hair redone and changed into clean clothes, she, along with Xiao Jue, headed out the Cui Mansion. Along the way, He Yan asked Xiao Jue in a low voice, “Commander, why did you say that my master is your martial arts master? And you referred to him as ‘Yunlin Hermit’ instead of ‘Liu Buwang’.”
Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow and said, “Your master seems very unwilling to reveal his identity. If I call him my master, at least it will reduce suspicion.”
He Yan agreed with this and was just thinking about it when she heard Xiao Jue continue, “But your master has a complicated background. It seems he’s acquainted with the Princess.”
He Yan was taken aback, “How is that possible?”
Xiao Jue calmly said, “The way he looked at Mu Xiaolou was as if he was seeing someone else through her. If I’m not mistaken, that must be the Princess. You, as his disciple, don’t seem to know much.”
“He never told me anything!” He Yan couldn’t hide her shock. The revelation that Liu Buwang and Mu Hongjin were acquaintances was the most astonishing news she had heard today. However, He Yan also had a faint feeling that what Xiao Jue said might be true. Liu Buwang’s tenderness and fondness for Mu Xiaolou, the sadness in his music, and his refusal to go to the Royal Mansion with Cui Yuezhi all hinted at some connection between Liu Buwang and the Mu family.
But what kind of connection was it?
This question remained unanswered as Cui Yuezhi urged them to set out for the Royal Mansion.
Mu Xiaolou rode in a sedan chair, while He Yan and the others traveled in a carriage. Cui Yuezhi personally escorted them, and his guards were all dressed in armor and carried swords, likely due to the recent incident where Mu Xiaolou was kidnapped, which had cast doubt on the safety of Jiyang City.
The Royal Mansion was located in the center of Jiyang City, to the north. It occupied a vast area, and as soon as they arrived at the mansion’s gates, soldiers approached to question them. Cui Yuezhi led them inside the Royal Mansion, first taking Mu Xiaolou, and then telling He Yan and Xiao Jue to wait in the outer hall, where they would be called in later.
Sitting in the outer hall with nothing to do, He Yan asked Xiao Jue, “Commander, do you know Princess Mengji?”
Xiao Jue replied lazily, “Not very well. I only know that Mengji Wang had one son and daughter back then. The elder son died before he turned eighteen, and Mengji Wang’s position was not very stable at that time.”
A shaky position meant the need to form alliances to consolidate power. Despite the benevolent rule of the emperor, there were always those who couldn’t stand the power held by the regional princes and would have preferred to see all the regional princes of Great Wei disappear.
In the end, the daughter of Mengji Wang married the son of a prominent official in the imperial court. Her husband was a courtier, which allowed constant surveillance over Jiyang to ensure loyalty to the empire. This arrangement was what allowed Mengji Wang to maintain his regional prince status.
However, the official’s son, who was Princess Mengji’s husband, fell ill and died shortly after the birth of their son. The son inherited his father’s congenital condition and left this world when his daughter was at a young age. As a result, the current Royal Mansion only consisted of Princess Mengji, Mu Hongjin, and her granddaughter, Mu Xiaolou.
Originally, He Yan had no particular curiosity about Mu Hongjin. However, just now, after hearing what Xiao Jue mentioned, she realized that this person might have been acquainted with Liu Buwang in the past, and she felt some anticipation, wanting to know who appeared in Liu Buwang’s past. Liu Buwang treated Mu Xiaolou so well, and when a man treats a young girl well, it is likely due to a gentle nature or a connection to the girl’s family.
After a short while, the two of them sat down, and a maidservant wearing a head full of braids approached them with a smile and said, “Please follow me; Her Highness wishes to see you.”
He Yan and Xiao Jue stood up and followed the maidservant inside.
Upon entering the royal residence, they were surprised to find that the interior was even larger and more spacious than it appeared from outside, with a grand and imposing atmosphere. The predominant color was vermilion, and the railings and columns in the mansion were adorned with myths and legends related to water gods. In the backyard of the royal residence, there was even a bronze statue depicting a bare-chested goddess riding a giant fish in the sea.
The weather was hot in Jiyang, far from the bitter cold of Liangzhou. It was still spring, and when the sun rose in the morning, it brought some heat. However, the courtyards had copper basins filled with ice in each corner, making it pleasantly cool. As for the flowers and plants, they gave off a lively and vibrant atmosphere, much like the city of Jiyang itself.
Walking through the courtyards and corridors, the maidservant stopped in front of the royal hall and said with a smile, “Please enter you two.”
He Yan and Xiao Jue stepped inside, and they were struck by the spaciousness and grandeur of the hall.
The main hall was wide, with round columns at the corners featuring carvings of water deities, and the ceiling was painted with auspicious cloud patterns. The floor was covered with thin, translucent mats decorated with gold accents, shimmering in the light. For a moment, He Yan felt like she was in a dragon palace, and it exuded a mysterious and untamed beauty.
There were main seats and side seats in the hall, but at this moment, no one was seated there. Was the princess not present?
While He Yan was still puzzled, they heard footsteps from behind the hall, and then someone walked out from beside the high seat.
It was a very beautiful woman.
She was tall and slender, and though she was somewhat older, she showed no signs of aging. She wore a red robe with gold-threaded wave patterns at the hem, and her long, lustrous hair was styled in a single braid coiled on top of her head. Her skin was extremely fair, her eyes deep and black, with a hint of red at the corners, and her features were striking and profound. However, her demeanor was somewhat aloof, and even though there was a hint of a smile on her lips, it was a distant and haughty smile, as if standing on a cliff, radiating a brilliant yet cold frost flower that could only be admired from afar.
It was rare to see a woman exude such a commanding presence. She was already very beautiful, but her pride made her beauty seem like a burden.
Mu Hongjin slowly walked out and took her seat on the high platform in the middle, looking down at He Yan and Xiao Jue from above.
He Yan tugged at Xiao Jue’s sleeve and lowered his head, saying respectfully, “Yuyan pays respects to Your Highness.”
For a while, there was no response.
Just when He Yan thought that Mu Hongjin was going to remain silent, she spoke. Her voice was as cold as her demeanor, alluring and uninhibited, and it touched the hearts of those who heard it.
“Ben Dian didn’t know that the Right Military Commander had the leisure to come to Jiyang, even going so far as to impersonate someone else. What brings you to my Jiyang?”
Want to show your support? Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! Want to get early access to at least 5 chapters in advance? Go to my Patreon to join now! :)
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
