Chapter 184: Brother Bun Begs Online
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
“Pfft…” Madam Xu, a noblewoman from an esteemed family, always prided herself on proper conduct.
But at this moment, she couldn’t hold back.
A mouthful of tea sprayed out.
“What… What did she call herself?” Madam Xu was utterly shocked. Had she gone so far as to rename herself?
Deng Zhi looked helpless. “Apparently, Lu Chao Chao thought her name wasn’t fierce enough.”
“So, she gave herself a new name—Fierce Bun.”
“People in the martial world now call her Brother Bun,” Deng Zhi answered honestly.
Though Madam Xu spoke of teaching her a lesson, she would inquire about her whereabouts and activities every half an hour through the secret guards.
“Brother Bun?” Madam Xu was laughing so hard she cried. “Oh, my heavens, how could she be so adorable?”
“Little Potato renamed herself Fierce Bun… Hahaha!” Madam Xu trembled with laughter.
“Have we sent word of this to the Emperor?”
Deng Zhi sighed, exasperated. “We have. His Majesty checks on her several times a day—morning, noon, and night.”
Madam Xu laughed so hard she pounded the wall. She could only imagine the Emperor laughing until he questioned his very existence.
“Hold on, just hold on,” Madam Xu said while wiping her tears. “That little rascal is trying to use her so-called vagrancy to manipulate both me and His Majesty. Within three days, she’ll definitely cry her way home.”
“Ensure the secret guards watch her closely. Have them report hourly, and give them triple their monthly wages for this.”
“Above all, don’t let the princess get hurt.”
Madam Xu gave repeated instructions.
“Understood,” Deng Zhi replied with a grin.
“And where is Little Potato begging now? Let’s pretend to pass by and take a look…” Madam Xu couldn’t go a day without seeing Lu Chao Chao.
Deng Zhi chuckled knowingly, aware of Madam Xu’s deep concern for her.
“She’s begging in Gui Ping Alley.”
“She’s clever enough to pick a street where high-ranking officials reside,” Madam Xu said, heading outside.
Moments later, Rong Che was seated at the front of the carriage.
“When did you become a coachman?”
Rong Che pulled out a book from his robe, speaking with conviction. “I only wish to be your coachman.”
Deng Zhi shivered, breaking out in goosebumps.
Madam Xu was speechless.
Clutching the book, Rong Che sneaked a glance at its title—Thirty-Six Stratagems for Pursuing a Wife—his ears turning red.
“Why aren’t you at court today?” Madam Xu asked, noticing it was time for the morning assembly.
“I have fifteen days of annual leave each year, and I haven’t taken a single day off in eighteen years.”
“This year, I’m taking it all at once,” Rong Che replied earnestly.
Madam Xu was stunned. The court was no place for slacking, and his position as Stabilizing General was crucial. How had the Emperor agreed to this?
Rong Che scratched his head. “His Majesty is very magnanimous.”
Yeah, right.
Magnanimous, my foot.
His Majesty had a full family—children and a beloved wife. Meanwhile, Rong Che was still single.
The Emperor had initially refused, but Rong Che and his father had clung to the Emperor’s legs, wailing:
“The Rong family will end! No heirs to send off the elders! You have children to spare, but I’m all alone!” Rong Che sobbed as he hugged the Emperor’s leg.
Gone was any trace of his battlefield glory.
Helpless, the Emperor had granted him a year’s leave to court a wife.
Driving the carriage, Rong Che headed to Gui Ping Alley, which was near the Imperial Palace and bustling with nobles.
“Little Miss, I see the Little Miss!” Deng Zhi whispered excitedly in Madam Xu’s ear.
Madam Xu looked up and spotted Lu Chao Chao holding a dog’s leash. Behind her was a group of beggars, obedient and deferential in her presence.
The petite Lu Chao Chao, not even as tall as an adult’s thigh, was bundled in layers like a little potato.
Now that she looked at her, she really did resemble a potato.
Madam Xu stifled her laughter with her hand. Seeing that Lu Chao Chao was faring well, she felt somewhat relieved.
“Little Potato… Want to come home?” Madam Xu called gently.
Scarface tugged at Lu Chao Chao’s sleeve. “Brother Bun, that woman called you Little Potato!”
“Aren’t you Fierce Bun now?”
Lu Chao Chao lifted her head, her chin raised defiantly. “She made a mistake!” she declared with utter seriousness. “Fierce Bun suits my status far better!”
The words had barely left her mouth when an opulent carriage rolled into view, sending the beggars scattering.
“Move aside! Don’t block the way!” The carriage stopped in front of the Silver Shop, and a servant leaped down to chase the beggars away.
“It’s the Prince Yu Nan,” Scarface murmured, holding Lu Chao Chao protectively as they backed away.
Prince Yu Nan had just finished court and had come to the Silver Shop specifically to choose jewelry for the Princess Consort. His gaze swept across the scene, landing on the dirt-smudged Lu Chao Chao and the unmistakable dog beside her. He gritted his teeth. Lu Chao Chao!
The last time she came to collect her debt, she’d driven his wife to return to her family for months!
Prince Yu Nan lifted his chin. With a snap, his foot kicked Lu Chao Chao’s begging bowl, sending it flying and shattering into pieces.
“Get lost, filthy beggar!” he barked. “You bring bad luck. Next time I see you, I’ll break your legs.” His cold glare lingered on her before he strode into the Silver Shop.
“My bowl, my bowl…” Lu Chao Chao cried out, her voice trembling with urgency. Scarface, recognizing the Prince Yu Nan’s carriage, clung to her, trembling from head to toe, not daring to go near.
“Don’t mess with him! That’s the late emperor’s brother and the current emperor’s uncle. He’s untouchable,” Scarface whispered.
“This little emperor’s uncle is said to have an unruly temperament. Even the emperor doesn’t dare cross him,” someone added in a hushed tone.
Lu Chao Chao could only watch as the prince entered the shop, her heart burning with frustration. “My bowl! My bowl…” she stamped her foot in anger.
Madam Xu, witnessing this scene from a distance, felt her heart tighten.
“I just wanted some money, but he broke my bowl!” Lu Chao Chao’s little face was red with fury. “I’m going to his house to demand it back!”
Without another word, she led her small group to knock on the gates of Prince Yu Nan’s Manor.
“Forget it,” Scarface begged, his face pale with fear. “For us beggars, this kind of thing is normal.”
Lu Chao Chao waved her tiny hand. “But you’re my brothers! You can’t be humiliated if you’re with me, Fierce Bun!”
Scarface groaned. “Begging doesn’t work this way!! Who knocks on the manor gates to beg?!”
“The prince has a terrible temper and hates beggars the most. What if he hurts you…” Scarface grabbed Lu Chao Chao, trying to pull her away.
Creak.
The gates of the manor opened slightly. A servant stepped out, taking one look at Lu Chao Chao before glaring at the group with disgust. “Do you want to die? Coming to the prince’s gate to beg? How unlucky!”
“Get lost! How dare you knock on the prince’s door!”
“Scram!” the servant shouted, his face twisted in anger. Guards quickly stepped forward, driving the group away and slamming the gates shut behind them.
From a window in a nearby inn, Madam Xu observed the pitiful scene, her heart aching as she whispered to herself, “Time to come home, isn’t it?”
Lu Chao Chao’s cheeks were flushed with fury as she stood outside the gates, trembling with indignation. [This is an affront to my dignity… An affront to the dignity of Fierce Bun!]
She tore a strip of dried meat from Windchaser’s stash, giving one piece to each of her brothers. “Wait for me here!”
With practiced ease, she circled the perimeter of the manor, finding an inconspicuous spot to widen a dog-sized hole in the wall. Her strength made quick work of it.
“Wait for me, Windchaser.”
With her natural agility and spiritual energy, she easily evaded the guards and slipped inside.
…
“Wan Wan, do you like the hairpin I chose for you?” Prince Yu Nan asked tenderly, carefully fixing the ornament into the Princess Consort’s hair.
Having recently given birth, the princess was more radiant than ever, her figure captivating. Freshly bathed, her body carried a faint, alluring fragrance. Prince Yu Nan couldn’t help but lean closer, his breath mingling with hers as his hands trembled slightly. After over a year of restraint, his excitement and joy were palpable.
“I feel like… someone is watching us,” the Princess Consort murmured, her expression uneasy. She shifted uncomfortably, glancing around the room.
Prince Yu Nan chuckled softly. “Wan Wan, you’re overthinking it. This is the manor. Who could possibly intrude?”
He playfully twirled a strand of her hair around his finger, the atmosphere growing increasingly intimate.
Just as passion began to spark, a childish voice suddenly rang out from under the bed. “Give me back my bowl!”
Prince Yu Nan froze, his body stiff. The Princess Consort let out a piercing scream, grabbing the brocade quilt to cover herself.
Prince Yu Nan’s shocked gaze darted under the bed, only to find a little girl crawling out, her eyes gleaming like polished black stones, filled with righteous indignation.
Her tiny, chubby hand stretched out, trembling as she demanded, “Give me back my bowl!”
Five small fingers splayed wide, she repeated, “Be kind, give me some money…”
Prince Yu Nan was utterly dumbfounded. [Who on earth taught you to beg like this?!]