In one
night, several people struggled to sleep, finally the next morning, Ling Mei
still got up early to practice her martial arts.
Only this
time not only was Zhuang Sheng also there, there was also the Zhao Princess’
daughter Gu Shang Jin.
Xia Ling
Mei’s weapon was a long whip, good at long range attacks, and the little
princess loved welding swords, playing with spears, she loved close attacks.
The two people tried out a few moves on each other, the little princess could
not get near Xia Ling Mei’s whip, her own skirt was smashed to pieces by the
long whip repeatedly.
The little
princess’ face was choked red, angrily she tossed the sledgehammer at Xia Ling
Mei, trembling she said: “You bully me.”
Xia Ling
Mei shrugged: “I am bullying you.”
The little
princess picked up a long sword and threw herself at her: “You are a big monster.”
Xia Ling
Mei put a hand on her hips, dodging the weapon: “Then you’re a small monster.
Small monster, your hair has fallen out of its bun, you’re becoming a crazy
monster.”
The little
princess shrivelled her lips: “Aiya, your clothing style is so strange, are the
worn out strips of cloth on your waist also your weapons? Is it possible you
can’t defeat other people, so as a backup you have strips of cloth to strangle
the other person? You know all eighteen kinds of weapons, yet you can’t kill
anyone with any kind, where are you portraying martial arts, you must be
dancing? Look at your short gourd like height, your waist thicker than a
bucket, your chest even flatter than the door, also your small bottom.”
The little
princess glared at her with wide eyes, covering her own bottom: “I, what’s
wrong with my bottom?”
Xia Ling
Mei walked around her twice, frowning: “Your bottom doesn’t stick up even as
much as my Fei Dao’s. `Clicking her tongue`, making people feel the urge to
kick you twice.”
`Wa,
wa----` the little princess covered her insufficiently stuck up bottom, loudly
howling as she rushed towards her mother’s courtyard, crying heart wrecked and
splitting her lungs.
Xia Ling
Mei clicked her tongue behind her, the big bullying the small, the strong
against the weak and so on, it kept in line with her temper ╮(╯▽╰)╭
Hei Zi and
Bai Zi who were sparring on the rooftop wept: Lady, how can you be so tacky!
The Zhao
Princess was tormented for half the day by the sound of the little princess
crying, with a bitter smile, nevertheless she did not mind it, she only
laughed: “It’s great to be a monster. In the secular world, monsters are the
most formidable. When they’re happy they eat people, when they’re sad they also
eat people, eat and eat, not even a single bone will remain, so intelligent.”
The little
princess blinked, peeping at Xia Ling Mei who had come soon after: “Will auntie
eat me?”
The Zhao
Princess said: “Can you also eat her?”
The little
princess buried her head into her mother’s bosom, she `wu,wu` twice: “I’m no
match for her.”
The Zhao
Princess smiled: “You can ask you aunt to teach you martial arts, to become
like her highly skilled in martial arts, then you don’t have to worry about
being eaten.”
The little
princess asked: “Is auntie even more powerful than father?”
The Zhao
Princess said: “Your father is a black bear, your aunt is a lioness, they are
both very powerful.”
“Then,
compared to uncle emperor, who is more powerful?”
Xia Ling
Mei sneered twice: “That lecherous emperor has already been hollowed out by
wine and women, anyone can squash him.”
The Zhao
Princess glanced at her own cousin with amus.e.m.e.nt, stroking her little
princess’ hair: “Your uncle emperor is a very, very fat dragon, your auntie is the
reigning lioness on the ground, the two of them can’t compete.”
The little
princess appeared very disappointed, sullenly: “Even the most powerful uncle
can’t even defeat the big devil king, what is to be done.” Her troubled face
amused the two adults.
Xia Ling
Mei carefully mulled over the Zhao Princess’ expression, seeing she was
somewhat tired and feeble, her expression free and light, not disturbed in the
slightest by the tiredness of pa.s.sion. She then recalled the a.s.sembly of the
Zhao Princess and w.a.n.g Yun Feng in their childhood, last night afflicted by
problems old and new gradually came to her, although she wasn’t too bothered,
she was certain the Zhao Princess was not having a love affair with w.a.n.g Yun
Feng.
Xia family
held affection very importantly, Xia Ling Mei had taken care of this younger
cousin quite a bit, now she let go of the thoughts, her face remained happy.
The Zhao
Princess was very intelligent, after looking at her she asked: “Older sister do
you like Jin Er?”
Xia Ling
Mei sat beside her, pinching the little princess’ chubby cheeks, sighing with
regret:
“Liking her is one thing, giving birth to a devil incarnate is another
thing.”
“A married
woman, cannot ask for the sole love of a husband, children are nevertheless a
necessity.”
The Zhao
Princess seemed to have thought of something, “Back when I first married the
Zhao Prince, when I returned to manage the household that was when I found out
the difficulties of being a married woman in the imperial household. Originally
I had thought the
Zhao Prince was seriously pa.s.sionate and not lecherous, but
before marrying he already had one or two maids. I had just gotten pregnant
with Jin Er, inside and outside the palace a flock of people offered to find
him someone to warm his bed, every day it was so lively in the prince’s
mansion. I couldn’t stop it, I couldn’t argue with the Zhao Prince, even if my
heart was sad I had to smile, or else people would say I’m jealous.”
Xia Ling
Mei’s complexion darkened, she also remembered the years she had spent at w.a.n.g
residence. In those days, w.a.n.g Yun Feng was a brilliant young official who had
just been exposed to the court, relying on the connections his grandfather’s
had made, everything was smooth sailing. Who knew, the usually gentle, filial
w.a.n.g Yun Feng walked a different path in marriage.
There were
numerous women in the Xia family, he only had feelings for Xia Ling Wo. Xia
Ling Mei and him were fairly close in age, because her temper was the most
domineering, someone she cannot obtain she would want to marry them even more,
setting her heart on the delusion that after the two were married they would
live in martial harmony, for this reason the second concubine and third
concubine were very disagreeable.
Xia Ling
Mei chased after w.a.n.g Yun Feng, w.a.n.g Yun Feng however loved Xia Ling Wo.
Those
years, she countlessly saw scenes of w.a.n.g Yun Feng and Xia Ling Wo talking to
each other very happily, and countlessly saw the deep feelings w.a.n.g Yun Feng
had overflowing in his eyes facing Xia Ling Wo.
She did not
resign, clearly she had invested so much in him, love him so deeply, why does
his line of sight never linger on her. She wanted him all to herself. She was
to marry him. On the same night of her marriage, she also completely lost w.a.n.g
Yun Feng.
Who could
have known on the newly wed day, the groom leisurely wrapped a bundle wanting
to elope with another woman?
Who would
have realised, the newly wed after several days had to hang up white
adornments, to cry mournfully for the husband’s mother who had died of illness?
She was
ridiculed for having misfortune follow her, criticised by people `not the same`,
estimated by people `ruining the husband’s family`. The humiliation of the
wedding night, the days of grievance for the funeral, as well as those three
years countlessly staying at home alone painstakingly waiting for that person’s
resentment, it became the most painful thing in her lifetime.
By
comparison, the Zhao Princess those trivial matters were actually not
sufficient to mention.
“Now you
daughter and mother, husband and wife is all just as you wished, considered to
be the most blissfuly.”
The Zhao
Princess smiled: “Whatever blissfulness cannot compare to having children.
Older sister, I have to say something inappropriate, you really should
seriously consider your happiness for the second half of your life.” Xia Ling
Mei somewhat appraisingly looked at
her. “I know you won’t forgive Lord w.a.n.g.”
“No,” Xia
Ling Mei stopped her, “me and w.a.n.g Yun Feng will no longer have any
connections.”
“Older
sister, please hear me out.” The Zhao Princess grabbed her wrist, sincerely and
earnestly: “Do you know that the years you weren’t there, how Lord w.a.n.g pa.s.sed
his
days?”
Xia Ling
Mei shook her head: “I’m not interested.”
“Then do
you know why he suddenly came to Chenzhou, the reason why he protects you day
and night?”
“It’s none
of my business.”
“You don’t
even know the thing with him being denounced in Beiding city?”
Xia Ling
Mei only felt twitchy and uneasy, suddenly she stood up: “My feelings for him
has already turned to dust, you don’t need to rack your brains again to make
plans for me.”
The Zhao Princess
complexion suddenly changed, only then did Xia Ling Mei feel after that her
words were inappropriate, her brain chaotic, her mouth still malicious: “I know
in a lot of things I’m not as good as you, many years ago I had already
admitted defeat, losing in a complete shamble. I don’t blame you, I also don’t
blame him, I only blame myself for imagining my love was reciprocated,
believing I was infallible, I ought to be like the compliant person I am right
now, I have pa.s.sed the foolish punishment, I don’t want to hear anything about
him, more than anything I don’t want to hear anything about him from your
mouth. The two of you together, will only make me angry, make me jealous, make
me…”
She
suddenly shut her mouth tightly, in the Zhao Princess’ eyes she saw her own twisted
face filled with suffering, she paused, finally taking out her whip she walked
through the door, halfway, she happened to come across w.a.n.g Yun Feng, her good
mood ceased to exist even more: “The Zhao Princess was just talking about you
and you appeared, truly it’s a meeting of minds.”
Not looking
at his expression, panting with rage she struck his cheek and wanted to leave.
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng pulled at her: “Who has angered you?”
Xia Ling
Mei turned around to glare at him: “Let go, do you still want a beating?”
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng with thick skin said: “A common saying to hit is to be intimate, to scold
is to love, the pain on my body, pains your heart.”
Xia Ling
Mei raised her foot and kicked out: “Go dream.” She had kicked him once but her
hate still hadn’t dissolved, again rus.h.i.+ng over she beat w.a.n.g Yun Feng with her
fists, the other person did not utter a word, only looking at her expression, seeing
her gloominess slowly disperse then he felt relieved: “As expected, she still
love…ah.” Covering his head,
w.a.n.g Yun Feng once again deeply experienced the
`love` Xia Ling Mei had for him.
It really
hurts! He felt he would have to lay in bed for a few more days again.
Xia Ling
Mei was sweating all over, stickily she returned to her courtyard, just as she
opened the door to the room, she only saw crimson directly in her face, the
whole room, from the seat to the window to the wall, was filled with a
diversity of Chinese peony flowers, some blooming, some budding, in accordance
to the way they disperse a sweet smell, making the bottom of one’s heart
extremely soft.
Xia Ling
Mei deeply took in two breaths.
Since she
was young she loved gorgeous and colourful Chinese peony in the most, when she
was still a young lady, every year in May she would go to the Chinese peony
garden to appreciate the flowers, when the flowers were in full blossom, she
would pluck the flowers down grinding it into a powder, now as before she still
like to use Chinese peony to make tea.
Only, since
she left home, she had not admired so many Chinese peony flowers in such a long
time, and very few people would go and pick flowers to spoil her.
In a
moment, she only felt herself return to a time before she married, she couldn’t
help but go look at the courtyard, again looking left and right, afraid that
this was just a dream.
“Lady, you
didn’t enter the wrong door, this is your house.” Ying s.h.i.+ walked over from the
hallway with its floors flouris.h.i.+ng with flowers, “Lord w.a.n.g said Chinese
peonies suited lady’s temper the most, placing it in the house all cut and
dried will definitely have a delightful fragrance, making you carefree and
relaxed.”
Xia Ling
Mei grounded her teeth: “Is he crazy.”
Not knowing
where Xiu Yu came from, in her arms carrying an already fat ball of the small
Tibetan Mastiff, on her shoulder the charming kitten: “I heard Xiao Bai saying
Lord w.a.n.g recently pondered over The Thirty-Six Stratagems or something. Lady,
do you think Lord w.a.n.g is planning to deal with you?”
Ying s.h.i.+
tilted her head: “Could it be Lord w.a.n.g wants to use fresh flowers to bury my
lady?”
Xiu Yu
extended her head looking in: “Maybe, Lord w.a.n.g want so to make is so the lady
can’t stay in this house? Afterwards under false pretences he’ll invite the
lady to sleep on the same bed?”
Ying s.h.i.+:
“You’re so sinister.” Ashamed.
Xiu Yu:
“You’re so malicious.” Provoked.
Xia Ling
Mei already picked up the collar of the Tibetan Mastiff and the kitten, tossing
the two pets into the sea of flower, letting them trample all over the piece of
heartfelt gesture by
w.a.n.g Yun Feng until nothing existed.
After an
hour, Fei Dao who was outside hunting for food also joined in the procession of
fun, pulling down the wall which had become a mural of Chinese peony flowers,
shredding it and sprinkling it over the heads of the two cat and dog, for a
moment only countless cat cries, dog hisses and Fei Dao’s sharp birdsong could
be heard in the whole house, rising and falling in succession.
Xia Ling
Mei’s mood rapidly fluctuated with anger and made people gather the remains of
the flowers, personally carrying a basket of flowers she ran to the w.a.n.g Yun
Feng’s roof, lifting up a tie, she poured the numerous broken pieces of flower
into the bedroom of that cold and cheerless w.a.n.g Yun Feng. The inside of the
house painted black completely lacking liveliness, innumerable red flowers
scattered among the bed, making it somewhat cheerful.
Bai Zi was
foolishly moved: “It seems like a bridal room.”
Xia Ling
Mei turned her head glowering, it was already too late for Hei Zi to push Bai
Zi away, in a flash the two people were rubbing away for their lives, chased
after by a lioness brandis.h.i.+ng a whip wanting to kill.
Xiu Yu
looked up to the roof to watch Hei and Bai running away: “So stupid.”
Ying s.h.i.+
burst with laughter: Truly stupid.”
Fei Dao:
“`ka`!”
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng by means of his injuries again did not go to the government office, Gu
Lang like a cowhide sweet took the opportunity to stick to Xia Ling Mei’s side.
Zhuang Sheng now became a genuine flower thief, as long as Xia Ling Mei was
there, Zhuang Sheng was absolutely not far. She had a meal with the Zhao
Princess, he and the drunkard with a wine pot in one hand, chicken leg in the
other, sat on the beam of the roof biting and splas.h.i.+ng grease; when she took a
nap with the little princess, he would hang up a rope suspended on the pillar
of the house swaying side to side; when she needed to change her clothes, he
absolutely would poke a hole in the paper window, widening his eyes to peep on
the scenes of springtime.
Facing w.a.n.g
Yun Feng, Xia Ling Mei still beat and scolded him with extreme vigour, any way
w.a.n.g Yun Feng was scolded he didn’t retort, any way he was. .h.i.t he didn’t
retaliate; facing Gu Lang, Xia Ling Mei directly ignored him; and Zhuang Sheng,
Xia Ling Mei only felt her body and mind become haggard.
Zhuang
Sheng qinggong was good, he was used to being a flower thief, ginggong was a
skill in his trade for escaping, if he wasn’t in the top ten in the Jianghu,
then he was in the top fifteen. Often waiting until his beady eyes were
discovered by Xia Ling Mei, as she was prepared to draw out her whip, the other
person had already flown away without a trace of a shadow. She chased, he ran;
she rested, he again continued to crawl back to peep; she attacked with rage, he
was calm and composed.
Finally,
Xia Ling Mei waved her hand: “Come, let’s play mah-jong. Loser, has to take off
their clothes.”
The eyes of
the several people inside and outside the house brightened: “Really?”
Xia Ling
Mei nodded: “Princess also come.”
A table
surrounded by people, Xia Ling Mei and the princess sat opposite each other,
the remaining few men, w.a.n.g Yun Feng and Gu Lang sat together, Zhuang Sheng and
the drunkard sat together, the pair taking it in turn to go into battle.
Xia Ling
Mei placed her red long whip on top of the table: “If you lose, whoever dares
to go back on the promise, don’t blame me for being blunt.”