Chapter 66
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Regardless, Xie Bailu was the protagonist shou’s key helper and had nothing to do with Jiang Juan.
Even if Xie Bailu invented many hydraulic machines and had great achievements in hydraulics, benefiting countless people in the future, it was the protagonist shou and Marquis Anping who had the insight to recognize his talents.
Jiang Juan didn’t take it to heart at all.
Since he said he would see him, it wasn’t long before Xie Bailu was brought in.
“This humble servant greets Your Royal Consort and Your Highness.”
Xie Bailu knelt on the ground, bowing properly. Jiang Juan quickly said, “Please stand up.”
Xie Bailu rose. Despite his coarse clothing, he was neat and clean, giving off a refreshing impression.
Such a capable person working as a stable lad in the Imperial Stables was truly a waste of talent. Jiang Juan recalled that the novel briefly mentioned this.
——Xie Bailu was not good at the eight-legged essays and examination poetry, so he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. Over time, he became disheartened and took over his father’s job as a stable lad at the Imperial Stables.
“This humble servant fell into the water. Thank you, Your Royal Consort, for saving me.”
Xie Bailu spoke sincerely, but Jiang Juan shook his head, embarrassed. “It wasn’t really me who saved you; it was the Imperial Guards.”
“Your Royal Consort is too modest,” Xie Bailu smiled. “If it weren’t for you, this humble servant would have drowned.”
That day, although Xie Bailu was drifting in the water, his consciousness fading, he clearly remembered a young man reaching out to him. Even after the young man accidentally fell into the water and was rescued, his first words were about him.
“There’s still someone in the lake, please save him.”
Though he was down and out, he did not wish to die.
“It wouldn’t have been so.”
If he didn’t know Xie Bailu’s identity, it would have been fine. Now that he knew, Jiang Juan was certain that even without him, someone else would have saved Xie Bailu. However, he couldn’t say this to Xie Bailu, so he just said, “Be more careful in the future.”
“This humble servant understands,” Xie Bailu replied. “Thanks to Your Royal Consort, I survived. I will repay this life-saving grace a hundredfold.”
Jiang Juan: “………….”
“There’s no need to repay me,” Jiang Juan said. “Just take good care of yourself.”
Hearing this, Xie Bailu felt even more grateful and more determined to repay him. “This humble servant will take good care of himself.”
After his words fell, Xie Bailu kowtowed heavily once more.
Having personally expressed his gratitude, he did not dare to disturb the nobles further and took the initiative to leave. However, before he departed, Xie Bailu took out a small wooden box from his sleeve and respectfully presented it to Jiang Juan with both hands. “Your Royal Consort, this humble servant enjoys woodworking in his spare time. I made this last night, please accept it.”
Since it was a heartfelt gift, Jiang Juan accepted it. The box couldn’t be opened and had only one handle. When Jiang Juan gently turned it, a soft sound emanated from it.
“Is this a music box?” Jiang Juan said in surprise.
Xie Bailu didn’t understand but after a moment’s thought, he realized that the box, when turned, would pluck copper strips to make a clear sound. He smiled shyly. “I didn’t name it, but Your Royal Consort’s music box is a good name.”
Jiang Juan turned it a few more times and discovered that it wasn’t quite the same as a modern music box. It could produce sounds but not a complete melody. Nevertheless, it was impressive and could be considered an ancient version of a music box.
He played with it for a while and even shared it with Xue Fangli. Seeing that Xue Fangli showed no disdain for such ingenious crafts, Xie Bailu felt even more grateful.
—This Royal Consort truly has a kind heart. And the Prince, he doesn’t seem as cruel as the rumors say.
Silently, Xie Bailu took his leave. Jiang Juan was still engrossed in the little gadget and didn’t notice when Xie Bailu left or when Jiang Qingliang arrived until Jiang Qingliang called out to him several times.
“Brother Juan! Brother Juan!”
Jiang Juan looked up and saw Jiang Qingliang had arrived. He asked, “What’s up?”
Jiang Qingliang glanced at Xue Fangli and handed over an invitation. “My father invites you both to a banquet at our residence tonight.”
Actually, the Calvary Great General should have come personally, but just as he was about to visit, Emperor Hongxing summoned him. Jiang Qingliang was happy to run the errand himself, so he came to deliver the invitation.
As a salted fish, Jiang Juan found that going out even once required several days of rest. He hadn’t even returned to Prince Li’s residence before he had new engagements. Feeling overworked, Jiang Juan hesitantly said, “Your Highness, General Jiang invites you to a banquet.”
Jiang Juan deliberately omitted his own invitation, hoping to avoid it. Xue Fangli glanced at him, naturally sensing Jiang Juan’s reluctance. “You don’t want to go?”
Jiang Juan nodded. “I’m so tired.”
Hearing this, Jiang Qingliang quickly urged, “Brother Juan, you can’t not go. My father specifically wants to see you.”
Jiang Juan was puzzled. “Ah? Why does he want to see me?”
Jiang Qingliang speculated, “I think he said your grandfather saved his life once. He’s been wanting to meet you but never had the chance.”
Jiang Juan: “?”
The Prince Consort said his grandfather had once saved him, but now it seemed his grandfather had also saved this general?
What kind of person was his grandfather, saving everyone he encountered?
Jiang Juan decided to ask Lan Ting about this when he returned. But since Jiang Qingliang had made it clear, Jiang Juan knew he couldn’t avoid it. Reluctantly, he said, “Alright then.”
With Xue Fangli present, Jiang Qingliang didn’t want to stay longer than necessary. He handed the invitation to Jiang Juan and then took his leave.
Why did he have to work during the day and still have engagements at night?
He really didn’t want to deal with this right now.
Jiang Juan sighed deeply, leaning into Xue Fangli’s arms, feeling utterly disheartened.
He had made up his mind to get a good, long sleep.
Xue Fangli glanced down at him for a moment. Knowing Jiang Juan’s love for sleep, he picked him up and placed him gently on the bed.
His Highness truly understood him. Jiang Juan murmured, “Your Highness, you treat me so well. What will I do if you’re not here one day?”
Xue Fangli chuckled nonchalantly, “If that day ever comes, you will naturally have to remain a widow for me for the rest of your life.”
Remain a widow for the rest of his life.
Jiang Juan was taken aback.
That had been his plan all along.
To outlive His Highness, stay a widow for him, and then live a carefree and lazy life.
But if His Highnessreally passed away, there would be no one to hold him, no one to sleep with him.
Suddenly, Jiang Juan didn’t feel so happy about that idea.
He reluctantly took a nap. When he woke up, he found himself in a carriage.
Jiang Juan sat up in confusion. “Your Highness, why are we on the move?”
Xue Fangli replied, “Father has returned to the palace.”
“Oh,” Jiang Juan muttered. He was given a few sips of water, finally waking up a bit more. He pulled open the curtain to look outside.
“Your Highness, where are we going?”
“Back to the residence.”
Jiang Juan thought for a moment and asked, “Can we not go back to the residence?”
If they returned to the residence, he knew he would just want to stay in bed. The only way to avoid that was to not go back at all. Honestly, he admitted, “…Otherwise, I’ll definitely just lie in bed.”
Xue Fangli glanced at him. Whether they went back or not, it didn’t matter much to him. Since Jiang Juan didn’t want to return, Xue Fangli suggested, “Shall we find a place to sit for a while?”
Jiang Juan didn’t mind. “Sure.”
Xue Fangli nodded, gave a few instructions in a calm voice, and the carriage changed course. Before long, they arrived at a restaurant.
This restaurant, named simply “One Room,” had a casual name but was quite large and luxuriously decorated.
As soon as the carriage stopped, the manager greeted them respectfully and led them to a private room.
Though called a private room, it wasn’t completely enclosed. It faced a railing, allowing a view of the storyteller on the first floor below.
Jiang Juan glanced down, and Xue Fangli immediately gave the manager a look. Screens were promptly set up, blocking Jiang Juan’s view and preventing any prying eyes from outside.
“Your Highness, how are we supposed to listen to the storyteller now?”
Xue Fangli, without looking up, poured himself a cup of wine and asked, “Do you listen with your eyes?”
Jiang Juan: “…”
Damn, that made so much sense.
Jiang Juan was at a loss for words and fell silent. Seeing Xue Fangli drinking, he glanced down at his own drink. Not daring to drink more wine, he poured himself some tea and sipped it slowly.
After some time, the storyteller downstairs began with a loud clap of the wake-up wood.
“Today, we won’t talk about the heroine Hua Mulan. Instead, let’s speak of another beauty.”
The storyteller said, “It is said that in the previous dynasty, there was a beauty whose looks were truly unparalleled. How beautiful was she? Despite being already married and having children, she went to a temple to offer incense and was noticed by the emperor, who brought her into the palace. What bad luck, right?”
This opening left Jiang Juan stunned; it felt oddly familiar.
“The emperor took a liking to her—what could she do? The beauty had no choice but to change her name and enter the palace. She even bore a son for the emperor, and that’s when even worse luck struck.”
The storyteller sighed, “She gave birth to a madman!”
“How mad was he? This son of hers ate nothing but the flesh and blood of the beauty. He also kept a pack of vicious beasts and delighted in throwing people to them, watching as they were torn apart alive. The more gruesome the scene, the happier he became. But that was not all. When he truly went mad, it was a bloodbath, and it was said he was a demon from hell itself.”
Gasps filled the restaurant. The storyteller paused before continuing, “Now, back to the beauty. She was already married before being taken, and what man with any pride could endure such a thing?”
“The beauty’s husband could not,” the storyteller shook his head. “He sent word to the beauty, planning to take her away.”
“The beauty, who had been unwilling to enter the palace and missed her husband dearly, was overjoyed upon receiving the message and agreed to the plan. But as fate would have it, her mad son saw the letter.”
“The beauty begged her son to keep the secret, and he agreed. But when the day came…”
The storyteller sighed deeply, “She waited from dawn till dusk, but her husband never appeared.”
“Guess what happened?”
With a sharp snap of the storyteller’s wood, he continued, “It was none other than her mad son who—”
“Stop.”
The storyteller was in the middle of his tale when a voice interrupted from above. It sounded like a young man. Amidst the clamor of the restaurant, his voice was somewhat muffled.
The storyteller looked up but was unable to see through the screen blocking his view. He thought little of it, given the number of dignitaries who frequented the place. Amused, he asked, “Young Master, why should I stop my story?”
Jiang Juan hesitated, “I don’t like this story. Tell another one.”
Xue Fangli had just finished instructing the guards and glanced at Jiang Juan thoughtfully.
The storyteller was taken aback, finding the situation both funny and perplexing. “Young Master, you may not like it, but many others do.”
Jiang Juan, still unreasonable, said, “People may like it, but I don’t. Change the story, or else…”
At first, Jiang Juan thought the story merely sounded familiar—a beauty married yet taken by the emperor, forced to change her name and enter the palace. But as the storyteller went on, the details increasingly matched, making it clear this was more than a coincidence.
The beauty in the story was surely meant to be Beauty Yu, and the madman was obvious.
Jiang Juan worriedly glanced at Xue Fangli. The man sipped his wine elegantly, and when he looked back, he even gave a leisurely smile. But Jiang Juan could tell that the prince was unhappy.
His Highness had not mentioned Beauty Yu for some time, and Jiang Juan did not want him to be dragged back into those painful memories. After some thought, Jiang Juan decided to lay down the law with the storyteller.
“You either change the story, or you can leave.”
Xue Fangli raised an eyebrow, slowly turning his gaze toward Jiang Juan.
Jiang Juan met his eyes, looking quite innocent.
Jiang Juan had simply asked the storyteller to leave, just as he had driven His Highness out when he angered him. He had no intention of doing anything more to the storyteller, but to others, it sounded quite different.
—Such an arrogant young man. His “leave” likely meant that the storyteller would no longer be allowed to perform in the teahouse, taking away his livelihood.
The storyteller was shocked by this demand, but before he could respond, another voice spoke from the crowd: “Young Master, the storyteller is just doing his job, telling stories. What fault does he have? If you don’t like the story, you can leave. Why stop him from telling it?”
Marquis Anping reproached, “Under the emperor’s rule, such arrogance and unreasonableness are unacceptable!”
The crowd, filled with dignitaries, turned their attention to Marquis Anping, giving him approving looks, which he acknowledged with a composed expression, staring at the screened-off private room.
He had always known how to win people over.
Jiang Juan: “………”
Marquis Anping?
He recognized the marquis’s voice, though it seemed the marquis hadn’t recognized him.
What a coincidence!
Despite his desperation, Jiang Juan glanced at Xue Fangli, whose displeasure was evident. Concern outweighed his dismay, and Jiang Juan responded, “What business is it of yours whether I’m reasonable or not?”
Marquis Anping frowned, “You—!”
“Do you know the emperor despises those who abuse their power?” Marquis Anping continued, “You must come from a wealthy or noble family, given that you frequent this establishment. Yet you seem to have discarded all sense of propriety and decency. Have you fed all the virtues you’ve learned to the dogs?”
Jiang Juan replied nonchalantly, “I grew up in the countryside and never went to school.”
To see someone so unabashedly declare their ignorance was shocking. Marquis Anping’s disgust deepened. “You—!”
“I haven’t studied morality either,” Jiang Juan added, “I am indeed arrogant and unreasonable. Say one more word, and you can leave too.”
Though the youth’s voice was faint amidst the noise, the marquis found it oddly familiar. However, he dismissed the thought.
This youth, who boasted of his ignorance, likely came from no significant family. Marquis Anping sneered, “How audacious! I am Marquis Anping. If anyone should leave, it’s you!”
“Guards—throw him out!”
Jiang Juan: “???”
He couldn’t believe it. Marquis Anping actually wanted to throw him out. Surely, he was of higher status than the marquis!
Jiang Juan was about to protest when Xue Fangli chuckled softly. Finally stepping in, he ordered the screens to be removed and spoke lazily.
“Marquis, you certainly know how to assert your authority.”
Xue Fangli continued, “Do you know, in my residence, even if my Royal Consort tells me to leave, I must obey?”
“Yet you dare to not only refuse but also threaten to throw him out.”
With that, the screens were completely removed. Xue Fangli lifted his gaze, coldly sweeping the room, causing gasps of astonishment.
It was Prince Li!
Author’s Note:
Salted Fish Juan laying down the law: Leave!
His Highness’s DNA twitching, almost making him want to leave (just kidding).
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Obrigada pelos capítulos!🥰