Chapter 152: Chao Chao’s Sword
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Before the sun had even hinted at rising, Chao Chao was gently lifted from her bed and dressed for the day. Madam Xu, having woken up half an hour earlier, had already meticulously dressed herself to meet the expectations of her rank. Chao Chao’s eyes were still heavy with sleep, and she could only manage a few sips of milk for breakfast.
“Waaaa… too earwy, too earwy…” Chao Chao murmured, her voice thick with sleepiness. “Make time late…”
[Next time, I’ll ask Daddy King to change it to daylight. Otherwise, I won’t go…] Chao Chao thought grumpily.
Madam Xu, hiding her amusement, replied, “This is an ancestral rule, darling, it can’t be changed.”
As they stepped outside, Madam Xu noticed the gate of the neighboring residence swing open at the same time. To her surprise, Rong Che was there, offering a food box and then carefully lifting Chao Chao into the carriage.
“You… why are you here?” Madam Xu inquired, visibly taken aback.
Rong Che, his cheeks tinting with embarrassment, remained silent. His servant chimed in, “Our general got kicked out of the house for not finding a wife.”
Rong Che sneaked a quick glance at Madam Xu, then looked away almost immediately.
“This is breakfast. I know you get up early and don’t have time to eat. People don’t dare drink too much water before entering the palace,” Rong Che finally managed to say, handing over the food.
Madam Xu thanked him, and they boarded the carriage.
“Why does the general walk with his arms and legs moving together like that?” Deng Zhi couldn’t help but ask.
Madam Xu turned to see Rong Che awkwardly mounting his horse, his limbs stiff and moving uncoordinatedly. She couldn’t help but smile.
Inside the carriage, Deng Zhi observed, “General Rong is truly the opposite of the marquis.”
“Every word, every action of the marquis is precisely calculated.”
“General Rong, on the other hand, always has a touch of clumsiness… and timidity. It’s as if he’s handling something too precious, and it scares him.”
As they arrived at the palace gates, it was still dark. The wives of various officials stepped out of their carriages and gathered at the entrance.
Madam Pei, impeccably dressed, held her son Lu Jing Yao closely. It was her first time entering the palace as the wife of Marquis Zhongyong, but the other ladies kept their distance. Only Madam Jiang offered a few cold words.
“Madam Jiang, my son has always been well-behaved. It was that lowly vixen who seduced him, leading Jing Huai astray. Rest assured, he is sincere towards Yun Jin,” Madam Pei declared, aware that the Jiang family was upset over the scandal involving Lu Jing Huai and Su Zhi Qing.
“Jing Huai will come to apologize to your family himself tomorrow when the results are announced. Please, Madam Jiang, don’t hold a grudge,” she added.
Madam Jiang’s expression darkened. Though having concubines wasn’t uncommon, being caught in bed with a stepmother was scandalous. Her daughter, Jiang Yun Jin, had been distraught after catching wind of that news.
“Jing Huai is the son of a saint. He made a youthful mistake. Sister Jiang, once Jing Huai becomes a top scholar, he will personally come to apologize,” Madam Pei tried to reassure her, hoping to soften Madam Jiang’s stance.
[Really, no class. If it weren’t for Yun Jin’s attachment to Lu Jing Huai, I wouldn’t want to associate with such a woman.] Madam Jiang thought.
[If only I had known Lu Yan Shu would recover, I wouldn’t have broken off the engagement! But then, thinking about how Lu Yan Shu hadn’t studied for ten years, if Lu Jing Huai can excel and become the crown prince’s mentor, it won’t be a loss.]
“Why can that carriage enter the palace directly?” Still standing at the gates, Madam Pei wondered aloud as another carriage bypassed the queue.
Madam Qin, wife of the Minister of Rites, responded mockingly, “Madam Pei, don’t you know who’s in that carriage? They can ride ahead because they don’t have to walk like us.” Thankful to Chao Chao for a previous favor, Madam Qin hinted at the carriage’s importance.
“I don’t know, who is it?” Madam Pei asked cautiously, mindful of her past misunderstandings with Madam Qin.
“It’s the marquis’ first wife, Madam Xu. Her daughter is Princess Sunshine, and she herself holds a first-rank title. Naturally, she enjoys special privileges,” Madam Qin revealed, smiling broadly.
Madam Pei’s smile faltered as her daughter, Lu Jing Yao, cried out in pain from her tight grip.
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
“Mother, my hand hurts… it hurts…” Lu Jing Yao whimpered.
Blushing, Madam Pei quickly released her hand and soothed the baby girl, but the sneers from the onlookers were evident. Everyone knew Marquis Zhongyong had divorced Madam Xu for this woman, and they believed he would regret it.
When Chao Chao finally woke up, the palace banquet was in full swing. She wiped away her drool, and the king immediately had someone bring her to him.
“Chao Chao, did you miss your Daddy King?” the king asked, lifting her into his arms.
Chao Chao giggled and reached for him. “Missed, missed, missed Daddy King’s
food…”
She then whispered in his ear, “Daddy King, can the palace banquet be later next time?”
The king, seeing her sleepy eyes, smiled warmly. “Alright, alright. Next time we won’t trouble Chao Chao, we’ll change the time.”
The room fell silent; the king’s doting on her was evident for all to see.
Beside Consort Xiao, Princess Yi Ning watched Chao Chao with envy. “Today’s four-nation talks, Chao Chao will sit next to Daddy…” The king, securing a spot for her beside him on the throne, believed strongly in Chao Chao’s luck. He inhaled deeply, hoping to absorb some of it.
As the summit continued, South Country maintained its leading position, with West Yue and North Zhao close behind, and Dongling trailing. Before the current king’s reign, North Zhao had been last, even behind Dongling. Now, with its rising power, North Zhao was a contender.
Madam Xu, recognized as a first-rank titled lady, was surrounded by admiring elder ladies. The situation for Dongling was less favorable; its prince and duke were in the capital for peace talks, and Xuan Jichuan, once sent as a less favored hostage, now lived better than the Dongling prince.
As the competition progressed, it came down to North Zhao and West Yue.
“They tied with West Yue,” the chief eunuch noted with a frown.
The Saintess of West Yue, dressed in a white gown and radiating an ethereal presence, proposed a challenge. “Your Majesty, West Yue has obtained a broken sword. If North Zhao can pull it out, then North Zhao wins. If not, then West Yue wins.”
“Agreed,” the king replied, his decision watched by all the dignitaries present.
A thunderous rumble approached, and everyone turned to see four muscular men struggling under the weight of a huge tray. In its center lay a rusty broken sword, its enormous weight evidenced by the cracking ground beneath the men.
“What kind of sword is this?” the crowd murmured in shock.
The West Yue Saintess smirked, confident that no one from North Zhao could pull out the sword. Her gaze drifted and met that of a young man in blue—Lu Jing Huai, who, despite his recent injuries, nodded at her with a graceful smile.
Chao Chao sat up, her expression serious. [That… is my sword!]