A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City

“Why are you looking at me so dazedly?” Chen Wang was leaning on the windowsill, looking carefree like a cat basking in the sun: “I haven’t seen you for just a few days.
Did you forget me so quickly?”

 

He touched his face.
It didn’t look like one that could be disregarded as flashy ah. 

 

JiuZhu shook her head: “I didn’t forget you.”

 

“Oh.” Chen Wang suddenly seemed to understand, “So you became silly by looking at my face.”

 

JiuZhu: “……” 

 

The people of the capital were really thick-skinned oh.

 

“Come up quickly.” Chen Wang beckoned to JiuZhu, “I lowered my head to talk to you, so my neck is aching a bit.”

 

JiuZhu rubbed her neck.
She had also raised her head to talk to him, so it was somewhat uncomfortable too.

 

When she arrived upstairs, there were no other customers.
JiuZhu looked around suspiciously.

 

“You don’t need to look, there is no one apart from you and me here.” Chen Wang tapped lightly on the tabletop with his knuckles.
Immediately, someone brought in all kinds of hairpins and jewelry and placed them on the table for JiuZhu to choose from.

 

ChunFen, who had been following JiuZhu close behind, took in a deep breath furtively.
Did they bring out all the best things of the shop in those boxes?

 

“You can choose whatever you like.” Chen Wang glanced at the table: “Although the quality is a little bad, the design is barely appreciable.”

 

JiuZhu glanced at the shopkeeper standing beside him with a lowered head.
She returned the silver peanut to him and covered her mouth before whispering, “Those seem to be awfully expensive.”

 

Chen Wang pushed the carved round stool under his butt towards JiuZhu, and asked in a similarly low voice, “Not enough money?”

 

“Enough, it’s more than enough actually.” JiuZhu clutched her purse, as if she was clutching onto her most beloved item: “I hate to spend it.”

 

Chen Wang originally thought that the Ming family didn’t attach much importance to this daughter who had just returned to the capital and was reluctant to give her money.
But he certainly didn’t expect this to be the reason.

 

As the future Wangfei of Chen Wang, why should she be stingy?

 

“Don’t worry, this thing is cheap.” Chen Wang took a step and picked up a buyao, placing it against JiuZhu’s head: “I am familiar with the boss so, I’ll let him give you a discount.”

 

JiuZhu looked at Chen Wang skeptically, doubtful that he might be entrusted to this task by the shopkeeper.

 

With one look at her, Chen Wang knew that she must have let her imagination run wild: “What are you thinking with that look?” 

 

Reaching out her hand to cover her eyes, JiuZhu shook her head: “I didn’t think anything.”

 

Chen Wang: “……”

 

This must be the so-called ‘three hundred taels of silver is not hidden here1‘.

 

Taking advantage of her distraction due to guilty conscience, he stretched out his hand and inserted the flashy golden hairpin into JiuZhu’s hair.
It was like the weeds growing on a rockery; it might as well be said that there was no sense of beauty at all.

 

“This is my present to you, you don’t have to spend any money.”

 

“I don’t want it.” JiuZhu pulled out the weed from the rockery… No, wrong.
She pulled out the golden hairpin and put it back in the tray: “I cannot accept hairpins given by men casually.”

 

Why couldn’t she accept when her fiancé was giving her a hairpin as a present?

 

Was Chen Wang the kind of person who would compromise when others rejected him?

 

No, he was not.

 

So, he pushed two more hairpins into JiuZhu’s hair.

 

JiuZhu’s eyes widened.
She pulled out the ‘two weeds’ from her hair.

 

“Little girl, don’t move.” The overbearing prince, Yun DuQing, grabbed a handful of hairpins and snorted at JiuZhu with a smile.

 

“Don’t.” JiuZhu quickly covered her hair with her hands and got up to hide in the corner, speaking in LingZhou accent softly: “If you do that again, I’ll beat you up ah.”

 

“What are you doing?” A gentle yet doubtful male voice sounded.
JiuZhu turned to look with her hands still covering her hair.
Qi Wang, dressed in a light-colored brocade robe, was standing atop the stairs with his brows furrowed and his elegant face was full of questions.

 

“Greetings, His Highness Qi Wang.” JiuZhu let go of her hold on her hair and bowed.

 

Qi Wang stepped into the room.
He glanced at the scattered hairpins, armlets, and bracelets on the tray and picked up a coral red plum hairpin from the table before looking at Chen Wang.

 

Chen Wang raised his eyebrows.
He walked to JiuZhu’s side, and while JiuZhu was not paying attention, he straightened the crooked tassel hairpin in her hair, “Seeing fourth brother here is truly a rare occurrence.”

 

“Are you also a prince ah?” JiuZhu asked in a low voice.

 

“En.” Chen Wang quickly put a hairpin in JiuZhu’s hair and flicked the dangling golden butterfly with his fingers.
He beamed as he nodded: “Yes ah, isn’t it quite a coincidence?”

 

This little girl looked ignorant and not too quick-witted; she looked a bit adorable, naive and tender when she covered her head with both her hands.

 

Qi Wang put the hairpin back in its place as his eyes gazed at the two people whispering back and forth with their heads almost touching each other’s: “Brother is about to get married, so the mansion naturally needs to be prepared with the objects a woman needs.”

 

After speaking, when he did not get any response from Chen Wang, he turned around and saw him still trying to put a hairpin on the head of the Ming family guniang.
The guniang covered her hair and stared at Chen Wang with wide eyes.

 

“Put it on.”

 

“I don’t want to.” JiuZhu took a step back: “You are a prince so I can’t beat you.
But I can… I can ask someone else to beat you up.”

 

“Oh?” Chen Wang wanted to reach out and poke JiuZhu’s cheeks, but he restrained himself.

 

“My fiancé is Chen Wang.
He is super nice, super nice and super nice.” JiuZhu straightened her back and announced, “I’ll have him beat you up.”

 

At first, Chen Wang wanted to laugh when he heard her repeat ‘super nice’ three times.
However, seeing the little girl’s seriousness, he put down the hairpin in his hand: “Okay, okay.
It’s my fault.”

 

“I know you have a good intention in wanting to give me something.” JiuZhu took the golden butterfly hairpin off her hair: “The capital is prosperous, and one can do things freely without too many restraints but in our LingZhou, only family members, elders, close boudoir friends and husbands can send women hairpins.
Although chennu is a person from the capital, she grew up in LingZhou, it would be inappropriate of me to accept a hairpin from you, Your Highness.
“

 

Chen Wang had never seen such a serious look on JiuZhu’s face after all their encounters.
He looked at JiuZhu’s expression carefully, and suddenly laughed out loud: “Ming family’s little girl, do you know what title I was granted?”

 

JiuZhu shook her head.

 

“I was born in the 23rd year of Xiande.
Father Emperor named me DuQing, which means that even if there are all kinds of hardships in the world, I, his beloved son, will go through them without any suffering.” Yun DuQing put his hands behind his back, his tone rarely so gentle and soft: “When I was fifteen years old, I was granted the position of a Wang and the title ‘Chen’.”

 

JiuZhu stared at him blankly.
The autumn wind brushed lightly over the windowsill, making the copper bell under the eaves ring.

 

“Regardless of the rules of the capital city and the social customs of LingZhou, Ben Wang has also never given other little guniangs any jewelry.” Chen Wang saw JiuZhu remain staring stupidly at him.
He took the golden butterfly hairpin that the latter had taken off and put it back on her: “This golden butterfly’s wings are as thin as a cicada’s.
This hairpin is the most suitable for little guniang to wear.
“

 

This time, JiuZhu did not take off the hairpin.

 

“Look, all that tossing back and forth was needless.
If you had let me put it on for you, it would have saved so much trouble.” Yun DuQing stretched out his finger and poked JiuZhu’s forehead lightly.
Immediately after, he couldn’t help but poke it again, making the butterfly of her hairpin shake gently.

 

JiuZhu covered her forehead, tilted her head and looked at him: “You really are His Highness… Chen Wang? “

 

“Is there anyone in the entire capital who would dare to impersonate Chen Wang?” Yun DuQing stroked his chin: “Father Emperor will hold a banquet in the Palace a few days later for Mother Consort’s birthday.
Remember to come with Madam Shen.”

 

“You are indeed Chen Wang.” JiuZhu looked at Yun DuQing.
Suddenly, a bright smile emerged on her face: “That’s good ah.
“

 

At that time, he was a beautiful and kind-hearted little fairy boy.
Now, he was still a good person who didn’t get angry when others spoke malicious words against him.
When he saw her fight, he even asked people to help her.

 

“What? Are you very happy?” Seeing JiuZhu’s happy smile, a smile bloomed on Chen Wang’s face too.

 

“En, I’m happy.”

 

Meeting him after eight years and learning that both Su Guifei niangniang and him were well, how could she not be happy?

 

Sigh.

 

Chen Wang looked at JiuZhu’s fair and tender cheeks.
Fortunately, he was the one this simple and naive girl would be marrying soon.
If it was someone else…

 

His brows furrowed unconsciously as he turned to look at Qi Wang: “Fourth brother is still here ah?”

 

The latter chose some jewelry and put them into a box, speaking leisurely, “Does fifth brother has something to say?”

 

“When choosing a woman’s jewelry, it’s better to let her follow along.” Chen Wang lowered his eyes, speaking in a casual tone: “If the other person doesn’t like it, wouldn’t it be a letdown?”

 

“Is that so?” Qi Wang glanced at the hairpins in the tray that were chosen by Chen Wang but were rejected by Ming JiuZhu: “Ming guniang doesn’t seem to like the items picked by the fifth brother, right?”

 

“No.” JiuZhu spoke up, “His Highness Chen Wang has a unique perception and elegant taste.
Every single one of the items he chose was very nice.
It’s just that chennu couldn’t bear to let His Highness spend so much silver and had to reluctantly refuse.”

 

No one can question His Highness’s taste; not even his elder brother.

 

Unique perception?

 

Qi Wang’s movements paused.
He gazed at JiuZhu with his beautiful eyes and smiled gracefully, nodding to her: “Apologies, Ben Wang had misunderstood.”

 

“It’s nothing.” Chen Wang stepped forward and stood in front of JiuZhu: ” I am not that narrow-minded.
I won’t bother about such trivial matters.”

 

“Your Highness.” A middle-aged man with a scar on his chin walked upstairs.
He wearing dark blue clothes.
Apparently, he didn’t expect anyone else to be there.
He bowed deeply in Chen Wang’s direction and greeted him, not even taking a look at JiuZhu, who was standing behind him.
He walked up to Qi Wang and cupped his hands: “Lord Marquis is seriously ill.”

 

“I see.” Qi Wang put down the jewelry box and motioned his chief attendant to settle the bill before turning to face the middle-aged man and leaving the jewelry shop in a hurry.

 

“Young Miss.
Young Miss?” ChunFen had seen that JiuZhu had not bowed when Qi Wang left.
Fortunately, he didn’t notice the Young Miss’ discourteous act: “What happened?”

 

JiuZhu shook her head slowly: “What is the identity of the middle-aged man who came here just now?”

 

“From his manner of dressing, he seems to be either a servant of Marquis PingYuan’s Mansion or Qi Wang’s Mansion.” ChunFen thought for a moment and added: “Since he came to deliver such news, he must be a trusted aide.”

 

Taking note of her Young Miss’ slightly pale face, ChunFen touched JiuZhu’s palm, only to discover that it was a little cold: “Miss, wait a minute.
This servant will go to the carriage and get you a cloak.”

 

“I’m not cold…”

 

Before she finished speaking, a large dark cloak was draped over her body.

 

“There.” Seeing the cloak sliding down her shoulder, Chen Wang reached out and pulled the straps up, tying it round and round successfully… into a tight, intractable knot.

 

ChunFen: “……”

 

Tying a cloak could be made so difficult only by Chen Wang, who was served by a large number of servants.

 

He pretended not to see the dead knot he made: “Mother Consort’s birthday is near at hand, don’t freeze yourself.”

 

If that happened, she would be unable to go to the birthday banquet.
And once that matter spread, people would say that this girl didn’t get along well with his Mother Consort.

 

It was said that the relationship between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law was the most difficult one in the world.
He didn’t want to worry about this kind of a thing before he even got married.

 

For JiuZhu, the man’s cape was a bit long.
She looked down at the cape that was dragging along the ground and pulled it up.

 

“Oh.” JiuZhu nodded obediently.

 

Chen Wang: “……”

 

At a time like this, shouldn’t she take the opportunity to ask him about his Mother Consort’s preferences, so that she could prepare a suitable birthday gift for her?

 

‘Oh’, what did she mean by an ‘oh’?

 

Can she not be more attentive?!1

Three hundred taels of silver is not hidden here [此地无银三百两] – It is an idiom that means to reveal what one intends to hide, i.e., same as the saying: ‘a guilty mind is always suspicious’.