Ch34 - Persian Silk Tree

“You’re hurt this badly and still say it’s fine!” Jing Shao’s brow furrowed tightly and he reached out to pinch that white cloth. He wanted to see his brother’s wound but was also afraid of hurting him. His fingertips stopped three inches away from the cloth, not daring to go closer. 

Jing Chen had never seen his younger brother so cautious and solemn before. His always serious expression couldn’t help but crack. The reprimand he had been about to give died on his lips. He somewhat shakily stretched out his hand and rubbed Jing Shao’s head. “It really isn’t serious. It’s just that the wound is long and not easy to wrap; that’s why such a large area is wrapped up.”

Jing Shao was stunned. From memory, his elder brother had never acted so intimately toward him. When he was young, jumping up and down, snatching bird nests and fishing up koi, his elder brother was already in the study reading books with a stiff face, and most of what he said to Jing Shao was “What troubles will there be next?” When his Empress Mother died, he cried bitterly. His elder brother just knelt in front of the coffin and didn’t cry or speak. When he pulled on his elder brother’s sleeve, he only got the sentence: “So immature, only know how to cry.” As a result, Jing Shao had thought that he wasn’t close to his brother all his life.

Up until he was in prison, when his elder brother visited him. Jing Shao still remembered his brother’s calm and powerful voice, clear as day: “You are my only brother. I won’t let you die, even if I have to sacrifice everything I have!”

Scenes of the past flashed through his mind. Jing Shao felt his nose sting. If he hadn’t been able to live again, he would never have known how much his brother had done for him; it was just that it was all done in places he didn’t know of. Rubbing one finger under his nose, Jing Shao took out a small green jade bottle from his chest and stuffed it into Jing Chen’s hand. “The carriage ride is bumpy. Go back and have sister-in-law help you apply this.” 

Jing Chen looked at the small bottle in his hand. His father had bestowed this light green bottle on Jing Shao before the latter had set off on his expedition. Jing Chen frowned and said, “This is a life-saving medicine. I only have a superficial injury, take it back.” With that, he tried to stuff it back into Jing Shao’s hand, but the latter quickly retreated to the carriage door.

“I still have some at home, you take this bottle. If you don’t think it’s worth using now, then just keep it on you. It’ll make me feel a little more at ease,” Jing Shao said as he raised the curtain and prepared to go out. “I came out to pick you up, and I went around the capital. No one knows about this. As for Imperial Father, that old man’s heart is like a mirror; it’s useless to try and hide it from him.”

Jing Chen grasped the jade bottle in his hand and watched the tall and straight figure of his younger brother mount his horse, shake the reins gently, and disappear. His lips curved slowly. His Xiao Shao-er was really getting more and more thoughtful.

Even if it was his mother’s house, it wasn’t appropriate for the Wang Fei to stay for dinner. Thus, when Jing Shao went back to his palace, Mu Hanzhang had returned. The table was full of dishes, and his Wang Fei, dressed in soft and casual silk clothes, sat at the table waiting for him to have dinner. It was really nice to have someone waiting for you to come home. Jing Shao couldn’t help but go over and place a kiss on that handsome face.

The surrounding maids who saw this lowered their heads one by one.

Mu Hanzhang’s handsome face instantly turned completely red as there were servants all around. This man indeed did not know how to restrain himself. He couldn’t help but glare at Jing Shao. “Go and change your clothes, your mouth is full of dirt!” He felt that the words weren’t proper as soon as he said them; they sounded more like he was flirting, and he couldn’t help but feel annoyed inwardly.

Jing Shao pressed his fist to his lips to muffle his laugh, and he turned to go to the washroom to wash his face and change his clothes.

At the end of May, the weather was starting to turn hot. Jing Shao changed his clothes, took the cup which Miao Xi handed him, and “gulugulu” drank until the cup was empty. 

Mu Hanzhang ladled out a bowl of mung bean soup for him and waved his hand for the maids to withdraw. “Did you see Elder Brother?”

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Mu Hanzhang looked at the food in his bowl. When he saw Jing Shao’s expectant face, he didn’t say anything. He picked up the bowl and ate the food. Anyway, ever since their marriage, Wang Ye had served him a lot, and he would feel happy in his heart every time. This man did act as if Mu Hanzhang were a woman, ordering him about but actually respecting and cherishing him. He truly couldn’t imagine how sad his life would be if Jing Shao were like other husbands.

Adhering to the courtesy of not speaking during meals, Mu Hanzhang no longer said anything, and instead concentrated on eating. Jing Shao had only eaten two pieces of stewed beef at lunch. Now he was really hungry. He picked up his bowl and also began to eat quickly.

Mu Hanzhang was somewhat surprised to see him so ravenous. When Jing Shao picked up his third bowl of rice, Mu Hanzhang was afraid that he would overeat, and could only reach out to stop him. Seeing Jing Shao show him a face of still wanting to eat more, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and said, “You’re eating too fast; you don’t know when your hunger will be satisfied. If you eat too much at night, you’ll get indigestion.”

They were both men and all the rice bowls in the East Court were big bowls. Jing Shao would normally be very full after eating two bowls. Eating so much this time, if he finished this third bowl, he definitely wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. 

Jing Shao also knew this, so he obediently put down his chopsticks and drank half a bowl of mung bean soup. It was only while they waited for the maids to clean up that he realized that he had perhaps eaten too much. Mu Hanzhang sighed, and after drinking tea, took him for a walk in the garden to help with his digestion.

The mid-spring evening breeze brought with it a slight wave of heat. When it brushed past the face, one could smell fiery sunlight amidst the fragrance of flowers.

“My father said that next month, he’ll promote Yiniang to second rank concubine.” Mu Hanzhang went under a Persian silk tree and looked up. The tree was covered in pink flowers, their beauty like that of mist.

“That truly is a good thing. You’ll be able to call her Mother in the future.” When Jing Shao saw him looking at the flowers on the tree, he stretched out his hand and jumped lightly, grabbing a handful of colorful, blooming flowers which he then presented to his Wang Fei. 

“Perfectly fine flowers that have bloomed, what did you pick them for?” Mu Hanzhang looked at the flowers in his hand and didn’t take them.

“A flower offering for a beauty,” Jing Shao said proudly.

Mu Hanzhang glared at the Wang Ye, who was beginning to act indecently again. “I heard before that these are flowers of misery; how can they still be used as an offering?”

Jing Shao scratched his head. Persian silk flowers were originally called flowers of misery. A blooming flower of misery meant that the husband had had a change of heart. This meaning truly wasn’t good. Jing Shao quickly threw away the flowers in his hand and pulled off a leafy tree branch, stuffing it into Jun Qing’s hand. 

“What are you doing now? Scratch offering flowers, who would gift leaves?” Mu Hanzhang turned the branch full of green leaves in his hand. The leaves were closed, and not seeing anything particularly worth looking at, he couldn’t help but laugh at Jing Shao.

“Persian silk leaves open during the day and close at night, which means to be bound by deep love. I’m giving this to you, so as to be united with you for all of my life, through the ages and always in happy union,” Jing Shao said boldly and confidently.

Mu Hanzhang was stunned for a moment. He looked down at the leaves that were tightly closed at night. Jing Shao had unexpectedly said such a thing. For a moment, Mu Hanzhang didn’t know how to answer. However, his handsome face was suddenly tinged with a red flush, shining in the clear moonlight, looking all the more beautiful.

Jing Shao became a little foolish when he saw this. He couldn’t help but grab his Wang Fei’s hand and search for those thin lips to kiss them. 

“Nnn…” Mu Hanzhang groaned softly but didn’t resist. That phrase “united for all of my life, through the ages and always in happy union” made his whole heart swell and also made him want to do something intimate to prolong that feeling.

The next day, the second prince returned to court with his injury and stood on the platform in the large hall. Emperor Hong Zheng took pity on the second prince as his injury had yet to heal and granted him a seat.

The emperor was very angry about the attack on the imperial envoy and ordered a thorough investigation. In addition, Jing Chen also brought news which shocked all levels of society: the tribute from the southwest hadn’t been stolen by mountain thieves at all, but by the King of the Southwest himself. All the tribute had stalled at the border of the southwest feudal region, near the official road leading to the capital city!

Whether it was coincidental or deliberate, the Southwest King’s memorial to the emperor to avoid sending troops to rescue the eldest prince had also arrived in the capital yesterday. In his petition, the Southwest King said that the southwest had suffered from a spring drought this year; in many places, not a speck of grain had been harvested, and the tributes had also just happened to be stolen. Worse still, the Southwest King had already lowered expenditure to aid the people; the region truly had no ability to mobilize an army to go to Yunnan-Tibet. The king earnestly requested that the court allocate them provisions first. 

“His deceit is truly intolerable!” Emperor Hong Zheng took Jing Chen’s memorial along with the Southwest King’s and threw them down fiercely on the jade steps.

“The Southwest King is really too unbridled!” Fan Jie, the upright Imperial Censor, stepped out, trembling with rage.

“Your Majesty, please quell your anger; the most important thing is that the eldest prince is still in the Yunnan-Tibet region. It’s uncertain whether he’s alive or dead. The Southwest King refuses to send troops, so we must quickly mobilize other troops and horses.” The Minister of War glanced at Jing Chen, then stepped forward to remind the emperor.

“The King of the Southwest knows that the eldest prince isn’t good at fighting battles, which is why he dares to openly and brazenly deceive the court, wanting the tribute reduced in exchange. In Chen’s opinion, we should dispatch a famous general to Yunnan-Tibet.” Song An, the Assistant Minister of War, hurriedly came forward to speak, looking somewhat pointedly at Jing Shao. 

Jing Shao hated how Song An was once again acting on his own initiative, to the point that his teeth itched, and he took half a step back unobtrusively.

“The southern barbarians don’t have large numbers; it’s not worth making a big fuss over. The reason why the eldest prince is in a dangerous situation is that he’s not familiar with Yunnan-Tibet’s environment. Chen thinks that as long as the eldest prince is rescued, that will suffice. There’s no need to send another famous general. If we spend some time, this will definitely be resolved.” The North Marquis, who rarely spoke up, suddenly stepped forward, and his steady and powerful voice immediately cut through the endless noise of the crowd.

Emperor Hong Zheng looked at Mu Jin and nodded slightly. The North Marquis of this generation had been stationed in Northwest China as a young man. He had fought many wars, and defended his noble title with his own abilities; his words naturally carried prestigious weight.

Hence, Emperor Hong Zheng decreed that the Southwest King be reprimanded. He immediately sent troops to rescue the eldest prince. As for reducing the tribute and the matter of providing provisions, he completely denied these requests. At the same time, he dispatched soldiers and horses from the Sichuan province to rescue the eldest prince via another route. 

“Mother, I heard that Father is going to promote Qiu Yiniang to second wife!” Mu Lingbao urgently and angrily rushed to the first wife’s house after his punishment of being forbidden from going outside was finally over.

“I know!” The North Marchioness had become rather haggard. The emperor had decreed that the fourth prince’s consort would be the young lady from Duke Mao’s household. It would be settled in the sixth month, and as the seventh month wasn’t auspicious, the marriage ceremony was set for the eighth month. Lady Du had now become the laughingstock of the whole capital, and she was so ashamed that she hadn’t dared go out for nearly a month.

The fourth prince had determined this in the sixth month, but the North Marquis was going to promote Lady Qiu in the sixth month as well, which was a clear sign to everyone that from now on, the North Marquis was on Cheng Wang’s side. Now, they would all have to look up at that bastard son.

“How can that be?” Mu Lingbao swept the fruit platter off the table and said, “If Qiu Yiniang is promoted to second rank concubine, then Mu Hanzhang will become the second son. If I die, then he can also inherit the title!” 

“What nonsense!” The North Marchioness slapped Mu Lingbao’s back. “You are the heir by imperial decree, and nobody can take that title away! He’s already married to Cheng Wang; what basis is there for him to return to his mother’s home and inherit the title?!”

“If Cheng Wang becomes the emperor and dismisses him, then wouldn’t he be able to inherit the rank?!” After being smacked by his mother, Mu Lingbao plopped down on the luohan bed and raised his voice.

“Hmph, if Cheng Wang becomes the emperor, do you think he’ll live to ascend the throne?” The North Marchioness sneered. The reign of a prince who had married a male wife wouldn’t last. Even if Cheng Wang seized the throne by some extraordinary means, it would be disgraceful to keep a male wife. He would naturally be erased from the history books.

Mu Lingbao was stunned before finally cheering up. “Mother truly stands tall and sees far!” 

“If you were even the slightest bit mature, would it be necessary for me to use these methods?!” The North Marchioness flicked his forehead fiercely with her finger.

Lady Qiu, who had come to deliver some accounting ledgers, snapped out of her daze as she stood outside the door; she was so alarmed that she broke out in a cold sweat!