“What fight?” Prince Chen pulled the girl back: “How can a young girl like you fight against several grown men?”
Jiuzhu stumbled forward a few steps, yanking her collar out of Prince Chen’s grip: “Don’t pull me!”
Bending down, she picked up a large wooden stick from the ground, lifted the hem of her skirt, and charged out with an intimidating aura.
The soft little white rabbit had transformed into a steel-toothed beast.
Prince Chen watched as she strode out with the confidence of a thousand soldiers, leaning lazily against a tree trunk.
“Your Highness,” a hidden attendant approached him: “What… what should we do?”
“What else can we do?” Prince Chen glanced at the girl, who was now only a few steps away from the men who had been gossiping. “Go and help her fight. Don’t you have brains and eyes? Use them!”
When Jiuzhu got close to the three men, they were still loudly discussing.
“When it comes to talent and virtue, Prince Qi is truly admirable,” the man in the green robe declared. “What’s there to fear? Prince Chen is nothing but an uneducated, temperamental…”
“Ouch!” Before he could finish, a sharp pain shot through his back. Someone had ambushed him from behind!
“How dare you!” He jumped in pain, turning around to see a delicate-looking young girl holding a large wooden stick.
“You… you woman! For no reason, why would you…”
“How dare you talk behind someone’s back!” Jiuzhu swung the stick, which whistled through the air with a terrifying sound.
The man who had been hit scrambled away in fear. One of the other men tried to grab the stick from Jiuzhu, but she struck him on the thigh instead.
Men don’t cry easily, but only when the pain isn’t severe enough.
“What kind of madwoman are you? This is disgraceful! Since you’ve abandoned propriety, we won’t hold back either!”
With that, the three men surrounded Jiuzhu, raising their hands, ready to teach her a lesson about the natural order of men being superior and women being weak.
However, in the next moment, the three of them were sent flying like stones, kicked away by unseen forces.
The three men lay on the ground, howling in pain. It turned out this “madwoman” had brought a group of helpers. A bunch of men beating up three defenseless scholars—where was the honor in that?
“Three grown men bullying a delicate girl,” several men in martial attire stepped forward, grabbing the three by their collars. “As subjects of this dynasty, how dare you slander the royal family? What punishment do you think you deserve?”
Without waiting for a response, they beat the three until they were crying for their parents, then tied them up with ropes. “Come with us to the magistrate’s office.”
Jiuzhu watched as these men arrived swiftly, took the troublemakers away, and left just as quickly. She stood there, holding her stick, looking around in confusion.
“What are you staring at?” Prince Chen took the stick from her hands. Seeing her dazed expression, he tossed the stick aside. “You just start swinging at people, and they’re scholars too. Aren’t you afraid of their sharp tongues?”
“What kind of scholars are they?” Jiuzhu smoothed down her sleeves. “A true gentleman seeks harmony but not conformity. Today is a day for climbing high and enjoying the view, with many people around. Yet they loudly gossip and slander others, completely disgracing the reputation of scholars.”
Prince Chen chuckled ambiguously. These scholars weren’t foolish—they had intended for their words to be heard.
“Do you know that Prince Qi is coming to Feixia Mountain today to climb?”
“Huh?” Jiuzhu nodded. “I saw him at the foot of the mountain. So what?”
Prince Chen: “…”
This girl didn’t seem too bright.
“Their words were meant for Prince Qi, or perhaps for those around him,” Prince Chen explained. He wasn’t a patient man, but today he was in a good mood and willing to indulge this clueless girl. “Let’s leave before anyone notices you’ve been fighting.”
“They were badmouthing Prince Chen. I couldn’t let them get away with it,” Jiuzhu adjusted the hairpin at her temple, muttering softly. “If they want to flatter Prince Qi, they can do so without insulting Prince Chen.”
Insult?
The girl’s tone was so aggrieved that if he weren’t the one being talked about, he might have believed he was a pitiful victim of constant bullying.
“Were those men who helped me fight your subordinates?”
Prince Chen raised an eyebrow and nodded. “You helped me pick the dogwood branches, and I helped you call in some fighters. Seems fair, doesn’t it?”
“Not exactly fair,” Jiuzhu thought carefully. “I think I got the better end of the deal.”
“It’s fine. I’m a man; I won’t fuss over such small matters.” Prince Chen glanced around. No one had arrived yet. “Who are your elders?”
Her family must be quite bold to let such a fierce girl go out alone to pick dogwood.
“My father’s surname is Ming.” After Prince Chen had called in help for her, Jiuzhu categorized him as a “good and honorable person” and didn’t mind revealing her family name.
“Ming?” Prince Chen’s smile froze as he scrutinized Jiuzhu from head to toe. “You’re the treasured daughter of Vice Minister of Rites, Ming Jingzhou?”
This was the first time in his life that Prince Chen had referred to Ming Jingzhou with such politeness.
“Do you know my father too?” Jiuzhu’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Prince Chen.
“We’ve met briefly.”
If they’ve met, why say “briefly”? Since coming to the capital, Jiuzhu had realized that her understanding of people’s speech couldn’t keep up with the sophistication of the locals.
“No wonder you were so angry earlier—you were defending your fiancé,” Prince Chen said after a moment of silence. “Next time you want to fight, don’t do it yourself.”
Having grown up in a Taoist temple, Jiuzhu was clueless about matters of love and marriage. She spoke without the shyness typical of young girls. “Prince Chen is a good person. What does that have to do with him being my fiancé?”
Prince Chen: “…”
Only the wind howling through the mountains could understand his feelings at that moment.
“Miss! Miss!” Chunfen came running, her skirt lifted, anxiously examining Jiuzhu. “I heard there was a commotion here, something about drunk scholars causing trouble. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Jiuzhu blinked at Prince Chen, signaling him not to mention what had just happened.
“I’ve already picked the dogwood Mother asked for,” Jiuzhu took Chunfen’s hand. “Chunfen, let’s go back.”
The troublemakers had been dealt with. Now, it was time to make a quick exit.
“Alright,” Chunfen draped the shawl over Jiuzhu’s arm, curtsied to Prince Chen, and led Jiuzhu away from the woods.
Prince Chen walked over to the dogwood tree, bent down, and picked up the branch Jiuzhu had broken for him. After a moment’s thought, he took it back to the palace.
“Such a large branch of dogwood,” Consort Su remarked, looking at the fresh branch in the vase. It was rare for her son, who usually forgot to bring even a piece of paper, to remember to bring her dogwood on the Double Ninth Festival. “It looks quite fresh.”
“Of course it’s fresh,” Prince Chen lounged lazily on the couch. “Your future daughter-in-law climbed a tree to pick it herself.”
“You met Jiuzhu?” Consort Su looked at Prince Chen.
“Yes,” Prince Chen lowered his eyelids, hiding his emotions from his mother.
“I think she’s a good girl,” Consort Su said, knowing her son was lukewarm about the arranged marriage. She couldn’t help but speak up for the Ming family’s young lady. “She seems easy to get along with.”
“She is quite pretty,” Prince Chen nodded.
Though her brain didn’t seem to work too well.
After her son left, Consort Su turned to her maid in confusion. “Does Duqing like her or not?”
“Your Highness, as long as the Fifth Prince doesn’t dislike Miss Ming, it’s a good sign,” the maid reassured Consort Su. “A few days ago, His Highness frowned at the mention of marriage. Today, I noticed he seemed in a better mood.”
Knowing the maid was trying to comfort her, Consort Su sighed. It was all the Emperor’s fault for raising her son into such a rogue.
As Prince Chen left Bright Moon Palace, he ran into Prince Qi, who had come to pay his respects.
“Fifth Brother,” Prince Qi looked at Prince Chen’s black and red embroidered robe. Among the brothers, only Prince Chen would wear such flamboyant clothes.
Prince Chen stopped and looked at him.
“I heard your men arrested some scholars today and took them to the magistrate’s office,” Prince Qi sighed. “The imperial exams are approaching. Ten years of hard study is no small matter. If it’s not a serious issue, Fifth Brother, why not let them go?”
“It’s not a big deal. They were just praising you for your talent and virtue while insulting me for being uneducated and temperamental,” Prince Chen raised an eyebrow. “Since you’re so kind-hearted, Fourth Brother, you can have them released.”
Prince Qi's gentle smile stiffened slightly.
Although it was true that his fifth brother was idle and unlearned, as an elder brother, he could never admit it.
"Fourth Brother, go ahead and release them. I won't pursue this matter further," Prince Chen said, flicking his sleeve and placing his hands behind his back. With his chin slightly raised, he strode away under the gaze of Prince Qi and his attendants.
Prince Chen's attendants followed their master's lead, glancing at Prince Qi's attendants only out of the corners of their eyes.
Prince Qi's attendants flushed with anger but dared not speak up.
After all, Prince Chen had a favored mother, Consort Su, and with his mother's influence, no one in the palace dared to offend him.
"Your Highness," one of the attendants said worriedly, looking at Prince Qi.
Prince Qi raised his hand slightly, stopping him from continuing. "Those scholars spoke ill of the royal family and attempted to sow discord between me and my fifth brother. They must be severely punished."
The wind lifted the hem of his robe, but it failed to stir even the slightest ripple in his eyes.
Since the Double Ninth Festival, invitations to the Ming family had increased. Some invited Lady Shen and Jiuzhu to admire chrysanthemums, others to enjoy crabs, and still others to partake in tea gatherings.
In the capital, there was no shortage of shrewd individuals. While they disliked Prince Chen's usual behavior, they dared not offend Consort Su and her son. With a daughter of the Ming family about to marry into Prince Chen's household, whether out of sincerity or pretense, all important gatherings among the womenfolk would arrange for their younger generation to personally deliver invitations to the Ming family.
Most of these gatherings were politely declined by Lady Shen, until the Sun family sent an invitation for a tea banquet.
The auspicious date for the marriage of the Sun family's daughter, Sun Caiyao, to Prince Qi was set for the sixth day of the eleventh lunar month. It was already late September, leaving just over a month before her wedding day.
As a scholarly family with a heritage spanning centuries, the Sun family's prestige among scholars was undeniable. The Ming family, though they had recently established their status with two first-place scholars and one third-place scholar in the imperial examinations, still lacked the depth of heritage compared to the Sun family.
Prince Qi already had a reputation for virtue, and marrying a daughter of the Sun family would only enhance his standing and garner even greater admiration.
Lady Shen held the invitation and turned to look at her daughter, who was happily munching on pastries and gulping down tea. She gently wiped Jiuzhu's mouth with a handkerchief.
"Thank you, Mother," Jiuzhu said with a sweet smile.
Lady Shen lightly pressed a hand to her chest.
The Emperor, Prince Chen, and the Sun family's daughter—none of them were any good!
On the day of the tea banquet, the women arrived at the Sun family's residence in their finest attire, taking turns to flatter Sun Caiyao.
"Lady Shen has arrived."
The chatter immediately softened, and Sun Caiyao's smile faded slightly as she focused her gaze on the entrance. Her eyes quickly landed on Ming Jiuzhu, who stood beside Lady Shen.
Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her lips were like delicate cherries.
"Greetings, Lady Shen."
"This must be your daughter. Truly, her eyes hold the stars, and her complexion is as pure as snow. What a rare beauty."
The women who had been praising Sun Caiyao moments ago now flocked to Lady Shen and Jiuzhu.
Sun Caiyao pursed her lips.
These women privately looked down on Prince Chen for his unruly behavior and lack of learning, but when it came to currying favor with the future Princess Chen, none of them held back.
She stood up and walked toward Ming Jiuzhu.
